by Jamey Moody
“I love it. Who needs a bunch of rooms?” Riley said, then chided herself for making such a dumb comment.
“Would you like to see the rest? I mean there’s another great view I’d like you to see,” Alex said as she walked to the bedroom door.
“I would,” Riley said following Alex into the bedroom. One entire wall was windows with a door that opened to a small deck that faced the ocean. For a moment she wondered what it would be like waking up with Alex in this room.
She shook the thought out of her head and said, “What a beautiful view! I’m sure it never gets old waking up to this every morning.”
Alex smiled and said, “Let me show you my favorite spot.” She opened the door to the deck and walked to her right. Riley followed her as she turned up another small flight of stairs that led to the roof. As Riley walked onto the roof she was bowled over by all the stars shining overhead. There was a low couch with end tables on each side and a small table with two chairs that looked out over the ocean. It took her breath away.
After a few moments Riley said in a hushed voice, “My god, Alex, this is beautiful.”
“It really is. For me, this is paradise. I don’t care what kind of day I’ve had. Everything is erased when I come up here,” Alex said softly.
“I can understand that,” Riley said, still gazing over the water and at the stars above.
“Are you hungry?”
Riley realized she hadn’t eaten anything since a late lunch that day, and immediately her stomach growled. “I didn’t realize until you asked, but yeah, I am,” she admitted.
“Let’s go downstairs and I’ll make you something,” Alex said.
“Oh, I don’t want to be any more trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. I was going to make me something anyway.”
“Would you mind if we stayed up here a little longer? It’s all so gorgeous,” Riley said looking into Alex’s eyes and holding them there. She thought those might be the warmest brown eyes she’d ever looked into.
Alex realized she was staring, cleared her throat and said, “Sure, let me get you something to drink. I have a small refrigerator up here.” She made her way to one of the tables at the end of the couch and opened the mini fridge. “I have beer or water. I’m the only one that comes up here, so there’s not much of a variety.”
“Water would be great,” Riley said as she sat in one of the chairs taking a deep breath. “You’re the only one that comes up here? You do realize this would be a great place to bring a date or impress a woman.”
“Maybe that’s what I’m trying to do,” Alex said, eyeing Riley as she watched the stars.
Riley turned to look at Alex, she had felt a connection between them but wasn’t sure that Alex felt it too. When their eyes met, she was sure.
But this wasn’t Riley. She didn’t hook up with random women, especially on the first night of a vacation. That’s all this was, right? It had been so long since she had felt anything for another woman that she wasn’t sure she could trust herself. Alex was just flirting with her, right?
Alex set the water on the table and reached for Riley’s hand, slowly pulling her out of the chair. She looked into Riley’s green eyes and saw all she needed to know. There was something about Riley, she’d known it when she first walked into the bar. She thought it was crazy but she felt a connection. At this moment Alex didn’t want to think about that. All she wanted was to kiss the beautiful woman in front of her. She placed her other hand on the side of Riley’s face and leaned in. Their lips met in a soft kiss full of possibilities. Riley put her other hand on Alex’s wrist, holding it in place as they sank into the kiss.
Their lips parted briefly, but then Riley put her hands on Alex’s shoulders, pulling her back in for another kiss. This one was harder. When their tongues met, Alex put her hands on Riley’s hips to pull her closer. Their tongues danced and the embrace tightened until they were chest to chest and breathing hard.
As the kiss ended so they could take a breath, Alex said, “Where are my manners? I offered to make you something to eat. Let’s go downstairs.”
Riley smiled, not letting Alex go just yet. “Suddenly I’m not so hungry anymore, and I don’t see a thing wrong with your manners.”
Alex smiled back, took Riley’s hand, and grabbed the bottle of water. She led them to the stairs. When they slowly walked through the bedroom, Riley couldn’t help looking at the bed.
Back in the living room, Alex turned to Riley. ”There’s nothing I’d like more than to take you to bed, but I know you’re not like that and I’m not either.”
