Quench Me
      Chapter 11
 

My hands are shaking as I turn onto Danny's driveway. I have no idea what will happen once I get inside the house, and I can't decide whether to be excited or scared.

I park my "big Mitsubishi", as Danny calls it, directly in front of the house on the circular part of the driveway. I check my face in the mirror one last time before I get out of the car and walk to the front door.

The black dress I'm wearing is one of my favorites. It always makes me feel sexy. It zips in the back and is sleeveless, with a fairly high neckline. The skirt isn't straight, but rather loosely swings from the empire waist line. My bare legs are cleanly shaven and exfoliated, smooth as silk. On my feet are black, high heel sandals. The only jewelry I'm wearing is a pair of diamond studs that Rick gave me when I graduated from college. My hair is pulled to the crown of my head in a loose pony tail. Curls cascade across the top of my head, while long, loose curly strands fly around my face.

Putting on my best "indifferent" face, I ring the doorbell. Before I know it, the door opens, and Danny is standing in front of me. He's wearing stone washed blue jeans and a chocolate colored button-up shirt that is the same color as his hair and eyes. He's as gorgeous as I've ever seen him.

"Michelle," he says with a smile. "Come in."

"Thanks," I say.

"You look beautiful," he says, as he takes my hand and leads me into the living room.

I'm immediately shocked by what I see in the living room. The lights are dimmed and there are candles burning everywhere. There's a table in the middle of the floor, set with beautiful dishes and a breathtaking flower arrangement. Soft music plays in the background.

"Wow," I say, turning to face him. "You've gone to a lot of trouble, Danny?"

"Do you like it?" he asks. "Are you pleased?"

"Of course I like it," I answer. "But you didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to," he replies. "I wanted to give you a 'clear signal'. I want to make sure you know that I AM trying to romance you."

His arms are around my waist now, and I don't fight him at all. It feels good to be in his arms, to have him hold me the way a man holds a woman he cares about. He plants a sweet, gentle kiss on my lips, and pulls me even closer to him. I run my fingers through the soft hair on the back of his neck, as I open my mouth to his.

He breaks the kiss, sooner than I'm ready, and says, "Dinner?"

I smile, loving how proud he is of himself, and answer, "Certainly."

He pulls my chair out and seats me at the table. He takes his place across the table from me and uncorks a bottle of champagne.

"Champagne," I say. "Must be a special occasion."

"It is," he replies, and then gives me the same look that has mesmerized me since I first saw him.

He pours the bubbly, and offers a toast. "To a fresh start," he says.

I nod and raise my glass to his.

"Dinner looks wonderful," I say.

"Trust me," he says. "I didn't do it?"

"No! Really?" I say sarcastically.

"Ha ha, Michelle," he says. "When my mother left, I let all the live-in servants go, and helped them find other employment. But for tonight, I called the lady who used to be our cook, and she agreed to help me out."

"Well, be sure and thank her for me," I say.

**************************************

"That was a very romantic dinner," I say, as Danny comes back from the kitchen, where he delivered our dinner dishes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he says, sweeping me into his arms again. "Now, will you dance with me?"

"Of course," I say, as he moves our bodies toward the stereo and turns the volume up.

His arms are around my waist again, and mine around his shoulders. He lowers his head until it touches mine and breathes in deeply as he stares into my eyes. The music is slow, but rhythmic, as our bodies begin to move together.

** It's either black or white, that's right
We're makin' love or we're in a fight
Sometimes you make me so blue
But then it feels so good, I knew it would
You know the way to make me crazy
I want to give it to you **

I feel his lips on my forehead, then my cheek, and finally my ear. I can't fight him. I don't want to fight him. His left hand remains on my waist, as he moves his right hand behind my neck. His lips find my bare shoulder, and quickly move up my neck. My insides feel like candle wax, hot and melting.

** You make me feel
So emotional
I can't let go, I'm
So Emotional
I'm sinking fast into
An ocean full of you
I'm so emotional **

He brings his mouth back to mine and I'm more than willing to accommodate him. He presses his lips hard against mine, his tongue gliding and searching until I begin to ache in a way I've never ached before. My hands are in on his cheeks, holding his face tightly, wanting to kiss him for the rest of my life. His hand is planted firmly in the small of my back as our bodies continue swaying to the music.

** You take me high and low, you know
I'm never sure which way you're gonna go
You're such a mystery to me
But baby, hot or cold, you got a hold
Of my imaginations
I think you know what I mean **

He kisses my neck again, slowly backing me up against a bare wall of the living room. Once there, his lips find mine again, as the music continues to roar from the stereo.

** Rain is falling down on me
Suddenly the sun comes out
Sometimes north or south of love
But never out **

"What are you doing, Danny," I gasp, as he lifts his head.

"I think you know, Michelle," is all he says, before his lips crash down on mine again.

** You make me feel
So emotional
I can't let go, I'm
So emotional
I'm sinking fast in to
An ocean full of you
I'm so emotional **

Before I know what I'm doing, my fingers find the buttons on his shirt, and just as quickly, Danny grabs my wrists and pins them to the wall at my sides. He looks into my eyes and shakes his head "No".

