Homecoming Ch. 07

Again, I want to give a shout out to Techsan for the exemplary editing job. Thanks one and all for all of the great comments; and, thanks for reading my story. Readers, please keep up with the comments. They encourage me to get on with the next chapter. They also let me know if I'm going in the right direction. That's not to say that I am going to give everyone what they want -- LOL! But hopefully I can give you a little of what you need...as promised. Cheers and thanks again.

Chapter 7

Thanks to Lula's petulance and a maliciously spilled cup of coffee, Justine had managed to secure an entire morning with Daniel and a date with the most eligible bachelor in town. To be fair, she'd had her doubts about her chances of success with this breathtaking specimen.

It was this uncertainty that had prompted her to hedge her bets; she'd asked her father to simply drop her off and leave her stranded at the Carven estate. She'd planned to use her predicament as an excuse to solicit some "private" time with Daniel and perhaps purloin an invitation to be his date on July Fourth.

She'd been almost positive that her initial attempt was failing when Lula rescued her floundering efforts by unceremoniously spilling a scalding cup of coffee all over the front of the her linen dress -- a small price to pay; she had a dozen at home just like it in every imaginable color. Even as she was silently cursing the day that that "black bitch" had been born, she knew that there had to be a way to turn this "accident" in her favor. She'd found a way.

As Daniel gazed at Justine's perfectly poised sexy pout, he realized that he was trapped. Of course he'd drive the little vixen home so she could change. Of course he'd ask her to be his date for the Fourth of July picnic. What red-blooded man in their right mind would turn down an opportunity like that? Besides, who else would he ask? Lula?

Daniel mentally revisited the "accident" that had just taken place only moments before and began to fume anew.

"Just where the hell did Lula get off attacking Justine like that?" he groused to himself as he took the "Venus of Raleigh" by the arm and led her to his father's pickup.

He'd seen Lu pull some malicious stunts before, but this last one was too much. She could have really hurt the girl with that little act of hers. And even if Lu didn't appreciate what Justine had to say about her, a full-blown assault with a scalding cup of coffee wasn't exactly the answer either. Lu's temper was going to get her into trouble one day — of this Daniel was certain.

As vexed as Daniel was at Lu, Justine was secretly just as grateful. Keeping her conversation light and away from all things "Lula," Justine managed to lighten Daniel's mood considerably. By the time they reached the driveway of her Greek Revival-style mansion, Daniel had convinced himself that an afternoon with Justine would be more pleasant than he'd anticipated.

She'd laughed in all the right places without sounding forced or too eager. She'd asked about his first year at West Point and seemed genuinely interested in his answers, even picking up on slight nuisances in their conversation and asking for more detail. In short, Daniel's conversation with Justine had been the first calm and rationale conversation he'd had with someone his own age since he'd come home; he was grateful for the respite from the tension-filled encounters with Lula these past few days.

As the two entered the cavernous foyer of her palatial home, Justine made sure to warn Daniel that no one was home and he should wait in the drawing room while she changed — it was fitting for all gentlemen callers to wait in the parlor or drawing room for their intended. She'd even offered to bring him something cool to drink while he waited.

Justine: the perfect hostess, adept at entertaining and excelling in deportment. The art of subtly wasn't lost on her when she wanted to finesse a situation to her advantage.

Daniel waited patiently in the drawing room, pretending to be interested in the family portraits and expensive bric-a-brac tastefully displayed like relics in a museum. The Farewell home had always seemed a little unsettling to him, lacking any of the warmth and subtle elegance his own home offered. Indeed, the Farewell mansion accurately reflected its owners, beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, while simultaneously giving off an austere, cold feeling.

As Daniel meandered around the large drawing room, a chill passed through him. He involuntarily shivered and repeatedly checked the doorway, mentally willing Justine to hurry and finish dressing so that he could leave this mausoleum. Something unnerving hung thick in the air in this house. Daniel wanted out.

He'd decided to call upstairs for Justine, when he heard a loud crash followed by a shrill cry as Justine called out to him in surprise. Taking two steps at a time, Daniel ran up the stairs to Justine's room, his heart pounding in his throat and anticipating the worst. When he reached the girl's door, for the second time in less than two days, Daniel was left dumbstruck.

