"LUKE, GET YOUR A** IN HERE!!!"

That was the call that came from the bathroom, and Dakota's faithful rottweiler pushed the door open with his paw, where steam from the running shower promptly began to pour out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Dakota pulled the curtain back enough to poke his head out and bark out another command.

"Go get me a towel, boy!!"

Upon command, Luke backed out of the bathroom and walked to the hallway closet which was right next to the bathroom. The closet door stood wide open, allow Luke to sit up and place his front paws on one of the shelves. He then took a thick blue towel into his mouth, brought it back to the bathroom, and sat it on top of the toilet.

Yes, Dakota has him trained to bring bathroom linens. Apparently, forgetting to grab a towel before he gets in the shower is a pretty regular habit for ol' Kota.

Five minutes passed, and the water cut off. Dakota reached out from behind the curtain, picked up his towel, and closed the curtain back. He liked to be good and dried off before getting out of the shower. Funny thing about him, he could stand outside in 25 degree weather with short sleeves and be perfectly fine, but he never could stand the immediate cold that comes with stepping out of the shower soaking wet. Just one of his little quirks.

A couple of minutes later, the curtain was pulled back completely, and Dakota stepped out with the towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He stood in front of the mirror and immediately began running a comb through his hair, trying to at least get the tangles out. That job always sucked. He swore he was gonna cut it off completely one of these days.

Finally, after much pulling, yanking, and accidently ripping a few strands out, he got it about as straight as he liked it. He then walked directly across the narrow hallway and into the bedroom. The door closed behind him, and minutes passed. It wasn't too long, though. Being the man that he is, he was dressed in three minutes tops. Well, as dressed as he was gonna get for now anyway. He emerged from the bedroom in a pair of his best jeans, barefoot, and without a shirt for the time being. He stepped back into the bathroom long enough to grab one of his necklaces....

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b397/HornLakeTiger/Random%20stuff/193218702_1.jpg

...sliding it around his neck, and he then headed back down the hallway, turning right into the kitchen. There wasn't much room to work with here, but he was going to do the best he could. Laying out upon the counter were all of the ingredients that he needed for the main course of tonight's dinner, smothered grilled chicken breast.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pound of mesquite smoked bacon
2 tablespoons of seasoned salt
1 cup of Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup of chopped peppers
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
4 slices of American cheese

When you combine that along with the side dish that he was getting ready to make, wild rice with rosemary stuffing....well, Dakota Steele was fixin' to go to work.

Ohyes, and don't forget dessert. Warm Italian chocolate cookies would be on the menu for tonight. Hey, chocolate can win over any woman, right?

And that's not even to mention the strawberry romaine salad that he had already made up before he got in the shower. It was now in the refrigerator, waiting to be devoured.

Dakota glanced towards the clock. There was still quite a bit of time left before Jade was due to arrive. This could be a big night for ol' Kota, but he was cool under pressure. He was just VERY thankful that he'd gotten busy cleaning up the apartment as soon as he got home a couple of hours ago. It was ungodly, but it seems to be at least halfway presentable now.

Dakota had been working for well over an hour now, trying so hard to make EVERYTHING perfect. He'd even bought at least a dozen candles to place in various spots throughout the apartment. The candles were already lit, but every light remained on while he worked in the kitchen. He hadn't bothered with putting on a shirt just yet, and he had tied his hair back into a ponytail while getting the food ready at a feverish pitch.

Time was running out for ol' Kota, and he was wanting so desperately to have everything ready just in time for her arrival!! That obviously was NOT going to happen, and he was quickly getting pissed at himself for not managing his time better than this.

No time to be pissed now, because there was a knock at the door, and she was ten minutes early!!

"Oh, s***!!!"

Jade probably heard that on the other side of the door. He didn't even have his shirt on yet!! And......stupid idiot...he forgot to throw the shirt that he'd planned to wear in the dryer!! Oh wow, could ANYTHING ELSE go wrong????

"Be right there!!!!"

Okay, NOW it was time to panic!! Shirt....shirt....he needed a shirt. Racing back to his bedroom, he swung open the closet door and began slinging through shirts, trying to find the least wrinkled one.

About the only one he could settle on was a black one with a picture of an eagle head and the Harley-Davidson logo. This was SO not what he wanted to wear tonight, but he had little choice at this point. Quickly pulling the shirt over his head, he headed back down the hallway, stopping to glance at the still unfinished dinner there in the kitchen. And finally, the door was opened.

There she stood, looking absolutely amazing, and she brought muffins!!! She brought a TON of muffins!!!

"Jade!!!! You didn't have to do all this!!! But I'm sure as hell glad you did.....come on in, babe.."

As she stepped in, she set the muffins on the table in the dining area, which was immediately to her left as she entered the apartment. Dakota then greeted her with a sweet hug, rubbing her back like he had become quite fond of doing.

"I'm sorry I ain't got everything ready yet. I'm pretty much a dumba** when it comes to tryin' to manage time. It just don't.........."

