Danny pouted when he saw me put my undergarments back in my bag. “You can have a rain check on the rest,” I chided him. He exhaled loudly. “Shhhh,” I scolded. “Don’t wake up Jane!”
He lifted up the sheet so I could slide in next to him. We curled up together and kissed each other gently for a few minutes before he wrapped me tightly in his arms and breathed in my scent.
“Thank you, for everything,” he whispered.
I kissed his chest. “Thank you for taking me to meet your parents. I absolutely love your mother, Danny. We really need to get her to come down and visit. She misses you and Jane very much.”
He rubbed his thumbs along my back. “I was just thinking the same thing. She said she really liked you. I told her that was good because I plan on marrying you.” I pulled back to look up at him in surprise. He just smiled. “She was tickled pink, Jesse. She is very happy for us.” I settled back down next to him, snuggling against his arm. “She never liked Brooke. She told me Brooke didn’t love me and that I was making a mistake. Mothers know best, don’t they?”
“She loves you, Danny, and she’s very proud of you. I’m very proud of you.”
He kissed my hair and sighed. “I can’t wait for you to meet my grandparents,” he whispered.
We kissed once more before drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter Thirteen
Danny tossed and turned a lot during the night and in the early morning. He was up and dressed with a cup of tea before I could even open an eye.
“I’m sorry if I kept you awake,” he whispered.
I looked up at him, sitting on the bed next to me, his back against the headboard and legs crossed at the ankles. Feet bare.
“Did you sleep at all?” I stretched my arms up and tried to assess my stiffness He shrugged. He had a notebook out and had been jotting something down. I rolled over and sat up, feeling stiff and sore. “I really need to stretch.”
Danny put his notebook down and folded his hands in his lap. He smiled at me expectantly. “Feel free. Don’t mind me at all. I promise I won’t disturb you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, glad to see him in a playful mood. I dragged myself to a standing position and moved over to a spot on his side of the bed that had more room. I moved through a series of stretches and tried not to look at him. He kept his word and didn’t distract me. I did see him squirm a few times and adjust himself. His control held until I lay on my back and pulled my ankles up over my head, one at a time. He launched himself from the bed and spread his bulk over me. He kissed my neck hard and was growling so loud, I started to crack up.
“Danny! You’re going to wake up Janey!” He moved down my body, biting my stomach and my thighs until I was squealing and trying to get away. I managed to roll over on my stomach, but he crawled back up my body. Then his playful bites turned into sucking and licking all available skin until I was boneless.
“I need you, Jesse. I promise I’ll be quick.”
I giggled. “That’s not something you usually promise me.”
He groaned and climbed off me to shut the door, checking to see that Jane was still sleeping. I heard the lock click and then he was back on his knees before me. He slid my panties off my legs and unfastened his pants, but then frowned.
“You’re sore. I don’t want to hurt you. Get up here.” He took my hand and pulled me up from the floor, and then gently set me on the bed.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish properly last night. I know we don’t have a lot of time right now, but I can’t not taste you.” He stayed on his knees and kissed the insides of my thighs, running his tongue and lips along them.
When he reached my center, I fell back on the bed, my fingers tangling in his hair. It took mere moments for him to bring me to my peak, I was that ready for him. I bit down on my knuckle to keep from screaming out his name as he wrenched wave after wave of pleasure from me.
Then he was on me, his one hand working his fly and his other positioning my hips where he wanted me. But then he stopped. He took his heavy weight in his hand and just stroked himself. “Jesse you are so beautiful. I love watching you.”
I smiled up at him and then watched him move above me. “I love watching you, too.” He continued like that until his whole body was shaking, his face pulled tight. “What do you need, baby?”
He swallowed hard and then slowed down. He bent down to kiss me deeply and I felt him slide into me slowly, insistently. He never stopped kissing me, even as his movements grew more and more desperate. Small grunts erupted from his throat. He was trembling violently, but he kept moving, kept driving into me. I pulled my legs out to the side, giving him deeper access. He moaned loudly in appreciation against my mouth.
