Harnessed Passions (21 page)

"You're supposed to throw your bouquet," he
told her softly. "It's tradition." Julia felt the color rise in her
cheeks again, as she turned her back to the crowd as he handed her
the flowers. At least it gave her a moment to collect her thoughts.
Daniel was still next to her, his hand on her the small of her
back, as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Smile Princess, people are watching." Julia
turned to face him, realizing her mother and brother, along with
Harold and his wife Margie were standing at the bottom of the
stairs watching them. She smiled shyly and tossed the flowers
across her shoulder. A squeal from the crowd announced the bouquet
had been retrieved, but she could hardly think as Daniel knelt down
on the step below her.

"Shall we see whom she marries?" he asked,
aware of the sudden shudder his touch caused as he pushed the hem
of her skirt up across her knees. Her eyes locked with his and she
barely noticed her dress being lifted, or her leg being braced on
his strong knee. Several men in the hallway below them whistled and
clicked their tongues as Daniel slid the garter from Julia's
slender leg. He deliberately took his time removing the satin and
lace band, sending wave after wave of electricity traveling along
the inside of her thigh. He stood, tossed the garter across his
shoulder and without breaking his stride, picked Julia up and
carried her up the stairs.

A moment later he was kissing her as she
felt herself being carried down the hallway and listened as a door
closed. She registered the sound of a key turning and frowned. Oh
God, she was locked in the room with him! Panic stole through her
and she began to struggle in his arms as he carried her to the bed
and laid her on it. Daniel frowned as he leaned across her, trying
to figure out the sudden change in her mood.

"You agreed," she whispered, trying to keep
her voice steady.

"How can you say that after the way you just
kissed me? You don’t honestly expect me to carry through with that
ridiculous agreement, do you?" His voice was a soft growl and she
became suddenly aware that the top of her gown had been unfastened
and pulled off her shoulders. She quickly pulled it back up and
held it tightly across her breasts, barely considering how or when
he had loosened the buttons.

"I didn't realize what I was doing," she
told him honestly, but then decided a lie wouldn't hurt at this
point. "I had too much champagne, I wasn't thinking clear."

"That might have worked if I didn't know you haven't
had anything except punch all day," he accused. He remained next to
her on the bed, pinning her to the mattress with his long leg
across hers.

"Tell me the truth, Julia," he demanded; his tone
level with just a hint of irritation or anger - she couldn't tell
which - shining in his eyes. "Do you want me to make love to you or
not? No conditions, no agreements, just you and me and nothing
else. There's nothing outside that door and nobody to hear us. Do
you want me as much as I want you?" Oh God, did he mean it? Did he
really want her?

"I don't know," she whispered, more in
answer to her silent question, then to his spoken one. Daniel stood
up next to the bed, still looking down at her. His eyes were
steady, his stern expression masking his thoughts. He turned and
headed for the connecting door that led to the next bedroom.
Suddenly she became aware of where he had taken her.

This was her parents’ old room. Her mother
had this one and her father the one next door. Her mother had
insisted they shared separate rooms because Victor snored to loudly
and kept her awake at night; though she knew he had forced her to
abandon him to the attached room.

Julia sat up in time to see Daniel step
across the threshold dividing the two rooms. He looked at her
again, this time the emotion that echoed in his eyes was
undeniable. He was angry and worse, he was hurt. She didn't know
how to turn this around. She did want him, but she felt like one of
the town whores she had heard about. He had bought her like a
common tart, or maybe she had bought him, she just didn’t know
which one.

"When you can make up your mind Princess,"
he told her, his voice quiet and steady. "You know where I’ll be."
He stood there for a moment longer watching while Julia’s brows
pulled into a frown of confusion. "Good-night, Mrs. Browning," he
told her at last, receiving a look of shock. "Enjoy your wedding
night."

With that said, Daniel shut the door,
leaving her sitting on her wedding bed alone, tears of regret and
sorrow anointing her face and neck.

