Girl Gets Her Man Ch. 20

Daniel Langier watched her sleep peacefully from his chair. He sipped at his ice water to try to fill the pit in his chest. He tried to think of what to say to her. He'd said he was sorry, but it didn't feel right. She'd covered his mouth and rolled away from him. They shouldn't have done it. He'd pushed her too far, last night. She'd wake up and hate him. When he got out of bed to use the bathroom, he thought he should probably leave. He couldn't bring himself to do it. 'This is bad, but I deserve whatever punishment she gives me.'

She rolled over and opened her eyes. He smiled slowly at her and she raised up to focus on him.

"You let me sleep? What time is it?"

"It doesn't matter. I'd rather you got your rest," he softly said as he set down his glass and sat down next to her on the bed.

"Did I snore?" She looked up at him with those beautiful brown eyes and sighed. He couldn't help the kiss he pressed to her forehead. He had to reward her for that look.

"No," he smiled to himself. "You were like an angel."

"Angel! Ha!" She sat up straighter and wrapped the sheet around her. "Not after what we did, last night."

'Not after what I did.' He didn't laugh. He didn't want to see the easy smile on her face. He made the mistake of looking away.

"What's wrong?" She turned his face with her hand and looked right into him. 'She can see it all over me, can't she?' She studied him as he tried to come up with something to say.

Her eyes were just narrowing when he blurted out, "We shouldn't have slept together."

Her mouth dropped open slightly and she pulled the sheet closer over her breasts. "Was I that bad?"

She looked away from him. He had to reassure her before her shoulders folded in, "Oh, no. I just...last night...I rushed through and... Maybe you weren't ready."

She frowned at him, "I bought the condoms. I came here with you. You didn't force me to do anything."

"But, I saw your face."

She touched his arm, "It's okay."

"It's not. Not the way you looked at me," he crossed his arms over his bare chest. He'd only seen a shadow of what she'd actually done, because he'd been kissing her part of the time. When she screamed he stopped. Her body had been tensed under him. She'd dug her nails into his arms and shut her eyes tight. Her mouth opened, and her teeth clinched tight. The terror was still frozen on her face when she finally opened her eyes again.

"Dan," she sighed with her cheek on his shoulder, "You have to cut me some slack. It felt good. Really good. I just need a little practice, okay?"

"Practice," he mumbled.

"I was a little scared, at first. That's all. I shouldn't have been. I'm with you. You don't scare me. I scare me," she pointed to herself.

He wanted to believe her, but there was something not right in the way she rushed through the words. He ran his fingers over her forearm and slowly down to her fingertips. "Baby..."

"Donatello," she firmly said. "Stop thinking so much. Come back to bed." She'd called him Donatello. It sounded good coming from her.

* Joanne urged him to lay down with her hands. His muscles were firm under her fingers. 'He's right. I know I flipped out,' she sighed as he finally settled into the mattress. 'It was stupid. I shouldn't feel weird with him. I just wanted things to be good. Why can't things just work out?' As she ran her hands over his back, he let out a soft sound and said, "I'll give you forever to stop that."

She wanted to see the places she'd been denied for weeks. Dan turned to his back and silently surveyed the situation. She dug her fingers into his hair and ran her nails over his scalp. She bent forward and smelled his hair. His face moved into a strange expression when she moved to his face. Her palms rested on his cheeks as she traced his eyebrows with her thumbs. She bent down and kissed his lips. She teased at his stubble and put her lips to his neck. She found a sensitive spot on the side of his neck and he squirmed slightly. Her mouth went to his shoulder and she fanned her hand across his chest. She felt his breathing quicken as her hand moved deliberately over his abdomen.

"Okay, babe. I'm not too sure about this," he purred as he picked up her hand.

"Neither am I," Jo said as she tried to move toward him again. She wasn't sure where this was going, but she wanted it. She wanted him inside her again. This time, she wanted to be with him, instead of inside her head.

"I want us to be sure," he said slowly and precisely. "Absolutely, sure. Because, I don't want to do this again just to do it again."

"Well, maybe, I just wanted to see some things, before I made up my mind," she blushed. 'God, I am such a teenager, right now.'

He rolled his eyes and muttered, "I can't believe I'm gonna say this." He covered his chest with the sheet and said with a suppressed laugh, "Up here only. No below the waist until I'm ready."

