Online

by Madeleine Taylor

  “Wait. Let’s take this off first.” Syd lifts up my dress and pulls it over my head. I shiver at being half-naked in front of the window, and as the night begins to fall, I can see my own reflection clearly now. “Beautiful,” she whispers, staring at me as she rests her cheek against mine. She unhooks my suspender belt and it drops to the floor, leaving me in my stockings, a pair of black lace panties and a black balcony bra that envelops my full breasts. I know I look good in the lingerie I bought with today in mind and I can tell Syd appreciates it as she looks me over. She caresses my behind and moves back up to my breasts, teasing me until I can’t stand it anymore.

  “Show me your bedroom.” My voice is alien to me and reflects everything I’m not; insecure, fragile and needy. Although I hate how I sound, it seems to have the opposite effect on Syd, whose eyes flare up as she takes my hand and leads me back into the hallway.

  There are three doors, and she opens the first. Only when we’re inside her bedroom that is also street-facing, do I register she’s still wearing all her clothes. I scan the room, half expecting to see a shelf of sex-toys on display but there’s nothing but an antique four poster bed with matching nightstands, an original built-in closet, a rocking chair upholstered with gray velvet and a vanity table with a huge bunch of white lilies on top.

  Syd turns on a lamp, bathing the room in a soft glow and highlighting the delicate palette of whites and grays in which the walls and furniture are painted. She takes off her shirt and throws it over the chair in the corner. Left in her sports bra and jeans, she turns to me, giving me time to take her in. I need a moment to get used to seeing her in real life and although I’m almost paralyzed by my fear of the unknown, I want to touch her so badly that I manage to overcome my anxiety.

  The tattoos on her arm I recognize, but the way her skin feels under my fingers when I trail a hand up to her shoulder is entirely new and I can tell it affects her as the hairs on her arms rise. She’s soft, so soft. I explore her back, her abdomen, indulging in her toned and feminine body. My fingers tremble as I wedge them under the waistband of her jeans and trace it around to the front, before I open the top button and slide down the zipper. When she pulls down her jeans and steps out of them, my lips part in awe at the sight of her amazing body. Her white Calvin Klein crop top and briefs look like they were made for her, yet I’d rather see them come off too.

  When I reach out to do just that, Syd takes back control, catching my wrist. She takes my other wrist too and pulls me closer, then studies me as my chest heaves up against hers. It’s as if she’s scanning every part of me, like a snake or a praying mantis, sizing up its next meal. I stand still, unsure if I’d be able to move even if I wanted to because the way she firmly holds me frightens and excites me at the same time. Her grip is strong, and I know I’ve just given away the last ounce of control, if I had any left in me. But when she claims my mouth again in a possessive kiss, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. She owns the place where all my secrets and darkest fantasies are hidden, and soon she’s going to turn them into reality.

  “You feel so good,” Syd mumbles against my lips, still holding onto my wrists. She walks me toward the bed and when my legs hit the mattress, she lets go and unhooks my bra.

  I shiver as she slides down the straps, letting it fall off me. There’s no time to process what’s happening as I’m suddenly pushed onto the bed and she crawls over me, enveloping one of my nipples with her warm mouth. I writhe underneath her and my hips jerk up. Why does it feel so good? I never liked it when Brian did this to me. Her tongue twirls around my hard bud before she bites down on it.

  “Fuck…” My head falls back and my chest shoots up, begging for more. When she moves her knee between my legs and pushes it against my pussy, I let out a throaty moan at the rush of delight that courses through me. Even through my panties, I know she can feel how wet I am and that turns me on even more. I reach out to touch her in return, but again, she takes my wrists and places my hands above my head. Keeping them there with one hand, she bites her lip and shoots me a flirty smile, then continues to explore my breasts with her mouth. I’m delirious, wondering why I didn’t come here sooner. The tugging of her teeth, the velvety touch of her tongue and her soft lips on my sensitive skin could send me over the edge right now and she knows it.

  Syd lifts her head and looks at me, desire seeping through her gaze. She lets go of my hands and arches an eyebrow. “Don’t move them unless I say you can.”

