Atramentum

by MJ Duncan

  Maeve chuckled throatily, clearly pleased with Joss’ reaction. “You like?”

  Joss stroked her palms over the swell of Maeve’s ass. “That’s one way to put it,” she whispered huskily, squeezing the firm cheeks under her hands hard enough to lift Maeve up onto her toes.

  “Good. I was hoping you would.”

  “I do.” Joss pressed a wet kiss to Maeve’s ear and nipped at the lobe as she relaxed her grip. “Very, very much,” she elaborated as she began unclipping the garters from Maeve’s stockings. She let her breath fall in hot, heavy waves against Maeve’s ear as she moved from clip to clip, and hummed softly when the final one released. “So beautiful,” she murmured as she hooked her thumbs under the waistband of Maeve’s thong. She lowered herself to her knees as she worked the scrap of lingerie lower, covering the delicate skin of Maeve’s behind with kisses as helped her out of the panties.

  “Fuck,” Maeve groaned, her head falling back in pleasure as her free hand reached out to join her other on the shelf in front of her for support.

  Joss stroked the front of Maeve’s thighs as she nipped at a cheek and then soothed the pink mark with the flat of her tongue.

  Maeve rocked her hips back needfully. “God, Joss.”

  Joss licked her lips as the scent of Maeve’s arousal hit her, and she took a deep, steadying breath as she reached up and gave the small of Maeve’s back a gentle push. “Bend over.” It was a plea more than a command, but she was not above begging when she really wanted something—and in that moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to take Maeve into her mouth and make her cry out with pleasure.

  A low, breathy whimper escaped her when Maeve obeyed, her grip on the shelves tightening as her head dropped between her shoulders. Joss moved with her, walking backward on her knees as Maeve settled into a comfortable position, her hips lifting beseechingly, showing Joss exactly how aroused she already was.

  “So beautiful,” Joss murmured as she leaned forward, teasing swollen lips apart with the tip of her tongue before flicking lightly over Maeve’s clit. Maeve cried out softly at the gentle touch, her back bending further, opening herself up even more to Joss’ touch, and Joss moaned as she grabbed onto Maeve’s thighs and dove in.

  Maeve’s quads trembled beneath her hands as she licked and sucked everywhere she could reach, more concerned with bringing Maeve to release as quickly as possible than teasing. The task was made more difficult by the incessant way Maeve’s hips were rolling against her mouth, but Joss would not have wanted it any other way. She loved it when Maeve lost control like this, loved the soft cries and rumbling moans that escaped her as she closed her eyes and rode the wave of pleasure building inside her. Maeve was art personified, beautiful in every line and curve of her body, the composition of the sounds of her pleasure the most captivating opus ever created, and Joss would gladly worship her for the rest of her life if allowed.

  She pressed a hard kiss to Maeve’s clit at the thought, and moaned in surprise when the firmer touch sent Maeve tumbling into orgasm. She dug her fingers into Maeve’s thighs as she lapped at the sweetness of her release, drawing out her pleasure for as long as possible. When Maeve’s trembling eventually eased, Joss pressed a reverent kiss to each of her cheeks and climbed slowly back to her feet, just barely containing the groan of protest her aching knees wanted her to let out.

  Joss wrapped her arms around Maeve’s waist in a tender embrace as she molded herself against her back, the fly of her jeans pressing against sensitive skin and making Maeve gasp. She smiled and gave a small thrust. “Okay?”

  Maeve moaned and nodded, her head lifting as her back straightened, and she sighed contentedly when Joss began lightly stroking the inside of her thighs. “That feels good.”

  “You feel good.” Joss kissed the side of Maeve’s throat as she stroked higher, and smiled when Maeve shifted in front of her, widening her stance in a silent plea for more. She dipped a fingertip between soft folds, gathering some of the arousal lingering there before sliding higher to rub small circles over Maeve’s clit. She lifted the hem of Maeve’s shirt up and out of the way with her free hand, and began thrusting her hips against Maeve’s ass in time with each slow circuit.

