All I Need (3 page)

After a few more dates she had him right where she wanted him. He was clearly attracted to her, kissing her with increasing passion each time they were together, yet he remained frustratingly gentlemanly. She knew he was aroused, could feel it in the touch of his exquisitely long fingers, could feel it, sometimes see it in his pants, which bulged with significant promise each time they kissed, yet he wasn’t pressuring her for sex. Not wanting to scare him off, but also not wanting to wait anymore, Justine decided she was ready to make the next move.

She was a resident assistant at Weinstein, so she had a single. There was no roommate to worry about, never mind the three suitemates she knew Daniel had to contend with over at Hayden. She picked a night and prepared. She’d made sure to be intimacy-ready since the first day she’d made contact with Daniel but she wanted this night to be a guaranteed success. She wanted everything playing to her advantage. This was not the time to make mistakes.

As she dressed for their date she felt a nervous anticipation she’d never experienced before. The wait for him to pick her up for dinner seemed eternal.

He arrived looking drop-dead sexy in a deep grey dress shirt,  open at the collar allowing just a glimpse of chest hair, and faded jeans slung low on his slim hips. Button-fly, she noted. Her fingers itched to undo each button.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Starving,” she said, though food was the last thing she was craving.

“Mexican okay?”

“Absolutely.” She was fine with anything as long as it was close by so they could go back to her place as quickly as possible afterward.

Caliente Cab Company was crowded, as usual, but they managed to get a table. The waitress came over after a moment.

“I’ll have the grilled chicken salad with the guacamole on the side,” Justine said.

“And what can I get you?” The waitress eyed Daniel with a look Justine had gotten used to seeing.  She loved the way other women looked at him, loved knowing they all wanted what she had.

“Can I get a burger, please?  Well done, with cheddar cheese and extra tomato.”

“Absolutely.” The waitress flashed a smile then bit her lip for a second. “Anything else?”

Daniel glanced at Justine. “Nachos?”

“Sure.” Justine tried not to laugh at his pronunciation.

“And an order of nachos, thanks.”

As soon as the waitress turned Daniel picked up Justine’s hand and the fluttery sensation returned with a vengeance. “What are you smirking about?”  His eyes searched hers, deep green and irresistibly sexy.

“You. With your extra tom-ahhh-to and your order of natch-os.”

His lips tugged into a grin. “You find that amusing, do you?”

“I have to admit, the accent’s quite appealing.”

“Well I’m glad to hear that. It got me into more than my share of trouble when I first moved to the States.”

Justine was intrigued. “Oh, really? Do tell.”

“I think the worst was probably the first day at my American high school. It was mid term and I’d arrived on an exam day. The teacher had me take the exam anyway so he could see if I was in roughly the same place as his students. I was so bloody nervous I kept making mistakes so I asked the girl next to me if I could borrow a rubber.”

Justine burst out laughing. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, I did. She looked at me like I had four heads. I’d no idea she was thinking I’d just asked her for a condom, all I wanted was what I now know you Americans refer to as an eraser.”

Justine continued to giggle. “So what happened?”

“I wound up crossing out my answers instead of erasing them and the girl asked the teacher to let her move seats the next day.”

“Her loss.” Justine said, thinking that if he’d asked her for a rubber she’d gladly hand him a condom and help him put it to use.

After dinner, they strolled through Washington Square Park. Justine bought an Italian ice and ate it while they walked, enjoying how hard Daniel swallowed each time he watched her take a lick. By the time they made their way back to her room she knew they were both more than ready. She struggled to keep from laughing at the number of times he shifted uncomfortably in his noticeably tightening jeans.

She entered her room with him, casually laid her purse on the desk, then started to remove her earrings. She knew she needed to wait for him to initiate things, although she was dying to pull him down onto her bed and get started.

