CHAPTER 8
~Josh's POV~ –
I must admit I was a little apprehensive about spending the whole afternoon at the beach. I figured I'd get bored pretty quickly. But between the sunscreen and the conversation, Donna kept me more than occupied. Let's just say it's a good thing being in public was forcing us to remain PG-13, because for a while there, I was about to burst and my control was running pretty thin.
But this afternoon meant more to me than just the physical stuff. Donna and I really got to talk. Not so much about 'us', but we shared childhood memories, many of which Donna was the first person I've ever shared them with. Especially those with Joanie. And when she silently let me know my scars didn't gross her out or turn her off, I had to fight back the tears. I don't think I've ever felt so loved. I'm more positive than ever that I want his woman in my life for as long as she'll have me. I'm really hoping I get to tell her just that as part of this little surprise I have set.
As soon as I ensure Donna has started the shower, I put down the book I was pretending to read as she got settled in the bathroom and run out to the balcony to inspect Chad's handy work. The table is set beautifully. A tray is set off to the side with a bottle of champagne chilling on ice. The fire pit I requested has already been lit and I see the CD player and CDs I asked for are set up over by the sliding door that leads in to the living room. There are bouquets of colorful, tropical looking flowers spread out around the area and candles are set up to light once the sun goes down. I have to admit, Chad did well. I make a quick call down to the front desk to tell him so and tell him to have the food arrive in 45 minutes. That should give me time to call Mom and us both enough time to finish getting cleaned up and dressed.
I walk back in the living area and draw the blinds to the windows overlooking the patio. The only obstacle I haven't figured out 100% is how to keep Donna away from the balcony until I'm ready. I was able to keep her attention elsewhere when we first got back, but I don't know what to do while I'm in the shower. I should have suggested we shower together. You know, only so I could keep an eye on her and not spoil the surprise.
I guess I should probably call Mom before Donna gets out. She'll know if I haven't called my Mother yet. She can read me like a book. I need to talk to Mom about something anyway. I grab my phone off the charger and connect the call.
"Hello my darling boy. Good thing I recognized your number on the caller ID. It's been so long since we spoke last, I don't think I'd recognize your voice."
Less than 30 seconds in to the conversation before the first guilt trip. Why am I not shocked? Thankfully, I know she's mostly messing with me. I do need to make a point of calling her more often, but my schedule is so busy, I sometimes let things I shouldn't get put off to the side. My Mother has a good sense of humor and is fairly easy going about things, but I know deep down, she'd really love for us to have more contact. And I would, too.
"Hi Mom. How have you been? How's the weather in Florida these days?"
"Warm and humid. And I've been just fine. Between brunches and poker games with the girls and my painting class, I've been keeping busy. How are you doing? How's my darling Donna?"
Donna and my Mother have known each other almost as long as Donna has known me. I don't think they met face to face until a few months after my Dad passed, but since Donna started managing 90% of my life from day 1, both my parents had a number of phone conversations with her at the beginning. I think Mom and Donna still have a weekly phone date actually. And they won't tell me the details, but I know they grew exponentially closer when I was in the hospital after those racist bastards made me a victim in their hate crime. Beverly Lyman adores Donna and for years has been hinting that I should officially make her part of the family. She should be ecstatic after this conversation.
"We're both great Mom. We're in Santa Monica for a few days to meet with the DCCC here. I actually wanted to talk to you about something in regards to Donna," I tell her.
"Oh? Finally get your head out of your ass and realize she's the future mother of my grandchildren?" she asks jokingly.
She hit the nail on the head. "That's one way to put it," I laugh. "We haven't talked out the specifics yet, but we've grown very close and I've become conscious of the fact that I can't imagine my future without her. And I think… I hope… she feels the same way. I set up a little private dinner for us in a little while and we're planning on trying to sort out our relationship then. I may be jumping the gun, but I'm praying to hell that you're going to need to dig Grandma and Grandpa Lyman's rings out of the safety deposit box in the near future."
"Joshua! I was just giving you shit… oh my god… I was starting to think you didn't have it in you…" she replies in shock.
"Glad you have so much faith in me Mom!" What the hell?
"Joshua, I've been waiting for this call since the first time that beautiful girl answered your phone when your Father and I called during the first campaign. I'm sorry that I'm in a bit of shock. Your Father would be so proud. He never got to meet her in person, but he loved to hear her give us updates on what you were doing and whom you were pissing off. And they would trade useless trivia back and forth forever if I hadn't taken the phone away from him."
I'm a bit taken aback. I don't know if I ever realized Donna had gotten to know my Father very well. I fight back the catch in my throat as I say, "I'm glad to have both of your approval. I'm not going to ask her tonight. We have enough to talk about without bringing marriage in to the conversation. But as soon as I feel the moment is right…"
"Mozel tov, my darling. I'm so happy you have been able to find happiness. You've been through far too much to deny yourself the joy of sharing your life with someone you love…"
I hear the tears in my Mother's voice and know she's remembering her life with my Father. They were married nearly 50 years when he passed. I'm quite a bit older than my Father was when they married, but I plan on spending the years I have left with Donna by my side.
"Thanks Mom. I'll call you when I know more. For now, just get the rings ready. If I'm lucky enough for her to say yes, I don't think I'll be able to wait long to make it official. As long as she doesn't mind that plan of course."
"Not a problem, Joshua. You go have fun tonight. And don't worry. That girl loves you with all her heart. I've seen it myself. And no pressure, but I wouldn't mind a phone call that my first grandchild will be arriving soon, as well. It's the new millennium, Joshua. The sequence of events does not need to be as traditional as they once were."
"Mom! Come on! One thing at a time. If and when that day ever comes, don't worry, you'll be the first to know. Until then, you're going to have to settle for this," I say with frustration. Donna and I haven't even confirmed we both want a relationship yet!
"Ugh… yes, yes. I'm very happy for you both. I should let you get to your evening. I've got to go meet Arthur for a late dinner anyway. Good luck my baby boy. Talk soon. Love you!" And with that, she hangs up. Wait… who the hell is Arthur? That thought is going to need to be tabled for now but that WILL be revisited later! Right now, I've got to focus. The night of woo is about to begin.
I don't hear the shower running anymore so Donna must be done. Just as I try to formulate a plan to keep her away from seeing the balcony, the bathroom door opens with a whoosh of steam followed by a wonderfully clean scented, robe clad Donna Moss. She walks in to the living area while running a towel over her damp hair. "Shower's free if you're ready, Josh." Crap. I panic. What to do? What to do? Hmmm…. I got it!
"Right. Yes. So you must have to, you know, dry your hair. And style it. And put on makeup right? Not that you need to do any of that. You're beautiful just the way you are. I just know you like to get all dressed up so I figured, you know…" I stammer quickly, tripping over my thoughts.
