by K T Grant
Rose opened her mouth to argue, but not one peep left her, for Lily hands came around her head and gave her a kiss.
A deep moan left Rose, and when Lily’s fingers dug into the back of her nape, she pulled her roughly against her and kissed her greedily. She gave her open mouth kisses, which Lily received by opening her own mouth wide and tangling her tongue with Rose’s searching one.
By the time she needed air, Rose had pulled Lily’s hair out of her pins and her mouth was swollen and red. Her own throbbed, among other key areas on her body aching to be caressed and filled.
“I should make you angry more often,” Rose joked and spread her fingers through Lily’s hair, making a curtain over her shoulders.
Lily gave her a disgruntled look as she pressed her palms against Rose’s chest. Rose shifted to push her breast into Lily’s palm. Lily cupped her there, squeezing her flesh and causing her nipple to harden.
“I came here to talk to you.” Lily removed her hand.
Rose released a suffering sigh. “Then why did you kiss me just now? It makes me want to do other things besides talk.” Rose went over to the settee in the corner and patted the seat next to her. Lily followed and sat down, taking Rose’s hands in both of hers.
“I missed you and wanted to make certain you tasted the same like the last time I kissed you,” Lily said and turned Rose’s hand over to trace the lines on her palm.
Lily’s simple touch made her inner thighs slick and she pressed her legs tightly together to cover her arousal. First they would clear the air and then spend an hour or so involved in more amorous pursuits if she had any say.
“I missed your kisses also, but after yesterday and then Beau spending the night with you, I...” Rose cut herself off and cursed under her breath.
Lily tugged on her chin and she looked back at her. “I was badly shaken up and Beau was there to help me. I didn’t expect you to tend to me. You had more important things to deal with. Beau put me to bed and stayed as the doctor did his examination of me. We had dinner and I fell asleep. When I woke this morning he was gone.”
I saw you in his arms in bed! Rose wanted to shout, but then Lily would ask how she knew and she’d have to admit to her peeping. It was best to keep that a secret better left to reveal at a later date when she and Lily were fully committed to one another.
“Rose, you’ve become pale. Please tell me you aren’t upset about Beau staying with me overnight. You must believe me when I tell you nothing happened between us.” Lily’s voice shook and she clutched Rose’s hands harder. “We only talked and nothing else. For once we didn’t argue or accuse each other of lies. I think we’ve put the past behind us and can move on.”
“I believe you, Lily.” Rose cupped Lily’s cheek. “I had a moment of jealousy about you and Beau combined with alarm over Jo and the individual responsible for causing such destruction. It’s been a long time since I’ve been involved with someone like you who I can’t stop thinking about and want to have a future with.”
“We already have a business partnership together—”
“No Lily, I’m not talking about business. I mean our personal relationship. I want us to be committed to one another not only as friends, but as lovers.”
Lily rose from the settee and wrapped her arm around her waist. Rose’s stomach knotted as she waited for some sort of response from Lily. Damn it, I shouldn’t have spoken so strongly.
Before she could explain her statement further, Lily dropped to her knees in front of her and curled her arms around her waist.
“What are you doing, Lily?”
Lily stared up at Rose, her eyes bright, shining with tears as they wet her lashes. “Not a day goes by where I don’t think of you. You’ve become one, if not the most important person in my life. I don’t feel I have to act or speak a certain way when I’m with you. You love me for who I am.”
“I love you for everything you are and can be,” Rose said softly and kissed Lily’s forehead.
Lily eyes closed and she smiled, lifting up her face and finding Rose’s mouth. They shared a kiss that held promise for both of them. Rose, overcome with emotion, clasped Lily tight against her. Rose climbed up until she sat next to her and kissed her with such force, she fell back against the couch.
“Let’s go up to your room,” Lily said against Rose’s throat as she molded her breasts in her hands.
“It’s too far away. I need you now.” Rose began unlacing the back of Lily’s dress. She had to touch and taste every part of Lily’s body before she exploded. Lily had become vital to her as the air she breathed and water she drank to quench her thirst.
