After his rather surprisingly nice lunch with Lelah, Daniel went back to Twin Oaks, stopping in the Market to pick up some ingredients for the dinner he planned to make that evening.? Riley and David were still gone.? They both had very full schedules anymore. It was probably better that way, honestly.? He was a little concerned about how Riley would react if he came home smelling like Lelah.
There were still several hours to go before he planned to even start cooking; it wouldn't do to have the food sitting around.? So he went to the couch and flipped on the TV.? It was probably a good idea to try to catch up with some of the events he'd no doubt missed in the past 8 months.
Riley headed back to the house after her final class until Monday morning, glad to have an entire weekend with nothing to do but hang out with her husband, her dog and her...Daniel. Finn was happily padding along beside her. She took him everywhere with her now ? to work, to the theatre, to shop, everywhere but the Inn. She wasn't quite sure he was ready for that yet. The puppy was definitely learning to behave himself with decorum and manners.? He no longer attempted to herd everything he came into contact with and actually sat down at every street corner and whenever people came to pet him.? He was a big hit with the kids and it seemed like Riley might have a new calling as a pied piper.
"Danny?" she said as she opened the door and stepped inside, pausing long enough to free Finn from his leash and slip her shoes off.? "Oh, hey," she said after spotting him on the couch.? She set her dance kit bag down and went over to lay kiss atop the crown of his head, rubbing her cheek in his hair.? He smelled like a woman...a familiar woman, in fact.? Pears and orange blossoms and...? "Lelah?" she wondered softly.
He looked up when he heard Riley's familiar footsteps approaching the front door.? A moment later, the door opened, and her scent, mixed with that of the dog, Finn, reached his nose.? "Hello, sundari."? He purred softly when she rubbed against him, resisting the urge to kiss her.? Then she said Lelah's name, and he inwardly sighed.? Well, it wasn't as though he'd expected her not to notice, and he already knew that she was going to be in Lelah's movie, obviously knowing the woman.? He nodded.? "I met her last night," he said softly.? "We had lunch today."? He inhaled her scent after he spoke, gauging her response to what he'd just said.
"I see," she said neutrally, knowing the initial flash of annoyance and jealousy would not slip by him.? She licked her lips and headed into the kitchen for a bottle water and to check on Finn's water bowl, as well.? Then she headed back into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Danny, curling her leg up underneath her and resting the other foot on the cushion.? She opened her bottle of water and took a deep drink before saying, "You know she's seeing someone now, right?? And that she dated Rhys, too?"
And it didn't slip by him.? He winced slightly when the sharp tang of jealousy reached him.? He was surprised and more than a little impressed when she controlled it so quickly, though.? Riley had grown in the time he'd been gone.? The old her would have snapped something mean and snarky at him immediately.? He suspected it was David's influence.? "Yes, I know.? She said so."
"And you're okay with that?? Not that she dated Rhys, but that she's still seeing someone?? Two someones, in fact, if the GangSTAR can be trusted."
He just looked at her, lifting a brow in a very good imitation of David's duh look.? A subtle reminder that he'd been just fine with their Arrangement.
"Oh, right," she said with a sheepish smile.? "I just...? I want you to be happy, Danny.? That's all I've ever wanted for you."? She leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his cheek, rubbing her nose over the five o'clock shadow there.
He purred some more, rubbing against her in return.? "You've changed, Riley.? In a good way," he added.? "You're really happy now, aren't you?"
She nodded sincerely and then gave a tiny, sad smile.? "You leaving was probably the best thing that ever happened to me."? She hoped he knew that she didn't mean that harshly, only that by him leaving, it freed her to marry David and to experience love ? mature, lasting love ? for the first time in her life.
He took her hands in his and gave her a soft, genuine smile.? "It's why I left, sundari.? I've only ever wanted you to be truly happy, too."? Still holding her hands, he continued.? "I'm going to have dinner with her tonight.? Is that okay?"
She chuckled softly and gave his hands a squeeze.? "I have to tell you that I'm not fond of the idea.? She's an actress, Daniel.? She's been linked with three different men and she hasn't been here for that long, either.? She seems like a nice person, but...? I don't know."? She paused and shrugged.? "Maybe no one will be good enough for you as far as I'm concerned.? Do you like her?"
"I don't care much if she's with other men, sundari? You know it won't bother me.? As for the rest," he shrugged slightly.? "I'm not looking for someone to replace you.? You have a place in my heart that will never, ever be eclipsed.? But...what we had before..."? He shook his head.? "We can't have that again, you know.? You're happier than I've ever seen you now, and I'd rather cut my arm off with a silver butter knife than change that."?
She didn't say anything; instead, she just leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him fiercely as hot tears pricked at her eyes.? "Je t'aime, mon petit chat," she whispered, holding him closely and just enjoying the touch of another Cat.