She didn’t have to wait long. The second earring was still in her hand when he scooped her into his arms. He kissed her hungrily, the delicate, subtle passion of their first kiss giving way to a much more animalistic urge. His hands skimmed over her body, in a far less awkward manner than most guys their age. His long fingers traced the line of her spine under her shirt. She responded by peeling the clingy cotton top off her body, loving the way his eyes darkened at the sight of her lacy white bra.

He returned to kissing her, which she enjoyed more than she could even believe. The man could kiss. His tongue swirled around hers in a manner so suggestive and intoxicating she found it impossible to hold a thought. She’d never been so aroused from something as simple as kissing.
Usually when she was kissing she was going over a to-do list, or fantasizing about something else to get herself excited. With Daniel she couldn’t imagine thinking about anything other than him.

He lay alongside her, pressing against her through their clothes. Feeling him long and hard against her was making her crazy. She wanted more. She ground against him with such precision she came, moaning into his mouth. Momentarily lost in her own pleasure she fleetingly thought about the reaction her body was having. It shocked and almost frightened her.
Daniel.
His name repeated in her mind on an endless loop.

As she regained her composure she wondered if she hadn’t gone too far and made him come too. She realized he hadn’t and was impressed by his self-control. Most guys she’d been with would have lost it by then. Daniel, to her delight, was clearly still quite ready.

She didn’t want to wait any longer. They maneuvered out of their clothing.  She gasped as she wrapped her fingers around him. He was insanely hard, his skin silky and smooth, like buttery leather warmed by the sun. She wanted him. “I have condoms,” she said, reaching past him to flip open her jewelry box.

“Thank God,” he said, taking the packet from her. His British accent was even stronger when he was aroused, and the urgency in his voice made her tremble.

She propped herself on her elbow, watching as he rolled it on. Quivers of anticipation ran through her. She couldn’t wait another second. “Now,” she whispered into his ear.

He obliged, moaning as he slid into her. The heat from his body warmed her from within, creating sensations she’d never experienced before. They moved together, matching each other’s rhythm and she became lost in the moment, never wanting it to end.

He tensed and began to expand inside her. She knew he was nearing his limit and she’d have to act fast if she didn’t want to fake it. Not that she couldn’t have faked an incredibly convincing orgasm. She’d done it countless times. But this was different somehow. She was feeling new levels of hunger, greed and desire, and she wanted this one to be real.

Make it happen, make it happen
, she chanted, swiveling against him, harder. She felt him thrust even deeper and with one loud groan he pulsated inside her. It was all she’d needed. The final push, the throbbing, was enough to send her over the brink and she came. In spite of multiple efforts she’d never had a simultaneous orgasm with any other partner. She was speechless as she lay beside him, both of them panting. He leaned over to kiss her again, and the gentle, sensual passion of their first kiss was evident in his lips. She decided then and there, he was the one. She was certain Daniel could become everything she wanted him to be.

***

“We’re ready to begin,” the minister whispered to Daniel, guiding him a step closer to the altar as he took his place behind the pulpit.

The harpist played the first notes of Bach’s Arioso and Justine’s mother made her way down the aisle, smiling on the arm of her youngest son, Thomas. The music transported Daniel back in time, to his childhood. Every Sunday he’d awaken to the aroma of scones baking and the delicate strains of Bach or Vivaldi coming from his mum’s stereo. Hearing it now, he could practically smell the coffee brewing. It felt as if a part of her was there with him.

Thomas kissed his mother and waited until she was seated, then took his place beside Travis and Brent, alongside Daniel. The first bridesmaid began her slow, rhythmic march down the long carpet. Daniel had to stifle a laugh as he took in her flowing dress. Lavender.

***

He’d come home one day a few months earlier to find Justine seated on the living room floor, surrounded by fabric samples. He’d called the color silver and Justine had practically taken his head off. “They’re lavender. They’ll match the Sterling roses I want in the bouquets.”

“But Sterling is silver.” He loved to annoy her.