She slid out from underneath her and as Lily opened her mouth, she gave her another kiss, licking and sucking her lips until Lily sighed and landed flat on the couch. Rose’s eyes brightened upon catching the top part of Lily’s nipple where her bodice gaped.
She paid homage to Lily’s breasts with her hands and mouth. Then ever so slowly, lifted up Lily’s dress and spread her palms over the top of her thighs. Her own juices dripped down her legs as she caught sight of Lily in only her garters and stockings, sans her drawers. She plunged her face against Lily’s mound and inhaled deeply, her arousal a sweet perfume she wanted to bathe in.
“Let me love you,” Rose combed her fingers through Lily’s damp curls. She would lap and suckle her there until not one drop remained.
“I want you to love me like I love you!” Lily cried out as Rose pulled apart her pussy lips and stuck her tongue inside. She curled her tongue around Lily’s clit and sucked down. Lily grabbed hold of her hair and pulled hard.
“I do love you.” Rose bobbed her head up and down, making Lily squirm underneath her. Her tongue went in deeper and she moved her other hand down and under her dress to play with herself as she brought Lily to peak. The friction of her hand and the way Lily grabbed her hair made her come far too quickly. But she didn’t let up as she ate away at Lily’s moist cunt.
“I can’t hold back.” Lily sat up and panted. Rose circled her tongue in Lily’s slit, almost laughing from the joy as Lily’s inner muscles tried to keep her tongue prisoner as they latched on in a greedy suction.
Only when Lily shook and stiffened, did Rose cease her sport. She inserted her fingers inside Lily and pumped back and forth as she moved her face up and over Lily’s chest to suck down on her breast. Lily rocked against her invading finger, her nails scratching her back, trying to find purchase as her body shook from her impending climax.
Rose continued to move her fingers inside Lily even after she came, finding delight in the way Rose’s pussy milked her, releasing more of her juices. She panted alongside Lily, peppering kisses, only stopping to nibble over her nipples. When Lily’s tremors subsided, she met her mouth and their tongues dueled with one another. They never stopped kissing, not even when someone knocked on the door.
What felt like hours went by. Rose tasted blood in her mouth and her lips grew numb from all the kissing she and Lily did. Afterward, she lay exhausted over Lily. Her fingers remained snug inside her precious lover and Lily gave no complaint as she brushed her hand over Rose’s hair. Her eyes drifted closed, comforted by the caress.
“Thank you for coming into my life when I needed it,” Lily whispered and placed her cheek against the side of Rose’s head.
Rose breathed in Lily’s scent and she cupped Lily’s mound. Lily dropped her hand over Rose’s and when she pulled out her fingers, Lily linked their hands together.
“No one will ever separate us. We will be together forever,” Rose stated and looked up at Lily’s sleepy face.
“Forever sounds lovely,” Lily said and closed her eyes, her lips tilting up in a satisfied grin.
“All I want is a forever with you.” Rose rested her head against Lily’s chest and listened to the pounding of her heart. Her finger traced around Rose’s areola, and when Lily halted her playing, she gave her a questioning look.
“We’ll need to move soon. I think the ent
ire house heard us. I wonder how scandalized they are?” Lily’s eyes twinkled in humor and Rose snickered.
“It’s nothing they haven’t heard before within these walls. Between the both of us we’re surely to cause a scandal each week. We’ll turn Charleston on its ear.” Rose sat up and stretched.
Lily joined her and they both shared a look and started laughing. Their laughter finally settled down as they shared more kisses, and when they emerged from the room in their wrinkled dresses and their hair in need of restyling, they walked with their arms around one another as they went to have lunch.
Neither the servants nor the other women of the house gave them strange looks and just smiles, happy for their Madam and her lover.
* * * *
“Jo, you must eat something.”
