Marry Me on Main Street

by LuAnn McLane

  “I have tons of ornaments where that came from. We’ll worry about gathering them after we get you warmed up.”

  Danny grinned. “I’m glad you put a we in there.”

  Susan laughed and he knew the pink in her cheeks wasn’t just from the cold air. “We is much more fun, don’t you think?”

  “No doubt. Still, I’m so sorry you fell,” he said.

  “I can trip over my own shadow, remember? Add ice and it’s almost a given that I’ll go down. But, am I early?” She put an apologetic hand to her chest. “I know you’re bartending tonight so I didn’t want to get here too late.”

  “No, I was in my workshop finishing up a rocking chair for Lily and time got away from me.”

  “Oh wait … you make rocking chairs?”

  “Yeah.” The excited tone of her voice made him nod, even though he didn’t quite want to admit it to her. Stupid, and he didn’t really know why he hesitated.

  “I know you’re super busy but would you consider making some chairs for my shop?”

  “I told you it’s only a hobby, remember?” Danny replied with a small shrug. Having her know about his furniture would be revealing a vulnerable side of himself that he wasn’t quite ready to share, even though he wanted to, and so he felt the need to hold back. “Just something I do to relax.” When Susan looked about ready to ask more, he pulled her into his arms and dipped his head for a lingering kiss. He would show her his workshop someday soon, but right now he had other things on his mind.

  19

  Genie in a Bottle

  At the touch of his lips to hers, Susan’s question flitted right out of her head like a butterfly taking flight. Nothing mattered to her except having her body pressed to Danny’s while he kissed her with a sweet hunger that had her opening her mouth for more. She held on to his broad shoulders and then slid her fingers into his damp hair, letting the tendrils curl around her fingers. The spicy scent of his soap mingled with the smoke of the crackling fire, filling her head with desire.

  When his towel slithered to the hardwood floor she nearly giggled but that would mean breaking the contact with his warm, delicious mouth and so she refrained. “Oops.”

  “Oh my …”

  He was hard, muscular, and naked.

  And he was all hers.

  The realization slid softly into her brain and slowly warmed her body. She wanted to touch him everywhere, explore every inch of his body with her hands … and then with her mouth. Susan had never felt this way, but the more he kissed her the more her shyness melted away like a delicate snowflake on her warm tongue. Knowing how much he wanted her chased away any inhibitions and her inner sexpot unleashed itself like a genie from a bottle. She slid her hands down over his shoulders and to his biceps, loving the feel of smooth skin over taut muscle. When she pushed her body even closer, he moved his hands downward, cupping her tush and pressing her to him, showing her how much he wanted her. Well good, because she wanted him just as much.

  Rusty barked, obviously not liking the lack of attention.

  “Really, dude?” Danny said to his dog. “Can’t you see that I’m, uh, occupied?”

  Susan laughed and then glanced over at Rusty, who gave her a pouty, hey-what-about-me expression and inched forward, tapping his paw on the hardwood floor.

  “Woof!”

  “I think he just said for us to get a room,” Susan said, drawing another chuckle from Danny.

  “I just so happen to have one available.” Danny angled his head sideways toward the hallway, but then pulled back and tilted her chin up. “We’re moving fast again.” While looking into her eyes he rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.

  “Apparently, I have a need for speed,” Susan said. “Who knew?”

  Danny tilted his head back and laughed harder. “You say the most unexpected things.”

  Susan wrapped her arms around his neck, amazed at how at ease she felt with him, even while he stood there in the buff. “Is that a good thing?”

  “Yeah, you keep me on my toes,” he said and then reached behind her and scooped her up in his arms. “Now, I’m going to sweep you off your feet.”

  Susan let out a squeal of surprise. “Are you crazy?” she asked, worried that she was too heavy, but he didn’t grunt or anything, thank goodness.

  “Yeah, crazy about you, Suzy Q,” Danny replied as he carried her with apparent ease. The great room became a blur of beautiful, sturdy furniture as he somehow managed to walk with fast, long-legged strides, barely avoiding lamps and end tables. Afraid she might kick something over, Susan tried to tuck her booted feet closer to his body, without much luck. “You have the need for speed too,” Susan said as he moved down the hallway and into his bedroom.

