The Icy Web of Desire (thank you, Kelli C. for the title)

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just playing with them.

Turning his SUV into the driveway he slammed on the brakes and slid to a stop inches from the back of the orange Cadillac that was parked in the way. Dave frowned as he shut off the engine and consoled his upset lab who had slipped off the seat at the abrupt stop. He stared at the back of the car in front of him wondering why its owner would risk her fool neck to drive out to his cabin in this weather. It had been snowing for days and under the snow was a layer of ice. Dave had slid a few times in his SUV on the way to the cabin.

He opened his door and shivered at the blast of cold air which greeted him. Tromping up to the driver's door of the monstrosity in his driveway he tapped on the window. When the window didn't open he grabbed the handle; the door was locked. He cleared off the window and peered inside the car, it was empty. Frowning deeper he looked around. The ongoing snowfall had obliterated any footsteps that had been made recently.

"Come on Mudgie," he said to the dog that was bouncing around trying to catch snowflakes. They trudged through the snow to the front door of the cabin. Dave grabbed the handle and found it was still locked. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and opened the door. Mudgie bounded through the open door and ran to his bed in front of the cold, dark fireplace.

"Penelope?" Dave called out. Silence greeted him in return. Apparently she hadn't broken in, but where was she? He wandered towards the back of the cabin; an unusual object on the back deck caught his attention. He rushed to the back door and flung it open. Penelope sitting on a deck chair was covered in a layer of snow. Panic filled his heart as his first thought was she had frozen to death. A groan from her unmoving body prodded him into action.

"Are you flipping crazy?" he scolded as he reached her side. Her eyes popped open and he could see her shivering. "What are you doing out here?"

She sat up stiffly and shook the snow off. "I was waiting for you," she stuttered. Dave brushed the pile of flakes from atop her head.

He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet and inside the building. "Why didn't you wait in the car?" he asked as he closed the back door.

"I locked my keys inside," she muttered as she stared at the floor. She hugged her arms around her waist as she shivered.

"Oh Kitten," he sighed. "You should have broken into the cabin."

She gasped. "I couldn't do that – it's illegal!"

He nearly laughed at the look of indignation on her face. "And hacking computers isn't?"

"It's not the same," she grumbled as she stood shivering in the kitchen.

He rubbed her arms with his gloved hands. "We need to get you warmed up. Did you bring a change of clothes?"

She pouted at him. "Also locked in the car."

He half smiled at her. "I'll get it open. Meanwhile, why don't you take a shower?"

"You're not going to hurt Esther, are you?" she demanded her eyes open wide and a look of terror on her face.

Dave placed his hand over his heart. "I promise that your car shall remain unharmed. I have a slimjim in my SUV."

She frowned at him. "How is a piece of meat going to help you unlock my car?"

Dave laughed. "This slimjim is what tow truck drivers use to open car doors. It's a piece of metal not meat."

"Oh," she said lightly. "I knew that."

He chuckled again as he began unbuttoning her jacket. "The bathroom is over there," he stated nodding his head to the right. "You go get in the shower. I'll put your bag inside the door and start a fire. You want some coffee?"

"I don't want to trouble you," she said as she slipped the jacket off her shoulders.

Dave took the jacket from her trembling hands. "You will never be trouble to me. Now go get yourself in the shower. Help yourself to whatever you need."

He watched her toddle over to the bathroom. He waited until he heard the water turn on before walking to the front room and hanging up her jacket. One look at the dog asleep on his bed and Dave knew he was heading outside alone. Zipping his jacket up to his neck he went outside.

After grabbing the slimjim from the back of his SUV, he quickly unlocked the ancient Cadillac. He retrieved the keys from the ignition then opened the trunk and picked up the large overnight case. A few minutes later he was back in the cabin with her bag as well as his own. Cracking the bathroom door open he was instantly enveloped by the fragrance of a more feminine soap. She must have opened one of the new bottles he kept under the sink because he didn't recognize that fragrance. Fighting the sudden urge to join her under the warm water, he slid her case inside then closed the door again.

He was in the kitchen making soup and sandwiches to go with the coffee when she exited the bathroom. Pen was wrapped in a fluffy pink robe and matching slippers. Dave smiled to himself as he silently wondered what she was wearing or not wearing under the robe. He cursed himself for letting his mind wander.

"Brr, it's still chilly out here," she noted as she joined him in the kitchen.

"That's because I forgot to start the fire," Dave admitted. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the front room then pushed her into an oversized chair. She watched as he opened a wooden trunk and pulled out a thick blanket. Dave spread the blanket over her lap and made certain her feet were covered too. "There, that should keep you warm while I get the fire going."

