. . . and dance like no one is watching

Author's note: It's my story, so I make the rules, LOL! No brand extension, my choice of superstars and all other bets (including pre-existing personal relationships) are off if I deem them to be so! And since I haven't been watching since forever, I will ignore current storylines and events - including the unmasking and shaving of Kane, which I consider to be an act that "reeks of heinousity", to quote the lovely Edge. I will also at random use both wrestlers' real names and "stage" names - mostly where I don't know real names.

This story takes place about five months after "Home is the place that, when you go there, they have to take you in" - and is a crossover fiction. It's a challenge to myself! The crossover fandom isn't all that important, so if you don't recognise it, you shouldn't be disadvantaged! And it's also a way to get Vivvie back in the swing of things for future adventures - so mea culpa for not pairing her with a wrestler!

And for those who like trivia, the title comes from one of my favourite quotes: “ Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching.” (Satchel Paige)

Usual disclaimer - own nothing but my original characters Vivvie and Lexie, all the other people own themselves, WWE owns the trademark names, I'm doing this to exercise my creativity and for the sheer pleasure of writing. Ask my therapist!

Chapter 1

Vivvie Taylor stretched and smiled. The Divas were finishing up a photo shoot in Colorado, and she'd flown in to have what Stacey called a "night on the prowl". The women collectively known as the Divas were in reality nice women who, dressed in ordinary clothes, were not necessarily more recognisable than any other beautiful women. The WWE male wrestlers usually stood out a bit more, becaue of their size and physiques.

But a night on the prowl with a few Divas was always fun, which was why Vivvie had accepted Stacey's invite. The wilds of Colorado were not exactly a place she figured to be a great place to party, but Stacey had giggled wickedly and informed her there was an entire base of US flyboys up the road, and a great restaurant where they could drink and dance and have a good time.

Stacey was persuasive, and Vivvie certainly thought she could use the break. She had been working pretty hard of late, and there had precious little fun to be had. So she had cleared her schedule for a few days, with Lexie's help, and flown into Colorado. She had rented a car and driven up to the little town where the Divas were staying, a place called Colorado Springs. The hotel was pretty standard, and she checked in and relaxed in a hot shower before dressing to meet the Divas at the shoot.

She took a seat while Stacey, Victoria and Trish were posed and photographed in the Rockies. It was a lovely spring day, and the outdoor setting was breathtaking. The shoot had been going on all week. The other Divas had been and gone, leaving behind the trio that Vivvie laughingly referred to as "the three disgraces". The three of them were the best of friends, and tended to travel together. They also loved to party, and Vivvie had suffered more than one hangover after a night out with them. They were normal healthy women, and lived life to the fullest, which was why Vivvie loved being around them.

Stacey wandered over, her part in the shoot finally done. "Looking forward to tonight, Vivvie?"

Vivvie arched an eyebrow at the tall, leggy blonde. "Is the Pope a Catholic?" Stacey laughed. "Girl, I saw some of the eyecandy in town this afternoon. And you know I love candy!" They laughed together.

After the shoot, the Divas shed their glamour gear and they met outside the hotel to go and have dinner.

"So, where are we going, exactly?" Vivvie asked, as they walked down the street.

"Place called O'Malleys," said Trish. "Great food, lots of flyboys."

"Sounds perfect!"

They all laughed as they walked into the restaurant. In the dim light, the Divas weren't instantly recognisable, but no-one could miss a quartet of tall women, laughing happily. There were plenty of eyes that watched as they walked across the room to a table in one corner.

Chapter 2

At one table, three men and a woman looked up at the sound of laughter. "Sounds like another party in the making," Sam Carter remarked.

"Indeed, Major Carter, they do appear to be celebrating," the large black man rumbled.

The other two men looked at one another. Blue eyes met dark brown ones, and they grinned at one another. "Celebrating seems to be the order of the day," the older man remarked mildly. "What say we buy our new Major here another beer?"

"That's a hell of an idea, Jack," the younger man responded, and called over a waiter, who removed some of the empty bottles before bringing a fresh round.

At their table, Trish and Stacey checked out the menu, while Victoria and Vivvie checked out what they laughingly called the "other menu", surveying the room and commenting on the men there.

"Oh wow, party of five over near the pool table," Victoria laughed, and Vivvie looked. "Vic, half of them are barely out of puberty!"

"Get 'em young, train 'em right," Victoria laughed.

