by Jess Dee
Amy nodded. Sarah hit the nail on the head. While the Tanner women always spoke openly about the leukemia, Daniel kept it firmly locked away. As a child, he’d simply accepted the return of her good health and left it at that. During the shoot, however, he’d had to come to terms with just how difficult Sarah’s illness had been for the whole family.
Daniel and Lexi chose that moment to join them.
“Things look pretty serious here. You guys not having a good time?” Daniel had a broad grin on his face and Amy noticed he’d cheered up significantly. In fact, he looked downright exuberant.
“Not really,” Sarah answered as she wrinkled her nose. “The entertainment’s lousy and the décor stinks. The least they could have done was hang some decent art on the walls.”
“Don’t worry,” Daniel said with a straight face. “I know the gallery owner. I’ll have a word with her.”
They all laughed.
Molly hugged her son. “You’ve made me very proud tonight.”
“Thanks, Mum,” Daniel answered and left his arm around his mother’s shoulders.
“Dad would have been proud too,” Sarah said and they all agreed.
Daniel’s father had died a few years ago and Amy envied the family’s ability to remember him with such love. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think about her own father in the same light—hell, she didn’t even know if he was dead or alive.
“So,” Lexi asked her brother, “how does it feel being the center of attention?”
Daniel couldn’t hide his smile. “Not bad. Although my eyes are still burning from all those flashes.”
“About time you learned what it’s like being on the other side of the lens,” Amy pointed out.
“Flashes are good,” Lexi said with authority. “They mean publicity. And the more publicity we have, the more money we can raise for the ward.”
“I don’t think raising money will be a problem,” Molly said, her indulgent smile back in place. “Valerie told me she already sold fifteen photographs—and that was an hour ago, on opening night. You still have the rest of the week!”
Amy thought about the price tags attached to each photo, did a quick mental calculation and gave a silent whistle. If sales over the next seven days continued the same way, they’d be able to refurbish the entire hospital, never mind just the ward. Well, almost.
She looked at Daniel, ridiculously happy for him. He was staring straight at her and for a moment their eyes locked. The room around them fizzled away. All she could focus on was her friend, his hooded eyes and that intense, unreadable expression.
Her stomach did three quick cartwheels, a summersault and a backward flip in quick succession.
What the—?
And just like that, it was over. “Sarah, I think Steve is looking for you.” Daniel gestured across the room.
Sarah looked up and waved at her husband who was beckoning her. “I’m sorry to do this,” she said, “but it’s getting late. We have to get back home to the kids.”
Amy looked at her watch. It was close to eleven.
“Are you ready to go, Mum?” Sarah asked.
“I am.” Molly hugged Daniel again. “Tonight was just wonderful.”
Sarah kissed everyone goodbye and Molly did the same, pausing to squeeze Amy’s hand before she left. “Keep well, my dear. I hope to see you soon.”
“You too,” Amy said, still slightly breathless from Daniel’s look.
“I’m going to see what the doctors on the ward thought about the show,” Lexi said, then added with a wink, “Don’t worry, Danno. I won’t let Leona near you.” Chuckling, she walked over to her friends.
A jolt went through Amy. Leona was here? She hadn’t seen her. What would she have done if she had? What was the appropriate behavior when confronting a woman who was after your best friend? Should she tell her how incredibly sexy Daniel’s kiss had been? How happy she was that Daniel had kissed her and not Leona?
Wait a minute.
She was not happy. Quite the contrary, she was doing her best to forget the damn kiss. Wasn’t she?
She shook the thought away and focused on Daniel, casting him a wry grin. “Have you seen her tonight?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve had to duck into the men’s room three times to avoid her.”
Amy laughed and hoped the sound wasn’t as tinny to Daniel’s ears as it was to hers. “Our, um…little façade didn’t work, did it?”
He rolled his eyes. “Not really, but I don’t want to talk about her now.”
“Anything you say.” Amy looked around and realized for the first time since they arrived she was alone with him. She took his hands in hers and pretended not to be scorched by the heat of his bare skin. “Your family is right, you know? You should be proud. Your work is unbelievable.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He held on to her hand.
“I love it.”
He brushed her palm with the pad of his thumb and her arm tingled.
She ignored it. “I’m glad to see the pre-show jitters are gone. You were so nervous before.” For some reason, it was her who was beginning to feel nervous.
Without saying a word he stared at her, his blue eyes turning a smoky gray.
“Daniel?” His gaze took on a predatory hue and she found her reaction to it most unsettling. “Are you okay?”
He blinked. “I need to get some fresh air. Come with me?” He didn’t wait for her reply. With her hand still in his, he turned and walked towards the balcony.
Chapter Five
Amy stifled the flustered sensation in the pit of her belly, demanding the unwanted butterflies perform their nervous dance elsewhere. She waited as Daniel swept aside a curtain, revealing a door she never knew was there. Before shutting it behind them, he pulled the curtain back in place, concealing their exit from view. It was deserted on the balcony, too cold for anyone to be outside. She took a deep breath of wintry night air.
Daniel’s behavior was…strange, and for the first time she found herself feeling awkward, alone with her friend. He led her over to a shadowed corner and leaned against the railing. It was dark there, the inky blackness obscuring her sight of him.