He pushed up on his arms and completely lost control. He pounded into me so hard I could barely breathe. The pressure built and built until I came apart, this time biting his wrist to keep from crying out. He pulled my hips closer to him and held on tight, throwing his head back as he continued to thrust into me, faster and faster. Then he climbed onto the bed on his knees and pulled my hips onto his thighs. I supported myself by placing my heels on the bed next to his legs and I arched my back, giving him better access. He growled and grabbed for my waist, pulling me tight against his pelvis. With a few final thrusts he ground himself against me and his whole body shuddered violently. He gasped for air. His hands stroked my mound, my abdomen, my breasts, and then slid underneath me to massage my ass.
I collapsed on my back and he fell on top of me, breathing heavy. He pushed my shirt up and kissed my breasts, still moaning softly against me. When he finally looked up, I smiled at him, trying to catch my breath.
“Feel better, baby?”
He grinned bashfully, his face red from exertion as much from embarrassment..
“I don’t know what happened. I’m really sorry.”
I shook my head. “Don’t ever be sorry for loving me like that, Danny. You’re incredible. I love it when you get lost in me.”
He smiled and kissed me once more before rolling to the side. He looked down at himself and chuckled. “I could have at least taken my clothes off. Now I need another shower.” He looked over at my mostly naked body and said, “You probably need one, too. I think I made a mess.”
I laughed. “I like your mess. I am going to shower. Can you hold off and wait for me? I don’t want Jane to wake up alone.”
He reached up and ran his thumb over my lip. “I love it that you are so good with my daughter. It is such a huge blessing.”
“She is a blessing to me,” I said as I stood and walked to the bathroom. “Be right out.”
Jane woke up an hour later and we went down to breakfast together. She was sleepy and he was perky. A dangerous combination. She asked him if he was upset about the night before and he shook his head.
“Janey, your grandfather and I just have that kind of a relationship. I can’t change him, and he can’t change me. It’s just how it is.”
She frowned, stirring her milk in her bowl with a spoon. “Yeah, Daddy, but it’s not fair. He isn’t nice to you.”
Danny chuckled. “I know. It's not his way, baby. I’m ok, though. I just have to believe in myself and know that I’m ok. That’s something I had to learn to do. It’s something you’ll have to learn to do, too. I’ll always love and support you, baby, but that may not always be enough.”
He talked to her for a long time about confidence and while she was listening attentively, I wasn’t sure she was buying what he was selling.
After breakfast, we headed downtown and walked around for a bit before arriving at what used to be Danny’s grandfather’s pub. It appeared to be very old, worn and cozy at first glance. In the middle of the bar, a group of older men sat around a huge wooden table with pints of Guinness, laughing and talking. Danny snuck up behind a man with a shock of white hair and startled him by saying, loudly, "Can't a guy get any service around here?!"
The man turned around in hi
s chair, irritated, until he saw it was Danny. Then his whole face lit up. He held out his hands and breathed, "Danny, my boy! What in the hell are you doing giving your GrandDa a heart attack? Come here and give me a hug, son."
Danny's grandfather exuded warmth. He laughed heartily as he stood and hugged his grandson. I immediately saw where Danny got his exuberance from. This was a man who was passionate about life. Adam Black was a few inches shorter and much slighter than Danny, and going by the amount of freckles he had, he was likely the source of the red hair in the family. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt with black cargo pants and converse sneakers. Not exactly grandpa wear!
“GrandDa, I brought Janey to see you, and this is my girlfriend, Jesse Martin.”
The old man hugged Jane and his twinkly eyes found mine over her head. “Aren’t you a pretty lass! You give him this shiner?”
I laughed, holding out my hand, which he promptly dipped down to kiss.
Danny shook his head. “Always the charmer,” he chuckled and his grandda winked at me.
"No, sir. He got it defending my honor," I said, causing Danny to smile even wider and kiss my cheek.
