Quench Me
      Chapter 28
 

 

Dancing with Danny, feeling his arms around me, our bodies pressed together as we move to the music, is like nothing I’ve ever felt. There is no greater serenity in this life than when he holds me, his breath in my ear, the scent of him intoxicating me as we make our own, private heaven.

We haven’t said a word to each other since we walked through the door. Danny simply dimmed the lights, turned the music on, and pulled me to him. It seems like we’ve been this way forever - his hands gently resting above my hips on the small of my back, my cheek against his chest, my arms encircling his shoulders. It’s been less than an hour since we left Company, but it might as well have been a year, because Danny’s touch makes everything else fade away.

After what seems like a lifetime of sweet silence, as our hearts said things to each other that we aren’t able to say ourselves, I raise my head to look at Danny’s face. His eyes are dark with passion and longing, and I can do nothing but stare into them and let him weave his spell over me.

His lowers his mouth to mine, beginning a very slow, wonderful assault. His hands press my body harder to him, and my hands find their way to his hair, playfully tousling his soft curls. He slides his hands up my body in a motion so slow it’s like he’s dragging fire across my skin, his mouth never leaving mine. Finally, he reaches my face and gently cups my cheeks with his strong hands. I move my hands to his waist, quickly darting underneath his sweater to feel the skin on his lower back. A low moan escapes from his throat, and I grab the waist of his sweater and begin pulling it up. He complies readily, raising his arms, and helping me take the sweater over his head. My eyes are locked with his as my hands make contact with his chest, and his hands make quick work of the buttons in the front of my white shirt.

When my shirt hits the floor, Danny pulls me to him again. My white lace bra is the only barrier between his chest and mine, and I gasp slightly when he slides one strap off my shoulder, replacing it with his soft kisses. Together, we move in the direction of the sofa, our skin still melded together, his mouth all over my bare shoulder and neck.

When we reach the sofa, he throws the pillows into the floor and grabs the lightweight afghan off the back. He backs away from me for a moment, as he spreads the blanket onto the floor and arranges the pillows. I lost my shoes the moment we arrived at his house, and once he finishes with the pillows, he reaches down and removes his as well, his eyes never leaving me. Still we have not spoken a word.

He sits down on the blanket and takes my hand, pulling down so that I’m positioned between his legs. I’m on my knees in front of him, and his face is at eye level with my breasts. He stares for a long moment, his hands running over my hips, feeling the thinness of the gray slacks I’m wearing. When he finally touches my chest, his hands feel like a mixture of fire and ice, inciting sensations in me that I never knew existed. He runs his fingers along the tops of my breasts, his thumbs sliding over the lace that covers my nipples. I throw my head backwards in pleasure, as I feel his hot breath teasing the flesh beneath the lace. I’m powerless in the face of this man, and I don’t care. I love him with everything in me, and as far as I’m concerned, at this moment, he can do whatever he wants to me.

Suddenly, he’s on his knees facing me. He takes my face in his hands and presses his mouth against mine. This time it’s not gentle, but rather passionate and forceful, full of longing and uncontrollable urge. My tongue matches his in our desperate search to quench our desire for one another. I know that if he removes his mouth from mine, the words "I love you" will come flying out of my mouth, but that doesn’t scare me anymore. I want him to know. I want him to know why my body reacts the way it does to him. I want him to know that I don’t just desire him. I don’t just find him incredibly sexy. I want him to know that everything I feel for him is wrapped up in how very much I love him.

The kiss begins to slow, and I’m not ready for it to end, so I grab his face and demand that the forceful passion return. He willingly goes along with my silent request for a moment, but just as quickly, he lifts his face and stares deep into my eyes.

I’m about to confess my love to him when he says my name.

"Michelle," he gasps, his breathing ragged.

"What? What?" I beg, not understanding why he stopped. "Did I do something? Is it me?"

"No, no!" he says, grabbing my body and embracing me. "God, please don’t ever think there’s anything wrong with you."

"Then what?" I plead. "Why did you stop?"

His runs his hands gently through my hair and says, "It was just getting really intense."

"Wasn’t that the idea?" I say playfully, trailing kisses along his neck.

He lifts my face to his so that we are looking directly at each other, his thumbs softly moving across my cheeks. "Michelle, when you spend the night with me, and I mean ‘really’ spend the night with me, I want it to be perfect. I want it to be magical."

"You mean this wasn’t magic?" I say, again with a hint a playfulness.

"Every time I look at you, it’s like magic," he says. "I just want to be certain that we’re both ready. I don’t want it to happen until then."

If I hadn’t already been positive that I’m head over heels in love with this man, that comment would’ve done it for me. There’s just something about a man who’s willing to wait - a man who’s patient and kind and wants to make things as perfect as they can be. And there’s something about Danny that fills my heart with more joy and happiness that one woman should be allowed to feel.

I can’t think of a response, other than to smile at him and softly caress his face. He kisses my forehead and continues. "Last night, we finally made a break through. Or rather you made a break through. You broke through the wall that I built around myself, and I let you in. I finally let you in, and it feels so good to know that I can let you know me, the way no one ever has. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, and I want to do everything just right with you." His eyes are pleading with me to understand

As my breathing slows, and my body temperature cools a bit, I know that even though I would’ve given myself to him right here on this floor, his levelheaded request will serve us both better in the long run.

