Like nothing he had ever seen before Dorian watched in rapt attention as the little songbird finally talked herself to sleep. Innocent and soft she was the picture of pure temptation curled up in his clothes.

 

Letting his eyes travel from her sleeping face they settled on the brown curls that fell past her shoulder and imagined what it would feel like in his hands. Frowning he thought of the mystery man out there waiting for her call tonight. It didn't matter he thought, as he grabbed her untouched tumbler and knocked back the whiskey in one gulp, that poor bastard was as good as gone from her life—he would make sure of it.

 

Lasette was perfection in his eyes, if he did believe in a higher power, Dorian would swear she was made for him and their meeting tonight was preordained. He needed her by his side in life, and it was more than apparent she needed him. In one night he rescued her from an elevator, a possible assault, freezing to death, and now to top it all off, she was curled up on a stranger's sofa. The little songbird needed someone to keep her safe and close, and he was just the man for the task.

 

Going to the bedroom, he built a fire until it burned bright. Layering some more blankets on the king-size bed, he pulled down the covers. Walking back to the living room he stopped in front of her, she was sleeping soundly. Hooking his arm underneath her knees and behind her back, he easily lifted her from the couch.

 

Carrying her to the room he gently lowered her to the bed. Watching her frown in her sleep, he could tell her brain was fighting her exhaustion to wake up. Without hesitation, he pulled at the over-sized sweats around her soft waist pulling them off completely leaving her in only his shirt before placing the covers over her.

 

Slowly her eyes opened.

 

Confused Lasette stared at the wooden rafter beams above her, searching her brain for answers. Finally remembering that day's events, she turned her head on the wonderfully soft pillow to see Dorian standing on the other side of the bed.

 

Pushing herself up onto her forearms she tried to protest. "I can sleep on the couch I don't mind,” she said sleepily.

 

The bed was sideways in comparison to the fireplace in the room. Her side of the bed faced the fire allowing her to fill the full warmth of the flames while his side of the bed faced the doorway.

 

Setting his gun on the nightstand next to him he pulled his shirt over his head tossing it onto the floor beyond. Even through her exhaustion, Lasette found her mouth becoming dry at the sight. Good heavens, he was beautiful, perfectly defined abs led to a strong chest while his muscular arms folds and stretched with each movement.

 

"Go back to sleep," he replied. "I have enough wood to maintain one fire throughout the night, and I'll feel better if you are in arms reach on a night like tonight," obviously referring to the current lawless chaos. Even knowing what he meant she had to take a deep breath at the heart constricting feeling those words caused, he had no idea how desperately she wanted to throw herself into those muscular arms.

 

With no energy left to oppose him she nodded in concession, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this tired. Relaxing into the soft mattress, she watched the sculpted man dip into the bed next to her.

 

Closing her eyes, she fell immediately into sleep's embrace.

 

 

It took a considerate amount of effort on his part but he eventually was able to will his aroused body to obey his mind and calm down just enough to sleep. When sleep did finally claim him, Dorian was not surprised he found it far more comforting with Lasette's soft presence by his side.

 

It was the sound of a vibration that alerted him out of his sleep. With his hand hovering over his gun he listened staying completely motionless. The humming sound went off-again, and he realized what it was. Taking another look at Lasette's beautiful sleeping face he got up from the bed walked to the kitchen. It was still very late out and the power seemingly still was not on. Glancing out the tall windows overlooking the large pond in his backyard he could see that the other houses were just as dark.

 

The humming vibration sounded again.

 

Sitting side-by-side on the counter where their cell phones he plugged into the extension cord earlier. Lasette's phone was flashing. Taking the liberty, he unlocked the screen to see various missed calls. It was evident the cell towers were back online. Narrowing his gaze at the worried messages from a guy named Lance, he ignored them and focused on the response text from Corey. There were about twenty or so, all following the picture message he sent earlier with his ID, all ranging from highly concerned to irate, and now bordering on hysterical.

 

She was loved that was apparent. From her description of her family, he could tell they would be deeply devastated if anything happened to her. For a moment he let his mind wander to what it would have felt like growing up with siblings much less two devoted parents. As soon as the wayward thought sprung forth he closed it off, it didn't do him any good thinking about something that didn't exist. Though he did have every intention of making that dream his future. It felt like he knew the moment she stumbled out of that elevator tonight that their lives were destined for each other.