She sat up and let her end of the sheet drop. She liked the way he was distracted by her bare breasts. The way that he focused on her, she could almost feel him on her skin. She snapped her finger in front of her right nipple and put her hands on her hips. "So, when exactly will you be ready? A girl has needs, you know?"

They both laughed. Dan wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Room service," he offered as he scanned her face.

She was a little hungry. She let her arms drop to his sides and put her temple on his rough cheek. "Sure."

*

Joanne didn't really want to go back home, but she wanted to change her clothes and maybe take a shower. She smelled like Dan, which wasn't so bad, but she didn't want other people smelling him on her. She needed to get back to her books. She wasn't sure how long they'd been in that hotel room, but it was definitely more than one day. They'd lazed there in bed for a long time with his skin against hers. She had this urge to fill the silence with talk, which was different for her. Joanne couldn't stop once she'd started and talked about any and everything. She elicited a throaty chuckle when she told him what she thought of him when she first met him. She got a few more laughs with stories from her childhood. Then, Jo started to explain what she figured he wanted to know. She started at the beginning.

"Jerry came over for piano lessons. I was horrible. The lessons ended. He kept coming over for dinner. I had a crush on him. What girl wouldn't? He was big and handsome, like one of Dad's paintings. At first, I was so happy he liked me. I mean, he could have any girl on that block, but he chose me. Little old me. That entire summer, we went almost everywhere together. Mom and Dad thought he was watching me. And, they thought he was the best thing for putting up with me. Huh. Well, you know what happened. After that, I tried to gain weight, but he liked me bigger. I tried hiding, but that didn't work, either. You see, he's the son they never had, so he was always there at the house. I couldn't stand being in my own home. I just started to find ways to be gone. I studied. I locked myself in my room and worked on being stronger. I sure was strong last night. I'm sorry I went crazy on you. You waited so long, and I messed it up," she droned on. She wasn't even sure he was listening after a while. She was sure she felt him next to her, but he didn't make a sound in response.

Joanne woke up when room service came. He made her stay under the blanket and fed her from the tray. Pancakes were not a good choice. He got syrup all over her and the comforter. He did his best to get the stickiness off of her arm with his mouth. The syrup added more sweetness to his already delicious lips. Then, they went back to sleep. It was familiar to do that, but it made her thighs warm. When they'd done it with clothes, there was this physical barrier and they had observed a strict boundary in the bed. He used to avoid her breasts. Now, he wrapped his arm around them and held her body against his. His caresses were less controlled under the covers, as well. Joanne couldn't drift off again, but concentrated on the sound of his breathing. When she finally decided to get up, she felt his lips on her ear and shoulder.

He murmured close to her ear, "Don't leave me, Jo. Can't we stay here?"

She said a quick, "No. I need to study. I've got to get home."

The shower at the hotel was too rough on her skin. She only got herself wet and dried off. The lack of a shower didn't seem to make Dan uncomfortable, but that was his thing. He seemed to take pleasure in the fact that she smelled like him. He even offered to go get her books, if she'd take her clothes back off. She held firm and demanded to go home, though she would have probably reconsidered with a stronger effort on his part.

On the walk up to her door, he put an arm around her and commented on the warm breeze. He hadn't done that in broad daylight, before. He'd been smiling a lot, too. 'Does sex really do that to men? I mean, I don't really feel like smiling, but I guess I'm doing it, too,' she thought. He touched his lips to her temple and held his hand out for her keys. That's when she remembered, "I don't have 'em. They were on the coffee table..."

"Not to worry. How much do you want to bet Jesse's waiting at the buzzer?"

He was right. Jesse said an annoyed, "What?"

"Can you buzz me in? I left my..."

Before she could finish her sentence she heard the hum of the latch releasing, and Dan pushed the door open.

*

"Where the hell have you been?" Jesse growled as she yanked their apartment door open. "I called your mom!"

"Hold on, there," Dan held Jesse back with his hands on her arms to keep her from rushing Joanne before she got through the door. "We had some things to discuss."

"Discuss?" She tried to dodge around him, but he was faster. "Damn, it! Get out of my way! I need to see her for myself!"

"No," he held firm, "you need to leave her alone."

"It's okay, Dan. Jesse, we just needed some time to ourselves. I guess I've got some stuff to say to Mom, then," Jo moved around them to get to the phone.

"You're wearing the same stuff you were wearing three fucking days ago!" Jesse tugged at Dan's shirt sleeve. She put her face to his chest and took an audible breath. "And, you smell."