  It did not take long for Maeve to begin rocking against her, and Joss wrapped her left arm around Maeve’s waist as she flexed her right wrist and slipped two fingers into slick, clinging heat. They both moaned when her first thrust bottomed out, and Joss raked her teeth over the line of Maeve’s jaw as she began thrusting in earnest, long and hard and deep, her hips following suit as if they were responsible for every plunge and retreat. Maeve’s knuckles whitened as the sounds of her pleasure increased in volume, and Joss squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to ignore the way each thrust of her hips against Maeve’s ass pushed her that much closer to her own climax.

  Maeve first, she told herself. Maeve first.

  Joss’ thrusts became frenzied as Maeve’s cries became louder and more plaintive as she sought her release, hips rolling, body rocking, back arching as she tried to press as much of herself against Joss as possible. It was raw and rough and primal, the need to take and the need to give driving them together, pushing them harder and faster as ecstasy continued to hover just out of reach until it was finally within their grasp.

  Joss buried her face in the hollow between Maeve’s shoulder blades as Maeve came undone with a deep, rumbling moan. She thrust deep one last time before stopping, leaving her fingers sheathed in spasming velvet as she held Maeve to her, too spent to offer any other comfort. Her jeans clung uncomfortably to her crotch, soaked through from her arousal that she had so far ignored. However, with Maeve spent and lax in her arms, she could no longer ignore the way her clit was pulsing with every beat of her heart, and she groaned as she ground herself weakly against Maeve's ass.

  It won’t take much. Just a little…

  Maeve seemed to understand because she reached down and pulled Joss’ fingers from her and spun in her arms. Her gaze was smoldering as she took the fingers into her mouth and sucked them clean, the look and the touch so erotic that Joss felt herself begin to peak.

  “Please,” Joss whispered, wanting it to be Maeve’s touch that sent her over the edge.

  Maeve smiled and nodded, her hands dropping to the button on Joss’ jeans as she leaned in and kissed her.

  Maeve’s tongue tasted like her arousal, and Joss moaned as her jeans loosened and a slim hand slipped beneath her underwear. She leaned her forehead against Maeve’s and grabbed onto her ass for balance as talented fingers brushed over her clit, rubbing and circling twice before easing deep inside her. She bit her lip as she stared into Maeve’s lust-blown eyes, silently pleading for her own release. It only took three thrusts for her to come undone, and she whimpered with relief as she trembled and shook in Maeve’s arms.

  She fell forward, capturing Maeve’s lips in a deep, wet kiss that was equal parts satisfaction and exhaustion, and sighed contentedly when they finally broke apart. “Wow.”

  “Indeed,” Maeve agreed with a chuckle as she pulled her hand from Joss’ pants. She nuzzled Joss’ cheek affectionately as she looped her arms around her neck, and smiled as she dropped a sweet, chaste kiss to her lips. “That was quite the welcome home.”

  Joss laughed and nodded, releasing her hold on Maeve’s backside and wrapping her arms around her waist in a firm embrace. She took a deep breath and let it go slowly, unbridled contentment warming her soul as Maeve’s smiling lips pressed against her neck.

  Welcome home, indeed. After years of feeling like she was adrift in the world, she had finally found her home—and it was right here, wrapped in Maeve’s arms.

  Thirty-Six

  Scott grinned and dramatically laid his cards out on the front counter. “Gin, baby. That’s three games in a row.”

  “Fucking cheater,” Joss grumbled as she threw her cards down beside the discard pile next to the register.

  It was the Friday before Thanksgiving, which meant
that the last of the leaf peepers had disappeared weeks ago, ushering in the off-season and leaving Sky and the trails around it to the various two- and four-legged creatures that called the mountains home. The street beyond Atramentum’s front windows was as empty as the hotels clustered around the ski resorts, and if Joss had not received a delivery notification email earlier that morning, she would have been at home enjoying the afternoon with Maeve and George instead of sitting in the store.

