by Jae
“So sexy,” Claire murmured. Without stopping the motion of her fingers, she leaned over Lana to kiss her.
Lana made little noises in the back of her throat as Claire moved her tongue against hers in time with her fingers.
Claire’s head spun. God, this was incredible. She stopped kissing her so she could look at Lana’s face as she slid her fingers down, then paused and made eye contact.
“Yes!” Lana’s eyes said the same, her pupils wide with desire.
Slowly, never looking away from Lana, Claire pushed inside.
Lana’s long moan vibrated against Claire’s mouth. Their lips met again as they started to move against each other. When Lana picked up the pace, Claire matched her, stroke for stroke. Soon, Lana tore her mouth away and panted.
Claire buried her face against the curve of her neck and sucked at her thudding pulse point. She had wanted to take this slow, to enjoy it, but she could sense that Lana was already on the edge, and with the pressure of Lana’s thigh between hers, she wasn’t that far behind. She curled her fingers up.
Lana cried out. Her nails dug into Claire’s back, and the pinpoints of pain drove Claire’s desire higher. Lana’s hips lifted off the bed one last time, then her entire body stiffened against Claire and started to quiver before falling back to the bed.
Claire stayed with her, prolonging her pleasure for as long as possible. She didn’t want this to end.
Eyes closed, cheeks flushed, Lana lay with her limbs sprawled, so open and vulnerable to Claire’s touch that Claire immediately wanted to have her again.
But Lana seemed to have other ideas. She opened her eyes, her irises thin rings of brown and green, wrapped her arms around Claire, and rolled her over so she was on top.
One of her legs pressed between Claire’s, making her moan.
Lana leaned over her on her elbows. She kissed Claire’s cheek, her mouth, her throat, then her lips found her breasts. She nuzzled, licked, and suckled until Claire thought she’d go out of her mind. Then, after one last kiss to Claire’s nipple, she slid lower and trailed her lips down her belly.
Hazy with lust, it took Claire a second to realize what Lana was doing. No. Not that. That was way too intimate for a one-time thing, and besides, she hadn’t waxed or taken a shower all day. Even though her body protested, she grabbed at Lana’s shoulders and pulled her back up. “You don’t need to… Just touch me.” She guided Lana’s hand between her thighs and shuddered as Lana’s fingers found her wetness. “This won’t take long.”
“That’s what you think.” Lana started to tease her with long, sensual strokes.
Claire’s head fell back against the pillow. Oh God. She should have known Lana would be like this, not letting her have all the control. It was maddening…and totally hot.
Any time she was close, Lana slowed down or changed her rhythm, holding her at the edge of orgasm.
With the strength of frustration, Claire pushed her off and rolled her over until she was on top, straddling her. Lana’s fingers sank deep.
Oh! Her hips bucked uncontrollably against Lana’s hand.
Lana stared up at her and finally moved at the rhythm Claire wanted. “God, I can’t tell you how hot this is…how hot you are.”
Claire couldn’t answer. She panted through parted lips. She wanted to keep watching Lana, to see the awed, passionate expression on her face, but her eyes fell shut. Sounds that she hardly recognized as her own fell from her lips. She grabbed hold of Lana’s shoulders with both hands as she rocked against her.
Lana’s other hand settled on her hip, urging her on. “Look at me. Look at me, Claire!”
Claire forced her eyes open. The pressure grew low in her belly, and as soon as their gazes connected, she bucked against Lana’s hand once more and came—hard. Her vision went hazy, and her mouth opened in a soundless scream. Every muscle in her body went rigid with pleasure. She collapsed bonelessly on top of Lana, who caught her and held her and kissed her ear in a way that made Claire shudder.
When Claire’s brain started working again, she was wrapped in Lana’s arms, her leg across Lana’s thighs. Her body was still pulsing around Lana’s fingers, and Lana’s heart pounded wildly against her chest as if echoing that rhythm. She held her fingers very still while her other hand caressed Claire’s sweat-dampened back in calming strokes.
Finally, their breathing and heartbeats returned to a more normal pace, and Lana carefully withdrew her fingers.
One last ripple coursed through Claire’s body. She bit back a moan.
“You okay?” Lana whispered.
“Yeah. It’s just… That was…” She lifted her hand, gestured as if that would help her find the right word, and let it drop back to the mattress when her brain refused to form a more complex sentence.
“Oh yeah.” Lana’s cheeks were still flushed, her pupils wide and dazed.
They stared at each other.
What now?
Cool air moved across Claire’s damp body, making her shiver. All she wanted was to cuddle up to Lana’s constantly warm body, enjoy the feel of their bare skin against each other for a while longer, and then go to sleep.
But cuddling wasn’t part of the agreement, was it?
She forced her pleasantly lethargic body up, away from Lana, and reached for the covers that had been pushed to the foot of the bed.
Lana’s gaze was on her, almost like a touch, as she settled the covers over them and lay on her back, leaving several inches of space between them.
It felt like a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.
She stared up at the near-dark ceiling and tried to get herself back together.
Lana lay next to her in a mirror position of her own.
