A wife for my brother

The party that Camila had organized was going to be a big one, she was known for making her events very pompous where many important members of her social circle paraded. Nobody missed them.

For all that, Daniel was more than aware that, together with Deanna, they would be the center of attention. Everyone would want to see his new wife and see if any of the gossip was true. Deanna wasn’t nervous, but she was worried. Trying to fit in so that her husband’s image would remain intact and not be the target of criticism weighed heavily on her. She would never have imagined that dealing with all those demands would be a full-time job.

The usual introductions were never ending, but he would not leave her side for a moment. He would hold her hand or take her by the waist, which for Daniel was a clear sign of his support and also of his pride. He was proud to show everyone the woman he had. It also acted, in his mind, as a sign of “dominance” in front of other men. A primitive sense of marking territory; Deanna, young as she was, pretty, smart and sweet, caught the attention of more than one.

Despite all the etiquette and protocol, he had only one thing on his mind for that night and so did Deanna.

-Mrs. Crusher, it’s a pleasure to meet you.

– Thank you very much, likewise.

– He is a partner in one of our subsidiaries, Lucas Smith and is a friend of Dad’s.” Daniel introduced him.

– Congratulations, Daniel, you did well – And he winked before walking away.

– What did you do well? – She asked him in an accomplice tone.

– He’s an extremely unpleasant guy –

– Yes, but did you do well? –

He looked her straight in the eyes.

-Of course.

Since when was he so shameless?

Deanna smiled sideways at him. That might be a good game for tonight, see how long he could hold out. She was helped by the dress she was wearing with the full back exposed. How he came to accept it with his marked obsession with “showing skin”; she didn’t know.

Etiquette dictated that during the evening the family of the honoree mingle with the guests, always showing courtesy. Watching her come and go, smiling, drinking, chatting; following her closely and showing up when he thought she was spending too much time with someone, was his way of courting her.

Deanna was aware of his “pursuit” and from time to time, between a drink or a conversation she would seek him out with her eyes and give him a smile or a roll of her eyes. But she was going to take it to the next level, she had discovered a strange taste for provoking him just to see his reaction.

Harry hardly came near her, yet he was watching her and Daniel too. The whole innuendo was repulsive to him. But since he couldn’t do anything else, he just drank one drink after another, what did it matter? A night of indulgence to finish burying his feelings.

He hadn’t lied to her when he told her he was popular with the ladies. Despite the obvious ring on his finger, women who had once considered him a catch were circulating to say hello. However, Deanna had already figured out how to regain his attention. Deliberately, she sought to stand right in the center of his field of vision; first it was a sustained glance, then she touched her hair, later she pretended to fix her dress, and he ended by apologizing to whomever he was with and moving to her side.

– Aren’t you going to tell me you’re jealous? –

– Never –

– All you do is get my attention and only when I’m with other women –

– Do I really? –

– Sounds like jealousy.

– Impossible…

Impossible was becoming to keep his hands off her, impossible was to think of anything else but to take her away from that party at once.

On the other hand, Laura couldn’t make Harry stop drinking, she was afraid he would end up making a fuss or making a fool of himself. She had to ask Susan to talk to him, but even she couldn’t convince him to stop, so she asked him to stay out of the house. Hopefully he would fall asleep on one of the garden benches.

The turning point for Daniel that night came to finally drive him crazy. Laura was urging Deanna to sing something for her mother-in-law, that she would accompany her on the piano.

– A short aria Come on Dean! Make it our gift to Camila –

– I don’t think Camila would like it too much –Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

– I insist too – Daniel added.

Jonathan who was listening took her hand and with his little fingers he squeezed hers a bit.

– Do you insist too? – The boy nodded his head yes.

– Well, I will… but only if I get a kiss -”

The little boy stretched out his arms and connected with his cheek. Something that touched Jonathan’s soul was hearing her sing because that had become the language they shared: music.

The two got ready and the guests gathered around the piano. Camilla, Charles and Daniel were in the front row. The first notes of the piano began to play and Deanna was magically transformed: the way she stood, the look on her face, her gaze; as if another woman emerged from within her. Her voice came out of her chest with a shuddering power and Daniel was always spellbound, stunned and motionless when he witnessed it. It was impossible to take his eyes off her, she seemed to transmit an overflowing fervor, contained within her being and bursting out all together when she sang. She never looked anyone in the face, she would concentrate on a fixed point in the distance and blurred from reality while performing some piece, but that time she stared at him for a few seconds. The song was for him; she told him so with her eyes inflamed with passion.

Daniel shuddered all over and his impatience skyrocketed. She seemed to be conveying to him with her voice the desire she felt for him, an unspoken, implicit communication that no one else could understand. How could he not be crazy about her? No other woman had ever stood up to him in that honest, open way to say, “I want you.” Deanna seemed to know what connections to move inside him to set everything in motion; and it wasn’t just simple desire. It was going to consume everything in her, it was going to reduce him to ashes and he was craving it more than ever.

Even Camilla had been impressed, congratulations rained down more on Daniel than on her, but Deanna had her own audience and the most fervent was little Jonathan. That little boy’s joy when he heard her sing was spontaneous. He climbed into her arms to wrap his arms around her neck, completely ecstatic, just like that time they danced at the wedding. Susan slowly approached them.

-Jonathan What do you say we find your siblings and go home for some ice cream? –

The little boy decided to switch arms.

– Will you take them? –

– In a little while, after the toast… At Daniel’s request –

– But why? –

– He has other plans… – Susan’s face told her everything.

– Oh… Oh!

Look at how shameless he turned out to be and she thought she was adding fuel to the fire when Daniel was already on fire. Why, then, not have him go up in flames? When the last person finished complimenting her she made eye contact with him. Her gaze was charged with electricity because as soon as Daniel saw her he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Deanna walked slowly to the doors of a room, stood in front of them and sure that he was watching her she set her glass down on the flower table, looked over her shoulder at him and very deliberately with cadence used her other hand to run down the small of her back. She didn’t know if anyone else was watching her and she didn’t care. She opened the doors and stepped inside, into what appeared to be Charles’ library.

Daniel’s breath caught for a few moments and he had to remember to breathe again. It was an insolent invitation, unabashed, completely open and direct. The blood rushed through his body at an impossible speed, his chest swelled and he lost track of anything else. He followed her slyly into the library. He closed the door behind him and saw her, standing in the center, in the dark, with only the reflections of outside light filtering through the window curtains. Completely ethereal and carnal.