  I nod, unable to speak because her hands are now grabbing hold of my panties, sliding them down, exposing my waxed pussy. She gives me an approving look, the corners of her mouth tugging up as she licks her lips—hungry and ready to satisfy her appetite. I feel more exposed than ever and take in a quick breath as her eyes roam over me. My skin is so sensitive that I’m afraid I might come if she so much as blows on it.

  “Spread your legs,” she commands.

  I swallow hard, thinking this is way more intense than on the video call. She’s right in front of me, facing my most private parts and I’m at her mercy. Shaking with nerves and anticipation, I spread my legs that are still covered by my thigh-high hold-ups and watch her let out a soft whimper. “Perfect,” she whispers, before getting down on her knees. “I’m going to make you scream. Would you like that?” Without waiting for an answer, she lowers herself to my pussy and laps at my juices, wedging her tongue between my over-sensitive folds.

  “Aaaah!” My hips shoot up against her face and I have trouble keeping my hands where they are supposed to be as her skilled tongue brings me to the brink of an orgasm. Jesus, this woman really knows what she’s doing and after only a couple of seconds, I feel like a volcano that’s about to erupt.

  Suddenly she pulls back and raises herself, studying me intently. The faint smile on her face tells me she likes my seismic reaction and she looks incredibly turned on herself, breathing fast with her lips slightly parted. They’re glistening, covered in my juices, and when she licks them, I know I’ve never seen anything sexier in my life.

  “Please don’t stop,” I whisper through ragged breaths, fighting the urge to move my hands and pull her back down.

  Knowing what I’m about to do, Syd looks at my hands and shakes her head. “No… keep them right there.” She crawls over me and lowers herself on top of me, sighing as our bodies come together. Her weight on me and her warm skin feel unbelievably good but when her hand strums down my body and settles between my legs, good is taken to a whole new level. I gasp when her fingers brush my clit before she enters me without warning, filling me up and making me cry out in ecstasy. Slowly, she starts fucking me, letting me get used to her while she rides my thigh. My moans come from deep within me, stifled by her mouth on mine. She kisses me with urgency, hard and deep like the way she penetrates me, faster now. All I can think is that I never want this to end, but very soon, our bodies tense up and we’re both taken to greater heights.

  “Look at me,” Syd says when my eyes flutter closed as an orgasm of outrageous proportions rolls over me. “I want you to look at me while you…” She stops mid-sentence when she climaxes herself and when I look into her eyes, we share something so intense that no words can describe how I feel in those magic moments. When it fades, all I can do is continue to stare up into her captivating blue eyes. She’s got me.

  14

  “That was unbelievable,” I say, noting I’ve rarely felt so relaxed before. My breathing is fast and my body still fluttering from the third orgasm she just gave me as I’m slowly coming back to my senses. Syd made good on her promise and made me scream over and over and if I had any doubt as to whether sex with a woman is for me, it’s faded like it was never there.

  “Good.” Her lips trail featherlight kisses down my neck and she allows me to wrap my arms around her and run my hands through her hair. “Are you hungry?”

  I almost laugh at that because the question comes out of nowhere and food is the last thing on my mind. As I listen to my stomach
though, I realize that I am. I didn’t eat much on the flight and my body’s been in overdrive ever since.

  “I am. Shall I order a pizza?” I ask.

  “How about I take you out for dinner?”

  “Okay…” I know I sound hesitant, but only because I didn’t see this coming. I like to plan ahead, yet for some reason, I hadn’t thought any further than the sex before I came here and suddenly, a dinner seems very intimate.

  “Hey, it’s not a date, it’s dinner,” Syd says as if reading my mind. She tilts her head and shoots me a cocky smile. There’s no limit to her sexiness, and I find myself grinning as I agree.

  “You’re right. It’s just dinner.”

  “Excellent.” Syd gets up from the bed, still in her underwear. She throws me my dress and winks. “Nothing romantic, I promise.”