"Josh, relax. Is something wrong?" She's looking at me like I've grown two heads. I fake nonchalance by folding my arms and leaning back against the back of the couch. I didn't gauge the distance between myself in the couch well though. I end up almost falling to the floor instead, but catch myself just in time. She giggles at my inability to defeat gravity yet again. I take a deep breath and try to compose myself.
"No. No nothing at all. I just thought, maybe, you'd like to use the bathroom to do all that girly stuff. I could get in the shower quickly and yell to you when I'm in there. I don't mind if you want to, you know, share the space and all." That sounded mostly coherent, right?
She gives me a confused smile. I can tell she doesn't completely buy it, but she doesn't seem too keen on challenging me at the moment. "Okkkkaaayyy… It would be nice to use the vanity instead of the small mirror over the dresser in my room."
I try not to sigh in relief, "Great, give me 30 seconds and I'll, ughhh, meet you in there I guess," I say pointing toward the open bathroom door. Now I just have to survive showering in the überbathroom (as Donna has apparently come to call it) with a certain blonde in ridiculously close proximity... wearing nothing but a robe.
~Donna's POV~ –
Josh has been acting a little strange, even for him, since I got out of the shower. I hope he's not getting cold feet about this. Although, why then would he be inviting me to share the bathroom to finish getting ready while he's showering? I'm trying really hard not to over think anything right now. Neither of us has stated our purpose for our actions over the past few days and though I think we're on the same page, I have no concrete proof.
Suddenly, I hear Josh yell, "Donna, I'm all set. You can come in now," from the bathroom over the sounds of the shower running. I shake my head of the thoughts running through it, determined not to let my insecurities ruin what has thus far been a wonderful few days.
"DONNA?! YOU COMING IN?" he yells louder this time. Same old Joshua, impatient when I don't respond right away.
I open the door to the bathroom and immediately notice the trail of evidence Josh has unceremoniously left strewn across the floor. His t-shirt is just inside the door and trunks are a few feet away, between the door and the shower. I shake my head and roll my eyes, "Really Josh? You couldn't, I don't know, hang up your shorts or at least leave your clothes in a neat pile somewhere?"
"What's that Donna?" I swear he has selective hearing.
"Nothing. I'm in here. Let me know when you're ready to get out. I should only be a few minutes."
"Okay... umm, feel free to take your time. No rush."
"Aren't we trying to make it to dinner before sunset?"
"Yeah, but the place is very close by. We'll make it." I don't question him and go to work first drying then styling my hair. I put a little product in it before I dry it to bring out the waves and use a little more once it's dry to give it a bit of a beach wave, only a little more organized. I use a single bobby pin to pull back an unruly section of hair that otherwise wouldn't stay out of my eyes. I don't want to be fighting with it all night long. I'd rather focus on other, more interesting things. For instance, the gorgeous man who is not 6 feet away from me. Naked. Wet... Yup, that fantasy has now found a permanent home in my brain. I take a moment to step back and sneak a peak. The glass doors and front walls of the shower are not frosted, but the steam of the shower has created a similar effect. I unfortunately can't see much more than a Josh shaped-figure lathering shampoo in to his hair. Damn!
I step back toward the mirror, applying my moisturizer and minimal makeup. I don't usually wear much of it and want to go for a natural look for tonight. If things go bad, I don't want streaks of mascara running down my face. And if they go well, I can't guarantee I won't be in tears then either.
I'm placing my supplies back in my toiletry bag as I hear the shower shut off. Men can shower and get ready so quickly. It sometimes frustrates me that all they have to do is shower, maybe shave, dress, and run a brush through their hair and bam! Done! Us girls, on the other hand, have to shave much more real estate, moisturize, dry our hair, style it, apply makeup, and fight with clothing and shoes that are sometimes more frustrating to wear than they're worth. Not to mention we need to match our undergarments to each other and the outfit! Have you ever, even once, heard a man say "but these boxers don't match my shirt"? Hell no!
"Umm, Donna, could you toss me a towel? I guess I forgot that little detail," he asks, distracting me from my inner monologue.
"Yeah, sure. Just a sec," I say, grabbing a clean towel from the shelf. Hmm, I could toy with him just a little more before we get to the serious stuff I realized evilly. I grab a hand towel from the shelf and carry both over toward the shower door, again disappointed that the steam hasn't clear enough for me to see much more than I could see in his swimsuit. The outline of his ass is a bit clearer, though, and I very much like what I see. I must be taking a bit longer than I thought because I hear Josh clear his throat and ask, "Donna? You still there?"
"Yup, sorry, had a bit trouble finding a clean towel, but got one. Here you go," I say tossing the hand towel to rest over the top of the door.
"Ugh, Donna, I appreciate the effort, but I don't think this one is going to do the job. Just give me one of your damp ones if you can't find a fresh one."
Damn. Not the reaction I was expecting. One more try. "These ones are pretty wet, Josh. There are a few more hand towels. Let me grab you those."
"Donna, I'm going to have to, you know, leave this shower at some point in the very near future. I don't think a couple hand towels are going to leave much to your overactive imagination. And I don't want to get you all riled up before we even have dinner," he says with a laugh in his tone. "Any of the used full sized towels will be fine."
"Okay, you got me," I reply exasperated. "Since you doubt my abilities to resist your Adonis like body, I suppose I'll give you a real towel. But don't doubt the strength of my resistance, Joshua. I've resisted for longer than I care to admit. I can resist much longer should I need to prove myself." See what I did there. I turned this on him, hahaha. Take that Lyman! Believe me, I don't think I can hold up said resistance for another few hours, let alone longer, but he doesn't need to know that.
"No, no Donna. You misunderstood me. What I meant to say was I wouldn't want to drip all across the entire suite, so would probably need a full sized towel to, you know, make sure that doesn't happen. Wouldn't want to make a mess or a safety hazard," he's so easy sometimes. I finally toss him the clean towel. I need to remember that little tidbit. We haven't even gotten past first base and I already seem to have a bit of power over him in terms of sex. I may be able to get a pay raise yet. Kidding, of course. I'd never use sex to get my way at work. But once we're outside of the walls of the West Wing, all is fair in love and war right?
"That's what I thought. Here Josh. Why didn't you grab the robe from your room?"
"Forgot. I was in a hurry so you could, you know, get in here and finish getting ready too. How is that progressing by the way? I just need to brush my teeth and run to my room to get dressed. Should be ready in 5 minutes." See! Boys are so unfair. I wish I could shower and be ready in 15 minutes total and actually look nice. I could do it, but I'd look like a monster. "Boys have it so easy," I mumble under my breath.
