Desert Heat

Author: Suzanne Moore

E-mail: suzanne.moore8@verizon.net
 
Rating: R

Summary: Nick's business trip sends him to Tucson and into the arms
of Sidney Hunter.

Author's Notes: Many thanks to Linda Wilson and Deb for their
patience and their beta-reads, and to Eileen for her encouragement.


~*~
A wall of desert heat hit Nicholas Fallin head-on as he followed the
path to the parking garage at Tucson International Airport. He
quickly shrugged out of his elegant black jacket and carefully laid
it across his arm as he made his way to the rental car area.

He'd discovered last Thursday morning that he was required in Tucson
as part of McManus Mining's due diligence team. McManus was buying
out Tucson's Diablo Mining, and it was up to Nick to scour the books
and make sure everything was in order to proceed with the deal.
Friday afternoon he'd gotten the permissions he'd needed from the
probation officials to leave Pittsburgh for a week. Now it was the
following Monday morning, and he was in Tucson.

*Tucson!* Nick was relieved to be away from Pittsburgh. Away from his
over-managed, over-scheduled, stressed-out life. Away from last
month's events: the memory of Lulu's rejection, of finding James
badly injured, the violence in the parking garage that had shockingly
reared its ugly head.

Yes, Nick Fallin was pleased to be in Arizona, even with the soaring
temperature, because it meant he could see Sidney Hunter.

If he could find her.

He hadn't seen Sid since he'd put her on an airplane last January.
At the time, she'd been in the process of completely re-vamping her
life. She'd sold her company, quit her job at the Anasazi Heritage
Center, and moved to Tucson to start a new job at the U. of A.'s
Museum.

In comparison, Nick felt totally stuck - and completely alone. Stuck
with a father who seemed to love Shannon more than his own son; stuck
at LSP with severe work overload; stuck with a probation officer and
random drug tests; stuck with his weekly substance abuse support
meetings. Lulu had rejected his declaration of love and was moving to
California. He felt like he'd been through the wringer, had all the
life squeezed out of him and then, discarded.

But Sid hadn't discarded him. She'd kept in contact through short
phone calls and brief e-mails. "Just checking in," she'd usually
start with a chuckle.

Nick realized over the weekend that he needed to hear more of Sid's
voice and get a hefty transfusion of her positive energy. But it was
more than that. He ached to smell the lemony scent of her hair, to
hold her, to kiss her, to . . .

Nick wanted - no, needed - to see Sid. She was upbeat, pleasant,
energetic. A ray of sunshine, permeating his dark life.

He'd tried all weekend to reach her, leaving Sid voice mails at
work, at home and on her cell phone. Par for the course, trying to
track down Dr. Sidney Hunter was a frustrating, irritating task. No
luck. She hadn't returned any of his calls. Where was she?

The dry desert air quickly sucked the moisture from his body, and
Nick found that he was already thirsty. He cranked the ignition of
his rental car, and drove to the nearest gas station to buy a bottle
of water. Then he pointed the car toward Diablo Mining's corporate
headquarters, anxious for business to occupy his weary mind.

~*~
Sidney Hunter stood in the bottom of a trench made by a backhoe, a
good 10 feet below ground level. Despite the hastily erected canvas
tent covering the slice in the earth, the ground absorbed and held
the desert heat, baking Sid like she was inside an oven.

She took off her baseball cap and wiped the sweat from her forehead
with the cuff of her long-sleeved shirt. Sid was covered in dirt and
sand from head to toe. Shirt, pants, face, hair - she could feel the
stuff in her underwear, too, and was sure there would be more than a
ton of it in her ears. Rivulets of perspiration rolled off her
forehead, mixed with the sand and formed streaked patterns across her
face.

Everything was quiet - for now. The heavy mining machinery would
begin again in the next quadrant after the hour-long lunch break,
wreaking havoc with Sid's hearing and stirring up even more sand.

She took a long sip of water as she studied the various strata
revealed by the backhoe. A redware pottery shard here. The broken
tip of a bone awl there. She believed she was looking at a cross-
section of a midden - a trash pile left by ancient Hohokum
inhabitants.

Yes, it was extremely hot, it was dirty, the conditions were
miserable. But Sidney Hunter was in her element and having a great
time. She returned the cap to her head and began to make notations of
exact locations of artifacts visible in the trench.

"Dr. Hunter?"

No response.

"Dr. Hunter? Dr. Hunter?" Liza continued to call her supervisor's
name, ultimately changing her voice to a more urgent tone before
piercing Sid's power of concentration.

"What?" Sid finally groaned. She squinted up the young college intern
who stood at the edge of the trench. "Sorry for snapping, Liza. I
just need to complete these notations before. . ."

"*Suits*," Liza interrupted in a low tone. "A car full of them. They
just parked and are heading this way."

*Suits*. Company officials. This was the worst part of heading up a
Cultural Resources Management team. Dealing with uncooperative
owners, CEOs, and presidents who didn't want their business plans
screwed up because their equipment just happened to unearth a piece
of ancient history.

It was up to Sid and her team to make recommendations to the State,
based on their findings. A decision to shut down this section of the
mining operation seemed warranted. She was planning to recommend more
test trenches, perhaps followed by limited excavations. She knew the
Suits would try to dissuade her from making any decision other than
the one they wanted to hear: That the site was insignificant and
mining could continue as planned.

