Girl Gets Her Man Ch. 05

When the two were safely in their car and driving away, Daniel swiftly locked the outer door and turned back to her. "You've been having nightmares?" He voiced his concern. "We've got to get rid of those."

She smiled, "I wasn't asleep that night. I just didn't want to talk to her about what happened... you know... with Gary."

He gathered her to him and kissed her again. "Don't lie. You have nightmares. I saw it on your face when she said ..."

She looked up at his concern and coyly replied, "And what if I do?"

"Maybe, you need a change of venue."

"You mean, sleep somewhere else?"

He looked down at her and smiled, "She's a smart one. Smart enough to come up with my suggestion?"

"I couldn't. I barely know you. I don't think your dad..." Her protests were weak. He already had her through the swinging doors and into the house before she knew it.

"It's been nearly two months, and I thought I answered every question you could think of. Pop voiced his opinion. His room's right next to mine. I'm just offering a place to sleep. Do you really want to be there when Jesse gets back?"

He showed her up to the room, which seemed more like a hotel room than a bedroom. There was a queen sized bed against one wall opposite a small dresser and a very small chair. The thick curtains went from floor to ceiling and were a bold, burgundy contrast to the white walls.

"There used to be posters, but after I left, Pop decided to redecorate."

"After you left," Jo remembered the tension.

"Yes, I spent a year in France visiting relatives. Honestly, a relationship ended, I was a bit depressed, and Pop didn't want to see me that way," he casually offered as he pulled down the comforter and sheets.

"Over a girl?"

He stood up slightly and glanced at her sideways. "Her name was Candace. She and I weren't meant to be. Apparently, Pop really liked her."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wouldn't have met you. When you're born a lover..."

"You're born to suffer," she completed the line to the song.

"Depeche Mode. Yet another reason you're standing here in my room. What music don't you listen to?"

She shrugged, "I like a lot of different things."

He went over to his dresser and pulled out a shirt. "This should work for you tonight. Give me your keys."

She pulled them out of her back pocket and tossed the bundle to him.

He hefted them a few times and said, "You don't use half of these do you?"

"It's for protection."

He nodded in recognition of their first night. "Which one is for your apartment?"

"Why?"

"You want to wear the same clothes to school you had on yesterday?"

She nodded. "Nobody notices what I wear anyway."

He set them noisily on the dresser and put his finger to his lips.

"You can borrow one of my shirts," he said loudly.

A door opened and a pair of feet walked down the hall.

"He knows you're still here. He won't come in. I'll go downstairs while you get settled into bed."

When he got to the door he jiggled the knob and said, "I'll knock just in case." Jo pulled her clothes off and quickly put on his shirt. It was a lot bigger than her usual size, so it would work well enough for a night gown. She folded her things and set them down on the little chair. She slid under the covers and waited. She wasn't sure she should even still be in the room, but she knew down deep that he was different. He had to be. When he came back in with some blankets and pillows, she realized that he had been planning to sleep on the floor. He arranged the bedroll on the other side of the bed, pulled off his pants and sat down on the floor. She was surprised to catch a glimpse of a solid pair of legs. He snapped out his pants and gently folded them across his lap. He ran his fingers over the crease and flipped them in half again. He leaned over and set them on top of her clothes. He put his hands on the edge of the bed and quipped, "You know, I wanted you in my bed, but I never thought it would be so soon."

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Would you rather I slept on the floor at your house?"

"No, I'd probably put you on the couch."

"You know I wouldn't stay there. This way, we can talk. Later, I'll watch you sleep for a bit, then go set up the donuts," he said as he stretched out on top of the blankets.

"I didn't know you guys made donuts."

"Yeah, and monster cinnamon rolls with extra frosting," he sang to her.

"How did you know I liked those?"

"I didn't. Their my favorite." He looked at her and smiled. "The more I learn about you, the more I like. Wait just a second," he laughed to himself as he got up and went into the closet. He pulled out a speaker attachment for an mp3 player and plugged it into the wall. He shuffled through a coat in the closet and pulled his mp3 player out of a deep pocket. He plugged it into the stand and hit the play button.

