These Things Take Time/CH 17
Betty got up to get a snack, thinking Daniel was still asleep. Her heart was racing, reflecting on their times together that night. She couldn't think straight, she was so utterly and completely happy.
She surprised herself that she wasn't even stressing about the launch at the moment, or that it was only two days away. In fact, it was the furthest thing from her mind.
All she was thinking about was how incredible Daniel was. He was sweet and gentle and intense, all at the same time. She had never felt so loved, so wanted, so desired before.
She was lost in thought when she felt his arms around her waist and his voice in her ear, "Hey, where'd you go? I got lonely."
She smiled, turning around, as he backed her up against the kitchen counter, "You missed me already? I just got out of bed to get a snack. Are you hungry? Do you want something?"
He nodded, grinning, "Uh huh. I sure do."
She rolled her eyes, blushing, "Daniel..."
He wiggled his eyebrows, "What?"
She hit his arm, "Seriously? Again? Honey...it's late. I love you, but…"
"You love my butt? Thanks, I love yours, too." he glanced around her to take a look at her and slid his hands down to her rear.
"Shut up! You're so silly!" she laughed, blushing slightly and pushed his hands up.
He laughed, "I'm not silly; you are! You really love me, huh? Say it again. I like hearing you say it."
She blushed, but grinned at his sweet, slightly insecure need to hear her tell him how she felt about him, "I love you, Daniel. I love you...so much. And...I"
He smiled, "And you...what?"
"I do really love your butt, too!" She grinned, and smacked his butt, playfully as she ran towards the living room, but he caught up to her easily,and put her over his shoulder, smacking her butt, too and carrying her back to the kitchen, then placing her up on the counter.
He leaned down and kissed her neck, then started unbuttoning his shirt that she had on. "I think I want my shirt back, Betty."
"Are you going to wear it? It looks good on you, but…you look even better without it!"
"No. I'm joking. I don't want it back. I just want to get you naked."
"Oh really?"She giggled, as he raised his eyebrows, slowly unbuttoning past her breasts, and leaning down to kiss them.
He nodded, leaning closer, "Yes, really! You're so freaking hot in this! But even hotter without it, of course!" He finished taking it off her and they began kissing heatedly, with Betty wrapping her legs around him.
He ran his hands over her thighs, raising his eyebrows, as he looked around, "This is probably the first time this kitchen has been used for anything, since you moved here, huh? Because we both know you never actually cook in it!" he teased.
She hit his arm, "HEY! Shut up! You can't cook, either, Daniel!"
"Definitely not. I can make really great PB and J or cheese sandwiches, sometimes a salad or a can of soup, and I warm up stuff in the microwave like a five-star chef! Oh, and when I'm feeling really creative, I've been known to attempt spaghetti with mixed results. These cheese and crackers and apple slices are good. I need some protein! You wore me out!" He took a bite for himself, then fed her a bite of cheese off the plate she had made for them.
Watching her sensuous lips only spurred him to kiss her again after seeing her eating, "God, you're so damn kissable, woman! Those lips of yours are insanely sexy!"
"Daniel…ohmygod! That feels so good! Don't stop!"
"Yes, ma'am! I mean…no ma'am!" He mumbled, lifting her up off the counter, and taking her intensely against the wall, as they made love again, even more passionately.
They finished their late night snacking, eventually making their way back to Betty's bed and both fell asleep. When she awoke the next morning, she hurried to shower and dress for work, starting to leave a note for him before she left.
Daniel woke and stretched, then saw the note and grabbed her wrist, "So, wait, not to sound sexist, but am I like the girl here? You're just going to...leave me? Do I get to see you again? Or now that you've had me, am I yesterday's news and you're ditching me?"
She sat on the edge of the bed, and rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "Daniel, don't be silly! Of course, I'm not "ditching you"! I mean, you're adorable, acting all...needy. But, I'm sorry, I really have to go to work today! I won't lie, you definitely helped me...somehow magically forget all about stressing over my launch last night, but it is only a day away now! I have a million and two things to get done."
He nodded, but pulled her closer for a kiss, then smiled, "Correction, now you have one very huge less thing on your list to get done."
"You think having sex with you was on my list?" she teased.
He pulled her closer by her waist, and narrowed his eyes, looking sternly at her, "Excuse me? It better have been number one on your list, girl!"
She laughed, "Well…"
He looked insulted, "It wasn't? Ouch! Well, it was number one through ten on my list!"
"Okay, so maybe it was honestly number one on my WISH list. And two...and three...at least, but Daniel, honey, I'm sorry, I really need to go now! You could do me a huge favor, though, since you don't start your new job for a few days."
