�This is the big surprise?� Chloe asked incredulously, unable to contain her utter amazement regarding Philip�s sudden revelation of the mysterious destination he�d been so intent upon reaching for their self-proclaimed �skip day.�

�What did you expect?� Philip countered with a soft chuckle, reveling in Chloe�s complete bewilderment as to this unusual turn of events. Her shocked exclamation alone filled him with a newfound tenderness for the girl before him as that same spontaneous reaction allowed him the privilege of a wondrous glimpse at the rarely seen unguarded Chloe. So far, his plan was seemingly right on track, edging its way toward sure-fire success with each passing moment.

As soon as Philip had grasped Chloe�s hand in his and taken off in hot pursuit of his car earlier that afternoon, the wheels in his head had inevitably begun spinning double time, searching for the perfect escape, the perfect retreat from the mind-numbing chaos that pervaded the Salem High campus 24/7. After some serious thought, a plan had slowly emerged.

Essentially, the formulation of his plan had been two pronged -- That is to say, it served to satisfy two distinct, though equally significant desires simultaneously. First of all, Philip had chosen that specific spot as the ideal getaway after considering its naturally serene ambience. He figured that it would subsequently allow Chloe to relax and kick back for once, providing her with a much needed respite from that perpetual on-the-go mentality of hers. And secondly, on a more selfish note, Philip had additionally wanted to share this one particular place with Chloe, a place that had been very special to him throughout his youth, especially in those rough patches of adolescence when he was most in need of solace from the outside world as he assumed was similarly the case with Chloe just then.

Chloe�s eyes narrowed defiantly, unnerved that Philip was getting a good laugh at her expense. Placing her hands on her hips in her infamous no-nonsense pose, Chloe tartly replied, �I don�t know�I guess I thought you were taking me to a restaurant or something of the sort. You know, one of those highfalutin, posh establishments where you rich people tend to gather in hordes.�

�Well, maybe now you�ve learned your lesson.� Chloe arched an eyebrow as if questioning his remark. Philip sauntered forward only to stop within a mere hair�s breadth of Chloe. Peering intently down into her face, he smiled that teasing smile of his, the one that invariably made Chloe�s breath catch in her throat and her heart flutter wildly with anticipation.

To her relief, Philip finally spoke up, mercifully rescuing Chloe from the all consuming maelstrom of sensations that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. �From now on, you should expect the unexpected when you�re in the company of one Philip Kiriakis,� he explained rather slyly, the husky tone of voice consequently sending shivers down Chloe�s spine.

The light blush that crept across her face in response, turning her cheeks an adorable shade of pink, gave Philip some weird sense of masculine pride as he noted that his mere teasing had indeed been the sole culprit in affecting the usually unaffected Chloe.

Who would have guessed that morning that this is what fate had in store for the day ahead? Certainly not Philip, that�s for sure. At that very moment, spell-bound by Chloe�s bewitching gaze and the ethereal quality that emanated forth from those reflective pools of blue, all doubts vanished and the truth surfaced like a ton of bricks.

As vehemently as he wanted to deny it, the fact remained -- There wasn�t a single soul in all of Salem that he would have rather had standing before him right then. On some level, this realization was hardly surprising and, in fact, somewhat of a relief as Philip had grown quite tired of constantly denying his true feelings, tired of forever suppressing every thought and action that didn�t directly coincide with that which his precious image publicly projected.

Burnt out by all this sudden self-analysis, foreign as it was, Philip tore his gaze away from their intense eye-lock and vowed to make the most of the next few hours if not for his sake then at least for Chloe�s. Hell, after the disastrous day she had, she more than deserved it, Philip concluded ruefully, wondering what all had transpired at school prior to witnessing Chloe�s exit and Jan�s screeching insults. Unfortunately, he knew Jan Spears well enough to deduce that it had been, in all probability, quite the horrid encounter.

�So, do you want to climb up first or should I?� Philip then asked with an encouraging grin, motioning to the tree house that sat up a few feet above their heads, surrounded by the various muted greens of foliage painting the heavily wooded depths of Salem.

****

Attempting to catch her breath following that rather rigorous climb, an exhausted Chloe thankfully sank down onto the wooden slats that made up the base of the fort, but perked back up almost immediately upon viewing the picturesque setting now laid out before her. From this new vantage point, the landscape proved to be truly awe-inspiring. In fact, Chloe doubted that Monet himself could have captured a more beauteous sight of nature on canvas than she beheld just then from her bird�s-eye view, perched up high, secure within the tree�s boughs.

