Dangerous to Know & Love

by Jane Harvey-Berrick

  “My place. I thought it was just dumb to carry on getting soaked. You can dry your clothes here and get warmed up.

  She nodded shakily, but when she followed him inside, her eyes bulged – and she stared at the couple in the lounge who were smoking from a bong.

  “Is that…?”

  “Friends of Zef’s,” he muttered, not wanting to get into it.

  They passed another couple who were gazing vacantly into space with glazed eyes, and Daniel wondered if bringing her there was a mistake.

  He had no idea where Zef was.

  He motioned for Lisanne to follow him up the stairs, and she clung to him as if he were the last life raft on the Titanic.

  He pulled out his room key and pushed the door open for her, then locked it behind them.

  “Why have you locked the door?” she whispered, her expression suddenly wary.

  His eyes narrowed in confusion, then he realized how it looked from her point of view.

  “What? No! God, no, Lis! How could you think… it’s this place… people wander in if the door isn’t locked. That’s all. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  She shook her head and tried to smile, while her face was still frozen and her teeth chattering.

  “No, sorry. It’s just…” she paused, swallowing whatever she’d been going to say, and looked around her. “You have a nice room.”

  “Thanks,” he said, sounding too casual as he watched her nervously wrap her arms around herself.

  Then Lisanne’s eyes fell on an acoustic guitar. She looked back to him, blinking rapidly.

  “You play?”

  He pulled a face, picking up the guitar by the neck and tossing it unceremoniously into his closet.

  “Not anymore.”

  “Sorry,” she whispered again, internally berating herself for being such an idiot. Of course he didn’t play anymore.

  To cover the awkward silence, Daniel rummaged through his chest of drawers and tossed her one of his t-shirts.

  “Put this on and I’ll go put your clothes in the dryer. It won’t take long.” He shot her his sexy smile. “I’ll turn my back.”

  Flushing slightly, Lisanne peeled off her soaking clothes until she was standing in just her underwear. Hastily, she pulled on his t-shirt, which hung to the middle of her thighs. She couldn’t help lifting it to her face and breathing in deeply. It smelled like him, his cologne clinging to the material, along with a faint trace of cigarette smoke. She looked over her shoulder, but he was as good as his word and had kept his back turned. She’d expected nothing less. Lisanne tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

  “I’m done.”

  He smiled as his eyes flashed appreciatively up and down her legs.

  “Sorry,” he said, catching her look. “I’m a guy.” He shrugged and winked at her, then scooped up her wet clothes, which had left a damp patch on the bare floorboards.

  “I’ll just be a minute. Lock the door behind me. I’ll knock when I get back.”

  While he was gone, Lisanne took a moment to examine his room. It was much tidier than she’d imagined, and the sheets on his bed were clean and fresh. He had a small bookshelf that was crammed with textbooks from school, and paperbacks by writers she’d never heard of. A lot of them had foreign names, Russian maybe. Stacked up next to them was a pile of toilet paper. Odd.

  In the corner, there was now a space where his guitar had been, and Lisanne felt horribly guilty for having mentioned it. Sometimes she only opened her mouth to change feet, she thought acidly.

  Then she saw there were half a dozen photographs tacked to a notice board. There was a picture of a younger looking Daniel and a slightly older guy she assumed was Zef. They looked alike, with the same black hair and hazel eyes. There was a photo of his parents, and a family picture of the four of them together – they were laughing.

  Then her heart skipped a beat when she peered closer. Daniel had included a picture of her among the family photographs. It was from the gig. In it, you could see clearly that she was singing her heart out. She didn’t even know he’d taken it. She wouldn’t even have known he’d been there if Kirsty hadn’t mentioned it, although he had texted her later.

  A mix of emotions rushed through her. He’d never heard her sing – and never would – but he’d wanted to keep that particular image of her. She didn’t understand. Surely that would be the most painful thing for him to see every day?

