Marriage of Convenience
Parts 16-17
By 'J'
NC-17
It was dark in Danny's room, but he left the door ajar to catch the light from the hall. He sat her on the edge of the bed and joined her, drawing her down with him onto the pillows.
Danny could not wait, and he carried Michelle along on the tide of urgency. He kissed her gently and then not so gently, unable to reign in the ten years' longing about to be satisfied. He fumbled with the buttons of Michelle's blouse, his usually nimble fingers stiff and clumsy, until he gave up trying, releasing her and sitting up.
"My hands are shaking." he said huskily, holding them before his face in the gloom. "I feel like I'm fourteen years old."
"I'll do it," Michelle said, reaching for her collar.
Danny shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you."
"Oh, Danny, how could you hurt me?" Michelle said softly.
"You may have noticed that control is hard for me," he said dryly. "I couldn't bear it if...."
"If?"
"This wasn't right for you. After waiting so long."
"It will be right, it couldn't be anything else." Michelle said, moving next to him and embracing him. "Now why don't we start by getting rid of this sweater?" She tugged at its folds and pulled it over his head as he lifted his arms to assist her.
She dropped it to the floor.
"Getting kind of bold aren't you, Mrs. Santos?" he murmured.
"Only with my husband, Mr. Santos." She slid her arms around his neck luxuriously and rubbed her cheek against his smooth shoulder. "Nobody else feels like you," she whispered.
"You have determined this from your vast experience of one previous lover?" he said lightly, resisting the temptation to push her back on the bed.
"Nobody else could feel like you," she answered, closing her eyes and running her tongue down to his flat nipple.
Danny seized her and bore her down to the mattress. There was only so much mortal man could be expected to endure. he kissed her again, his tongue exploding her mouth, and she responded in the same vein, taking the weight of his body easily, turning her head when he moved his lips to her throat. She unbuttoned her blouse rapidly, anticipating him, and he followed the motion of her hands, mouthing the soft flesh of her neck and the cleft between her breasts. He pulled the blouse off her shoulders and lifted her to unhook her bra, working surely now, taking the clothes from her body with practiced ease.
When she was naked to the waist, as he was, he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. He took one breast and then the other into his mouth, running his hands across the satiny surface of her back, lost in the scent and feel of her. Michelles breath was coming in short gasps, and as he teased a swollen nipple with his teeth she moaned aloud, clutching him to her convulsively. Inflamed by her response, he dropped one hand and unfastened her skirt, then pushed it clear off her bare legs. There was nothing left but the scrap of her panties, and he shifted her off him, bending to caress the silk of her abdomen.
Michelle felt as helpless as a rag doll as he dragged his lips across her navel and lowered his head to the tender skin of her thighs. His breath was hot, seeming to scorch her, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, soundless with emotion as he lifted one smooth leg and kissed the calf, the delicate, slender ankle.
He looked up at her, supine and limp with pleasure, her upper lip misted lightly, her eyes huge in her shadowed face.
"Yes," Michelle said in a drugged, and husky voice she hardly recognized as her own. "Oh, yes."
His unasked question answered, he removed the thin silk briefs in a second. She gripped the blanked and twisted it, making a sound of pure satisfaction as he grasped her hips and caressed her with his mouth.
Michelle never knew that her body was capable of such response; she whimpered and surged against him, digging her nails into his back, finally begging, "Now, Danny. I can't wait anymore."
Neither could he. He stood and undressed fully, dropping next to her on the bed and enfolding her completely. She sighed as she felt him entwined with her, fitted to her like a glove. His body was lean and hard, and she reveled in it, hooking her slim legs around his longer, sturdier ones, her breath catching in her throat as she felt his arousal.
"Touch me," he said hoarsely. "I want you to."
Michelle obeyed him, encircling him with her fingers, feeling him throb and pulse in her hand. He groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder, pulling her tighter against him. After a second he loosened his hold and slid his body along the length of hers, positioning her. She followed him naturally, turning as he rose above her, arching to meet him.
"Danny," she said. It was a sigh.
"I know," he murmured. "I know."
He entered her in one smooth motion, and they made a sound of completion together, breath mingling with breath. Michelle closed her eyes and let her head fall backward as he moved within her.
"Oh, Michelle," he said brokenly, "Why did we wait so long?"
Michelle couldn't answer, clasping him to her as they made up for lost time.
The room was still dark but striped with moonlight when Michelle awoke. Danny was lying next to her in the bed, staring down into her face.
"Hi," he said softly.
"Hi, yourself."
"How are you feeling?"
"Spectacularly wonderful."
"Me, too."
"What are you doing when I woke up? She murmured, reaching up to touch his cheek.
"Looking at you."
"I could see that. Why?"
"I like to look at you. I always have. Now I can do it without worrying that you'll think I'm staring or being rude."
"I see. Your status has changed?"
