Free Breathless (Meadowlarks) by Ashley Christine

Alex when he got home tonight if he had read the letter or not, and I was taking Addison's advice and not telling him about the mysterious visitor just yet.
    But, I fe lt so guilty. Alex was my partner, we were supposed to be in this together—all in. If he kept something like this from me I would lose my freaking mind in an instant, probably carrying the grudge around like a weighted ball on a chain.
    His breathing was soft and his lips were curled into a sexy smirk. I wondered what he was dreaming about; if he was dreaming of me. My fingers slowly reached up and I held my breath when I let them ease into his hair, feeling the soft tendrils on the tips and between each finger. I loved this man so much, I really couldn’t picture my life without him in it. My lips kissed Alex's forehead and I slowly climbed out of bed, leaving him sleeping peaceful and alone.
    Dane answered my call in two rings. His phone number was on the letterhead of the paper, just like he said it would be. Right underneath a logo with DS Industries printed in bold letters.
    “Hello, Riley,” he said, slyly.
    “Dane, what are you doing in Wyoming?”
    “How did you know it was me? I didn't say who I was,” Dane asked in a low, raspy voice.
    I swallow ed, willing myself to stay strong. “The girl you spoke to described you to a tee.”
    “Oh, did she? Speaking of girls, your daughter is as beautiful as you are.”
    I inhaled and held it in until it hurt. “Don't come near my family again.”
    “ Awe, don't be mean. A member of your family is also my family, that gives me some sort of right, doesn't it?”
    “Isaac is nothing to you, Dane. You made that quite clear when I was pregnant with him.” I was livid then, and it took so much of my being to keep quiet. I wanted to shriek into the phone, but I knew it would wake everyone in the house.
    Instead, I tip -toed outside and stood on the porch.
    The air was cool and it soothed my heated skin, the moon was a just a sliver in the dark night sky. I leaned against a wooden beam holding up the roof over the porch, sighing to myself quietly.
    “Let's not rehash the past, Riley. Why don't you come and see me?” Dane ask ed, in a tone that made my body betray my heart by fluttering my stomach. “I’m hard just looking at you.”
    I almost drop ped the phone when my brain registered what he had just said to me. I breathed rapidly, looking all around me, expecting to see him lurking there in the darkness. Instead, there was a quick flash of headlights on the road, right at the edge of the property, signalling me to where Dane was parked.
    “You are such a creep, Dane. What are you doing?” I hissed. I was infuriated that he had come to my home.
    “That's right baby, show those teeth,” he said. “All I want to do is talk to you, what's the harm in that?”
    “How about you could have picked up the phone to do that?”
    “Come here, just for a sec.”
    I was such an idiot, damn it. They made scary moves that started out like that; beautiful girl walked outside in the middle of the night, enticed by some raving lunatic on the other end of her phone. I had seen enough TV to know this can only end in one of two ways: as a horror flick, or a porno.
    “Oh shit, Riley...” I breathed, scolding myself as I step down off the porch. “I am not getting in the car with you, Dane. You walk to me.”
    As I slowly ma de my way down the driveway, I cautiously turned to see if there are any lights on in the house, only the small light in the kitchen illuminated and I let out a sigh of relief.
    The interior light of—sure enough— a red Mercedes, shone and I saw Dane get out of the car. I could tell from this distance that he had dressed with the intent of driving me completely crazy. The closer he got the more I was starting to really question my sanity, I probably should just turn and run back inside. Lock the door behind me, and pray this big and bad wolf doesn't blow my freaking house down.
    Dane walk