 

Putting her phone back down, Dorian was just about to investigate the blinking light on his phone when the screen lit up. The number was not in his contacts, but he recognized it with a smirk.

 

"Corey Crane I assume," he answered the phone, enjoying taking the upper hand from the man.

 

"Where is my sister?" Dorian could hear the man's tight barely suppressed rage in his voice.

 

"Safe. Warm. And asleep in the next room over," he replied.

 

“You know the drill ranger, I want to hear her voice." Corey snapped back.

 

As expected the man did his research. Dorian could bet the man had his complete history in front of him by now. A dark part of him wanted to tell the SEAL where he could shove it, he wasn't in the mood to take orders, but he knew that would gain him no favors from Lasette if he pissed off her brothers. Besides if it was him looking for Lasette he could easily imagine the same dark consuming anger.

 

Walking back into the bedroom he sat on the bed and nudged Lasette softly until she stirred awake. Smirking at her disorientation, he pressed the phone to her ear.

 

"Talk to your brother so he can calm down."

 

With a scratchy tired voice, she answered. Sleepily she tried to answer all of his questions and promised to call him first thing in the morning. Handing the phone back to him she promptly snuggled back underneath the covers.

 

"Feeling better?" He asked, stepping back into the kitchen.

 

“I want to thank you for sending your information," there was a lethal edge to the man's tone foreshadowing an inevitable threat. Dorian just waited patiently leaning on the counter-top. "Because I know just who to gut alive if anything happens to my sister."

 

Tired and wanting to be back in bed next to Lasette, he told the man what he wanted to hear.

 

"Your sister is perfectly safe, you have my word."

 

"I want to hear everything too, what the fuck happened? Why isn't she at her place? And just who the hell are you to her?"

 

"In the morning, sure." Dorian reiterated.

 

"I want my sister delivered to her doorstep safe and untouched Fields."

 

Dorian smiled at the command. "I will have her sister delivered at her doorstep tomorrow morning… Safe.

 

"Motherfucker I said untouched…" He yelled back.

 

Dorian pressed the "end" button releasing the line with a smile. Putting both of their phones on mute, he went back into the bedroom. Pulling back the covers he slid beside her unnoticed. Throwing propriety out the window, he wrapped an arm around the dip of her waist and pulled her closer. Naturally, her body answered his call and snuggled closer absorbing his warmth. Content he relaxed into the rhythm of her breathing and fell asleep.

 

***

 

Waking up slowly Lasette blinked a few times remembering where she was. She couldn't remember the last time she slept that deeply. The subtle amber glow of the fire cast a dim light on the bed and its occupants. The fog of sleep was completely pushed aside as she focused on the sleeping man next to her. Inches away Dorian slept quietly on his side facing her giving her for access to study the quiet soldier. Broad shoulders seemed to tower over her in this position completely blocking her vision of the rest of the room behind him. Slowly up and down his large chest moved to his steady breathing.

 

Looking at his serious sleeping face, she smiled thinking of everything they been through tonight. No one besides her brothers would have looked out for her and cared for her the way he did tonight.

 

Taking in the sight of his strong body she felt herself respond to him. The sleeping beast of a man caused her mind to run wild with what ifs. What would making love with him feel like? Lasette had a feeling it would be just as intense as he was about everything else. The thought scared and excited her all at once, she never made love with a man like this before. The men in her past were slow and careful treating her like a piece of crystal. Letting her gaze fall back on his large, powerful arms she knew Dorian would not be as gentle.  The apex between her legs tingled in a growing heat at the graphic thought.

 

She wanted him. She suspected he wanted her from the few glances she caught earlier, but she couldn't be too sure.

 

Inching closer, she reached out and put a hand on his firm chest, pausing she looked up to see him still sleeping. The skin beneath her fingertips felt like molten steel. Never has she seen a man this physically fit this close before, it was an amazing sensory overload. Letting her fingers glide across the soft hairs on his firm chest she wondered over the basic differences between their bodies. He was such a good-looking man she thought as she bit her lip, no man should look this good she was sure she could touch him like this for hours and never get tired. Lasette's body cried out in response to him, her breasts practically ached to be touch by his large rough hands. Staring at his closed lips she gently yet boldly pressed her lips to his.

 

Like a woodland doe setting off the hunter's trap a thick muscled arms wrapped around her waist pressing her deeper into the kiss.