  A light tap on the door brought her back to herself.

  “Yes?” she said, hesitantly, and then felt like an idiot. He couldn’t hear her, of course.

  She opened the door cautiously, and Daniel walked in carrying two mugs of coffee.

  “Thought you might need this.”

  “Oh, lifesaver!” she gasped, wrapping her hand around the hot cup.

  “Sorry,” he said. “There’s no milk in the house. Someone must have drunk it.”

  He shrugged.

  “How can you stand to live like this?” Lisanne blurted out.

  He frowned at her. “It’s my home.”

  “God, I’m so stupid!” she croaked. “Sorry, Daniel.”

  He twitched a shoulder but he still looked hurt.

  “I mean it,” she said, touching his arm lightly. “I am sorry.” Then recoiled slightly. “Ugh! You’re all wet and clammy!”

  He smirked at her.

  “Yeah, rain will do that to you.”

  “I thought you were going to put your clothes in the dryer?”

  “Well, I’ve put yours in. I thought you’d want to get out of here as quickly as possible.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ll do mine later.”

  “Well, you should take them off, or you could get sick.”

  “Are you trying to get me out of my clothes, Lis. Should I take the hint?”

  She slapped his arm and huffed as he continued to grin at her.

  “Just messing with you, kiddo. Turn your back while I change. No peeking!”

  Muttering to herself, Lisanne turned her back, listening to the rustle of material as Daniel pulled off his wet t-shirt and jeans. She couldn’t deny it was a turn-on, hearing him remove his clothes while she was standing in the same room. Her body heated at the idea. And then a thought struck her: this might be her best chance to show him that he meant more to her – more than just a friend. She was desperate to know if he felt the same. Sometimes she thought so, despite the other women she’d seen him with. There was the photograph, too, but still…

  She took a deep breath and turned around.

  He was standing with his back to her, wearing a pair of dark gray boxer briefs. She studied the muscles of his broad back as they rippled and flexed under his skin. She followed the outline of the tattoos across his shoulders and let her eyes drift down his narrow hips, firm ass, and his long, strong legs. He was beautiful, but to Lisanne it was the beauty on the inside that she loved the most. It made her bold.

  Maybe he felt her eyes on him because suddenly he turned around, looking at her in surprise.

  “Sorry! Sorry! I… I just… I just wanted to see,” she mumbled, her flaming cheeks highlighting her extreme embarrassment.

  He cocked his head to one side, staring at her, but didn’t speak.

  She couldn’t meet his questioning gaze, so she allowed her eyes to wander over his chest. She gasped softly when she noticed the tiny, silver rings he wore in each nipple. It was so unexpected and erotic. It was so Daniel. Wishing she was brave enough to step forward and touch him, Lisanne cursed herself for being such a coward. Kirsty would have. Kirsty would have taken that step, not shuffled from foot to foot like a stupid little girl.

  Her eyes dropped further down and she was hypnotized by the bulge in his briefs.

  When he spoke, she nearly jumped.

  “Have you ever seen a man’s cock?”

  Her mouth dropped open, then she gave a small nod. “On TV.”

  He smiled. “Baby doll watches porn?”

  “No! God, no! Well,
maybe once – at a friend’s house.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “Not really. It was a stupid film – the plot was awful. There was no storyline at all.”

  He laughed gently. “Yeah, well, I don’t think that’s the point of it.”

  She flushed. “I guess not.”

  She was suddenly reminded that she was still staring at him – at one particular part of him. She was shocked when she realized the bulge had grown considerably larger. Her eyes flickered up to his, and he gave a small shrug.

  “Have you ever touched a man’s cock?”

  She shook her head wordlessly as he continued to gaze at her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him – and she didn’t want to.

  “Do you want to touch mine?”

  Lisanne’s heart began to sprint. What was he asking her?

  “I… I don’t know.”

  He stood for a moment, looking at her, then dipped down to pick up the sweatpants that he’d dropped.