"What's that?" he asks, emerging from shower, his upper body glistening in the low lights near the shower, towel wrapped securely around his waist. I've pretty much sponge bathed this man, but seeing him healthy and strong in this light, knowing we could finally be something more, has a much greater effect on my libido.
I bring my eyes to meet his and he gives a knowing smirk. Yes, Josh, I am having to do some of that resisting we were just discussing. "I, ugh, just need to get dressed and I'm ready. Should be set when you are."
"Ah-kay. Let's go then," he says, motioning that he'll follow me out the door. "Right," I say and begin my way to my bedroom. I don't look back, but swear I can feel his eyes following me across the great room of the suite and to my bedroom. I close the door and lean back against it a second. This resisting shit is getting old, quick. I don't want to keep Josh waiting, mostly because he can be an ass when he's impatient and I don't want that to be the way we start the night. See there, I know his faults but still love the man. That's a good thing right? That doesn't make me crazy?
I rush over to the armoire in my room and pull out the outfit for the night. Classy but casual is not exactly something easy to pull off. So I go for something I'd almost wear to work but is just a tad too risqué. A black, three quarter sleeve, button down blouse and a red pencil skirt that ends a few too many inches above the knee for the office with slits enabling me to move around easily still. I go for a pair of black heels that give me a little extra height but are still fairly comfortable and accessorize with a pair of silver hoop earrings. I spray my neck and wrists with just a little bit of the perfume I only wear on special occasions and seems to have gotten a reaction out of Josh in the past. I take one more look at my ensemble in the mirror above my dresser and decide to add a light coat of red lipstick before grabbing my black clutch and heading out in to the living room. I know I took a few more minutes than I wanted to, but here's hoping the outfit and perfume distract him from his impatience.
I see him sitting in the armchair in the corner of the living room, swirling a glass of amber liquid and ice cubes. He looks magnificent, dressed in a tailored black suit I don't remember seeing in his luggage earlier and don't recall him wearing before. He's wearing a crisp, white shirt under it, but no tie and he's left the top few buttons undone. Sitting there, with the setting sun creating a glow around him and accenting his reddish-brown hair, dressed handsomely, holding a glass of what I know to be bourbon (his "classy" drink of choice), one leg crossed atop the other... he could almost be a model. Well, he could model for me anytime at least.
He must hear me entering finally, because he looks up at me and we lock eyes across the room. He slowly stands and walks toward me. I take a few steps toward him and we meet near the grand piano that dominates the room. He set his glass on the coaster on top of the piano and, putting his hands on my upper arms, leans in to kiss my cheek softly. I close my eyes and breath in his cologne and scent. As he pulls away slowly, he makes a detour to my ear and I can feel his breath on my neck as he whispers, "You look amazing, Donnatella." He pulls away and lets his hands drop down my arms until they meet mine. I turn to link my hands with his and smile at him. With these heels, we are pretty much the same height, thankfully.
"You look pretty great yourself, Joshua. I don't remember seeing that suit in your bag earlier?"
"Chad helped me out with that. I don't know how he got the measurements so perfect, but I'd really rather not think about the implications behind him knowing my body type this well," he replies with a chuckle.
"Remind me to thank him before we leave."
"Sure thing. Well, you ready? We'll watch the sunset over cocktails, then dinner, then maybe even a little dancing?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively with that last part. I look down at my watch and glance out the windows, seeing the sun has already almost completed its descent. When did we close the blinds?
"Oh, Josh, I'm sorry. I don't think we're going to make the sunset. I may or may not have taken a few minutes too long to get dressed," I admit.
"Well, you know when I told you this place was close? I may have been understating that fact, Donna," he says as his hands, still in mine, start pulling me toward the doors leading out to the balcony.
"What do you mean?" I ask in genuine confusion.
"I mean, we're already here," he says as he releases one hand to draw back the blinds and pull the balcony door open. I stare at him, perplexed as I let my eyes wander past him and out to the balcony. Releasing his hand, I take a few steps out in to the wonderland he's created. Beautiful tropical flowers in deep reds, peaches, oranges, and yellows are placed around the balcony. The table is set with linens and a beautiful setting for two. Candles line just about every flat surface, flickering in the light breeze. And then I notice the small fire pit crackling in the middle of the sitting area. Okay, now I'm really glad I didn't wear mascara, because I can feel the tears threatening to fall from my eyes.
I turn back toward Josh, who is standing in a common posture, hands in his pockets, leaning against the doorjamb. He looks almost nervous about my reaction. "Joshua, when in the world did you do all this?" I ask with a slight catch in my throat.
"I had help. Chad again. When I snuck out at the end of our meeting with O'Donnell to call Leo, I called him as well, told him what I wanted. He set everything up while we were at the beach. I just had to light the candles and fire while you were changing. They'll be bringing dinner up shortly."
"Joshua, this is... I mean..." I struggle to get my words out. He rushes over to me.
"Donna, I'm sorry. If this isn't what you wanted, we can still find a place to go get dinner. I didn't mean to upset you and..."
"Joshua!" I cut him off, bringing my hand up to cup his cheek. "Joshua, this is perfect. I love that it's just us. And that you went through all this trouble just for me. It's beautiful and means the world to me to know you'd think to do this for me."
He brings his hand up to hold mine against his face and closes his eyes with relief. When he reopens them and looks in to mine, I see the worry replaced by something much more pleasant and warm. He smiles and brings my hand from his face to his lips, lightly kissing my palm.
"Donna, I'd do anything to make you happy. Thank you for sharing this night with me," he says softly. "How about we catch that sunset? What do you say?"
"Yes, please."
"Let me grab my drink. What would you like? I have champagne for dinner. Did you want some of that now or something else?"
"Let's save the champagne for later. I'll have what you're having," I say as he nods and runs back in to the suite.
While he's getting our drinks, I walk over to the edge of the balcony and take in the view. The lights of the Santa Monica Pier are awakening for the evening as the sun hangs lazily, appearing to be mere inches from touching the water. Josh returns to my side, two bourbons on the rocks in hand. He hands me a glass and raises his glass between us.
"To a wonderful night. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be or anyone I'd rather be with, Donnatella" he toasts softly.
"Couldn't have said it better, Joshua," I say, clinking my glass gently with his before we both take a sip of the smokey liquid. As we lower our glasses, he puts his free arm around my shoulder and pulls me against him. I mold my side to his and we look out over the skyline.
"See," he whispers in my ear, "we made it just in time for sunset."
"That we did, thank you again Josh. Everything really is perfect."
"My pleasure." With that, we snuggle in to each other a bit more and watch the sun disappear gradually beneath the waves, both taking sips of our drinks as we are mesmerized by one of natures most beautiful sights.