And Jade quickly reached up to place her finger on his lips, letting him know that it was perfectly okay. She even asked if she could help in the kitchen.

Well, Dakota wasn't gonna turn that down. The chicken breasts had been in the oven for a while now, and they still had a few more minutes. About the biggest thing left to do was to saute the already chopped up mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Sure, she could twitch her nose and have it done instantly, but where was the fun in that??

There was already barely room in this kitchen for Dakota to move around by himself, so with the both of them in there, it was going to be a REALLY tight spot. Then again, maybe that added to the fun. Jade had thrown the veggies into the skillet, letting them grill on the stove. While she was standing over her station, Dakota was right there behind her, both hands having locked together at her stomach. He had a small radio that he kept in the kitchen, and he reached out to turn it on. And almost as if it were meant to be heard right at that very moment, "Patience" by Guns n' Roses had just begun to play. Yeah, Guns were Jade's favorite band. Axl Rose's whistling intro was still going, and just a few seconds later, he began to sing.

Shed a tear 'cause I'm missing you
I'm still alright to smile
Girl, I think about you every day now
Was a time when I wasn't sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt you're in my heart now
Said woman take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience
Said sugar make it slow
And we'll come together fine
All we need is just a little patience
(inhale) Patience...
Ooh, oh, yeah

Sit here on the stairs
'Cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you right now, I'll wait dear
Sometimes, I get so tense
But I can't speed up the time
But you know, love, there's one more thing to consider
Said woman take it slow
Things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience
Said sugar take the time
'Cause the lights are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes to make it
We won't fake it, Oh never break it
'Cause I can't take it

...little patience, mm yeah, ooh yeah,
Need a little patience, yeah
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more pati... (ence, yeah)
I've been walking these streets at night
Just trying to get it right (Need some patience, yeah)
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd (Could use some patience, yeah)
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game
'Cause I need you (Patience, yeah)
Yeah, yeah well I need you
Oh, I need you (Take some patience)
Whoa, I need you (Just a little patience is all we need)
Ooh, this ti- me...

They nearly burned the veggies as they'd TOTALLY turned their attention away from cooking and had begun to dance midway through the song. Thankfully, everything turned out okay, and Jade pulled the skillet off the burner just in the nick of time.

What a night this was going to be, and things were just getting started.

Italian chocolate cookies were fresh out of the oven. He'd thrown them in while they were making supper, and the timer had just went off.

He made his way on back into the kitchen. Okay, it was only a couple of steps from the dining table to the kitchen. Even still, he returned with a couple of cookies on a small green plate. Setting the plate in front of her, he then dropped down to one knee beside her and took a cookie off the plate. Oh, it was absolutely obligatory that he feed her a piece of chocolate. Dakota slooooooowly, painfully teased her with the still warm cookie. He dangled it within inches of her mouth, and Jade nearly bit his fingers off as she lunged at it, obviously tired of being teased! Dakota couldn't help but laugh as he yanked his hand back, now cookie-less.

"Dang, girl....."

He must have done something right, because she acted as if that cookie was the best thing she'd had in ages. You couldn't fake that kind of pleasure. When it came to sex, maybe......but not with chocolate!!!

Dakota had a couple of cookies for himself, and even he was impressed with how they turned out. Having very much a sweet tooth at the moment, he decided it was time to try a couple of Jade's world famous muffins. He picked one up without even seeing what kind it was. He honestly couldn't have cared less. Taking a bite into what turned out to be a blueberry, the look on his face had to let her know that it was awesome.

"Everything it was hyped up to be, darlin'...."

The dishes could remain on the table. Who really cared about the dishes right now anyway? They'd still be there tomorrow. Taking Jade by the hand, he led her into the living room, where there wasn't much more than a couch, an end table, a coffee table, and a TV with a DVD player. Also, leaning against the window, was Dakota's black acoustic guitar that he liked to pick up every now and then. As they got settled on the couch, Jade couldn't help but ask the obvious question.

"Would you play me something?"

That actually wasn't part of Dakota's plan. He kept the guitar out all the time. It was like an old friend, asking to have some time spent with it every now and then. It had been quite a few weeks since Dakota had touched it, but it looks like he was gonna have to shake the rust off tonight real quick. Slowly reaching over without getting off the couch, Dakota picked the guitar up by the neck and placed it in his lap. Being left handed, he held and played it the complete opposite way of how most guitarists play. Now sitting on the edge of the couch, Dakota remained in silent thought for a few seconds while Jade was behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning her head against his back, ready to hear whatever he came up with.

Finally, a slight smile came across his expression as he thought of a good song for tonight. There was no intro to this one. He began singing softly, and then began to play after the first line.