Sid sighed and stuck her notepad in her backpack. She steeled herself
as she made her way up the rickety ladder. By the time she climbed up
to the ground level, Dr. Sidney Hunter was ready to tangle with the
ever-present, very irritating Suits.

The leader of the Suits had just pointed his minions toward an
outlying tent and had turned, heading toward Sid in a hurried
stride.

She quickly glanced at the trio heading for shade of the tent. *The
one on the right looks lot like Nick.* She chuckled to herself,
wondering where that thought came from. She squinted her eyes and
looked again. It was too hard to see details from this distance, but
the ramrod-straight posture and elegant poise in the man's walk were
certainly traits of Nicholas Fallin. So were the golden sun-kissed
curls and the tawny skin. The outline of his form was unmistakable.
It was Nick. . .but how could that be?

What would he be doing here at the Diablo mining operation with a
horde of David Gleeson's Suits? No, it couldn't be Nick. But whoever
the man was in the distance, he looked enough like Nick to make Sid's
insides ache for the young Pittsburgh lawyer who seemed at once both
too reserved and too wild for his own good - and hers.

~*~
"This heat is awful," Alex Roberts said, mopping his brow. "I'd
rather be back in Pittsburgh right now, wouldn't you?"

"No kidding," responded Greg Burroughs. Both men were already red-
faced after the walk from the car. They sat at a rough-hewn picnic
table and fanned themselves, rapidly discovering there was no
escaping the scorching desert heat.

Alex, Greg, and Nick had been dragged from their due diligence duties
at corporate headquarters to tour the mining operation by Diablo's
head-strong president, David Gleeson.

Nick did not answer Alex`s lament. Instead, he rolled up the sleeves
of his crisp white shirt and watched Gleeson walk toward the trench.

Nick saw a figure emerge from the ground. *It's a woman.*

The woman's hips swayed with familiarity as she walked toward David
Gleeson. Nick's brows furrowed in an effort to see clearly. *Is that
Sid?* It was impossible to tell. He didn't think so - there was no
red hair visible. And something seemed wrong about the face - that
woman's face looked sun-baked, not the freckled healthy glow of Sid's
skin. He shook his head and tried to get Sid off his brain.

He could not really hear what David was saying; only snippets wafted
across the open pit into his ears.

"The due diligence team. . ."

"Giving a tour. . ."

He thought he heard David say, "Doctor Hunter. . ."

Nick left the outlying tent and began to walk toward the trench,
locking his eyes on that female form. *Is it really Sid?* He still
couldn't see any red curls, but he wasn't close enough yet. He
continued to walk.

He was a few feet away when he felt his lower body suddenly tighten.
His lips curled into a slight smile, eyes atwinkle.

He had found Dr. Sidney Hunter.

Sid met Nick's steady gaze with a look of astounded surprise. She
struggled to hold in check the wild feelings she had, because what
she really wanted to do was throw her arms around him and kiss him
with passionate abandon.

"Nick!" David said. "I'm not sure if Dr. Hunter is ready for you
yet."

There was a pause. "Are you ready for me, Dr. Hunter?" Nick asked
slyly, his blue-green eyes playful and glittering. He offered her his
hand, pretending not to know her. "I'm. . . Nick Fallin."

Nick's intense gaze made Sid's heart beat faster. His eyes revealed
an amazing intelligence and an adventurous spirit, and were so very
suggestive.

Sid took a deep, calming breath and tried to wipe some of the dirt
caking her face before finally answering. "I'm always ready, Mr.
Fallin," she teased. When she took his hand in hers, she felt his
electricity dance through her fingers.

She gave Nick a closer look as she shook his hand. New stress lines
played around his mouth. Large purple smudges formed shadows under
his hooded eyes. Clearly, the man had not gotten a good night's
sleep in quite a while.

*Something's bothering Nick. Something different.*


End Part One



Desert Heat, Part 2


~*~

"You might want to get Alex and Steven to some air conditioning."
Nick spoke to David Gleeson without ever taking his eyes off
Sid. "They're not faring well in this temperature. It`s a little
extreme for those of us from Pittsburgh."

David shot a worried look toward the tent. He wanted the due
diligence team happy, not hot.

"It's all right, Mr. Gleeson. I don't mind looking after Mr. Fallin."
Sid met Nick's steady gaze with intelligent, moss-green eyes. "Are
you adjusting to this. . . heat?" she asked with an impish,
suggestive smile. The heat she was referring to was the rather sudden
rise in her own erotic temperature.

"I think I can handle it," Nick replied, fully understanding Sid's
double entendre. He was surprised how quickly his body had responded
to this woman.

"Think you can handle going down the ladder into the trench to view
the strata sample?" Sid's eyes flicked toward the slit in the earth
hoping Nick would pick up on her suggestion of privacy.

"Sure, I'll go down. . .and I won't have any problems getting up,
either." His voice sounded sincere, but the glint in his eye screamed
to Sid that he was talking about something altogether different.

He held the ladder in place as she climbed into the trench. Nick
followed. After reaching the bottom, Sid watched his fine form easily
make his way down.

As he reached the bottom, she spoke. "N-Nick. . ."

She didn't have time to complete her sentence. Nick swiftly closed
the space between them, yanked Sid into his arms, and hungrily kissed
her. She gasped and molded her sand-covered body to his. They spoke
in short bursts in between urgent kisses.

"What. . . are you doing here?" Sid tunneled her fingers through
Nick's curls and then pressed her lips to his.