Even angry she was stunningly beautiful. Her eyes sparkled like twin jewels as she stared at him with defiance. “Fine, they’re a silvery lavender. Happy now?”

“Delighted.” He fingered one of the swatches, the silky fabric cool and slippery. “Does this mean you’ve settled on a dress?”

Justine’s brow furrowed. “No. Not for the wedding party. But I put a deposit on my gown this morning.”

“That’s big news. Is it one of the ones in here?” He plucked the Bride’s Magazine off the coffee table and flipped it open. Justine promptly yanked it from his hands.

“Give me that.” She shoved it under the couch.

“So it is in there.” He tried to reach past her, but she blocked him. “Let’s have a look.”

“No.” She shoved him hard. “It’s bad luck.”

Daniel had been shocked. Of the two of them he was always much more superstitious—he blamed it on his mum, with her insistence on throwing a pinch of spilt salt over her shoulder, or touching wood, just in case. Justine was usually far too logical to even consider such foolish precautions. “I thought you didn’t believe in bad luck.”

Her already pouty lips jutted out further, making her look unbearably sexy. “Let’s not take any chances with this particular tradition. Honestly, I can’t believe you even care. I assumed you’d just as well see me trot down the aisle stark naked.”

“Is that an option?” The image was certainly appealing. He ran his hand along the curve of her thigh, unable to keep from touching her.

Justine raised her eyebrows and batted her lashes. She tossed her head just enough to make her flaxen hair swish behind her shoulders, her trademark move which never failed to enthrall him. “You’ll have to wait and find out.”

“I think churches generally frown on that sort of thing.”

“That’s true. But you know I enjoy a good fashion risk.”

He inched closer, the citrusy scent of her perfume luring him to her.
Could any woman be more intoxicating?
“You could give me a preview here. If you don’t think it would be bad luck.”

“Being naked with you is never bad.” The purr of her voice was more than he could resist.

His mouth descended onto hers and she responded, as always, with passion so white hot it blocked out all other thought. Her lips, her tongue, her fingertips—every part of her stirred him into a frenzy. He couldn’t get enough of her.

He didn’t remember removing her clothes or his own but he could still feel the sensations. Her skin on his. The satiny fabrics slipping beneath them as they moved together, in perfect synch. Sex with Justine was nothing short of amazing. Intense. Explosive. Beyond anything he could have imagined.

***

The music paused then the harpist played the first notes of Pachelbel’s Canon and the entire congregation rose to their feet. Daniel’s eyes were drawn to the arched doorway at the far end of the aisle. Justine appeared, hand delicately placed on her father’s sturdy arm. Everything slowed. Time. His breathing.
He could hear his mother’s voice in his mind. “Find someone to share your life with. Promise me.”

Daniel’s heart hammered.
This is it.
Justine appeared to glide down the aisle toward him, her normally graceful movements even more so. She was a vision. White satin molded around her every curve, as if she were a Greek statue come to life. He’d been expecting a veil to cover her face, but instead a single piece off sheer fabric cascaded down her back, secured to the top of her head with a ring of shimmering crystals. Even from a distance he could see her clear blue eyes shining, locked on his.

She arrived before him and a tremor ran through him.
This is real.

The minister spoke, his voice startling Daniel. “Who gives this woman’s hand in marriage?”

Justine’s father cleared his throat. “Her mother and I do,” he said, with more emotion in his voice than Daniel would have imagined he was capable.  He kissed Justine on her perfectly smooth cheek, gave Daniel a nod and took his seat beside his wife.

The service continued but Daniel was only vaguely aware of the words being spoken. He could hear the stanzas of Elizabeth Barrett Browning being read, but the lines swirled together, mingled with memories and blurred by Justine’s beauty. He took in all of her, as if trying to memorize every detail. The curve of her cheekbones, the swell of her lips, the gentle arch of her neck, the contours of her breasts. Each bit of her more mesmerizing than the last. She was flawless. And she was about to become his wife.