by Amber Jacobs
Leandra grinned. “You think she’s a prude?”
“I didn’t say that.” Casey held up a hand in protest. “And just so you know, Ash hates that word. It’s just…”
“I can tell you right now, Casey, that Ashley is as passionate and energetic a lover as she is a photographer,” Leandra said, her eyes sparkling playfully. “Where do you think I got these bruises on my neck?”
Casey hastily averted her gaze when Leandra pulled her collar to the side to show off a faded bruise just above her shoulder. “You can spare me the details,” she said wryly, turning her attention back to the racks of lingerie.
The two browsed along the aisle in silence for a time, before Casey checked a glance at the taller woman. “Leandra?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure.”
“What’s it like? Being with a woman, I mean?”
Leandra stopped looking at the lacy undergarments and gave the teenager her full attention. “Are you asking in general, or…?”
Casey blushed. “Yeah, general is good. I mean…” She paused, considering. “We’re doing sex-ed in school right now, and one of the girls asked about that stuff. The teacher got all nervous and said he couldn’t answer because it wasn’t part of the material he’d been given. It was pretty stupid, I thought. We’re there to learn about this stuff, but it’s not much good to anyone who happens to be gay, is it?”
“I guess they don’t want to have to think about it,” Leandra said, shaking her head a little. “Some things never change.”
“Yeah. Like I said, pretty stupid. So I was just kind of curious, you know?”
“I understand.” Leandra thought for a moment, wondering what she should say. She’d never had to justify, defend, or explain her sexual orientation before. No one had dared say anything about it during her years as a smuggler, and it hadn’t been an issue during her exile. “I don’t know what I can tell you. I’ve never been with a man before, so I can’t really compare it to anything.”
“You’ve always known you liked girls?”
“I figured it out fairly young, yeah.”
“What did your parents think?”
“I never told them.” Leandra was silent for a moment, sadly remembering the faces of her mother and father. “I didn’t tell them about a lot of things in my life. But my brother knew I was gay, and it was never a problem for him. He admired me a lot when we were younger, and I doubt he cared much who I was sleeping with.”
“Hmm.” Casey listened attentively, then she remarked in a deliberately casual tone of voice, “I’ve thought about it. You know, about being with another girl. I guess it might be cool.” She caught Leandra’s glance, and laughed a touch self-consciously. “Don’t get me wrong or nothing, okay? I like guys just fine. But say I was out somewhere, and a good-looking girl started coming on to me. I’d probably go along with it. No point in limiting my experiences, right?”
“Sure.”
Casey absently fingered the cloth of a lacy nightgown. “I’ve never told anyone that,” she murmured. “Not even Ash, and I tell her pretty much everything.”
Leandra saw a slight wavering in Casey’s confident shell. “I understand, and I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.” Shar-Ranjana leapt to mind. “Believe me, I know the importance of keeping secrets.”
“Thanks.” Casey gave her a grateful smile, then turned back to the clothing hanging on the racks. Her smile turned into a rakish grin as she spotted something interesting. “What about this?” She pulled out a satin slip patterned with tiger stripes and held it against Leandra’s upper body. “Perfect!”
Leandra rolled her eyes, took the slip, and hung it back on the rack. “Ashley’s already seen me in more tiger stripes than she could count, and she can have me in the real thing anytime she wants. I think something different would be better. Something sexy, that she’d appreciate.”
“Okay, how about this?” Casey pulled down another article and held it up.
Leandra laughed at the imitation-leather bustier with its silver inlaid chains. “I think that might be a little on the kinky side, don’t you?”
“You never know. It might be just what she needs to broaden her horizons.” Casey waggled her eyebrows saucily, looking Leandra up and down and taking knowing measure of her strong, predatory aura. “I’m betting it wouldn’t be the first time you’d worn something like this, huh?”
Leandra lifted a single brow in amusement. “Maybe.”
“Well then, no harm in introducing Ash to something new. She might like it.”
Leandra had to admit the idea gave her a tingle. Memories of nights spent with former lovers rose in her mind, and she imagined sharing such erotic delights with the woman who had won her heart. After a moment of delicious fantasy, however, she shook her head. “I think we should find a middle ground for starters. Something a little tamer.” She scanned the arranged undergarments. “Maybe this.” She pulled out an elegant black satin slip and panty set and held it against her body. “This is nice.”
Casey pursed her lips, considering. “I guess.”
Leandra smiled, already knowing how she was going to thank Ashley for buying her the clothes. “Trust me. With some appropriate lighting and a romantic setting, this’ll be just the thing.”
The teenager groaned and covered her ears. “Something tells me I’m going to be putting up with a whole lot of make-out sessions now that you’re around.”
“Hey, I can’t help it. Ashley’s gorgeous, and she’s a great kisser.”
“Yeah, well, save the lovey-dovey crap for when I’m not around, if you can control yourself.” Casey laughed. “If I have to think of what you two get up to when you’re alone, it’ll scar me for life.”