Pleased with Chloe�s sudden interest in their surroundings, Philip settled in beside her and gazed out appreciatively at the familiar scenery below that radiated that calming sense of peace only the rustling of leaves and occasional whiff of damp earth were capable of producing within mere seconds.

�It�s amazing, isn�t it?� Philip murmured, more as a state of fact than a question.

�Yes, it is,� Chloe replied under her breath, still taking in the glorious sight, methodically storing each and every detail to memory. Abruptly she shifted her focus and peered at Philip thoughtfully, �So, how exactly did you get permission to build a tree house here on this acreage? I mean, isn�t it public property?�

Philip smiled slightly, �My father owns this lot, Chloe.�

�Figures,� Chloe muttered, rolling her eyes. Sometimes she just wanted to cringe at her own naivet�Of course, the great Victor Kiriakis owned this lot, he practically owned every material possession there was in circulation, and now apparently even that of Mother Nature.

Choosing to ignore the disdainful undercurrent in her tone of remark, Philip continued, �Anyway, my father had this tree house built here for my twelfth birthday, but actually it was as much a gift for Shawn as it was for me since we were practically inseparable at the time. I can�t tell you how many days we spent camped out here in this tiny fort that following summer.�

Met with nothing more than the deafening silence, Philip quizzically studied Chloe�s expressionless face for some hint or clue as to what she was thinking, but somehow only managed to become more confused in the process. That settled it, Chloe Lane had to be the hardest read he had EVER met, Philip concluded, quite bemused.

Still at a loss, an exasperated Philip took a shot in the dark regarding Chloe�s reaction, or lack thereof, in an attempt to defuse the newfound tension. He nervously mustered up a half-smile, �I guess that kind of sounds pathetic to you, huh? I mean, I bet you were belting out arias at various recitals when you were twelve, not bothering with such childish nonsense like club houses and the sort.�

Suddenly the tides turned as Chloe now found herself in the role of the baffled party within their little t�te-�-t�te. Hell, Philip�s assumptions couldn�t have been further from the truth but, then again, she wasn�t sure if she was ready to come right out and tell him the truth just then. More precisely, she wasn�t sure if she was ready to reveal that other side of herself yet again, the side that she had tried so desperately to hide, to protect, all her life�That is, until Philip came along that night out on the pier and unwittingly changed everything in one fell swoop.

After a few moments of careful deliberation, Chloe hesitantly spoke up in a quieted voice, �No, actually I think it kind of sounds like fun.� She glanced to her right and sought out Philip�s warm gaze once more before admitting almost wistfully, �I wish I�d been able to have done stuff like that when I was a kid. I missed out on a lot of that �normal� childhood stuff.�

�Well, today you took your first step in righting that wrong�mark my words, come winter, you�ll have mastered the monkey bars and be well on your way towards conquering the jungle gym if I have anything to say about it!� Philip�s eyes twinkled brightly as a gentle smile curved his lips, pleased that Chloe had finally felt comfortable enough with him to open herself up and confide something personal, something private, to HIM. Yep, they were definitely making progress, Philip assessed triumphantly, his smile widening accordingly into a full-fledged grin.

Chloe smiled in return, momentarily swept away by the alluring images and unfamiliar, though entirely pleasurable feelings his words had just conjured up. She was lost to all sense of reality as Philip took center stage in her heart, overshadowing all the �bad� in her life that had gone before. At that moment, she and Philip were the only two that existed, the only two that mattered. Just them, Chloe Lane and Philip Kiriakis.

****

The next few hours flew by as, amazingly enough, Philip had found it exceptionally easy to converse with Chloe�Who knew that two people who seemed so drastically different, in every categorical sense of the word, would actually be able to carry on lengthy, in-depth discussions with such ease and enjoyment as had been the case that afternoon? The topic of conversation had shifted sporadically as either had seen fit, ranging from football one minute to opera the next. Each had contributed when possible and simply listened when their limited knowledge of the subject deemed it impossible. Over the progression of the afternoon�s events, Philip had repeatedly gotten the sneaking suspicion that that one day was particularly important, particularly crucial to the course of his future. However, beyond the general interpretation of that hunch, Philip remained essentially clueless.

