His kiss tasted like midnight, dark and deep, frighteningly savage and yet with a power so seductive, she became lost within it. Her breasts swelled, ached. Her nipples poking demandingly against the cloth of her shirt as he moved his bare chest against them.

He didn’t take advantage of her arousal, though. Didn’t try to force more, though Elizabeth wondered if she would have had the strength to pull away from him. He held her against him, his arms contracting around her, hands stroking over her back as his tongue learned every secret of her mouth and urged her to return the favor.

It was seductive. Tempestuous. Given and taken in silence, with only the hard rasp of their breathing disturbing the air around them as he kissed her with a hunger only surpassed, maybe, by her own. His taste alone drove her to seek more made her greedy for each stroke of his tongue along hers. Her hands stroked over his shoulders, his hair, on fire to feel as much of his body as this stolen moment in time allowed her.

How long had it been since a man had touched her? How many nights had she lain awake dreaming of this man? Envisioning him coming to her, whispering his need for her, his hunger, offering her his strength and his heat. She gloried in it now. She stretched in his arms, rubbing against him, feeling his warmth seeping into her skin, heating the chill that had filled her for so long. They were both fighting for breath within minutes. Bodies strained to get closer, the air heating with a primitive lust that Elizabeth had no idea how to fight. She only knew how to arch closer to him, to feel the ache in her breasts for the touch of his broad hands, the pulse in her pussy for the thickness of his cock. To know she was alive. Finally, irrevocably alive and for one moment in time, a man had no other thought in his head than to touch her. To hold her. To…

“Momma. Momma, where are you?”

Cassie’s frightened voice was like ice flowing over her as Dash jerked away from her, struggling for breath as he turned way, obviously fighting to hide his erection in case Cassie came running into the hidden alcove.

“Momma’s here, Cassie.” Elizabeth slid off the counter, limping quickly around the corner to allow Cassie to see her.

The little girl was sitting up in the bed, her eyes dark with fear as she clutched the teddy bear Dash had laid beside her.

“Was I dreaming?” she whispered, looking around the room, her eyes filling with tears. “Didn’t Dash come, Momma? Isn’t he here? Did I just dream it again?”

“Cassie…”

“I’m here, Cassie.” Soft as velvet, pitched low, Dash answered for himself. Elizabeth turned back in time to see him coming from the sink area, his body obviously under control as he paced over to his own bed. He sent Cassie a reassuring look before he pulled a T-shirt from his bag and dragged it on. The soft gray cotton hugged his chest and hard abdomen, the sleeves stretching over his powerful arms. When he finished, he snagged the gown and robe from the top of the opened tote and passed them over to Elizabeth.

Flushing, Elizabeth held the long garments in front of her as she watched her daughter. Cassie was staring back at Dash, her eyes wide, amazement reflecting in her expression.

“Wow, Dash, you’re really big,” she giggled, her lips curving into a bright, pleased grin as he sat down on the side of his bed and looked at her curiously.

Elizabeth watched this first true meeting cautiously. Cassie had had such dreams of Dash coming to rescue them. And though she admitted that if anyone could save them, then it was Dash, it was still hard to let go of the control she had maintained over the situation to this point.

“Do you think I’m too big?” He frowned as though worried at the prospect. “It would be hard to shrink at this late date, Cassie.”

A vivid smile broke across Cassie’s face and before either Elizabeth or Dash could guess what she was about to do, she flew from her bed and jumped into Dash’s arms. Elizabeth gasped at Cassie’s speed and daring. She had never been one to trust men, she hadn’t even enjoyed her father’s embraces, but here she was throwing herself at Dash. He caught her to his chest in reflex, his gaze going to Elizabeth in shock, his eyes filling with an emotion she couldn’t define as Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a loud kiss on his hard cheek.

“I’m so glad you came, Dash,” Cassie cried against his neck. “I was so scared. So scared you wouldn’t be able to find us. That I was wrong and that you wouldn’t really come and help me and my momma. But you did. You came, Dash.”

Elizabeth’s heart clenched as Dash’s eyes closed, his expression tightening with emotion as he swallowed hard.

“Yes I did, Cassie,” he whispered against her hair, holding her gently, holding her as her father never had. Comfortably. With warmth. With caring. “I’m here, Cassie. Where I intend to stay.”

Elizabeth gasped at the statement at the same time his eyes opened, the golden depths hardening with determination. She had a feeling she might have a chance of surviving the dangers surrounding her with Dash at her side, but knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he had no intention of allowing them to escape him . He had just made his claim.

“Come on, Cassie, we need to get a shower.” She fought to keep her voice even, to still the tremor of nerves she could feel racing through her body.

He might think he had made his claim, she thought, and she might need him now more than she had ever needed anyone in her life, but he would learn she wasn’t as easy to conquer as he thought she was.

“Oh Momma, let me sit with Dash.” Cassie turned back to her, her expression pleading, her eyes wide and distressed. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

“You’re always good, sweetie,” Elizabeth assured her, keeping her voice firm. “But you need a bath, and I need a shower. Now come on, so you can eat and maybe watch cartoons for a while.” She dangled the treat before her daughter, hating to take something away from her that she wanted. But she couldn’t—

wouldn’t—trust Dash that far.