"Don't you ever check your messages?" Nick asked breathlessly,
tracing a trail of kisses down the crook of her neck. He was not at
all worried about the sand and dirt she'd get all over him.

Sid squeezed her eyes closed, her body quivering with this sudden
pleasure. "I've been here since Friday, working all day and well
into the night -"

Nick drew back and locked eyes with the unpredictable Sidney
Hunter. "You mean you're *living* here?"

"I've just been staying in that rickety RV parked in the lot out
front for the past few days. . ."

He lowered his head, shook it slightly, and peeked at her from
beneath his impossibly long lashes. "Well, you're not staying there
tonight," he whispered.

"I'm not?"

"No. You have out of town company to entertain. Me."

Sid raised her eyebrows and was about to speak when they heard the
ruckus of the mining machinery start again. The heat of the moment
was broken.

Lunch break was over. Noise and a fine cloud of sand from the heavy
rigs wafted in their direction.

"But aren't you busy tonight?" Sid thought she'd ask, figuring that
David Gleeson would have plans for the due diligence team.

"Yes, I am . . ."

Although she tried to mask it, Sid's face fell, showing her acute
disappointment.

". . .you and I have a dinner date." Nick replied.

A smile slowly spread across her face. "We do, huh?" She glanced at
Nick's clothes and noticed the fine coating of sand covering his
shirt and dark pants. "It looks like you've been *eating* sand, Mr.
Fallin. Doesn't taste too good, does it?" She slowly ran her thumb
across his full lower lip.

He looked at her with suggestive, smoky eyes. "I like the way you
taste, even when you're sprinkled with sand," he replied huskily, not
eager for their privacy to end so suddenly.

As they agreed on the their dinner plans, Sid became aware of other
voices approaching the trench. It was the Head Suit. David Gleeson.

~*~
On the way back to the corporate offices, Nick considered sharing his
troubles with Sid. He felt close to her after all the experiences
they had shared. She'd seen his good side, and his bad. And when he'd
told her about his cocaine and probation issues, she'd not shied
away. Perhaps he *could* talk with her. . .

He shook his head, quickly nixing that idea. *What would I say? 'I'm
having a bad dream that wakes me up every night?'*"

~*~
They ate dinner on the patio of a small restaurant near Sabino
Canyon. It was a quiet evening, the most relaxed Nick had had since
the symphony garage incident. The conversation was light-hearted.
Sid filled him in on her new job at the Museum, and what a fluke it
was that she'd been pulled off her regular job to be in charge of
the site at Diablo Mining.

The heat of the day slowly yielded itself to the heavens, giving the
desert and its inhabitants time to rest. Sunset turned the world into
a palette of brilliant pinks and oranges, a vibrant, momentary
display of color. Then, just after dusk, the temperature quickly
dropped, surprising Nick with a cool and sweet caress.

The food was excellent, and Sid was so damned appealing it was all
Nick could do not to take her right then and there. Freshly-scrubbed,
her skin was milky glow with a generous frosting of freckles that
danced a jig across her nose and cheeks. The lemony scent of Sid's
perfume mingled with the desert's evening air, making it hard for
Nick to concentrate on the food, on the conversation, on anything
except. . .

After dinner, Sid stood and shook the kinks from her bum leg.

"Are you still having problems with your leg?" Nick was not really
surprised. The woman had had continual trouble with it ever since
she'd broken it a year and a half earlier.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just stiff, that's all. I barely limp now -
just when my leg gets tired. The scars. . .well, they're still
there." She glanced at Nick remembering the first time they'd made
love; at the last moment she'd been hesitant to continue because of
the ugly surgical scars running up and down her right leg.

"And they still don't matter," Nick said softly. "Come on, let's go.
You look. . .tired."

As they turned to leave their table, Sid felt Nick's hand caress the
small of her back. It was such a simple gesture, yet one that was
overpoweringly suggestive. She smiled to herself. Sid had known from
the beginning this wouldn't just be a dinner date. No, it would a
whole lot more.

~*~
Sidney Hunter's home looked like an ordinary place from the outside:
a nondescript 1960's ranch house tucked against a huge desert
mountain. The transformed interior looked more like a magazine
spread, the spaces filled with Native American crafts as well as
Mexican antiques and cowboy memorabilia.

The focal point of the home was a sleek lap pool in the back yard,
visible through the huge windows and French doors that covered the
entire rear of the house. Artfully placed solar lights set off the
lush landscaping surrounding the pool, beckoning those indoors to
come outside for an evening swim.

Nick tilted his head toward the pool, n unspoken question on his
lips.

"I swim every morning," Sid explained, leading him to the windows. "I
enjoy being in the cool water before surrendering myself to the
summer heat. If you like, we could go for a swim. . ." She stopped
mid-sentence, noticing that his blue-green eyes had locked on her
mouth.

Sid's heart skipped a beat; she'd felt her body responding to Nick
Fallin's presence all afternoon, knowing that this moment would
finally come. Now he was here. In her house. Standing so close she
could feel the heat of his body seeping through his shirt. She gave
him a tender, closed-mouth smile. When she moistened her lips with
the tip of her tongue, his control instantly evaporated.

He took her in his arms and kissed her, long, hard, and with great
urgency, as if his very life depended on it.

"Maybe we can go for a swim later," he said huskily. His breath
whispered across her upturned face. "But right now I have other
things in mind."