Chloe gazed out over the horizon, mesmerized by the spectacular October sunset that had transformed the sky into an orangish hue, thereby creating a breathtaking image that hauntingly resembled the heavens suddenly aflame. It was beautiful, simply beautiful, just as that afternoon had been, Chloe reflected, surrendering herself to the elusive sense of peace Philip�s presence had afforded her with those past few hours. For once in her life, she felt totally comfortable and carefree but, most of all, happy�and she knew that it was, in no small part, due to Philip himself.

Glancing at his watch, Philip let out a ragged sigh, �Chloe, it�s getting late. It�s almost 6:00 and the Wesleys are probably wondering where you are as we speak. As much as I�d like to stay here a little while longer with you, I guess I should be getting you home before they really start to worry.�

Her high spirits dashed altogether, Chloe reluctantly nodded her assent as she rose to her feet.

Philip similarly attempted to stand up, but abruptly halted mid-motion as a new idea struck him. Turning to face Chloe, his eyes shone with triumph, �Why don�t we take the scenic route back to my car. That way we can stretch our legs a bit and, as an added bonus, put off studying for that horrid chemistry test at least a good fifteen, twenty minutes. Come on, what d�you say?�

Glad that Philip had invented a convenient excuse for the two of them to extend their time alone together, Chloe tried to appear nonchalant, �Yeah, whatever. My legs do feel a little cramped up right now�A walk would probably do them some good.�

Philip grinned broadly in response and prepared to negotiate his way back down the tree and lead Chloe off on the longest, most time consuming route possible back to the parking lot.

****

�Philip, I don�t believe this! You have absolutely NO idea where we are, do you?� Chloe�s eyes flashed with fury.

�Of course, I do. Calm down, Chloe,� Philip soothed, semi-turning to reassess their surroundings, hoping against hope that some landmark would suddenly look familiar and thereby help him pinpoint their exact location.

They had been wandering aimlessly now for about the last ten minutes. Although, it wasn�t until he started getting slightly panicked that Chloe had put two and two together and realized the unfortunate predicament they found themselves unwittingly thrust into just then. At that moment, Philip wanted to kick himself for his utter stupidity -- He never should have even considered leading Chloe off on the �scenic route� in the first place since he had never actually ventured out into that sector of the woods before. Yep, hindsight was definitely 20/20!

�Don�t lie to me, Philip. We�re lost, aren�t we?� Chloe asked again, a sliver of fear swiftly slicing its way through her previous anger. Philip averted his gaze and shifted uncomfortably. Full-blown terror lanced through Chloe as she noted the darkening skies. Somehow, she managed to find her voice, shaky though it was, �What are we going to do, Philip?�

�Chloe, let�s sit down before we get even more lost, okay?� Taking Chloe by the arm, Philip purposefully guided her over to sit at the base of one of the countless towering trees that surrounded them as far as the eye could see. Once they were seated side by side, Philip continued on in the most confident, assuring voice he could presently summon up, �It�s going to be fine, Chloe. I�ve got my cell phone�I�ll just call Shawn and he�ll be down here within the hour. Shawn knows these woods like the back of his hand, he�ll have us out in no time, I promise.� Although, Philip wasn�t exactly sure who it was he was trying to convince just then, Chloe or, in actuality, himself.

Inwardly, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as Philip whipped out his phone and determinedly punched in his friend�s number without further ado. Though, with each passing second of silence that followed on Philip�s end at least, Chloe accordingly tensed back up, surpassing her previously agitated peak.

Snapping his cell phone shut, Philip merely shook his head in frustration, �Well, there�s no answer�We�ll just have to keep trying back until we get a hold of him.� Gazing thoughtfully off into the distance, he then tentatively added, �I can�t think of anyone else who would be able to help us. I mean, other than Shawn, I don�t know of a single person who�s as familiar with the layout of these woods. Of course, my father is but unfortunately he�s out of town on business and frankly, even if he weren�t, I wouldn�t be that quick to call HIM for help anyway, but that�s another story altogether.�

�So, where does that leave us? It�s after 6:00 and we�re just going to sit here desperately praying that Shawn eventually picks up the phone and comes to our rescue? Come on, there must be some sort of alternative foolproof plan that you�ve conveniently overlooked, right?� Chloe demanded rather harshly, their utter helplessness in solving the situation themselves, consequently causing her stomach to knot up in raging turmoil.