"Psychobitch is right," Trish laughed, and Stacey sighed.

"I can see this is going to be 'one of those evenings' again," she said, calling the waitress over to order a bottle of Tequila, four shot glasses and whatever bar snacks were on offer.

When the tequila came, they poured shots and gave their standard toast. "To independent women - and surviving!", tossing back their shots in unison. They snacked on buffalo wings and fries, laughing about how hard they were going to have to work on the dance floor to prevent the calories from taking up permanent residence. The conversation dipped and flowed - work, relationships or the lack thereof, gossip, news. They laughed and talked, unaware of the intense interest they were attracting.

As with a lot of celebrities, the Divas adopted a low key public persona to make sure they didn't attract attention. They wore ordinary clothes, unlike the skimpy outfits they wore on TV, and little or no makeup. They blended in with a crowd, standing out only because of their height and attractiveness. The scrutiny here was because of their laughter, not recognition.

But then the jukebox started playing Bootylicious, and the drinking stopped. All four women looked at one another and headed for the dancefloor. This was no ordinary song, and demanded more than an ordinary approach. They strutted proudly together, in time with the music, and slowly swayed as the music built. They danced with one another, quite obviously not inviting dance partners, but dancing for their own amusement. The tequila had them relaxed, and they, as Vivvie always said, "danced like no-one was watching".

They returned to their table after the song finished, quite uncaring of the eyes that had been watching them so avidly. Later in the evening, most of the flyboys who had been watching would approach them to ask for a dance. And dance they would - every one of these women loved music and dancing. And who didn't like the flattering attention of fine looking men?

Chapter 3

Vivvie giggled to Trish that this place was America's best kept secret, with the most cute men per square inch. A table on the other side of the restaurant were obviously having a celebration, as the three men at the table stood and loudly toasted, "To Major Carter", who must be the woman who sat with them, a lovely blonde.

There was a tall well-built black man, an older man with rangy good looks, and a younger man. The younger man was delicious. Dark blonde hair, and glasses. Tall and beautifully well-built. As he turned to summon a waiter, she could see those blue eyes from the other side of the room.

"Oh God," she murmured to Trish. "Absolute hottie - behind you, in the corner."

Trish, who was way too used to these kinds of nights to stare, made a play of stretching in her chair, and looked around. "Oh my, the blonde with the blue eyes?"

Vivvie was now looking over at the dance floor, where Stacey and Victoria were dancing with more of the seemingly endless procession of flyboys that came to their table. "Uh huh. "Major"-ly gorgeous, don't you think?"

"Damn fine, specially since we are about to get a close up look. He's coming over," Trish said, turning back to Vivvie.

"Scrummy," laughed Vivvie. She figured that it would be Trish who got asked to dance, and said as much.

Trish laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her on to the dance floor. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I want to dance anyway, so let's go."

Vivvie and Trish made their way to the dance floor, now crowded with people, and danced through a couple of songs. They returned to their table to find Stacey and Victoria drinking icewater, which was welcome after the heat of the dance floor. There was also a fresh plate of buffalo wings. They laughed together and compared notes on the various men they had been dancing with. It wasn't that any of them were seriously considering sleeping with any of them, it was just a fun way to pass the time.

"So Vivvie, is Majorly Hot still here?" Trish asked.

Vivvie did a Brock Lesnar neck roll and looked over at the table out of the corner of her eye. "Yep. Still looking damn fine too. And the two guys with him aren't bad either. What a lucky woman!" She realised what she had just said - they all worked with a whole damn platoon of fine looking men. "Hell, we're lucky women! Pour a round of shots Vic, I feel like making a toast," Vivvie giggled.

Once they all had their drinks, Vivvie thought for a moment and urged them all to their feet. "To our gorgeous boys - and to us lucky women!"

"Our boys!" the Divas chorused, clinking glasses, and then giggled as they sat down. They realised that probably every guy in the place thought the toast was to them, but they knew it was the roster that was the subject of the toast. Inevitably, the conversation returned to the roster, and to work at the WWE, and they talked and laughed, interrupted now and then by men asking them to dance.

Chapter 4

Vivvie excused herself for a trip to the ladies room, heard the catcalls and whistles and giggled as she recognised the song and knew exactly what was happening on the dancefloor. "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails - the uncut version. Which meant Victoria was out there on the dancefloor with some lucky guy, doing the absolute flat-out dirtiest dancing imaginable. As she moved closer to their table, a waitress ducked past with a tray of beers and Vivvie stepped back out of the way, bumping into a man standing nearby.