“If I’m being honest, I’ve never had a one night stand, and I can’t believe I just told you that,” Riley said covering her face with her hands.
Alex chuckled and pulled Riley’s hands away, “If I’m being honest, I’ve never brought a woman that I just met up here.”
“Really? I knew you were different.”
“I’ll admit I was disappointed as the night went on and you didn’t come back to the bar. I thought you’d found your friend and gone back to the dock. I might have been a little excited when you walked back through the patio.”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “And when you noticed that I’d missed the last ferry? Did that make you happy?”
“I wasn’t mad about it.” Alex laughed. “But I really did call and try to find you a room.”
“I know you did. And I’ll admit that I was happy when you said I could stay with you.”
They smiled at one another, and their lips met again in a sweet kiss, each one dancing around the idea of being with the other.
“Have a seat.” Alex pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for Riley and began laying food on the table. She had a fruit salad already cut up along with cheese, a couple of hard rolls, and some slices of turkey. “I hope this will be alright.”
“It looks wonderful. I was hungrier than I thought,” Riley said as she filled a plate.
“For food?” Alex said playfully.
Riley chuckled and said, “Both.”
“So tell me about Riley—um, I don’t even know your last name,” Alex said.
“James.” She paused, then said, “There’s not a lot to tell.”
“I don’t think I know anyone named Riley.”
“It was my grandmother’s maiden name. My mom wanted to name me after her but, there were too many Laura’s already in the family so she used her last name instead.”
“That’s so cool.”
“How about you? I’m guessing Alex is short for Alexandria.”
“You’d be right. Alex is much shorter and easier,” she said looking intensely at Riley.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Alex laughed, “We like to play this game in the bar, guessing where people are from and what they do and why they’re here. Actually, I guessed right when you and your friends walked in. I could tell you were a wedding party.”
“You could?”
“Yeah. Now let’s see, you have a bit of an accent, but you’re tan. That tells me you’re probably from the southern part of the States. I’m going to guess the Carolinas?”
“Not a bad guess, but I live in Florida. I have a bit of an accent because I lived in Texas for a while.”
“Really?” Alex perked up. “That’s where I’m from.”
“No way. You don’t have a Texas drawl,” Riley said, deepening her accent.
Alex laughed. “That’s pretty good. But I’ve been away a long time, so the accent has faded. Florida, huh? Now what do you do?” She thought for a minute and continued, “You’re very helpful, watching out for your friends. You’re nice or you would have told that woman hovering around you to take a hint, which she didn’t. So, I’m going to say you’re a nurse or a counselor. Maybe a social worker but definitely someone that helps people.”
“I guess that’s kind of close,” Riley said. “I’m a teacher.”
“Really! What do you teach?”
�
��Actually, I’ve been teaching for twenty-eight years in middle and high school, but for the last ten years I’ve taught language arts.”
“Wow, twenty-eight years? No way! You would’ve had to start teaching in your teens!” Alex exclaimed.
Riley blushed. “Oh, I assure you it’s been twenty-eight years, and I am newly retired. It’s time to move on to something new.”
“Retired? What does that feel like?” asked Alex.
Riley thought about this for a moment, “It feels a little scary but, also exciting and full of possibilities.”
“What’s next?” asked Alex.
“I’m not sure. I really started thinking about it on the plane here. I’ve thought about writing. Now don’t laugh, but I’ve thought about writing a book with lesbians as the main characters.”
“Laugh? Why would I laugh? That’s a great idea. I’d read it in a heartbeat.”
“Well, at this point it’s just an idea. Kara, my former best friend, and I are staying longer than the rest of the group. We’re making a vacation out of the trip. Everyone else is here for a long weekend. I thought I might write down a few ideas with inspiration from the islands.”
“You’re staying longer than the weekend?” Alex said with hope in her voice.