Leandra laughed as well, and added the lingerie to the other clothes. So far, she liked Casey a lot. Even before her stay in the jungle, Leandra had never had an easy time making friends, and it was nice to meet someone besides Ashley with whom she could feel comfortable. “Come on, let’s finish this up and see if we can find something to eat before Ashley picks us up.”
“I’ve been in this business for twenty years, Richards, and in that time I’ve had to put up with a whole lot of crap from stuck-up, know-it-all photographers just like you, who thought their talent put them above the rules. You were supposed to be back here, assignment completed, two weeks ago. You had no right to rush off like that into the jungle without first consulting me.”
Across his desk, Ashley blinked innocently at the man berating her, a slight, unconcerned smile on her lips. Joseph Harding, editor-in-chief of the popular magazine Wild Planet, was a bear of a man. Standing easily six feet tall and weighing at least two hundred and thirty pounds, he towered over Ashley. Beneath his full beard, Mr. Harding’s face was bright red, and his neck was swallowed up by his broad shoulders, which made him look somewhat like an oversized bulldog. But Ashley knew her boss’s bark was far worse than his bite. She had worked for Wild Planet for years now, and this wasn’t the first time her antics had landed her in hot water. She waited with a patient, expectant expression for him to cool down.
It didn’t take long.
Glaring down at her, Harding’s expression became exasperated when his words failed to shake Ashley’s calm. He took a deep breath and looked again at the selection of sample shots she had laid out for him to consider, scowling deeply. The scowl was a good thing, Ashley knew; Harding liked to keep his employees humble, but he could recognize quality work when he saw it. “If it weren’t for your damn luck, Richards, I’d have fired you a thousand times before today.”
“Luck’s all well and good, Mr. Harding, but you’re looking at talent, plain and simple,” Ashley stated calmly. “And as for taking off without notice, I tried to get in contact with you, and your secretary told me you were unavailable.”
>
“So, you shouldn’t have gone.”
“In which case, you’d be tearing me up right now for missing one of the greatest opportunities ever to come along.” Ashley regarded her boss sternly. “You know as well as I do that even the chance—however remote—of shooting a white tiger in the wild was worth the risk and the delay. And even though I didn’t find it, I wasn’t wasting my time or your money.” She gestured to the still slides, images she knew were well above her already high standard, thanks to Leandra’s assistance. “The rest are just as good, maybe better. I don’t see what the problem is.”
Harding looked from the slides back to Ashley, the scowl never leaving his face “Fine,” he conceded after a moment. “Get the rest of this stuff developed and sorted, and we’ll let this go. Again.”
Ashley gave him her most charming smile. “Thank you.” Rising from her seat, she turned and walked out the office door, glad to get the minor confrontation out of the way.
Wandering through the sprawling office complex that was the hub of the nature magazine, Ashley exchanged brief pleasantries with her co-workers. She was well liked by her colleagues, with the exception of a few fellow photographers who were jealous of her talent and good fortune. Still, Ashley’s easygoing temperament, quick wit, and good humor made her popular around the offices.
Pushing open a door marked Studio—PRIVATE, Ashley found herself in a large, professionally lit room that was designed to revolve around a single stage set against the far wall. Several people milled about in the studio, and Ashley looked around until she found the face she was looking for. When she spotted a tall, slender man wearing thick-lensed glasses, she again summoned her most charming, persuasive smile and headed over.
“Hey, James!” she called as she approached. “Can you spare a minute?”
James Grosser glanced up from his work, his face lighting up when he saw who was calling him. He nodded quickly. “Sure, Ash. I heard you were back. Did you have a good trip?”
“It was amazing, thanks. I got some really awesome shots.” It was well known that James had a crush on her, and Ashley wasn’t above using his infatuation to her own advantage. James was a likeable enough fellow—the shy, quiet, bookish type—and Ashley found his adoration kind of cute.
She knew he would never summon the courage to actually ask her out, which saved her from having to reject him, but she made a point of giving the young man a kind word and a friendly smile every now and then. And Ashley knew James was the perfect person to ask for help in her current mission.
“Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a really big favor?” she asked.
James nodded with such vigor she feared he might suffer whiplash. “Of course! You know you can ask me for anything. What can I do for you?”
“I need to get a little time in one of the processing labs. It’ll only be a few minutes, I promise, but I have some personal shots I need to handle by myself.”
James nodded. “Sure, I think I can work something out. Studio Four should be clear for most of tomorrow, but if you need some film processed, you know I’d be happy to do it for you.”
“That’s okay, I’d really rather take care of these prints myself. I took a few shots out there I’m keeping just for my collection.”
“Ah, keeping the good stuff to yourself, huh? No problem. I’ll, uh…work out a time for you and let you know.”
“Thank you.” Ashley patted him on the shoulder. “I really appreciate it.”
He bobbed his head. “Anytime, Ash.”
“I’ll see you later.” Ashley gave him a last grateful smile, then turned and exited the studio. She needed time in the labs to develop the pictures of Leandra and Shar-Ranjana in private, and this was the best way to guarantee that no one would interrupt her. She had it in mind to hang a print of the great white tigress in her bedroom, thinking that Leandra would appreciate having a reminder of her feline sister that she could look at every morning.
