Modern Fairy Tales Ch. 03

Daniel shrugged. "Your mom was telling me about some guy trying to pressure people into selling their land. Can you tell me a bit more about it? Lily said you were the one to ask."

Rose noticed the topic change and mentally shrugged. "His name is Maxwell Taylor. Supposedly he is buying up property around town." She swung her chair around a little bit and propped her feet up.

"Summerville is pretty much a bedroom community for Mitchell. Gwen's ninety acres and our hundred and thirty are right off the main road and positioned in a really nice area. I think that he has visions of sub-divisions running through his head. A lot of people commute the 35 miles or so."

"Yeah," interjected Daniel, "I go back and forth for physical therapy a couple of days a week. Plus the shopping is cheaper."

Rose nodded. "He was really pushy with Gwen and she ended up telling him to get lost. Then he tangled with mom and ended up in a shouting match with her on the front lawn. According to rumor he is putting pressure on a lot of people to sell. He is reputed to have some pretty underhanded methods too, but no one has pressed charges or anything so it is hard to know for sure."

"Hmm," said Daniel, his green eyes thoughtful, "I'm not selling but it is good to know who is crawling around."

"Are you planning on staying then?" Rose asked curiously.

"Yeah, I think so," Daniel replied. "I have medical discharge from the Marines and Gwen left me sitting fairly well. I may get into the dog training and breeding business. I have always wanted to and this is the perfect opportunity."

Rose didn't miss the sparkle in his eye or the excitement on his face as he talked about his plans. She was very aware of his rather overpowering masculinity and found herself watching his lips as he spoke. He had perfect lips, curvy and not to thin, she wondered if his kisses would be soft and gentle or demanding, or both.

"What kind of dogs?" she asked, rather distracted by her thoughts running rampant.

"I don't know yet," he replied. "We had a lot of canine units that we worked with, bomb sniffers and such. Labradors, Sheperds, they were all pretty incredible. I would have to do some research before I chose a breed."

He cocked his head, "What are you smiling about?"

Rose laughed. "I suddenly had this picture in my head of you surrounded by puppies and getting swarmed."

Daniel laughed, a deep belly laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

"Rose?" Snow's voice sounded and she pushed through the half open door. "Did you have those pictures ready for me?" She caught sight of Daniel sitting casually on the loveseat, and her eyes widened in appreciation.

"Daniel this is my sister, Snow," Rose said her heart sinking. Snow looked gorgeous and polished in her casual business suit. Rose suddenly felt completely underdressed in her shorts and tee.

"Nice to meet you. Your mother mentioned that she had two daughters," Daniel rose and shook Snow's hand.

"Nice to meet you too Daniel," replied Snow, smiling broadly. Rose could see that Snow was 'turning on the charm' as her mother liked to call it. "I hope that we will see you around here more often. Gwen told us so much about you."

In Rose's opinion Daniel's scars only seemed to accent his masculinity and did not deter from his attractiveness one bit. From the flirting that Snow was doing she seemed to share Rose's opinion.

"Did you have those shots for me Rose?" She asked, shifting her attention. "Mr. Miller is here and I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Yup," Rose replied, handing the printed copies as well as the copied disk to her sister. She noticed that Jerry had become Mr. Miller. Just to like Snow to put distance between her and Jerry to accent the fact that they were not involved.

"Thanks Rose. Nice meeting you Daniel."

"Nice to meet you too Snow," he replied. He shifted his attention to Rose. "I should get going," he said. "I have been talking your ear off."

"Not at all," said Rose, surprised at his remark, "I may have to put dibs on a puppy once you start breeding." She rose and began walking with him. "Our Labrador passed away about three years ago and mom just didn't have the heart to get another dog. Jazz was practically a sibling."

"Labs are definitely on the short list," Daniel said as they walked to the front door.

"You would probably find a good market for them too," said Rose. "This is pretty good hunting territory and Labs are pretty popular."

"See you later," said Daniel smiling down at her.

Rose smiled back at him. She loved the fact that she came up to about his chin. "Don't be a stranger Daniel. Stop by anytime, you have a standing invite for supper. Mom really is a killer cook."