�Conveniently? What, you think this was all just one big set up?! That I DELIBERATELY dragged you out into the middle of the woods to scare the hell out of you? Sorry to disappoint, but not everything revolves around Chloe Lane�Damn, and you call ME self-absorbed!�

With the roll of her eye, Chloe proceeded to level a steady glare in his direction. �That�s not what I meant, Philip. And you know it.�

After a long pause, he released a small sigh, duly regaining his composure, �Chloe, I�m sorry. Right now, I think Shawn�s our best bet at getting out of here ASAP. If I was currently aware of any other viable option, believe me, I�d be the first to share it with you��

Chloe pursed her lips together, sarcasm etched within her features. �Well, that�s just great!�

�Oh, get real, like there�s anyone else you�d rather be stuck in this position with��

Infuriated, her eyes blazed with anger as his smile only deepened further in amusement. �You know, you have some nerve! I might not be Miss Popularity, but I do have one or two friends who�d make this situation just a bit more tolerable�Belle Black, for one.�

�Camper Belle Black? There�s a laugh! But alrighty, I�ll rephrase my comment�Aside from your perky best bud, in times of crisis you have to admit Philip Kiriakis comes in a VERY close second.�

�Strike two. I think YOUR best bud, Shawn, has you beat. And soundly, at that!�

Studying Chloe closely, his mouth twisted into a knowing smirk. �Somehow, I doubt that! If you were presently with Shawn Brady, you�d have to act all calm and together and make small talk, pretending that being stranded out in the great outdoors was fine and dandy. Whereas you can be yourself with me�your whiny self, that is, complaining up one side and down the other while pointing your freaking finger at me!�

If there was some truth to his theory, Chloe didn�t acknowledge it in the least. �If I were with Shawn Brady, we�d have found our way out of the woods by now,� she instead countered icily.

�Touch�,� Philip muttered offhandedly before brightening considerably. �Well, if you�d stop your glowering already, I DO actually have an idea that might make things �a bit more tolerable� while we wait -- What do you say to playing a game in the meantime to help make the time pass with greater speed and enjoyment?� Philip�s eyes lit up with excitement and perhaps the glint of a challenge�

Her interest piqued, Chloe shrugged noncommittally, �What kind of a game?�

****

�Oh, for God�s sake, Chloe, it�s not a difficult question. You simply choose one or the other�truth or dare?� Philip smiled teasingly at Chloe as she still appeared quite aghast at the mere mention of his innocent suggestion for a possible choice of game. In fact, she was gawking at him as if he had just suggested that they strip down and run naked through the woods. However, momentarily picturing that same erotic image himself, Philip couldn�t help but conclude that maybe that wasn�t such a BAD idea, after all�

�Truth,� Chloe hesitantly replied after a few moments� consideration, decidedly unwilling to endure the sort of outrageous dare Philip�s twisted mind would undoubtedly think up if allowed the opportunity to do so, especially taking into account their current predicament, isolated as they were. Although, she wasn�t sure if �truth� was that much of a safer call when Philip Kiriakis was involved.

Eyeing her speculatively, the proverbial light bulb went off over Philip�s head instantaneously. He had unwittingly stumbled onto the PERFECT excuse to finally get to the bottom of the circumstances that�d been eating away at him all day long. Yep, he had her right where he wanted her alright.

His trademark smirk found its way to his lips as flecks of undeniable amusement danced within his seas of blue, the warmth extending up into his eyes. Clearing his throat, Philip studied Chloe for a moment before speaking, �So, who do you like?�

�Excuse me? What do you mean, �who do I like?�� He couldn�t possibly be asking her what it sounded like he was asking her, could he? Chloe wondered incredulously.