“I don’t want anything. Leave me alone,” Jo told Alene who twisted her hands until they started turning red. Alene had been hovering over her for hours and she couldn’t stand it any longer. She’d always been the one to fuss, not Alene. The role reversal was something she’d laugh about if she was in better spirits.
She doubted she would ever laugh again.
Alene sat down on the bed and gave her shoulder a light shake. Jo pulled away and faced the window. The bandage on her face pulled and she winced from the stitches. She was also hot even as a short gust of air came from the open window and brushed alongside her body.
“Leave me in peace. I just want to sleep.” She fisted her fingers into the pillow. She felt groggy and achy, mainly from the laudanum she had been given yesterday. Her sleep had been far from restful and her dreams were filled with dark shadows and scary faces with jagged teeth trying to bite her.
“Yes, rest for now. I’ll return later before Monty arrives,” Alene sounded overly cheerful. “I’m going to show him how I decorated the house. And when you’re better, we can start moving in. It will all be grand!”
“Grand? I don’t think I ever heard you use that word before,” Jo groused, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her nightgown stuck to her body and she couldn’t wait until she was alone to wash the stickiness away. Also she’d be able to see how much damage had been done to her face.
“I have a better vocabulary from the books I’ve been reading.” The bed dipped as Alene rose. She touched the back of Jo’s head lightly and then gave her a soft pat.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” Jo said.
“At least you won’t be alone for long. Clinton should be back soon—”
“I don’t want him here either!” Jo sat up, blinked rapidly as blinding spots appeared in front of her eyes.
“Jo, you’ll hurt yourself. Please lie down and rest.” Alene lifted a hand toward her, worry crossing her face.
Jo lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. “Go.”
“All right, I’m leaving. But I’ll check in on you when I return later this evening.”
Jo didn’t respond and when Alene closed the door behind her, she sat up gingerly this time. Her whole body throbbed in pain and her head felt like it was ready to pop. For once her leg didn’t bother her.
Tugging down the collar of her nightgown, she grimaced over the cuts and bruises lining her collarbone and upper arms. Moving slowly off the bed, she held onto the bed frame as the room tilted slightly to the right. When her vision cleared, she shuffled over to the door and locked it. She didn’t want to be disturbed, least of all by Clinton.
Grabbing a towel off the hook on the wall, she went into her small water closet. Pouring water from the pitcher into the bowl, she dipped her elbow in, satisfied with the temperature. As she pulled down the straps of her nightgown, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her lips trembled as she viewed the bandage covering her cheek. While in her drug induced haze, she’d overheard the doctor telling Alene how she would have a scar on her cheek for the rest of her life. She slammed her hands down on the table and it shook from the force. Her head dropped forward and she inhaled deeply to stop the moisture from building behind her eyes.
The door to her room vibrated as someone thumped on it. She ignored it and soaked the towel. As she soaped up the fabric, the pounding grew more insistent until a familiar voice spoke on the other end.
“Josephine, answer the door. I know you’re in there. Alene told me you yelled at her to leave you alone.”
Jo threw the towel down and walked back into her bedroom. She sat down on the bed, not responding. Finally the knocking stopped.
Her lips tilted up. She groaned as a sharp pain shot down the side of her face.
“Josephine Jonet, if you don’t answer the door right this very minute I’ll break it down. You’re testing my patience,” Clinton snarled.
“I could kill Alene,” Jo muttered and went over to the door. She opened it and before she could tell Clinton to go to hell, he stomped in and pulled the door shut behind him.
“You had me scared there for a minute,” Clinton said and took hold of her arms.
She pulled away from him and went over to a chair to pull on her robe. Clinton came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Please don’t touch me,” Jo said in a broken voice, trying her best not to lean back against his chest.
“You never minded my touch before. Why now?” Clinton rumbled in her ear and when he kissed the side of her neck, she twisted in his arms and pushed him away.
“I’m an ugly cripple now! Why would you want to touch me?” She backed away, hugging herself.
“Don’t you dare call yourself such a thing,” Clinton said and reached for her.
She moved around, pulling a chair in front of her.
