She lapped at me, short, bursting strokes alternating with long, deep ones. She urged my thighs wider until I was in a semi-split above her. Her touch, coupled with the sense of exposure, had me moaning through it, then crying out when she flicked my clit in a manic fashion. "Mira!" I tore at the sofa, my hips bucking and my legs shaking.
She slapped my ass once before gripping my flesh, holding me to her face as I shouted my pleasure to the heavens. Mira wasn't gentle, wasn't cautious, and she devoured me like a beast starved for sustenance. Her tongue probed me, thrusting deep inside before she returned to licks and flicks. I screamed her name, burying my face in the pillows when she wrapped her lips around my clit, and speared me with two fingers. The climax she coaxed tore me in two, curling my toes and tossing me over the edge of pleasure into an endless, rolling, mind-blowing release. I lost myself to her again, and again after that.
Mira moaned into me, bouncing her tongue and chin against me in the most perfect way. Pressure built and I knew I'd surrendered to her the moment a rush left me, and I let out a harsh, guttural moan into the pillows. Sweat beaded my brow, and I sunk into the sofa when my legs couldn't hold me anymore. Mira slid from under me, turning to hold me from behind, her pelvis pressed against my rear. She nibbled my neck before reaching around me to continue stroking my folds in tender caresses while I attempted to breathe.
"So delicious. Why do you taste so yummy?" she asked against my cheek.
"My God, Mira." I moaned, grinding my hips against her hand. "I'm…I—" And I came against her palm at the same time that she slid two fingers deep in me. "Ah!"
The way she manipulated my body was a new and welcome experience. She pulled me up to her chest, hugging me from behind again, then turned me so that she was kneeling on the sofa as well, her fingers in me the entire time. I leaned back against her, and when she was firm in her hold on me, she began fucking me hard and fast. My nails dug into her arm and I reached back to grab a handful of her hair.
"Mira!" I shouted to the gods of pleasure as she took me in a way no one ever had. My body shook, legs quaked, and my pussy clenched her fingers as I exploded around her, cries of ecstasy leaving me in between heavy breaths.
Mira's breathing heaved against my ear, and when I couldn't hold myself up anymore, she fell backward into the pillows, pulling me with her in a fated bow. I lay between her knees, her breasts against my back as we stretched our legs. Her fingers slowly slipped from me but she never stopped petting my core as if the gesture soothed her as much as me. I moaned between gasps, my body twitching every time she touched my clit.
"My God," I whispered, hugging her arm to my chest as I closed my eyes. "Mira."
"I've been wanting to do that to you for awhile," she said, nipping my ear. "So many things."
"Do…do whatever you want to me. From here on out." I closed my eyes, my hips still rolling against her hand every so often. "Baby."
"Yes, honey?" I felt her smile against my cheek, and she gripped me with her knees. "One more come for me?"
I whimpered, nodding as she coaxed the harsh, deep orgasm from my sensitive parts. A groan escaped with it and I covered my face, gasping for breath when she let me down gently. She wrapped both of her arms around me in a firm embrace. She kissed my cheek and temple, then guided me to turn over so that I could lay my head on her chest. Her soaked pussy pressed against my quivering stomach, and she made soft, content sounds as she held me. I allowed myself to slip under her spell and I hugged her, closing my eyes as she brought about my surrender.
***
"Chinese is just as good reheated sometimes," said Mira after we finished our lunch together while holed up in her living room the next day. Rain pummeled the streets, darkening the afternoon to late-evening levels. We spent all day snuggled on the sofa in comfy clothes and mismatched socks while working through Mira's queue of movies.
"It is. Except the egg rolls. They lose their spunk, but still yummy." I pointed to the television and the end credits of our last binge. "What next?"
"What's your favorite movie or one of?" she asked, tossing her chopsticks in the trash bag on the table.
"Moulin Rouge is one. Have you seen it?"
"Oh yeah. I like that, too. Want to watch it?"
"It's sad in the end." I flopped back on the sofa. "I stop watching it after Come What May every time. I want to imagine their happy ending."