"Oh, excuse me!" she exclaimed, turning around and looking into the blue eyes of Majorly Hot. Who, up close, was even more gorgeous. He placed a firm hand under her elbow, steadying her, and not letting go until she stepped back.

"No problem. If I hadn't been so . . . distracted . . . by your friend on the dancefloor, it wouldn't have happened," he smiled at her, and suddenly he looked years younger. And seriously hotter. Vivvie started to feel quite warm, and turned her head to confirm her suspicions. Yep, Victoria and some young flyboy type who looked liked he thought he'd died and gone to heaven.

Vivvie chuckled. "Victoria just loves that song, brings out the worst - or best - in her, depending on how you look at it."

"And what brings out the best in you?" the man asked, his blue eyes holding warm humour and . . . something else?

Vivvie smiled at him. "Well, it's cued up on the jukebox. When you think you've worked out which one it is, you come see me and tell me what you thought, okay?" She ran a finger down his chest and turned to head back to their table. What the hell, she thought. It's certainly been a while, and flirting is like a muscle - if you don't use it, it will atrophy. She rejoined Trish and Stacey, and they all hooted and hollered for Victoria when she left the dancefloor, and toasted one another with tequila. They continued their conversations, occasionally dancing when they were asked.

And then Chad Kroger was growling, "I like your pants around your knees . . ." and Vivvie was gone, heading to the dancefloor. This was her song, and, unlike Victoria, she never needed a partner to let herself go with it. Once on the dancefloor, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the driving beat, her hips moving in a swaying bump and grind, her arms coming up over her head, head swaying. Tonight, with the tequila, she was loose and relaxed, and she could feel the song resonating in her. Her movements became more erotic, a cross between a slow belly dance and something older and even more seductive, that came from a place deep inside her.

As the song wound to its crescendo, Vivvie sank to her knees on the dancefloor, her upper body still moving in its slow rhythm, her arms remaining in the air as she slowly bent back until her shoulders rested on the floor, her hands tracing sinuous patterns in the air above her face. Chad's final gutteral growl near the end of the song seemed to send her body limp, her arms falling over her head to the floor, only to have her body arch upright as the song's final chords sounded.

Vivvie didn't hear the catcalls or applause as she rose to her feet, just smiled to herself as she returned to the table, high fiving the three disgraces as was customary after her catharsis. She perched back on her stool, hooking her heel through the rail, sipping a glass of water, as the others dispersed, Stacey and Victoria to the dancefloor, and Trish to the bar. She felt him behind her before he spoke, leaning in to speak directly into her ear.

"That was primal. And I think that if that's your best, your worst must be sensational," he was almost purring.

Vivvie smiled, sipping her water, as he moved around to sit on Veronica's empty stool, looking at her. Their eyes locked, and the decision was made.

"Yes," she whispered in answer to a question he hadn't actually asked, but he nodded anyway.

"Where?" he asked.

"My hotel, just up the street." She named it and he nodded.

"I know it. Shall I meet you there?"

It was Vivvie's turn to nod, and as he stood, he touched her shoulder briefly and they both shivered at the electricity in that contact. "Fifteen minutes?" she asked, and he laughed softly.

"If it takes you longer than five minutes, I'll be surprised. But I'll wait."

Vivvie chuckled, and he moved away. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. For at least a few seconds anyway. Then she peeked - and decided that he looking just as good going as he did coming. And then she giggled wickedly at the double entendre of that remark and waited for one of the others to return. One rule they had enforced since Vivvie's attack last year was that, privacy be damned, they would always tell someone where they were going, and with whom. Just in case.

Trish returned from the bar with another pitcher of water, and smiled at Vivvie, who was holding her purse.

"Someone's leaving early! You sly fox, Vivvie, I didn't see you making calf's eyes at anyone in particular," Trish commented quietly as she sat down, making a space for the pitcher after pouring a glass for herself.

"I'm going back to the hotel, with Majorly Hot," Vivvie smiled, and then laughed. "Oh god, I never even asked his name!"

Trish winked at her. "Make sure you do, sugar, cos 'Oh yeah Majorly Hot, I love that!' is guaranteed to ruin the mood!"

Vivvie laughed and leaned over to hug Trish. "I will, don't worry."

