Danny's Main Page 6

  “Sorry, I lied.” Danny’s gravelly voice cut through the quiet. “Your answer did change the outcome.” Julie’s wide eyes and slacked jaw would have been funny under other circumstances, but her insecurity was unwarranted. “I need you to believe me when I say I’m honored you shared that with me. And you’re right, honey, the light was essential. It didn’t wipe away your past, but it sure as hell cleared up any notion that I may have had regarding pity. I don’t pity you, Julie Bell. I admire you. You’re a soldier, a beautiful one…a strong one. Thanks for letting me in.”

  “Danny… it’s all you.” She paused, a shaky breath escaping her lips. “Now will you hold me, please?” Had her husky tone and penetrating gaze not been his undoing, her words would have.

  “Oh,” he exhaled, letting go of the crumpled sheets at his sides, “you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”

  As he encircled her with his arms, emotions warred through him: sadness and anger for the beautiful woman who’d been forced to walk through hell on her own; pride and confidence that she’d not just walked the distance but done it with grace and integrity; arousal beyond all belief that someone so magnificent wanted him enough to share her story and bare her soul. And he wanted it from her. All of it, every single piece, but most of all, he wanted to give back. Show her that there were no catches, no fine print, nothing that would make her regret trusting him.

  He wiped the wetness from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs, then brought them to his lips. Tasting her sadness sent physical pain through the left side of his chest, and he knew that he never wanted her to cry those tears again. “Come here, Jules.” He pulled her close and lowered them to the mattress, face to face, skin to skin. “We barely know each other—” She attempted to interrupt until he placed a finger on her soft lips. “Yet I’ve never known someone more. Thanks for trusting me with you, honey. Won’t let you down.”

  “I want you, Danny.” Her gray eyes consumed him. “All of you.”

  “You got me, Julie. Christ, you totally got me.” There wasn’t much he’d rather do than sink deep into her pussy, claiming her as his own, but there was one thing. “When I take you, you’re mine. Our pasts will always be with us, baby. Can’t make them disappear. Don’t want to. That said, when I slide into you the first time, I want your mind on us. Only us. Not the tears that came before, not the pain, the battle, the survival—just you and me. Understand?”

  Her wide eyes stared at him as her shallow breaths filled the air. She’d heard him, but did she want the same thing? Just another reason to hold off for a little bit longer. It fucking killed him, but he wanted to build something between them. Something real. If she wasn’t into it, there was no reason to start. He accepted her silent nod as a temporary answer, wrapped her tightly against his body, and waited for sleep to claim her. When her breathing evened out, he joined.

  Chapter Four

  Are You Crazy?

  SUNLIGHT POURED THROUGH the window, pooling her bed in warmth she hadn’t felt in… Christ, she couldn’t remember the last time. Well, she could remember, but she never let her mind travel back to those days. While she hadn’t had a lot of rest, due to the man snuggled up beside her and his insatiable need to give her pleasure, the sleep she’d had was deep, restful, and fortifying.

  She’d had sex with men before her parents’ death, but she’d never spent the night with any of them, being that she was in high school. The couple of times she’d tried to lose herself in sex after the earthquake had been a colossal waste of time, ending in fake orgasms and walks of shame.

  There in her bed, in that moment, Julie’s body still hummed from the climaxes that Danny had coaxed out of her. She was sated even though they hadn’t had intercourse, and wrapped in his arms, she felt incredibly safe. Safe. How the hell can I feel safe with this man? I barely know him. Then she chastised her inner voice. You barely know him? You spilled your fucking guts to him last night, you silly tart. He probably kept you steeped in orgasmic bliss just to shut you up.

  “Your whole body just tensed,” Danny spoke, his voice thick with sleep. “Whatever it is that just crossed your mind, it isn’t true.”

  With her back pressed to his front, he couldn’t see her face, nor could he see the slight grin his words caused. “How do you know what I’m thinking isn’t true? Maybe I’m remembering how great it felt to have your mouth on me last night.”