“I am. Kara and I will be here for two weeks,” Riley said, eyeing Alex. “You know, Kara was trying to get information out of Danny about you. She said maybe you’d show us around?”
“Danny may have said something about questions. Why did it take you so long to come talk to me?”
“Because you kept delivering drinks to our table, if you’ll remember,” Riley said chuckling.
Alex smiled. “Just trying to give you good service.”
“Uh-huh.” Riley grinned.
“I’d love to be your personal tour guide while you’re here,” Alex said.
“You would? I really wasn’t trying to push you into anything.”
“You’re not. I’d like to spend more time with you. I was trying to find a way to get you to come back after the wedding,” Alex admitted.
“I’ve been trying to figure a way to get the whole group over here tomorrow,” Riley said. “They kind of owe me for leaving me behind. Not that I’m complaining.”
Alex smiled and began clearing the table while Riley helped put the food away.
“I need to get a couple of things from the bedroom, I’ll be right back,” Alex said.
After Alex left, Riley looked out the window. She could see a few people walking on the street down below, probably heading back to their hotels for the night. She wasn’t sure what was happening with Alex, but she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss on the roof. This vacation was supposed to last two weeks, and here she was in a beautiful woman’s house the first night! Things like this didn’t happen to Riley James. And what was this anyway? A fling? The start of something?
How could it be? She lived in Florida, and Alex was in the Virgin Islands for god’s sake. Riley decided right then not to think about where this was going or what it was but to just enjoy it.
“What’s so interesting out there?” Alex asked making Riley jump as she came back into the room. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay. I was just thinking about what a day this has been.”
“I brought you something to sleep in. I hope you don’t mind a tank top and shorts. And I left a toothbrush on the bathroom counter for you. There are towels in the cabinet. Anything else you need?”
“Thank you. That will be perfect. I won’t be too long,” Riley said taking the clothes and heading to the bathroom.
“Take all the time you need.” Alex could tell Riley was deep in thought when she’d walked back in the room. She couldn’t believe this was happening. What was she thinking offering for Riley to stay here and then kissing her on the roof. She just couldn’t help herself. There she was in the moonlight, those beautiful lips calling to her. All she wanted was to do it again. And again! She’s only here two weeks, Alex thought, then she’ll go back to Florida and to her life. Why not just enjoy it. It doesn’t have to be anything more than what it is. A fling? The beginning of something she thought. What? There’s no way Riley would want anything to do with her if she knew why Alex was on this island in the first place. Take the two weeks and enjoy being with someone.
When Riley came out of the bathroom she saw Alex tucking in a blanket on the couch. “Thanks for making up the couch. I could’ve done that.”
“It’s not for you. You’re sleeping in the bed, I’m taking the couch.”
“Oh, no, you’re not. I can’t kick you out of your bed!”
“You’re my guest! You can’t sleep on my couch,” Alex said matter-of-factly. “Besides I want you to enjoy the view you seemed to like so much when I was showing you around. Come on.” She grabbed Riley’s hand and walked to the bedroom.
Once in the bedroom Alex went around to the other side of the bed. Together they pulled the bedspread and sheet back. Alex walked back around to where Riley was standing and said, “Do I need to tuck you in?”
“No… but you could stay,” Riley said placing her hands on each side of Alex’s face, looking into her eyes with a deep sense of want. When she saw Alex’s pupils darken, she pulled her in for a kiss. The kiss deepened, and Alex’s hands found their way under Riley’s shirt and stroked her back. Alex moaned when she realized Riley didn’t have on a bra.
The skin-to-skin contact made Riley lose her breath. It had been too long since she felt another woman’s skin next to her. She sucked in and nibbled Alex’s bottom lip as her tongue slid inside her mouth. As their tongues danced, Riley found the hem of Alex’s tank top and pulled it over her head. Alex reciprocated, pulling Riley’s shirt over her head. Riley reached behind Alex and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor.