Clinton lifted an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. “You really think that could stop me. If I want to, I could have you under me in a hot second.”
“Is sex all you think about?” Jo asked in disbelief.
“When it comes to you, yes.” Clinton winked and moved the chair off to the side.
“You don’t give up, do you?” Jo sat down on the side of the bed and looked down at her lap. Clinton hunched down in front of her and took her hands in his.
“I’ll never give up on you, darlin’ Jo,” he replied in a slow drawl and when his arms came around her, she rested her chin on his shoulder.
“How can you still want to be with me? Not only is my face a fright but I’m in a piss poor mood that’s not likely to change anytime soon,” Jo grumbled.
Clinton sat back on his heels as his eyes roamed over her face. “You see something frightful, I see beauty.”
“Stop buttering me up with your fancy words. I know what my limits are now.” Jo pressed her palm over her bandage. “I know what the doctor said about my face. How can you be near me? You deserve better.”
Clinton’s face grew hard and he rose. Tugging her into the water closet, he studied her in the mirror. She fidgeted under his examination.
“I don’t care what your face looks like. I still want you.” Clinton placed his hand against her stomach, pushing her back against his arousal. He rubbed against her ass, his cock poking her in the lower back.
“How can you...” Jo turned away and bit her lip.
“I’m attracted to you because I love you,” Clinton said and turned Jo in his arms. Her hands came up and she fisted them into his shirt. She closed her eyes as his mouth brushed over forehead, her cheek, and chin while his fingers made circles over her ass cheeks.
“You could change your mind when this bandage comes off.” Jo released a shudder as Clinton gave her a slow, thorough kiss.
“I’ve never loved any other woman until you, Josephine.” Clinton’s hand brushed over her hair. “Let me prove it to you. Remove your bandage.”
Jo’s eyes shot open. “Is that wise? Don’t I need to keep it on to stop the infection?”
“We’re only taking a quick peek. Unless you’re scared?” Clinton taunted and released her.
“I’m scared in ways you can’t understand,” Jo admitted and turned to face
the mirror again. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled down the bandage while keeping her eyes on Clinton the entire time.
When her abused cheek was uncovered she remained silent as she viewed the damage. A line of stitches ran down her cheek where it was red and swollen. Also yellow and purple bruises covered the area. She winced as she poked the stitches where the jagged pieces of glass had torn away her skin.
“It’s not pretty,” she said and pulled apart her robe where other cuts littered her skin.
Clinton’s arms came around her and rocked her gently. “Right now it looks worse than it is. When the swelling goes down and the stitches are taken out and your cheek heals, you’ll have a scar but nothing as horrible as you’re thinking. It could have been a great deal worse.” Clinton rubbed his face into her hair. “Thank god the drape blocked the glass. If I could, I would take your scar away from you and put it on my face instead.”
“And ruin your meal ticket? I don’t think you’d have many clients then,” Jo stated and put the bandage back on.
“Unfortunately my clients will have to look elsewhere. I don’t think my wife will be pleased with me sharing a bed with others for sex.”
Jo’s heart sped up and her stomach jumped. “Wi-wife?”
“Yes, my wife.” Clinton took her hands in his and got down on one knee. “I hoped to do this in a more romantic setting, but I can’t wait any longer. Josephine Jonet, you will honor me with your hand in marriage.”
“That sounds like a statement and not a question,” Jo said.
Clinton rose. “It’s not a question. You’re marrying me as soon as possible.”
Jo rested back against the table as she gave Clinton a cocky stare. “Oh really? And how will you support your wife without any work? Do you expect her to be the main bread winner as she works as her sister’s maid and servant?”
“Get that out of your head. You’re not working for your sister.” Clinton’s hand slashed through the air. “I’ve been offered another job, one where I don’t have to be naked, unless it’s with you. Rose wants me to be the manager of her new gaming hall she’s opening with Lily. I’ve accepted and told her you’ll no longer be working because you’ll be busy taking care of our new home and watching our children.”