Rose watched his broad shouldered form limp out to his truck. He waved as he turned out into the main road and Rose gave a sigh before heading back into the house. Maybe she should have her mother call and invite him to dinner.

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Daniel took the opportunity presented by the disaster in the study to go through much of Gwen's files and desk, shredding the things that were so much clutter and filing away the few of any importance. He also unpacked several of the boxes full of his own office things and books.

Quite a bit of the knick-knack clutter was packed away in the then empty boxes. He had loved Aunt Gwen dearly but practically every square inch of space in her house was covered in small breakables that drove him nuts. The ones covering the kitchen counters had already been removed. He loved to cook and Gwen's kitchen was pretty well stocked with good utensils.

As he went through the office he could not keep his mind off of Rose. He was finding himself very attracted to her, to the point of some rather indecent fantasies. He had been out of the dating game for quite a while. While some of his buddies had not had any problem finding partners away from their wives, he had preferred to stay faithful to his wife. They had dated for two years before they had gotten married. And the marriage had lasted for four. He had found out from some of his non military friends that Diane had not been as faithful to him as he had been to her. That had stung.

Was he really ready to start another relationship? He didn't think that Rose was into casual sex, although Snow was another story. He chuckled to himself as he recalled some of her rather blatant flirting. Her polished sophistication reminded him rather strongly of his ex, and he was not going to go there. Rose was rather like a breath of fresh air. She was open and honest and beautiful in a very real and ordinary way. She was also easy to talk to and seemed to take a genuine interest in him and his plans for the future.

He had had dinner over at the Dahlquist house two days after he had stopped by. Rose had been right, Lily was a killer cook and he had enjoyed it. He had been talked into a game of one on one basketball with Rose while they were waiting for dinner and that was probably his favorite part of the evening. She was fast and didn't cut him any slack, even with his prosthetic showing plainly from his long shorts. He had beaten her to the ten points but she had made him work for it. That had been great, being treated like a normal person rather than a cripple that you should feel sorry for.

For not the first time he found himself wondering if her skin would taste good. He groaned. He was hard as a rock again and was finding that he was masturbating like he hadn't done since high school, constantly. He began to stroke himself again as he tried to think of an excuse to go and see her tomorrow.

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Rose woke from a rather pleasant dream of walking hand and hand with Daniel to the smell of smoke. This time of year it was unusual for someone to be burning leaves or anything else, especially at this time of night. Her windows were open wide to catch the breeze and her ceiling fan spun lazily. There was definitely something burning. Rolling out of bed she went to the window and was momentarily stunned. The field with her roses was on fire.

Shrieking for her mother and sister at the top of her lungs she raced down the stairs at breakneck speed. Barefoot she raced out the door to the irrigation controls that were on the side of the first greenhouse. They had installed a drip irrigation system several years ago that covered the acres of her roses. She turned them on full blast, hoping that at least the rootstock could be saved (she didn't graft her roses on to hardier rootstock). Then she grabbed the stack of old blankets that they had to cover plants incase of an early frost and raced down to the rows of roses.

They were blazing and Rose simply threw the blankets over them hoping to smother the flames. She could smell the distinctive smell of gasoline as she continued further down the rows containing her newest hybrids. She was coughing now as the occasional errant breeze blew smoke at her.

As she threw the last blanket she had with her over another rose bush she could hear the sirens of the approaching fire trucks. She ran back up to the house in time to have the trucks pass her on their way down to the field.

"Rose!" her mother shouted. She ran forward and draped a light blanket over her daughter's shoulders.

"Someone torched them," Rose screamed in anger, "you can smell the gasoline. I'll hunt them down and skin them alive!"

She burst into tears and practically fell into her mothers arms. Years of nurturing had just gone up in flames and Rose felt as if she was watching her children die.

She watched the fire trucks hosing down the field while Snow held her hand on one side and her mother on the other. A pick up truck pulled into the drive and a tousle haired Daniel leapt out.

He started up to where they were sitting on the porch steps. "What the hell happened?" he asked.

Rose was still sobbing not able to speak.