Justine was standing in the middle of her bedroom surround by the twinkling shards of glass that had once apparently been a crystal vase. The contents of the vase, a bouquet of at least two dozen white roses, were strewn on the floor. Water pooled around the girl's feet, which were clad in expensive cream-colored platform shoes — the strap on one shoe was broken. Daniel could only guess why Justine had decided to slip on the uncomfortable footwear given that she was wearing very little else.

Justine feigned an attempt at modesty by trying to cover the important parts of her body with her hands. The white silk and lace slip she'd pulled on left little to the imagination. The garment seemed to be poured onto her body, outlining each curve with perfection. The high-heeled shoes put her legs on display as she pretended to cover herself by crossing her legs in front of her and covering her bottom half with one hand — a picture perfect pin-up pose; the other hand was occupied with the pretense of covering her breasts, her bubble-gum pink nipples perkily defying her attempts at modesty. At that moment, Daniel understood Justine's allure.

"Daniel, don't just stand there gawking...help me," the blonde Venus gasped as she captured Daniel with pleading eyes filled with helplessness.

"I was rushing to get dressed and the strap on my shoe broke. I knocked the vase off of the dressing table when I lost my balance," Justine motioned to the floor at the discarded carcasses of white roses sacrificed at the altar of deception.

"There's glass everywhere and I am petrified to try and walk away in these heels for fear I'll break my neck or cut my feet to ribbons."

Daniel sighed; Justine's obvious attempt to get him upstairs to her bedroom had worked like a charm. Surprisingly, he didn't half mind being the object of this ruse. It kept his mind off other things — and other people.

"Stay right there, I'll come and get you," he struggled to keep the exasperation and amusement out of his voice.

She'd woven a crafty web in order to get him in this particular situation. He was starting to wonder if this had been her plan from the moment she'd started pawing him in his driveway. This theory was quickly dispatched with the memory of Lu and the scalding coffee "incident." There was no way that Justine could have orchestrated that accident.

Daniel crossed the room to her in only a few strides. The two stared awkwardly at each other in silence — Justine pretending to be embarrassed and Daniel acting as though he hadn't any idea that he was walking into a tender trap.

For the few moments that Daniel stood in Justine's personal space, he enjoyed the view her feminine charms offered before bending down and scooping her up in his arms. Feeling an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu, Daniel turned and strode purposely back to Justine's bed where he carefully placed the precious cargo.

His hand lingered a little too long on the small of her back as Daniel wrestled with the idea of taking Justine up on her silent offer. The hesitation was not lost on the petite vixen and she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Daniel's neck and pull him into a kiss.

"That's your reward for coming to my rescue and being such a gentleman," she cooed as she stroked the curls on the back of his neck, "a lesser man would have ravished me where I stood."

Daniel stared down at Justine in amazement. He was more amazed at himself than this woman-child's attempt at seduction — an inviting and not entirely unsuccessful attempt at that. His libido was working overtime.

Sexual frustration pent up from twenty-four hours of unfulfilled need seemed to virtually burst at the seams as Daniel felt his cock beckon him with a familiar jolt. He looked down at the golden-haired beauty beneath him, her arms draped around his neck; her pink lips were poised to drink in another kiss. Daniel succumbed to temptation and bent down to partake of her offering.

Pushing away thoughts of another night with another beauty beneath him, Daniel lowered Justine back onto the bed. He pressed his body against hers, reveling in the feel of her nakedness beneath the thin silk of her slip. Once again, Daniel was in luck; very little stood between Justine's warmth and the touch of his flesh against hers.

As Justine wriggled beneath him with delighted anticipation, Daniel's hands molded to her silk-encased form. He stroked and explored the slippery curves of her body, listening to the sound of his calloused fingers rubbing against the exotic fabric. Pausing only momentarily to cup the small perfect orbs of her breasts, Daniel's breathing quickened and he dipped his head down once more to savagely claim Justine's soft pink lips.

