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Ainsley welcomed Jodie into the house with a hug. Laura’s sardonic tone drifted toward them from further inside, followed by Jessie’s laughter. A drink appeared in her hand as they entered the room and the upbeat atmosphere caught Jodie’s attention at once.
“What’s going on?” She asked.
“Laura just made Assistant Nursing Manager in the Emergency Department.” Ainsley gushed.
“Thanks,” Laura said with a wry smile. “I don’t know how I could have told Jodie without your help.”
“Sorry Laura, I’m just so excited for you!” Ains teetered on the verge of bouncing up and down on the spot. “It’s the best day ever!”
“That’s great! Did something else happen?” Jodie felt excited for Laura too, but not bouncing off the walls excited. This seemed over the top, even for Ainsley.
Ains turned to Jodie, her eyes glittery and bright, “Eddie and I had sex!”
“Um, hasn’t that already happened before?” Jessie asked in confusion as she breezed through the room.
“Yes. But they had a fight, and now they’ve made up.” Jodie explained.
Jessie grinned, “oh sweet! Make-up sex is awesome.”
“And was it?” Laura asked. She knew of Eddie’s other form, and the reason why this had become a big deal.
“The best ever.” Ainsley sighed, sporting a dreamy expression.
Glad to see her friend in such good spirits, Jodie hugged her. She knew how much the situation with Eddie had weighed on her mind, and until Danny’s recent revelation, it had clouded Jodie’s mind too.
“How’s your back?” Laura changed the subject abruptly watching the ease in which Jodie moved.
“I’m still sore, but I can do most things without too much trouble.” Jodie sipped her drink, which seemed out to be some kind of pink fizzy wine.
“How are things going with Danny?” Ainsley wanted to know.
“It’s been a rocky road so far,” she replied. “I worried that things were starting to get too crazy with everything that’s been happening; now I think maybe we’ll be okay. We have our first official date tonight. It feels so weird to be having a first date after all we’ve been through.”
“A first date is good.” Laura nodded in approval, her blonde ponytail swishing back and forth. “You could do with a sizable dose of normal in your life. Since that’s out of the question, a real date is an adequate consolation. It’s better than what you’ve been putting up with so far.”
“Ooh, so where’s he taking you?” Ains wanted to know.
“Oh shit, I’ve got no idea.” Jodie’s eyes widened. “How am I going to decide what to wear?”
“Relax Jodie.” Laura laughed. “What time is he picking you up?”
“Um, 7:00 pm.”
Ainsley and Laura looked at each other. “Dinner,” they said in unison.
“So what should I wear?”
“Come and take a walk in my closet,” instructed Ainsley with a flippant wave of her hand before picking up her wine.
“Man, I wish I was her size.” Jessie pouted. “I would love to be let loose in her closet.”
Smiling, Jodie followed Ainsley to her room. After much debate, they selected a cream-colored dress with black piped seams. Sleeveless, strapless and with its own built in bra, it came down to mid-thigh. Jodie didn’t have suitable shoes, but Ains let her borrow the black shoes she’d worn last time with the red dress. She also found a little black bolero jacket for Jodie to wear over the dress in case they spent any length of time outside.
Knowing that Danny liked her hair loose, Jodie pulled back a tiny portion with the gold hair clip Ains had found and put on some gold hoop earrings. After Ains had put on her makeup, Jodie stepped in front of the mirror, surprised at how great she looked.
After one more drink with the girls, Jodie called a taxi. She didn’t want to walk back home all dressed up like that. Zach didn’t work Monday nights, so he was there when she let herself in. He did a double take and let out a low whistle.
“Man Jodie, you look incredible.”
“Thank you,” she said from behind a shy smile. “I have a date with Danny so I raided Ainsley’s closet.”
“You made the right choice.” Zach couldn’t seem to stop looking at Jodie. However, he must have realized that he’d crossed over from admiring her outfit to downright staring, because he suddenly became very interested in the pile of newspapers in his hand.
Smiling to herself, Jodie went to put away her work satchel and dab on some perfume. Digging out her black evening purse, Jodie transferred her ATM card, driver’s license, phone and lipstick over, then went back to the living room to wait.
Even though she’d gotten ready early, Jodie couldn’t relax. She got up, walked around and sat down again, thumbed through magazines without reading the pages and sighed several times. Zach grinned, amused by her impatience and kept glancing over as though waiting for her to sigh yet again.
