The students who had agreed to participate where to come to Tandy Hall at 9 a.m. When they arrived they were shown to a classroom where lab chairs lined the walls. The chairs had a padded arm rest where the students would spread out their arms and allow the medical students to probe until they found a suitable vein. Plastic bands were placed across each armrest to allow the medical students to apply enough pressure to make the veins pop up. Meri and Anna chose chairs that were next to each other while they looked at the group of students who would be doing the procedure. The professor was giving the students their final instruction before they were to begin. Each student would perform the procedure under the close scrutiny of the professor. They were instructed to wait until the professor told them to proceed. They started at the far end of the classroom, each student poking and prodding until they found a vein they thought would be productive. When it came Meri’s turn, she noticed her student was tall and slim, with a serious look on his face. He did not smile at Meri, or even speak to her as he tied the band around the upper part of her arm. She felt the pinch of the band before he started poking around in the bend of her arm. She noticed that his name tag said Marty Evans.
It did not take Marty long to find the vein he thought offered the best chance of allowing him to draw blood without blowing the vein. If he blew the vein, he knew that he would have to stick her again, and he didn’t want that.
Meri felt the cold application of alcohol and she knew that the stick was close. She did not have enough nerve to watch. She tried to visualize something pleasant in her mind. She also knew that one day she would be in Marty’s shoes, and she wanted to be a good patient. Marty told her to expect a big stick. Meri winced a bit as she felt the sharp needle prick her skin. The alcohol burned a little as the needle found its mark. Suddenly Marty released the band and allowed the blood to flow naturally in her arm. All and all, it wasn’t a bad experience. Marty had been successful with one stick and the whole procedure was over before she knew it.
Amanda had chosen a long silver gown to wear to the cancer fund-raiser. It accentuated her curves and complimented her blue eyes. She was looking forward to the evening. It would be the first of many to come, but she had no idea of that when she applied her makeup and fixed her hair. She looked in the mirror and was pleased with what she saw. She had always stayed slim, but was slimmer now that she had ever been. Her breast were large and had not yet shown any signs of dropping with age. Her gown was cut low, but still allowed her a sense of modesty. It had been a long time since Amanda had allowed herself to dress in such a seductive manner, but she was feeling brave.
The evening began with an elegant meal of fresh salmon and filet mignon. Wine flowed freely and Amanda allowed herself a little indulgence. So far the evening was going great and she was enjoying speaking with some of her colleagues. The man sitting across from her excused himself and rose to leave the table. When he did, Amanda noticed a man sitting at the table in front of her. Their eyes met and Amanda felt her heart skip a beat. He was easily one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Embarrassed to be caught staring, Amanda made herself look away. She continued to enjoy the evening while the band was getting ready to play.
Shortly after the band started, Amanda felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find that same handsome man standing there asking her to dance. She quickly accepted as he led her out onto the dance floor. Their bodies swayed to the music while they introduced themselves. Harold Turner was a widow who worked in medical sales. He lived in a small town called Brownsville, but he traveled across West Tennessee. He had one son, Daniel, who was a bit of a black sheep. Amanda started to feel alive for the first time since the death of her husband.
Meri continued to volunteer for participation in student studies. So far she had allowed a student to draw her blood, examine her throat, perform an ultrasound on her abdomen, and apply a cast to her imaginary broken arm. She found the program to be interesting, and it allowed her to make some extra spending money that she usually spent on snacks to keep her going between classes. She took part of the money from each procedure and put it in a bank account to be used in case of an emergency. Her parents had taught her well, and she knew that the only way to get ahead in life was to work hard and save money.
The fall semester was about to come to an end. Soon the students would be taking their winter break and going home to spend their holidays with their families. Meri was looking forward to spending Christmas with her mother. She had taken some of the money she had earned and purchased a nice scarf for her mother for Christmas. She had no idea of the surprise she was about to encounter when she walked through the door of her home.
Amanda was in the kitchen when Meri arrived home. Meri could smell something delicious, but she could not figure out what it was. She found her mother in the kitchen preparing a meal of beef brisket, fresh asparagus, salad, and fresh yeast rolls. She looked at her mother with a questioning look in her eyes. Why in the world was Amanda going to all of this trouble for the two of them?
Amanda grabbed Meri and hugged her tightly.
“Let me look at you,” Amanda exclaimed. “You look fantastic! College life must agree with you.”
“Well, you know, it is a lot of studying, and a lot of eating junk food or just grabbing a snack in between classes,” Meri said. “But why are you cooking all of this food? There is enough here to feed an army.”
“Come in her and sit down,” Amanda said. We need to talk.”
Meri couldn’t believe her ears! Her mother had met a man and had fallen in love. They were planning to get married over the Christmas holidays and they wanted Meri to stand up for her mom. Meri’s head was spinning with this news. She couldn’t help but notice how happy her mother looked. Amanda explained that Harold had one son who was a few years older than Meri. He was a lead investigator with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and Harold had asked him to stand up for him at their wedding. Both Amanda and Harold wanted to keep things simple, with just their children in attendance. She told Meri that Harold and his son, Daniel would be joining them for dinner.