"How am I going to eat like this?" she asked. "You are feeding me too, right?"

He paused in his fire-making to frown at her. "Of course I am. Let me get this fire started then I will bring you some food and drink."

"I can eat at the table," she protested.

"I insist," he replied. "Let me take care of you. You just sit back and enjoy it."

He lit a match and held it under the paper he had crumpled and piled in the hearth. It burned slowly warming the small pieces of kindling that Dave piled on until they too caught fire. Dave added larger and larger pieces until he was able to get three good sized logs on the fire and they started to crackle and pop with the flames. He stepped back and placed a wire screen across the front to keep embers from jumping out.

"There now that should warm us up," he announced.

"You don't have a furnace in this place?" Pen asked as she snuggled under the blanket.

He chuckled. "Sometimes I don't have electricity in this place. Tonight may be one of those nights if this snow continues."

"No electricity?" she repeated in wonder.

"Yep," he said as he walked towards the kitchen. "You may have had the last of the hot showers."

"I'm sorry," she called out remorsefully.

He returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with food and drinks for the both of them. He removed a mug of coffee, a sandwich and soup placing them on the coffee table then settled the tray on Pen's lap.

"You thought of everything," she giggled as she noted the packets of sugar and cream as well as a small pile of crackers.

"I try to please my guests," he replied.

"If this is how you treat your guests I can't figure out how you are divorced. Surely, you treat your wives even better?"

Dave snorted. "Trust me; I haven't always been like this."

"No?"

"No," he agreed shaking his head. "Eat your soup before it gets cold."

They ate in relative silence except for the crackling of the fire and the snores of the dog.

"More coffee?" Dave asked as he stood to clear their dishes.

"Sure," Pen agreed.

Dave returned after washing the dishes with a fresh cup of coffee for both of them. He handed her a mug which she placed on the table to her left then stirred the fire and added another log. When he finished he sat on the footstool right in front of Penelope and looked at her thoughtfully. Under his watchful gaze Penelope started fidgeting while he continued to stare at her without speaking.

"Stop staring at me!" she wailed.

"I'm waiting," he replied casually.

"Waiting? For what?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me why you risked your fool neck to drive out to my cabin," he explained allowing a tinge of anger to color his voice.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said softly.

"Wrong answer," he stated allowing his anger to come through. "You are going to talk about it and you're going to talk about it right now."

She sank back in the chair pulling the blanket up to her chin. She peered at him for several seconds then sighed loudly. "You're not going to let it go, are you? Of course, you're not. What was I thinking?"

Dave took a sip from his mug and continued to watch her in silence.

"Fine," she huffed. She tossed the blanket onto her lap and reached for her own mug of coffee. She took a tentative sip then looked at him in awe. "You added cream and sugar for me? It's perfect."

"I pay attention to details and you're stalling."

"I am," she agreed with a nod of her head. "It seems a little silly now."

Dave laid a hand on her knee. "It's not silly. Nothing is silly if it propels you to do something drastic."

Penelope sucked in a deep breath and Dave could see the tears that started forming in her eyes. "I'm just tired; so tired of everything. I'm tired of Kevin trying to convince me to leave the FBI and buy a farm. I'm tired of Derek saying he loves me and yet never acting on it. I'm tired of being overlooked and underappreciated."

Dave watched the tears stream down her flushed round cheeks while she hugged her mug to her chest and sucked in one wobbly breath after another. She appeared to be on the brink of completely breaking down. With a sigh, he placed his mug on the table and gently pried the one out of Penelope's hands placing it next to his own. He stood up and lifted the blanket that covered her.

"Scoot over," he ordered.

She blinked at him then slid to the left. Dave slipped into the space next to her and covered them both with the blanket before pulling her into his arms. Penelope sat there stiffly for several seconds before allowing her body to relax in his embrace. Her arms slid around his waist as she cuddled against his chest.

"You deserve better, Penelope," he whispered into her freshly washed hair. He felt his body tighten in response to the way she smelled and the way she felt in his arms. He had tried to deny it for so long. He had wrapped an icy web around his heart in an attempt to shield himself from the inevitable feelings he had for her. Unknowingly she seemed bent on breaking through that icy web. She deserved better than Kevin that was for sure. Morgan had no idea what he was losing and Dave sure as hell was going to enlighten him.

There were so many reasons that he himself should turn tail and run. She was young and beautiful whereas he was past his prime and tired. He had made the mistake twice of pursuing the wrong woman but something deep in his soul told him this one was worth pursuing. She shivered in his arms and he pulled her a little closer. Now all he had to do was show her how much he already cared.

End Part 1