*** *** ***
JODIE HAD HALF-EXPECTED Danny to be late, or not to show up at all. I mean, let’s face it – he doesn’t have a great track record so far. Nevertheless, he arrived right on time. The low rumble of his car was audible long before he pulled into the driveway, it sounded like it belonged on a racetrack. Knowing it had to be expensive; she wondered why nobody questioned how a barman could afford a car like that.
Her thoughts about the car evaporated as he got out. Jodie still could not believe how much he affected her. Just looking at his neatly combed hair and playful expression drove her wild. A tailored shirt a shade lighter than his hair complimented his black trousers. With black stitching and buttons, and a black Chinese style design down one side of the front, he looked very stylish. Without even trying to, they had coordinated perfectly.
Danny got out of his car and strolled up to the house with a spring in his step. He’d spoken to the guys about women having ideas over the way they’d like to be treated and needing a proper date, but in reality he did this as much for himself. Of course, he would never let Jodie know that he looked forward to the fuss as much as she did. He pulled up his hand to knock as she threw open the door with a high wattage grin.
He drank in her appearance, not bothering to hide the smolder from his eyes as he enjoyed the view. “You look breathtaking.” Danny told her as he stepped into the house.
“You look pretty good yourself.” She threw back, shyness creeping into her smile.
Danny leaned in to kiss her, but at the last minute changed his mind and brushed her cheek instead. “I would hate to ruin that sexy lipstick.” His voice sounded husky, as Jodie wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. “What did I do to deserve that?” He asked in bemusement.
“You showed up.” Zach called from the other side of the room. “I hope you plan to take her somewhere nice.”
Jodie looked utterly mortified. Danny could tell that Zach just wanted to look out for her, but Jodie didn’t seem to see it that way. From the way she’d looked at the poor guy, anyone would have thought he had made some sort of verbal attack.
“I’m not certain that ‘nice’ is the right word to describe it, but I know that Jodie will have a great time.” Moving to stand behind her, Danny stroked her long dark hair. Its sleek and shiny texture more than he could resist, he stroked a hand across it, the sensation like satin cloth.
"Can we just go?"
"Little Miss Impatient." Danny teased as they headed outside, knowing it would irritate her even more.
He opened the car door for her, before getting in himself. Danny figured that the little extra effort required to be a gentleman would be worth it and if he was lucky, it would score him brownie points. Watching as Jodie fussed around with her safety belt, Danny felt a stirring within. She’d never looked so damned sexy, and he wished he hadn’t made plans. All of a sudden staying home seemed much more appealing.
She pulled her hair to the front, so it wasn’t trapped between her body and the seat, and fussed around a little more. Once finished her head jerked up, as though she felt the weight of his gaze.
Aaand I just got caught checking her out. Again.
“What?” Jodie asked, suspicious eyes searching his face for clues.
“I am sorely tempted to forgo our date and kidnap you instead.”
With a tinkling laugh, she threw her head back, “oh really?”
“I want you,” his voice came thick with need. “I want you naked and I want to rub myself all over you. Then I want to be inside you.”
“Oh um, well, uh,” and just like that, fruitcake Jodie appeared.
Danny’s mouth twitched at the corners as he gunned the engine and roared out of the driveway. Jodie looked all hot and flustered, and couldn’t make her mouth work properly. She paid no attention to where they were going, and seemed quite disoriented when they arrived at their destination. As per usual, her mannerisms caused him great amusement.
“Why are we at the wharf?” Jodie asked with a frown.
Ignoring the question, Danny hurried around to open the car door. Offering an arm, he guided her towards the boats.
He took Jodie to a large yacht that had both sails and an engine. Her expression became unreadable as they got closer and Danny hoped he hadn’t made a mistake. Stopping at the edge of the wharf, she stared at the drop down to the water. Gripping Jodie’s arm a little tighter in a bid of reassurance, he walked to the gangplank and escorted her across. Once aboard the vessel, another man appeared. He stood a fraction shorter than Danny with a stockier build, all sculpted muscle.
“Mark, this is Jodie. Jodie, this is Mark Dion from the Unit.”
Mark had a slightly darker skin tone, and dark brown hair that hung in waves just past his shoulders. Though attractive, Mark had an air about him, the kind that made it clear he was not someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of.
