Dawn Rising

"Right here will be a likeness of him dressed in traditional Shawnee Warrior attire. We have been very fortunate to have the actual drafts of the land treaties on loan to us. They will be placed in controlled and secured display cases, here." She motioned to the open space along the walkway.

Alex paused, waiting for the obligatory polite nods and murmurs. "The museum's and my ultimate goal is for authenticity and accurate accounts of Tecumseh's life and dedication to the Native American Peoples. We will take special focus on Tecumseh's attempts to unite the tribes, his life, his family, and the mystery surrounding his death. You do know it was rumored that his body was never found. Right?" The look he shot her froze her feet to the ground. This was so not going the way she planned.

"This area over here is reserved for his brother Tenskwatawa and his contributions to the Shawnee people with a focus on the religious aspects of his teachings." The obligatory politeness of his nods and grunts was unnerving. Her palms sweated, slicking her hands. Half out of irritation, half out of nervousness, she bit her lip.

Alex took a deep breath and trudged on. Had to get the donation. The man had removed the black sunglasses from his face, revealing stunning brown eyes, rich as chocolate and soulful in their expression, infused with just a glimmer of boyish mischief that she found vaguely familiar in some way. Who knew? The city was teeming with strangers, maybe they'd crossed paths on the street and in some subconscious part of her mind she remembered him. Finally, maybe, she had something to work with. She interpreted his removal of the sunglasses as a sign of interest. Sunglasses indoors? The museum's interior was dim and he certainly hadn't needed them.

Smiling, she placed her hand on the gleaming oak and bronze double doors. "This is my favorite part. I didn't want to bring you here until this was completed. Please, follow me." The freshly hung doors creaked with a light groan as they opened. Inside the room was round with a high domed ceiling painted black. In the center of the room was a limestone pillar with a small glass encased gas flame. A rosewood plaque dedicating the room to Tecumseh was affixed to the pillar. Bench seating followed the curving line of the room. The walls were decorated with Native American artwork and symbols.

This memorial room was Alex's brainchild and she had raised it from the inner workings of her mind, watching carefully as it developed and blossomed piece by piece. "Watch this," she whispered as she dimmed the lights. Above them the constellations glittered in the faux night sky as pale soft lighting filtered up from hidden fixtures in the floor. "I want this to be a place of quiet and reflection, dreams should be conceived here." Her voice trailed off in awe at the craftsmanship of the workers who had honed her baby into creation. "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," Lucien replied with a smile on his broad lips. So far, he'd managed to keep his cool. Maybe, just a bit too well, a bit too contained. Alex was nervous. Her heart fluttered like hummingbird wings in her chest. Seeing Alex again had stirred up a thousand memories and feelings deep within him. And he'd been careful, so careful, not to tip his hand. Not to let his feelings show. Even stretching the truth about his name. He hadn't been this close to her in twelve years. That he couldn't tell her who he was. Finish what hung in suspended animation, unfinished, was torture.

That night, twelve years ago, had ripped them apart in a blaze of fire and pain. Changed the paths of their lives forever. He'd kept tabs on her. Watching from a distance as Alex blossomed from a sixteen year-old girl into a woman. Secrets and promises, vows forged a wall between them. She didn't know. Or maybe, on some subconscious level, she did. That fact agonized him more than his fiery birth. She didn't realize who he was. And he could not tell her.

He could smell the scent of her nervousness in the air, spicy like cloves. She fidgeted in her anxiety. Despite her best attempts to stay still and composed. The corners of her mouth, the parts of her lips that she didn't worry with her teeth, habitually biting them in agitation, curved down in a nervous frown. He'd give anything to see her smile at him, like she used to, once again.

"Ah, well, I am so happy that you do." Alex replied, flabbergasted and speechless by his smile. The curve of his mouth, how she knew his lips would be soft was a mystery. Maybe it was just a guess. Or maybe, it had been too long...way, way, too long since she'd been kissed and his nearness was sending her neglected hormones into overdrive. There was an undeniable air of familiarity about him, the way he moved, the simplicity of his gestures, his smile, the expressions on his face, and in his eyes that was disturbing to her. He was a man that even if it had been a fleeting glimpse, as quick as a blink of an eye, she should have remembered him. If she had met him before, why didn't she? Why did she have the feeling that she had and just couldn't quite place him?

