“Okay, well, let’s talk as soon as she starts getting better,” Devin said, winking at Shiloh.
“Thanks for getting the stuff for me,” Shiloh said, sighing. “I guess I’m going to learn about this homeopathic stuff, huh?”
“Looks like,” Devin said, noting that Shiloh avoided the topic of them talking.
Another sign as far as Devin was concerned.
Devin left, and Shiloh went back up to check on Harley. She was sleeping again. Shiloh looked down at Harley, thinking about the questions Devin had asked. She wasn’t ready to fully examine her feelings for Harley. She knew that desire wasn’t always love, and she didn’t even know if the desire was mutual. That made her think of something, so she texted Devin.
“Hey, I have a question for you when you get a chance. What is the deal with Harley and her neck?”
She’d wondered it after the first night at The Club, when the group had been talking about Sarah going for Harley’s neck. She’d also noticed that the night they’d come home from The Club, Harley had practically jumped when Shiloh had nuzzled her neck. Then that night at The Club with Roslynn, Harley had seemed deeply affected when she’d kissed her neck to try and make Roslynn jealous.
Devin finally texted an hour later when she’d gotten back to her house. “Harley’s biggest turn on.”
Shiloh read that and sighed, she’d figured it was a turn on, not her biggest though. To Shiloh, it meant that Harley wasn’t necessarily attracted to her, just affected by anyone kissing her neck. She felt a sense of disappointment and did her best to ignore it. She fell asleep that night, sitting up leaning against the headboard of Harley’s bed with her hand on Harley’s shoulder.
The next day, Harley didn’t seem to be feeling much better, so Shiloh emailed Rayden again. She checked Harley’s temperature and it was down to 100, so she made a point of brewing more tea. By mid-afternoon, she was feeling well enough to sit up and watch TV. She insisted on watching a series on DVD: The L Word.
“Don’t know if you’ll like it though,” Harley said, grinning.
“Why?” Shiloh asked.
“It’s about gay women in LA,” Harley said.
“’Cause I don’t know any of those?” Shiloh asked wryly.
Harley chuckled, causing herself to cough. “I see your point,” she said when she was able to talk again.
Shiloh went down to the kitchen and heated up some soup from a can, thinking she needed to make Harley some homemade soup. When she got back upstairs, there was an episode of The L Word on and two women were making love. One of the women had short dark hair and was very slim hipped with a very androgynous look about her, reminding Shiloh of Dakota.
“She looks kind of like Dakota,” she said to Harley as she handed her soup. “Easy, it might still be a little hot,” she cautioned, catching Harley’s grin.
“Yes, Mom,” Harley said.
“Don’t make me smack you when you’re sick,” Shiloh said, raising an eyebrow at her.
Harley grinned unrepentantly. “And you’re right, she does look like Dakota a bit. That’s Shane.”
“Okay…” Shiloh said, settling next to Harley on the bed and watching the show. “Who’s that? Wait, isn’t that the woman that played in Flashdance?”
Harley chuckled. “Yeah… She was hot in that too. The character’s name is Bette.”
“I see is she the one you like the best there?” Shiloh asked.
“Mmm…” Harley stammered. “Yeah, her or Carmen. Carmen is way hot.”
“Which one is that?” Shiloh asked.
“Wait…” Harley said. A few minutes passed, then a Latina came on the screen, and Harley pointed. “That is Carmen,” she said, sighing.
Shiloh screwed up her face in assessment. “I dunno… I think Shane’s hot.”
Harley looked back at Shiloh. “Really now?”
“Well, yeah, if I had to pick,” Shiloh said. “Oh, or that one!” she said when another woman came on the screen.
“She’s totally butch,” Harley said.
“So?” Shiloh asked.
Harley shook her head grinning. There was a ring of the doorbell then, and Shiloh picked up Harley’s iPad to check the front door. It was Devin. She hit the button to open the door for her.
“We’re up here!” Shiloh called.
Devin walked in, her eyes immediately drawn to the screen as two women were kissing and making all kinds of noise again.
