Rated NC-17
Michelle sighed as she entered the ladies' room at Towers. She needed to get away from the people, from the music, from the cacophony of chiming wine glasses, if only for a moment.
Michelle looked in the mirror over the counter of the tiny sitting room that preceded the actual bathroom. She looked tired. She felt tired.
Shoving her hair back with both her hands, Michelle sunk down on a deep gold and burgundy striped chaise lounge and morosely picked at the fern next to it. She knew she should be out there celebrating, but if she had to hear one more "Congratulations" she would scream.
She didn't deserve congratulations. She hadn't really succeeded at anything
Fighting the urge to bury her face in her hands and cry, Michelle instead traced the pattern on the carpet with the toe of one ridiculously expensive high heel.
When she heard the door open, she sighed and murmured, "I'm coming, Vanessa."
"Guess again."
Michelle raised her head to see Danny standing in the doorway.
"Danny!"
"In the flesh."
"What...what are you doing here?"
Of course, she knew what he was doing there. It was May 7, after all. And he always found her on May 7. He'd been there when she was in Paris, the cabin, New York...so why shouldn't he be able to find her in Towers for God's sake?
Danny shrugged and leaned back against the door with casual elegance. Michelle felt that familiar rush of damp heat go through her and forcibly stamped it down. Tonight was no time for reminiscing.
"She let you out?" Michelle said snidely and Danny flashed her a wry grin.
"She," he said in the same pointed tone she had used, "is not my keeper."
Michelle snorted and rose from the lounge. "Coulda fooled me."
Danny laughed then, a rich, but mocking sound and Michelle suddenly knew that she had to get out of that bathroom and fast.
She went toward the door, but he remained steadfastly in front of it, his dark eyes daring her.
"Excuse me," she said icily as she tried to reach around him for the doorknob. It was impossible not to touch him in her quest to get out and she bit back a slight groan when her breast brushed against the strength of his arm. She wouldn't do this again. Not this year.
Still he wouldn't move.
Seething with frustration and more desire than she would ever admit, Michelle stepped back and craned her neck to look him in the eye. "What the hell are you doing, Santos?"
He was still smiling that strange and mysterious smile. "What do you want me to be doing, Michelle?" he sing-songed.
Michelle stepped back a little. She felt like she was seeing everything through a strange haze and that suddenly, the world outside this little parlor didn't exist.
"I don't understand this, Danny," she said faintly, even as she began to sway towards him.
"Neither do I," he said softly, but she could see from his eyes that he understood all too well.
Then, his arm snaked out, caught her around her waist, and drew her to him.
Michelle didn't even put up a token resistance when he brought his lips down on hers. It had been a long time since she'd kissed Danny,too long.
His lips still knew just how to elicit the best response from hers and when he boldly swept her mouth with his tongue, Michelle's knees began to go watery.
Danny sat down on the lounge, pulling her to straddle his lap as he caught the back of her neck with one hand to better angle her mouth over his.
Michelle pulled away, breathless and disoriented, and murmured, "The door. You need to lock the door."
He grinned at her and Michelle's lower body clenched in response. "I locked it when I came in."
In another lifetime, Michelle would have teased him about his over-confidence, but she was in no mood for teasing now.
Instead, she threaded her fingers through his dark hair and lowered her mouth to his again.
The kiss was voracious and needy and Michelle felt it down to the marrow of her bones.
Her body seem to be ablaze with a wonderful sort of liquid fire and she shifted her hips on his lap, making him moan her name against her lips.
She had forgotten the kind of reaction Danny could get out of her. No other man, before or since, had been able to inspire her the way he had.
Danny shoved the little rose colored bolero jacket she wore over her dress down her shoulders and traced the delicate ridge of her collarbone with his tongue.
Michelle's head fell back and she clutched his head to her, all the while moving her hips in a way that was making him breathless.
Danny's deft fingers found the zipper of her dress and pulled it down easily.