Daniel let the little woman go, and shrugged, "So."

"So, you either were stranded on some road for three days and finally walked back here, or..." Jesse scanned his face with a grin. "You two were fuckin'! You two were fuckin'!" Her voice became lyrical as she chanted those words repeatedly. A realization must have struck her suddenly, because she balled up her fist and struck him in the chest. "Damn, I hate you! You two had me all worried, and you were just shacked up getting all freaky! So, how was he?"

"SSSHHH!" Joanne dialed the number she didn't really feel like dialing and held the phone to her ear.

- -Hello, Jesse?- - A tired voice picked up on the other end.

"Dad, are you okay?"

- -Oh, bay,- - she heard a long sigh, - -you at home?- -

"Yeah, Dad."

- -You alright?- -

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just went away for the weekend."

- -We're coming over.- -

"That's really not necessary. It's a four hour drive. I'm fine. I'd really rather sleep..."

- -We're already in town. When Jesse called we came right down.- -

'How am I talking to you, then if you're not at home? He forwarded his calls?' Jo must have shown her surprise because Dan leaned over the half wall in front of her. He mouthed, "What?" She shook her head and turned her back on him. He pulled her against the half wall and pressed a kiss to her neck and went into the living room. She couldn't help but smile.

"Well, Jesse overreacted. I'm fine, really. It's none of her business if I want to go..." The buzzer made her jump.

- - Let us up.- -

"What? Were you waiting outside my door?"

- -We were drivin' around looking at the ditches and alleys for your corpse.- -

"Dad..."

- -Just let us up. - -

Joanne hit the button and looked at Jesse and Dan fighting over the remote control. It was more normal than her life had been lately. She really should be nervous about her parents coming up, but she was way too tired. 'Maybe, they'll get along with Dan. He's really a nice guy.'

She raised her voice, "Hey, my parents are coming up."

Dan immediately dropped the remote into Jesse's grasping fingers and gave Jo a look she'd never seen before. Before she had the opportunity to investigate the mood behind the look, her father's solid rap shook the door on its frame. She tugged at her dirty shirt and opened the door. Her father surprised her with a tight hug the moment the door was wide enough. The last time they were face to face, he wasn't too happy with her.

He moaned into her ear, "Bay, you're okay?"

She laughed nervously as he squeezed her a little too tight and turned her away from the door. "I was..."

Jesse screamed before something caught Jo's ear. The sound was distinct. She tried to shove her way out of her dad's grasp, but she could only struggle as she heard flesh hit flesh again. 'What's happening?' All she could do was yell, "Dan! Daddy, stop this!"

"Just let 'em work it out," he grumbled. "Sit still and let them fix this."

A heavy object hit the floor and shattered. "Oh, no," her father muttered.

It could only be one thing. "Grandma's vase! Daddy!"

"You brought it on yourself, girl. He's defending your honor, right now."

She blinked at him, "Is that what you think?"

She heard a shuffling across the carpet. "So much for your big words, huh, Danny? Touch her again, boy. See what I do."

Jo heard the phone scrape across the counter and the buttons being pressed.

"What are you doing?" Jo was suddenly free. Jesse, with the phone in the air, was more pressing to her father.

"I'm calling the cops. What does it look like I'm doing," Jesse snapped as she put the phone to her ear. "Hello, yeah, there's a fight in our living room..." Her father yanked the phone out of her hand and hung up the phone. Jesse rolled her eyes, "Now, you know they're coming."

Jo turned to see Dan kneeling on Jerry's back as he struggled wildly. "You give?"

"Get off! Dan, shit!" Jerry dropped his hands to the floor and rasped, "I give, okay. Get off!"

*

Dan stood up and offered his hand to Jerry. The man waved it away and stood up. "When the hell'd you get so heavy?"

"I grew up," Dan frowned as he eyed his former friend. "You should, too. We going again?"

Jeremy Carter stood there with his hands on his hips, for a moment then dropped himself onto the couch. "Naw, man. Why'd you have to go and do this?"

"Do what?"

"Damn it, Dan. You shoulda left her alone, but you took her."

The two kept each other's eye in a slow battle of wills. Dan wasn't completely convinced Jerry would stay on the couch.