“Oh, The L Word, good choice…” Devin said, grinning as she walked over to kiss Harley who was sitting against the headboard.
“Okay, who do you think is hottest?” Harley asked her.
“Definitely Shane,” Devin said nodding. “The carpenter was pretty hot too,” she said, referring to the other woman that Shiloh had found hot.
“So you’re both into butches. Way to solidify the stereotype, girls,” Harley said, grinning as she winked at them both.
“Excuse me?” Devin asked, as she kicked off her shoes and lay across the bed. “Have you seen my wife?”
“Yeah,” Harley said, grinning.
“Is Skyler considered butch?” Shiloh asked.
“Soft butch,” Harley said.
“Yeah, and you got nothing to say, Harley, so are you,” Devin told her.
Shiloh looked over at Harley, her look surprised. “You’d be considered butch?”
Harley chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, by most people. You don’t remember that conversation in the car on the way home from the bar that first night?”
“Hmmm, I don’t remember much about that night, no,” Shiloh said, looking at Harley as if she was trying to see the ‘butch.’ “So Shane is butch too?”
“She’s actually got that whole androgynous thing going on, so she’s a bit harder to peg,” Devin explained.
Shiloh nodded, trying to understand all the subtleties of lesbians and their ways.
“So what makes butches different from other lesbians?” Shiloh asked curiously.
Devin and Harley exchanged a look; they’d both heard these kinds of questions before.
“Well, butches tend to be the more masculine of the women,” Harley said.
“And they’re also usually the best gentlemen you’ll ever find,” Devin said, smiling over at Harley. “They open doors for you, some of them still stand when you enter a room, they pick up the check…”
“Or give you a credit card with an unlimited credit limit,” Shiloh said, raising an eyebrow at Harley.
“You did what?” Devin asked, her eyes wide.
“It was for her birthday,” Harley said, shrugging, as she pointedly looked back at the TV.
“Uh-huh,” Devin said, her look knowing. “Did ya cancel it after her birthday?”
Harley didn’t answer, she was focused on whatever was happening on the show. Devin picked up a pillow and tossed it at her.
“Hmm?” Harley murmured. “What?”
Devin shook her head, grinning. “Did you cancel the credit card after Shiloh’s birthday?”
“What?” Harley asked, looking confused for a moment. “No, wait, why?”
“’Cause it’s only ‘for my birthday’ if it was only on my birthday, Harley,” Shiloh said.
Harley looked at Shiloh, then over at Devin, who nodded with a grin on her lips.
“Whatever,” Harley said, waving her hand dismissively.
“Whatever she says,” Devin said, looking at Shiloh and rolling her eyes. “Shy, how many people would you trust like that?”
“Not one person on this Earth,” Shiloh responded.
“Me either,” Devin said pointedly looking at Harley.
Once again, Harley’s focus had shifted back to the TV, but she sensed she was being watched.
“What?” she asked looking between the two women, sounding exasperated.
Devin shook her head, sighing and turning onto her side to watch the show. Shiloh smiled, seeing that Harley was looking vexed. As she watched, Harley set her foot at Devin’s butt
and shoved her over, making Devin laugh.
“Brat!” Devin exclaimed.
“You’re one to talk, troublemaker,” Harley said.
They spent the afternoon watching TV. Eventually Harley started to get tired again, so Shiloh turned it off and got her settled in bed again, making sure she was comfortable. She walked with Devin downstairs and started checking the refrigerator to see if they had the items she needed to make soup. Devin sat at the bar counter across from her.
“So, how much do you love her?” Devin asked out of the blue.
“What!” Shiloh exclaimed, shocked by the question.
“You heard me,” Devin said, smiling.
“What makes you think I do?” Shiloh asked her look blasé.
“You do,” Devin said, her tone sure. “I just want to know how much.”
“You can love friends, you know.”
“Yeah, you’re right, you can,” Devin said, nodding. “But you’re in love with her too.”
Shiloh’s mouth dropped open, then she busied herself getting out vegetables and looking in the freezer for chicken.
“At least you aren’t denying it,” Devin said, smiling from her perch.
