Atramentum

by MJ Duncan

  Joss sighed and shook her head. “I would love to, but that’s still shoulder season here. It won’t be as busy as now, and it could be completely dead, but we typically see a fair number of hikers and bikers coming through town during that time of year because of the shift in foliage. Two weeks later and I’d totally do it, but I just can’t then.”

  Maeve nodded. “It’s not a big deal. I just thought I’d ask.”

  “I’m sorry,” Joss apologized again, feeling like she had let Maeve down.

  “It’s fine,” Maeve assured her. “Really.”

  “Would you want me to watch George while you’re gone?”

  “If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.”

  “George is never too much trouble.”

  Their server returned with Maeve’s card and the credit slip for the charge, and Maeve smiled as she opened the folder and picked up the pen. “Okay, then.” She filled in the tip and total lines on the bill for their meal—she had taken care of sending Scott his lasagna when they first arrived—and scribbled her name across the bottom. “You ready to go?”

  “Sure. You want to walk around town for a bit before we head back?”

  Maeve nodded as she slipped her card back into wallet and dropped it into her purse. “That would be fun.”

  “Good.” Joss pushed her chair back and got to her feet. She waited for Maeve to do the same, and then smiled as she motioned for her to go first. Maeve’s fingers slid over her right wrist as they stepped onto the sidewalk outside the restaurant, and Joss smiled at her as she took Maeve’s hand into her own and gave it a light squeeze. “Anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”

  Maeve shook her head. “Let’s just wander.”

  “Works for me.” Joss tipped her head and turned to the left, figuring that any direction would do since they had no real goal in mind.

  The boutiques lining the boulevard were flush with tourists looking to spend their hard-earned money, and Joss waved to the few familiar faces she spotted as they strolled past. Night had fallen on the mountain while they had been inside the restaurant, and Joss sighed as her gaze drifted over the brightly lit, multi-colored awnings and shop signs on either side of them.

  “It’s been ages since I’ve done this.” Joss smiled as her eyes landed on a weathered statue of a man in full winter gear balancing a pair of skis over his shoulder. She nudged Maeve with her elbow and pointed. “See that statue?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wesley Herold nearly got us all arrested on the corner right there senior year.”

  Maeve pulled up short. “Herold? Seriously? How?”

  Joss laughed and tugged Maeve onward. “We were all on our way home from prom, and he thought it’d be a good idea to stand up through the sunroof of the limo. He was holding his hands up in the air and yelling that he’s the king of the world and shit like that—it was actually pretty hilarious until blue and red lights started flashing behind us.”

  “Heh, I bet.”

  “Right? So, cops pull us over, and we all freak because a couple of the football players had brought flasks to the dance that we’d been passing around like a bunch of delinquents. Herold decides he’s sober enough to try and talk us out of trouble—which was crazy because he was the drunkest out of all of us. So he, of course, failed spectacularly, and we all ended up sitting on the sidewalk in front of the statue.”

  “Oh my God,” Maeve chuckled, shaking her head. “What happened next?”

  “Well, thankfully for us, Brock's dad was the Deputy Chief for Sky P.D. at the time—he’s Chief, now—and he heard about it on the radio. Now, you know how big Brock is…”

  Maeve nodded.

  “Well, his dad has a good six inches and probably sixty pounds on him. He’s built like a tank with this deep, gravelly voice that just screams ‘don’t fuck with me’. Anyway, Deputy Chief Green hears about it on the radio, gets in his car, and comes out to scare the shit out of us for a few minutes. Once we were all convinced we were going to jail, he had the patrol guys who pulled us over call all our parents to have them come pick us up.”

  “What happened? Did they charge you?”

  Joss smiled and shook her head. “Nah. Green’s dad kept it to our families, so even the school didn’t find out so we weren’t punished there. Though, really, even if the school had found out, it would have come back on them because we had all been drinking right under the noses of the chaperones.”

  Maeve bobbed her head as if to say, Maybe, maybe not. “What’d Helen say when she found out?”

  “She was surprisingly cool with it. I mean, my mom would have flipped her shit, but Helen was just like, ‘At least you were being responsible about it and not driving’, and let it go.”