Alex buried the feeling into an unused corner of her psyche. She could think about it later. Perhaps, when the wee hours of the morning found her awake and restless. Inside, she did a happy dance. That donation was as good as gotten. "Let's move into the conference room for some refreshments and review the rest of the plans for the exhibit."

Her face was ablaze with a blush at his praise. Opting for the service elevator, which would allow for more space, she took Luke up to the fifth floor. The size of the elevator wasn't the problem. His closeness, the nearness to him, a perfect stranger, had her heart racing, and her head in places other than where it should be. He stood inches from her, despite the openness of the elevator. Invasion of her personal space should have made her anxious and uncomfortable. Instead, his nearness affected her in other ways. She ought to be polishing her strategy, eliminating any glitches in her plan, and not thinking about how soft his lips would be on hers.

"Please help yourself," Alex said as she motioned to the refreshments. She should have taken the time to bake cookies and muffins. Fresh might have impressed him and sealed the deal. To her dismay, he took a seat, ignoring the store bought assortment her assistant had hastily thrown together. Ok...lesson learned in that one, she thought. Bake. The next time she had to beg for money. Take the time to bake. After waiting a polite amount of time, ignoring the tray herself, too nervous to eat despite the grumbling in her stomach, she plunged into reviewing the rest of the plans.

Sometime in the early afternoon, her presentation was finally completed. Dry mouthed from all the talking, mostly one-sided conversation, she paused for breath. "Are there any questions," she focused on the neatly typed plans and awkward drawings she'd sketched, avoiding the intensity of the brown eyes that stared down at her. "Any concerns?"

Eye contact with this man was dangerous. She was instantly entranced at the glimpse into his eyes, by the way they reflected the light and their depth. Enthralled by the flecks of gold and amber trapped within the ring of deep rich mahogany. Their expression seemed familiar to her. They seemed to speak to her...something she couldn't place or understand. She couldn't help but stare into them. And the feeling that she'd met him somewhere before grew undeniably stronger.

"Alex?" Luke's soft gentle voice roused her, saving her from drowning in the depths of the eyes. From further humiliation of simply sitting there open mouthed staring into them. "Your exhibit is going to be outstanding. You have the full cooperation of the Sons at your disposal. If you need anything, please ask." He stood with an outstretched hand. Eager for just the merest brush of her fingers.

"Oh thank you so much," Alex stammered. "Ah, actually there is one thing. Maybe two." She winced, waiting for a scowl of disapproval. She was encouraged when he met her with a warm smile that absolutely melted her heart. "I was wondering if someone wouldn't mind volunteering to record Tecumseh's teachings in Algonquin. I think it would make the memorial room complete if visitors could hear his teachings the way he would have delivered them, in his native tongue. And I could use some help picking out some traditional music tracks for the room as well."

She trailed off waiting for a reply. Nervously, tugging on the hem of her jacket as she shifted her weight off her bad leg.

After a considerable pause, Lucien answered, "I have just the person to help you. Me." He had the blank check folded in his back pocket. The money was earmarked for the museum's donation long before he heard her sales pitch. He had a two-fold reason for staying behind. Only one of his reasons had to do with his mission. The other had everything to do with her. Any one of The Sons was capable of completing the job. But, he had to see to it himself.

Chapter 3

Alex blushed at his suggestion. His stare had a way of stripping her naked. Of course, he'd have to volunteer himself for the job. And why not? His voice was perfect for recording, clear, deep bass, rich in intonation and inflection. Turning toward her, he extended his hand. Obligingly she slid hers into it. His hand was smooth and warm to the touch. Contact with it sent a strange series of currents racing over her skin. "Ulethi equi'wa, I am at your disposal," Luke said in a voice that sent goose bumps up her arm and her heart racing.

Alex blushed even redder, if that was possible. Her cheeks turned a violent crimson, fevered and burning. He had called her Beautiful Lady. No man, ever...Lucien had hardly been a man when he'd called her beautiful... had said she was beautiful. Brushing her embarrassment off and repossessing her hand, careful not to meet his eyes she said, " Hopefully I can get a sound tech lined up tomorrow to make the recording and maybe later on this." She glanced at her watch surprised by how much time had passed. "This evening... we can go over the music and make our final selections."