“You okay now?” She definitely wasn’t. A peculiar sensation churned through her chest.
“Almost,” he answered, his voice low.
She shivered, though whether it was from a blast of icy wind or his gravelly tone, she wasn’t sure. Blinking a couple of times, she waited for her eyes to adapt to the lack of light.
“You’re cold,” he said. “Take my jacket.” Slipping it off, he wrapped it around her shoulders and tucked it under her chin.
His warmth enveloped her and the intimacy of the gesture made her shiver again. Traces of his aftershave clung to the jacket and she inhaled, breathing in his spicy, familiar scent. It curled through her nose and coiled around her heart, making it flutter.
“Daniel?” She peered up at him. He hadn’t moved. His hands still held the jacket together just above her breasts and he was close, very close. Her nipples pebbled and she forgot what she wanted to say.
“Yes?” His mouth was mere inches away from hers. The cloak of darkness lent a clandestine aura to their conversation and tingles chased their way up her spine.
“Uh…nothing.” How could she talk when he was this close?
“Amy?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to kiss you.” His breath fanned her face and her stomach lurched.
Hadn’t she already told him? It wasn’t right for friends to kiss. “You probably shouldn’t.” Her tone lacked conviction and her eyelids were becoming too heavy to keep open.
“Why not?” His body hovered against hers.
“Honestly?” She quivered as sensation drowned out rational thought. “I can’t remember.”
The tip of his tongue touched her lips and she shuddered.
“Still think I shouldn’t kiss you?” His voice was a smoky whisper.
She shook her head. �
�I can’t think at all when you do that.”
“Do what?” he breathed. “This?” He flicked his tongue over her lower lip and she whimpered. “Or this?” He ran his tongue under her upper lip.
“Mmm,” was all she could manage.
“How about if I do this?” He pressed his lips against hers for the shortest time.
“Daniel.” His name came out as a soft moan.
“Amy?” He stroked his cheek ever so lightly against hers.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Their kiss struck fever pitch the instant their lips met. Heat seared through her as she opened her mouth and he plunged his tongue inside. It tangled with hers, tasting, exploring, driving her half crazy with need.
If anticipation had drowned her logic, then his kiss immobilized her mind. Reality faded away. For the longest time she could only feel. Instinct and Daniel became her two guides and she blindly followed where they took her, heedless of the outcome.
His mouth was hot and wet and filled her with the most delicious sensations. The taste of scotch lingered on his tongue and she drank it in, unable to get enough.
He tightened his fingers at the back of her neck as his mouth ravaged hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and was vaguely aware of the jacket draped over her shoulders dropping to the ground. Unable to resist, she stood on tiptoes and held her body flush with his.
As her pelvis made contact he gasped and backed her against the wall, pressing himself so close she felt in fine detail every miniscule move he made, every erratic breath he took.
And she felt his jutting erection just below her stomach.
“More…” She groaned and yanked his shirt out of his pants, the impulse to make contact with his bare flesh dictating her every move. He loosened his hold so her hands could creep under the soft cotton, up his sides and around to his chest. Her hands imbibed the warmth of his skin as she ran them over his muscular torso. The lean power contained there awed her, lending further credence to his undeniable masculinity. His heart pounded beneath his ribs, its staccato rhythm matching her racing pulse.
Sweet Lord, he felt good. She grazed her fingers over his nipples and he jerked.
“Morgan…”
She answered by grinding her hips against him, whimpering as her clit grazed his erection. The clothing between them did little to dampen the erotic feel of his hard cock.
Moisture gathered between her legs and she groaned into his mouth. What little cognizance she had of the world around her narrowed until it vanished altogether. The only thing she was aware of was Daniel. Daniel and the way he touched her, the way he made her feel.
His hand found her swollen breast and closed over it, massaging until her breath came in short spurts. Her chest heaved as longing grew and blossomed, spreading its sensuous poison through her veins. When he took her aching nipple between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed gently, the sensation spiraled downwards, vibrating through her belly and lower. She stopped breathing altogether and was convinced she’d faint from sheer pleasure.
Daniel’s mouth kept her firmly grounded. His kiss set her blood on fire. She moaned. She kissed. She ached.
With one arm wrapped around her shoulders—keeping her mouth fastened to his—he ran his hand down the length of her skirt. Then slipped it underneath.
Amy was sure her heart would stop. For an endless moment he rested his fingers on her knee. The anticipation of what would follow left her shaking helplessly. She was on fire, burning with expectation. Somewhere in the far recesses of her mind, a tiny voice cautioned her, warned her that whatever action she took now would have serious, long-term repercussions.
She paid the warning no heed, such was the power of her voracious need for him.
Touch me. Her yell was silent—she was powerless to find expression for her thoughts.
As if responding to her unspoken command, he dragged his fingertips up her inner leg, over her thigh-high stockings and onto bare flesh. Each inch of skin he brushed over was so sensitized his touch reverberated through her entire body. She turned to liquid in his arms.
“Danny.” Her moan guttural, she shifted, inviting his hand to complete its journey.