“Pleased to meet you,” he offered Jodie a warm smile, his Northern American accent complimenting his image.
“Now I won’t feel like such a stalker next time Danny asks me to guard you.”
“This is Mark’s boat.” Danny said as he helped him to raise the gangplank and unfasten the moorings. “He owed me a favor, so I talked him into taking us for a cruise.”
“Thank you.” Jodie said with a polite smile. “As you can see, I’m not dressed for a boat ride. Danny didn’t tell me where we were going.”
“You’ll do just fine.” Mark insisted. “Now come and sit down while I go and rustle up some drinks.”
A table and chairs awaited them on the main deck, a crisp white tablecloth flapped in the gentle breeze. There were two place settings and a single rose in a thin vase. Next to it, a bowl of floating candles cast a soft romantic glow. Danny pulled out Jodie’s chair, waiting for her to sit down.
“Why are there only two place settings?” Jodie wanted to know. “Won’t Mark be joining us?”
“Well now, that wouldn’t be a very romantic first date, would it?” Danny chuckled as he sat in the chair beside her.
“Mark’s a chef, he’s preparing our meal.”
“Oh wow, that must have been some favor.”
“You could say that. Now that’s enough about Mark.
Let’s talk about you.”
“Me?” She squeaked, eyes widening.
Danny slid his hand under the table and rested it on her thigh, “yes, you. Are you all right? Not still freaking out?”
“Truthfully I’ve been avoiding thinking about it. We don’t have to discuss it any further tonight. I just want to have a great time.”
“I think we can manage that.”
Mark arrived with a bottle of German wine and two glasses. He poured it out and left the bottle on the table, disappearing soon after. Danny and Jodie held hands and sipped the wine as Mark started the engine and set off. Danny felt relieved the river bar was not rough as they crossed out into open water, it would have been a shame to ruin this moment.
The crisp air felt refreshing against Danny’s skin. A hint of a breeze teased Jodie’s hair about, but not enough to lower the temperature. Not a single cloud intruded upon the starry sky to mar the beautiful night. Mark had cranked up the sound system, allowing soft music to play in the background as Danny and Jodie talked. They got to know each other, conversing the way couples often did on their first date.
Mark prepared an impressive meal. He started out with a selection of breads and fresh dips. Then Danny and Jodie were served delicious little filo parcels stuffed with cranberry, camembert and chicken. Rice and steamed vegetables accompanied the meal, and dessert was a decadent crème brulee served with berries.
Mark’s brilliance as a chef could have earned him a star-studded career. Not only did the meal taste divine, the presentation would have impressed any food critic. Jodie made enough sounds and expressions during the meal that Danny knew it had impressed her.
By far the most romantic first date Danny had ever planned, he almost felt disappointed when they returned to the wharf around 10:00 pm. He’d had such a wonderful time that he didn’t want it to end, and most of that had been in watching her enjoyment of the whole thing. Thanking Mark and leaving him to clean up, Danny walked Jodie back to the car; put his arm around her and leaned in close. It felt so comfortable, so right.
When they had driven a few yards down the road, Danny turned down the stereo. “Come back to my place,” he begged.
“I can’t. I don’t have any clothes or a toothbrush or anything,” Jodie protested.
“You won’t need clothes,” mischief danced across his expression. “I can take you home first thing in the morning so that you can get ready for work.”
“Oh, um...”
“We don’t have to have sex if you aren’t ready. God knows I want you like words can’t even begin to describe, but I can wait. I’ll still be happy just to hold you.”
Jodie made a face, “you know that if I get into bed with you naked, I’m not going to be able to hold back.” “Well, I had hoped...” He grinned.
“Okay. I’ll stay.”
Thank God, Danny thought to himself. He opened the front gate of the fortress-style house with a remote, and made his way down the long driveway. The house loomed over them, even bigger than it looked from the street, which said something. Danny didn’t need to see Jodie’s face to know she felt a little awestruck.
Her face turned from left to right as she took it all in. The roomy yard had a second garage around the back, hidden by the house. Danny drove into one of the six slots and they got out. Taking her hand, he walked to the back door. The entrance from this side didn’t differ much from the one at the front of the house. It sat right in the center of the building, with another long hallway leading to a reinforced door, though this one had a keypad. Danny entered an eight-digit code and they continued inside.