Lucien followed Alex out of the conference room and to the elevator. The museum was a hush of reverent whispers that echoed up from the other displays. The world outside of the building continued on at a fevered pace. But, in here, in these hallowed halls, time stopped, frozen in place.

"Well," Alex said, unlocking her office door and standing aside for him to pass. "Make yourself at home. I'll load the discs and we can scan through the music." The strains of Indian chanting, love flutes, and rhythmic drumbeats reverberated off the walls of her miniscule closet of an office. She watched as his demeanor changed as if the music were stripping away all the formality and he was being taken over by the primal melodies. The music affected her too. Visions of firelight danced behind her closed eyes as the haunting rhythms carried her to some distant place and time.

Lucien stretched out his legs and leaned his head back allowing the music to take hold. He felt her presence as it permeated the air around him. He felt a stirring deep within his soul called forth by the primal drumbeats. He watched Alex as she shifted in the chair beside the CD player, nervously twirling the auburn strands of her ponytail. Being this close to her was proving difficult. He fought against the stirring of his body. Against the need to take her into his arms and shower her milky, pale, skin with kisses. To reclaim the past and her with it, to pretend the years had never passed and they were where they had been back then. With a deep breath he cleared his mind. "I think you have excellent taste in music. Your selections couldn't be improved upon."

"Thanks," Alex said, turning off the player. "I just wanted to be sure. After all, you are the expert." She smiled at him as she flung her ponytail back into place. She averted her eyes to the floor not daring to meet his again. She noticed that the sky had turned from a stormy, dark, gray to the dull, black of night in the city. Damn, she thought to herself, she hated waiting at the train station after dark, especially alone. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so late." She tapped at her watch with a well-manicured fingernail, gesturing to the hour.

He stood towering above her and extended a hand to help her up. Ignoring the chivalrous sentiment, she pushed with all her might and rose to her height, feeling very small standing beside him. Her leg had gotten stiff from sitting so long. Biting her bottom lip, she shuffled to the door urging him past, locking it behind them. "I'm afraid we'll have to use the employee exit. The museum is closed." Alex said as she led Luke to the elevators. Unconsciously, she rubbed her aching limb as they waited for the doors to slide open.

"Are you all right?" Lucien asked his, brows knitted with concern. He'd noticed her limping all day. Throughout the course of the afternoon, the limp had gotten more pronounced. Her expression of pain, hidden behind a thin smile, had grown more intense. He wasn't the only one hurt that night. That his idiocy had injured her, left her with scars and pain, broke his heart. The stupid decision of a teenage boy, one turn of the wheel too hard, had changed everything.

Alex scowled at him as she straightened her back and stiffened her spine. "Its just an old injury that acts up when the weather is bad. It's nothing really," she explained dismissively. Luke was a stranger and she wasn't about to delve into her past. Some parts of herself were secret and belonged to her alone. He didn't say anything else to draw attention to her limp. He smiled down at her in an expression of "I know better." How often had she seen that same look on people's faces when she limped past? She was stronger than her limitations. Better than her pain.

Alex shrank her shoulders returning his smile. His scent, musky, woodsy, earthy, definitely masculine filled the confines of the elevator, making her even more aware of him and the sheer maleness of him. He took attractive to a whole new level. His jaw was hard, well defined and strong. High cheeks and full lips offered the promise of seductive kisses that could weaken even the strongest of resolve. He wore his silky black hair, so dark the highlights looked blue in the elevator's harsh white light, loose around his shoulders. The hair was made for a woman to stroke and run her hands through. He was tall and thickly muscled with a broad chiseled chest, created for a girl to snuggle against. Long lean powerful thighs and a tight butt completed the package of sheer male sexuality. Alex blushed, shaming brain for thinking such things about a client. The elevator whisked them down to the first floor, clanging to a halt with a bone jarring shudder.