  Willy Shakes did not seem to mind getting two visits from her in a day, however—she spent a couple hours at the store every morning taking care of basic housekeeping tasks and spending time with the cats—and she had to admit that, despite the fact that she would rather be home with Maeve, it was also nice to hang out and shoot the shit with Scott. He had shown up around two to visit with the cats while his wife was at work, and because there was no real work to be done around the store, they had immediately picked up with their usual time-wasting activities—cards and gossip. “Add ‘em up, Heitz.”

  “How do you cheat at gin?” Scott chuckled as he tallied their scores for the hand.

  Joss rolled her eyes. “You tell me, Mister Three-in-a-row.”

  Scott smirked. “Jealousy doesn’t become you, Perrault.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Scott laughed. “So, how’re the big Turkey Day preparations coming along at Casa de Dylan?”

  Joss sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Maeve had offered to host Thanksgiving dinner since the Dylans always stayed in Chicago for Christmas so Santa could make his rounds, so Maeve’s parents, brothers, and their families were all coming to Colorado for the big feast. She was looking forward to meeting Maeve’s family, but she was also feeling completely overwhelmed by the idea of being surrounded by Maeve’s family for a week. “They’re coming along as well as can be expected, I guess. Maeve’s cleaning like a madwoman and freaking out about making sure everything’s perfect, and me and George are just trying our best to stay out of her way.”

  “Sounds familiar,” Scott commiserated with a wry smile. He and Michelle were going to be hosting both of their families at their place for a joint holiday celebration, which she figured was probably why he was hiding out at Atramentum with her rather than doing stuff at home. “Why didn’t you bring George in with you?”

  “She was sleeping and Maeve said she was going to try to get some work done while I was here, so I didn’t see a reason to wake her up and bring her along.”

  “Is everybody from Maeve’s family staying at the house with you guys?”

  Joss nodded. “Well, her older brother Liam and his family are going to use the cottage since his kids are older and are okay to camp out on the couch for a few days, but her parents, Walker, and his family will be at the house with us.”

  “You guys have any plans for when they’re all here?”

  “Honestly, man, at this point I’m just doing what I’m told and not asking too many questions,” Joss confessed. “I know they’re all big hikers, so we’ll probably hit the trails around here if the weather holds. If it doesn’t…” She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll swing over to Target and pick up a Wii U or something to keep the kids occupied.”

  “Get that new Mario game if you do!” Scott said excitedly. “The one where you can make Super Mario levels. It looks so awesome!”

  Joss laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Scott grinned, clearly excited by the prospect of reliving his childhood in bigger, better graphics. “So, when do they all get in?”

  “Her parents get in Monday, Walker and his family will fly in Tuesday, and because Liam’s kids are in school, they’ll be flying in Wednesday night so that they don’t miss class.”

  “You’re gonna have a full house.”

  Joss nodded. “Yeah. It’s going to be weird. George is going to love all the attention, though.”

  “And you?” Scott asked, his expression growing more serious as he studied her knowingly. “How are you going to do with all the attention?”

  Joss blew out a soft breath and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Scott sighed and started to say something, but stopped when the bell above the front door rang as it was pushed open by a familiar face in a brown uniform.

  “Hey, guys. Busy at work, I see” Ben teased, eying the cards on the counter as he spun his dolly with three small boxes of books toward them.

  “You know it,” Joss replied, grateful for the distraction his arrival provided.

  “You ready for the holidays?” Ben asked as he handed Joss his electronic clipboard.

  “As we’ll ever be,” Scott answered for them both as Joss scribbled her name in the little window. “How about you?”

  “Pretty much the same,” Ben admitted with a smile. “Where do you want me to put these?”

  Joss handed him back his clipboard. “Just leave ‘em there. We’ll move them later.”

  “You sure?” Ben double-checked even as he began sliding the boxes from his dolly.

  “Yeah,” Joss said. “Have a good weekend.”

  “You too,” Ben said, snapping off a small salute as he headed back to his truck that was idling at the curb.