Pleased with the accomplishments of the day thus far, Ashley headed to her workstation to catch up on whatever needed doing. She wanted to get everything done as quickly as possible, knowing that Leandra might start getting more nervous if she was late. Ashley said a silent prayer to any gods who might be listening, hoping they would keep Leandra and her guide safe and out of trouble.
I’d better hurry with this stuff, she thought. Putting those two together for too long can’t be a good thing. A rebellious teenager and a woman who’s been living like a giant cat for four years… Yep, better do whatever I have to do and get back to them as soon as I can.
Ashley replaced the cordless phone on its wall mount and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. “Damn it.”
After stopping in at work, Ashley had taken time to do some grocery shopping, making sure to include a few special treats she thought Leandra might appreciate. When she returned to pick up Leandra and Casey, she found them waiting for her outside the store. Leandra looked a good deal more at ease than when she’d dropped her off, and it appeared from their shared smiles that she and Casey had bonded quickly.
After they’d returned home, Leandra had taken Casey for a walk in the forest to demonstrate some of the skills she’d acquired from her association with the great striped cats, while Ashley packed away the fresh food. It was late afternoon by the time Ashley drove her niece home. When she’d returned, she decided to make the promised phone call to her parents before starting dinner.
The subsequent conversation had been somewhat tense. Ashley guessed that Evelyn had informed their parents of Leandra’s presence and also of her involvement with Ashley. It had been awkward, but Ashley managed to skirt the issue for the most part, wanting a little time to get settled before she confronted her folks about the changes she was making in her life. Still, even pleading fatigue hadn’t been enough to get her mom to completely drop the case, and Ashley had been cornered into agreeing to a dinner visit on Wednesday night.
Sighing, Ashley closed her eyes and hoped the dinner would go well. It wasn’t so much that she was worried what her parents might think of Leandra, although that was certainly part of it. Rather, she was concerned for how their judgment and possible rejection would affect Leandra. Ashley knew her lover didn’t want their relationship to cause problems between her and her family.
“Hey, Ashley?” Leandra’s voice called from upstairs. “Could you come up here for a minute? I’ve got something for you.”
“Might as well give her some warning about Wednesday,” Ashley muttered. She climbed wearily up the stairs and pushed open the door to her bedroom. “Leandra? What did you want to—” Ashley’s voice choked off, her brain unable to complete her sequence of thought, when she saw the vision before her.
The bedroom was lit by the soft glow of several candles, which were positioned on the dresser and bedside tables. Soft music played in the background, and the air was sweet with the scent of perfumed wax. But it was the sight of Leandra that stole Ashley’s breath. Her lover lay on the bed, clad in a black satin slip and lace panties that hugged every curve of her toned, powerful body. Sapphire eyes glinted in the candlelight, and a seductive smile greeted Ashley when she finally pulled her eyes away from their feast of flesh and form.
“I thought we’d skip dinner for a while,” Leandra said, her voice dripping with raw animal lust. “Unless you’re hungry now?”
Ashley took a step closer to the goddess reclining on her bed, her eyelids growing hooded. “Oh, I’m hungry now all right.” She licked her lips.
“Excellent.” Leandra shifted on the bed to better display her new lingerie. Her fingertips traced a path from her collar to her cleavage, finally tugging at the satin cloth covering her ribcage. Ashley’s gaze followed them helplessly. “You like it?”
Ashley nodded immediately, all thoughts of family and problematic dinner invitations vanishing. “Very much so.”
“I
bought it to say thank you, for everything you’ve done for me. For giving me back my life. For understanding me the way you do.” Leandra rose to a crouching position, and Ashley stepped closer, until their faces were almost touching. “Thank you, Ashley. Thank you for loving me.”
Ashley’s response was swift and passionate. She crushed her lips against Leandra’s, her tongue wasting no time gaining access to the other woman’s mouth. Leandra’s hands reached out and began working at the buttons on Ashley’s jeans. As soon as they were off, Ashley pushed Leandra onto her back and straddled her, breathing hard as she pinned her lover to the bed and ground her center firmly against a well-muscled abdomen. Dizzy from the sudden rush of arousal, she pressed a series of heated kisses over Leandra’s lips and chest.
Breaking away breathlessly, Leandra smiled up at her. “I’m glad you like it.”
Ashley groaned, her eyes and hands wandering over Leandra’s scarcely veiled body. “God, I think it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” she gasped, her voice thick with hunger. The heat in her belly flared into a sudden bonfire, and Ashley marveled at how Leandra could inspire her passion so easily. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“So tell me.” Leandra’s hands slipped sinuously around Ashley’s slender waist and held her tight, steadying the rocking motion of her hips “Tell me.”
Ashley paused, uncertain. “Tell you what?”
“I want to know how you feel…what you want.” Leandra’s sultry eyes regarded her earnestly. “You’ve told me everything else, but now I want to hear about your fantasies. About every erotic dream you’ve ever had, no matter how silly you think it is. I want to bring you all the pleasure I possibly can.”