“That's my boy," he laughed, ruffling Danny's hair. "What are you doing here, son? Why aren’t you down there in L.A. making that racket you boys call music?” He was teasing, that was obvious. He put his arm around Danny and led us over to a table, calling to his pals that he’d be back. “Tisn’t every day my favorite grandson comes to visit me.”
We ordered lunch and were wildly entertained by the eldest Black’s thickly-accented stories of Danny as a boy. Jane laughed until she had to hold her ribs. Danny blushed through most of it and smiled at his grandfather with love and admiration.
“So you saw my good-for-nothing son last night, did ye? What a stick-up-the-arse that man is. Can’t believe he’s kin.”
This explained a lot. It seemed as though Daniel was trying to shirk off all his father had taught him, and then Danny in turn did the same. Full circle.
“Jesse, is my boy treating you well,” he asked deviously. His Irish lilt endeared him even more to me. I could listen to him talk for hours!
“As a matter of fact, he’s treating me like a queen. He spoils me way too much.”
He reached over and ruffled Danny’s hair again. “That’s my grandson. He knows he better do right by you or he’ll hear it from me.”
Danny was the color of a tomato in the face. He tried to change the subject by asking about his grandmother, who was noticeably absent.
“She’s at a church retreat for the week. If we would have known ye were coming, I would have made her stay home. Damn woman, running off all the time.”
Danny razzed him. “GrandDa she goes once a year! You’re just missing her. Tell the honest truth.”
“Ye've got me, son. I miss her to pieces. She’s a good woman, your GrandMa. Takes good care of me. You’ll have to come back and see her soon.”
Danny promised we would. We spent another hour chatting and then Adam started to wind down.
“It’s time for my afternoon nap, I’m afraid.” Danny offered for us to take him home but he waved him off. “No, no. I’m fine. That cute little waitress over there drives me home each afternoon. See? I haven’t lost me touch yet, boy.” Danny rolled his eyes and Jane just looked shocked. We all hugged and kissed him on the cheek. He took an extra-long time hugging Jane. “Ye're so beautiful, my lovely great granddaughter. Please send a picture to your great grandma. She misses ye something fierce.”
Jane smiled up at him and agreed. We said our goodbyes and walked out of the dark pub into the bright afternoon sun. Danny smiled the whole way back to the car.
We didn’t have a plan for the rest of the afternoon and evening, so Danny suggested we drive over the hill into Santa Cruz. We went to the Boardwalk and Danny took Jane on the Giant Dipper ten times in a row! I opted out. No reason to mess with my nearly pain-free existence. We had corn dogs and ice cream and walked around until all the lights were on. I challenged Jane to some arcade games. She beat me every time.
It was getting close to ten o’clock, and I was exhausted. Danny drove us to the hotel to get some rest. Jane and I both fell asleep in the car on the way back over Highway 17 and only I woke when we pulled up at the hotel. Danny carried Jane inside and I handed the keys to the valet. We got Jane tucked in and then we both sat and watched her sleep.
I thought back to our trip to the hospital when Jane fell off her horse. We discovered she had cut herself during a dark period with her mother, which sent Danny into a panic. The two of them had come a long way since then. Still, during the weeks after, while she was getting her bearings at Danny's, I had worried she would lose her child's enthusiasm for the world. She'd had to learn some painful lessons this summer, but she still had her infectious energy and her love for life. I hoped she continued to fare this well with middle school on the horizon.
I wanted to ask Danny more about his grandfather, but I was so exhausted. It was all I could do to get my clothes off, my teeth brushed, and myself into bed. Danny held me close and massaged my hands, which were swollen tonight, and hummed softly to me.
"Today is one of my best days," I whispered to him.
He kissed my hair and said, "Mine, too. Get some rest, honey. Tomorrow I get to meet your folks and I don't want to bring their daughter home to them a mess."
I snorted at him and promptly fell asleep with a retort left unsaid.
Chapter Fourteen
Danny ordered room service the next morning because neither of us “lazy butts” would easily wake for him. As usual, he'd been up for hours, playing guitar quietly while she and I slept like the dead. He tried to be patient while we dragged our feet getting packed.