Trish looked at her, her expression serious. "Be safe."

Vivvie nodded. "I will." She slipped off her bar stool and headed for the door, lost in thoughts of blue eyes.

Chapter 5

As Vivvie stepped into the hotel lobby, she saw him, standing as soon as he saw her, and letting her walk to him. She smiled at him, a sunny grin that lit her whole face, and she chuckled softly as she stood in front of him, looking up into his eyes.

"Something amusing?" he asked mildly, his eyes still holding that glint of humour.

"Just that I'm glad I didn't have to have you paged, because I seem to have forgotten to ask your name!" Vivvie laughed softly.

"Daniel," he said simply, and she held up her hand, her fingers touching his lips gently, staying anything further.

"I'm Vivvie, and I'm very pleased to meet you, Daniel. Did you want to sit in the bar and make polite conversation over a drink?"

He smiled at her, taking her hand away from his lips and pressing a warm kiss onto her palm. "No, I think that the evening has progressed past that point, don't you?"

She nodded and smiled. "Then let's go up to my room." She closed her fingers around his and led him there, opening the door and stepping aside for him to enter, then tossed her purse and cardkey onto the desk as she closed the door behind them. They stood looking at one another in the dimly lit room.

"The way you danced," Daniel's voice was low, soft, almost caressing. "It was beautiful, mostly because it wasn't for anyone but you. You danced like . . ."

"Like no one was watching. It's the only way to dance," Vivvie responded.

"I was watching . . . and I've never wanted anyone as much as I wanted you at that moment. With the possible exception of how much I want you right now," he said, taking a step towards her.

She closed the distance between them herself, her arms going up around his neck to pull his lips to hers for a slow, deep kiss. His arms slid around her waist, resting gently on the small of her back, holding her close to him as they kissed, his tongue slowly exploring her lips, softly tracing inside them. When their lips parted, Vivvie exhaled softly, her eyes dark in the low light as they met his.

Her hands came up to slowly unbutton his shirt, spreading it open as she went, leaning in to place a line of soft warm kisses on his skin, breathing in the scent of him. His hands were gentle as they stroked her hair and then cupped her face, bringing it back to his to kiss her again, deeply. Vivvie's head swam a little at the wash of desire she felt, her lips parting under his, her tongue sliding into his mouth, tasting him deeply as her hands worked to pull his shirt loose and push it back off his shoulders.

She ran her hands over his chest, feeling the muscle that lay under his skin, toned and strong, as his hands came up to the buttons on her silky tunic top. For big hands, they were deft and sure, and soon her tunic was pushed back off her shoulders much as his shirt was, his hands gentle on her full breasts in their lacy bra, kissing her with more passion, exactly how she was feeling.

Vivvie took her hands from Daniel only long enough to let her top slither off her arms in a whisper, her hands moving to his belt buckle as she pressed her breasts to his hands with a little whimper of need into his kiss. She undid his belt and quickly her fingers worked to open his pants, sliding her fingers inside the waistband to stroke over his warm skin. He moaned softly as he broke their kiss, looking at her, his desire blazing in his eyes.

She felt a shock of excitement ripple through her and stepped back from him, her hands quickly unzipping her pants, stepping out of them as she kicked off her shoes, sliding to her knees in front of him, her hands moving to his shoes, urging him to lift his feet one at a time as she took them off for him. She rose to her feet gracefully, moving to the bed and pulling down the covers, before turning to him with a smile.

"Please Daniel - I want you."

He pushed off his pants, pausing only to grab something out of his pocket before sweeping her into his arms, kissing her hungrily as he bore her back onto the bed. Vivvie met his kisses with her own, equally passionate and wanting, as her hands roamed over his body. For long moments, they did nothing but kiss, deep, searching kisses that struggled to give expression to the hunger in both of them.

Then Daniel's hands moved to her bra, unfastening it, sliding it forward off her shoulders, his lips leaving hers and swooping down to kiss her breasts as they were bared, moving quickly to suckle at a nipple hardened almost to the point of pain. Vivvie growled in pleasure, arching her back, pushing her breast to his mouth, her hands roving over his back, the feel of his skin under her palms smooth and warm.

She whimpered softly as his lips left her breast, leaving her feeling aching and needy until they closed over its twin, resuming the hungry suckling that was driving her passion to even further heights, her body writhing under his, feeling the strong muscle of his form, the hot hard press of his erection against her thigh. His hands slid down her body to her panties, pushing them down over her hips and she lifted them to allow him to undress her fully, her own hands moving to push down his shorts, needing to feel his naked body next to hers.