He shrugged "Let me guess, come and give you a booty call for lunch? I don't know, Betty...I'll have to think about it."
She blushed, and got up to leave, grabbing her briefcase, "No, silly. I mean, raincheck, please, that sounds...very nice, of course, but I was hoping you and your mom could both take my family around for some tourist stuff. Hilda got to see a few things before, and Justin and I got to do some fun things when he was here. But of course, Bobby and my dad haven't been to London before, so I was hoping…."
He nodded, kissing her quickly as he got up, "Sure, Betty. I can do that. I was planning on it, anyway. What?"
She grinned, her eyes widening, seeing him standing naked on the other side of the bed, looking for his boxers. "Um...are you looking for something? You know, you're not making it any easier for me to leave for work, Daniel!"
He shrugged, smirking, as he looked down, "Oh, well, in that case, maybe I should just show up at your office like this, see if I can 'distract' you some more, huh?" He started to crawl back across the bed, towards her, as she laughed, putting her hand up and backing away, "Daniel! I've really got to go! Don't make this any...um...harder than it already is! You're so hot when you're naked. Especially in the morning. But I can't very well call in 'horny' from work on the day before my launch, now, can I?"
He nodded, and sighed, "I don't know why the hell not! Sounds perfectly reasonable to me! I'm joking, of course, Betty. Yeah, I know, I know. Sorry, sweetie. I'm sorry I'm distracting you when you have so much work to get done. Go! Go to work, my sexy workaholic girlfriend! I'll go help my Mom keep your family entertained. Is there something I can do to help you?
I mean, besides...coming to your office and putting a smile on your face? Although...if that's something that would interest you, I'm more than happy to do that, too. I could hide underneath your desk."
She laughed, but blushed, "Stop! You're really going to make me late! I have an eight thirty meeting with my department heads, or believe me, I would so take you up on that very tempting offer, Daniel. I'll...uh...call you later."
He smiled, "I look forward to it, sexy. Maybe we'll do some more 'shagging' tonight? I'll make sure and be respectful, wait till we're alone before I rip your clothes off!"
She leaned against the doorway, looking at him longingly, then dropped her briefcase, and ran back to kiss him deeply, wrapping her arms around him and sliding her hands around his waist, then dropping them down to squeeze his butt.
She reluctantly parted, "I look forward to that, too, Daniel. You have no idea! Now I'd really better get out of here, before I get fired!"
He smiled, as he watched her leave, and sighed, then as he lay down, he reached over and saw the note she was about to leave on her pillow.
Daniel,
What can I say? Last night was… astounding, incredible, fantastic...HOT! You leave me searching for adjectives (or in this case, superlatives).
I really wish I could stay here all day and have fun with you. You're not only an amazing lover, you truly take my breath away as far as how intense and passionate you are.
Bringing my family here for my launch was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. (and frankly, you're pretty much just competing with yourself. So many times you have continued to outdo yourself in how totally kind and thoughtful you are to me.)
But this...puts you in a completely different league altogether. I love what an unselfish, tender man you have become, Daniel. And I love you. You have all my heart and soul. I feel like you have done so much to show your love for me.
You wrote that beautiful article and published it for the whole world to see, you crossed an ocean for me (much better than the East River!), and now seeing how much I missed my family, you brought them here to share this moment with me.
I have no words to describe how incredible you make me feel. You make me feel like that butterfly, like a beautiful, sexy woman.
My mother's pearl necklace was lost on the way here, and it broke my heart. But now, you gave me one that means just as much to me in another context.
We have so much history, you and I, Daniel. As you said before, I am glad we took our time to get here, too (and I don't just mean last night). I mean the four years we spent getting to know one another and becoming best friends first. Because we know each other so well, it makes everything even more special, on a whole deeper level than I've ever experienced before.
I've never loved a man like I love you. You truly make me feel beautiful. You've always valued me, always listened to me. And I know you feel the same about me, you love me deeply because you've continued to prove it to me (even if it took you a while).
All my love,
Your Betty, forever.
He took a breath, as he read it over again, and grinned, picturing her writing it. He hurriedly got dressed, and called his mother to see if any of Betty's family was up yet.
She told him they had all decided to sleep in and get caught up on their jet-lag on their first day there, so Daniel made plans with his mother to meet up with everyone later that afternoon.
In the meantime, he had plans of his own. He called Betty's office and spoke with Samantha and Clark to get some information, then started making calls.
Betty tried to get right to work when she arrived at her office, but today proved even more difficult than the previous day somehow. Before, she had been extremely frustrated. But work had at least been a distraction that helped slightly to take her mind off her frustration from having to delay their expected tryst that had been interrupted.