"Aww, honey." She snickered while leaning over to kiss my cheek. "How about something murderous then? A nice thriller."
"How come all those crime shows and stuff don't make you feel woozy, babe?" I helped her clean up the coffee table and we carried our trash and dishes to the kitchen.
"Because I know it's fake. How my mind is able to distinguish between the two is unreal. I think it might be smell related," she said, after tossing the trash in the bin. "Or fear of the smell."
"I get that." I let my hand fall to the small of her back while she opened the dishwasher where I stored the plates. "I'm game for something murderous if you are."
"Good." She smooched my cheek then gave my rear a pinch on the way back to the living room. "You look cute in leggings."
I laughed as I tossed her a playful scowl.
A knock at Mira's front door broke our playful banter and my brow furrowed right away. Mira paused in the hall, and I hurried in front of her, concerned that her angry sister would show up again. She let me do it, and I peered through the peephole to see the tell-tale blonde mane belonging to Saoirse as she made to knock a second time.
"It's just Saoirse," I told her and released the chain.
"Oh." Mira relaxed immediately and I pulled open the door.
Saoirse greeted us with a smile as we ushered her inside. "Hi hi." She smooched Mira's cheek, then hugged us both.
"Hey, Saoirse," I said, closing up behind her.
"Hi." Mira's confidence faltered again as it often did in the presence of her friends as of late.
"I'm just stopping by to bully you into coming tonight. We changed our plans because of the grumpy rain and instead of the restaurant, all the girls and some of their plus-ones are coming to my place. We're just doing pizza and wine. Will you guys come, Mimi? Please?" Saoirse glanced between the two of us. "It's literally in this same complex. You don't have to change or even put on shoes."
"Um…" Mira wrung her hands together, her gaze flickering in my direction. "We'll think about it."
"Okay." Saoirse let out a slow breath. "Just so you know, Mimi, we want you there. We miss you. We're happy for you and Billie. All of the girls are. Let us be a part of your life. Okay? We love you."
Mira's eyes welled up immediately, but her lips pursed as she kept a hold of her emotions. She nodded to Saoirse, but didn't say anything else.
"We'll talk about it together, Saoirse, and let you know," I offered, compensating for Mira's quietness.
"Okay." She glanced between the two of us. "If you decide, we'll all be there at about six."
"Thanks." I saw her out and locked up behind her, then turned to Mira. I watched her flounder, anxiety keeping her in the quiet, tense, hand-wringing state.
"You're looking at me like that again," she said, her voice soft as she reached up to poke my forehead. "Worry crinkles."
I laughed while pulling her into a hug. "Nope."
"Lies." She swatted my rear and her demeanor returned to how it was before Saoirse showed up. "Tell me what that's about, Billie. Last time you sidestepped my inquiry."
We made our way back to the sofa and Mira rested her elbow on the back cushions while I sat cross-legged facing her.
"I think we should go tonight, baby…" I told her, taking her hand in mine.
"Nope." She pointed at me, her brow cocked. "Not getting away with it this time. Why do you get that look on your face, Billie, whenever certain things happen?"
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do." She rolled forward so that she came to sit closer to me. "You do know. And don't lie to me about it. We
have a pact about being truthful with each other, and the minute we start keeping things, we're headed for trouble."
"But…" I nearly panicked hearing her declaration and nerves pitted my gut.
"If you tell me honestly, I'll agree to go tonight." She gestured toward the door. "That way, we're both being brave about something that makes us upset."
I held my breath for a second while I considered how to express how I felt. "I just…don't want to get you upset. I don't want to take away from our time together."
"It's already taking away, honey. This is the second time this week that we've started this conversation. What's making you afraid?"
I dropped my gaze to my hands while I fiddled with the hem of my socks. It took me a moment to come up with a clear way to explain it. "Sometimes I still believe what Eve told me about gay girls not getting the straight girls. I mean, everything is so good between us. I'm afraid that one day you'll decide that this isn't for you. That I'm not for you and you'll…you'll walk away from me." I drew in a deep breath. Mira waited patiently for me to continue. "It's happened to people before and I just…I couldn't bear it. So, when you're afraid or worried about our relationship or your sexuality, I panic a little."