The entrance opened right into the kitchen. The varying shades of grey were pleasing on the eye, and even without windows, the room had a warm feel to it. An expansive granite counter top hugged the entire length the room on two sides, with a large corner pantry between the two. At one end of the L were two wall ovens side by side with two microwave cavities above. At the other stood an enormous fridge-freezer combo. To finish it all off, a massive kitchen island with four bar stools graced the center.
A square table with eight chairs sat at the opposite end of the room and this was where Rufus, Jarvis, Adam and Leon played poker. Leon had his back to them and Danny shook his head as he watched.
“Leon’s cheating again,” he announced.
“Well hello to you too,” scowled Leon and begrudgingly removed three cards from his sleeve. “See, this is why I never play cards with him.”
“Thanks bro!” Rufus laughed. “How are you Jodie?”
“Fine thanks.” She tucked a lock of hair behind an ear and averted her eyes, shyness returning.
“Read ‘em and weep!” Jarvis put in as he slammed his winning hand down on the table.
“Aw man.” Adam groaned. “I’m out.”
Danny grinned, pleased that the casual banter between them hadn’t stopped just because he’d brought Jodie home. “How did it go?” Rufus addressed Danny as he shuffled the cards ready for the next round.
“It was a great evening.” Danny replied, giving nothing away as he turned to Jodie. “Do you want something to drink?” “No thanks.”
“Will you guys be joining us?” Jarvis asked, chugging back the last of his beer before collecting his winnings.
“No, I’m going to give Jodie a tour of the house. We wouldn’t want her getting lost in the middle of the night.”
“Are you staying, Jodie?” Rufus beamed, “that’s awesome.”
The other three guys at the table had also started grinning like Cheshire cats and Jarvis wolf whistled. Jodie blushed and hurried after Danny, on his way out of the room.
The kitchen, foyer and entranceways cut a path right through the center of the house.
From the foyer, large enough to house three long couches and a coffee table, there were six doors. The first three were toilets, a laundry, and the door to the basement. Then two more hallways ran perpendicular to the entranceways. One side contained a large office, home gym, bathroom, and four bedrooms. The other wing had a large living room, another bathroom, a storage closet and four more bedrooms. It was a massive house and Danny knew that anyone, even Jodie, would be impressed.
As Jodie entered Danny’s room for the second time, he tried to see the room through her eyes. Unlike the first time she’d come, the large metal-framed bed had been made up, and the room spotless. There were no clothes lying about and the place smelled fresh. Very few personal effects were on display and nothing decorative; it seemed obvious that a male resided there. Apart from the guitar leaning against the wall near the armchair in the corner, the room contained nothing at all to describe what kind of person Danny might be. He wondered what that said about him.
“You play the guitar.” Jodie observed after following his gaze.
“You aren’t going to ask me to serenade you, now are you?” He said, distracted. Danny didn’t want to be explaining why the guitar sat in his room right now; he wanted to be doing other things. Naked things.
Jodie’s eyes remained on him as he put his wallet and keys down on the dresser and unfastened his hair. He shook his head a couple of times, glad to be free of the restriction, before taking his time to unbutton his shirt. She stood there rooted to the spot and unable to look away. Danny knew the effect he had on her and played on it. Looking back at her over his shoulder, his eyes descended her shapely body as if she were naked, even though she was still clothed. She looks amazing tonight, and I can’t wait to taste her.
Danny licked his lips suggestively and shrugged off his shirt. The half-light cast a glow on his smooth skin creating sheen and shadow across his lean muscular frame. His broad shoulders and narrow waist begged to be touched, the muscles rolling beneath the skin as he moved with precision. He strolled closer, his eyes never leaving hers.
Danny’s lips lilted up at the corners as he pressed his body hard up against hers. Before either had time to blink, he had her face in both hands, tongue in her mouth. Probing deeper, he curled it against hers, eager to taste every corner. Their lips met repeatedly, and each time Jodie punctuated it with a small gasp or sigh. Danny slid her jacket off and brushed his lips against her bare shoulders. Her whole body sagged as she whimpered with anticipation, and he continued to explore her.
With the barest hint of a caress, Jodie ran her fingertips down his front, the rest of her remaining still. Her eyes burned for him alone as she raised her face to look at him, making Danny long for her hidden depths. Stooping down, Jodie placed her mouth over one of his nipples and sucked gently, teasing it between her teeth. Her arms wound around his body, holding him close as she moved to the other nipple.