  With my dress in hand, I leave the room and head for the bathroom. I try the second door in the hallway, but it’s locked. For a moment, I think about asking her what’s in there, but that would be way too nosey. That door is probably locked for a reason and as long as she’s not hiding a body, I don’t care what’s inside. Then a thought strikes me. What if she’s got some kind of playroom or sex dungeon in there? I already know she likes toys—seeing as she’s sent me two already—yet there’s no trace of any sex paraphernalia anywhere in her bedroom. Is she waiting for the right moment to reveal her inner most secrets or is she figuring out how much I can handle? Or is she convinced that whatever is in that room is too much for me?

  “If you’re looking for the bathroom, it’s the last door,” Syd says, and I jump at the sound of her voice.

  “Right. Thanks.” I move on to the bathroom and lock myself in, taking deep breaths as I steady myself against the sink and stare at my reflection in the mirror. She caught me dawdling in front of the door, but there’s nothing wrong with that, I tell myself. Anyone would be curious by a locked door but if I’m not meant to go in, I won’t ask her about it.

  I’m a little shocked at my appearance. My mascara has smudged, leaving dark marks under my brown, slightly dazed eyes and my hair is a mess. Still, I smile at myself, because I feel like a different person and I think I like the new me.

  Syd pulls out a chair for me and I chuckle as I sit down. The cozy Italian restaurant is small and intimate. Waiters in black maneuver through the rows of tables in the candlelit dining space while Italian opera plays softly in the background.

  “Nothing romantic, huh?” I say after a waiter has placed a bottle of water on our table and lit the candle now flickering between us.

  “No. Just dinner.” Syd shrugs and grins as if the situation amuses her. “It’s close, and they have great food.” She’s right about the close part. The restaurant is under her apartment building and she’s clearly familiar with the staff. The manager gave her a hug when we arrived and went through a lot of effort to place an extra table in the back for us. It’s full, but our little corner feels private, and I’m glad we’re not sitting in the middle of the room as we look like we’re on a date. I put my black dress back on after a quick shower, and Syd looks jaw-droppingly attractive in jeans and a simple white shirt.

  “Do you bring a lot of women here?” I ask casually, opening the menu.

  “No. I’m pretty private and like my dates to be farther from home. But since you’ve already been in my bed and it doesn’t get more private than that…”

  I laugh, and I’m not sure if I believe her. Curiously, I find myself wanting to know more about her dating life. It’s not that I’m jealous, and she’s already told me she’s single, but now that I’m here, and have had a glimpse of her life, I’d like to fill in the blanks. “Do you date a lot in general?”

  “Not much, no.” Syd shakes her head and smiles at the waiter, who brings over a bottle of red wine and pours us both a glass. “Do you want red, by the way?” she asks. “I apologize, I should have asked you, but I come here so often that I don’t even think about it and they just assume…”

  “No, red is great.” I lean in too, craving the physical closeness from before already.

  “Good.” She takes a sip of her wine and closes her eyes for a beat, savoring the flavor. “Anyway, to answer your question properly, I don’t date much. My girlfriend and I broke up last year and I haven’t dated very much since. Occasionally, yes, but I haven’t met a woman I’ve really clicked with yet.”

  I let her words sink in, wondering if she feels a click with me. I do feel like we connect, I suppose. I mean, I’m ridiculously attracted to her, but since she’s a woman, I haven’t thought beyond the sex and anyway, I haven’t been looking for a relationship since my divorce. “How long were you together? You and your ex?”

  “Talking about exes now, are we?” Syd regards me with interest, as if my questions have somehow added another layer to our purely sexual dynamic. She’s not wrong. Until now, we haven’t discussed much other than sex, but I decide I’d like to get to know her better. Besides, we’re in a restaurant, so we can hardly discuss further plans for the night.

  “Just curious.”

  “Six years,” she finally says. “We grew apart over time, nothing dramatic. That and…” she pauses. “Well, let’s just say that Adriana was never very interested in sex and I’m the opposite.”

  “I get that.” I taste my wine and am surprised by how good the Malbec is; moreish and layered with a hint of clove. I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur and our common love for good wines was one of the few things that kept conversation flowing over dinner during my long and dull marriage. “In my case, I guess I was the one who wasn’t that interested in sex.”