"Someone set fire to the field," Lily answered, her eyes bleak. "Rose said she could smell the gasoline. I don't know how many of them will survive at this point. Who would do such a thing!" her famous calm was slipping and Daniel could see the anguish underneath the calm façade.

"Is everyone ok?" he asked, sitting a step below them.

Lily nodded, still cradling Rose in her arms. Snow was on her sisters other side holding on tight to her sisters hand with one hand and stroking her back with the other.

Watching them, Daniel was struck by their closeness. It was like he had always imagined a family should be. Despite the small irritations between the three women that were the normal everyday occurrences, at their core was a strength made up of their love and devotion for each other. At that moment he was struck with a longing to be a part of that family. He wanted to be the one holding Rose in his arms, comforting and being comforted.

The next hour or so was busy. The police were there, taking statements from everyone. The firemen were mopping up the remains of the fire, making sure that everything was out. Lily pulled out cookies and other assorted goodies from the freezer and fed everyone, thanking the firefighters and policemen by name.

Daniel caught sight of Rose, staring forlornly out of the back kitchen window at the moonlit remains of her roses. He put his arm around her and was pleased that she cuddled up next to him, her hand snaking around his waist and her head tucking in perfectly to the hollow of his shoulder.

He had had a mind melting lust moment earlier when he realized that she was only wearing panties and a shirt that only came down to the tops of her thighs. She had pulled on a pair of jeans but he was still very aware of the fact that she was not wearing a bra. She felt absolutely perfect in his arms, even smelling of smoke. He smiled inwardly at himself. His decision on whether to be involved with Rose was pretty much already made. He had been fooling himself to think otherwise.

Lily and Snow exchanged glances and smiles at the back of the couple. Snow was a little disappointed that Daniel obviously preferred Rose. But at the same time she was glad that Rose apparently had a great guy showing an interest in her, an interest that she returned. She hoped that things would work out for her rather introverted sister. Although if Daniel hurt her she would have to kill him, figuratively speaking of course.

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After a few hours of restless sleep the household was up with the sun. Lily had called the four part time summer helpers they had along with a lot of friends. By six in the morning the roses were well on their way to being dug up and moved. As much of the soil as possible was gently rinsed off and the plants themselves were pruned back and washed with dishwashing detergent to get as much of the residual gasoline off as possible.

The field to the west of the house was quickly plowed under and Rose was supervising the replanting of her precious roses. By the end of the day every single plant that looked like it had a chance to survive had been moved. The top layer of soil had been scraped up and hauled away in successive truck loads.

Rose had long since collapsed into bed by the time Daniel had finished his phone calls. He went to the spare bedroom that Lily had set up for him and after a quick shower was beyond grateful that he did not have to drive home. The bed was a bit small for his large frame so he slept kitty-corner and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

He spent the next week at the Dahlquist farm, leaving only to get clean clothes and keep his physical therapy appointments. He had really enjoyed the physical labor of helping clean up after the arsonist had torched Rose's field. Rose herself had been fun to work with, she enjoyed getting her hands dirty and worked even harder than he did, hauling manure to her transplants, taking cuttings and in general trying to be everywhere and do everything at once. He had never enjoyed a woman's company more, even surrounded by the pungent scent of manure.

Cade, the private detective that he had hired to look into the arson had called twice to update him and it looked like he had a few leads. He was the friend of a friend and that connection had turned out to be a good one. Daniel hadn't told the Dahlquist women about the detective yet, he was hoping to have solid evidence to present to them without them worrying about it.

"Daniel," came a soft voice.

He groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers up to his ears.

"Daniel, it is almost noon. Mom left lunch for us. It is time to get up," the voice laughed. The covers were tugged at gently. Daniel had been flirting with her for the last week and a half and she was enjoying teasing him right back.

"Still sleeping," he groused, "leave a message at the tone, beep."

Rose laughed, "out of bed sleepy head," she said in a sing-song bed and gave the covers a harder yank.

The covers gave and she got an eyeful of Daniels gloriously naked body, from shoulders to butt, as she stood there with her hands full of blankets. She was quite unable to move as she took in the broad, muscled back that narrowed to slim hips with perfect buttocks that were several shades lighter than the rest of him.