  “Are you okay with Maeve’s family descending on you guys for the holiday?” Scott repeated as soon as they were alone again.

  Joss blew out a soft breath and nodded. “Yeah.”

  “You need to work a little harder to sell that one, tiger.”

  “Shut up,” Joss chuckled. “It’s just a lot, you know? It’s been a long-ass time since I’ve done the big holiday get-together thing.”

  “Yeah, I know. But you’re happy?”

  “Yeah.” Joss smiled. “I’m happy. Very, very happy.”

  “Good.” He picked up the cards on the counter and began tapping them into a neat stack. “So…should I kick your ass again at cards, or should we shelve those books Ben just dropped off and call it a day?”

  Joss checked the time on her phone, and was surprised to see that Maeve had texted her a little over half an hour ago. Muse is AWOL. Am going to take George on a walk around the lake and see if I can’t find the sneaky little bitch. Call when you’re on your way home. XO She smiled and shook her head. If Maeve was not going to be working, there was no reason for her to continue killing time at the store. “The books can wait until this weekend.” She set her phone facedown on the counter as she stood and began pulling on her coat. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What’d Maeve say to make you so eager to get home?” Scott teased, reaching for Joss’ phone.

  Joss snatched her phone from his grasp and waggled her eyebrows as she slipped it into the chest pocket of her coat. “What makes you think Maeve texted me?”

  “Please,” Scott scoffed. “You smiled your I’m-so-in-love-with-Maeve-smile and you’ve got the biggest heart-eyes right now.”

  Joss chuckled and shook her head. She was busted, but there was no way she was going to cop to it.

  He laughed, knowing he was right. “Come on, what’d she say?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

  “I would!”

  Joss grinned. “Sucks to be you, then.” She spun her keys around her finger. “You coming? I mean, I’m not going to stop you if you want to stay here and shelve those books…”

  “Nah, I’m good,” Scott said as he jumped to his feet.

  “That’s what I thought.” Joss held the door open for him. “You got tomorrow afternoon?”

  Scott nodded. “Yeah. You got Sunday?”

  “Yep,” Joss confirmed as she locked the door after them. “Though I don’t know why we bother,” she continued, pocketing her keys as they walked across the street to the lot where their cars were parked. “We at least see a few people while they’re out running errands on Saturday. On Sunday everybody’s watching football.”

  “So don’t come in Sunday,” Scott said, shrugging. “Me and Michelle can come by and check on the cats since we’re closer and make sure
their food and water is all topped off. She got some new toys for them the other day at the market anyway that I keep forgetting to bring in with me, so she can give them to Willy and Dickens then.”

  Joss pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Thanks for the offer. If Maeve isn’t working, maybe I will just hang out at home instead.”

  “Good. Lord knows we’re going to be back at our insane schedule soon enough, may as well enjoy this time while we have it, you know?” Scott held out his right fist for a bump. “Call me if you need me.”

  “Ditto, man,” Joss confirmed, tapping their knuckles together. “Tell your wife I say hi.”

  “Will do. Say hi to Maeve and George.”

  “Of course.” Joss nodded and climbed into her car as Scott did the same beside her. She started her car and let it idle to warm up as she pulled her phone from her pocket to call Maeve. She was surprised when the call went to voicemail after a handful of rings, and frowned as she disconnected the call without leaving a message, knowing that Maeve would see the missed call and call her back.

  The only time Maeve ever turned off her ringer was when she was working, and Joss sighed as she spotted Willy Shakes watching her from one of Atramentum’s front windows. If Maeve had found her Muse, there was no telling when she might emerge from her office, but the idea of shelving books held very little appeal to her at the moment.

  “Sorry, bud,” Joss apologized to Willy. “Scott will come play with you tomorrow,” she continued as if the cat could hear her. And maybe he could, because Willy swished his tail once and jumped down from the window, out of sight.

  Joss dropped her phone into the cup holder beside her seat and shifted her Jeep into gear, hoping that the fling Maeve was having with her Muse would be a short one and that she would get her girlfriend back at a halfway decent hour that night.