Now, she was so utterly excited and over-the-moon giddy, so completely walking on sunshine, singing in the rain, dancing in the street happy and buzzing with desire and contentment, so anxious to continue her time with Daniel, that work was absolutely the last thing she wanted to concentrate on at the moment.
Samantha came into Betty's office, and tapped on the door, "Are you quite ready for the run-through at the venue, Miss Suarez?"
Betty looked up at the girl she had grown to count on over the past few months, still somewhat comforted by her uncanny resemblance to Amanda, "Samantha...how many times do I have to tell you to call me Betty?"
"Of course, Betty. You know...we really should get a move on. It's supposed to rain later. I'd hate to see you looking all soggy for meeting that handsome stud Clark told me he caught you snogging before. And I happen to know the poor sod's quite smitten with you."
Betty got up from her desk and walked over to Samantha, "What do you know?" She wondered if she was so transparent that everyone around her could tell she had (finally) been with Daniel. She blushed under the British girl's scrutinous gaze.
"Well, besides the fact that you look as if you can't walk straight today, I'd say perhaps the fellow calling three times to ask what kind of chocolates I thought he should get you and all manner of silly questions was a bit of a dead giveaway that you two finally shagged your brains out last night!
You both act as if you're in grammar school! Did she ask about me? Did you hear from him? Just call the fellow, already, will you? I've seen you writing his name all over your notes this morning."
"That won't be necessary, Samantha. She doesn't need to call. I brought lunch. Cause I know how Betty never stops to eat when she's in the middle of a project, on a time crunch. She used to have pencils stuck in her hair, when she got stressed out. It was very cute. Aw…you really wrote my name on your notes? Can I see?"
"Good Lord! Get a room, will you?" Samantha rolled her eyes, shaking her head and left, seeing Daniel standing there with a single red rose, and behind him, a delivery was being made into her office of several dozen roses, in various colors, and a catering service, setting up a table for two.
She blushed, "Daniel, oh my God, you're really...spoiling me. This is...too much!" He handed her the rose and kissed her hand, "Not for you, Betty. I uh...read your note. I love you, too. So much. I'm glad we took our time, too. I've never loved a woman the way I do you, either. You're everything to me."
She smiled as he held out the chair for her, and leaned down to kiss her, then went around to sit across from her. The caterers lifted the lid on two chicken sandwiches and Betty laughed, pointing, "Is this supposed to be symbolic?"
He nodded, smiling, as he took a bite of his, "Yep. The whole chicken thing. Or as my nephew calls me, a small poultry."
She looked around her office, which was now overtaken by roses, "And those? Couldn't pick a color?"
He shrugged, "No, I told you, ordering flowers by myself is new to me. I think they saw me coming a mile away when I said I wasn't sure what color roses you liked best. But, that's okay. Each color is kind of symbolic of our relationship, in its stages, though. Yellow-means friendship, joy, the promise of a new beginning, and the ones with red tips mean friendship, and falling in love.
The orange ones represent desire, the peach means...closing the deal, let's get together more, pink means appreciation and happiness, red and white together is unity, red means passion, of course, and the single red means I love you." He kissed her briefly, then leaned forward, touching the rose he had handed her, then rubbing his thumb lightly across her cheek.
She smiled, raising her eyebrows, "Wow! You really remembered all those? I'm very impressed!"
He nodded, "Of course." She gave him a look and he shrugged, "What, you don't think I could remember all that?"
"Well, considering you usually forget my birthday, and sometimes your mom's, let's just say I have my doubts."
He took her hand and kissed it, "I promise to remember the important things from now on, Betty. And you, my sweet, adorably sexy love, are truly the most important person in my life. But...okay, I admit, the flowers maybe I had a little help on." He showed her an index card he had hidden, making her laugh.
"That's okay. This was so sweet, Daniel."
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, well, I admit, you kind of made me feel like I was your dirty little secret, running off this morning. So, I wanted to do something to prove my manhood before I took your family out to see all the best sites today.
And I knew you would never take the time to stop and have a good lunch on your own. So, eat up, bon appetit and then I swear I'll leave you to your job the rest of the day. But...can I see you again tonight? I'd like to take you and your family out to dinner when you get done. Then maybe...we can have another sleepover?
I'll do my best to keep my hands and feet to myself all night, though. Well, for the most part. No footsie or uh...anything else though. I'll be on my best behavior in front of your family. I promise I can be a good boy."
She smiled, as she took off her shoe and slid her foot up his leg, and leaned over the table to put her hand on his as she kissed him, "Well, I hope not too good."