"You bet. Now I'm you lover."
Michelle smiled tenderly and stretched, replete. "You certainly are."
"I should have been your lover long before this," he said quietly. "I should never have let you leave me that summer. I have never regretted anything so much in my life."
Michelle covered his large brown hand with hers. "Danny you have to let that go. We both must let go of the past and live for the future now."
"I know that," he said quietly, "But I keep thinking that I could have done something a few years later, after you graduated from school and I got established here. I could have come after you then."
"Why didn't you?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Pride, I guess. I didn't know what kind of reception I was going to get after the way we left things between us. Then your father started telling me about your plans to go to law school, And when you got there and I heard about your dates, and then fiancee, it seemed like it was all over, period. You had gone on with your life without me."
"You don't know how I prayed for a letter, a phone call, anything," Michelle said softly.
"About as hard as I tried to forget you with any woman who would look at me."
"And there were quite a few who looked, I hear," Michelle couldn't resist saying.
"Too many, " he agreed morosely. "Too many people I hurt because they couldn't possibly be what I wanted."
He lifted her fingers to his lips and she was struck by the contrast of their skins. "You're so tan," she said.
He examined her hand. "Snow white," he said gently.
"I have rarely managed to get a decent tan," she said ruefully.
"You got one the summer you were out here."
"Oh, I worked very hard on that, trying to get your attention.
"You got it," he said dryly.
"Did I?"
"Come on. I took so many cold showers I was growing circles around my eyebrows."
Michelle laughed "I wish I had known that then. My delicate ego cold have used the reinforcement. Every time I saw you with a woman, I went into a black depression." She sighed elaborately. "I was usually depressed."
"You shouldn't have been. I wanted you."
Danny peeled the sheet down to her waist and crawled on top of her, nuzzling her breast. "Mmm, delicious, " he murmured, licking them lightly.
"But too small," Michelle said mournfully.
"Who says?" he asked lifting his head.
"Everybody."
"Aw, what do they know? You have always looked perfect to me." He lay back down and closed his eyes contentedly.
"I feel the same. People use to say you were too skinny, but I never thought so"
"I was too skinny."
"You were gorgeous," Michelle said firmly.
He smiled without opening his eyes. "Far be it from me to argue with so relentless a romantic."
"You were!" she protested. She smiled suddenly. "When I came back here I was half hoping you had gotten fat. Or gone bald."
He chuckled silently, his shoulders shaking. "Well, if I keep on the way I've been going, I'll probably manage to knock out a few teeth," he offered.
"How's that?"
"Poor Bill," Michelle said, reminded of him by the turn of conversation. "I'm sure he thought you were going to maim him for life."
"I guess I owe him an apology." Danny mumbled.
"Based on your inexcusable behavior, I'd say you owe him a Porsche, but I suppose an apology will have to do."
"He said he was going to marry you," Danny growled. "How did you expect me to react?"
"Danny, really. If you had just listened to me....."
He raised himself on his forearms and kissed her on the mouth. "Do we have to talk about Bill right now?"
"I guess not," she said against his lips.
"I have an idea," he said, now kissing her neck.
"Uh, oh."
"No, you're going to like this one."
"Shoot."
"Lets have a wedding."
Michelle groaned and pulled the sheet over her head. "That is the one subject I would have thought we'd exhausted," she said weakly.
"No, I mean a real one, now that we're planning to stay married."
"Are we?" she asked, dropping the sheet and looking at him.
His face changed, and he turned away from her. "Aren't we?" he said dully.
Michelle sat up.
"Danny, I didn't mean.....don't....I was only kidding." she concluded hastily, alarmed by his reaction.
He embraced her immediately, his bare arm strong and warm around her. "Don't scare me like that," he said tensely. "if this fell apart now, I don't' know what I'd do."
"Its not going to. You're stuck with me. For good."
"Is that a promise?"
"Its a promise," she whispered.
He lowered her to the bed an pulled the sheet down to their feet. "No clothes," he murmured, running his lips along the line of her shoulder. "I like this."
"Yes, I noticed you had a little trouble with my clothes," Michelle replied, smiling.
He raised his head. "Are you suggesting that my technique was less than polished?" he said archly, then kissed the tip of her nose.
"Your technique was, is, wonderful," she answered, sighing as he rasped her nipple with his thumb. It hardened at his touch.
"Glad you appreciate it, because it's the only one you're going to experience for the rest of your life."
"Is that so, sir?" she said, closing her eyes as he moved over her, lifting her hips to his.
"That's so, madam," he replied, and gave her another sample of his technique.
------------------------------------------
When Michelle awoke she could tell by the quality of the light that it was very early. She was alone in the bed and could smell something burning. She slipped into her own room to get a robe and she joined Danny in the kitchen.
He was barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans, stirring something on the stove. Michelle came up behind him and kissed the back of his neck. He had showered and he smelled clean and soapy.