Jo walked slowly toward Dan without looking over at Jerry. Her voice was tense when she said, "He didn't take me. I went with him. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, babe," he said in a soft tone and touched her arm when she was close enough. That touch worked to calm him and he pressed his palm into her wrist. She looked up at him with an almost imperceptible smile.

"Joanne," Jerry grumbled, "How could you? You couldn't wait for me to be out of town, could you?"

Joanne hunched her shoulders. "What? I'm supposed to ask your permission to go away for the weekend with my man? That's none of your business. What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"Pop called me. He said you were missing, so I caught the first flight."

Joanne cringed, "He's not your pop. What part of leave me alone, didn't you get? I want you out of my house."

Jerry surveyed her crossed arms and general closed stance and smiled, "Go ahead. Be mad. Spend your time with him, but you're coming back to me."

Before Dan could do anything, Jesse ran over to the couch and smacked Jerry over the side of his head. Jesse seemed to cry, "Fuck you, Jerry. What was I? Some place holder? I thought..."

Jerry caught her hand, before she could connect again. "You ain't nothin' but a ho, girl. I hit that less than three hours after we met. What did you think you were? The only reason I called you after that night was because I thought you knew Jo. This was complicated enough, with what she thinks happened, but then you had to go and tell 'em to fuck."

"Stop it, now, Jerry," Dan hissed.

"Don't get me wrong, bra. If I were you, I'd have hit that, too. But, my girl and I have some things to straighten out. You don't know how she feels about me. Does he, Jo?"

"Yes, he does. He does. Jerry, it's not like that. I don't want any more trouble," Jo forced out as she held Dan's hand over her wrist. "Please, leave..."

Jerry made no movement, but a cocking of his head to the side. "You didn't tell him, did you? How you came to me? How we worried..."

Jo curved her shoulders even more. "There's nothing to tell, Jerry. I told him everything."

Jerry smirked, "Everything?"

Dan put both hands on Jo's shoulders and spoke. "Yeah, I know everything there is to know. You can't pretend that you have this secret together. There's no reason to dance around this, anymore. Mr. Croix, I'm sorry. I wanted to give you some time, but you're not gonna let this rest, are you? She didn't want you to know what kind of a person he is, because she loves you."

Jo turned to face him. By the look on her face, he knew she didn't want him to say anything else. He avoided her gaze and set his jaw. 'I'm doing this for you. You'll thank me.' "Well, I don't give a damn if it hurts your feelings. This man," Dan pointed at Jerry still on the couch. "This man raped your daughter."

Joanne looked at her father. James Croix looked at his daughter as if he'd never seen her before. The man didn't seem to have heard what Daniel said. Jerry's loud laugh burned his ears.

Jerry's voice raised an octave, "She didn't tell you that! Did you, girl? Did you tell him that?"

"I," she started to say something, but nothing came out. Daniel rubbed her arm to encourage her to speak, but he could feel her fear under his fingers.

"See, there? You can't lie to my face, can you? What? You tell him this bullshit, so I look bad to him? I knew you were mad at me, but I didn't think you'd go this far," Jerry rumbled as he got off of the couch. "Hey, Pops. Don't believe this. I told you before, I never did anything to hurt her."

"Yes, you did," Dan heard her finally talk. It was so quiet at first, she had to force the rest of the air out to make it audible.

"Huh," Jerry smiled at the sound of her voice. The man seemed to think that Jo would fold under his gaze. Dan kept his hold on her arm to remind her that he was still in the room.

"You," she looked down at her feet and mumbled, "raped me."

"Joanne," Jerry warned, "you don't mean that."

Jo shook her head at him, "I do. You raped me. You said no one would believe me. You used me. You used my family against me. Just like you're trying to do, now."

Almost automatically, the sneering disbelief disappeared from Jerry's face. He pleaded, "That's not what happened! We made love. You stayed the rest of the night with me. I told you I love..."

A heavy knock came to the door. Jesse ran to see who it was.

Jerry continued to try to convince her of his point of view, "Why would you stay with me all of that night? Why would you let me kiss you?"

Joanne sighed, "I don't know." The tears welled up as she looked toward her father again. By the look on Mr. Croix's face, Dan wasn't sure he'd done the right thing anymore. The old man drew back a few steps.

Jesse returned with a police officer. "Look what I found." Another cop was standing outside the open door. She smiled at the officer in the room, "As I said, there's nothing going on here. I thought they were getting into a fight, but everybody's okay. Right Jo?"