  “Honey, the way your muscles tightened and your breathing hitched, there’s no way you were thinking ‘bout coming.” He pressed his groin against her. His hardened length teased the crack between her ass cheeks, instantly fusing her body to his. “See what I mean? No tension comes with thoughts of what I can do with your body. Which leads me back to my original statement—whatever bullshit you allowed your mind to spin about last night, about me, or about my deep-rooted desire to get the hell out of this house ASAP, it’s all crap. You let me in, Julie, and I’m fucking cozy as hell.”

  Goose bumps broke her skin as his big palm ran from her wrist to her shoulder just before sliding to her breast.

  “Now that I’ve had a look into your world and had a taste of who you are, I’m not leaving unless you toss my ass out. End of story. You got it?”

  Julie’s throat thickened as his words touched parts of her his hands never would. Still facing the wall, she nodded her understanding.

  “Words, honey, I need your words. Look me in the eyes and tell me you understand what I just told you.”

  Rolling onto her back, Julie swallowed hard and stared into the bottomless hazel depths that seemed to consume her. “You’re not leaving unless I toss your ass out.” Danny’s grin warmed her, so she continued. “Which sucks for you, because I intend to keep you for a long, long time.” When his grin morphed into a full-watt smile, gratitude to Chester for the impromptu day off flooded her brain. A sexy man, a large bed, and no place to be sounded like the makings of a perfect day.

  ###

  AS THE DAYS passed, Julie continued to work hard, but she spent less time taking on double shifts and more time behind the scenes with Chester, learning how to order liquor and glassware. Working non-bartending hours got her out of the bar at a better hour, giving her and Danny more time together. They had dinner together after Danny got done with work each night, and due to their mutual love of ice cream, they began their ice cream tour of Baltimore. Each time they went out, they would go to a new ice cream shop and rate the ice cream on a scale they had made up. Julie quickly realized that no matter where they went, no matter how many flavors were offered, regardless of the toppings provided, her spicy lover only ever chose plain vanilla ice cream.

  “Honey, there’s no reason to dress up perfection,” he’d say each time Julie would giggle at his unoriginal order. But that seemed to be Danny to a tee. The man knew what he liked, and he made no apologies for it.

  On the nights that Julie did tend bar, he waited until close and escorted her home.

  Then there was the making out. Damn. The man blew her mind every time he touched her, every way he touched her. Even though he didn’t spend every night at her house, when he did, very little sleeping was involved. Yet they still hadn’t had sex. They knew each other’s bodies, knew which buttons to push and which to lick, but he’d yet to make love to her or fuck her or any other euphemism for sex. After the sweet but still clear rejection he’d given her the last time she’d all but begged for sex, she wasn’t willing to try again.

  “It’s open,” Julie shouted when the doorbell chimed. She had rented a movie, and Danny was coming over with pizza and beer.

  “Hey.” He dropped the pie on the coffee table and slid the beer in the fridge, grabbed her waist, and pulled her close.

  As always, his minty flavor invaded her senses, and her body melded to his. She relished the way his perpetual scruff prickled her cheek and his heat radiated through their clothes. Her moan spoke of delight, which he clearly understood if the way he grinded his hips into hers was a
ny indication.

  “Woman,” he growled, “been over two weeks since that first night in your bed.”

  Julie stared at him. The night was crystal-clear in her memory, as she’d thought about it dozens of times, but his mention of it startled her. “What about it?”

  “Been waiting patiently for you to come to me.” Calloused fingertips stroked the curves of her bare shoulders. “Watching you fly apart with my hand and my mouth is a damned dream, but I want you, honey. I wanna watch as I slide into your sweet pussy. I need to feel you pulse around my cock. Been waiting for you to be ready, baby, and I’ll continue to wait”—his eyes were molten as he licked his lips—“but you have any idea how much longer that’ll be?”

  “Are you insane? I did come to you, on that first night in my bed.” She snorted with exasperation. “You rejected me. Did you honestly think I was going to try a second time? Let me answer that for you—no way!” Chest heaving, lip caught between her teeth, Julie’s eyes roamed the sexy man facing her with shock on his face. She only saw that face for two seconds before she was hefted over Danny’s shoulder, carried up the stairs into her bedroom, and deposited onto the bed.