They both turned their heads at the same time. When their gazes met, they quickly looked the other way.
Okay. This is officially crossing into stupid territory. She made her living counseling people how to successfully navigate relationships, and while this was by no means a relationship, she did care for Lana. This was no way to end this incredible night. “Lana?” she whispered into the silent room.
“Yes?” Lana answered quickly, as if she’d been hoping—longing—for Claire to say something.
“If we’re making a one-time exception…do you want to extend it to cuddling?” Her cheeks went hot at the tentative offer, and she shook her head at herself. Only a few minutes earlier, they’d had possibly the hottest sex of her life, and now she was blushing because of a little cuddling?
Lana smiled in a way that made Claire want to kiss those full lips again, but she knew if she did that, they’d likely extend their one-time exception to, well, a two-time exception.
What’s wrong with that? her body asked.
Everything, her head answered. She was already struggling to sort through her emotions as it was.
Lana opened her arms, and Claire immediately cuddled up to her warm, soft body. She wrapped one arm around Lana’s waist, tucked her hand beneath her side, and settled her cheek on her chest. Lana’s hand came to rest on her back, and her fingers drew lazy figure eights against Claire’s skin.
They both let out a contented hum.
This felt right. As if this was where she belonged.
Don’t be stupid. She had thought the same about Abby, but it had all been an illusion, so she certainly couldn’t trust this…arrangement.
She closed her eyes and listened to Lana’s heartbeat beneath her ear. It wasn’t long until the soothing sound and Lana’s soft caresses on her back lulled her to sleep.
Chapter 17
Claire woke up without shivering, despite the air-conditioned room. Her back was toasty warm, and the heat quickly engulfed her entire body when she realized Lana’s breasts were pressed to her back. One of Lana’s arms was wrapped tightly around her from behind, and her hand was cradling one of Clai
re’s breasts.
Her nipple was as hard as a pebble.
Claire bit back a groan. Her body wanted to press Lana’s hand more tightly against her breast—or to roll over and rub against her voluptuous curves.
Her mind, however, wanted to jump up and run from Lana, from what they had done, from her own jumbled mess of doubts and emotions.
Caught between those two conflicting impulses, she lay frozen.
When Lana stirred behind her, she held her breath. Oh God. She wasn’t ready to face her. What was she supposed to say after last night?
But thankfully, Lana didn’t seem to be waking; she just cuddled closer with a sleepy sigh.
Aww. It felt like one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but Claire gently lifted Lana’s arm.
Lana mumbled a protest, and Claire’s nipple echoed the complaint, not happy at the loss of contact.
Claire gritted her teeth, ignored her needy body, and slid out of bed.
Pain shot through her foot as she stepped on something hard and pointy. Dammit! She hopped around on one foot, clutching the other, and tried not to curse so she wouldn’t wake Lana. What the heck was that? She never left anything on the floor.
Once the pain faded, she put her foot back down and picked up the offending object. It was her belt.
The memory of how it had ended up on the floor made her flee to the bathroom for a shower—a very cold one.
Safely behind the closed door, she leaned on the sink with both hands and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked the same as always, of course, yet also different. Her hair, which normally fell past her shoulders in smooth strands even in the morning, was disheveled, probably from Lana’s fingers running through it, gripping it, last night.
The disordered look matched the chaotic state of her mind. Her emotions had been all over the place since the day Abby had broken up with her, and now she had made it worse by making lo— having sex with Lana.
The fastest way to get over someone is to get under someone else, her sister had once told her when Claire had caught her making out with a girl two days after breaking up with her boyfriend.
It might have worked for Steph, but Claire doubted it would work for her. If anything, she was more confused than ever.
A one-night stand wasn’t like her. What the hell had she been thinking?
Yeah, well, you weren’t thinking at all. But now, in the light of day, she had to. She wasn’t ready for a new relationship, was she? Her own relationship book warned people not to jump into anything new too fast, especially not if you were the one being dumped.
No. She shook her head at herself in the mirror. She would stay single for a while and focus on her career. Only once her heart—and her pride—had fully mended would she start dating again.
No doubt one of her friends would set her up with a lawyer, a real-estate agent, or a doctor—someone with an impressive career, an elegant wardrobe, and a spotless kitchen. Someone like Abby.
But that thought no longer held any appeal.
She hadn’t thought of Abby or a woman like that for even a second last night. There had been no comparison, no stray thought. Only Lana.
Could it be that her image of an ideal partner had changed—that the perfect woman for her was someone who wasn’t perfect at all, at least not according to her old standards?
She stared at herself in the mirror, afraid of the answers lurking in her eyes. When it became too much, she tore her gaze away.
This is crazy. She and Lana were so different; how were they supposed to make it work—if Lana even wanted to make it work?
She gave herself a mental shake. This wasn’t the time for woolgathering. They had a plane to catch.
Just as she was about to step into the walk-in shower, she realized that she hadn’t taken any clothes into the bathroom with her.
God, where was her head this morning?
Still in bed, with Lana, an annoying little voice answered.