~*~
They lay entwined afterward, unwilling to let go, needing the
continued contact of skin against skin. Their bodies still glistened
from their exertions; Sid nestled her head in the crook of Nick's
shoulder, silently reveling in his lean, muscular physique.

She ran her fingertips through the silky hairs on his chest, slowly
working her hand to his navel, and then lower, to his tender abdomen
and beyond. It was a not-so-subtle invitation to continue, one Nick
would never turn down. He cupped her chin between two fingers, and
raised her head until their eyes met.

"Roll on your back and grab the headboard," he finally said.

It wasn't quite a command, but Sid's eyes widened and met his with an
unspoken question: *Can I trust you?*

He responded only with wildly playful, yet challenging, eyes.

*Yes*, she decided, *I'll trust you.* She rolled slowly and
deliberately onto her back, never breaking eye contact. Lifting her
arms above her head and wrapping her fingers around the headboard,
she arched her back, displaying her breasts to perfection. Sid knew
it, and Nick did, too. He couldn't help but groan in appreciation.

"Sid, you are . . . exquisite," he murmured, reveling in her sexy
display. He slowly stood and picked up a glass of ice water, never
taking his eyes off her form. The ice tinkled as he tilted it to his
lips; it was the only sound in the quiet room. After he quenched his
thirst, Nick studied the ice for a moment before lowering the glass.
Then he leveled his eyes at Sid again.

There was that look again. *It's a dare*.

At first Sid thought he was going to grab some ice from the glass and
playfully tease her with it, just like she'd seen in the movies. She
watched him intently, wondering what in the world he was planning.
Her pulse skittered and she licked her lips in nervous anticipation.

Nick wasn't going to engage in ice play. He had something different
in mind. He slowly took another sip of water as he drank in Sid's raw
display of trust and sexuality splayed before him. Then he drew
close, tilted the glass, and slowly dribbled a stream of icy cold
water on the tips of her breasts.

Sid gasped, inhaling sharply at the sensations that she suddenly
felt, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt her nipples react to the
ice water. The tips of her breasts pebbled and formed stiff peaks,
ones that now begged for even more attention.

She opened her eyes, a knowing look in her eye. Sid began to speak,
but Nick quickly brushed his forefinger across her lips. "Shhh," he
whispered, "don't talk. Don`t say a word."

Still maintaining eye contact, she took his finger into her mouth,
and sucked on it, swirling her tongue around it delicately. It was a
sensuous move that surprised Nick and heightened his urgency, his
lust. He wanted nothing more at this moment than to abandon his sexy
plan and obey his baser instincts. It was challenging to slow down
and maintain control. But Nick knew that he wanted to please Sid, to
tantalize her and to blast her into orbit.

"Close your eyes," he directed, staring straight into her soul, "and
keep them closed."

Her body tightened imperceptibly and a small smile played across her
lips as she closed her eyes.

Sid heard him place the glass on the night stand and then felt him
move closer to her. He sat beside her, the mattress giving near her
hip. She became aware of the feel of his lips as he lightly skimmed
them across her face and then delicately nuzzled her neck. She
trembled involuntarily when his golden curls tickled the line of her
jaw.

He stopped abruptly and picked up the glass again for another drink.
She could hear him swallow, and then put the glass down. . .

Suddenly, a cold and tantalizing bolt of electricity shot through
her. The sensation was startling, shocking, and very stimulating.
Nick had flicked an already erect nipple with his tongue - the same
tongue which had just been in the icy water. Every nerve ending
became alert and super-sensitive, Sid's body rippled in pleasured
response to his light-as-a-feather kisses and icy-cold tongue.
She gasped as he slowly inched his tongue toward her navel, stopping
at odd moments to drink or to drip more ice water on her unsuspecting
body. She began to make sexy little thrusts with her hips, wanting
something more. Needing something more. Right now. . .and much lower.

But Nick was not in a hurry. As he continued, Sid held her breath and
found that she could no longer suppress a moan when he continued
lower, finally arriving at the apex of her thighs. He pleasured her
with his tongue, teasing her until she was dripping wet, readying
her, compounding her need for him.

Sid gasped when he paused again. "Please. . .please," she begged
softly. He couldn't stop now!

Nick did not respond. He was too busy ripping a small foil packet and
quickly rolling on its contents.

When he finally shifted his body and wedged his warmth and hardness
between her thighs, Nick groaned long and deep - something utterly
undistinguishable, utterly male. This is what he had craved. This is
what he had needed. Nick thrust into her female contours, his rhythm
wild. Deeper. Harder.

Sid let go of the headboard, tightened her arms and legs around him
and cried his name over and over. The intensity of their heat
continued to escalate until the sensations shimmered, flared, and
finally exploded.

~*~
It was dark. Nick woke up with a start, panting. He sat up and looked
around the strange room, unsure of where he was. He quickly recoiled
when heard someone's breath very close. His heart was racing, his
fright overwhelming.

He had to get away! As he stood, the bedclothes fell away. He rubbed
his eyes and refocused on the form in the bed. It was Sid. *Sid!*
She was sleeping peacefully, her red curls spread out like a fan on
the pillow. *And I'm in Tucson. Safe. In Tucson.*

It was that blasted dream again. *Dream? It's a fucking nightmare.*

He shuddered as he quickly glanced again at Sid. Good, he hadn't
awakened her. He wondered just how long this same dream would
continue, how many more nights he could stand. He quietly slipped out
of the room, needing to escape. From what, he could not quite put his
finger on.