Once the sun is down and we've finished our drinks, Josh turns me in his arms and hugs me tightly. His arms come together around my lower back as I run mine up and down his. The hug is warm and comfortable. It's not a passionate embrace, but it's a communication of sorts. I'm not exactly sure what we're communicating, but I know whatever it is, it's making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And no, it's not just a side effect of the bourbon.
We pull apart slightly and look in to each other's eyes. Now that the sun had gone to bed, the only source of illumination is little ambient light drifting up from the street below and the candlelight. Josh's face is cast in shadows, but his eyes are catching the firelight and creating a sparkling effect. I look down at his lips and subconsciously lick mine. Our mouths act like magnets, pulling toward each other gradually until finally they meet. This kiss is unlike any of the others we have shared. This kiss mirrors our embrace... full of promise and communicating what neither of us has been able to voice yet. The kiss seems to go on forever, our tongues meeting and caressing lovingly. No one is pushing, no one has the upper hand. We're equals in every way. Josh pulls away slightly and I follow suit. He brings his hands up from their resting place on my hips to frame my face.
"Donna," he says, somewhat breathlessly, "I was going to wait until after dinner, but I don't want to wait anymore. Please, just let me get all this out before you say anything or I can't guarantee I won't lose my nerve." I nod in consent, my eyes never straying from his intensity.
"I know we've been circling around each other for so long. And I know I've been an ass at times. I'm not the easiest man to be around. I have quite a bit of baggage that I hate asking anyone to share the burden of. But I can't do it anymore. I can't just circle around you. Something clicked in the last few months and I know what I want. I can't guarantee I won't ever be an ass again. And I can't guarantee I won't mess this up. In fact, history would suggest I will definitely do something stupid down the line. All I ask is that you give us a chance, Donna. I promise you that if you do, I will try my damndest to never hurt you intentionally. I promise to always be there for you. To never cause you to doubt how I really feel about you. And when I do mess up, I promise to make it up to you the best I can. I'm not perfect, Donna, but to me, you are. And I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't at least tell you how I feel. I can't imagine a life without you. I love you, Donna. Not just as a friend, which you are and a great one at that. You've been the best friend I've ever had. But I'm in love with you. I'm sorry if I'm scaring you with any of this, but I've learned the hard way that life is fleeting and now that I've finally realized what's been in front of me all along, I don't want to waste any more time," he breathes deeply and looks both relieved to get that out in the open, and somewhat apprehensive of what I'm going to say in return.
His monologue has brought tears to my eyes and they're falling freely now as I smile at him. He smiles back and moves to brush the tears from my face gently. "I know that was a lot to drop on you, Donna. Don't feel any pressure to say anything back. I understand if you need some time to absorb it all."
"Joshua, I don't need to think about it anymore than I have for the last few years. I think I realized how I felt about you when I almost lost you, though I will admit I didn't let myself believe it until recently. Yes, you can be an ass," I say with a chuckle to lighten the blow. He smiles and nods in agreement. "But you're my ass. And I'm not perfect either, Josh. We both have our baggage. But I think that together, we can overcome anything. Just look at what we've accomplished together since we've known each other. We helped win two presidential elections. We pushed through important legislation. I could go on and on, but most importantly, we overcame Rosslyn. You helped me get through it with your strength to get better, both physically and emotionally. Almost losing you was the scariest thing I've ever been through Josh, and I too could not imagine life without you. I don't want to." I take a moment to collect myself. The memories of Rosslyn always make me emotional. I look back up in to his beautiful brown eyes and am reaffirmed in his love for me, giving me strength to go on. "Joshua, you are my best friend. My protector. My supporter. And my greatest love. I love you, Joshua Lyman. With all my heart. And I don't want to waste any more time either. I want nothing more than to be with you." Tears are streaming down my face and I swear I see them welling up in his eyes too.
He smiles wide. "Oh, thank god!" he yells enthusiastically, picking me up and spinning me around on the balcony. I laugh and hold on tight.
"Josh, um, there are a lot of open flames around here. You may want to put me down," I tell him with humor at his excitement.
He puts me back down, looks deeply in to my eyes, and crushes his mouth against mine. All the communication from our previous kiss now has context, and that context is heating things exponentially with every passing second.
We are rudely interrupted by a pounding noise coming from within the suite. I reluctantly pull back from Josh's magnetic mouth. "Josh, as much as I would love to continue this, I think someone is trying to break down our door," I say as he attempts to pull my mouth back to his. He groans in frustration and lays his forehead on my shoulder in mock defeat.
"That would be dinner. Their timing sucks. No tip for him!"
I laugh and stroke the hair at the back of his neck, then kiss the side of his head above his ear. "I agree with their timing being less than ideal, but you better still tip them, Joshua. They're just doing their job."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he replies as he pulls away and walks back in to the suite to allow the server to enter.
I smooth out my clothing, straighten my hair, and run my fingers around my lips to clean off any smudged lipstick and evidence of our activities. I'm not ashamed of kissing Josh, but the server doesn't need to know what he interrupted either.
A young, Hispanic man in a neat uniform steps out on to the balcony pushing a full tray of silver covered dishes and goes to work setting our food out on the table. Josh follows behind him, making a bee-line directly for me. He swoops in, plants a quick kiss to my cheek, and walks over to the CD player plugged in near the sliding door. He shuffles through a pile of CDs before apparently finding the one he was looking for, putting it in the player. Soon, the soft sounds of jazz horns fill the balcony. I'm slightly surprised Josh chose to include music in our evening's activities. Since the Christmas after his recovery, I worry every time Josh comes upon any music playing. I've kept him away from Bach in G Major entirely. But he's progressed impressively, thanks in great part to Stanley Keyworth's contributions. And I haven't actually witnessed any musical meltdowns since that horrible night he put his hand through his window.
The server finishes up and turns to us. "Dinner is served. Please let us know if you need anything further," the young man says with a wave toward the table. Josh reaches in to his pocket before shaking the server's hand and thanking him. "That should be all for now. Thank you," he tells him. The young man looks down at his hand quickly and beams. Josh must have given him a healthy tip. Good boy. With that, the server exits back through the suite and we are left alone.
I walk over to the table to inspect our dinner options. Josh comes up to my side and puts his arm around me. "What do we have on the menu?" I ask.
"For my lady, I went with some non-artery clogging options. I hope you'll approve. To start, spinach salad with walnuts and cranberries. And for the main dish, we have grilled chicken topped with a mango salsa. A medley of fresh, steamed California vegetables, and parmesan couscous. For dessert, I know you love chocolate, so we have chocolate covered strawberries. I had our server boy, Carlos, stick those in the fridge until we're done eating so they wouldn't melt."
"Wow! I'm thoroughly impressed, Joshua. I still can't believe you did all this. Everything looks and smells great and I'm starving. Shall we?"
