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There was still something missing though. A
piece of the puzzle he had yet to discover.
What made her so fearful of sexual closeness?"
If he had to stake odds on it, he would bet Danni
was inexperienced. But was it her distrust of men
that had made her that way& or something else?
Remembering how desperately she had fought
him, he would bet it was something else. But what?
A grim look settled on his features as he
contemplated the possibilities, and none of them
were good.
He stood up and walked up behind her, pulling
her back against his chest. "Danni," he said quietly,
"I care. And I don t ever want you to run from me
again. I want you to come to me when you have
something to work out, not take off."
Danni couldn t relax, even though Sanders felt
so warm and comforting, his broad chest solid
against her back. She wanted so badly to confide in
him, but how to make the words come out? Every
time she thought about it, her disgust and loathing
for her father formed a tight band across her chest
and she couldn t seem to break it.
"There s something more you haven t told me,
Danni," Sanders continued quietly. "Why are you so
afraid of intimacy?"
Danni froze, her heart beating fast. I& I can t
tell you that," she whispered, hanging her head.
Sanders turned her to face him. "Honey, its
obvious something, or someone has hurt you
deeply." He lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
"I love you, Danni," he said softly. Her eyes
widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth to
reply, but he put his fingers on her lips.
"Sssh& listen to me. I fell in love with you the first
day we met and have only fallen deeper with each
151
day since. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, you
could tell me that will change that."
He stroked his thumb along the softness of her
jaw line and over her rosy lips. "I want to protect
and defend you, keep you safe, love you in every
way possible. Will you trust me& please?"
Danni stared up at Sanders, her emotions at war
with each other. The warmth in his blue eyes and
the sincerity of his words melted some more of the
ice around her heart.
Lord, how she wanted to believe in his words! To
believe that his love and concern would not turn to
disgust for her and her family. To believe that it was
not her fault that men lusted after her, and most of
all& to believe that she had not, in some way,
encouraged what had happened.
She turned and stared out into the night, the
sparkling lights on the freshly falling snow
mesmerizing her. The ski slopes looked like a
wonderland as the big flakes shimmered in the
lights that were everywhere, making the entire
lodge seem like a fantasy.
"Tell me what happened, Danni," came the soft
insistent voice behind her. Sanders slipped his arms
around her and under her breasts, enveloping her in
his protective hold, patiently waiting for her to
respond.
Danni rested her arms on his, savoring the feel
of his maleness, his strength; her head rested
gently against his shoulder.
Her thoughts drifted back to that awful night,
the night she faced her biggest betrayal.
"I had just come home from school," Danni
began, "and my father announced that he had a
prospective son-in-law lined up for me."
It seemed that John Oaks had a deal going with
another corporation and it was going to be mutually
beneficial for David Nixon and Danni Oaks to marry.
John Oaks wanted the Elixir Corporation, and
Nixon s son David& well& he wanted Danni.
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"You have been groomed for this role for
eighteen years, Danni," her father had stated, "and
I am responsible for you, so I will make your
decisions for you."
"John!" Carolyn had protested on Danni s behalf.
"The children at least need time to get to know each
other, and Danni just got out of school!"
"That s exactly my point!" argued John Oaks.
"She is naïve as to the world and doesn t know
what s best for her. She needs to listen to me!"
"You mean you want to use me, don t you Dad?"
Danni had accused hotly. "Well, it s not going to
happen! I won t be used to cement your business
deal for you. When I get ready to marry, it will be to
someone I love, and who loves me!"
The argument had been bitter, and Danni had
finally stomped off to her room, refusing to even be
there when the Nixons came over to talk business
with her father and her Uncle.
She had gotten up for a drink of water, the clock
on her nightstand showing 1:00am, and she could
hear their voices still coming from her father s
study.
She had been climbing back up the stairs, when
she felt his eyes on her. Turning around, Danni had
immediately recognized the raw lust in David
Nixon s eyes.
"So beautiful," he had muttered, "so innocent.
All you need is a little convincing angel."
She had started at his words and hurriedly
rushed up the stairs and slammed the bedroom
door behind her. She had heaved a sigh of relief
when she didn t hear anything else, and she
returned to her bed, settling in for the night.
Danni began to tremble then, and Sanders
pulled her closer, holding her, sharing her memory
as best he could.
She had come awake suddenly, the length of
David Nixon s body pressing into hers. He was
kissing her, and his hands were roaming up and
down her body. She slapped at him and tried to
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scream, but his tongue probed into her open mouth,
stifling it in her throat. She had tried to scream
again, but she couldn t get any air...and then
everything had gone black.
"My God," whispered Sanders, turning Danni to
face him. "The son of a bitch assaulted you didn t
he, Danni?" He pulled her into his arms, holding her
close, his face white. "I m so sorry, honey, that you
had to go through that."
"No, Sanders," responded Danni hoarsely.
"That s what I went to Vegas to find out. I went to a
doctor and had an exam done. He didn t assault me
after all, I just thought he had for the last five
years, but wasn t sure."
Sanders stared at her pale face, the tears on her
cheeks. "It doesn t matter to me, Danni, it wasn t
your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed of, it
doesn t change my feelings for you in any way."
"No, Sanders& you don t understand. When I
woke up, there was nothing to suggest I d been
assaulted, only the...the sticky wetness that was all
over the bed and me. But I couldn t be sure, and
was afraid to find out& until now."
She reached up and stroked the side of his face.
"You gave me the courage to find out, to end the
nightmare and the worry. I& I love you too, darling,"
she choked out, her face flushing.
Sanders groaned and swept her up in his arms,
carrying her to the couch where he sat and cradled
her on his lap.
"No wonder you can t stand your father," he
growled, the disgust on his face more than evident.
Danni opened her mouth to reveal the last
secret and found the words would not come. She
just couldn t do it! This was between her and her
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