  “Oh no, I plan to savor every inch of your delectable body slowly,” he promised. He eased her onto an enormous four-poster bed constructed of white cedar logs. Kneeling down, he began tugging her boots off. Susan watched, loving the way his rich chestnut brown hair had started to curl around his ears now that it was nearly dry. The muscles in his shoulders bunched and rippled while he tugged and he fell back on his haunches when the boot popped off.

  Susan laughed. “Oh my gosh, I should have told you there’s a zipper on the side.”

  “That would have helped,” he said.

  “Sorry, but I was preoccupied ogling your body.”

  Danny chuckled as he pushed back up to a sitting position. “You can look as long as you like.”

  “That would be a very long time.”

  “Good,” Danny said. He braced his arms at his sides and gave her a killer grin. Fingers of sunlight reached through the windows, giving the room a soft glow. While she knew there wasn’t much daylight left, searching for a Christmas tree suddenly ceased to matter. Everything faded into the background while she focused on the man in front of her.

  Susan nearly gasped at the sight of Danny’s powerful body. Thickly muscled but without that bulky gym rat look, he was a glorious sight to see. He had a light dusting of dark chest hair that she longed to touch. And then she would trail her hands over the ridges of his six-pack. Susan swallowed hard. “You’re … one gorgeous man, Danny Mayfield.”

  “Thank you,” Danny responded with a hint of a blush that she found incredibly endearing.

  “Surely you know how incredibly handsome you are.”

  He shrugged. “I know that I like hearing you say so.”

  “Then I’ll have to keep reminding you.”

  “Mmm, now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to sit back and watch you take your clothes off for me. Starting with the other boot.” He pointed to her foot. “By the way, it unzips,” he added with a grin.

  “Okay …” Susan whispered, but she suddenly felt horribly self-conscious. When had she ever done a striptease for a man?

  Uh, that would be a great big never.

  Susan’s heart beat in anticipation and she wondered if she should go really slow? Swing her clothes around on the tip of her finger? The thought nearly made her giggle and then she realized she was literally shaking in her one boot, mind numbed with nerves.

  “Take your time,” he said softly.

  Susan gave him a smile that thank goodness didn’t tremble, although her lips were probably the only thing not trembling. “No need for speed?”

  “Not at all. In fact, the slower the better.”

  Inhaling a deep breath, she felt heat creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She nibbled on her bottom lip and tried to slow the wild beat of her heart. Leaning down, she unzipped her remaining boot and let it slide to the floor with a soft thump. She glanced at Danny, who watched her with intense expectancy. Taking her sweet time, she peeled off her thermal socks, glad that she’d thought to paint her toenails a glossy pink. “Catch.” She tossed the socks at Danny with what she hoped was a saucy grin, but her heart continued to beat like a jackhammer and her wild toss was way off the mark. Still, he managed to snatch one of them.

  Susan’s thoughts started to tumble ove
r one another. What if she totally sucked at this? After all, she wasn’t very experienced. Growing up isolated and only dating here and there had left her way down the line on the novice scale, like nearly negative. But just when she started to go into serious doubt mode, her inner sexpot reared her lovely head and whispered, Come on, girl, you’ve got this.

  Where have you been all my life? Susan wondered, but then thought it was actually Danny who made her want to toss caution to the wind and make wild uninhibited love to him. Holding his gaze, Susan pulled her snug cashmere sweater up over her head, so glad that she’d recently indulged in new bras and panties. Today she wore a cream-colored satin push up bra and matching wisp of satin and lace. She’d always wished for a fuller figure, but at the sound of Danny’s intake of breath, she guessed he liked what he saw. Feeling bolder, she unzipped her jeans, but had trouble peeling them off.

  “Let me help,” Danny offered and pushed up from the floor.

  “Coming to my rescue again?”