  “You didn’t seem uninterested an hour ago.” Syd grins. “So, maybe you like women and you didn’t know. Or maybe it’s just me who has that effect on you,” she jokes. Her flirtatious tone turns me on, and I shift in my seat, my sensitive pussy a reminder of how she devoured me.

  “Maybe. You’re extremely talented in that department.” I shake my head, because that statement doesn’t nearly give her enough credit. “Actually, you deserve to know that that was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”

  “Thank you, I’ll take that.” She lowers her voice and adds: “We’re not done yet. You know that, right? We’re only just getting started.”

  “I know,” I whisper, a blush creeping to my cheeks. I’m grateful for the waiter who comes to take our orders as I need distraction from my torrid fantasies that are threatening to take over my body. Scanning the menu, I note that I can’t concentrate on anything at all, and leave it up to her. “You decide,” I say, and close it again.

  I observe Syd as she orders morel arancini, a fennel and blood orange salad and a lobster pasta dish to share. She’s amicable with the waiter, joking and laughing with him in their native tongue and it only makes me like her more. My French is rusty, but I understand that they’re talking about his girlfriend, who is a friend of Syd’s.

  Unlike LA, people seem real here. There’s no chitchat for the sake of it, no fake compliments flying around, and the small-town girl in me, who I forgot about a long time ago, appreciates that.

  “Done,” Syd says, turning her attention back to me after the waiter walks away with our order. “So, your turn. Why did you get divorced?” She hesitates. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “No, I don’t mind.” I take a moment to think about my answer because there are probably a million reasons why Brian and I didn’t work out. “I think it started after my first promotion. We were in our early twenties when we met, and we were both really ambitious. I’ve always worked in finance, and Brian was a software developer. He never said as much, but I always felt he didn’t like that I had a better job than him and it was cause for a lot of friction between us. Brian likes to be top dog; he needs people to look up to him and I was never one of those people. Eventually, he started his own company and it was very successful. He worked long days and we hardly saw each other. Deep down, I knew he was having an affair, but I never ask
ed him about it. I guess I just didn’t care enough and one day, I decided I’d rather be on my own. His reaction didn’t surprise me; he agreed immediately, but what I hoped would be an amicable divorce turned into an exhausting battle in court. I won’t bore you with the details.”

  “That’s sad.” Syd tilts her head and her eyes burn into mine. “For what it’s worth, Brian was crazy not to worship you and I happen to like strong, successful women.”

  “Thank you, that’s nice of you to say.” I pause and smile, letting her know I’m absolutely fine. “But life is good right now; I feel like I’m myself again, and I love living on my own. My friend Ellen keeps saying I should start dating but I don’t feel like it.”

  “So you’re not looking for a relationship?”

  The question startles me, as I don’t really know what I want from her and I’m afraid to give the wrong answer. “I wasn’t,” is all I can think of to say, and change the topic. “Tell me about your job.”

  Syd nods, understanding that’s all she’s getting. “My tattoo studio is two blocks from here. It’s a shared space with a bunch of graphic designers and there’s a decent café there too. My studio is my playroom, it’s where I get creative three days a week, sometimes more if I have full-body work, and I’m lucky in that I have a waiting list so there’s always work if I want it.” I can tell she loves her job by the way her dazzling eyes light up. “I’d take you there but you’re not here very long and I’m sure you’ll agree that we can put our time to much better use.”

  I’m startled when I realize the waiter is beside me with our food. He places the plates between us and smirks at Syd, who doesn’t seem to care that he’s overheard our conversation. She starts plating up for me and takes great care in spooning out each dish as if it matters to her what I think about the food. There’s a certain elegance and poise to the way she does things, and it contradicts her casual looks in the most fascinating way. Is she from a wealthy family? Not that I care, but her apartment in this quaint and highly popular neighborhood can’t be cheap, and although I normally don’t pay much attention in restaurants, as I don’t have to worry about money myself, the hefty prices on the menu haven’t gone unnoticed. She didn’t just take me here to impress me; she’s clearly a regular.