�You heard me. Who�do�you�like?� Philip countered, deliberately emphasizing each word he uttered to pointedly reiterate what he had previously inquired. �As in romantically�don�t play dumb with me, Chloe Lane, you know what I�m driving at.�

Attempting to hide her innate discomfort at the shockingly intimate nature of the question he had just posed, Chloe forced herself to look him square in the face and then stated, rather matter-of-factly, �I�m not interested in anyone right now.�

�Oh, give me a break, Chloe! You can�t evade the question like that. Come on, out with it�there�s got to be at least ONE guy in all of Salem High that you have or had a crush on at some point in time. Just admit it��

�Contrary to popular belief, not all teenage girls� lives revolve around the primary goal of attaining a boyfriend, Philip. Besides, how could I possibly like ANY of the guys at school? In case you haven�t noticed, they all make fun of me, harass me 24/7�call me crazy, but that kind of behavior doesn�t exactly make me swoon,� Chloe retorted sarcastically, gripping her knees to her chest a little tighter in her rapidly increasing uneasiness.

�Shawn Brady doesn�t. Actually, the two of you seem to have gotten pretty close over the past year,� Philip noted, closely watching Chloe�s reaction to his leading observation. The ball was now in her court, within seconds she would either confirm or deny his previous suspicions as to the extent of her relationship with Shawn. Curiously enough, Philip found himself holding his breath as he anxiously awaited her forthcoming reply.

�You�re right, Shawn�s a good person and I do like him�but just as a friend,� Chloe finally admitted in response, her tone somewhat softened.

Philip struggled to maintain his composure, forcefully repressing the urge to break down right then and hug Chloe in his overwhelming relief�Though, admittedly, relief was simply the tip of the iceberg regarding the multitude of sensations that now swept over him as his heart raced uncontrollably, quickening his breathing just a bit.

Satisfied that Philip had ceased his mercilessly inquisitive rampage at long last, Chloe boldly turned to face him and couldn�t resist turning the tables on him with a well-deserved dig, �Besides, I hate to break it to you, Philip, but Shawn and Belle Black are so obviously in love with each other that no other girl OR guy, for that matter, stands a chance in hell of swaying either one�s interest�not even a guy like you.�

�First of all, Chloe, I�m not trying to �sway� anyone�s interest, least of all Belle Black�s. But, beyond that, if I wanted to do just that, there�d be NO contest. Let�s see here, Shawn Brady or me, Philip Kiriakis, star quarterback of the football team, pitcher on the baseball team, President of the Key Club�need I say more? Yeah, that�d be some tough decision�come on!� Philip laughed heartily, the gleam in his eye indicating that he was only semi-serious.

�Ah, I was wondering when that monstrous ego of yours would rear its ugly head,� Chloe remarked, smiling slightly. Though, the smile faded as a new, rather puzzling thought occurred to her. Peering at Philip intently, she furrowed an eyebrow questioningly, �In all honesty now, you never seriously liked Belle, did you? Or at least as nothing more than a friend, right?�

�Why would you say that?� Philip replied tentatively, fairly intrigued by Chloe�s surprising assessment.

�I don�t know, I guess it just seems to me that maybe the reason you�ve been so dead set on pursuing Belle all this time isn�t so much because of her personally, but actually because you simply can�t stand the fact that she wants nothing to do with you�I mean, she�s the one girl in school who doesn�t fawn all over you or hang on your every word.�

Impulsively, Philip leant in close to Chloe, his warm breath seductively caressing the sensitive skin on her neck with each passing exhale. He licked his lips before huskily whispering in response, �Actually, by my count, she�s only one of TWO girls at school who fit that description��

Chloe swallowed nervously as her face flushed instinctively under Philip�s intense gaze. Attempting to hang on to her last shred of sanity, she awkwardly scooted back against the tree trunk, hoping that putting some distance between them would somehow help diminish the overwhelming attraction she felt towards him at that particular moment.

From her newly acquired position, Chloe finally dared to glance across at Philip once more�Well, that settled it, these woods were definitely NOT big enough for the both of them, Chloe sighed in disgust as the butterflies in her stomach kicked into high gear at the sight of those heart-stopping dimples. Philip Kiriakis was far too devastatingly handsome for his own good and the moonlight was only accentuating that rather disturbing fact. Lord only knew what the next few seconds, minutes, or even hours would bring as they sat there completely cut off from the outside world, alone in the dark. The possibilities were endless�

****

�Damn!� Philip swore under his breath, angrily dropping his cell phone back into his jacket pocket in defeat.

�Still no answer, huh?� Chloe spoke up softly, her voice a tremulous whisper.