She didn't say anything at first, which unnerved me even more, until she took both of my hands in hers, her thumbs brushing my knuckles. "Billie Jean Olsen," she began and I met her gaze as my tongue thickened in my mouth. "I know you know that this hasn't been easy for me. It hasn't been easy for you either. In fact, it's probably been the most difficult personal risk I've ever made." She paused to take a breath. "I don't know if I'm a lesbian, or bi, or gay, or whatever label I'm supposed to assign because of our relationship. I don't know how my family or friends really feel about me. There's so much I'm afraid of, so much I'm scared to explore. But the one thing, the only thing that hasn't changed in all these months, is my feelings for you. It's the one thing that I'm sure of, Billie. The only thing I know for certain and probably, the only thing I've ever known for certain in my whole life, is how I feel about you."
Tears escaped me as I listened to her firm declaration, and the pitted feeling in my stomach swirled to a warm fullness. I sniffled while I waited for her to continue.
"I love you, Billie. I love you so much. I'm not going to leave you the moment a semi-interesting penis shows up on my doorstep. I love you. No one else." She gave my arms a tug. "Do you understand that?"
"Yes." I sobbed as I launched myself into her arms. She caught me and pulled me into her lap. I hid my face against her shoulder, and cried out all the fear I'd held on to over the past few months. Although I knew her words wouldn't erase it completely, it soothed me to know where her mindset landed today. "I love you, too. I'm sure of how I feel about you, Mira. I'm sure."
"I know you are, love. I know." She rubbed my back, kissing my cheek and neck as she sniffled as well.
She leaned me back, cupping my face in her hands while wiping the tears from my cheeks. I let out a shaky breath, nodding my resolve.
"Let's watch another movie together before we go to Saoirse's, okay?" Mira suggested and I nodded as she urged me to lie on the sofa with her. Instead of Mira resting with her head on my chest, this time she laid behind me, spooning me as we chose Moulin Rouge after all.
Mira told me what I needed to hear, what I ached to hear her declare. Her voice reverberated inside me like a sound wave caught in the belly of a guitar. I basked in it, allowing myself to absorb her intentions. I imagined her words, in a delicate scrawl, appearing on a chalkboard like the one in her classroom. They erased Eve's writing, and most of my doubt with it. Mira's dedication to me, to our relationship made me feel secure and thickened the bond of trust I held with her. She filled my heart with joy, and a connection I never thought I would have.
Chapter Nineteen
"Who wants more pizza? Tonight, we're in our twenties," Saoirse announced as she carried another box to the living room where everyone gathered.
Unlike Mira's high-rise apartment, Saoirse's first floor digs had a smaller kitchen, no dining room, and a large living room area centered around a hearth. As if she expected to host often, a vast U-shaped sofa sprawled around the room facing the flat-panel television. Mira's apartment had cool, sleek grays and whites, whereas Saoirse's style presented as bold, with royal purple and white as her color choices. Over a dozen people crowded Saoirse's home, filling it with laughter, conversation, and frivolity. Not all the players on the team made it, but the ones who did crowded around Mira the moment I made off for the bathroom.
Denise, Ashley, and Tasha stole Mira to the corner of the sofa, Denise with her hand on Mira's forearm. The four of them looked like giddy teenagers. When I returned, Jenny joined them, and I stood by the doorway where Mira couldn't see me, to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"We love Billie. She's adorable. You're adorable together," said Tasha, giving Mira's knee a pat.
"She is super cute." Ashley grinned. "I bet she's even sexier without clothes."
Mira covered her face, shaking her head at all the sudden attention. "Guys, c'mon…"
"How's the sex? You have to tell us, Mimi. We always knew you belonged on our team," said Denise. Tanya gave her a shove, but everyone laughed, including Mira.
"It's…amazing," I heard Mira answer, reanimating from her shyness, and it brought a smile to my face. "I never even thought that it could be so good."
