Taming Blaze by Sabrina Paige

don't even know.  Get him out of your head.  It didn't mean anything.
    I looked up at Martin, one of my father’s bodyguards, standing with his back against the door.  Unwavering, expressionless Martin.  He was like a guard at the Tower of London or something.  I wondered if he ever laughed.
    "Do you ever smile, Martin?"
    "Ma'am?" he asked, looking down at me.
    "I mean, does my father pay you specifically not to smile?"
    "I don't know what you mean, ma'am."  The door opened, and Martin took my elbow, guiding me inside.  "Ma'am."  No change in expression.  The door shu t behind him, and I stood there, gathering all the strength I had left for one final protest.  I didn’t expect it to matter, but it felt stupid to simply acquiesce without letting my father know I was still pissed off about this whole thing.
    "Daddy, I told you I'm not going anywhere.  I'm not a fucking prisoner -"
    My father cut me off.  "Dani," he said.  "This is the gentleman who will be accomp anying you to the safe house."
    I spun around to see an older biker with leathery skin and a face like a horse, standing at my father's desk.  This was the guy I was going with? No fucking way.  Behind him, there was movement, and the other guy stood.
    "Dani," he said.  I would have recognized the voice anywhere.
    I stared at him, suddenly mute, my heart threatening to leap out of my throat.  It was him.  Blaze.   He was wearing his jeans and leather cut, looking at me like he had at the hotel.  It was like I'd never left him.  I felt the same heat in my body, the same desire to fling myself at him, to let him rip off my clothes.  It was like every cell in my body was screaming for him to throw me over his shoulder and carry me out of here.  I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry like the Sahara.  Blaze was involved with my father.
    No, no, no.   It's not possible.
    It felt like some kind of betrayal, but I didn’t know Blaze, so it couldn't be considered a betrayal, not really.  There was no betraying someone you didn't know, someone who didn't know you.
    M y father spoke.  "I apologize for my daughter's rudeness.  As I said, she's not entirely happy with this arrangement."
    The older biker nodded.  “ Understood.  Blaze will provide protection, keep you at the safe house until everything’s clear.”
    "Dani," Blaze said.
    Dani, Dani.
    I heard him saying my name, his mouth close to my ear, still felt him inside me.
    Look at me, Dani.
    I opened my mouth to speak, to say anything, but I felt paralyzed.  Say something.  You look like an idiot, standing here saying nothing.
    "Nice to meet you.  I'm Blaze," he said.
    Blaze. Why was he involved with my father?  I stared at him, my blood pumping in my ears.  It was all I could do not to scream.
    " I'm Dani," I said.  I was inexplicably angry with him.  Did he not know who my father was, what my father did?  I had this strange impulse to protect Blaze.  Everything my father touched was dirty.  Blaze would be contaminated by him, just like everyone else.  Or destroyed, like my mother.  He just didn’t know it yet.

    "Nope, that's not going to work."  Blaze pointed at my bags on the ground in the driveway.
    "What do you mean, it's not going to work?" I asked.
    "It’s too much stuff.  You’re going to have to pare down."
    Now I was pissed.  "What do you mean, pare down?  I don't know how long I'm going to be gone.  No one is telling me anything. I need some fucking clothes."
    Blaze sighed.  "Your sh -" He started to say "shit," then stopped, looking up at the bodyguard watching us.  "Your stuff has to fit on the bike.  That's too much stuff."
    "If we're going somewhere to stay for a while , why don’t we just take a car?  That way we can take everything," I said, arms folded over my chest.
    "No cars."  Blaze shook his head.
    I sighed.  I knew I sounded like a petulant child, but I just didn't care.  Besides, I was allowed to be a little petulant, given the circumstances,