She shook it off and slipped into one of the complimentary bathrobes before tiptoeing back into the bedroom. It was stupid, really. Lana had seen—and touched—every inch of her last night, but now she couldn’t help feeling exposed.
Lana was still asleep. She’d moved to Claire’s side of the bed, her head on Claire’s pillow and her arms wrapped around the covers as if she’d missed Claire in her sleep.
Claire stood stock-still next to the bed and stared down at her. She had never had a one-night stand in her life. Was this…this wave of affection…how it was supposed to feel the next morning?
Come on. Get a move on! She grabbed her clothes and her phone, slid out of her robe, and left it behind for Lana, in case she’d feel just as exposed when she woke up, and hurried back to the bathroom.
Lana woke cuddled up to something soft and warm. Without opening her eyes, she stayed very still and allowed herself to enjoy it for a little longer.
When the last fog of sleep lifted, she realized that she wasn’t wrapped around Claire’s smooth body. She was holding on to the covers, and the bed next to her was empty.
The sound of running water filtered into her consciousness.
Visions of getting up and stepping into the steamy shower with Claire danced before her closed eyes. She could almost feel the soapy skin beneath her fingers.
Then reality intruded as she opened her eyes and spied the stack of her neatly folded clothes on the bedside table. Claire’s clothes were gone. Instead, a bathrobe that hadn’t been there last night sat next to the stack.
A cold that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room crept through her. Message received. Clearly, Claire no longer wanted to see her naked. She was probably in there, washing the scent of their lovemaking off her skin.
Lovemaking? Oh, no, no, no, no. You did not just think that.
The sex had been good—okay, mind-blowing—but Claire had heartbreak material written all over her. It didn’t take a degree in psychology to see that Claire was even more confused than Lana was—and that was saying something. Claire had been kicked to the curb by the woman she’d thought she would spend the rest of her life with not even four months ago. The dictionary entry for the word rebound probably had her picture beneath it.
Claire wasn’t interested in pursuing something beyond their Manhattan Fling; otherwise, she’d still be in bed, cuddling, not in the bathroom, getting rid of the memory of last night.
Even if Claire were interested, did Lana really want to become involved with a control freak therapist on the rebound? Someone who’d paid her to play the role of her fiancée? How could she be sure that Claire wasn’t on a subconscious level staying with her at least partially to save face and avoid a second breakup?
No. She couldn’t live with that. Their relationship—if you could call it that—was built on a big, fat lie, and, as Claire’s book said, honesty was key in relationships.
Now you of all people are quoting a relationship book? God, this thing with Claire had really messed her up.
She pressed her hands to her face and groaned—then groaned again when she caught a whiff of Claire’s musky scent on her fingers.
When the bathroom door opened, Lana wrenched her hands away from her face. Lost in thought, she hadn’t heard the water being shut off in the bathroom.
Claire stood in front of her, fully dressed. Her hair was pinned up in a chignon, and her face was flushed but otherwise gave nothing away, the therapist’s mask firmly in place.
They stared at each other, and Lana became aware that, unlike Claire, she was completely naked. Whereas last night, Claire’s heated gaze had made her feel desired, in the light of day she couldn’t help feeling exposed and vulnerable. She reached for the robe.
Claire’s blush deepened, and she quickly turned away and busied herself by shoving things into her laptop bag. “You should, um, probably get
dressed. We’ll need to take a cab to the airport in about thirty minutes.”
Lana bit her lip until it hurt. What did you expect? A dozen red roses and a love declaration? Don’t be silly. We had our Manhattan Fling, but now we’re leaving New York, so it’s over. You knew that.
“Sure,” she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. She climbed out of bed and pulled the bathrobe tightly around her body before hurrying to the bathroom.
Once the door closed between them, she sank onto the closed toilet lid and put her head in her hands.
God. Maybe Claire had been right. Maybe they should have stuck to the no-sex clause of their contract. She had really enjoyed Claire’s company the last couple of days, but now things between them were tense and awkward. The five-hour flight home would probably seem to last longer than a flight to Mars.
God, she hated flying! Claire clutched the armrest as the plane sped down the runway. What she hated even more was the awkward silence between Lana and her.
In a very short time, Lana had become a friend, someone who got Claire, tolerated her quirks, yet challenged her. Claire missed their easy conversation. She even missed the way Lana teased her. And she missed holding Lana’s hand during takeoff.
They hadn’t exchanged more than a few sentences while they had packed their bags and taken a cab to the airport. Was Lana going to pretend that nothing had happened between them? Was she used to one-night stands and casual flings? Was that how she could go on the next morning without attaching any emotional meaning to them?
You should do the same. But that was easier said than done.
Her stomach lurched as the plane lifted off.
Soft fingers closing around her own made her jerk.
“Sorry.” Lana pulled her hand back. “I thought you might want…”
“No! I mean, yes.” Claire’s cheeks burned. “I mean, I’m not too proud to admit I’d love to hang on to something other than this armrest.”
Reluctantly, Lana reached back across the armrest and laced her fingers through Claire’s.