An inch away from his target, he stilled and muttered a thick curse. A second later his finger traced her lacy g-string, his touch as light as a feather and as hot as burning coal.
She gasped at the contact and bit his neck. Tremors shook through her. She shifted again, needing to feel his touch on her naked flesh, the pleasure and relief his hand could bring.
He nudged the wisp of lace aside and ran his finger through her slick folds. Her head fell back, her eyes shut, her mouth incapable of speech. Even the tiny voice in the back of her mind was silenced by his strokes.
“God, you’re so wet.”
Wild with need, she pushed against his hand.
“So wet, I can feel your cream on my fingers.”
She felt it too, felt the moisture coat his hand. His finger traveled upward, found her aroused bud and caressed.
Yes. Oh God, yes. She twisted in his arms.
He rewarded her by adding pressure to his touch. “So wet, I can smell your desire.”
She wasn’t going to faint, she was going to die from pleasure. Her fingers raked his back as she fought against losing control.
“You’re making me so hot, babe. I’m so hard, it hurts.” He thumbed her clit, massaging in small circular motions as his finger slid against her wet slit and delved inside.
Yes!
“Feel me, feel what you do to me.” Full of wonder, Amy moved one hand from his back and tentatively cupped the bulge in his pants.
He slipped his finger deep inside her and her muscles clamped down involuntarily as sensation shot through her.
“God, Daniel…” She couldn’t complete her sentence, her mind overtaken by sensation. Instead, she closed her hand around his cock and began to massage it. He grew even longer beneath her touch.
“You know what I’d really like?” Daniel moved his finger out then slid it back in again.
The same thing she’d really like? For her to rip off his pants, duck her head down and take him in her mouth. To run her tongue up the length of him, kissing and licking and sucking until he lost all control and came in her mouth.
“A blow job?”
He growled in her ear. “Besides that.”
She dipped her fingers below the waistband of his pants. His penis jumped and he pushed into her hand. It was a tight fit, but she palmed him, holding the satiny, steel-like shaft. “No.” Her voice was huskier than usual. “Tell me.”
“I’d like you to come.” The low whisper in her ear nearly did her in. His thumb circled her clit and he slipped a second finger inside her. She let out a strangled gasp and he caught her tongue in his mouth, sucking gently. He pulled his fingers out then slipped them back in again. Then again and again and again.
She thought her legs might collapse beneath her.
Her thumb brushed against the tip of his penis and she felt the milky drop of his pre-come on the head. Without another thought, she brought her thumb to her lips and sucked, the taste of his salty essence filling her mouth.
His movements stilled as he watched her, a low growl erupting from his chest.
With slow, controlled actions she licked her lips, then his. His entire body shook in response.
“You taste good.”
“Christ, Morgan.” He clamped his lips over hers, his tongue searing her mouth as his fingers renewed their carnal seduction.
She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as he increased the pace.
“Come for me, baby.” Daniel’s voice was strained now. “I want to feel your juices pour over my hand. Come on. Come for me.”
Tension built inside her. Pleasure grew and grew. Sensations swirled as his touch weaved its magic. She was alight, on fire, about as hot as she’d ever been. He increased the pressure with his thumb and drove in even higher. She could bear it no more.
>
Her pleasure peaked and her body tightened, her inner walls clamped down in a mind-shattering orgasm. Still he toyed with her, kneading and caressing as wave after wave of ecstasy hit her.
Juices poured out of her and she heard Daniel’s satisfied words. “That’s right, baby. I can feel it. Come for me, come hard.”
She did. So hard, her knees buckled. She had to grab his waist for support, otherwise she’d slide to the floor in a boneless heap. For several minutes she leaned against him, breathless, as the spasms subsided. All the while Daniel whispered encouragement in her ear, holding her close with a steadying arm.
As the euphoria of the afterglow began to settle around her, she remembered there was a not-so-small matter still needing her attention. Dropping to her knees, she gave in to her previous desire.
She wanted a mouthful of Daniel.
Now.
In record time she unbuckled his belt and slid his zipper down. She eased his cock out of his boxers, felt it twitch. She licked her lips in anticipation and then licked the tip of his cock. Hunger overtook her and she indulged herself. Greedy for him, her tongue repeatedly laved his shaft and then twirled around its head, lapping away another bead of semen.
God, he tasted good. Salty and masculine.
Low moans filled her ears, urging her on, his fingers woven through her hair.
She wrapped her hand around the base of his cock and took a second to look at his face. His head was thrown back, his eyes narrowed slits. Even in the dark she could see the desire in his expression. She smiled, opened her mouth and closed it over him. A muffled groan sounded above her.
“Christ…Amy.”
Forming a tight, wet cavern with her mouth, she sucked him, loving his taste and his feel. Loving the shudders that wracked his body every few seconds. Her head moved to a rhythmic beat, her hand trailing in its path. As his cock grew in her mouth, she moved faster, sucked a little harder.
Daniel’s breath came in sharp bursts. “Amy…”
She cupped his balls with her free hand. His body tightened and froze. With a throaty groan, he came, shooting come into her mouth. She hungrily swallowed every last drop, lingering over her feast until his orgasm subsided.