�Nope�and I tried him both at home and on his cell. I don�t get it, it�s after 9:00. Where the hell could he be?� Philip�s figure suddenly stilled as a half-suspicion stirred in the back of his mind, erasing all traces of his previous anger. He hung his head in shame�Sometimes he could be such an insensitive jerk. A solemn faced Philip then turned to Chloe, shrugging slightly, �I guess�I guess he could be at the hospital with his parents. I know that JT�s had more than his fair share of hospital visits lately, what with his condition and all, so maybe they had some kind of emergency or something.�

�Well, if that�s the case, then the last thing Shawn needs right now is a call from us demanding that he drop everything, including his sick baby brother, only to come and rescue our sorry selves. God, here we are acting as though we�re in some life or death situation when JT could actually be�� Chloe trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

�Yeah, I know,� Philip quickly responded with a sigh. Taking a deep breath, he deliberately pushed his concern aside to focus on the problem at hand. �Anyhow, whatever the reason, I seriously doubt Shawn�s going to be of any help to us tonight. So, I guess there�s only one thing left for us to do.�

Chloe arched an eyebrow, �And that would be?�

�Hunker down for a night of roughing it out in these woods,� Philip replied with a small smile, increasingly excited at the prospect.

�You�ve got to be kidding��

�What other alternatives do we have? The way I see it, we�ll just have to camp out here tonight and then hope that come tomorrow morning we�re finally able to get a hold of Shawn, preferably before school starts.� Witnessing the look of pure horror that had immediately washed over Chloe�s face following his suggestion, Philip softened his tone, �Come on, Chloe, what�s the big deal? Don�t tell me you�ve never gone camping before in all of your 16 years.�

Chloe�s eyes narrowed, �As a matter of fact, I haven�t.� And especially not ALONE with a BOY, she added silently to herself.

�Well, see, this is a blessing in disguise then. This day certainly seems to be abounding with a lot of firsts for you, doesn�t it? I mean, skipping school, climbing trees, and now camping out in the wild. You sure are one lucky girl!�

�I couldn�t agree more, Philip,� Chloe cooed, her voice sugary sweet. �Oh, but you know what? I think you left out the most important �first� of all -- getting lost! Yeah, this day has sure been one for the record books, a real eye-opener, alright.� Rewarded with a soft chuckle from Philip, Chloe shook her head ruefully and continued on, dropping the saccharine act altogether, �Although, sadly, Philip, I think you underestimated one critical factor in this huge master plan of yours, namely, Nancy and Craig. They probably have an APB out on me as we speak.�

Chloe could practically see the wheels turning in Philip�s diabolical mind as he gazed off past her, lost in concentrated thought. A moment later, Philip emerged from his reverie and grinned at her triumphantly, �I�ve got it. Just call them and say that you lost track of time while you were hanging out with Belle at the Brady Pub and that you plan on crashing at her house for the night.� Philip wanted to pat himself on the back, apparently he still hadn�t lost his touch. Yep, the K-Man could still lie and manipulate with the best of them. And, of course, clueless parents were forever his forte�

�Philip, I don�t think that�s such a great idea. What if Nancy calls the Black�s house and finds out I�m not there?�

�We�ll just have to take our chances. That is, unless you want to ask THEM to drive out here and search the woods for us�which, by the way, I�m all for. It�d give the Wesleys and I some time to get reacquainted, you know? After all, I don�t think I made the best first impression, considering the rather unfortunate circumstances surrounding our initial encounter�the headless chicken was bound to tarnish my image somewhat. But I think that the drive home would give me more than enough time to convince them of what a fine, upstanding young man I�ve undoubtedly become under their daughter�s strict tutelage,� Philip declared in mock seriousness, an inescapable smile tugging away at the corners of his mouth.

�Enough! Point taken,� Chloe giggled, rolling her eyes. �So that lame excuse takes care of Nancy and Craig, but what are you going to do about your parents?�

Philip abruptly stiffened. �I already told you, my parents are out of town. Besides, even if they weren�t, I honestly doubt they�d notice my absence.�

The twinge of sadness in Philip�s voice was unmistakable. However, Chloe was at a loss as to what she could possibly say or do at that moment to make him feel better�She had a hard enough time managing her own emotions to even consider taking on anyone else�s. Thankfully, Philip broke the awkward silence, �Here,� he reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone, offering it to her.