She mewled and moaned beneath him, encouraging him to take what he wanted by pressing her body against his. She could feel his hardening need and the hot moist core of her own being throbbed in response to his body's demanding call. She raised her hips to meet his as the two began grinding against each other in a silent, lusty tango, the steps to which both knew instinctively.

"Mmmmm...Daniel, don't make me beg you," Justine managed between ragged gulps of air as she reached beneath his t-shirt to knead the hardened muscles of his back.

She pressed her belly against his own muscular torso and began grinding her dampening pussy against the denim covered steel of his thighs. The friction was almost enough to make him cum before he'd even had an opportunity to take off his pants. His fingers, seemingly thick and clumsy from passion, began to fumble with his belt buckle in earnest.

Unable to curb her patience any longer, the enthusiastic southern belle literally took matters into her own hands, reached up, unbuckled the stubborn belt and peeled the jeans and underwear off Daniel's body with one seemingly effortless pull. Daniel's shirt was the next article of clothing to be unceremoniously removed as Justine tore at him like a gift-wrapped package on Christmas day. Once completely rid of his clothing, Justine paused in awe. Daniel was beautiful.

Even as children, Daniel had held a fascination with the spoiled heiress. Now, kneeling over her in all of his sculpted glory, he'd managed to take her breath away.

He was striking in every sense of the word — at once ethereal and masculine. Sun-kissed olive skin, smooth as marble, stretched over sculpted muscle. His face, almost too pretty to belong to a man, sported touches of masculinity with a sculpted jaw and a strong chin beneath full, soft lips that were created for the sole purpose of consuming. Of all the features on his beautiful visage, Daniel's eyes captured her like nothing she'd ever experience. Clear, almost translucent steel-gray beams of light from beneath dark brows pinned her with intensity. He was almost too beautiful to be a man.

"My God, Daniel, you're even prettier than I am," Justine opined aloud, only half-conscious of her vocal admission.

Daniel chuckled deeply as he bent down to position himself on top of her.

"Well, let's not go too far," he replied huskily as he nuzzled her neck and nipped at the tender perfumed flesh.

"I'd say I've got the better view from where I'm sitting," he continued and worked his tongue down an imaginary trail on her neck stopping to nip and kiss the flesh of her shoulders and throat before sampling the bubble-gum peaks of her nipples through the thin fabric of her slip.

He'd had no idea how much he needed this release until now. He stared down at Justine's body, supple, taut, ripe — ready for the taking. His cock treated him to another involuntary twitch in anticipation. Perhaps Justine was precisely the answer to his problems -- no baggage, no issues, no strings. Most importantly, she came with no misplaced incestuous guilt. Justine was the answer...at least for now.

Even as he pressed his tongue against her strawberry lips in order to gain entrance, images of a darker beauty refused to quit his mind. Justine was what he needed. Another was what he wanted. Want and need, two emotions that were never going to reconcile themselves in this situation.

Daniel couldn't have what he wanted, but he'd take what he needed. Right now he needed Justine; staring down at the embodiment of sex writhing beneath him, Daniel knew that he needed Justine almost as much as she wanted him. That was enough. It had to be enough.

Justine looked up at her paramour through shaded pools of limpid green. He'd known her for most of his childhood. He'd known her brother with unpleasant familiarity as an arrogant, crass boy he'd defeated in pre-pubescent combat in defense of the true manifestation of his want — Lula.

Now, he'd know Justine in a much different way; and, although he knew this new relationship was starting out backwards, Daniel also knew that he didn't want this moment to be cheapened just because his needs required immediate attention. Joshua Carven would have expected more from his son; Daniel expected more of himself. This path had to lead somewhere beyond this. For now, however, the body needed what it needed. Daniel had no doubt that, if asked, Justine would say she felt exactly the same way.

Careful not to crush the delicate magnolia blossom beneath him with his full weight, Daniel settled the length of his body on top of Justine, who moved beneath him with liquid sensuality. Her dampening womanhood had soaked the fabric of her slip, providing an x-ray view of the golden curls beneath. Daniel's hand traveled down the length of her body, coming to rest at the apex of her triangle. He paused briefly in order to enjoy the feel of her breathing beneath him — her chest rising and falling with each labored snatch of air from her lungs.