“I’m not saying anything,” Shiloh said, shaking her head.
“Right, which means you’re not denying it.”
“So I have to deny it to make it not true?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
Shiloh looked back at Devin, and could see that part of her really wanted to deny it, just so she could keep denying it to herself. Finally, Shiloh blew her breath out, shaking her head.
“I wish I could lie and say I’m not,” Shiloh said simply.
“Why?” Devin asked. “Why would you want to lie about that?”
“Because,” Shiloh said, shrugging, “she’s my boss, she’s my friend… Because I’m frigging terrified.”
“What are you afraid of?” Devin asked, looking surprised.
“What am I afraid of?” Shiloh repeated, her look asking Devin if she was crazy. “Do you know she hasn’t even asked about Roslynn?”
Devin looked back at Shiloh, her look considering. “You’re thinking that if she can dismiss someone like Roslynn from her mind so easily, she could do the same to you?”
“Exactly!” Shiloh said.
Devin looked pensive, then finally shook her head. “Shy, Harley doesn’t dismiss people from her life.”
“What do you mean?” Shiloh asked, looking confused. “You just said…”
“I know what I said,” Devin said, “And I was saying that it’s what you think, but the thing is Harley doesn’t have the ability in her to be cruel enough to dismiss people from her life. She lets things go that don’t hold her attention. Unfortunately, sometimes that includes women.”
“Unfortunately for who?” Shiloh asked.
“For Harley and for the women I suppose,” Devin said. “But you have to ask yourself a question here. What are you willing to risk to find out if you can hold her attention?”
“I don’t know,” Shiloh said, shaking her head. “I mean, Jesus you saw Roslynn. She was one of the hottest women I’ve ever seen. Plus, if the noise level was any indication, she obviously knew what she was doing in bed, so… Where am I going to measure up in either of those areas?”
“And you think Harley’s only about looks and sex?” Devin asked.
That question brought Shiloh up short and she furrowed her brows. She hadn’t really thought about it that way.
Devin nodded, seeing that Shiloh was suddenly unsure of her own logic.
“You’re telling yourself all kinds of stuff, Shiloh,” Devin said, “because it would be easier if you didn’t want her. But that’s not going to make it go away, trust me.”
“You know about this kind of thing?” Shiloh asked.
“God, yes!” Devin said, rolling her eyes. “Do you know how hard I had to work to catch and keep Skyler?”
“What? No way,” Shiloh said. “I’ve seen you two together, she thinks you’re the most awesome thing she’s ever seen…”
“Now, she thinks that now,” Devin said. “But believe me, she pushed me away every way to Sunday and back to Friday… she wanted nothing to do with me. But I kept at her until I could prove to her that I loved her and that I wanted to be in her life, no matter what her demons were,” she said wistfully. “You don’t have any old demons to worry about with Harley, she is who she is, no games, no bullshit. That, my friend, is priceless.”
“But I might not hold her attention,” Shiloh said, her biggest fear coming back to bear.
“Not gonna know till you try,” Devin said. “But I can tell you that having someone like Harley decide to make you their own, is the most incredible thing in the entire world. Why wouldn’t you want to fight for something like that?”
Shiloh looked back at Devin, her face drawn in an unhappy line. She didn’t know how to answer. She was afraid to answer.
Chapter 8
Dakota was sitting by the pool, her sunglasses over her closed eyes. She was wearing shorts and a tank top and was baking in the Mediterranean sun, but in some crazy way it felt good. She knew she was getting way too much sun, but she didn’t care. Part of her wondered if she’d end up with skin cancer, but the other part of her didn’t care. She thought about how her life had been before, and how it was now… same shit, nicer wrapper.
Then there was a cold hand on her thigh. She jumped.
“Jesus your fucking hands are like ice!” she exclaimed.
“Sorry,” Cassandra said smiling. “I was inside where the cool air is.”
Dakota rubbed her leg. “I’m thinking you need to get your circulation checked,” she said, her tone annoyed.