�Thanks,� Chloe muttered as she clumsily grabbed the phone from his outstretched hand, momentarily feeling a bolt of electricity surge through her when his fingers briefly brushed up against her own.

Dialing the Wesley residence, Chloe took a deep breath and prayed that she would play it off alright. Unless she wanted the National Guard out frantically scouring the woods in search of them, somehow she had to make Nancy believe her. She just had to.

****

�Well, Nancy bought it. Lucky for us, Craig was off work tonight so I guess she�s been pretty preoccupied. Actually, she sounded kind of weird on the phone like I was almost interrupting something. Anyway, my present whereabouts seemed to be the farthest thing from her mind,� Chloe announced, blushing slightly at what she could only assume she had just interrupted.

Involuntarily, she shivered as the cool night air swirled around her, chilling her to the bone. Chloe eyed him warily, �Weren�t you ever a Boy Scout, Philip? You must know how to rub two sticks together and make fire to warm us up, right?�

�Nah, that was more Shawn�s area of expertise. I�ve always had other, shall we say, �creative� ways of warming girls up, if you catch my drift�� Philip smirked teasingly. However, upon examining Chloe�s thinly clothed exterior, he began to unbutton his jacket, �Here, put this on.�

�But then you�ll be cold, Philip,� Chloe protested.

Philip shrugged good-naturedly, �Fine, let�s compromise then. We�ll share it.�

�Absolutely not. I�d rather freeze to death,� Chloe hissed in disgust, raising her chin in defiance.

�What, are you afraid you might finally succumb to my oh-so-irresistible charms and be lost to me for all eternity?� Philip winked playfully, fully enjoying the effect his gentle teasing was having on Chloe as she shifted uneasily in her seat.

�Philip, I�m being serious. And, actually I�m starting to feel much warmer�� Chloe tried to assure him.

�That is such a crock! Now, stop being such a big baby and scoot on over here. I don�t bite.�

�Aren�t you afraid that I might? I mean, people don�t call me Vampira for nothing.�

Philip�s lip quirked sardonically, �I guess I don�t scare that easy�Listen to me, Chloe, I promise to be on my best behavior, okay? There�s no need to be nervous .�

�I�m not �nervous,� Philip,� Chloe countered with an icy glare. Releasing a ragged sigh of resignation, she reluctantly edged closer to Philip until she was seated directly beside him. �So, how is this going to work? How are we supposed to fit TWO people into ONE jacket?�

After a few seconds� hesitation, Philip tentatively reached out and lifted Chloe gently by the waist, placing her on his lap. Figuring that distraction was the only possible solution in extinguishing the blazing fire that was now searing through his body, Philip determinedly focused all attention on his jacket as he dutifully pulled it around Chloe, carefully buttoning it up the front to embrace them in shared warmth.

Chloe�s silence combined with her undeniably tensed body posture alarmed Philip to her intense discomfort regarding this new, unexpected turn of events. After a pensive pause, he bent his head down to whisper soothingly in her ear, �Relax, Chloe. Just close your eyes and before you know it, it�ll be morning.�

Something in Philip�s voice managed to substantially calm Chloe�s nerves, allowing her to ease back ever so slightly into him.

Philip smiled in relief as he felt Chloe settle in, her back now lightly resting against his chest. His smile then spontaneously widened as the faint scent of Chloe�s shampoo wafted through the air, surrounding him in a mist of heavenly fragrance. Although unable to identify the particular aroma, Philip was positive that it was one like no other�just like Chloe herself.

Suddenly Chloe stiffened, her heart pounding wildly, �Did you hear that? It sounded like it was coming from the bushes.�

�You know, I think you�ve seen one too many horror flicks, Chloe,� Philip decided, laughing affectionately at her rather endearing skittishness. �Besides, I�m here to protect you, remember? Don�t worry,� Philip assured Chloe as he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, hauling her up close to his chest. Tenderly resting his chin upon her forehead, he murmured yet again, �Don�t worry,� before mindlessly reveling in the sweetness that now possessed his senses, her perfumed tresses cascading all around him.

And for once in her life, Chloe didn�t worry, didn�t fear, as she melted back into Philip�s warm, inviting embrace, sensing a certain familiarity within his arms, vaguely reminiscent of a certain sense of peace momentarily discovered then just as easily shattered when one dream had inevitably drifted into the next.