"Of course. Gotta feed you so you have energy for later," he replies as he pulls out my chair for me. I fake innocence and vexation, "Whatever are you suggesting mister?"
"For dancing!" he replies quickly, eyes wide with panic. "I mean you'll need energy if we're going to do any dancing."
"Nice recovery, loverboy. Don't worry, I'm just teasing you."
"Donna, did you forget my heart is still a bit fragile?" he asks, his voice rising in disbelief. "And I think after our recent activities, my blood pressure might already be a bit on the high side. Are you trying to kill me here?"
"Josh, I was at your last doctor's appointment with you. You're almost as healthy as I am. You heeled up just fine, thank god. And of course I'm not trying to kill you. I plan on having you around for a long time to come," I reply salaciously. He smiles over at me, apparently accepting my answer, and takes his own seat. I wonder if he knows just how serious I am. Replace 'long time to come' with 'forever' and I'd be the happiest woman on earth.
~Josh's POV~ –
We eat our dinner in relative comfort, the smooth sounds of jazz drifting across the table, a backdrop to the casual conversation we share. Donna ribs me a bit about finally choosing healthy foods and I threaten to not let her near the chocolate covered strawberries. We briefly discuss our mutual excitement to spend some time with Sam tomorrow. He may be my best friend, but he and Donna have developed a close, sibling like relationship too. As we both toss our napkins down signaling we're through with dinner, I decide to bring up a few more things I'd like to discuss about the status of our relationship.
It took all the guts I possess to get out what I wanted to say to Donna tonight. And I meant every single word of it. My life is nothing without her. I love her with all of my being. You can't imagine how relieved I was to hear her tell me she loves me back. I'm still on cloud nine and I don't think I'll be touching back down anytime soon.
I take a long drag out of my water glass and clear my throat. "Donna, when we get back to D.C., I want to go talk to Leo about us. I don't want to have to hide or act like my relationship with you is a scandal. Because it's not. And I don't want you to worry about how Leo will react. Sure, he could skin both our hides and hang us by our feet on the front lawn as an example for all to see, but I really think he's going to be okay with it," I tell her. "What do you think?"
"Josh, I don't think either of us have done a bang up job of hiding our feelings for quite some time. I don't think Leo will be shocked, but I am scared he'll try and separate us. I don't want to keep things hidden, either. I don't want to have to act like our being together is at all taboo. I don't want to cheapen it like that. I love you too much to have that shadow hang over us. I just don't want something to happen that will put a wedge between us…" she trails off, looking down at her lap with worry.
"Hey, hey," I say as I get up from my chair and move to kneel beside her, gently lifting her face so I can see her eyes. "I won't let that happen. They can fire me if they want, and it won't change the fact that I love you. Donna, for years, politics was my life. For years, my work was what kept me going. That's not the case anymore. You. You are my life. You make me want to wake up every morning and face the world. I could be a friggin' janitor for all I care. As long as I know I have you, my life is complete." I look deeply in to her eyes and see acceptance there. I think she understands what I mean. We are undeniably linked and that bond is strong.
She smiles down at me. "Okay Lyman, we do it your way. Let's talk to Leo when we get home. But I want us to do this together. Whatever happens, I want us to both be involved in any and all decisions. We're a team now. Got it?"
"I think we've been a pretty formidable team for quite a while now, but yeah, I got it. Wouldn't have it any other way." I have another thought cross my mind and must be making my 'confused idiot' face, because Donna laughs at me and asks, "What now, idiot boy?"
"Just one more thing… what do we call each other? I mean, if Sam asks tomorrow or when we talk to Leo, do we just say we've started a romantic relationship? I don't know what to call you. You aren't just my friend or assistant anymore. But 'girlfriend'? I've had girlfriends and they didn't hold a candle to what I feel for you. 'Lover' just sounds lame. 'Significant other' is a mouthful…" I trail off in thought.
"Partner?" she asks. "No, that's too vague I suppose," answering her own question.
Then it hits me. Until I find the moment to make things a bit more permanent… I know exactly what she is to me. "I got it," I say, grabbing her hands and pulling her to stand in front of me. "You're 'my everything'. I can't think of anything more true, Donnatella." She must like the term, because her smile could light up a ballroom.
"That's perfect. You're 'my everything' too, Joshua."
"Good. Now that all that is settled, would you like dessert? And we still have that champagne."
"I'm still pretty full. I seem to recall some promise of dancing?" she reminds me playfully.
"Right! Yes. I actually have a few songs in mind." Time to bring on the woo. Part of my requests for Chad was to find me few particular songs that remind me of Donna and can help me express how I feel about her.
"Oh really? What have we got?" she asks, heading over toward the CD player, which is still streaming slow jazz music.
"Wait!" I run over to cut off, grabbing her shoulders. "I want it to be a surprise. Wait. Right. Here." I turn around and excitedly run over to the CD pile. I flip through them and find the album I need, checking the back for the song number. I switch out the jazz CD for the new one, hit the buttons to get to the track, and hit play before turning back to run back over to Donna before the song loads.
It's the live version so at first, all you hear is the crowd cheering. I bow in front of Donna, "May I have this dance?"
"Please," she says. I walk up and wrap my arms low around her waist. Hers come up to wrap around my neck. A drumbeat starts playing before the guitar and bass kick in. We're staring in to each other's eyes as I start to sway us slowly side to side with the beat of the drums. "I don't think I recognize this one yet, but the opening is pretty," she says.
"It's called 'Tougher Than the Rest'. Springsteen. Not all of the lyrics match us verbatim, but the gist of the song is really beautiful. Just listen and let me know what you think, okay?" I ask before I lean down and place a soft kiss to her forehead, continuing to lead our hips in a swaying motion as The Boss' gravelly voice picks up.
Well it's Saturday night
You're all dressed up in blue
I been watching you awhile
Maybe you been watching me too
So somebody ran out
Left somebody's heart in a mess
Well if you're looking for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
Some girls they want a handsome Dan
Or some good-lookin' Joe, on their arm
Some girls like a sweet-talkin' Romeo
Well 'round here baby
I learned you get what you can get
So if you're rough enough for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
This next part of the song is my promise to Donna. I start to softly sing along with the lyrics, pulling her close so I can whisper them in her ear, hoping my voice is doing the words justice.
The road is dark
And it's a thin, thin line
But I want you to know I'll walk it for you any time
Maybe your other boyfriends
Couldn't pass the test
Well if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
Well it ain't no secret
I've been around a time or two
Well I don't know baby maybe you've been around too
Well there's another dance
All you gotta do is say yes
And if you're rough and ready for love
Honey I'm tougher than the rest
If you're rough enough for love
Baby I'm tougher than the rest
Those last two stanzas really spoke to me the first time I heard the song a couple of years ago in Sam's car. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think subconsciously, they reminded me of my feelings for Donna even then.