~*~
Sid rolled over to snuggle with Nick, only to find an empty bed.

"Nick?" No answer; the house was quiet. She checked the floor. No, he
hadn't left - his Bruno Magli shoes were still where he'd kicked
them off a few hours before.

She saw a shadow move in her backyard. Then she smiled to herself.

Sid opened the French door leading to her backyard and watched Nick's
lithe body swim in her lap pool. His form was truly elegant, truly
poetry in motion.

She watched him move through the water with extreme urgency, as if he
was trying to drain all energy from his body. Back and forth he
swam, his muscular arms circling, his legs kicking vigorously.

Sid leaned against the door, watching his efforts, wondering if she
looked this desperate when she swam every morning. The pool provided
the perfect outlet to work the kinks out of her bum knee, and help
ready her brain for her job. She wondered what kind of mental kinks
Nick was trying to work out.

As he swam, Nick thought about the nightmare. It never changed: He
was with his dad searching for that parking space at Symphony Hall.
Next he was hitting the man who stole the parking spot. Then, in
typical dream-like fashion, the scenario changed, and Nick became the
man on the ground being kicked and beaten. He tried to dodge the
blows, but they came too fast. He'd covered his face with his hands,
but the beating still continued, rougher. *Who is beating me?* He
mustered up the courage to look and peeked between his fingers.
*Shannon. . . Lulu. . .Dad!* He always woke up at that point in the
dream. God!

He was relentless. He swam, as if the exercise alone would exorcise
the demons - and that excruciating nightmare - that plagued him.

Should he tell Sid about everything? About the court-mandated anger
management sessions? About how his father seemed to have replaced
him with a 13-year-old girl? How Lulu rejected him? As he swam, he
considered the consequences. What would Sid think of him then? No,
he wouldn't tell her about the therapy, or the nightmare, or Lulu,
Shannon, or any of it. He couldn't. It was too overwhelming. No,
he'd just keep it all to himself. It was the safest, best thing for a
screw-up to do.

Nick finally stopped and pulled his slim frame onto the edge of the
pool. Water held in his curls, dripping to his shoulders, down his
narrow hips and legs. He was breathing heavily.

He stood, his body lean, wet and muscular, and his eyes arched in
surprise when Sid handed him a black terrycloth robe.

"Are you ready to come back to bed now?" she asked softly. He nodded
and pulled the robe onto his frame. Now truly exhausted, he followed
her through the French doors back into her bedroom.

He was tired. So tired. Nick found himself just wanting to lay next
to Sid and feel at peace - for at least one night. He crawled into
bed next to her, willing his weary muscles to move. There were no
more words, no explanations.

Sid didn't need conversation to know the man was hurting, fighting
his own personal demons. She wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulder
and pulled him close. With his head nestled in the hollow of her
shoulder and his arm wrapped around her waist, Nick Fallin finally
fell asleep, his face showing the ragged effects of exhaustion.

She watched him sleep, wondering what was causing him so much
distress. The handsome young man was a frustrating puzzle, much too
difficult to figure out. Oh, Nick's banter was flirty and witty, the
sex was fabulous, but Sid had noticed a hint of sadness and fear
around his weary eyes that hadn't been present before.

Something was really bothering him. Something he couldn't -- or
wouldn't -- talk about. Based on her previous experiences, Sid knew
that direct questioning was not the best route to take with Nick
Fallin. He was so buttoned up, and so . . shut down.

She wondered what would have happened if she'd moved to Pittsburgh
instead of Tucson. Would they have continued their sex-based
relationship? Possibly. Their love-making sessions were fabulous, but
Sid didn't usually engage in casual sex. Nick had been the sole
exception in her life. *And what an exception!*

Would their relationship have turned serious? *No.* She shook her
head and sighed. His fractured life seemed too stressed to have an on-
going, serious relationship.

At that moment, Sid made a deliberate decision to just let the man
be. *He'll tell me what's wrong if he wants. If not, then I'll just
have to accept that, too.*

She closed her eyes, but it took Sidney Hunter a long time to fall
asleep.


~End Part 2~
 
 
Desert Heat - Part 3

 

~*~
A powerful kick connected with Nick's ribs. He was unable to stifle
an anguished moan as the pain splintered and then spread through his
body. He peeked through his fingers and saw the black shoe pulling
back, ready to plant another pointed kick. He needed to protect
himself, but how? Grabbing an arm, he somehow toppled the kicker to
the ground. He quickly straddled his attacker and pinned the man's
arms with his legs.

Nick sucked in a frightened breath when he recognized the face of his
struggling assailant.

*It's. . .Dad.*

"Why?" Nick asked in a loud, pained voice. He squeezed his father's
shoulders and shook him. "Why, Dad?"

"Stop. . ." Something about his father's voice did not sound right.

Nick leaned over and pressed his full weight on his father's
shoulders. Then he raised his right hand and made a fist. His voice
trembled with a lifetime of pent-up anger. "Stop it, Dad, or
I'll. . ."

"Wake up, wake up --" Sid was pinned under a very angry and
oblivious Nick Fallin. As much as she'd squirmed, as forcefully as
she'd flailed her legs, she was unable to wrestle herself free. It
was obvious the man was dreaming. His eyes were open but unseeing,
his face twisted with pain. . . and anger. And now he was shaking her
like a rag doll, much like Clayton Griffin had done a year and a half
ago.