Daniel slipped into Julia's room quietly,
pulling the door closed behind him. He deposited his clothes at the
foot of the bed and crawled in between the sheets behind Julia. His
arm wrapped around her tiny waist, pinning her to the mattress. The
warmth of her body next to his brought a sudden rush of memories
from the night before and he could feel the result of their
encounter grip hold of his erection.

Julia shifted slightly in
the bed, feeling an odd warmth press up behind her that seemed to
embrace her very soul. She frowned slightly as she tried to focus
on what it could be, but after spending most of the night pacing
the floor, fighting the urge to go to her
husband,
she was completely exhausted
and unable to think.

"Wake up Princess," Daniel whispered against
her foggy confusion; his lips brushing her ear, nibbling gently on
the tiny lobe. Julia frowned. Her mind was in a spin, her heart
skipped a beat and her stomach knotted with anxiety.

"What?" she moaned lightly then moaned as
his lips moved down her neck. She smiled softly, closing her eyes
to the sensations stirring to life, but before the content feeling
had a chance to find a home, another thought began to echo in her
mind. She was in bed with a man!

"Daniel Browning!" she snapped, trying to
pull out of his embrace, only to have his arms tighten their grip.
He turned her quickly to her back, covering her mouth with the hard
pressure of his lips. His kiss was filled with anger and desire; a
strange mixture she was quickly becoming accustomed to.

"Be quiet," he ordered, against her mouth.
"Your mother's on her way up with our breakfast and unless you want
her to know we slept in separate rooms, I suggest you start looking
like a woman who's recovering from a very passionate night."

"And how do you suggest I do that? I've
never had a passionate night." Daniel smiled at her in a mocking
way that made her blush; the look in his eyes told her the fault
for her lack of experience was not his.

"Then perhaps we should do something to
rectify that little problem," he whispered, pressing his lips
against hers before she could object. Julia struggled against the
steel grip of his arms, but as he moved to lie across her, pinning
her to the mattress, she suddenly lost the will to fight. Her arms
wrapped around his neck and her lips parted for his invading
tongue.

He had a unique way of making her forget the
world outside of his arms; a way of making her want to explore the
erratic emotions burning to life within her veins.

Daniel groaned low and savage, like a beast
on the prowl. He knew his time was limited. He had heard Louise
ordering Mrs. Lester to prepare a breakfast tray when he started
downstairs a few minutes ago. He hurried back up unseen and went
straight to Julia's room, striping his clothes off and laid them on
the floor, along with his suit from the day before. The illusion
was perfect and would make anyone who sat the disarray of clothing
think he had spent the night with his bride, instead of tossing
restlessly in another room.

The knob to the door jiggled softly and
Louise quietly pushed the door open, peeking into the dark room.
She looked across and saw Julia wrapped inside her husband's
embrace. Daniel’s torso was naked above the blankets and the groan
of pleasure that escaped his throat made the older woman think
twice about interrupting. She backed out of the room silently,
closing the door and leaving the lovers alone.

Daniel heard Louise enter the room and heard
her leave again, giving him free clearance to continue his present
assault on his young bride. His kiss eased in pressure, but
continued with its exploration as he teased her tongue with the tip
of his, darting in and out of her sweet mouth with a heated fever.
His hands brushed her hair away from her shoulder; his fingers slid
beneath the thin strap of her nightgown and slowly pulled it down.
Julia didn't argue; her mind was so intent on his kiss, that she
hadn't felt her gown slide down her arms or across her breasts.

The sensation of warmth against her bare
breasts brought a sharp inhale to her lungs, but her objections
were absorbed quickly by Daniel's mouth. He wasn't willing to let
her go just yet and was determined she knew who was in charge this
time.

Julia thought of struggling and actually
found the strength to do so, but the effort was less than
halfhearted. His hands moved up her back and around to her exposed
breasts, teasing and pinching the hard nipple until she surrendered
with a moan of pleasure.