Daniel felt the sudden draft and heard the intake of Rose's breath. He waited for several moments and gave a glance over his shoulder. Rose stood there obviously transfixed, her eyes wide and stunned.

Feeling mischievous Daniel pounced, and in moments had Rose lying on top of his naked body, held securely with his strong arms. The thin sheet was now dangerously low on his hips.

"Daniel!" she squeaked.

"Well," he drawled, "you took away my covers so I guess you will just have to replace them."

"Daniel," she said again, blushing furiously, squirming as she tried to get away.

He groaned at the feel of her body against him. "Rose honey you need to stop wiggling."

Rose stopped abruptly. She suddenly realized that she could feel his arousal against her. And then Daniel leaned up, his green eyes questioning, and began kissing her; long, slow, deep kisses that she could feel all the way down to her toes. They were both breathless when they parted.

"Wow," Rose whispered. She was lying on top of Daniel, his right leg between hers. She could feel his arousal pressed against her hip, and she blushed.

"You are absolutely gorgeous when you blush," he told her.

Rose leaned in for another kiss. "Not nearly as gorgeous as you look all mostly naked and tousled," she whispered to him, between soft kisses.

Daniel loved the taste of her and his tongue explored her mouth as his hands stroked her back through the t-shirt she was wearing. He was drowning in her scent and had to hold on tight to his control. From their conversations during the last week he knew that she hadn't dated a whole lot and he wondered how experienced she was. The last thing he wanted was to come on too strong and scare her.

Rose's hands became a bit bolder and she began to stroke the tanned skin that she had been admiring since she had met him. She rolled to his left side a bit so she could have better access. Her fingers began play with his nipple and the wealth of hair on his chest as he gasped against her mouth.

She stopped at his response, wondering if she had done something wrong. His vibrant green eyes opened and met her questioning brown ones.

"Touch me," he rasped, "please Rose."

She smiled, liking the feel of this big man wanting her. Rose leaned in and began to trail kisses down his throat, nipping and tasting as her fingers stroked the skin of his chest and arm. She had lost track of the times in the last week that she had wanted to reach out and touch him as he worked beside her, to run her fingers through his short hair (that he was threatening to have buzzed).

Daniel groaned and panted with each feather light touch on his body. His entire body was reacting to her innocent touches and he felt like he was about to go up in flames.

He pulled her back up for a kiss, tasting her like a starving man would fall on a meal. The kisses picked up speed and he pulled her gently to him, hip to hip, belly to belly. Their hips began to grind against each other. Rose was absolutely lost in the kiss and she pulled Daniel over her so that he body was partially covering hers and his right leg in between hers, his erection hard against her hip.

Rose wrapped her leg over his hip and began to move against him. Their bodies nudged and flexed against one another in mock intercourse as he devoured her mouth with his own and ran his fingers though her tousled brown hair. He moaned into her mouth as he kissed her. The sound added erotic fuel to the fire and she moved her body with his. Every part of her was on fire with need and she was surrounded with Daniel's scent, his strong, trembling body pressed against hers, his moans as he kissed her, his fingers gentle as they stroked her face and hair.

"Rose, Rose," he moaned, "we have to stop, I'm so close honey, Rose."

Rose heard him and was suddenly aware of where she was and what she was doing. She didn't want to stop. She didn't want to be the good responsible Rose that she knew so well. Once, just once she wanted to throw caution to the wind and take a chance.

Very deliberately she slid her right hand between their bodies until she could feel his erection through the thin sheet that separated them. She stroked his length, marveling at its heat and firmness. She began to stroke him, pushing her hand down his length and pulling up.

Daniel gasped and moaned at the same time, his entire body reacting to her hands on him. He bucked his hips and threw back his head as he came so hard it felt like his orgasm started from his toes. He cried out with agonized pleasure as he felt each spurt of fluid leave his body.

Rose continued to stroke him through his orgasm. She was still beyond aroused but felt a strange sense of satisfaction that she could pleasure Daniel to the point where he lost control. She watched his face open mouthed as he was left panting and shaking in aftermath.