"Moi, aussi," he replied softly, holding her gently in his strong arms.? He purred quietly, the vibration passing through both of them.? He stayed like that for several minutes, before pulling back slightly and looking at her.? "I have to start cooking now, sundari.? May I use the kitchen?? I'll clean up."
There were still several hours to go before he planned to even start cooking; it wouldn't do to have the food sitting around.? So he went to the couch and flipped on the TV.? It was probably a good idea to try to catch up with some of the events he'd no doubt missed in the past 8 months.
Riley headed back to the house after her final class until Monday morning, glad to have an entire weekend with nothing to do but hang out with her husband, her dog and her...Daniel. Finn was happily padding along beside her. She took him everywhere with her now ? to work, to the theatre, to shop, everywhere but the Inn. She wasn't quite sure he was ready for that yet. The puppy was definitely learning to behave himself with decorum and manners.? He no longer attempted to herd everything he came into contact with and actually sat down at every street corner and whenever people came to pet him.? He was a big hit with the kids and it seemed like Riley might have a new calling as a pied piper.
"Danny?" she said as she opened the door and stepped inside, pausing long enough to free Finn from his leash and slip her shoes off.? "Oh, hey," she said after spotting him on the couch.? She set her dance kit bag down and went over to lay kiss atop the crown of his head, rubbing her cheek in his hair.? He smelled like a woman...a familiar woman, in fact.? Pears and orange blossoms and...? "Lelah?" she wondered softly.
He looked up when he heard Riley's familiar footsteps approaching the front door.? A moment later, the door opened, and her scent, mixed with that of the dog, Finn, reached his nose.? "Hello, sundari."? He purred softly when she rubbed against him, resisting the urge to kiss her.? Then she said Lelah's name, and he inwardly sighed.? Well, it wasn't as though he'd expected her not to notice, and he already knew that she was going to be in Lelah's movie, obviously knowing the woman.? He nodded.? "I met her last night," he said softly.? "We had lunch today."? He inhaled her scent after he spoke, gauging her response to what he'd just said.
"I see," she said neutrally, knowing the initial flash of annoyance and jealousy would not slip by him.? She licked her lips and headed into the kitchen for a bottle water and to check on Finn's water bowl, as well.? Then she headed back into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Danny, curling her leg up underneath her and resting the other foot on the cushion.? She opened her bottle of water and took a deep drink before saying, "You know she's seeing someone now, right?? And that she dated Rhys, too?"
And it didn't slip by him.? He winced slightly when the sharp tang of jealousy reached him.? He was surprised and more than a little impressed when she controlled it so quickly, though.? Riley had grown in the time he'd been gone.? The old her would have snapped something mean and snarky at him immediately.? He suspected it was David's influence.? "Yes, I know.? She said so."
"And you're okay with that?? Not that she dated Rhys, but that she's still seeing someone?? Two someones, in fact, if the GangSTAR can be trusted."
He just looked at her, lifting a brow in a very good imitation of David's duh look.? A subtle reminder that he'd been just fine with their Arrangement.
"Oh, right," she said with a sheepish smile.? "I just...? I want you to be happy, Danny.? That's all I've ever wanted for you."? She leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his cheek, rubbing her nose over the five o'clock shadow there.
He purred some more, rubbing against her in return.? "You've changed, Riley.? In a good way," he added.? "You're really happy now, aren't you?"
She nodded sincerely and then gave a tiny, sad smile.? "You leaving was probably the best thing that ever happened to me."? She hoped he knew that she didn't mean that harshly, only that by him leaving, it freed her to marry David and to experience love ? mature, lasting love ? for the first time in her life.
He took her hands in his and gave her a soft, genuine smile.? "It's why I left, sundari.? I've only ever wanted you to be truly happy, too."? Still holding her hands, he continued.? "I'm going to have dinner with her tonight.? Is that okay?"
She chuckled softly and gave his hands a squeeze.? "I have to tell you that I'm not fond of the idea.? She's an actress, Daniel.? She's been linked with three different men and she hasn't been here for that long, either.? She seems like a nice person, but...? I don't know."? She paused and shrugged.? "Maybe no one will be good enough for you as far as I'm concerned.? Do you like her?"
"I don't care much if she's with other men, sundari? You know it won't bother me.? As for the rest," he shrugged slightly.? "I'm not looking for someone to replace you.? You have a place in my heart that will never, ever be eclipsed.? But...what we had before..."? He shook his head.? "We can't have that again, you know.? You're happier than I've ever seen you now, and I'd rather cut my arm off with a silver butter knife than change that."?
She didn't say anything; instead, she just leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him fiercely as hot tears pricked at her eyes.? "Je t'aime, mon petit chat," she whispered, holding him closely and just enjoying the touch of another Cat.
"Moi, aussi," he replied softly, holding her gently in his strong arms.? He purred quietly, the vibration passing through both of them.? He stayed like that for several minutes, before pulling back slightly and looking at her.? "I have to start cooking now, sundari.? May I use the kitchen?? I'll clean up."