"You’re right," I say with a smile. "I agree about not ‘spending the night’ yet."

He breathes a sigh of relief and then grins coyly. "Are you saying that you don’t want to go to bed with me?"

"Well now, that would be a lie," I answer. "It would be a lie if I said I didn’t want to make love to you. I do want to," I say, pausing to let my words take effect, scooting closer to him so that my mouth is in his her. "I dream about what it would be like to make love to you," I whisper, as his grip on my body tightens.

"Michelle…" he whispers. "What are you trying to do to me?"

I fall back onto the blanket, laughing, as he falls next to me, our bodies now stretched out on the floor.

"Sorry," I giggle.

"No you’re not," he retorts.

"I want to tell you some things about myself," I say to him. "I know it’s not a great idea to talk about my old boyfriend, but I want you to understand everything about me."

"I want that too, Michelle," he says. "You won’t make me jealous or hurt my feelings, if that’s what you’re worried about."

"I thought I was being so mature by not sleeping with Jesse right off the bat," I begin, my mind returning me to what seems like another lifetime. "I thought I was doing the grown up thing. I was young, and totally inexperienced. Jesse was older, and I knew that he’d been with women before. He never pressured me at all, but I pressured myself, because I thought I had to in order to keep him."

"I don’t make you feel that way, do I?" he quickly asks.

"No, not at all," I assure him. "There’s something that I haven’t told you about Jesse. Jesse is a heart transplant patient, and the heart that he received was my mother’s. That’s how we met, and I thought that I had to be with him, because he had my mother’s heart. And when we did sleep together, I justified it to myself because of that. I didn’t know anything, Danny. I was clueless, and I kind of thought of myself as his student, even though he never treated me that way. I was content to let him take the lead, all the time, and I never asserted myself at all."

"I haven’t seen that side of you, Michelle," he says, and I smile remembering how aggressive I’ve been with him.

"That’s just it," I explain. "I don’t know what comes over me when it comes to you."

"Whatever it is, I like it," he says with a grin.

"Well, I do too," I reply. "Sometimes I can’t believe that it’s me. I thought that Jesse ‘taught me things’. And now, it amazes me how stupid I was to think that."

"You didn’t need to be taught anything, Michelle," he says, as he sits up and leans against the sofa.

"I know!" I say excitedly. "I just needed you. I just needed to feel the way you make me feel, and somehow, it just happens. It’s like magic."

"Yeah, magic," he says, pulling me up to sit next to him. "I know."

"Do you remember that morning in my bedroom?" I ask, somewhat sheepishly.

"Of course," he answers, putting his arm around me. "How could I forget?"

"I never did that before, Danny," I say, looking at the floor. "I’ve never been so bold in my entire life."

His arm tightens around me, and he rests his chin on my head. I can’t see his face; I can only hear him sigh deeply. When he finally looks at me, there are tears in his eyes, as he says, "You don’t know how happy that makes me, how special that makes me feel. And I no I don’t have any right to expect that from you, considering my past, but it still makes me happy."

"I wish I could give you every ‘first’, Danny," I say, looking in those eyes that have become my sanctuary. "Now that you’re here, right in front of me, making me feel they way you do, I wish there had never been a Jesse in my life."

"And I wish I’d never laid eyes on another woman, Michelle," he says. "God knows I’ve made my share of mistakes and then some, and I’ve never regretted them more than I do at this moment."

"Shhhh," I silence him. "No more regrets, from either of us. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters."

He nods in agreement. "You know Michelle, it’s time I was really honest with you."

"Go ahead," I say, shifting around so that my head rests on his shoulder.

"If you asked me right now, what I want, I’d have to tell you that I want to carry you upstairs and lay you down in my bed, and put my hands on you, and kiss you, make love to you, and hold you all night long."

I raise my head to look up at him, and the expression on his face almost knocks the wind out of me. I’m too stunned to speak, so he continues.

"And it’s not just my body that wants to do that, Michelle. It’s my heart," he says, patting his chest with the palm of his hand. "My heart."

Tears begin falling from my eyes, and I don’t try to stop them. "Mine too, Danny," I answer, still lost in the look of love that is overflowing from his eyes.

"The thing is, Michelle… I love you. I know it seems fast, because we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but it’s the truth. I love you. I’m in love with you. And even though we haven’t known each other that long, I know beyond any doubt that my heart has always known you."

I never expected this. I never expected him to say those words before I did. And I never expected the feeling of indescribable ecstasy that is welling deep inside my heart. My hand finds its way to his cheek, and gently I stroke his beautiful face. "And I’ve been waiting for you, all my life. I love you, Danny. I love you so much."

We press our foreheads together, both of us wanting to be close to the other, but neither one of us willing to break eye contact. Tears spill from both our eyes, as we savor this moment that means everything to us.