His arm hovered in the air, locked and loaded, ready to punch Burton
Fallin's lights out.

"-- I'm Sid, Nick, wake up!" She continued to cry out, identifying
herself over and over. This was truly frightening. What if she wasn't
able to awaken Nick? Would he really hit her? Could he? After all, he
was asleep.

Something wasn't right. Now his father was - crying? Nick shook his
head and felt himself slowly awaken. Finally becoming fully
cognizant, he found himself sitting on top of a very distressed
Sidney Hunter, his arm still raised, his fist still doubled.

The color drained from Nick's face.

*Oh, God!*

He slowly lowered his arm, his breathing labored, his eyes wide in
disbelief. Nick was confused. Confused about why Sid was crying,
confused about why he felt so. . .agitated? In a haze, he crawled
off of the woman and retreated to the far side of the bedroom.

Sid sat up and took several ragged breaths. Her tears flowed
unchecked as she stared at Nick with a mixture of shock, concern, and
fear.

"Did I . . . hurt you? Are you all right?" Adrenaline shot through
Nick's body and he found he could not be still. He paced and swept a
hand through his golden red curls.

Sid wiped the tears from her eyes and finally found her voice. "What
on earth were you dreaming about? Something about your Dad?"

Nick stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes at the redhead.
*How does she know that? Did I say something out loud while I was
dreaming? How much does she know?*

Trembling, he shook his head and averted his eyes. Nick was beginning
to panic.

The look on the young man's face was all too familiar to Sid. It was
the same expression she'd seen when she'd learned of his probation,
his sentence to work at LSP, his love of cocaine.

*He's shutting down, locking me out again.*

Nick had to leave. *Now*. What was he running from? From the
nightmare? From Sid? From the beating he wanted to give to his own
father? It didn't matter. He had to escape.

She watched in shocked silence as he found his shorts and pants in a
pile on the floor and quickly slipped them on, his head down, a
frightened look on his face. Donning his shirt, he quickly glanced
at Sid. "I'll. . .call a cab. Go back to sleep," he said flatly.

She heard him walk through he house, his footsteps hurrying toward
the front door. Sid shook her head in utter dismay. *Go back to
sleep? How can I possibly do that now?*

~*~

One hand on his brow, his insides trembling, Nick Fallin waited on
the porch for the taxi to arrive. The summer night was cool and
still. Even the moon seemed to stop and listen to the man's labored
breathing.

*What did I just do? God, I almost punched Sid in the face!*

He paced, anxious for the taxi to arrive and ferry him to safety. He
needed to get as far away from Sid as he could, now that the horrible
nightmare had invaded his real life.

*Sid isn't safe sleeping with me. No one is.*

Nick hastily decided not to bed anyone, including Sidney Hunter,
until he stopped having that awful nightmare.

The sudden sound of the front door opening made Nick jump. He jerked
his head up, eyes blinking, and found Sid standing on the porch
wearing that same old ratty chenille robe she'd worn in Telluride.

"Nick, come back inside. Don't leave," she murmured softly. She
tucked a curl behind her ear and looked hopeful.

*Is she crazy? After what I just pulled?* He shook his head, stared
at his shoes, and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I - I
can't," he said in a low voice.

"Yes, you can."

He hesitated in answering her, not knowing how to respond. Face taut,
shoulders hunched, he heaved a long sigh.

At that moment the taxi arrived.

"Send it away, Nick, and come back inside," she pleaded.

He shook his head again. "I'll call you," Nick lied. As he walked to
the waiting cab, he could feel Sid staring a hole in his back.
Feeling raw and depleted, he folded his weary body into the taxi and
glanced at the porch as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.

Her face told it all. Disbelief. Disappointment. Dismay.

Nick rubbed his face with his hands and smelled Sid's scent all over
them. *What a disaster.*

~*~
"We're recommending limited excavations to the State, Mr. Gleeson.
You'll have to cordon off the section indicated on the report
immediately." Sid was standing in front of David Gleeson's desk three
days later, completed report in hand.

"That's awful! What are you trying to do, close Diablo down before I
can sell?" Gleeson growled.

"No, of course not. My job is to document and present the findings of
the cultural resources management team to you and the State."

"You'll also need to inform the due diligence guys," the CEO
sighed. "They're just about finished with their review of the
company. I'm sure Nick will have to include this new information in
his revenue report, too."

"Oh, is the due diligence team still here?" she asked, hoping she
sounded very casual. To Mr. Gleeson, Sid appeared marginally
interested, but she was actually on high-alert. She'd figured Nick
had left Tucson as quickly as possible after last Monday's debacle.
If he was still in town and hadn't called like he'd promised, did it
mean he wasn't interested in her anymore? Or had he just been bogged
down with work?

"Well then, I'll just pop in and give Mr. Fallin a copy of our
report." Sid got directions to Nick's temporary office and bid
goodbye to David Gleeson.

~*~
"Come in."

Nick was deep in thought. When he heard the tap on the door, he
immediately re-focused on his work, assuming it was the office
assistant bringing him more files.

Sid came into the office and stood patiently, waiting for Nick to
look up.

He pointed to the edge of the desk. "Put the files here, please, " he
said quietly, eyes still on his work.

Sid moved a little closer and stuck the report on the desk, hoping he
would at least cast one glance her way.

He didn't.