"Why do you always have to be in control of every situation?" I ask, anger and desire warring within me.

"Well, Michelle," he says as he drops to his knees. "If I remember correctly, you were very much in control last time, so now it's my turn."

"Damn you," I say, as he removes his hands from my wrists, and places them on the backs of my legs at the bend in my knees.

"And I promise you, Michelle - I WON'T stop short," he says as he kisses my stomach through the material of my dress.

He stands up slowly, dragging his hands up the backs of my legs, his fingertips pressing gently into my skin.

"Why can't you stop being so macho and just tell me what you're feeling?" I beg through my ragged breathing.

"Well, right now I'm feeling your ass, and it feels great," he says as his hands glide over my hips.

I can't speak. I'm angry, incensed, and aroused all at once. I'm super-glued to the wall, not by Danny's strength, but by the depth of my desire for him.

"Funny," he chuckles. "I kind of figured you for a 'white-cotton-panties' girl," he says as he runs his fingers along the elastic waist of my thong underwear.

"Maybe you don't know me all that well," I say through clenched teeth.

"We're about to change that, aren't we?" he says as he shoves my underwear out of his way and his fingers find what they're looking for.

I slam my head back against the wall as the waves of pleasure roll through me.

"God, Danny," is all I manage to say.

"I knew you'd feel like this, Michelle," he says, as he begins to move his fingers up and down, driving me to bang my head against the wall several more times. "How long has it been since someone touched you like this?"

"A long time," I answer, jamming my eyes shut in an attempt to control the feelings that are boiling inside me.

"How long, Michelle?" he persists. His other hand is on my face, stroking my cheek and playing with my ear.

"I don't know, Danny," I stammer. "Five years."

"Five years," he whispers in my ear. "A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't have to wait around for five years. You should have a man at your beck and call. Did it feel like this, Michelle?"

His movements are faster now, and he's gently thrusting his hips into mine, creating more pressure on his hand as he works his magic on me.

I shake my head. "Never, Danny. It never felt like this." He's moving faster and faster, and I can't control what's about to happen to me.

He lifts his face from my ear and kisses me again, with a force that I can't describe. I feel release looming near, and I try to break free from the kiss to tell him so, but he won't let me. Instead he sinks his tongue deeper inside, and I explode into a million pieces of orgasmic matter, my screams of pleasure stifled by his hot mouth.

When I finally stop thrashing against the wall, he removes his hand from between my legs and cups my face gently with both hands. "Did it ever feel like that?"

All I can do is shake my head. His mouth is on my neck again, trailing kisses up toward my ear. "I'll make you feel like that again, and again, and again, and again."

My breathing is finally returning to normal after what seems like an eternity. Danny peels me off of the wall and hugs me to him. "You know, I still haven't seen you," he says as he starts to unzip my dress.

My wits finally about me again, I reply, "And you're not going to start now."

He's so stunned that he backs away from me. "What Michelle?" he yells. "What is it THIS time?" He falls onto the sofa and puts his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Danny," I say, rushing to be near him. I'm on my knees in the floor in front of him and I force him to look at me. "I'm not angry. God, please don't think I'm angry, Danny."

"Then What, Michelle?" He sounds broken. Oh Lord, what have I done. "I just wanted to make you feel good."

"You did, Danny. I promise, you did," I answer. "O.K., O.K., let me just back up a minute. I've been pushing you to be straight with me, and be honest with me about the way you feel, so maybe it's about time that I did that. Maybe I need to just get everything out in the open."

"Please," he says, grabbing my hands and pulling me to him, wrapping his legs around me.

I look him directly in his eyes, determined to be completely honest with him. "Danny, it's hard for me to admit this to you, but the truth is, I felt something for you the first moment I saw you. I don't know what it was, exactly, but I felt something. And it didn't matter how rude and thoughtless you were; it didn't stop me from going back to your office to see you again. And when I saw you last Friday, as I came down the steps after my classes finished, and you were looking at me from across the lobby, I felt like I was the only woman on the planet. I want to feel that way again, Danny. I want to feel like I'm special to you."

He's holding my hands as if he's afraid to let them go, and I can almost tell by his touch that he loves me, but won't let himself say it.

I take a deep breath and continue. "Danny, I want to connect with you. With you. Not just physically, not just with your body. I want to connect with you emotionally… spiritually. And I just don't know if you want that too. I need to know if what's happening inside of me is happening inside of you. If it isn't, then just tell me. I'll be all right, really. I'll survive. But if it is happening for you, too, then please, please don't be afraid to let me in. Please, Danny, don't be scared to make yourself vulnerable to me. I won't hurt you. I promise. I'll never hurt you."

He starts to say something, and I stop him with by gently placing my hand on his lips. "I don't want you to answer me now, or even the next time we talk. I just want to you to think about what I've said, and about everything that's happened here tonight, and everything that's gone on between us since we met. And then I want you to decide if you feel the same way I do."

I kiss him once more, my lips lingering on his, and then I leave him alone with his thoughts.


All the words in ** ** are from the song "So Emotional", on Christina Aguilera's self-titled CD. The song was written by Franne Gold & Tom Snow.