The elevators whispered open and they stepped out into a darkened hallway leading toward the exit. She walked with a hobbling gait, feeling the tightness of the skin on her swollen limb as she teetered along. Luke slowed his steps to keep in time with her. She pressed the bar on the exit and held it wide for him. Their bodies touched as he slid past her sending shivers along her flesh. Once they were outside, she carefully made her way down the ice-coated stairs when she lost her balance, her feet slipping unceremoniously out from under her. Alex braced herself for an abrupt connection with the pavement. Instead, she landed squarely into his strong, protective arms. "Whoops," she whispered, embarrassed by her faux-pas, "I wasn't expecting ice."

Lucien held Alex until she regained control, savoring the contact with her body. Even through the thickness of her wool coat, he could feel the lushness of her curves. "Alex, my car is right over there," he motioned to a non descript, black SUV. "Why don't you let me give you a ride home?" He held her close, hands circling her waist through the thick folds of material, just because, he could, and he had an acceptable excuse.

Alex blushed, her skin goose pimpling at the intimacy of her name on his lips. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly impose like that." She gathered her composure and teetered precariously along the icy sidewalk. "I've asked you and your Brothers for too much as it is. The train station is just a couple of blocks away. I will be fine."

Lucien took a firm hold on Alex's shoulder. Her safety was priority one. One stupid mistake had cost him too much as it was. And he was not going to let her ego cause another one. "I insist. Not to insult you, but with that limp, you're very small, and well, very pretty. You're a target for criminals. I really can't let you go off by yourself alone in the dark. C'mon the SUV has heated seats." He eased a seductive smile across his lips. "Do your civic duty and help a guy out here."

Alex bit her lip, arguing with herself. She really didn't know Luke. But, her instincts told her she could trust him. She had to admit it would be a lot more comfortable in a heated vehicle than on a freezing train platform. "Okay," she agreed. "One condition though. You have to let me buy you dinner. You must be starving."

Lucien smiled triumphantly, "Deal. Now keep hold of my arm so you don't slip and break the other leg," he teased.

"How did you know I broke my leg?" Alex asked, tightening her grip around Luke's large and powerful bicep. Her feet careened on the slick pavement beneath the soles of her shoes. Vanity had made her choose footwear unsuitable for the weather. Not, that she regretted it. It wasn't very often that some completely gorgeous hunk of man offered her his arm.

"Lucky guess," Lucien replied. Women and their shoes, he snorted. Alex's feet were all over the place, the slickness of the bottoms of her ineffectual shoes careening against the ice rink of a sidewalk. Always the gentleman, he slid an arm around her waist steadying her.

"If you fall we're toast. I'll take you right down with me," she teased to ease her discomfort. His hold on her was firm but gentle. This was a guy who knew how to hold a woman. Probably, he had more than his share of experience. He was better suited for Janine than her. She could count the number of kisses she'd had in her adult life on one hand. He probably gave them away like Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters.

Carefully, they picked their way down the ice-crusted sidewalk to the SUV. If he slipped, they'd definitely topple to the ground. There was no way she could support his weight to keep him from falling. The intimacy of the close contact, even if it was congenial and innocent, that of a guy being overly zealous in his chivalry, was unnerving. She couldn't help the pounding of her heart in a wild beat at the brush of his fingers along her hand. With a beep and the friendly flash of lights, Luke hit the remote start. And the powerful engine roared to life. Once inside and buckled up, letting out a sigh of relief as the seats warmed beneath her, sending much appreciated heat down her back and legs.

"Where to Alex?" Lucien asked as he rested his arm across the seat, turning to back out of the parking place. He knew where she lived. He'd popped by a couple hundred times. Not, that she knew about it. The unlocked balcony door made it way too easy. From a human's point of view, he understood why she didn't bother locking the doors. But, if he could get in so could anybody else. And he didn't like that.

Alex lived simply, without frills or much in the way of luxury. The brownstone she called home was in a tired, worn out part of the city. The neighborhood had seen its share of better days. No neighborhood in the city was safe as far as he was concerned. Police occasionally made rounds through her block. But, the police cruisers were more for show than for an actual purpose. People liked to think the cops would keep them safe. The police could do nothing. Moving to a better neighborhood would only serve to deplete her already taxed funds. There were things out there that his brothers were the only protection against.