As the song winds down, I pull back slightly so I can see her face fully. "We both have our pasts, Donna, but none of that matters. I just want to make sure you truly know that when you're with me, I feel like I can do anything. And that this love I have for you is strong and I will try my best to be the man you deserve." She has tears in her eyes that threaten to spill as she brings her hand up to cup my face and rub her hand gently over my cheek. "Josh, you amaze me, do you know that? I love you so much for making all this effort to show how you feel. And the song really is beautiful. But you don't need to keep trying to prove yourself. I believe you and I trust you. I know what this means to you, because it means just as much to me."
How she can read my mind like that astounds me. Yes, I finally got the words out, but a part of me still feared she didn't fully comprehend how serious I am about her. She is it for me. And I need her to understand that.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep pushing the subject. I just need you to know how much you mean to me."
"Don't be sorry, Josh. It's sweet. And I will never tire of you saying or showing me how much you love me."
"Good, because I'll never tire of reminding you," I say in complete seriousness before I lean in and capture her lips in mine. Our kiss quickly escalates and the passion soars. We are both communicating our love and need for each other loud and clear as our tongues tangle. I pull her fully against me, our bodies now in full contact. My arousal is crying for attention and I realize too late that I'm grinding my hips in to hers. I moan, breaking our kiss and pull my hips back slightly to keep the temptation to do that again at bay.
"Sorry. I didn't realize I was doing that until I… ugh… realized I was doing that." I say stupidly, looking down at the ground.
She unwraps her arms from around my neck and I cringe, waiting for her to pull away in disgust of my forwardness. Instead, Donna gives me a shock when she wraps her hands around my lower back, then slides them lower, grabbing my ass and pulling me back against her, grinding herself against me lightly. I'm pretty sure I must look like a deer in headlights right about now as I gasp in surprise. She leans in closer, her lips close enough to my ear that I can feel her breath tickling the hair on the side of my head.
"Who said I minded?" she whispers in the sexiest tone I've ever heard. I honestly didn't think I could get any more aroused, but the confines of these well-tailored pants are becoming increasingly constrictive, if you get my drift.
"Ah-kay," I reply as I dip my head to capture her lips once again. Not the smoothest thing to say, but I'm not getting a lot of blood flow to the brain right now.
We're making out and grinding against each other like a couple of drunken teenagers. I can't believe this is actually happening! My hands comb through her silky hair, move down to give homage to her firm ass, and then snake up her sides, grazing the undersides of her breasts, eliciting a moan from Donna that reverberates through both our bodies.
Donna is a very active partner is this little groping session. Her hands finally release my ass and rub up and down my back before tangling in my hair, keeping my mouth against hers, massaging my scalp. My senses are on overdrive. All I can see, feel, taste, and smell is Donna. All I can hear is our mutual moans of appreciation, the blood pounding in my ears, and the faint chords of the CD still playing behind us.
Donna is still grinding against me and if this doesn't stop soon, I don't know if I'm going to make it much longer. Though my body is screaming to just let this all play out, my mind is insisting I find out what the end game is here. I don't want to assume anything and end up ruining this otherwise perfect evening. I pull my mouth from Donna's, encircle my hands around her back and embrace her.
"Donna?" I kiss her nose. "Huh?" she replies, searching out my lips again. "I need to know what you want?" I ask, then kiss her right cheek. She rubs herself against me harder and I bite my lip to keep my control.
"I thought that would be fairly obvious, Josh," she replies breathlessly.
I kiss her left cheek, still actively trying to avoid her heat-seeking lips. "Donna, I can't mess this up. I love you too much to take that chance. I need you to tell me what you want. I need to be sure." Her hands untangle from my hair and she grabs my jacket collar with both hands, pulling my face directly in front of hers. Her eyes meet mine and in them I see the same lust and love that I know my eyes are reflecting. She bites her bottom lip and says, "I want you to show me."
My arousal-clouded brain doesn't quite process that right away so I ask, "Show you?"
"I want you to show me how much you love me. I want you... All of you," she tells me with complete directness.
"Are you sure you're ready? I don't want to rush in to anything you'll regret later. I know we've only really just figured out our intentions for each other. I understand if you want to wait," I say, hoping like hell she won't need any more time but wanting her to give her one last out.
"Joshua, I don't think I've ever been more ready in my life. Tonight may be our first official date, but I think we're way beyond the level of emotional intimacy two people normally reach on their first, second, or even 10th date. I want to love you and feel you loving me," she says, never breaking our intense eye contact.
Well who can argue with that?
I lean in and seal my mouth to hers in thanks, showing her all the passion built up within me. She pulls back and smiles seductively. "Why don't I go get comfortable in your room while you put out the candles and get things out here packed up for the night?" she suggests.
"But I don't want to let you go yet," I whine.
"It's only for a minute, silly. I'll be waiting for you," she assures as she releases me and walks back in to the suite, swaying her hips and looking over her shoulder while biting her lip just before she disappears inside. It takes me a second for the spell she has me under to lift enough to get to work. I rush around the balcony, blowing out the candles and putting all the dishes we've dirtied back on the wheeled serving tray. I run over and shut off the CD player, grab it and the CDs, and toss them on the table inside the suite. I rush back out and push the now full tray through the suite and in to the hallway outside our room. Finally, I run back out on the balcony, review that I've cleaned it up properly, and grab the bucket with the chilled champagne and two flutes from the table, stuffing them under my arms as I close the balcony door behind me. I stop just inside the door, eyeing the door to my bedroom that lies slightly ajar across the living room from where I'm standing. I take a deep, reassuring breath and start the walk toward the bedroom. Toward a possibly naked Donnatella Moss. Toward a night I will remember for the rest of my life.
I reach the door, pushing it the rest of the way open with my shoulder, hands full with the champagne and glasses. "I come baring bubbly for my la..." my sentence is cut off as my eyes land on the bed. Donna has pulled the comforter back and is lying on her side dressed only in a matching, red lacy bra and panty ensemble. The miles of alabaster skin contrasting with the red make her look like an angel in devil's clothing. Her hair is down and cascading over her shoulder and the arm she has rested her head against. She's undoubtedly the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. And her beauty has stolen my ability to speak.
"Josh? You can close your mouth now... Are you going to just stand there all night or were you planning on joining me? Because I gotta tell you, I'm feeling a bit exposed over here," she states, grabbing the sheet and pulling it to cover herself.
"Noooo, no, no, no, no, no... don't do that," I beg, setting the champagne supplies on the bureau before rushing over to the bed beside her to pull the sheet back away from her body.
"But I'm getting cold," she pouts, sticking her bottom lip out. I smile gently at her and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, mesmerized by the goddess before me.