The girls swooned and I couldn't help grinning. Saoirse came over to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders as she led me toward the group crowded around the table. "She's so happy," she said.
"I'm really glad." I let her escort me over to Maddie where she sat at the table with Kelly, Hannah, and Sara. "She was really nervous about coming here."
"I know. How'd you convince her?" asked Saoirse, nudging me into a chair and Maddie offered me a glass of wine which I accepted.
"Some talk about bravery and yadda. The usual." I shrugged, glancing over at Mira who tossed me a smile as if she were waiting for me to make eye contact with her. I winked at her, and her cheeks flushed before Denise grabbed her back into conversation. "They're talking about sex," I told the crew at the table
"That's pretty much all we ever talk about," said Maddie, which made the other girls chuckle. "Booze, soccer, and sex. What else is there to life?"
"Not much else that's important anyway," said Hannah, nodding toward the larger crew on the other end of the sofa. "Maybe for that group with their marriages and children."
Sara laughed, shaking her head at Hannah and sending her perfect curls bouncing over her shoulders. "You know, Billie, Tasha there had a crush on Mira forever. Keep an eye on her." She nudged me with her elbow and I turned to survey Tasha with Mira. They seemed fine, all of them talking like they were before.
I turned back to Sara and scowled. "Don't tell her that. She'll panic."
"To be fair, I also had a crush on Mira for a while," offered Kelly, laughing when she said it. "She's easy to crush on."
"Tell me about it. Why do you think I'm here?" I chuckled then sipped my wine.
"What made you fall for her?" asked Saoirse, resting her elbows on the table with her chin on her hands, a smile everlasting on her face. "Was it her perfect hair?"
"The red lipstick," I teased, though part of it was serious. "Coupled with her power outfits. Have you seen her in a three-piece suit teaching a class of sixty about quantum physics?" I swooned, slouching in my chair. "To die for."
"Damn." Sara's mouth fell open a fraction. "Even the mental image is pretty good."
"Yeah." I nodded, smiling at the vision I held of Mira in my head.
"She doesn't talk much about work," offered Maddie. "At all really."
"I mean, nuclear physics isn't a casual conversation starter unless you're a super nerd," said Hannah, swirling her wine around her glass. "So, Billie, how did you get Mira's attention?"
"Talked to her about nuclear physics," I answered honestly. Hannah spit out her wi
ne and everyone cracked up. It made her laugh, but I shrugged. "It's the truth. Then the first time I hung out with her was when she asked me to go with her to a presentation about neutron stars at the planetarium." They all stared at me, amusement lacing their features. "I'm serious."
"What does a badass homicide detective care about neutron stars?" asked Hannah, though I glanced to Kelly who was a bundle of smiles.
"She cares about the woman who cares about neutron stars." I glanced to Mira who drew her attention away from Denise to meet my gaze again. Her smile, sweet and warm as always, settled the mild agitation in me over Hannah's question. Mira deserved someone who cared about what mattered to her. She should be able to talk about work and her interests as much as anyone else. Our shared glances made me think about our silly talks about quantum entanglement. Even from across the room, our energy seemed to respond to each other.
When I looked back to the women at the table, all of them held soft smiles while they glanced between me and Mira.
"Well," said Saoirse. "Looks like she found her match then."
"I'm going to…" I gestured toward Mira and Saoirse nodded.
"Go ahead."
I took my wine glass with me and made my way back to Mira. She smiled up at me, and held her hand out. I took it, and to my surprise, she pulled me into her lap. Her arms snaked around my middle and she kissed my shoulder.
"Aww," said Denise, grinning at the two of us. "Mimi, we're happy for you."
"Thanks," she said, and I winked at her.
My phone rang and I pulled it from my pocket to see Eleanor's name on the screen. I answered it, and put it to my ear. "Everything okay, Ellie?"
"Yeah. Beej, the FBI was here looking for you," she said, her voice nervous. "Someone named Agent Donovan."
"At the house? She didn't call me…"
"She said she'd come back tomorrow. Do you know her?"
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