"Are you sure you want this, darlin'?" Daniel asked through clenched teeth.

He'd wanted to give Justine an "out" although he knew her acceptance of this reluctant offer to stop would probably drive him over the edge of madness.

"Everything changes between us if we do this. I won't let this go," his voice was hoarse, aching from days of pent up sexual frustration — he would play the role of a southern gentleman to the end.

This surprising show of tenderness was not lost on Justine. Her eyes softened at the realization of the prize she was about to win. She'd expected a conquest and was getting a lover. How had she come to deserve this? A wave of emotion almost swept her into melancholy.

"Daniel sweetheart, I've wanted this for as long as I can remember," she responded with all of the tenderness her raw passion would allow.

That was all the permission he'd needed.

Pushing the hem of her slip up above the apex of her entrance he watched her expression, half-expecting her to scream for him to stop. When no such request came, he allowed his fingers to trail down between her dampened thighs and caress the guarded womanhood that lay beneath her feminine mantle.

The aroma she emitted was intoxicating. It took every ounce of control not to race through the motions of their lovemaking to the inevitable crescendo. He'd wanted to plunge into her depths with reckless abandon; his belief that she deserved more than a "quick fuck" stopped him from this indulgence.

He'd take his time with her. He'd savor her. He was going to claim her the way he'd not been allowed to claim his true desire. His guilt required this.

The two were silent in anticipation of the cataclysmic encounter they were about to experience. Poised above her, Daniel rubbed his manhood, now an iron sheathed instrument of its own will, against her soaking bush. He watched for signs of displeasure or anxiety. He saw none.

Continuing his carnal introduction, he parted her thighs with his knee and filled the space between them with his body, making sure to purchase friction for his cock against her slit. The sensation was delicious as was evident through the soft gasps and moans his ministrations were eliciting from the woman whose body he was now staking his claim.

Justine was becoming impatient, raising her hips in syncopation to each of his pelvic gyrations. She was anxious to turn the page. Daniel was anxious to avoid hurting her, even if she seemed "experienced."

Taking in her diminutive form, he'd guessed that charging in to suppress the fire might cause her some discomfort given his size. Although they were currently caught up in a passionate embrace, eventually post-coital euphoria would dissipate. If she didn't feel it now, she'd feel it later. He'd have to take his time with her.

Sensing his reluctance to seize the opportunity presenting itself, Justine shifted her body so as to position him at her entrance and, without a moment's hesitation, pulled him down and into her. She released a guttural groan as he sank into her depths without resistance.

"For God's sake lover, you're driving me crazy." She gasped as she impaled himself on his column.

Daniel gasped as if he'd just been plunged into icy spring water. Sucking in breath through clenched teeth, he took Justine's lead. She didn't want it slow and tender — her appetite was as voracious as his.

They both watched in breathless anticipation as Daniel pulled himself out of her, his manhood glistening with her juices. He only paused a moment before plunging back into her depths. As he did, he released a growl that could have easily been mistaken for rage if taken out of context, and buried his face in the crook of Justine's shoulder as he fought to keep his sanity. Three weeks and two days had been too long for him to do without and his earlier encounters with Lula hadn't helped his restraint.

Justine purred in his ear and wrapped her legs around him challenging his battle to slow the intensity of their union.

"Darlin', are you alright? I don't believe I said you could take a rest at this stage of the game," her lilting voice played in his ear.

"Come on, sweetheart, we both know that we're in too deep to reconsider now."

Daniel hadn't been reconsidering anything. He'd been contemplating just how much of the beast he could release without tearing this sweet southern belle to pieces in carnal hysteria. Worse still, every few moments, Justine's cool green eyes were replaced by another set of honey-hued orbs.

He knew this visual deception was his guilt playing him for a fool. He was with Justine now and this was exactly where he was supposed to be. As if driving the point home, he retreated only to slam his body back into the vixen a few more times for good measure. His new lover was more than pleased with his response.

"Mmmmm...God...Daniel, that's it...right there...just like that...come on, sugar!" Justine coaxed as her lithe form wriggled in ecstasy beneath him.