"Well, let's see if I can help with that." I bend down and meet her lips. What starts out innocent and PG quickly turns R-rated as our tongues caress each other and the passion skyrockets. I soon find myself laid out across the bed beside Donna, my upper body hovering over hers, my hand buried in her hair. Her hands are wrapped around my back, rubbing up and down as she pulls me closer to her. She slips one leg between mine, rubbing her upper leg against my reenergized arousal, eliciting a moan from deep within me. "You're gonna kill me..." I sigh.
"As much as I love you in that suit, I think you're wearing too many clothes, Joshua," she demands breathlessly.
My eyebrows raise and I smile cockily as I quickly get to work pulling my suit jacket off and kicking my shoes to the floor. Donna's mouth seeks out mine again and her hands go to work unbuttoning my shirt. She's always been an impressive multitasker. My hands wonder along her sides and take up residence just below her breasts. I use my thumb to stroke the underside of her chest, pulling a moan from her lips and causing my pants to tighten even more. Finally, she has my shirt undone and she runs her hands from my stomach, up my chest, to my shoulders, pushing the shirt away from my torso. I break our kiss to shake the shirt from my arms, now bare from the waist up. Donna's hands quickly begin exploring my chest. Her journey slows as her hands come in contact with my scar. She's the first person I've let see it since Rosslyn. Normally I'm very self-conscious of it, but her ministrations on the beach earlier today have negated my concerns about the ugly marking. She runs her fingers lightly up and down the marking before bending and planting a chaste kiss in the center of the white line. Her actions tug at my heartstrings as I realize just how much she loves me. I fight back the tears that are stinging my eyes. I don't know what I did in life to deserve her, but I can never let her go. I'd never survive it.
I pull Donna up and take her face between my hands, staring in to her eyes. "I love you so much..." I whisper before pulling her mouth to mine. I don't think I've ever wanted anyone as much as I want Donna right now. It's never felt like this. Before, it was always a means to an end. Sex was just a physical act with mutual satisfaction the goal. With Donna, I don't feel like we're doing this just to pleasure each other, though that is part of it. We're also communicating. We're fulfilling a physical and emotional need. I don't want to simply fuck Donna and make her come. I want to make love to Donna to show her how much I care for her. I need to show her.
As Donna's hands wrap around my back and begin making lazy trails across my shoulders, I make my way down the long expanse of her throat, leaving wet kisses along the trail. I cup her breasts gently, allowing the heft of them to fill my hands. "I need to see you, Donna," I breathe between kisses to her sternum. "Oh, Josh..." she moans. I take that as permission and quickly slide my hands behind her back to undue the clasp of her bra. I've never been happier to have that move down. Fumbling with the clasp of Donna's bra could really break the mood. Luckily, this one seems user friendly and gives way with a flick of the fingers. Donna shrugs forward, allowing the bra to come away from her body as I pull it down her arms and toss it off the bed. She now lays before me, naked except for her red panties. Magnificent. I move my head back down to her chest and take one pert nipple in to my mouth, lavishing it with my tongue before sucking gently. I move my hand to her free breast and roll her nipple between my fingers. Donna's hands move up to my hair, pulling my head against her. She whimpers as I apply a bit of suction again. Her moans and whispers are music to my ears and my cock twitches with each sound. I release her nipple, blowing a slow puff of air against her moistened skin. She must have liked that because she's now writhing beneath me. I move to her other breast and begin giving it the same attention. Donna's hands have moved down from my head, seemingly confident that I won't leave the job before it's done. Her hands skim along my back before sliding beneath the waistband of my pants. She uses her position to pull my hips against hers and she begins grinding herself against me before whimpering in frustration. "Josh... pants... off... NOW!"
Alrighty then. I sit back slightly in surprise of her demanding tone. Her hands quickly move to my waist where she makes quick work of my belt, the button of my pants, and zipper. Her hands slide below the waistband again, but this time she pushes my pants and boxer briefs down as far as she can reach, releasing my throbbing cock from its prison. I sigh in relief and sit up to kick the pants and boxer briefs off the side of the bed.
I move back up Donna's body, relishing the feeling of her skin sliding against mine. She meets my eyes before allowing hers to drop lower to inspect another part of my anatomy. She looks back at my face, smiles a sideways smile, and nods her approval. I can't help the smug smirk I know is making its way on to my face. I've never had any complaints and based on what I've had the unfortunate opportunity to see in the locker rooms of my life, I believe I would be considered well above average in this particular department. But seeing Donna's admiration is like being told you've been voted prom king.
"Easy Joshua... let's not let your healthy ego ruin the evening," Donna laughs. How did she know what I was thinking?
"Not at all, my dear," I giggle back.
I lean back down and our mouths find each other once again, like a moth to a flame. Donna has one hand on my hip and the other is sliding down my abdomen. She moves lower and lower, scratching gently at the light hair below my belly button before she finally takes my throbbing cock in to her soft hand. I inhale sharply, needing more oxygen immediately. I lay my forehead against the crook of her neck as she begins slowly stroking up and down my dick, rubbing her thumb across the head every few strokes. "God... Donna..." I sigh. I begin peppering her shoulders and neck with open mouth kisses while moving my hand from her hip to caress her thighs. I want her to feel what I'm feeling right now, so I slowly tease my way to her center, pushing the thin fabric of her panties to the side to slide my fingers along her cleft. God, she's already so wet. Her free hand has made its way to cup my balls and roll them gently as the hand stroking me begins to squeeze and speed up. If I don't stop this now, I'm going to end up coming on her stomach, and that is so NOT what I want to do right now.
"Donna... Donna, you gotta stop that or our night is going to end way too quickly," I tell her as I tease her clit between my fingers before sliding one, then two digits in to her warm cavern, massaging her from within. She moans and I seem to have distracted her enough to at least stop her hands from moving on me.
"That's it baby, let me do this for you," I beg. I use my free hand to pull her hands from my groin, laying them across her chest. Like she's always been able to do, she reads my mind and begins teasing her nipples and squeezing her breasts in time with my movements below. I speed up my strokes and use my thumb to tease her clit as I caress her tight tunnel. Her breathing has sped up and become shallow and I can tell she's close. "Open your eyes, Donna. I want to see you when I make you come," I plead. Her blue orbs meet mine and I use my free hand to caress her cheek. She bites her bottom lip through a moan as I see her fighting to keep control. I lean in and kiss her, my tongue mirroring my hand. I pull away and kiss her forehead. "Come for me, Donna," I encourage. Her whimpering and moans get louder and she's writhing now. "Oh, Josh... God Josh, yes... yes... yessssss! Ahhhhhh..." she groans as I feel her contracting around me. I maintain my movements as she pulls my face to hers and kisses me through her orgasm until she finally collapses back against the sheets.