Dinner proved to be unlike anything Meri had ever experienced before. Harold was quite good looking, and his son, whew! Daniel was tall, with long dark brown hair that he wore pulled back, one earring, and his arms were covered with tattoos. There was something savage looking about him, but Meri could not seem to take her eyes off him. Harold was very friendly, and seemed to truly want Meri’s approval. Daniel seemed somewhat moody, only putting in a word every now and then. Meri sensed that Daniel resented their parent’s upcoming marriage.
After dinner they all retired to the living room. Amanda was excited to tell Meri and Daniel all about their wedding plans. The wedding would take place on Saturday, here at the house Meri and Amanda had shared. It was not going to be anything fancy, just a small, intimate ceremony with just the four of them. Amanda and Harold were going to postpone their honeymoon until after Meri returned to college. Amanda hoped that Meri would take the time in the interim to get to know Harold. Meri made up her mind that she was going to do her best. Her mom looked happy, and she deserved it. She only hoped that Daniel would come around and be as happy as for them as she was.
Meri returned to college to start her second semester. Anna was chatting about her holidays with family while Meri was trying to get in a word edgewise to tell Anna about her mom’s marriage. Some things never changed. Meri quickly settled into her new schedule and applied herself once again to her studies.
Spring break was just around the corner and Meri was not sure what she was going to do. Her mother called and told her that she and Harold wanted to take Meri and Daniel to Florida for a family vacation. Amanda felt they all needed to get to know each other. Meri envisioned Daniel, scowling at the thought of spending a week with his father and his new bride.
Meri agreed, and packed her bags to head back to Jackson. She was a little apprehensive at the thought of spending her days in Daniel’s company, b
ut she agreed that she owed it to her mother to make the best of it. When she arrived at home, Meri learned that Daniel would be joining them in Florida. He had agreed to go, but he would not be riding in the SUV with the family. He preferred the open road and the hum of his Harley. Meri had never been around bikers, but she had heard all kinds of rumors about them being ruthless and overbearing. Somehow that image fit what she thought of Daniel.
The trip to Panama City Beach was fairly uneventful. Amanda and Harold tried to include Meri in their conversations. Meri could feel herself warming to Harold. He certainly seemed to make her mother happy. When they arrived, Meri discovered that Harold had rented a condo with three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living area. She found the accommodations to be quite nice, with a balcony overlooking the ocean. She wandered out onto the balcony and took a deep breath of the gentle ocean breeze. The water was beautiful and she started to relax. Perhaps this week would be a good one after all.
It was later in the day when Daniel finally arrived. Meri stared at his beautifully built body. He was wearing a tank top that revealed the rippling muscles in his chest. His skin was already tan from spending hours in the sun riding his bike. His tan accented the lines of his cheekbones, making him look like something that just walked off the cover of a romance novel. Quite literally, he was beautiful!
Harold had planned to take the family out to dinner. They all rode in the SUV to a local restaurant that offered fresh seafood. Daniel seemed to loosen up a little, joining in the conversation as they waited for their meal. When it arrived, it was possibly the best meal Meri had ever tasted. The delicate sea bass was cooked to perfection, and the grilled shrimp were fat and juicy. Meri learned that Daniel enjoyed spending weekends riding his Harley with some of his friends. She was drawn to his deep voice that seemed to indicate some darker nature.
When they returned to the condo, Meri was startled when Daniel asked her if she cared to go for a walk on the beach. Looking at her mother for direction, Amanda nodded her head, indicating it would be okay. Meri agreed and the two of them left the condo, took the elevator, and walked down to the edge of the water. Once they had reached the water, Daniel seemed to relax. All of a sudden he was talking to her like he had known her for ages. He told her that at first he had resented their parent’s marriage, but now he could see how happy they are. Meri started to relax when she discovered that Daniel had accepted her mother as his dad’s bride. The sun was rapidly setting in the west, playing across the water as it slowly descended out of sight. Meri noticed there were plenty of people taking advantage of the beautiful evening and enjoying a walk along the beach. Meri took off her flip flops and thrilled at the feeling of the sand washing out from beneath her feet. The two of them walked along, asking questions about each other, trying to find common ground so that they would not disappoint their parents.
The week was nearing an end. Meri had to admit, she had really enjoyed herself. Daniel had seemed to come out of his shell and was actually very friendly. She found herself looking forward to the evenings when she and Daniel would go for their nightly walk along the beach. She had learned so much about him this week, and she discovered that she actually liked him a lot. She would occasionally see the darker side of him when he talked about his bike trips and getting into bar fights along the way. But for the most part, she really enjoyed his company.
It was their last evening of vacation and Meri was almost dreading getting back to everyday life. She knew she was going to miss these walks with Daniel. On this evening Daniel seemed pensive. They found themselves alone since they had stayed out later than usual. She felt Daniel put his arm around her and pull her close to him. Before she knew what was happening, Daniel had spun her around and was kissing her on her lips. She didn’t know whether she needed to run, or just see where this lead.