  “I think this is actually coming to my own rescue this time,” he said with a sexy grin. “Just lift your hips. I’ve got this, baby.” He gently tugged her jeans off and tossed them to the floor. “Wow …” He gazed down at her. “You’re even more gorgeous than I imagined.”

  “You’ve been thinking about me?”

  “Pretty much nonstop, and when I do stop, I start again.”

  “Really?” she asked softly, and when he nodded she felt a wave of emotion. She inhaled a deep breath, thinking crying right now would be the worst timing ever. But the thought of him daydreaming about her was just … well, wonderful.

  “Absolutely. You’re … just … full of grace and beauty. Everything about you blows me away. Just thinking about you puts me in a good mood.”

  “Oh …” she said, and gave him a smile. “What a lovely thing to say.”

  “It’s the truth,” Danny admitted and then joined her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a deep, hot kiss that melted her bones. She felt liquid … weightless, and when he trailed his fingertips over her bare skin she gasped with sheer pleasure. He toyed with the edge of her panties, touching, caressing, but leaving her wanting more. In desperation Susan arched her back, urging him to satisfy a yearning that seemed to start from inside of her and radiate outward in hot waves. Susan wanted, no needed, to have her body wrapped around his and feel his skin sliding against hers. Her entire body throbbed with the urgency and she arched her hips, allowing him to shimmy the wisp of satin and lace down her thighs. Rising up to his knees, Danny tossed her panties up in the air, laughing when they landed on a lampshade, dangling like a rock climber trying to get to the top.

  “I’m leaving them there forever.”

  “No you’re not!” Susan gasped but then laughed when she saw the teasing twinkle in his eyes.

  Susan sat up, reached around her back, and unhooked her bra, allowing the straps to slide down over her shoulders.

  Danny leaned forward and kissed the swell of her nearly exposed breasts. The moist warmth of his mouth had her sucking in a breath and when the tip of his tongue dipped beneath the satin, Susan closed her eyes and couldn’t hold back a breathy groan. When Danny pulled back she made a sound of protest but then she dimly realized he was tugging her bra the rest of the way off.

  She was naked, exposed physically and emotionally. Part of her still longed to tug the covers over her body but she didn’t. Instead, she leaned back against the pillows, her heart racing while he gazed down at her.

  “Susan …” he said, and she realized how much she loved something as simple as him saying her name. She’d sometimes longed for a more exotic or cutesy name but the low timbre of his voice felt like a soft caress.

  Susan swallowed, resisted the urge to grab a pillow as a shield, and instead, let him look his fill. Having always been taller than most girls, she’d been self-conscious about her body, but Danny seemed to drink her in with his gaze, lingering here and there. She felt her nipples tighten and desire like she’d never felt pooled between her thighs.

  “God, you’re just … wow,” he said when his gaze returned to her face.

  “A good wow? Because you know, wow can go either way.” She intended to be funny but the slight tremor in her voice gave her away.

  “No, an excellent, take-my-breath-away … wow.” He leaned down and gave her a light but lingering, oh-so-sweet kiss. Pulling back, he looked down at her with heavy-lidded eyes full of emotion. “Susan, I’m not one to toss around flowery compliments. I mean every word I say to you. I find you absolutely gorgeous. The vision of you leaning back against the pillows on my bed will remain like a snapshot in my brain forever.” Smiling, he tapped his skull.

  “Oh …” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. She smiled since he obviously liked what he saw … a lot. She’d never stepped foot inside a gym, too self-conscious to work out in front of other people, but being so active on the farm and in the shop kept her toned and fit.

  “I love everything about you,” he said.

  “Show me.”

  Danny explored her body with his hands, lingering, caressing, driving her desire into an absolute frenzy. When he took a taut nipple into his mouth Susan arched her back and groaned. His mouth was magic, creating a deep, aching need inside her. Threading her fingers through his hair, she leaned back against the plump pillows and let him explore her body. His hot, moist mouth and gentle stroking hands caused her to close her eyes and drown in the delicious sensations. When he oh-so-lightly trailed his fingertips over her mound, her breath caught. She tingled, she burned, and she wanted Danny Mayfield more than she knew was humanly possible.