  “Lucky,” Maeve said.

  “Yep.” Joss arched a brow at Maeve. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Maeve asked.

  “You ever almost get arrested?”

  Maeve laughed. “No. I was a good, sheltered, innocent child who was terrified to put one toe out of line.”

  “Aww, that’s no fun.”

  “I had fun. It was just, you know, legal,” Maeve sassed as she pulled Joss to a stop in front of Sky Fudge Shoppe.

  The confectioner on the other side of the glass had just knocked a gigantic brick of fudge from its mold onto a large slab of marble, and Joss smiled as she watched Maeve’s tongue slide slowly over her lips as she eyeballed the treat.

  “Come on,” Joss said, nudging Maeve with her elbow as she tipped her head at the door.

  Victor, the owner and head confectioner for the store, looked up from his work as they walked into the small shop that smelled like heaven, and grinned. “Joss!”

  “Hey, Vic.” Joss smiled and waved as she eyed the slab of chocolate on the marble worktable behind the glass display case. Victor came into Atramentum every Saturday morning with his kids Marco and Emilio to get them each a new book, so she knew him better than most since they chatted while the boys looked through the shelves for something new to read. “Whatcha making?”

  Victor grinned. “Just my famous turtle fudge.”

  “Victor makes the best fudge in the entire world,” Joss told Maeve with a smile.

  “Of course I do,” Victor boasted with a wink. He wiped his hands off on his apron and extended his right to Maeve over the counter. “Victor Gonzales.”

  Maeve shook his hand. “Maeve Dylan.”

  Victor’s eyes went wide. “Like the author?”

  Maeve smiled and nodded. “That’s me.”

  “Oh, wow! Really?” He turned and picked up a slice of fudge from the brick he had been cutting when they walked in. “Here, let me know what you think.”

  “Thank you.” Maeve smiled as she took the offered chocolate.

  “What about me?” Joss asked, batting her lashes at Vic.

  “Yeah, fine, whatever,” Victor teased as he handed her a piece. “Here.”

  “Thanks. My favorite.” Joss popped the chunk of fudge into her mouth.

  “Oh my God, this stuff is deadly,” Maeve moaned.

  Victor grinned. “One pound?”

  Joss laughed. “Sure. Gimme a variety, and split it into two boxes. We’ll drop half off with Scott before we head home.”

  Victor nodded and wiped his hands off on his apron. He pulled a couple of small, white boxes stamped with the store’s logo from beneath the counter, and set them on top of the glass. “Any preferences?”

  “The turtle fudge,” Maeve said immediately.

  Victor beamed and nodded. “Of course. Anything else?”

  “Surprise us,” Joss said, shaking her head. “How are the boys doing?”

  “They’re driving their mother insane,” Victor shared with a laugh. “She’s already counting the days until they go back to school.”

  “I remember my mother doing the same thing,” Maeve said.

  “Mine too,” Joss agreed. “They still playing soccer?”

  “Of
course. Mary will be down in Parker with them this weekend for a tournament.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Joss said. Once Victor had finished boxing up all their treats, she paid for them all and tipped her head at the door. “You ready to keep wandering?”

  Maeve nodded. “Sure.”

  “Tell Scott I say hi,” Victor said as the door to the shop opened and more customers came inside.

  “Will do. Say hi to Mary and the kids for me. See you guys Saturday?”

  “Of course.” Victor nodded. He looked at Maeve. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You, as well,” Maeve replied with a smile as she followed Joss out the door. “You have to keep that stuff at your place or the store,” she told Joss when the door closed behind them. “If we bring it home, I’ll eat it all.”

  “There are worse problems to have than half a pound of gourmet fudge in your fridge,” Joss pointed out with a chuckle.

  Maeve groaned. “So many calories.”

  Joss smirked and waggled her eyebrows. “I’m sure we can come up with a way to burn them all off.”

  “Yeah.” Maeve sighed dramatically. “But I really hate running.”

  Joss laughed. “Lucky for you, there will be no running involved.”

  “I like that idea.”

