Changing out of her work uniform into a pair of shorts and an old high school tee shirt. Making herself more comfortable pulling out her notes from the past few classes going over ideas for her paper. Muffled voices of Dustin and her brother moved through the vent in her bedroom. Leaning closer to it from her bed, still not able to make out anything. Halfway through her paper, she became concerned hearing her brother’s voice carry a lot clearer now. Mike was mad about something.

Dropping her pen, Danni got up and headed halfway downstairs as she watched her brother storm out the front door in a hurry, keys jingling in his hand.

“Mike.” She called out, hoping to get him to stop.

“Something went wrong with the drop. He said he’d be back later and not to worry.”

Dustin came into view from the kitchen. Hand rubbing the back of his neck like he was unsure about something. He didn’t know if he should go or wait for Mike to get back before leaving Danni alone. She closed the front door behind Mike locking the bottom.

“So the usual then.” Her voice sounded as if this was a regular occurrence in their house.

Brushing past Dustin in the doorway, moving into the kitchen, her body tensing up as she graced him. Wanting to feel more of him, shaking the feeling from herself as she tried to reach up into the top cabinet. Dustin had to stop himself from reaching out for her as she moved past him, catching the lavender scent of her hair.

“Dustin,” her voice called lightly.

“Can you help me? I don’t know why Mike has to put them up so high I’m the only one that eats them.”

As she spoke, she was still stretched out as tall as she could get herself at 5’5 fingers to barely gracing the bottom of the box. Unexpectedly she felt a hot heat cup her lower back, little waves traveled up her spine mind finally registering it was Dustin’s hand as he leaned over her plucking the box from the shelf with no trouble.

Touching the small of her back excited him, remembering that’s where his hand was resting this morning. Mind wondering what other parts of her had he touched in his sleep.

“Thanks.”

A smile formed on her face now as she turned around his hand moved from her back as she leaned against the countertop behind her holding the box of cheese nips to her chest. For a long moment, Dustin just looked at her his brown eyes seemed to soften. The added attention caused her to speak up, feeling uncomfortable. He couldn’t help but look at her she was just so damn beautiful to him.

“So what did Mike want with you?”

She knew that late-night talks in her kitchen with Mike only meant business with the gang. Mind wondering what Mike had in mind for him now that he was out. Would things go back to normal? Would he become an Enforcer again? His look changed as his thoughts changed, wondering if he should tell her or not. Danni looking up at Dustin as she shook her head at him.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She snapped. “Everyone still acts as if I’m some kid. I’m an adult. Damn it! I know what goes on in my own house. I know what my brother . . . what you all do for a living.”

Her sudden outburst sent Dustin back a step, his eyes never leaving hers. She knew she had a point. She wasn’t dumb or naïve to what happened around her. Yes, she ignored some things, but that was only for the best. She watched as he took in a long breath. Her light eyes paying close attention to the rise and fall of his chest. His shirt grew a little too tight in that breath allowing her to see the sharp lines of his carved out chest. The one she tried blocking from her mind all day.

“You have grown up.” Dustin sighed. “Doesn’t mean I still don’t see the little Danni that played on the swing set and knocked her two front teeth out. Then cried to me about it all day, thinking Mike would be mad when he got home. Or the little Danni that carried around her Ken doll. Like he was her one and only prince charming.”

Danni blushed harder than ever now. Dustin remembers those things about her, those embarrassing things. Shaking her head again. Yes, Dustin remembered those things along with a lot more about her. His mind trying to wrap around the fact that she was a woman and no longer little Dannille but Danni.

“It’s been ten years. I’m not that little girl anymore. People need to start seeing that.”

Danni just wanted to be seen as an equal in their eyes. Not someone that always needs protection or looking out for. Dustin leaned back in closer to her reaching out tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. Which caused her breath to catch in her throat. Her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. A nervous habit she’s devolved over the years. Opening his mouth but closing it back, taking another moment to himself before finally deciding on what he wanted to say. Feeling that his first thought, well action wasn’t one that would be appropriate for the two of them. Deciding to give her what she wanted and telling her the truth.

“First he wanted to know what my plans were now that I’m out. That quickly turned into him telling me what the plans were that he had for me.”

Danni could tell from the look in his eyes he wasn’t too happy with the one-sided conversation he had with her brother feeling more of his weight pressing against her. Her body becoming hot. Dark brown eyes scanning along her face as he spoke to her, causing him to question what he saw in her. Part of himself said to move back, but his body did just the opposite thing.

“Mike has a special way of ordering people around and getting what he wants to be done.” Danni smiled weakly up at him.

She let the moment between them grow quiet again. Wanting but choosing not to ask him what exactly Mike had in mind for him. The heat he was causing to pulse through her body made her squeezing out from underneath him. Pausing for a moment before turning back to him, leaning up kissing him on the cheek.

Once again fighting the urge to pull her back to him as she kissed him on the cheek. Really wanting to place her on the countertop and have his way. The thought clouding his mind as she spoke to him.

“It will all work out in the end. There’s a big picture. Just we can’t always see it.”

Flashing him one last smile before she headed back upstairs, stopping mid-way before pausing, asking if he was okay with letting himself out for the night. Telling Dustin she would be fine till Mike got home later.