Anxious to be rid of the dress, Michelle stood up and pushed it down while Danny watched her with glazed eyes.
His gaze moved to the dress and jacket on the floor and his mouth quirked in that strange half-smile he had.
"Pink," he murmured. "Always pink."
Then he clasped Michelle's hands in his own and brought her back to his lap.
She gave a soft sigh as he ran his thumbs over her nipples and the sigh gave way to a glad cry when he pulled one of the hardened peaks into his mouth.
Michelle had forgotten that a man could bring her so much pleasure so simply and her body bucked in response.
Danny chuckled against her breast and laid one hand on her hip to steady her. "Easy, baby. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
Michelle could only squeeze her eyes shut and nod, silently begging him to continue his delicious torture.
"Since when did you stop wearing a bra anyway?"
Michelle's eyes opened and she saw the glint in his own dark eyes and knew he was teasing her.
"Does it bother you that I don't?" she asked and her voice sounded deep, throaty.
He laughed again. "No. No, it certainly doesn't."
Then his lips closed back over her nipple and her drew it slowly into his mouth, moving his tongue over it in circles until Michelle was sure she'd die.
Then, just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, he started the whole process over with her other nipple.
By the time Danny shifted her off his lap to lay on her back on the lounge, Michelle was panting his name and reaching out for him with eager hands.
He just smiled down at her and began pulling off his tie, his jacket, his shirt, all with excruciating slowness.
Then, he ran his hand up her stocking-clad leg to stroke the bare flesh at the top of her thighs.
Michelle had never been so glad to wear thigh-highs in her whole life.
She could feel a steady sort of hollow ache begin to build between her thighs and the need to have him touch her there uncoiled within her.
But still, he took his time, rolling down first one stocking, then the other.
His eyes were dark and lazy, almost bored, as he reached down between her legs, pressing his fingers into the damp silk he found there.
Michelle gave a strangled cry and raised her hips to his touch, causing him to laugh softly.
"Tell me what you want, Michelle."
Michelle tossed her head from side to side on the lounge, coherent thoughts suddenly beyond her.
The wonderful aching pressure of Danny's fingers ceased and he cupped her face in both hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Tell me what you want, Michelle," he repeated.
Michelle's breath was coming in short, quick gasps, but she managed to murmur, "You...you know...what I want."
He smiled and stroked her cheek. "Yes, but I'm not going to give it to you until you ask."
A flame of anger rose up in Michelle, almost equal to the flame of passion that was threatening to consume her.
"Go to hell."
Danny laughed and then slipped his fingers inside her panties and found the little bit of flesh that was screaming for his touch.
Michelle gave a shocked gasp. How could she have forgotten what it was like to feel like this? "Danny-"
"Say it."
Michelle shook her head, but she still heard herself gasping, "I want you-inside me-Oh, God, Danny, please-"
Satisfied with her answer, Danny hooked his fingers around the waistband of her underwear and pulled them off to lie discarded on the floor.
Michelle sat up slightly and reached for his belt. Danny let her rid of him of it and didn't try to stop her as she unfastened his slacks.
He stood and shoved them along with his boxers down his legs.
But just as he went to push Michelle back down on the lounge, she gripped his hips and, determined to pay him back for the ordeal he was putting her through, took him in her mouth.
She heard his surprised groan and the sound brought back the memory of the first time she'd ever done that.
It had been on their honeymoon. The house in San Cristobal. Michelle had been sunburned and, as such, wasn't really in the mood to be touched. Danny had said that it was OK and they'd settled into that huge bed to go to sleep. She had been able to feel his arousal pressing against her back and suddenly, felt inspired to do something she'd never done before.
He had made that same groan that first night, and actually tried to pull her away, gasping, "Michelle, baby, it's- oh, God- alright, you don't have to..."
She knew that. But she'd wanted to.
And she wanted to now.
Danny fisted his hands in her hair as she continued her ardent ministrations, but pulled her away after only a few minutes.