  Joss nodded. “Me too.”

  “So, what do you have in mind?” Maeve asked, waggling her eyebrows.

  Joss pecked her lips. “After we drop this stuff off at Atramentum, I’ll take you home and show you.”

  Thirty-Two

  Joss licked her lips as she sank to her knees, her fingers lightly caressing the curve of Maeve’s breasts. She pressed a wet kiss to soft satin and breathed deep, her eyes fluttering shut for the briefest of moments as the sweet scent of Maeve’s arousal enveloped her.

  Heaven. Pure heaven.

  “Joss…”

  Joss smiled up at Maeve as she dragged her fingers down her sides, bumping over her ribs to grab hold of the final article of clothing that separated them. She nuzzled the smooth fabric as she tugged the panties down slowly, revealing Maeve to her in millimeters. She kissed soft skin and even softer curls as they appeared, and dipped her tongue into the shadowed fold between Maeve’s legs, reveling in the muted sighs and strangled moans that rained softly down on her from above.

  Her lips followed the path of her hands, searing a path down toned thighs and over the knob of a knee, and they both moaned softly when she finally slipped the panties from Maeve’s legs and dropped them to the floor.

  “You are so beautiful,” Joss murmured, stroking her hands over the back of Maeve’s legs as she drank in the vision above her. Her lips tingled with the need to taste every inch of skin, to tease and kiss and worship, and she sighed as she leaned in to press a lingering, open-mouthed kiss to Maeve’s right thigh.

  Maeve groaned and adjusted her stance, opening herself wider to Joss’ slow, adoring kisses. “Please…”

  Joss smiled and grabbed the backs of Maeve’s thighs as she pushed herself up onto her knees, enjoying way Maeve’s eyes darkened with every kiss. She felt herself clench at the low, rumbling moan that escaped Maeve when she nipped at her inner thigh, and the sight of Maeve sucking in a deep breath as she bit her lip was almost enough to make her speed things along.

  Almost.

  The tips of Maeve’s fingers played with her hair as she kissed her way higher, alternating from one leg to the other, delighting in the naked desire that played across Maeve’s face. Legs opened wider before her, beckoning her forward, begging for her touch, and Joss sighed as she slid her hands higher, over the taut swell of Maeve’s ass, kneading and massaging as she gave in to their shared need and finally kissed the slick, warm skin nestled between the apex of Maeve’s thighs.

  “Oh God.” Maeve leaned back against the edge of her bed, her right hand strangling the duvet as she combed the fingers of her left hand through Joss’ hair.

  Joss moaned, wordlessly echoing the sentiment as pushed herself up onto her knees and lightly flicked the tip of her tongue over half-hooded nerves.

  “You are so good at that,” Maeve encouraged breathily, her eyelids falling to half-mast as Joss continued to lap lightly between her legs.

  “I’m glad you think so,” Joss murmured, the words muffled by soft folds.

  She used the very tip of her tongue to coax Maeve’s clit from hiding, and smiled as she felt it swell and harden against her tongue. She nuzzled closer, teasing the sensitive bud with broad licks, slow swirls, and light, fluttering flicks, breathing deep the sweet, heady scent of Maeve’s arousal. She stroked her hands along the back of Maeve’s thighs as she made love to her with lips and teeth and tongue, touching, tasting, teasing, loving the way Maeve’s hips rolled against her mouth, searching for more, seeking the touch she so desperately needed.

  “Joss,” Maeve groaned, her voice rough with need. “Please…”

  Joss rubbed her cheek against a silky thigh as she looked up at Maeve through the valley between her breasts. “What do you want, sweetie?”

  “You.”

  “Like this?” Joss teased Maeve’s clit with the tip of her tongue.

  Maeve licked her lips and shook her head. “Drawer.”

  The single word was all the instruction Joss needed, and she sucked Maeve’s clit between her lips as she reached for the middle drawer of the nightstand that was to her left. It took her a moment to find the knob that would help her open the drawer, and a shuddering whimper of relief bubbled in her throat when she finally felt smooth, cold metal against her fingertips. She continued to kiss and lick between Maeve’s legs as she began blindly rifling through the drawer’s contents, pushing aside soft tees that served as both cushion and camouflage as she searched for her desired prize. The entire process would have gone so much faster had she pulled away to look, but she was too focused on savoring the sweetness that coated her tongue to do that.

