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continued to stare at the characters, none of which, of course, he understood. The skill of the
painting, however, was obvious, even to his untrained eye.
 You found my painting.
Dave turned at the quiet sound of Danny s voice. Danny stood in the doorway from the
kitchen, looking embarrassed again.
 You did all this? He pointed to the walls, incredulous.
Danny nodded and bowed his head.  Yes. And all the parchments too.
Dave turned to face him, wanting to go over to him and embrace him. He held himself
back, jamming his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.  Yeah, I saw those. They re
amazing and beautiful. No wonder you said it s hard to explain. He glanced again at the
brush strokes and then back at Danny.  What does it all mean?
Danny stepped in to the room, crossing over to him.  It s the entire Tao Te Ching, the
 Way of Life as told by Lao Tzu.
Dave nodded.  You told me about that yesterday, the wisdom he gave before leaving
China. Last night in the car. He would never forget those glorious moments.
 There are eighty-one poems in all. Many people write them out as a meditation. He
pointed to the top corner of one wall.  That s the first one. Then the rest are in order all the
way to the end.
Dave looked to where he pointed.  You mean one or two characters embody a whole
poem?
 Yes. Hard to believe, isn t it?
He nodded.  What does the first one say?
 It says,  Existence is beyond the power of words to define. Terms may be used but are
none of them absolute. In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words, words
came out of the womb of matter. And whether a man dispassionately sees to the core of life
or passionately sees its surface, the core and the surface are essentially the same, words
making them seem different. Only to express appearance. If name be needed, wonder names
them both. From wonder into wonder, existence opens. 
Dave stared at him.  You know all of them, just like that?
Danny nodded, bowing his head in that modest way again.  Yes. I learned them with
Master Chen, Meg s grandfather.
42 Sedonia Guillone
 What do you do once you ve painted all of them?
Danny smiled.  I paint over the walls and start again.
He shook his head.  Amazing. He fell silent and studied Danny s face again.  You ve
got a lot going on in you, don t you?
Danny gazed up at him and Dave wondered if he realized the effect his eyes had on
him.  Not any more than you do.
A tingle of warmth traveled through Dave s chest. Something in the way Danny had
said that moved him, as if he understood something about him that no one else in his life
ever had.  I don t think so. I m just a cop. There s nothing complex about that. He was
reluctant to share more details than that about his life, which, true to Danny s words, was
complex below the surface. If Danny knew about his life, about the past, about how he d
failed John ...
 I don t see you that way, Danny said softly.  You re being unfair to yourself.
The heat in his chest moved up his neck into his cheeks. It had been forever since he d
blushed.  Well, I suppose. How do you see me, if I may ask? He couldn t help the sudden,
overwhelming curiosity to know what Danny thought.
Danny s eyes softened more, appearing almost to melt.  I see that you ve suffered a lot
and that you re basically kind.
The heat in his cheeks increased several degrees. Danny s voice felt like it was caressing
him on the inside. The rawness and beauty of it was both exhilarating and terrifying. For the
first time in a long time, he didn t know what to do. If Danny had been anyone else, they
would have already been in bed, devouring each other, not talking about their inner lives.  I
never thought of myself as kind. But I appreciate that you feel that way.
Danny gazed at him a moment longer before a gentle smile curved his lips. He reached
up and touched Dave s cheeks, his fingertips brushing his skin gently. The touch was
electrifying, sending heat tingling through his entire body. How a touch could be so
sensuous and comforting all at once, he didn t begin to know.
 You can rest here, Danny said.
Dave stared at him, his gaze lingering on Danny s full soft lips, at the dark hints of
moustache above them. Like the night before, Dave couldn t wait any longer. He had to taste
him again.  Thank you, he managed to say. His voice was nearly a whisper, catching in his
throat, trapped by the sudden swirl of emotions.
He reached up, slipping his fingers into Danny s hair. The sleekness of it against the
pads of his fingertips sent another thrill of heat down his arm. The nearly overwhelming
impulse to crush his mouth down onto Danny s rose up, but he didn t act on it. He couldn t.
Something made him cautious with Danny, respectful in approaching him. He didn t want to
scare him away, yet he also wanted to ... appreciate him. He leaned into him, moving his face
Tao of Love 1: Danny s Dragon 43
closer. Danny s clean scent filled his nostrils. He could hear the soft rise and fall of Danny s
breath. The quiet gentle sound was oddly comforting.
Danny s hands still rested on his cheeks, his thumbs brushing back and forth across
Dave s skin. He lifted his face closer to Dave s, making it clear he wanted to kiss him too.
Dave s fingers moved deeper into Danny s hair, savoring the smoothness, cradling his
head. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Danny s, a tiny sigh escaping his throat from
the contact.
Danny s lips parted slightly and his tongue brushed tentatively across the seam of
Dave s lips. He seemed to be exploring the feel and taste of him.
Dave let him in, meeting him with the tip of his tongue. The moist heat of their
mouths melted together and Dave pulled him closer, relishing the smooth taste of Danny s
lips and tongue, appreciating the way Danny s scent heated him deep inside. He let his other
hand caress Danny s back over his sweater, longing to feel his bare skin and lean muscles
against his fingertips and palm. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]