"Oh, no you don't," he said gruffly and then pushed her back onto her back.
Michelle smiled at him, suddenly feeling the victor.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she began to wonder if people were wondering where she was.
Oh, God, if they only knew.
Danny lowered his head briefly, pressing a quick, hard kiss at the apex of her thighs and Michelle felt the world start to slide away in a shuddering rush.
Danny raised her head to kiss her and covered her gasp when he slid into her.
It never felt like that with anyone else. Only Danny's body had ever seemed perfectly matched with her own.
Remembering what he liked, Michelle rose her hips and circled them to meet his thrusts and Danny moaned her name, dropping his forehead to hers and moved in perfect unison.
"Christ, I forgot how good it was with you," he whispered and Michelle kissed his shoulder, loving the salty taste of his skin.
"I know, I know."
The first climax took her by surprise. It hit her with all the gentleness of a freight train and it cause the room to go black around her.
But before she had the chance to absorb the shock of that, she was coming again, this time, a slow sort of rolling sensation that seemed to unravel like thread from a spool somewhere deep within her.
Danny found his own release just as her second was fading and, with a wicked grin, he pressed his fingers against that spot between her legs and Michelle fell apart all over again.
It took a long time to catch her breath.
And as soon as the breath had returned to her lungs, Michelle waited for the shame.
It didn't come.
They washed up in the sink and dressed in silence, occasionally pausing in the act of buttoning a button or zipping a zipper to lean over and kiss lingeringly.
Danny turned to her before unlocking the door and gave her one last perusal. Michelle waited for him to say something and then realized she really had nothing to say either.
He grabbed her the back of her neck and kissed her quickly, hard and possessive. "Happy anniversary, Michelle."
Then he was gone.
Michelle sat back on the chaise lounge, still warm from their bodies, and began to touch up her make-up.
She heard the door open and her heart stopped beating for a second.
This time, it was Vanessa.
"There you are, honey. We were getting worried."
Michelle looked at the slender golden watch around her wrist. 9:22. It hadn't even been half an hour since Danny had come into the bathroom after her.
"I'm sorry, Vanessa, I just needed some time on my own, you know?"
Vanessa nodded and patted Michelle's arm. "Are you feeling alright?"
Michelle wanted to laugh at that. She hadn't felt so good in years.
"I'm fine. Now, let's get back out there."
Still trembling slightly, Michelle made it through the rest of the party.
Nearly everyone there commented on how great she looked.
"Really, Michelle, I've never seen you glow like this. Life must be agreeing with you."
Michelle searched the dining room with her eyes for Danny, but as she had suspected, he had disappeared.
And when arms came around from behind her and circled her waist she didn't think for a moment that it was him.
"Happy anniversary, honey," a deep voice drawled in her ear and Michelle took the present in the strong hands in front of her.
It was an antique lace handkerchief.
"Bill!" Michelle said happily as she turned in his arms to kiss her husband. "It's lovely."
Bill's blue eyes twinkled. "Mom said that lace is the traditional gift on a thirteenth wedding anniversary and I thought that was awfully pretty so..."
"It's perfect," Michelle murmured and kissed Bill again. "Here's to another thirteen wonderful years, sweetie."
*****
She opened the door before he even turned his key in the lock.
"You're home!"
Danny pasted a broad smile on his face and kissed his wife soundly. "Sorry I had to work late."
"That's alright," she said slipping an arm around his waist as they made their way to the living room where two of their four children slept peacefully.
"I ran into Michelle today," his wife ventured cautiously. "Can you believe she and Bill have been married thirteen years? That means the two of you have been divorced-"
Danny's voice was tight as he replied, "Fifteen years.Time certainly flies."
She laughed softly and snuggled closer to him. "Well, these past twelve years with you have been the best of my life. I guess things really do work out the way they're supposed to."
Danny smiled down at his wife but she missed the flicker in his eyes. "That they do, Cassie, that they do."
THE END