  She huffed in victory when her fingers found what she was looking for, and she smiled at the low, ragged moan that tumbled from Maeve’s lips when she pulled the L-shaped length of purple silicone from the drawer.

  She continued to tease Maeve’s clit with light licks and heavy swirls as she ran the shorter end of the toy between her own legs a couple of times before slowly easing it into place. The feeling of fullness and the sound of Maeve’s pleasure made her clench, and she groaned as she buried her face between Maeve’s legs with renewed vigor. She grabbed onto Maeve’s hips to try to control their rocking as she guided her higher and higher with her lips and teeth and tongue, following the unspoken direction given by the moans raining down on her from above and the firm hand tangled in her hair.

  Joss smiled when Maeve’s hips stilled and she cried out in pleasure, and once the hand in her hair loosened, she began kissing her way up the blonde’s body. Maeve’s nipples, so tight, pink, and delicious were too exquisite to pass up, and she took her time bathing each with hard licks and forceful sucks before eventually sweeping higher to claim Maeve’s lips in a deep, searing kiss. She tangled her right hand in thick blond hair as she pressed their bodies together, pinning the dildo between them, and began rolling her hips in a slow grind, hips and tongues settling into a complementary rhythm that drove their shared anticipation higher with every thrust.

  Had Joss’ shoulder been fully healed, she would have grabbed Maeve by the ass and lifted her up onto the bed, but the same goal was accomplished with a hand on her hip and a huskily whispered, “Up.”

  Maeve bit her lip as she slid up onto the edge of the mattress, her feet gliding up Joss’ legs as she hooked her knees around Joss’ hips to pull her up to the side of the bed. She wrapped her left hand around the back of Joss’ neck as she reached between them with her right, nimble fingers tickling soft curls before dipping lower, teasing Joss’ inner thigh and then sliding higher, curling around the firm length that was going to bring them both so much pleasure.

  “Fuck,” Joss rasped when Maeve gave the cock a firm t
ug.

  Maeve grinned wolfishly and nodded as she tugged again.

  Joss shuffled closer, allowing Maeve to lead her where she wanted her, but resisted that final pull that would have guided her inside. “I want you just like this,” she whispered, rocking her hips lightly forward. Her injured shoulder made it impossible for her to have Maeve in a more traditional missionary position, but here, with Maeve sitting in front of her, she could at least look her in the eyes and kiss her lips while she brought her to the heights of pleasure.

  Maeve nodded and looped her arms around Joss’ neck, holding herself up as she rubbed herself against the head of Joss’ cock. “Please…”

  The unabashed need in that single syllable made Joss’ stomach clench. She swallowed back a moan as she dropped her hands to Maeve’s waist, holding her still as she canted her hips forward, thrusting shallowly at first, coating the tip with the copious amounts of arousal pooled between soft folds before pushing further, inch by inch until she was buried inside her.

  “Mmm, yes,” Maeve groaned, her eyelids fluttering as Joss ground their hips together.

  Joss smiled and flicked her tongue over Maeve’s parted lips. “Good?”

  “So good.” Maeve kissed her firmly. “God, I want you.”

  “You have me.” Joss rolled her hips back before driving herself forward again, her grip on Maeve’s hips tightening as she finished the thrust with another slow grind, the press of warm, slick silicone against her clit sending delicious sparks shooting through her body. She kissed Maeve as she rolled her hips back, and smiled at soft gasp that tumbled from Maeve’s lips when she pushed inside again.

  She began pumping into Maeve in a deliberate rhythm, gradually increasing the tempo of her thrusts as she basked in the feeling of Maeve’s body around and against her own. Soft gasps punctuated quick thrusts, while long, drawn out moans marked slow, heavy grinds, fingers digging into sweat-slicked skin as chests arched and bodies rolled as one, back and forth in a toe-curling dance of pleasure.