His mouth left hers as his lips traveled
across her cheek and down her neck. Julia arched against him, his
hand still massaging her firm breast. She had never felt anything
so wickedly wonderful before and she surrendered to the sensations
that engulfed her. When Daniel's mouth replaced his hand on her
breast, Julia gasped in surprise then quickly moaned in delight.
The feel of his hot, wet tongue against her was like salve to a
weak and tired soul.

Julia wound her fingers in his hair and
pulled him closer. His mouth covered as much of her breast as he
could while his free hand began toying with the opposite side. His
teeth grazed her flesh so tenderly tears sprang to her eyes and she
heard herself cry out to him, calling his name through the searing
passion that was ripping her apart. He quickly left her breast,
bringing with it a groan of regret to escape her throat followed by
a gasp of delight when he gave her other breast the same torturous
treatment. He nibbled and bit, sucked and teased, until her nipples
throbbed in his mouth, aching for more.

This was pure hell, he thought as he burned
a path of hot kisses along her flat stomach. He knew she would come
to her senses soon and push him away, so his time was limited. The
thought of that made him pick up his pace, covering her delicate
skin with small bites and wet kisses as he traveled further south
down her slender body.

Julia groaned, her nails raking the skin
across his shoulders in an attempt to regain her composure. Daniel
reached up and took her hands gently in his, pinning them to her
sides as he kicked the covers off both of them to land in a heap on
the floor. He had to have more; he had to take all he could while
he had the chance, then leave her panting, begging him to love her.
The urgency burning to life within his loins was overwhelming, as
his kisses continued to trail lower.

Julia's legs parted on their own accord and
Daniel branded the inner flesh of her thighs with kisses of intense
desire. She was his and he was going to make her realize it one way
or the other. She would beg for him, she would call his name and he
would answer with his flesh, filling her deep and full until she
screamed her release. He heard her moan his name softly, spoken
again through the waves of lust.

He released her hands, no longer concerned
with the condition of his own skin. He had to know more, he had to
go further, tasting her sweet body and bathing her with his love.
His fingers played with the apex of her desires until she was
writhing beneath him. She was wet and eager for his touch and he
was desperate to give her what she asked for.

Daniel slipped his long middle finger slowly
inside her tight body as his tongue found her clitoris and began
teasing it. Julia gasped; her eyes opening wide with the
realization as to what was happening and where his hands were. Good
God! Her mind shrieked inside her head; she was naked! Daniel's
mouth was locked on her crotch and his finger...

"Daniel, no!" she insisted, trying to pull
him away from her. This wasn’t happening; she wasn't prepared for
this. Her mother was coming up at any moment and her brother could
walk in; any number of things could happen and she wasn't willing
to be caught like this. Daniel rose up, his lips brushing against
her lower abdomen. He knew she had finally become aware of what was
happening and was more frightened he had gotten this far, than what
he was actually doing. He pressed and caressed the soft pad of
flesh just inside her vagina as he looked up into her frightened
eyes.

"Hush, Princess," he told her kissing her
navel gently. "I won't hurt you. God, you're so ready for me. Let
me give you what you need." His voice was warm and soothing, but
Julia closed her eyes; she couldn't listen to him, she couldn’t
allow this to happen. She had to make him stop touching her, he had
to quit licking her body and nipping at the tender flesh of her
inner thigh; but oh Lord, it felt so wonderful.

Her hand slowly eased its fight against him
and Daniel smiled, gently thrusting his finger inside her wet,
virginal body as his thumb found the core of her desire. His finger
was slow and sure, but as he felt her vaginal muscles tighten, it
became faster, steadier and more demanding.

Daniel plunged his finger into her tight
body with swift movements, transporting her to a sea of passion and
wonder. She felt her insides turn to fire as she felt a strong need
growing to life at his touch. He slowly slipped his tongue further
down to caress her clitoris again, smiling as she moaned a gasping
sound.

He had been watching her, waiting for her to
discover the world he was introducing her to and smiled when she
closed her eyes. His touch began to become more urgent, more
demanding and she frowned. There was a feeling just on the outer
edge of what he was doing to her; a feeling that screamed for her
attention, though she was unsure what to do or how to experience
it.