Pressed together, his naked flesh felt glorious against hers, lighting fires of desire all over her, wherever they touched. His lips moved back to claim hers as his hands caressed and stroked her body, sliding over one hip and dipping down to explore between her thighs. Vivvie gasped, her hips jerking in response as his fingertips skated over her slick and swollen clit, and he growled in response at her obvious arousal, the sound sending shivers through her body.

His hand reached out and then he pressed a small packet into her hand, his voice low in her ear, his breath tickling as he spoke. "Put it on me, please Vivvie."

Vivvie tore open the condom wrapper with shaking fingers as he lay back from her a little, and it was his turn to gasp as she stroked her fingers gently over him, her fingernails lightly scratching over his testicles before quickly rolling the condom down over his hard shaft. He looked at her, and rolled back, moving between her thighs, guiding himself into her wet, ready entrance.

She arched her back with a moan as he slid inside her, pulling one knee up, hooking her foot behind his hip, opening herself more to him, thrusting her hips up to his as her arms draped around his neck, fingertips lightly caressing his skin, welcoming the weight of his body as it covered hers. He bent his head to capture her lips in a slow deep kiss, his eyes locked with hers, whispering softly as their lips parted, "Mmmm, Vivvie, you feel so damn good." He was almost fully inside her, and punctuated his words with an upward thrust, bringing their hips together and she cried out softly with pleasure.

There were no words, as both of them surrendered to the simple pleasure of their bodies moving together, at first slowly and then with increasing speed as their passion spiralled upwards together. Vivvie was soon gasping with excitement, her nails digging into Daniel’s shoulders as she moaned.

Daniel leaned close to her ear, whispering, “Let go Vivvie, let go and let me feel it.”

The words were like adding fuel to a fire and she felt herself rocketing towards her climax, her entire consciousness focused on the sensations spreading throughout her body from his delicious stroking inside her. Her body tensed under his and she cried out, her body arching up and shuddering, her inner walls spasming around his shaft.

He slowed his strokes, groaning softly in her ear at the sensation of her body pulsing around him, his hands stroking her back and sides, calming her gently.  As her breathing slowed, he kissed her deeply and began to thrust harder inside her, surprising her with her sudden rekindled desire.

This had none of the languor of their earlier movements, but instead was hot, hard and passionate.  Vivvie matched him thrust for thrust, her body as hungry for him as his was for hers, and was startled by the sudden leap of desire she felt as their bodies moved together.  Daniel’s hand moved to her breast, rolling her nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger as he nuzzled at her neck, kissing the soft skin heatedly.

Vivvie found herself moaning as her body responded again, whimpering helplessly, “Ohhh yes, just like that Daniel, so good, I’m so close, please please don’t stop!”

Daniel growled softly in her ear, “Mmm, no, Vivvie, I won’t stop, need you so much, so perfect.”  He slid his hand down to her thigh, holding her closer to him as his thrusts grew harder and deeper.

They were soon beyond the ability to speak, the only sounds their heavy breathing and the slapping of skin on skin as their hips met, almost violently, faster and faster.  And then Daniel moaned, a low deep sound of pleasure, the perfect counterpoint to Vivvie’s breathy cry of passion, their bodies exploding together.

Daniel continued to stroke inside her trembling body, riding out the final spasms of his orgasm, before burying his face in her hair, holding her gently to him.  Vivvie stroked his broad back with shaking hands, gradually calming from the peak of passion that had overwhelmed her.  He rolled to his side, carrying her with him, cradling her body against him.  They lay quietly for a moment, and then Vivvie broke the silence.

“Thank you Daniel – that was incredible.”

“What can I say?  I was inspired by that dance,” came the reply, accompanied by a lazy chuckle. 

He excused himself and went into the bathroom, and Vivvie leaned over and turned on one of the bedside lamps, allowing a pool of soft light to spread over the bed.  Daniel returned, handing her a glass of water and kissing her softly as he stretched back out on the bed at her side.  She sipped the water gratefully, putting it on the bedside table before settling back against the pillows, delighted when Daniel pulled her close to him in a gentle hug.

