Chapter 19 - Determined

‘Okay, gotta go! Don’t wait up grams!’ Julie said before bending over and pressing a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. Rosalie was proud of Julie for producing a fully-drawn circle this afternoon, but news of a date was somewhat less welcome. She remembered Julie’s last rock-star obsession and how she didn’t come home for weeks- sometimes months following his band from town to town. Silently praying this date wasn’t one of those types she watched an enthusiastic Julie make her way through the door the moment the bell sounded. Unlike her other ‘dates’, honking from the car, he at least had the decency to pick her up at the door. Rosalie caught a glimpse of her date before it closed, but not enough to satisfy curiosity.

‘Who is that boy she’s going out with now?’ Rosalie asked, without turning around, startling Jane who was leaning against the doorpost.

Jane frowned as she stood there. Did her grandmother have eyes in the back of her head? Or wasn’t she sneaking as quietly as she thought?

No point in pretending not to be there and sneaking off now… she thought and took a seat beside her grandmother.

‘Well, for one, he’s not a boy…’ Jane said smiling.

‘Darling, when you’re my age… Everyone that looks the way he does is a boy! Now tell me, where is he from? And what does he do?’

Jane let out an exasperated sound, ‘Shouldn’t you be asking Julie these things?

‘Yes, but she’s not here right now, is she?! And quite frankly speaking; I doubt she already knows these things. You, on the other hand, seem like you might know a thing or two’ Rosalie lifted her eyebrows, daring Jane to prove her wrong.

Jane squint her eyes at her grandmother’s sharpness. ‘His name is Dante. He’s a good friend of mine and my yoga-teacher…’ ‘I see, good friend- Before we continue the background check, tell me Jane! Why is he Julie’s date and not yours?’

‘Grams!’ Jane let out. She had not even thought of the possibility of her and Dante. But then again, he was married at the time…

‘Alright, okay! I just saw you going for a yoga-teacher and not Julie, now where is he from?’

‘I’m not saying anything Grams. You wanna know, ask Julie when she comes back from her date’, she said grabbing the magazine from the table and shifted through the pages; all the while glancing at her grandmother out of the corner of her eyes.

‘Oh, come on, Jane! Surely you wouldn’t rob an old lady of a chance to gossip, now would you?’ Rosalie answered with a pout.

‘Uh-uh, I am not getting sucked into that’ Jane said throwing the magazine back onto the table and got up.

‘You know, I could always hex you into telling me…’

‘You’ do know I can counter that, right?’ Jane smirked.

‘Try! Let’s see who’s faster’

Jane smiled when she weighed her chances of beating the one who taught her in the first place. She was fast, but not that fast.

‘No, I think I’ll pass on that’ she said on her way to the stairs, stopping only to lock the front door, ‘Good night, grams’ she added halfway up the stairs.

‘Yes, well, in the words of you younger generation; you suck Jane’

She heard a faint sound of laughter coming from above before she wheeled herself inside her room, where both her book and cup of tea sat waiting for her. Jane never did forget about them.

Rosalie thought her life very blessed with such granddaughters; one pampering her and the other trying to send her to an early grave. Blessed…

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Dylan’s Delights

21.45 pm

‘Tell me you didn’t do that--‘Dante eyed Julie with raised eyebrows.

‘I did! I call it my cool-period. Back then I was all for throwing underwear onto the stage. I was a bit green at it though. You’re supposed to throw the one you’re wearing at that moment. But me, no, I threw new ones… straight from the store’

‘Straight from…’

‘Yeah, label and all’

Dante burst out laughing. He could actually see her at those concerts and then imagined the star’s faces afterwards seeing the labels.

‘…and how long did the, uh, underwear-throwing phase last?’ he asked, handing her the sundae and motioning back towards the car parked on the other side of the street.

‘Hmm, I think it was a month, could’ve easily been two. I was a crazed fan; we didn’t pay attention to time’

‘I see you’re a very determined woman’

‘Very’ Julie said with a stubborn look on her face, before giggling at him and taking a bite of her chocolate sundae. She let out a soft moan as soon as the ice cream touched her tongue forcing an unexpected reaction out of Dante. He watched her take bite after bite and had to endure each moan that came afterwards. It wasn’t long before his southern region couldn’t take it anymore.