  “Look at me.” His command left no room for misunderstanding, so she did as she was told. Danny’s knees hit the carpet as his eyes met hers. “Think there was a misunderstanding between us, and for that, I’m sorry. That night…” His lids slid closed as he inhaled. “You gave me your past, your pain, and without you knowing it, you snagged a piece of me. The piece that wants to protect you, the piece that dares anyone or thing to try to hurt you again.” He opened his eyes. “Wasn’t giving you a regarded rejection, honey. I was giving you the chance to decide if you wanted all in with me. I screwed up, I’m sorry.”

  He’d been giving her the chance to walk away? “Danny…again, I need to ask,” she semi-repeated her earlier question, “are you crazy? We’ve spent nearly every free minute together for two weeks. I’ve done things with you, sexually”—her cheeks warmed—“that not only have I never done before, but I’ve never even imagined. I’m here. I’m in. I was beginning to think you didn’t want me in that way.” The admission felt sour leaving her mouth, but it was true all the same. A sigh left her throat when he placed her hand over his hard length.

  “Didn’t think I wanted you? Really? Can barely breathe with wanting you. I work with a bunch of men, training them for combat, and a memory of your naked tits comes to mind and that’s what happens to me.” His eyes shifted to where her hand gripped him. “Coming to you each night…fuck, gets me through each damn day.”

  His burning eyes held her captive as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. Like Pavlov’s dog, her body instantly responded to seeing all that rippled muscle and satiny skin.

  “So sexy when your eyes get wide and you lick your lips.” He grinned. “Feels like you wanna eat me.” Danny unsnapped his jeans, and the sound of the zipper echoed in the quiet room. “But I’m the wolf tonight, Little Red.”

  Swift moves left Julie naked and flat on her back with nothing more than a Danny Marcus blanket to keep her warm. Perfect.

  ***

  SHE’S BEEN WAITING for me. Danny looked at the beautifully naked woman beneath him. Never again.

  Gray eyes penetrated him as their bare skin touched. Trust, understanding, commitment. She was in. In his heart, he’d known it the whole time, but his damn head had needed to hear it. Now that he had, he was never letting her go.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered before he leaned in and took her lips. Claimed them.

  Her lids slid shut and her mouth opened on a sigh, allowing his tongue to enter and slide against hers. He deepened the kiss and swallowed her moan as his hand slid from her cheek to her breast. Kneading the flesh, he plucked her nipple, loving how she responded to his every touch.

  “Can’t get enough of your tits. Can spend days sucking them, touching them, watching you squirm.” His attention moved to the other breast, and her body arched as she fed herself into his mouth. “Greedy.” He chuckled but didn’t leave her hanging.

  With his mouth on her chest, Julie sifted her nails through his hair and across his shoulder blades. Her touch, as always, lit him up, sending electricity thrumming through his veins, straight to his cock.

  “More, Danny.”

  Her words may have sounded sweet, but they were no less of a command than any he’d dish out. So he gave more. His hand looped around her wrists, keeping them restrained above her head, while his other hand dragged down her slim torso, between her thighs, and into her wetness. She gasped, and he grinned.

  “Drenched, honey.”

  “You make me feel so good,” she admitted with an unfocused stare. “I need my hands. I want to touch you too.”

  “Can’t happen, baby, not this time.” He slid one finger, then two into her core, applying perfect pressure to her clit with his thumb. An erotic as fuck moan tore from her throat, hardening his dick further. Nope, there was no way she could touch him, not if he wanted to last. “You’re so close, I can feel it. Your pussy is squeezing my fingers. It wants this.” He rotated his wrist, lifting his finger to her special spot, and rubbed.

  “Oh… yes… that feels…oh.” Her body trembled as her pelvis arched, reaching…reaching for release that he’d gladly give.

  “Give it to me,” he hoarsely demanded into her neck as his thumb stroked the sensitive bundle of nerves between her legs.

  And she did. The way her body trembled around him was breathtaking, made him feel like a king. Now he wanted to feel like her man.