He turned and embarrassed her. "I didn't mean to wake you. i was going to surprise you with this."
"With what?"
"Breakfast."
He looked back at the mess of runny eggs in the pan and said ruefully, "Or what should have been breakfast."
"Whats burning?"
"The toast. i guess I should have waited for Rosa, huh?"
"I guess so," Michelle said, turning off the heat under the pan.
"I'm starving," he confessed.= "I drank my dinner last night after you walked out with Bill."
"I remember."
"And I kind of worked up an appetite later," he added, nibbling her earlobe.
"I remember that, too. Vividly." She slipped out of his arms and said, "Sit down. I'll feed you. What would you like?"
"Pancakes?" he suggested hopefully.
She looked at him.
"Of course, it that's too much trouble," he added, shrugging, casting her a sidelong glance.
Michelle shook her head smiling. "You are an operator, Mr. Santos."
He sat at the table, sliding down onto his spine.
"You want to keep my energy up, don't you?" he said shyly.
"I have never known it to be down," She replied crisply, looking for the flour.
"Not where you're concerned," he answered. He watched her moving about the kitchen and said, "This reminds me of the first time we met. You cooked for me then, too, remember?"
"Yes, you arrived looking like a road bum and proceeded to eat everything you could find until I made you and omelet."
"I thought you were cute." He sighed. "But young."
"And I thought you were challenging and interesting and...different. You were quite a change from the boys in my high school, you were....."
"What?"
"A man."
He regarded her fondly as she located the flour and reached for the measuring cups.
"I was acutely aware of that fact every time I looked at you." he admitted. "You were always so clean and neat and pretty, with your tan hair hanging down over you shoulders like a princess in the fairy tale."
"Which one?" Michelle asked, indulging him.
"You know, the one where she's locked in a tower."
"Danny, they are always locked in towers. That's staple of the fairy-tale market."
He shook his head.
No, no. The one where the prince comes and stands below her window and calls, 'Da-da-da, Da-da-da, let down your hair.' And when she does, he climbs it like a rope to see her."
"Da-da-da?" she said teasing him.
"You know," he insisted.
"Rapunzel," she said, ending the suspense.
He snapped his fingers.
"Rapunzel! You knew it all the time."
She put her hand over her heart.
"I confess. I knew it all the time. The sugar canister is empty, do you know where Rosa keeps the big bag?"
"Under the silver drawer," he replied.
Michelle bent from the waist to get it, and he watched as the action lifted her shortie robe and displayed a smooth expanse of creamy leg, stopping just short of what he most wanted to see. His eyes narrowed to slits and his breathing quickened. Michelle held the position as she searched, unaware of his reaction, until he finally stood abruptly, shoving aside the chair and covering the distance between them in two long strides.
He embraced her from behind just as she straightened with the bag in her hand. "I bet I can make you drop that," he said softly, untying the sash of her robe. He was fully aroused, and Michelle leaned back into him, closing her eyes.
"No, bet," she replied, letting the bag fall into the sink. He pulled the robe off her shoulders and let it fall, cupping her breasts in his hands as it slid to the floor. She rotated her hips, pressing and rubbing against him, and she was rewarded by his deep moan of pleasure.
"Temptress," he said in her ear.
"I'm trying."
"Seductress."
"I hope so."
He released her long enough to unfasten his jeans and step out of them, then pulled her to him against the counter.
"Just...lift," he said, grunting as he held her up and she locked her legs around his hips. He entered her standing, and they raced to a swift conclusion that left them drained and panting. Michelle let her head fall to Danny's shoulder, and it was several seconds before he realized she was laughing.
"What?" he said.
"I can't believe we just did that," she said, looking up at him.
"Why not?"
"What if Rosa had walked in?"
"Knowing Rosa, " Danny said, kissing her damp temple,; "She would have applauded and said, "It's about time, no es verdad?"
Michelle giggled.
"You're probably right."
Danny stepped back and Michelle put her feet on the floor.
"So, what about those pancakes?" she said briskly, reaching for her robe.
Danny snatched it out of her grasp.
"You won't be needing this," he said, tossing it into a corner.
"I thought you wanted breakfast," Michelle protested as he took her hand and began leading her back to the bedroom.
"Breakfast can wait," he replied.
"I just remembered what I'd rather do."
"You don't' feel weak or faint or anything, do you?" she said as he dragged her through the door. "From lack of food, I mean?"
He picked her up and tossed her, squealing, onto the bed. "If I pass out, just slap me a few times and I'll come around" he said, sprawling on top of her, catching his weight on his hands at the last second.
"I'll keep you awake , Danny," she promised, scrunching down in the bed and planting a row of kisses on his hip, working inward.
"I'm awake, I'm awake," he said huskily, turning to accommodate her.
They both fell silent, and he proved to her that he was indeed awake.