As Daniel continued kissing her she felt herself start to melt. Daniel’s kisses were making her feel things that she was not used to. She felt giddy and light-headed. It was a pleasant feeling, and Meri decided that she wanted to feel more.
“Do you know how really beautiful you are,” Daniel asked.
It was something nobody had ever said to her before. It made her feel warm inside to learn that somebody thought she was beautiful. Daniel gently eased her down on the sand and stretched out beside her. Something deep inside her told her she should get up and run right now. Daniel seemed to sense this and started kissing her again. Meri was feeling things deep inside each time Daniel kissed her. She felt his hands move down her body and find her breasts. Meri started when his hands started kneading first one then the other. There was an unknown fire starting to burn in the pit of her stomach. She was scared, but she also wanted more. She was not sure what “more” was, but she made no move to stop Daniel from discovering her body. Daniel pushed up her tee shirt and pulled the straps of her bra off her shoulders, revealing her plump breasts to the warm night air. His mouth found first one and then the other. She felt his warm mouth gently suck on her nipples that seemed to suddenly have turned to fire. She felt the fire in the pit of her stomach build, and she was not sure what it meant. She felt Daniel’s hands go beneath her shorts while his mouth continued its onslaught of her breasts. Meri knew that she was lost.
Daniel found her mound and started to gently massage it. His fingers soon found her clitoris and he started to squeeze it gently. Meri’s body was alive with nerve endings that aroused things in her that she did not understand. She moaned as his hands continued to work their magic between her legs. Daniel found her hot and wet opening and quickly slid his finger inside her. She took in a deep breath at about the same time Daniel realized that she was a virgin. He gently withdrew his finger from her hot canal and removed her shorts and panties. She was a virgin and he was not going to deflower her tonight. But he knew that he had awakened a passion in her and he was going to complete what he started. He reined in his passion and set out to teach Meri how wonderful passion could feel. He gently spread her legs wide and took his hands to hold her lips apart. His mouth descended to her clitoris, teasing it with his tongue. Meri jumped at the feeling of pleasure she was feeling between her legs. Part of her wanted to yell stop, but another part of her waited in anticipation of what would come next. Daniel’s hot tongue started entering her hot canal. He flicked in and out, causing her to thrash her head back and forth. She could feel something building inside that was quickly spreading throughout her body. She did not understand it, but she was powerless to stop it. She screamed out as a powerful orgasm took over her body. She lifted her hips, not knowing what she wanted, but she had lost all control of her body.
Daniel watched as the entrance of her womanhood convulsed and the juices poured from her canal. To him it was a beautiful sight, and he longed for the day that his cock would be able to sink into her virginal canal. He determined in his mind that he would one day make that happen.
While Meri came back to earth she looked up into Daniel’s dark eyes. She didn’t understand what had just happened.
“Don’t worry princess, you are still a virgin,” Daniel said.
Chapter 3
Meri was quiet on the way home from Florida. She was still trying to figure out what happened between her and Daniel on the beach that last night of their stay. Daniel had been so gentle, something that belied his tough guy image. He had made her body feel things that she did not understand. She had never realized those feelings were even possible.
Amanda and Harold were satisfied that the family was off to a good start. Meri seemed to accept Harold in her mother’s life, and Daniel was coming around. Also, Daniel and Meri seemed to accept each other as step siblings. Amanda knew that the two were very different, Daniel was dark and handsome, with a personality that matched his looks, and Meri had grown into a beautiful young woman whose personality was just as innocent as her looks.
Spring break was over and it was time to get back to her studies. She did not have long left in the semester and she had not y
et made a decision about what she was going to do for summer. She could stay in Memphis and take advantage of some summer classes, or she could look for a part-time job. She really didn’t feel comfortable barging in on her mom and Harold. They seemed so happy together and she did not want to invade their privacy. Oh well, she still had a little time to figure it out.
Anna wanted to hear all about Meri’s trip to Florida with her new family. Meri gave her a brief overview, leaving out the part that happened on the beach. Anna detected something different in Meri, but Meri refused to discuss the intimate details of her trip.
Later that evening when Anna was out with friends, Meri looked back over the events of the week in Florida. On their walks on the beach Daniel had opened up a little about his life. Meri learned that his mother had in childbirth while trying to give birth to Daniel’s sister. Complications caused damage to the infant who only lived a few hours. Harold had been crushed at the time. He had almost gone crazy with grief at the loss of both his wife and daughter.
Meri also learned that Daniel had attended University of Tennessee at Martin where he earned a degree in criminal justice. After graduation he was hired with the Memphis Police Department as a motorcycle cop, a job that his father deeply hated. Memphis’ crime rate is one of the highest in the nation for a metropolitan city. Daniel had loved the job because he allowed him to make money while doing one of his favorite thing, riding a motorcycle.
Mafia Romance Series Page 17