“But, Momma…” Cassie whined.

“Now, Cassidy Paige.” She used her full name, keeping her voice firm, aloof. She prayed Cassie didn’t choose now to defy her. She didn’t think she could handle the fight. Cassie sighed deeply as she slid off Dash’s lap. “You won’t leave. Will you?” she asked in a small voice.

“I promise.” He laid his hand against his chest, his expression somber. “I’ll be right here, waiting on my cartoon partner.”

Cassie giggled as Elizabeth moved to the tote and picked out the clothes Cassie would need. Toothbrushes, hair brushes, little girl’s hair bows, a multitude of small, insignificant but prized items were all held within a large clear plastic carrier lying on top of the clothes. She drew it out, gripping her robe and gown before her as she backed to the bathroom. She kept her eyes on Dash, fought to keep her worries under control.

He watched her, his golden-brown eyes quiet and intense. Steady.

“Don’t forget to put a decent bandage on your leg,” he reminded her as she reached the alcove. “That soap will burn like he…” He cleared his throat. “Like heck.” He glanced at Cassie. Elizabeth flushed but nodded quickly before easing Cassie toward the bathroom door. Like Cassie, she wanted to ask him if he would be there when they were done. If he would promise not to leave. Somehow, he must have read her fears. Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he returned his hand to his chest. “I promise.” He mouthed for her alone.

Chapter Six

Dash watched Elizabeth sleep for hours. She was curled around Cassie’s small body, protecting her, even while nearly unconscious from exhaustion. They had both fallen asleep during the first hour of cartoons, and he had let them be. Hell, he’d figure something out about the schedule. Elizabeth was right, Cassie needed to sleep, but so did her mother.

Dark circles ringed Elizabeth’s eyes. They weren’t as noticeable while she was awake; the vivid blue, so unlike the lighter tone of her daughter’s, drew attention from her pale, tired features. But asleep, she looked wounded.

He sat on his bed staring at her. He couldn’t help it. He had imagined her for over a year. Touched her in his dreams; loved her in his fantasies. What was it about her that it had only taken her daughter’s smallest descriptions to fill his mind with her?

He wasn’t a man that believed in soul mates. There were times he wondered if a creation of science could even have a soul. But Elizabeth made him want to believe. And as he watched her sleeping, he realized he did believe. He believed in it more than he had ever believed in anything. But it also made him realize the bleak, agonizing future awaiting him if he didn’t do something about Terrance Grange. That, and convincing Elizabeth that she was his. That he was the daddy Cassie needed, the mate she longed for. Which meant he had work to do. He picked up the phone and called Mike. Dash had fought for more than two years with Mike Toler in the mountains of Afghanistan, searching for the pockets of terrorists hidden within mountain caves and underground tunnels. He had saved Mike’s ass more than once, and he knew the caliber of man he was.

Mike was ex-C.I.A., a rancher now, though Dash knew he still had enough contacts to get a line on any information he needed. There was something wrong with the situation as he knew it, Dash finally admitted to himself. Terrance Grange was a mean bastard, and a pervert, but he wouldn’t risk his whole organization for one little girl. Even one who had witnessed a murder. Not to this extent. He would wait. Wait until Elizabeth went to the authorities, wait until Cassie was in protective custody and in a place certain to allow him the opportunity to get to her. He wouldn’t be running her and her mother down like animals. The situation was growing more complicated by the day and it was making Dash more suspicious by the moment.

He had suspected, after no more than a month into the chase for Elizabeth and her child, that the complications were likely to build. He hadn’t expected what he was facing at the time. He had tried to accept that Grange was just an obsession freak, an animal that needed killing. Which was true to a large extent. But still, there was more. He could feel it in the deepest reaches of his gut. He called Mike as daylight turned to night and the worst of the blizzard had passed, at least enough to allow visibility in the Hummer. As he expected, Mike was waiting on him.

“Get on out here,” Mike ordered him briskly. “You need to get some rest while I follow up on some other information coming in. Your instincts were right, Dash. As usual.”

“What have you found out?” He kept his voice low. He didn’t want to wake Elizabeth or Cassie.

“Grange is a dirty bastard. And a pervert. But little girls Cassidy’s age aren’t his preference. Nor is spending this amount of money on tracking down one little girl who was likely too shocked to even remember who killed her father. Right now, the details I have are sketchy at best. I did manage to contact Kane Tyler for you, though. He’s waiting on you to get to the ranch for a secure transmission. Get your ass out here as soon as possible.”

He glanced toward the window. He wouldn’t leave until dark. It was much easier to hide the fact that he carried a woman and child in the Hummer with him after nightfall.

“Tonight,” he told him. “Expect us sometime after eight. I imagine getting this little pup Elizabeth calls a child ready to go will take a while. She has more energy than any kid I think I’ve ever seen.” She had bounced around for nearly an hour before collapsing on the bed to watch the cartoons. Mike laughed.

“Yeah, they’re like wild monkeys at that age. Take care, old buddy. I’ll see you tonight.”

Dash hung up the phone, wiping his hand over his face as he tried to pull together the fragments of information he had. There wasn’t much.

Dane Colder had been a very prominent doctor in the small California town. He had married Elizabeth when she was fresh out of high school. Ten years older than she, he had wooed her within months before