Cassandra straddled Dakota’s waist. “I think you just need to get my blood pumping like you’re so good at doing,” she said, sliding her hand up Dakota’s chest.
Dakota looked at Cassandra through her sunglasses. She wasn’t a bad-looking woman. At forty, she still had honey-blond hair with no signs of gray, thanks to her hairdresser. Her skin was taut and wrinkleless, thanks to God knew how many plastic surgeons and vats of Botox. Her body… now that was her own. She was very agile in bed, not that it ever served Dakota’s needs, but she definitely moved well.
Cassandra also had a lot of money, and was desperate to use as much of it as necessary to keep Dakota with her. They’d been together for a month, and Cassandra had been willing to take her anywhere she wanted, buy her anything she wanted. Dakota was smart; she played hard to get, and Cassandra wanted her more. Recently, she’d seen a Bugatti that she wanted, but instead of telling Cassandra, she played it cool. She made a point of finding a magazine that had the exact model in it that she wanted and left it open to that page. Cassandra had thus far ignored the hints, so Dakota knew it was time to step it up.
She stopped Cassandra’s hand in its exploration of her nipple.
“Not in the mood,” Dakota said.
“I can change that,” Cassandra said smiling.
Dakota lowered her sunglasses slightly, looking back at Cassandra cynically.
“You think so?” Dakota asked doubtfully.
“I know what gets you hot…” Cassandra said confidently.
“Do you?” Dakota asked, reaching out a hand to flick her finger upward against a taut nipple.
Cassandra gasped loudly and her breathing quickened. She pressed closer to Dakota, but Dakota sat back, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“What do you want?” Cassandra asked, her eyes glowing with desire.
“Nothing,” Dakota said, her tone bored.
“You have to want something,” Cassandra said, pressing against Dakota’s body again, longing for her hands to touch her.
Dakota sighed, shaking her head.
“I know you want something,” Cassandra said. “I’ve seen that car you’ve been looking at.”
“It’s a three point four million car, Cass!” Dakota said, knowing damned good and
well Cassandra could afford it.
“If it’s what you want…” Cassandra said.
She turned around to lay her back against Dakota’s chest, her body between Dakota’s legs. She slid her hands down Dakota’s thighs, laying her head back against her shoulder.
“Touch me…” she insisted.
Dakota grinned behind her. She slid her hands up Cassandra’s torso stopping just below her breasts. Her thumbs brushing upward, but not quite reaching very hard nipples. Cassandra groaned, pressing back against Dakota, her hands grasping at Dakota’s legs.
“Dakota please…” Cassandra begged.
“What do you want?” Dakota asked, her lips right next to Cassandra’s ear.
“You… God… You…” Cassandra said, her breathing coming in sharp rasping breaths.
“That’s right…” Dakota said, her fingers tightening on Cassandra’s torso, pressing Cassandra back against her body. “You want me…”
“Yes, yes… please…”
“I want the Bugatti,” Dakota told her. “And I want it in my name.”
“Okay, okay, Dakota please…” Cassandra said, her body trembling.
“Promise me,” Dakota growled seductively against Cassandra’s ear.
“I promise, I promise…” Cassandra said, willing to promise anything at that moment.
“Good girl…” Dakota said, brushing her thumbs upward over Cassandra’s nipples making her come immediately.
Two days later, Dakota got the Bugatti she wanted, to the tune of $3.4 million.
“Holy hell… Where did you find it?” Dakota asked as she looked reverently at the fireplace mantel that had just been brought in by two of the workers.
“I have been searching high and low for something that actually came out of a Craftsman back east,” Cassandra said, smiling. “You like it?” she asked, seeming almost giddy.
“It’s incredible, Cass…” Dakota said running her hands over the cherry wood. “It’s authentic Craftsman. Do you know how you can tell?”
“No,” Cassandra said, shaking her head and smiling indulgently. “How?”
“You see here,” Dakota said, touching the two lengths of wood on the sides of the mantle. “This tapered column style is classic Craftsman; it even has these mini rafter tails.” She indicated to the small pieces of wood against the upper part of the mantel.
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