 

Fully awake Dorian deepened the kiss consuming her soft cry of shock. She felt his weight shift pushing her onto her back as he leaned over her using his thumb to pull slightly at her chin opening her mouth for his seeking tongue. He groaned deeply as her tongue shyly responded.

 

Pressed against him she wanted him to touch her more but deep in the back of her mind she told herself it was wrong. Relationships attempted in a scenario like this were not based on real emotions, just desperate survival and the need for comfort. But heaven help her he felt so good. Running her hands over him, she reveled in the thick hardness of his large body. The strength he exuded called to her body on its most molecular level.

 

"Tell me it's not serious between you and the man out there waiting for your call. Tell me you don't have feelings for him." She could feel his deep voice vibrate through his hard chest with a resonating need to hear her say no.

 

Not able to lie she shook her head. "No, it's nothing. We only went out twice."

 

"Good, because tonight would have been the end of that anyways," he whispered roughly as he kissed her again.

 

Stubbornly her pride surged within her. "You couldn't have known that," she tried to argue, despite not wanting to break the kiss.

 

"Trust me I knew it the moment you yelled at me back at that station. No other woman has ever made me want to shake her and make love to her all at the same damn time the way you do." He gave her bruising kiss leaving her speechless to argue. "You deserve more than a man that waits idly by the phone as the light of his life fights to survive out there alone."

 

He was right, with a man like Dorian he would have fought through hell to get to her, to keep her safe and close. Just remembering everything he did for that night and he hardly knew her, proved that much.

 

Rough hands found their way under her shirt covering one of her bare breasts. The rough foreign texture against the supple softness of her own caused her to release a moan.

 

"Dorian I…" She wasn't sure what she wanted, but her words were stolen from her as Dorian's mouth moved over hers with a dominating intent forcing her lips apart.

 

"Shh sweetheart you belong to me now," he whispered hoarsely wrenching his mouth from hers, staring down at the lips he bruised with his own. "I have to have you Lasette."

 

The uncharacteristic need in his voice drew her in.

 

The gripping a fistful of his short hair she pulled his mouth back to hers silently signaling the man to take what he needed from her, she was only too willing to give.

 

The tight steel band of control he maintained snapped at her surrender, hunger hot and bright consumed him. Yanking open her shirt, he ignored the buttons being ripped from the seams. Taking a moment to stare at her naked body in the firelight Dorian slowly descended on the soft, enticing globes. Under his hot tongue, Lasette cried in pleasure as he suckled and bruised her nipples. As his mouth tugged at her tender nipples, she felt her thin satin panties tear around her waist from his hard grip. Slipping a finger into her slick channel, she heard him curse at her wetness.

 

"Goddammit, what are you doing to me?" He whispered seemingly to himself. With quick movements, he removed his boxers and knelt between her fully nude.

 

He was a glorious sight. His expression was of dark arousal, invoking fearful excitement. Grabbing her knees, he pulled her onto his hard heat enjoying her small gasp of shock. Everything was so overwhelming, the rough dominance he had over her body was like anything she could imagine. It scared her when she realized what little control she had under his hands. Still holding onto one leg, he guided himself slowly inside of her inch by torturous inch she could feel his searing heat push her inside of her stretching her to her limit. Naturally, her body began to respond in resistance to the overwhelming invasion, but Dorian sensed it. Rubbing his thumb against her swollen clit, Lasette felt the chaotic heat build inside of her making her forget the stretching invasion. Pushing and pulling Dorian rode her body with a driving power she never before experienced. It seemed once the invitation was offered there was no turning back. The man took complete possession of her body as if he had every right, pushing her body deeper into the covers demanding her body to respond. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she drowned out his deep grunts with her cries that escalated with each thrust. His fingers just wouldn't stop their torture against her aching body, all the while they were tearing her apart caught between their pulsating bodies working at her tender clit in time with his thrust.

 

Her her body began to tighten.

 

"That's it baby cum for me," he growled in her ear, opening her legs wider.

 

Helpless to his command, Lasette felt her body spiral off the edge in a shattering release something she never experienced before.

 

Rocking once more into her relaxing body Dorian gave off a loud groan as his hips slammed against hers pulsing his release inside of her. Flirting with the edge of consciousness and the deep black void of sleep, she felt him kiss her softly while adjusting her limp body beneath his as he caught his breath. Somewhere in her mind, she thought she heard him say something, but it was too late she was already falling into the blackness.