"Oh my god, Josh, that was amazing," she says as she lays her arm against her forehead. "Glad to be of service," I whisper in to her ear.
She smiles up at me as I lean back and suddenly, she somehow snakes her legs between mine and flips us over. I land on my back in a huff, but before I can protest, her mouth is on my chest and she's teasing my nipples between her teeth. All I can do is groan as I watch her make her way lower down my body, her hands sliding up and down my thighs, but avoiding my most sensitive area. I lean forward, supporting my weight on my elbows so I can better see her descent. What can I say? I've always been a visual guy. And believe me, this visual is something I want burned in to memory.
Her hands slow on my thighs before she plants them on either side of my hips. She looks up at me, giving me a devilish grin before she lowers her mouth to kiss the underside of my cock. I groan and throw my head back as she quickly lowers her mouth and engulfs my dick, closing her lips around the head and sucking on it like a lollipop. As much as I love this, I can feel the familiar tightening in my balls and abdomen... I'm about to lose it. "Donna, honey, please... I need to be inside you when I come," I beg, my voice going a bit high as she bobs up and down once more, her tongue swirling on my shaft on the way up. I grunt at the loss of her heat as she releases me. I reach down and cup her face in my hands, "God woman, the things you do to me," I tell her as I pull her up toward me. I slide my hand back down between us as she straddles my hips, running my fingers through her still sensitive center. "The feeling's mutual," she purrs.
I pull her panties down her hips. "These are gonna need to come off," I encourage. She leans over to lie on her side, sliding the last barrier from her body. I run my hands through her hair, pushing it back from her face so I can see her eyes. "Do we need anything?" I ask.
"I'm on the pill and otherwise good. You?"
"All set," I respond. God... we get to do this with nothing between us. Remind me to send the scientists who developed oral contraceptives a gift when we get back to D.C.
Donna climbs over me, straddling my thighs again. I take her hips in my hands as she rubs herself against my rock hard cock. We both moan as we finally make intimate contact for the first time. "Donna..." I beg. She takes me in hand and guides me to her opening. I hold back, wanting to let her control this first penetration. I reach up and take her hands in mine, both to connect us and allow her to use me for leverage. She slowly lowers herself on my cock... and it's like coming home.
"God, Donna, you're so tight honey..." I say through gritted teeth.
"It's been a while for me," she replies breathlessly. We remain still for a few moments, allowing our bodies to relax against one another. She looks down at me, locking eyes before she begins to slowly ride me, up and down. I start to meet her thrusts, lifting my hips to meet hers as she slides down my shaft. We are almost immediately in synch, just like in every other aspect of our lives. She's groaning in pleasure and her face mirrors the ecstasy I'm feeling as she writhes above me. She releases my hands and plants hers on my shoulders. I lean forward to take her mouth with mine. Our tongues duel as the new angle allows her to rub her clit against my pubic bone, increasing her pleasure. She whimpers against my mouth and I can tell she's close. "Josh... It's never been this good..."
"I know baby... me neither... never like this..."
I lie back, wanting to see her come again. I grab her hips and help her move on me, my cock sliding in and out of her hot, wet tunnel with abandon. She throws her head back in passion, jutting her breasts forward. The sight of her is almost enough to make me come but I sit up and pull her against me, pounding in to her as I fight to control my own release. "Josh... Josh... oh god I'm gonna come," she moans.
"Yeah... come for me Donna... I wanna feel you come."
"Ugh, harder, harder... oh god, Josh... I'm coming... uuuggghhh," she cries as I feel her walls constrict around my aching cock. She is convulsing around me and I bite my lip to reign in my release. I want... no need to feel her orgasm on me. I slow down my thrusts as her muscles give out and she collapses on top of me. I remain hard and buried deep within her as I plant butterfly kisses across her face. She finally begins to come to as her hand comes up to stroke my face. "You're turn," she whispers in my ear before pulling my hips with her as she rolls to lay back on the bed and wraps her legs around my lower back, our intimate connection never breaking.
"Ah-kay," I squeak out, my verbal abilities gone as she squeezes her internal walls around my still aching cock. She grabs my hips and encourages me to move against her. I begin thrusting slowly, my eyes never leaving hers as I convey my love with my body. Donna meets my thrusts and moves one leg to drape it over my shoulder. She starts moaning along with me and I decide to make it my mission to make her come once more before I let myself go. I reach between us and rub her clit with my thumb. "Harder Josh," she pleads. I speed up my thrusts and concentrate on the feeling of her velvet passage against my throbbing cock. We fit so perfectly, it's like she was molded for me. My rhythm begins to falter as I feel my orgasm building. Donna seems to be right there with me though, so I rub her clit in earnest.
"Donna... oh god baby... I'm so close."
"Mmmm, I want you... to come inside me Josh."
"Come with me, Donna."
"God Josh, you feel sooo good."
"I love you so much Donna!"
With that, I feel her break over the edge, her body quivering below me and I give two final thrusts before I bury myself as deep as I can and explode within her. "Donna, ugh, ugh, ugh..." I moan out as I continue coming, my orgasm seeming to last forever. I feel as though I've left my body and entered some nirvana where pleasure and love are the only sensations I can recognize. Finally, I crumple on top of Donna, my mouth seeking out hers. We kiss languidly for a few minutes as I reluctantly pull out of her and move to her side to not crush her. We both moan at the loss of contact, but I pull her body against mine, the thin layer of sweat that covers both our bodies allowing me to slide her chest against mine. I envelope her in a hug and pull her head to tuck it against my shoulder as our breathing evens out.
I look in to her eyes and I smile at the look of contentment and pleasure I find there. She smiles back at me.
"Hey," I say.
"Hi there."
"That was pretty amazing."
"Yes, yes it was," she confirms.
"I meant what I said. It's really never felt like that before."
"Me neither. I think we're pretty good together."
"I know it. But it wasn't just sexual chemistry for me, Donna. I love you so much that I think it brought me to another level I never knew existed. I don't think I've ever truly understood what it means to make love until tonight."
"Oh, Josh," she says as tears pool over in her eyes. I reach up and brush them away with my thumb.
"Don't cry, Donna. You know I don't know what to do when you cry."
"They're happy tears, Joshua. And if that wasn't making love, I don't know what is. I love you, Joshua. So, so much." With that, I pull her closer and kiss her forehead as she snuggles against me. I reach down and pull the covers over our bodies. I look down and see that Donna has drifted off. I allow myself to drift off as well, feeling the most content and happy I've ever felt, filled with hope that the feeling will continue with this woman by my side for years to come.
Note: The song Josh and Donna dance to on the balcony is called "Tougher Than the Rest" and belongs to Bruce Springsteen.