To save time on Friday, he booked us a room at the Hilton near Fremont so we wouldn't have far to drive and would be right on the freeway the next day to come home. This road trip had been a whirlwind so far. I'd learned a lot about Danny's family and was having a wonderful time with him and Jane. We seemed to travel well together. So far, so good.
Danny asked Jane to take a walk with him while I took a shower. He told me to take my time, so I did. The hotel was beautiful. I had never stayed any place so nice before. Well, not including Danny's. They returned about a half hour later and Jane seemed sullen. I asked him if everything was ok. He just shrugged and said, “as far as I know.”
We grabbed sandwiches on the way out of Los Gatos and drove north toward Fremont. We stopped at Lake Elizabeth and had a picnic. It was a gorgeous day, not quite as hot as the weather we'd left. We enjoyed the people watching. Jane was still quiet and I was worried.
I called my mother when we left the park to let her know we were on the way. She was delighted. Dad would be off at 2:00 and was planning on grilling up some BBQ for that night. Danny insisted we stop at a florist so we could take some roses to my mom as well. His thoughtfulness touched me. I could tell how important it was to him that this meeting go well.
The nervous flutters started up in my tummy as we neared my parent's house. We took the Thornton Avenue exit and turned next to my old Jr. High school, which Jane got a kick out of. My folks lived a few blocks away in a one-story, three-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac. Dad worked hard to keep the yard pristine and planted lots of annuals each year in containers for Mom, who adored them.
We pulled up and I took a deep breath. Danny’s jaw was tense again. Jane leaned between the seats, looking at both of us curiously.
"It's a little late to be nervous, Daddy. She already moved in with us." She rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag before climbing out the passenger side back door.
Danny shot me an anxious smile. "She’s right, as usual.”
I kissed his cheek and we both climbed out of the car to join Jane at the front door. Before we could knock, my mother opened the door and held out one hand to me, the other rested on her cane to steady her.
“Jesse! Oh sweetie, I’m so glad to see you.”
; A lump formed in my throat and I felt tears sting my eyes. It was always difficult seeing my mom after a long absence, seeing what further damage her disease had caused. At her tallest, she had been 5’9”, but after RA, she’d shrunk down to about 5’6”. She’d had to have back surgery to fuse some discs together at one point, which also took away from her graceful physique. She was still thin like me, but her perfect ballerina posture was gone. Her movements were stiff and her hands were minimally functional. But even now, at 50, her long blonde hair still shimmered elegantly, and her smile was still captivating. After hugging me, she turned to Jane.
“You must be Jane. I’m Lydia. I’m so happy to meet you.”
I could see in Jane’s face a hesitation to accept my mother’s hug, probably because she was afraid she’d hurt her. She stepped forward and embraced her gingerly.
“Mom, this is Danny,” I said quietly.
Danny quickly masked his terror at seeing my mother’s condition by offering her one of his million watt smiles. “Mrs. Martin, I’m so glad we could come.” He handed her the flowers, which she set down lovingly on the buffet in the hall.
Then he took her free hand gently in his. I could see my mother was very affected by him.
She gave him a motherly once over, but her blush at the end was all woman. “Please, call me Lydia. Won’t you all come in?”
We followed her into the house and I could see Danny’s muscles clenching behind his jaw even through his smile. I guess I hadn’t really told him what to expect with my mother. I told him she was sick like me. I knew he was seeing what could be my future, something that scared the hell out of me and probably affected him similarly. I couldn’t help but be afraid that his feelings would change for me with this little glimpse of his bride-to-be’s potential.
Mom led us into the living room, which was spotless as usual, and the three of us sat on the couch with Danny in the middle.
“Can I get something for you to drink?”
I shot up off of the couch. “I’ll get it, Mom. You just relax.” I walked quickly into the kitchen and could hear nervous conversation get started without me. I took a couple of deep breaths and started pouring lemonade into glasses. I carried out one for my mother and one for Jane, and then returned with one each for Danny and I.
Teacher: Act Two (A Hollywood Rock n' Romance Trilogy Book 2) Page 22