They lay together, kissing softly, caressing one another as they relaxed.  Daniel’s body was firm and strong, lean muscle evident under his skin.  He wasn’t built like the superstars, but was obviously very fit.  She wondered exactly what he did, if he was with the air force, though she suspected not, because his hair was not military short. 

Her musings were interrupted as his fingers traced the scar on her shoulder and he spoke softly.  “This was recent, Vivvie, it’s still a little pink.  And there’s another here,” his hand moved down to her belly, skating lightly over the scar there.  “Were you in an accident?”

She tensed a little, remembering the attack that had required surgery on her injuries.  He moved his fingers away from the scar, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, whispering, “That’s obviously a bad memory, I’m sorry I brought it up.”

Vivvie returned his hug, and answered his question in a low voice.  “I was attacked, summer last year.  It was . . . pretty bad, and I needed surgery to repair the damage.”

He didn’t respond except to hug her closer, nuzzling at her neck, for which she was grateful.  She didn’t like to talk about the attack, preferring to leave it in the past where it belonged.  She stroked her fingers through his hair, enjoying the feel of his body against hers, his gentleness.

Daniel kissed down her neck, making her shiver at the contrast between the softness of his lips and the faint scratch of his beard stubble against her skin.  His hands continued their caresses, moving over her gently, coming up to cup her breasts as his lips covered her shoulder with kisses and soft nips.  Vivvie arched her back under him as he covered her breast with kisses and then wrapped his lips around her hard nipple, suckling gently.

Vivvie’s fingers twined into his hair, clutching restlessly at his head as he suckled at one breast and then the other, his hand moving between her thighs, gently stroking over her lips until her legs parted and she nudged her hips up to his fingers, moaning with need. 

He moved slowly to cover her body with his, Vivvie moaning a little in protest as his lips moved from her breasts then quieting as he kissed his way down over her belly, his fingers still stroking gently over the swollen pearl of her clitoris, to be joined a moment later by his warm tongue.  She arched in delight, her hands clutching at the sheets as his fingers slid inside her while his tongue bathed her clit in slow, sweet sweeps.

The last rational thought Vivvie had for quite a while was that Daniel was remarkably talented with his tongue.  Then his tongue and his gentle fingers drove everything out of her head comprehensively, as he brought her slowly and deliciously to orgasm after orgasm, leaving her gasping breathlessly on the bed, her body trembling all over, her skin hypersensitive. 

He lay a gentle kiss on the scar on her belly before moving up the bed to lie beside her, gathering her carefully into his arms and kissing her softly.  She could taste herself on his lips and gave a tiny mew, a sound that meant nothing and everything. He smiled into her eyes and tucked her head against his shoulder, his warm hands gently soothing her.

Vivvie lay in his arms, nestled against his firm body, still quivering and speechless in the face of the intensity of her pleasure.  At length, she was able to move back and look up at him, hazel eyes still wide.  She opened her mouth to speak, and then thought better of it, leaning up to kiss him slowly, deeply.  As she broke the kiss, he smiled at her.

“You’re welcome.”

She chuckled.  “And how did you know that was a thank you?”

Now it was his turn to laugh.  “I’m a linguist by trade, among other things.  I’m fluent in tongues, so to speak.”

Vivvie looked at him and burst into delighted laughter.  “Indeed, a very cunning linguist!”  She knew he would get the joke, and was not disappointed by his response, which was to laugh heartily and hug her closer.

“Damn, it’s been a while since I heard that one, Vivvie.  Thanks!” he smiled, one hand brushing away tears of laughter.

She arched a brow at him.  “Then either you’re not dating the right women, or the ones you are dating aren’t getting the full treatment.  Because there is no way a woman who’s experienced that would not comment favourably about your talented tongue!”

There was a tiny shadow of darkness over his face for a second, and then he pulled her close to him again.  “That’s a long story.”

Now it was her turn to apologise.  “I’m sorry Daniel.”  She didn’t know what she was apologising for exactly, but she felt the pain in him.  There were no obvious scars to show his wounds though.  She felt rather than saw his nod, and hugged him tight, her hands stroking over the warm skin of his back.

They lay together, arms and legs comfortably entwined, and Daniel spoke softly.  “Vivvie, I’d like to stay.  May I?”

She nodded.  “Please.”  It was all that needed to be said.  The simple feeling of closeness with another human being was comforting to her.  She reached down and pulled the covers up over them, smiling as he turned the bedside light off and gathered her back into his arms.  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, as she kissed his shoulder.  Within moments, they were both asleep.