‘Come on’ he partially hissed, turning his body towards the car to hide the now visible reaction her moans caused. ‘That sundae can’t be that good’

‘Oh, but it is!’ she said closing her eyes. ‘There’s nothing better than Ben & Jerry’s Belgium Dark Chocolate! The only thing that can come remotely close, even though it gives a completely different sensation, is their chocolate chip’ Dante listened to the soft sound rolling off her lips as she continued telling him about her favorite flavors and the sensations they brought. He knew them all and had to agree with her on some, but she still couldn’t convince him about the Belgium Dark. Julie shrugged and Dante watched her take the last bite… maybe if tasted directly from her lips…

He moved closer to her. ‘You have some on your face right there’

Julie laughed. ‘Now I’m definitely not falling for that one, because I know I don’t’

Smiling he dipped his finger in his own Rum Raisin and put a drop in the corner of her mouth. ‘Now you do…’

Oh, Julie mouthed, impressed by his boldness. ‘A new old trick’

‘I improved it’ Dante answered in a husky voice, removing the empty cup from her hands and putting it on the hood, before gently cupping her face. With his other hand he pulled her off the hood of his car not once breaking eye-contact. When he was sure she stood firm enough he lowered his head.

Julie felt his warm breath on her cheek and she closed her eyes in anticipation. She felt his lips on the corner of her mouth, exactly where the drop was still residing.  Different sensation went through her when she felt something warm and wet against her skin.

… oh, dear God… he’s licking it off…

Julie felt herself drowning in his very masculine scent and breathing came a little difficult while he continued working the side of her mouth. Dante skillfully licked off the drop taking care to let his tongue slide into the seam of her still closed mouth. He did it twice before he pulled back and watched the heated look on her face.

‘There, I think I got it all’

He was teasing her and she liked it. Only with their lips being so close they were almost touching, she needed something more that a tease.

‘Hmm, I think you missed a spot… right here’ she pulled back a little and slowly ran her finger over her lips parting them. Julie watched his face as she did this. He appeared to no longer breathe through his nose and was mesmerized by the movement of her finger. She lowered her hand onto his chest and leaned into him. His eyes were still fixated on her lips. She captured her bottom lip between her teeth and slowly let it slide between them, watching his reaction. Julie could swear his eyes were getting smaller with desire. Who’s teasing who now?

When she moistened her lips he let out a soft groan. Her tongue was visible for little over 2 seconds, but it was enough to make him forget all about the teasing game.

Dante didn’t care if she would feel the hardening desire he tried to hide earlier and pulled her by her waist until she was fully pressed against him before seeking out the object of his desire. He pressed a feathery light kiss on the corner of her mouth where he first started and moved towards her bottom lip. Gently sucking on it, he synchronized his breathing with hers.  Dante wanted to enjoy this without the threat of running out of breath too soon, too fast. He opened his eyes when he felt her move underneath him; nipping on his lip. Dante watched her kiss him back as he moved to her upper lip to repeat his caress. Her face was slightly flushed and he wondered if it was the result of the ice cream or of their kiss, which wasn’t even real one yet.

Finding it high time to change that, he nudged the seam of her lips with his trying to gain access. With a heavy sigh, she complied and allowed him entry. He swooped in for the kill, fully covering her mouth with his. Julie’s head tilted back at the force of his kiss.

His tongue probed at hers and took the lead in the ages old dance they both knew so well. Julie was no pushover and with some quick movement found herself exploring the inside of his mouth. The taste of Rum Raisin still sweet on his tongue as she sucked on it, hard!

Dante moaned inside her mouth at her aggression and ran his hands up and down her back. When he took hold of her butt and pressed her against his still growing erection Julie locked her arms around his neck to pull him closer. As if it was possible. She ran her fingers through the long strands of his hair; occasionally giving it a playful pull. The way his stubble scraped against her chin from time to time only heightened her desire. Julie moved her body against his eliciting another moan from his throat. One she drank eagerly.

Neither of them wanted to break the kiss, but that breather became a necessity and several moans and nips later, they pulled apart.

‘Wow…’

‘…yeah!’ Dante answered, looking at Julie’s flushed face, still dazed from their first real kiss. He gently cupped her face and brushed her rose colored cheek with his thumb. Julie leaned her face into his hand lovingly. Dante felt a bit sorry for losing control at the sight of her swollen lips. While still beautiful, she looked ravaged and he was to blame. Their breaths returned to their normal calm state and he apologized to her lips by pressing another feathery light one on them.

When their eyes met again, they realized that that one kiss wouldn’t be enough. With his own desire mirrored in her eyes and hers mirrored in his, Julie once again pressed herself against him, ready for a round two. And Dante was happy to oblige…

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Commemorative Pic