We’re both still barefooted. Danny is still bare-chested, and I’m still wearing nothing but gray slacks and a white, lace bra. "Dance with me again?" he whispers to me.

"You bet," I answer, as he pulls me to my feet and into his loving embrace.

The music is still playing, and as we begin to sway together, I realize that as good as felt to dance with him before, it’s even better now. Before, I felt longing, but this time, there is an understanding between us that goes beyond words or actions. Our hearts have finally connected, and it’s more intimate than anything we’ve ever done before.

** I saw you dancing out the ocean
Running fast along the sand
A spirit born of earth and water
Fire flying from your hands **

"I wouldn’t admit it," he says, as we dance, "but I knew you were the one that first day in my office, when you asked me who the hell I thought I was."

"I wouldn’t admit it either," I reply, "but I knew when I felt your eyes on me as I walked out of your office that day."


** In the instant that you love someone
In the second that the hammer hits
Reality runs up your spine
And the pieces finally fit **

"When did you know?" I ask. "When did you finally allow yourself to feel it?"

As he kisses my forehead, he says, "When you showed up at my front door with coffee and donuts."

"I knew that day, too," I answer. "When you walked me to my car and put your arms around me, I could feel your heart beating against my cheek, and I knew. It was like I’d finally found the missing part of me."

"I know," he answers, our bodies still moving to the music. "My life wasn’t a puzzle anymore. It was complete."

** And all I ever needed was the One
Like freedom feels where wild horses run
When stars collide like you and I
No shadows block the sun
You’re all I’ve ever needed
Baby you’re the one **

With more ease and fulfillment than I’ve ever felt, I lean into him, our bare skin like fine silk, carefully and lovingly woven together. Once again, I can feel his heart beating and this time, I know it beats for me.

"Michelle," he whispers, "Nothing that’s ever happened in my life matters. Nothing. I’ve never loved anyone before, and no matter how many mistakes I may have made, you’re the only woman who’s ever touched my heart."

** There are caravans we follow
Drunken nights in dark hotels
When chances breath between the silence
Were sex and love no longer gel
For each man in his time is Cain
Until he walks along the beach
And he sees his future in the water
A long lost heart within his reach **

"And, I’ll never leave you, Michelle. Never. I’ll be right here, by your side, as long as you’ll have me."

"I’m not going anywhere Danny," I answer. "And you better not either," I say, as his mouth finds mine, and he dances me back over to the blanket and pillows. He deftly unhooks my bra, and drops it on the floor.

** And all I ever needed was the One
Like freedom feels where wild horses run
When stars collide like you and I
No shadows block the sun
Oh, you’re all I’ve ever needed
Ooh, baby you’re the one **

He lays me down on the blanket, and makes swift work of removing my pants and panties. "I mean what I said about waiting, Michelle, but I’ll die if I don’t do something to show you how much I love you," he says, as his mouth travels across my chest, finding my breasts which are more than happy to feel him there.

My hands entangle in his dark curls, and I’m caught off guard when I feel his finger slip inside me. He looks up at me, concerned, and says, "I’m not hurting you am I?"

His hand doesn’t leave me, as he slides the rest of his body up, so that our faces touch. "No," I answer through my ragged breathing. "Part of me just wishes it was really you."

"Me too, baby," he says, as he continues to move slowly inside me. "But I promise, waiting will make it so much better for both of us."

His thumb sweeps across my most sensitive spot, and my back arches up from the floor. "Tell me, Danny," beg. "Tell me what it will be like when we make love."

"It will be like fireworks and tidal waves and beautiful sunsets all at once," he whispers in my ear. "I’ll move inside you slowly at first, like this," he demonstrates with his fingers. "And then, I’ll speed up, and put more pressure right here," he says as his thumb presses harder against the center of my being. "And just when you know that you can’t take anymore and that you’re about to explode, I’ll say… ‘I love you more than anything, Michelle. I’ll love you until the day I die’. And then, you’re body will erupt into an orgasm like you’ve never known."

As if on cue, my body does just that, and I scream his name over and over. His fingers continue to move inside me as my body writhes in pleasure. He continues his delicious description, saying "And then I’ll pull your body to mine and hold you close to me, just like this." He rolls me to my side so that the entire length of our bodies touch.

I start to wrestle with the button on his pants, but he stops me. "Tonight was just for you, Michelle."

"But I want to, Danny," I argue, still weak from what he just did to me.

"I know, Michelle, but I’m kind of enjoying the way it feels to do things just for you, with no selfish motivation at all, other than the fact that I love you."

I lean up and kiss him softly on the lips, indicating to him that I understand.

"Are you going home?" he asks quietly.

"Not unless you kick me out," I answer.

"Not a chance," he says, as he hops up and walks across the living room to a small closet near the door.

He pulls out a quilt and returns to my side on the blanket in the floor. He wraps the both of us in the quilt, and I settle into his arms the way I was meant to.

"I love you, Michelle," he whispers.

"I love you too, Danny," I answer, before we drift off to sleep in each other’s arms.


All lyrics enclosed in ** ** are from the song "The One", performed by Elton John on his 1992 album of the same name. The song was written by Elton John and Taupin.