Chapter 6

Vivvie woke up, momentarily confused by the feel of someone beside her, before remembering exactly where she was and who the someone was.

During the night, she had turned away from Daniel, curling up on her side in her usual sleeping position.  He had spooned in behind her, curling an arm around her waist loosely.  She could easily move away from him, but she didn’t really want to.  This was comfortable, and it felt nice.

Vivvie had been keeping people at bit at arms’ length since her attack.  In the beginning, it had been because she had to concentrate so much of her energy on recovering that there wasn’t really much left over.  Going back to work, she had thrown herself back into things to catch up, which kept her days full and her nights quiet as she conserved her energy.  But then, she found that all work and no play had became a habit, and it wasn’t as easy to let people get close to her. 

She remained close to Jeff, and the three disgraces.  And her friendships with her colleagues continued.  But she found herself awkward in social situations, and shying away from sexual intimacy.  She had discussed it with her therapist.

“Well, Vivvie, it would be easy to say that you are doing this because you’ve got an unpleasant association with sexual intimacy.  Because the last time you were intimate with someone, you were attacked.  But that would be an over-simplification.  If you had a fear of hotel rooms, or FedEx delivery people, I’d certainly say that we had an issue to work through, because those are more direct causal links.”

“So what do I do?” Vivvie asked.

“Relax.  You’ve had to deal with a lot recently.  Give it time, and I think you’ll see that eventually you’ll begin to regain the ease with people you once had, and you’ll find yourself able to enjoy a sexual relationship again.  It will sort itself out.”

The therapist had been right, Vivvie mused, nestling back against Daniel’s warmth.  Over the past month or so, she had been more relaxed, more able to enjoy herself, more at ease with people.  And she certainly hadn’t had any difficulty enjoying sexual intimacy with Daniel last night.  She smiled, wriggling against him a little, and was started by his voice in her ear.

“You keep wriggling like that, and I cannot promise to keep up this gentlemanly façade, Vivvie,” Daniel said.

She did not turn, but laughed softly.  “Daniel, you were nothing but gentlemanly last night.  So why is it a façade this morning?”

He nuzzled her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck in a way that made her shiver.  “Because there’s something about waking up with a beautiful naked woman in my arms that makes me want to behave in a very primal fashion.”  He nudged his hips against her ass, his arousal very evident.

“Ohhh,” she breathed softly.  “Well, there is something to be said for primal, after all.”  She wriggled again, rubbing herself against his hardness with a soft moan.

He growled softly in her ear, kissing behind it.  “And then there’s that moaning.  I’m definitely beginning to feel primal urges.”

“Strong ones?” she whispered, grinding her ass back against him.

Daniel nipped her earlobe before sucking it gently, his hand moving up to cup her breast, teasing the nipple into hardness.  “Very.”

Vivvie moaned again, and Daniel growled, pulling her against him.  Her whispered “Yes” was all he needed. He pushed her over onto her belly gently, and she pulled her knees up, spreading them wide and lifting her hips, opening herself to him.  He groaned at the open invitation, grabbing a condom and rolling it on before taking his hard shaft in hand, rubbing it slowly through her wet folds, his other hand gentle on the curve of her hip.

She whimpered softly, pushing back at him, and he responded, sliding into her in one smooth motion, seating himself deep inside her. His hands moved to her hips, holding them, pulling her back to meet his long slow thrusts inside her as she trembled with need.  She reached back, her hand stroking his thigh gently, rocking her hips against his thrusts, setting up a delicious friction between them.

Their bodies moved to the same rhythm, a graceful, silent dance to the music of their breathing. Her hand caressed his thigh, his hands held her hips lovingly, fingertips brushing over her skin delicately, those caresses counterpoints to the erotic feel of his hardness sliding inside her body, languid at first and then with increasing fervour as their passion built.

His low murmurs had an encouraging tone, but it wasn't until his voice grew louder that Vivvie realised in a disconnected way that the language wasn't English. Not that it mattered, her excitement was flaring and leaping out of control, and her own moans were loud in her ears. She made no sense to herself, but her keening clearly showed her meaning to Daniel, as he thrust harder and harder into her.

Vivvie cried out in pleasure, her body trembling on the edge of orgasm, feeling his thrusts harder and harder as he let go of himself. The pleasure of that, the groan of passion from his throat, it was like sensory overload for Vivvie, and her body tensed and then shuddered as her orgasm burst through her, ripping a howl from her throat.