“So beautiful,” Riley whispered and pulled Alex in for another searing kiss. She groaned when she felt Alex’s hardened nipples touch her chest. Alex hooked her fingers into the sides of Riley’s shorts and pulled them down to let her step out. She placed feather-light kisses on Riley’s stomach as she worked her way back up. She stopped and took Riley’s left nipple into her mouth.
“Oh god, Alex, that feels so good,” Riley said as her breath quickened. Alex stood and gently pushed Riley onto the bed. She removed her own shorts and panties before she slowly lowered down next to Riley, admiring her from head to toe. She hovered for a moment looking deeply into Riley’s eyes until their lips met again. Riley’s left hand slid up Alex’s side, leaving goosebumps in its wake, until she cupped her right breast. She lifted Alex up so she could take her breast into her mouth. She circled the nipple with her tongue as it got harder and harder, and then laid her tongue flat as the sucked it into her mouth, biting down gently.
“Good god, Riley,” Alex groaned. She slid her body back down until their lips melted into one another. Alex slid her hand down Riley’s side and outer thigh. When her fingers traced up the inside of her thigh, Riley bent her leg, raising her knee up and spreading her legs wider to give Alex access. Alex’s hand cupped Riley’s mound, and she lightly ran her middle finger from her opening up to her throbbing center. Riley was so wet it was easy for Alex to enter her.
Riley gasped and moaned Alex’s name breathlessly. Alex added another finger, and Riley was in heaven. The velvet-soft wetness grabbed Alex’s fingers and held them in. She started a slow rhythm that began a burning so hot in Riley she thought she’d explode. As the pace increased, Riley never wanted her to stop, but she knew she couldn’t hang on much longer.
When Alex whispered “Riley” into her ear and placed her thumb right where Riley needed it, she came undone. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and when she opened them she found Alex’s. They locked eye to eye. Waves of pleasure passed over Riley as she rode the orgasm out. When she finally had control of her limbs again, she kissed Alex with such tenderness that it brought tears to her eyes.
“I hope I didn’t mes
s up your view,” Alex said with a smile.
“This one is even better,” Riley replied as she flipped Alex over and kissed her. “But there’s more I want to see.” She began kissing Alex’s neck. She nibbled on her earlobe, slid her tongue in the curve of her ear, and worked her way down to her collarbone. Riley had a thing for collarbones, and Alex’s were perfect. So sexy. She continued, and while she had one nipple in her mouth she pinched the other in her fingers. Alex writhed under her, moaning as her breath quickened. With both hands on her breasts, Riley kissed up and down and across Alex’s stomach.
“My god, Alex, you are so beautiful,” she said.
Alex ran her hands through the short red locks that she’d been wanting to touch all night while Riley explored her body. Alex didn’t think she could take much more when Riley finally made it to her center. She started at her opening and slid her tongue lightly through Alex’s slick folds and circled her throbbing sex. Alex moaned again, and her hips bucked up.
“So you like that,” Riley teased.
“God yes,” Alex said. “Please don’t stop.”
Riley had no intention of stopping until Alex was a melting mess in the sheets. She tasted too good, there was no way Riley could stop. She continued circling Alex’s center and eased one finger inside.
“Yes,” Alex moaned.
Riley added another finger and started her own rhythm. Alex’s hips started to move, but Riley held her in place, still tasting. When her rhythm increased and Alex called her name, she sucked Alex into her mouth with all she had. She felt Alex clamp down on her fingers.
“Good god, Riley!” Alex said holding Riley’s head in place. Then she went limp. Riley stayed where she was for a moment then began kissing her way back up her body to her mouth. Alex could taste herself on Riley’s lips.
Alex smiled weakly. “Wow!” she exhaled. “That was…”
Riley smiled back. “The view must have inspired me.” She winked and settled beside Alex, who put her arm around her.
“You know I wanted to run my hands through your hair all night,” Alex admitted.