"So, you never answered my question about the music. A lot of different things? Like this?"

She lay back with her hands under the back of her head. She listened thoughtfully for a moment, then recognized the song. "When I was in high school, I used to listen to XTC a lot."

"Not now?"

"An old boyfriend thought they were sad, so when we broke up, I played them all the time. It turns out, really depressing stuff makes me feel good. Not that XTC is depressing. Their stuff is fun. I started to be my own person then, I guess. Anything from England in the early eighties was the best. Then, I moved on to metal for a little bit. Right now, I'm back to old and moldy, or R&B. I'm redoing my collection one cd at a time."

He plopped back down to the ground. "When I went to Europe, I ended up with a lot of different things. XTC was one of my first discoveries. Music turned into something that would get me into places. I learned that some things aren't what they appear to be. Like you. I knew from the instant I saw you, there was something special about you."

"There's nothing special about me. Not a thing. There's only the potential for bad."

"I don't see bad in you. Something I want to find out about, possibly. I'd never say bad." His voice had dropped in volume. She'd thought he was drifting to sleep, yet he seemed to be wide awake in his words.

"You seem to make me do things I've never done before."

"Like what?" She felt a weight on the bed as he leaned in with his head on his hands. "Other than sleeping in my bed."

She turned and looked down at him. "Like that dessert thing downstairs. I'm not very observant of other people. You made me look at you."

"You look at me all of the time. You watch my hands more than anything," he raised a bit and wiggled his fingers.

"No, I mean, I knew what you looked like, but I didn't pay attention, I guess."

"I think I get it," he frowned slightly.

"What do you get? I sure don't get it myself."

"I know that you try to stop yourself from smiling a lot. Something I'd like to understand. You have very nice teeth, by the way. You spend a lot of time pretending not to watch people out of the corner of your eye. I think you assess all people as threats until they prove you wrong. And, you have this way of looking at me that makes my chest tight and fluttery at the same time."

She chewed on her bottom lip as he spoke again. "You know I'm all in. I just need you to be all in, too. You're not ready yet. I know." He reached a hand toward her and she leaned toward him. His fingertips brushed her cheek. "When you are, you'll tell me."

The song changed to an electronic chiming and then...

His eyes lit up with recognition. He sprang up with a mischievous smile. He reached down for her.

"Dance?"

She self-consciously pulled his shirt down over her knees as she slid out of the bed. She knew the song. It was slow and intoxicating. His hands touched hers briefly before he pulled her waist into contact with his body. She put her hands on his upper arms and allowed him to move her around the floor slowly.

His hands roamed across her back as they swayed with the music.

"I'm trying really hard to be a good boy, here," he purred as he raised a hand to caress her neck just below her hairline.

She closed her eyes and frowned, "You aren't a boy."

"No? I feel like one whenever I'm with you."

"What?" She'd been feeling the same way. She had reverted to that insecure teenage girl the moment he introduced himself. Every time he was near, she felt like a bumbling moron. It drove her insane.

"Okay, I admit it. You make me all squishy," he murmured.

She blushed.

"I'm sure it's a good squishy," he continued.

"Are you sure?" She looked away from him.

He put his mouth to her ear and took in a deep breath. "I've never felt like this, Jo, but the only thing I am is sure," his low quiet sensual words made her chest tight. "I'm sure you smell good. I'm sure you taste good. You feel just right against me. What else is there?"

The room went suddenly silent as the next song took a long time to start. She shivered in his arms as he bore into her with those solid slate eyes. He struggled to control himself. He felt this urge to keep her in his arms, but he knew this was too much to ask. If he did keep her, he'd want to kiss her again and leave marks all over her...

"Danny," she breathed. "We shouldn't."

"I know," he purred and let her go with a slow sad shake of his head. "I remember what I said. Nothing's happening. Not tonight, anyway."

He moved back to his bedroll and got under his blanket. He acknowledged the slivers of daylight that crept around the curtain by saying, "Good morning, Jo."

"Good morning, Dan," she tried not to sound too relieved as she settled back into bed.