She continued to watch the handsome young lawyer, amazed at the man's
power of concentration. Her body tightened as he ran his fingers
across his lips --- the same long fingers and soft, moist lips that
had explored her body so thoroughly earlier in the week. She sighed
inwardly, admitting to herself that she was still very attracted to
Nick, regardless of his buttoned-up, shut-down demeanor. She still
felt a primal connection to him, not to mention a more-than-
fundamental chemistry, but doubted if there was room in Nick's
fractured life for anything more than casual sex.

"You. . . didn't call me," she finally said. Although she tried to
hide it, the ache was clearly evident in her voice.

Nick looked up with a start, his face showing complete surprise. He
had not expected to see Sid at corporate headquarters. He'd
successfully avoided calling her all week, burying himself in work
after Monday night's dangerous events. And now here she was in his
office!

He cleared his throat. "I've been busy," he began, his voice subdued.
He looked at the pile of files on his desk and then glanced back at
Sid, noticing how sexy she looked in her curve-hugging black
sheath. "I've had a lot of. . ."

Sid cut him off. "I'm sure you've had a lot of work. I have too,
but --"

It was Nick's turn to interrupt. ". . .and I've had a lot of time to
think about what happened the other night."

That got Sid's attention. A shiver slid down her spine. Nick seemed
very serious now. Had he come to grips with his nightmare? Was he
going to ignore it? Or was he going to end their casual relationship?

Silence.

Sid took a deep breath. "Me too," she finally whispered. "You ---
want to go first?"

Nick shook his head. "Ladies first." His voice was soft and tight.

The tension in the office seemed to crackle. Sid hesitated. *Do I
really want to get into this?*

She came around the desk and took a seat along its edge, very close
to Nick's arm. A knee peeked from under the hem of her dress,
silently begging for his hand's caress. Her lemony scent surrounded
him. She was enticingly close and oh, so tempting.

"About your dream. . ." Sid began, looking for the right words to
begin this touchy subject.

Nick lifted his head, leveling his gaze at Sid. His eyes seemed so
mournful. "I'm sorry if I scared you. . .I'd never knowingly hurt
you."

She patted his arm and gave him a warm smile. "I know," she said
gently.

Her hand lingered on his arm, flooding Nick with inappropriate
shivers of awareness.

More silence.

For a few awkward moments, Sid didn't know whether to stop or go
ahead. Would he shut completely down if she continued? Would he walk
out of his own office? After all, leaving did seem to be the man's
normal response to uncomfortable emotional issues.

Throwing caution to the wind, she started again. "I used to have
dreams. After the wreck. And later, after Clayton Griffin tried to
kill us. . . " Her voice trailed, the sentence left incomplete. She
shuddered, thinking about the man who'd embezzled her company's money
and then tried to end her life -- and Nick's, too. "Dreams? No, they
were more like nightmares."

Now it was Nick's turn to stare. He had not known about her
nightmares, but it made sense that she would have traumatic responses
after everything she'd been through. He nodded, not really knowing
what to say but wanting her to continue. "What were they about?" he
finally asked.

"I - I don't want to go into any details. Let's just say I had to
confront the ghost of Clayton Griffin," she replied with a grimace.

"Did they ever go away?" Nick's pained eyes and furrowed brow was far
more telling than his voice.

"I finally worked it out," she responded, taking his hand in
hers. "But I needed help. . ." She eyed him cautiously. ". . .and I
got it. Sid brought his hand to her lips and softly kissed the tips
of his sensuous fingers. "Maybe that's what you need to do," she
whispered.

Nick closed his eyes; the feel of her lips on his fingertips was
electric. His logical side wanted to pull his hand away, but her
gentle touch felt so nice, so tender, so. . .

Sudden desire flooded his system. Nick had to stop these sexy
thoughts. *Now.* Without coke or alcohol, his sex life had been his
only outlet, the only power he'd had in his life outside of work. And
now that he couldn't control his actions while he slept, he knew
making love to Sid was out of the question. Because afterward he'd
want to go to sleep nestled in her arms again. Because he might have
that nightmare again. And then he might hurt her.

She was waiting. Waiting for him to respond.

His insides were churning now. Sid seemed to be one of the few people
who could take one look and see past the bullshit, straight into his
soul. And that was one place where she was not welcome, because Nick
wasn't sure that Sid would like what she found there.

*I know I don't.*

He hoped his impassive, lawyerly mask was in place as he finally
spoke. "I *have* talked to a professional."

It startled Nick that he was telling Sid that he had gone to
counseling. Of course, he didn't tell her that he had been under a
court-order to attend, that it was a mere three anger management
sessions, or that he had not opened up to the therapist. The fear,
the anger, and the grief he held inside was far too close to the bone
to actually discuss with anyone, much less *that* idiot. He didn't
tell Sid that he'd listened to the fool and had tried to share his
feelings with Lulu and with his Dad. *Look what happened.*

Sid's eyebrows arched and her lips parted in amazement. This man was
so full of surprises. "That's good, Nick. Is it helping?"

He shrugged and shook his head as if to say, 'I don't know'.

She nodded, surprised at this unexpected admission. She knew that it
was difficult for Nick to express his feelings. *If he ever had a
heart-to heart conversation with me and really opened up, it might
change his life -- and mine -- forever.*

She kissed the back of his hand. He allowed himself a moment to savor
the moist heat of her tongue and the softness of her lips on his
skin. Then he gently removed his hand and shook his head. "You have
to stop now. I - I can't continue. I've decided not to sleep with you
until I stop having these dreams. There's no telling what might
happen."

