Dane’s awareness grew slowly, like the pink light of dawn fingering beneath the blinds in his room.

Soft clattering noises, kitchen noises, came from somewhere. A Disney soundtrack. Ah, the Frozen DVD. Dani singing along. Healthy. Happy. A chair scraping against the floor. Comforting morning sounds.

For some time, he let himself drift, dreaming of a woman, fighting the darkness with him, holding his fears at bay, letting him feel safe, secure. Whole.

Loved.

So loved.

And so warm.

Soft. Smooth. Rounded curves.

He ran his hand up those curves, pulling the softness against his erection, letting his fingers wander up to cup a warm breast, feeling one nipple, then the other, harden at his touch.

“Mmm.” She nestled even tighter against him and he reached down, lower, until he felt silky curls and soft, damp folds.

She shifted, parting her legs slightly, quivering, her hips undulating.

He answered her movements, feeling that nothing had ever been so perfect as this moment, this hidden refuge, just him and Pam, the two of them…

Pam!

His eyes flew open, and he felt her startle against him.

Pam…in bed with him?

He recalled the night before, checking on the two of them yet again, safely ensconced in his king bed, exhausted from the frantic nighttime battle with the frigid ocean. Dani had kicked away the pillow he’d tucked against her and was shivering again.

When he tried to replace it, he felt her skin. Too cold. He’d intended to sleep in the guest bed, but without questioning himself, he crawled in and tucked her against his chest. With him on one side and Pam on the other, they’d keep her warm. She nestled under his chin and the sensation of his little girl letting him hold her, of being able to provide something that she needed and yes, was willing to take from him, had brought tears to his eyes.

And that was her now, singing in the kitchen. Sounding right as rain, happy as a clam, fit as a fiddle. He should go check on her.

But he was here, in bed, with Pam.

“Dane?” She sighed softly. “I thought I was dreaming.”

“Me, too,” he whispered, pressing closer. “I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am.”

She stiffened in his arms.

“We shouldn’t,” she said, gasping slightly, “This is…problematic.”

“Hmm.” She was so soft, so warm. So wet. “I can’t wait to give you the solution.”

“Dane.”

Damn. They were so close.

“Fine.”

He moved his hand, but couldn’t resist winding a damp trail, evidence of her arousal, up her belly and over her hip. There was no mistaking his response; damn if he was going to let her pretend she wasn’t right there with him.

“We should get up,” she said, her voice unsteady.

“Way ahead of you, baby.” He nudged her.

Pamela could barely breathe. Was this really happening? Or was it a dream?

But the solidness of Dane, the weight of him behind her in the bed told her it was very, vividly real.

“I should check on Dani,” she said, wanting more than anything else in the universe to stay exactly where she was.

“Listen,” he said. “She’s fine. The door’s closed.”

From the kitchen, she could hear Dani’s voice singing along with her beloved characters. Laughing, even.

Beneath the covers, he slid a hand up, then down her body.

“Do you want to go,” he whispered against her neck, his breath sending rivulets of desire quivering over her skin, “or do you want to stay?”

When she’d gone to bed, she’d had a robe on and a child in her arms. Now, she could feel her robe bunched up somewhere by her knees, the child was making happy noises in the other room and big hot hands were touching her in places that desperately wanted to be touched.

Even her dreams weren’t this good.

Her body was moving in time with his hand and she was breathing way too quickly.

She should stop him; she knew she should.

She reached back and found his erection.

He groaned. “So you’ve decided then?”

He throbbed in her hand and she rubbed her thumb over the slick tip.

His finger dipped inside her again and she gasped.

“Decided what?”

He reached to the bedside table and she heard the crinkling sound of a condom wrapper. She arched her back and pressed against him, angling herself until she felt him pulsating at the back of her thighs so close, but not close enough.

“Decided,” he said in a ragged voice, “if we’re having sex or not.”

She pushed herself onto him and he was inside her, filling her, trembling against her as if holding himself back.

But she spread her legs wider to accommodate him and his clever, clever hand that hadn’t stopped working her, not for a second.

Maybe she wasn’t awake after all, she thought, as the waves rose, and her legs bucked against the sheets.

“Can I,” she gasped, grabbing his hip and pulling him into her, harder, faster, “get back to you?”

She cried out as her climax began and she flailed for a pillow to put over her face. This was too good to be silent, this was a screamer, a shout-it-from-the- rooftops, barn-burner kind of orgasm, and just when she thought it couldn’t get better, Dane’s hands moved to her hips, grasping her, pulling her back and forth, extending her pleasure with his crescendo.

Finally they fell back on the sheets, both breathing hard, both trembling.

The room came back into focus. Pamela elbowed herself around to look at Dane for the first time

“I guess,” she said, meeting his eyes and seeing in them the same shock she felt herself, “that would be a yes.”