While she busied herself with this task, he unzipped the dress. It fell to the floor with a ‘floop’ and left her standing before him in nothing but her panties and high heels. Danny cupped both Jodie’s breasts and massaged them as his mouth found hers again. He became so aroused he thought he would explode, and they had barely gotten started.
In a frenzy of unspent passion, they continued to undress. With a voracious appetite, Danny’s mouth explored her from head to toe. As much he knew she wanted to kiss and caress in return, she seemed to find it di
cult to move a muscle. He loved how his seduction mesmerized her; it made the experience all the more fulfilling for him.
Danny lay them down on the bed and opened her legs. Sliding his hand between them, his fingers danced across her delicate folds, gliding deep into the silken core beyond. Her inner walls grew slick with her desire for him as he pulled his fingers in and out. Jodie moaned as he found her sacred spot and rubbed across it.
When his movements slowed a little, she reached out to touch his manhood, but he caught her hand. “Uh uh.” He whispered with a coy half-smile. “Tonight, it’s all about you. Save that for next time.”
Jodie had no chance to respond as Danny came at her again, his mouth hungry for the taste of her. Chuckling at first, he nibbled on her earlobe, his breath fanning out across her neck. As her back arched in response, Danny’s urges began to get the better of him. Throbbing mercilessly, his erection refused to be ignored. He had to be inside her. The groans he made were starting to surpass hers, and he couldn’t bear to wait a single moment longer.
“I don’t have protection.” Jodie gasped, breathless as he slid down her body and thrust his tongue into her core. She’d been so busy welcoming his advances, she hadn’t even noticed him open the nightstand drawer or put on a condom.
“I’ve got it covered.” His velvety voice vibrated across her pelvic bone as he licked and probed flicking the tip of his tongue and pushing against the sides of her channel. Sealing his lips around her opening, he began to suck, alternating with each thrust.
“But...” He knew she’d planned to say more, but as her body bucked beneath him, Danny rose up again until their faces were inches apart. His silky hair pooled around her like a curtain. ‘Stop worrying and relax, honey.”
After another trail of kisses, Danny enveloped Jodie’s body with his. Reaching down between her thighs, he guided himself inside her. Her breath caught as her wet center swallowed him up, sheathing his full length inside. Using fluid movements, he worked his way in and out, gathering momentum. Her muscles gripped his shaft, forcing him to work for every inch. It was an ecstasy so close to torture that Danny stopped trying to restrain the vocal sounds he made. He couldn’t get enough of her, their rhythm increasing as he pounded her into the mattress.
What had started out gentle and sensual had now become a world apart. The whole bed rocked with every thrust, and the headboard slammed against the wall. It was wild and crazy, and Danny loved every second of it. He struggled to contain himself as she wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed tight. His soft moans penetrated the thick fog of lust between them and he forced their bodies even closer. When she raised her hips from the bed and began to push against him, Danny felt sure he would lose his mind.
Her restraint gone, Jodie bit down hard into the flesh at his shoulder. Danny cried out and they both exploded simultaneously. Collapsing on top of her, he gave a quiet laugh.
“Why are you laughing?” Jodie’s indignant demand made him want to laugh even more.
“You bit me,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “And made me lose all control.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled, ashamed. “I have no idea why I did that.”
“Shit Jodie, don’t be sorry!” He grinned, eyes sparkling. “You just startled me, that’s all. I just hadn’t expected it.”
“But it’s bleeding!” She protested, unable to look away from the beads of blood on the surface of his skin.
“You can kiss it better if you like.”
“You liked it!” Her eyes widened as she tried to hide her amazement.
“Indeed,” he rolled onto his back and spread his arm wide, allowing her to snuggle closer.
“That was incredible,” Jodie told Danny, as she wrapped around him.
“You’re telling me.” Murmuring into her hair and curling himself around her, trying to conceal the relief he wasn’t the only one who thought so. “Though, I can’t believe you ‘put out’ on the first date.”
“Danny!” She cried, swatting him as she pretended to be shocked.
In his arms, Jodie began to drift off to sleep. As his eyelids grew heavy and his body calmed from what they had just shared, Danny realized that he’d started purring. He knew that he would sleep well that night.
*** *** ***