  “Daniel, I…” she waited until he was looking at her again. “Daniel, I…” but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say.

  He gave a small smile.

  “It’s okay, Lis. It’s cool.”

  “No! I mean, I want to…”

  “Want to what?”

  She didn’t answer. Instead she took a step toward him and tentatively laid her hand on his chest, above his heart.

  His eyes fluttered closed and he breathed deeply, the movement gently lifting Lisanne’s hand as his lungs expanded.

  When he opened his eyes again, they were nearly black, and burning with desire. No man had ever looked at Lisanne like that and it took her breath away. A slow heat began to pulse between her legs and she knew that she wanted him. She wanted Daniel to be her first.

  Slowly, he raised his right hand, resting it gently against her cheek.

  “What do you want, Lisanne?”

  “You,” she whispered.

  He swallowed, and she was fascinated watching his Adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat.

  “Are you sure? You don’t get to have your first time again, baby doll. This isn’t how I’d imagined it.”

  A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips.

  “You’ve imagined it… with me?”

  He grinned at her.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? You are hot. I’ve wanted you since I met you, but I figured you just wanted to be friends. That’s cool. I like having a friend who’s a girl.”

  Lisanne’s smile faded. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But he said she was hot. That meant he liked her, didn’t it?

  “Can I just… can I touch you?”

  He nodded slowly, his eyes following her hand as it moved shakily to his waistband.

  Softly, she laid her hand over his crotch and felt his heat and hardness. He inhaled deeply.

  “You are so fucking sexy,” he said in a low, deep voice.

  She stared at him, amazed, but he didn’t repeat his extraordinary words.

  Feeling bolder, she rubbed her hand over him again and he groaned.

  “Oh, sorry!” she cried out, stepping backward.

  He grinned at her.

  “Nothing to be sorry about, baby doll – only that you’re fucking killing me here.”

  “Sorry!” she muttered again.

  He shrugged. “I’ll live.”

  He reached for his sweatpants again, but she laid her hand on his arm. He looked up at her, puzzled.

  “Can we just lie down together?”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “Okay, but this isn’t why I brought you here, Lis. You know that, right?”

  She nodded.

  “I know.”

  She lay down on the bed and, after a moment’s hesitation he climbed up next to her. He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. Her right arm automatically rested on his stomach and he hummed happily.

  He nearly leapt off of the bed when she stroked his semi again.

  “Fuck!” he yelled. “Lis! You’ve got to give me some warning, baby. You’ll give me a fucking heart attack!”

  She giggled nervously but kept stroking him.

  He leaned up to look at her.

  “Do you mind?” she whispered.

  “Fuck, no!” he said, gazing at her with amazement.

  “I want to see it,” she said.

  This time he didn’t hesitate. He lifted his hips and pushed his briefs past his knees, then thrashed with his legs as he kicked them off.

  His hard cock leapt up to his stomach, where it bobbed contentedly.

  Nervously, Lisanne ran one finger up the large vein and jumped when it twitched at her. She felt rather than heard Daniel’s chuckle.

  She ran her hand over him again, and heard his deep breaths as he sucked in air through his nose. His skin felt soft and smooth, but also hot and hard beneath her fingers. She squeezed and Daniel shifted his hips upwards into her palm.

  “Is that okay?” she asked nervously.

  He didn’t answer and she realized his eyes were closed, his breaths becoming shallow.

  Tentatively, she moved her hand up and down, pulling a moan from deep within his chest.

  “Fuck, Lis!” he whispered. “Can you go a bit faster?”

  She moved her hand up and down more quickly, enjoying the way his erection thickened and heated beneath her fingers.

  “Nnhhmm,” he groaned, encouraging her to move still faster.

  A bead of pre-cum glistened on his tip and, entranced, she ran her thumb over it.

  Daniel swore loudly and started pumping his hips into her hand, his head pressed backward into the pillow, his mouth open.