Daniel's response was to grip her hips harder and thrust deep within her, crying out her name and something in that strange language as his own climax followed hers. He thrust into her slowly a few more times, his hands gentle again on her hips, before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her waist, gently lowering them both to the bed, rolling on his side with her cradled against him. They lay together as their breathing returned to normal, Daniel nuzzling Vivvie's neck gently, her stroking his forearms as they wrapped around her.

She broke the silence. "Daniel, not that it really matters, but what language was that?"

He nuzzled her before responding. "An Egyptian dialect. It was my wife's language."

She nodded and brought one of his hands up to her lips, kissing it gently. She had caught the past tense of that statement, and remembered the pain in his eyes last night. He held her closer with the other arm. They lay quietly, caressing one another gently, enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking, until Daniel sighed.

"I should leave, Vivvie. It won't be any easier if I stay any longer. In fact, it's likely to be even harder to do," he said, kissing her neck one more time and moving away from her.

Vivvie lay on the bed and watched him stand up and walk into the bathroom, admiring the lean lines of his body. The phone rang by the bed, and Daniel looked at her as she let it ring.

"You aren't going to answer that?"

"Nope," Vivvie smiled. The phone stopped after the third ring. He looked at her, reaching for his pants and stopping as it rang again. He raised his eyebrows as she lay there until the fifth ring and picked up the receiver. She spoke straight away. "I'm fine." She paused to listen, smiling. "Not at the moment, I'll call you later?" She listened again and chuckled. "Majorly! Talk to you in a bit." She hung up the phone.

Daniel looked at her quizically. "Coded phone messages? Are you a spy, perhaps?" he chuckled.

Vivvie smiled. "I'm someone who practices safe sex. That was my morning after call."

He nodded, understanding suddenly, remembering the scars on her shoulder and belly. He pulled on his shorts and pants, doing them up and sitting on the bed beside her, his smile gentle. She looked up at him.

"Thank you," he said.

She smiled. "That was going to be my line, but you're welcome."

Daniel smiled at her. "You're welcome too. Will you be alright?"

Vivvie knew he was talking about something more than just the aftermath of a one night stand, and her smile lit her face as she realised that she would, indeed, be alright. He had helped her get past her fears, her concerns, and showed her that she was still the woman she had always been.

"I'll be better than alright. How about you?"

Daniel caressed her cheek with his hand, smiling. "I think that I'm going to be better than I was, and that's more than I ever expected." He leaned down to kiss her softly, then reached for his shirt, pulling it on and buttoning it up.

She lay quietly, watching him move with such grace. He picked up his jacket, shrugging into it, and looked at her. Their eyes locked for a long moment. Then he smiled. She returned it, and he nodded.

"No goodbyes - be well, Vivvie."

Vivvie nodded, liking the expression. "And you, Daniel."

He smiled again and walked out of the room.

Chapter 7

Vivvie waited to hear the door close behind him before getting up to put the security chain on. After she used the bathroom, she picked up the phone and called Trish back.

"It's me. He just left, which is why I couldn't talk earlier. And yes - definitely 'majorly' gorgeous the morning after, in a big way!"

Trish giggled in her ear. "Details, I want details!"

Vivvie laughed. "Prepare for disappointment, you aren't getting any!"

"Party pooper!"

"That's me, Trish."

"At least tell me he was good!"

"Oh, he was good - all kinds of good. Better than that. He was also sweet."

"Damn, Vivvie - how lucky can one girl get?"

Vivvie laughed softly. "Are we having breakfast together? I have a plane to catch this afternoon."

Trish told her when they planned to meet, and Vivvie hung up the phone after saying goodbye. She stretched luxuriantly and headed in to the bathroom for a shower.

As she dressed, Vivvie mused quietly that this weekend had been good for her in a number of ways. She'd felt comfortable in the bar last night, at ease enough to dance with the men who had asked her. She'd relaxed and really been herself around the three disgraces, in a way she hadn't been able to in a long time. And then of course there was the rather delicious rediscovery of her sexuality.

She grinned at her reflection in the mirror. Yep, she felt like the old Vivvie was back. And not before time too! She grabbed her purse and cardkey, and headed off for breakfast with the three disgraces.

Vivvie's adventures will be continued . . . stay tuned!

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