  “Gonna take you, Julie,” he promised. “I’m gonna make you mine.”

  “I’ve been yours,” she croaked. Julie wrapped her legs around him as he moved to grab a condom from his jeans. “What are you doing?”

  “Protection, honey.”

  “I’m on the pill.” Julie’s eyes were clear suddenly, the haze from her orgasm gone, and she seemed damn ready to make a decision that affected her life.

  “You sure?”

  “Nothing between us means nothing between us.”

  Holy shit, he’d never fucked bareback. His parents and older brother had drilled that lesson in hard. But he wasn’t just fucking Julie, was he?

  “Nothing between us,” he confirmed as he claimed her mouth once again. When his cock was at her entrance and the wetness grazed the tip, Danny lost his breath. “Fuuuck.”

  He entered her slowly, inch by inch, reveling in her warmth, loving the way she squeezed him. He claimed her gently, as if she were porcelain, holding back in order to keep her safe.

  “Damn it, Danny, more!” Julie arched her back, thrust her hips to his, and grinded against him, looking for everything he was holding back.

  Her actions snapped him out of the bareback-bliss he’d been trapped in and dumped him exactly where he’d spent his entire sexual career—on top. “Sorry, honey, it’s just…your cunt feels so fucking good. Gotta give a man a break when you take him to heaven for the first time. But you want more? I’ll give you more.”

  He felt her blush right in his balls as he pulled nearly the whole way out, then slammed back in.

  “Ahhh, God.”

  “How’s that for more, baby?” He repeated the move and got the same response.

  “Don’t. Ever. Stop.” Julie panted each time their bodies were flush together.

  Hot and wet, soft and sweet—home. Danny had had plenty of sex, but never once had he found home. Just as that thought tiptoed through his mind, Julie’s pussy squeezed him. Her climax was building.

  “Danny, oh, it’s never felt like this…before.”

  She closed her eyes so quickly, he assumed she hadn’t meant to vocalize that thought.

  “No, baby, it hasn’t. But this”—he sank deep into her warmth—“is us. Always gonna be.”

  He lowered his weight onto her, thrusting in and out until her pussy coated him in her warm release, then he finally let go. The climax that had been buildin
g from the second he’d felt her bare—the one that had traveled from the base of his spine to his balls, that had twisted up every nerve in his body into a sphere of energy—released from him into her, taking with it a part of him he was sure he’d never get back. He was certain he’d never want it back. That part was Julie’s. He was Julie’s.

  Chapter Five

  Thank God For That

  “I SPOKE WITH my brother today.”

  “How is Neal?”

  Julie adored Danny’s baby brother, although at twenty years old and standing six foot three, he wasn’t such a baby anymore. They’d met at Thanksgiving a few months earlier when Danny took Julie down to North Carolina to spend the holiday with his family. She fell for both Marcus men almost instantly. Mr. Marcus—Allan, as he demanded she call him—was practically a carbon copy of Danny, just older and a bit more refined. In the man’s eyes was loss but not defeat, and throughout the long weekend, he shared fatherly wisdom that Julie had forgotten she’d missed getting from her own dad.

  Neal was a different story altogether. Young, spirited, and carefree, he was quick with inappropriate jokes. He’d had Julie laughing from their introduction to their hug good-bye. The only time his serious side showed was when his engine company was called out on an emergency. A huge fire had broken out in a small town nearby and the station needed more hands on deck, so Neal left in a hurry. He came home twelve hours later, the glimmer snuffed from his eyes and the spark erased from his tongue. The next morning, however, he was back to himself, as if the day before had never happened. Both Allan and Danny took Neal’s change of mood in stride, so after giving him a hug, Julie had stepped back that day and followed Danny’s lead in giving the younger guy his space.

  Back in their home, Danny poured her a glass of wine. “He’s great. He’s Neal, you know? Anyway, talked to a few of his buddies in Baltimore, and they said they’d keep me posted on any positions that become available in the local stations.” Every time Danny spoke of his future, his eyes lit up like the fires he intended to battle.