  She needed to tell him, wanted him to know. Opening her mouth, she tried to voice her need, but all that came out was a gasp, a moan, and when he parted her thighs and touched his tongue to her core, she cried out with pleasure. “No … I … oh …” she said, wanting him to stop and then wanting him to never stop. This … this was too much and not quite enough … a spiraling upward climb, an ache … and then an intense orgasm burst open and fell, like colorful confetti raining down upon her.

  Susan’s pulse pounded, and she felt oh so … satisfied. She smiled and sighed. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. Wild and wanton took a backseat while she melted against the pillows. “Mmm …” She just wanted to curl next to him and revel in the sweet afterglow.

  She needed just a teeny little nap.

  But Danny had other ideas.

  Susan heard a drawer open and realized he was putting on protection. She felt a flash of guilt that she couldn’t exactly move one single part of her body. She seriously felt as if she were made of unset Jell-O. “Danny, I can’t …” she began, but he smothered her protest with a searing kiss that somehow reignited the flickering flame of desire, like a match to tinder.

  To her utter amazement, she became intensely aroused all over again. His mouth, the steely hardness, the wide set of his shoulders to which she clung, was like a sexy lifeline. He kissed her senseless and then entered her body with one sure, delicious stroke, filling her with need once more. Somehow completely recovered, Susan matched his rhythm, urging him faster, loving the way he filled her, stroked her, held her against the hard planes of his powerful body. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on to him, giving herself to him in a wanton way she didn’t even know she had in her.

  This went beyond physical and touched her on another level of intimacy that she’d never experienced before.

  When Susan felt the powerful pulse of his climax, she flew over the edge and clung to him while wave after wave of sweeping pleasure poured over her. Her heart thudded and every nerve in her body seemed to be on high alert. When he pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly, she was beyond words. In her limited experience she’d found making love to be pleasant, not mind-blowing or romance novel worthy …

  Until this moment.

  Susan could feel the solid, steady beat of Danny’s heart agains
t her cheek and she smiled. He kissed the top of her head and held her close, making her feel safe, cherished … He was silent as well and she had to wonder if he was feeling any of the same emotions that were soaring through her body like a kite on a windy day. She felt languidly immobile and yet energized at the same time. She wanted to shout with joy and spin around the room, arms akimbo like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music … if only she could move.

  Oh wow …

  I’m in love.

  The realization hit Susan like a bright white shooting star racing across the sky. Not just in love but head-over-heels-no-holds-barred-no-use-denying-it in love.

  And it scared the ever-living daylights right smack out of her.

  Pow.

  Oh no.

  What if this was just, like, really good sex to Danny Mayfield? Or maybe this really was just normal sex to him and extraordinary to her. Oh God, what if this was pity sex like the pity date to the prom? Perhaps she’d just set herself up for a really horrible, chocolate binging, whiskey drinking heartache.

  “What are you thinking, Susan?” Danny asked gently.

  “Nothing.” She tried for casual but her voice sounded frightened and small. Where in the hell had her inner sexpot suddenly scurried off to? Come back! Please!

  “I can hear the wheels turning in your pretty head.”

  “You have a very good sense of hearing.” Susan tried to joke but her voice came out low and breathless. Feeling completely overwhelmed, she suddenly wanted to jump up and race for the hills where, apparently, her fickle inner sexpot had suddenly run off to. She tried to get her emotions under control but failed miserably.

  “Apparently so,” Danny said. “Talk to me.”

  “I, um …” Susan tried to clear her clogged throat. Don’t cry! God … crying would just be horrifying. She seriously needed to just … bolt. But scurrying away would be really difficult since she was nude, with no idea how to recover her clothes without doing a hunched-over tiptoeing search around the huge room.

  “Hey,” Danny probed gently. He cupped her chin but Susan couldn’t look up at him just yet. “Talk to me when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere,” he said with a slightly worried tone that made Susan feel guilty. He hadn’t done one single thing wrong but how could she tell him she was freaking out over knowing she was completely, madly in love with him?