  She moved her hand more quickly, watching his face with fascination as his orgasm began to build.

  “I’m gonna cum. I’m gonna cum,” he chanted.

  Lisanne kept going and suddenly, three jets of pearly liquid shot from his tip, startling her. Daniel called out loudly, then lay still.

  His chest heaved, and his eyelids were screwed shut. Lisanne let her eyes drink in his masculine beauty. She felt proud of herself. She’d done that. She’d made him feel like that. Not some other girl. Not one of the skanks who hung around him all the time.

  She lay back on the bed and Daniel pulled her into a careful hug, nuzzling his nose into her hair.

  “That was awesome, baby doll,” he whispered.

  After another minute he sat up and grinned down at her.

  “You made a real mess of me – want to clean me up?”

  Lisanne wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Daniel chuckled and reached over his bedside table for some of the toilet paper he’d had piled up.

  He saw the expression on her face and shrugged.

  “I keep it locked in here or it disappears.”

  He wiped himself clean and tossed the tissues into a waste basket.

  “Come here.”

  Lisanne willingly snuggled into the warmth of his firm chest as he pulled the sheets over them.

  “This is nice,” he said quietly.

  Lisanne smiled as his free hand stroked her hair. She thought she’d die of happiness when he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

  She felt bereft when he sat up.

  “Lis, can I ask you something?”

  “Um, yeah?”

  “Have you ever made yourself come?”

  Her cheeks flushed pink. “No!”

  Daniel shrugged. “Just sayin’. Lots of girls do.”

  Lisanne blinked. “Yeah, I guess. But… I…”

  He brushed his nose against hers. “Do you want me to?

  “Do I want you to what?”

  “Make you come.”

  “Um, won’t it hurt?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “No. Why would you say that?”

  Lisanne wasn’t sure if she could blush any redder. It made it so much harder to have this conversation, knowing that Daniel had to see her face as she spoke.

>   “Because… because I haven’t had sex before.”

  A look of understanding passed over his face and his lips twitched in a smile.

  “No, baby. You don’t have to have my dick inside you to have an orgasm. Although I’d really fucking like to try that one day. I can make you come with my fingers if you like. Or my tongue.”

  “Your t-t-tongue!” she stuttered, unable to stop herself. Then she hid her head in her hands. “Oh God, I’m such a loser!”

  He pulled her hands away from her face. “Can’t lip read you like that, baby,” he said with a frown.

  “Sorry. Sorry. I’m just… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes. I’ll make it good for you, I promise. Just my fingers, no tongue.”

  He waved his jazz hands at her and she had to smile.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  He smiled back. “Could you wound my ego any more, baby doll?” Then his expression became serious. “Can I take your t-shirt off?”

  “N-no. I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “Okay,” he smiled. “No problem. But you’ll let me touch your tits, won’t you?”

  “Um, alright.”

  He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I won’t hurt you, baby doll. I just want to make you feel good.”

  Lisanne lay back on the bed, her body filled with tension.

  Daniel stroked her hair and kissed her lips again, gently tugging her lower lip with his teeth, until she opened her mouth a fraction.

  His warm, wet tongue stroked her lips and traced the outline of her mouth. She opened a little more, and his tongue caressed hers, pulling sparks of pleasure from her. She moaned softly and he hummed quietly into her mouth.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, letting him deepen the kiss.

  His hands rested lightly on her waist, then he pulled his lips from hers and planted a path of soft kisses down her throat and over the t-shirt, nuzzling her breasts softly.

  She gasped slightly and he looked up when he felt her move.

  “Okay?” he whispered.

  She nodded quickly and he continued kissing down her chest, pushing the t-shirt up from her waist so he could kiss and lick her exposed stomach.

  Her fingers gripped his shoulders as his head moved lower.

  “I… um…”

  He lifted his head to look at her. “What did you say, baby? Did you say something?”