Another surprising announcement for Sid. *That's why he hasn't
called?* Everything began to click into place. Now she understood. He
was protecting her from his nightmares. It was sweet -- in a heavy-
handed kind of way. *Sort of like excavating a pot shard with a back
hoe.*

Now Nick was waiting for a response. It was one of the few times in
his life he'd turned down a woman's advances. And he loathed himself
for having to refuse Sid. What would she say? Would she understand,
or had she had enough of Nick Fallin?

Her lips tilted with a knowing smile. "Sleep. Sleep? Sleeping is not
quite the activity that comes to mind when I'm with you."

Nick returned her smile with a sizzling gaze. He couldn't help
himself -- he was ready to put this conversation to rest because he
now had something much more enjoyable on his mind.

He stood, walked to the door and locked it, ready to follow his
natural instincts.

"Nick?" Sid looked quizzical.

It wasn't new for Nick to make love in an office. He wondered if it
would be Sid's first time.

~*~
Sid smoothed her curls behind her ears. "I'll never be able to walk
into a lawyer's office again without thinking about what we just
did," she chuckled. "And I would like to point out there was no sleep
involved. We can probably work something out and avoid sleeping all
together." She winked. "When do you leave?"

"Day after tomorrow." Nick buttoned his shirt and tucked it in his
pants.

"Then we still have plenty of time and a lot to do before you go
home." She walked to the window to enjoy the view of downtown Tucson.
A few clouds billowed across the eastern part of the deep lapis
lazuli sky.

Suddenly, Sid gasped at something she'd seen out the window. She
turned to him with an intense look on her face.

"What is it? What's the matter?" he asked, concerned that she'd just
witnessed something awful.

"Nothing's wrong! Nick, grab your briefcase. We've got to get out of
here -- quick!" The excitement in her voice and twinkle in her eye
was infectious. Nick stuffed files into his briefcase and then ran
to catch up with Sidney Hunter, who was already half-way down the
hall.

~*~
"Do you think you can tell me why we're running up the stairs of the
University's Library?" Nick asked between breaths. Sid had been very
tight-lipped about their destination and why they were in such a rush.

"You'll see," she said with a grin, "but we've got to hurry."

When they finally arrived on the top floor, she led Nick to a bank of
huge windows that bracketed the area on three sides. As he caught his
breath, he looked around and discovered that other excited people had
also positioned themselves at the windows, too.

"What's going on, Sid? Clue me in."

"Just watch," Sid whispered.

He shrugged in agreement and turned his attention toward the window.

Nick had seen the dramatic cumulonimbus clouds earlier, boiling
surrealistically in the late afternoon sky as they'd driven to the
campus. He'd heard on the weather forecast that it might rain, but he
wasn't worried. What were a few rain drops?

He watched as a huge wedge of dust suddenly blew in from the east,
blowing papers, leaves, dirt, and trash past the building with
surprising force. The sky was quickly obscured by a wall of menacing
black clouds followed by a curtain of rain. The rain surprised Nick
with its sudden ferocity. The water poured in torrents, like a
gigantic waterfall. Thunder boomed and lightning struck again and
again. He could feel the lightning's nearness; the hair on his arms
stood on end.

"What is this? A freak storm, or. . ." Nick didn't complete his
question. He was interrupted by more fingers of lightening that
danced through the darkened sky toward the ground.

"It's the first storm of the monsoon season. And this is a monsoon
watching party. Keep looking." Sid slipped in front of him and
wrapped both his arms around her waist. She leaned the back of her
head against his chest, enjoying the feel of this wonderful man. Sid
smiled wistfully, wondering what his life would be like when his
probation was over. Wondering if she could ever be a part of his
normal life. *If he'll have a normal life.*

The storm raged, rolling over the desert like waves on an angry
ocean. It reminded Nick so much of his own life: from the death of
his mother to the incident at the parking garage, it was nothing but
one storm after another.

He'd felt under a cloud for so long.

*Except when I snorted cocaine.* The white powder had lifted him out
of his daily darkness and made him feel as though he could do
anything. But even that had led to another dark and scary period in
his life.

Nick also watched the desert easily weather the storm. The suguaros
dotting the nearby hills stood solitary and strong, seemingly
oblivious to the wind and rain.

Imperceptably, a tiny droplet of a thought dripped into his mind:
Somehow he'd weathered the storms in his life, just as the suguaros
did. And somehow he would come to terms with the demons that plagued
him now, including that nightmare. He knew he wouldn't -- couldn't --
talk with that idiot therapist again. *Because I don't need
anybody. . . do I?* He didn't think so, but it certainly felt good
to be with someone right now. Someone who seemed to accept him, flaws
and all.

The intensity of the weather was at times frightening, but also very
exciting. *Just like being with Sid.* He chuckled, knowing it was
true. Nick drew the redhead closer, holding her tight. It felt so
good, so natural, nestled together this way. He smiled, pleased that
she'd wanted to share this amazing display of nature with him.

As the storm wound down, Sid turned around and gave Nick a quick
hug. "I'm so glad you got to experience that," she said quietly. "The
rains spark a second wildflower season that's absolutely
breathtaking. I wish you could see it."

Nick surprised himself by returning the hug and murmuring, "I do,
too."

He suddenly felt better than he had in a very long time.


~Fin~