"I almost said I love you
Could I really be that kind of guy
See one candle burning in your eye
And watch my heart fill up with butterflies
I almost said I need you
Girl I shouldn't go there anymore
Act like I never been in love before
You probably think it's my first time
Is this what love's all about
Am I getting in too deep
Wouldn't want to freak you out
Make a promise I can't keep

So close your eyes and hum along
And I'll sing you one more love song
If everything is still alright
Why don't you just crash here tonight

Close your eyes and hum along
And I'll sing you one more love song
If everything is still alright
Why don't you just crash here tonight

Girl if everything is still alright
Why don't you just crash here tonight"

She'd been holding onto him, just sitting there listening to him, and as he finished, she reached around to turn his face towards her. Closing her eyes, she leaned in far enough for her lips to meet his. Dakota then shifted his body to face her completely, and he gently laid the guitar down on the floor. Leaning back into the couch cushions as the kiss lingered, he found himself now on his back, with his hands placed along her lower back. Her raven black hair was falling into his face as the passion of the moment continued to build. His hands were now along her sides, slowly moving up and down, while his heart was about to beat out of his chest. The kiss was broken, but only because she wanted to run her lips along his neck at a feverish pace. Her right hand had already slipped inside his shirt, fingertips trailing along whatever skin she could find.

Well, he'd make that easier for her. Sitting up for just a moment, he quickly slid that shirt up and over his head, tossing it halfway across the living room. At this point, Jade stopped to stare at his upper body, suddenly completely fascinated with his numerous tribal tattoos, especially one over his right pectoral muscle that showed a skull wearing a beautiful, highly detailed Native American headdress. This was a tattoo that simply screamed Dakota Steele. Her fingertips were tracing that design on his chest, and abruptly, her arms snaked around his neck, pulling herself against him in an extremely sensual hug. Dakota's hands were rubbing her back as he held her. Finally, he spoke..

"What time do you have to be home, Jade....?"

She didn't even hesitate in answering.

"I've got all night........"

And he didn't hesitate in his response, which was to lean forward and lay her on her back. Looking down upon her, he lovingly removed a few stray strands of her own hair from her face. His eyes were locked in on hers, trying to read her as best as he could. Dakota Steele spent years taking people's money at the poker table. He'd made a very good living out of reading faces and tell signs. And he honestly wasn't sure how to read Jade tonight. As for himself, he wasn't ready to say that he was in LOVE yet. This was supposed to be just something fun for the both of them, right? This was supposed to be the anti-relationship relationship, right? They were both supposed to be terrible at relationships, right? Everything he was feeling about her went completely against every one of those questions.

Besides, all of those questions were the furthest thing from his mind at this very moment. He knew that he absolutely LOVED spending time with this woman, and right now, there was no other place in the world that he would rather be than right here with her.

Finally, he leaned down towards her, and their lips met once more. Jade's hands were absolutely going to work, massaging his upper back and shoulders with surprising firmness. Now it was his hair that was falling completely in her face, but she didn't seem to care. She even caught herself grabbing at his locks as the heat between the two of them rose.

This went on for several more minutes before Jade spoke up ever so quietly.

"Dakota......let's wait..."

Her pained expression seemed to let him know that those three words were extremely tough for her to say. He gazed down at her, and he knew exactly what she was saying. He even agreed with her completely.

This was a brand new start for them. A chance for two people with horrible relationship histories to be able to start fresh. There was no need to screw it up by having sex on the second date. Let them build this relationship into something extremely meaningful, and when the time is right, it will be absolutely perfect. Had they truly learned from their past mistakes? It looked like they were going to try.

Both of them sat up on the couch, and almost simultaneously, they ran their hands through their hair, trying to straighten it back out. That made the both of them laugh, instantly lightening the mood. Dakota was the first to speak.

"Wanna watch a movie...?"

"Whaddya got?"

"How 'bout Dirty Dancin'...?"

That made Jade grin, and she eagerly nodded yes. That one was wonderfully cheesy, and absolutely perfect for tonight.

Dakota slowly got up off the couch and put the disc into the player. Returning to his spot, Jade was there waiting for him. He got settled in, and she actually laid down, laying her head in his lap to watch the movie.

Roughly 45 minutes into the movie, Jade began to rub her arms, feeling a slight chill. There was a big, thick yellow blanket on the back of the couch, so Dakota picked it up, unfolded it, and carefully laid it on top of her. Jade gratefully snuggled up with the blanket as she continued to lay there. While Dakota watched the movie, his fingers would begin to play with Jade's hair every so often. He was totally into the story of the movie. He'd never admit it in public, but this one was actually one of his favorite movies.

By the time Baby and Johnny were into their final dance, Jade had obviously had enough. She was sound asleep right there in his lap. Dakota smiled softly as he looked down at her. A glance towards the clock revealed that it was after 2 AM. She was sleeping so peacefully, there was absolutely no way he was going to move and disturb her. Sleeping wasn't exactly much of an option with his sitting position on the couch, either. Oh well, he was just as happy to sit there and watch her breathe. He'd pulled many, many all nighters before, but he wasn't sure if he could remember another one as genuinely sweet, and as much fun, as this one. There was no way to know where this was going to lead, but things were definitely off to a promising start for Dakota and Jade.

"G'night, darlin'....."