She turned on wobbly legs to retrieve her equipment. How much longer could she put off discovering whether Maria tasted of cinnamon?
For her part, Maria didn’t bother putting on the bikini top. “You’re something else, Pepper. Are you ready for another swim?”
Sarah turned around. “Sure. Maybe that’ll help.”
Maria smiled coquettishly. “You’re fighting a losing battle, girl. The only way you’ll calm down is to allow yourself to let go.”
Maria’s dark eyes locked on hers, questioning. Sarah’s breath caught in her windpipe. Wasn’t she supposed to be the seducer? She blinked. What difference did that make at this point?
Perhaps reading her thought, Maria nodded and lifted Sarah’s tank top enough to bare her breasts. She ducked her head. Sarah gasped as the heat of Maria’s mouth covered her nipple. She closed her eyelids and rose on her toes, wanting more. Her fingers sifted through Maria’s long curly tresses. A tongue slid around her nipple. A sense of being savored swept through her body.
The cool draft assaulting her wet nipple brought Sarah back to her senses. Maria brushed a dark nipple against her rosy one. “There,” Maria said, backing away. “You’re the seducer. I just matched your play, but I could’ve taken you right here on the floor, on the couch, or standing like this. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes,” Sarah sighed. Finding her voice, she added, “Why didn’t you? I wanted you to.”
“I know. But you might do too much second guessing afterwards. You’ll taste me only when there’s nothing else in the entire world that can tempt you not to.” Maria darted her tongue out to tap Sarah’s nose and lowered a hand to Sarah’s crotch. “As I thought, you’re sopping. It won’t be much longer now, don’t you think?
Sarah tasted blood as she chewed on her lower lip. She shook her head at Maria who waved her bikini top as she exited the room. Sarah didn’t follow. Going for a swim with Maria at the moment would lead to only one thing. But she still was not ready, even though the dampness between her legs argued strongly against that conclusion. She shook her head and headed for the master bedroom. An ice cold shower might help.
Chapter Five
Smiling with satisfaction, Sarah hung the last photo of Maria to dry on the line stretched across the dark room. She might burst if she stared at her handiwork longer. The pics had turned out quite fine. Super, actually. After all those years, she hadn’t lost her touch. Some were better than others, but that was to be expected.
Somehow she’d caught the wide range of emotion Maria could so easily project. The woman should’ve been an actress. Sarah pursed her lips and studied one of the pictures of Maria stretched out on the floor, turned toward the camera. Fingers spread across her abdomen pointed suggestively to an aroused clit. The photograph was in soft focus. Some observers might not even notice the protruding flesh caught up in the shadows, but to any who did notice, that picture would be a complete turn on.
A soft rap on the door interrupted Sarah’s perusal. She lifted hair from her shoulders and sighed, trying to set aside the pleasant erotic mental journey that photo had prompted. “Come in.”
Maria poked her head around the partially open door. “Is it okay to come in?”
“Sure.” Smiling at Maria’s feigned nonchalance, Sarah waved her newest model into the room. “You must be dying of curiosity. Come on in. I want you to see these. What do you think?”
Maria stood by Sarah and ran her gaze across the string of photos. Hugging herself, she exclaimed, “My! You are an artist with a camera, girl.” Maria shook her head. “I know I’m good at seductive posing, but I’m not that good.”
“You’re better,” Sarah proclaimed.
“No way. You accentuate the innocence and refine the bawdy. Even those tease photos are filled with mystery and allure. You’ve made them so tasteful.” She turned to face Sarah directly, grinning broadly. “The girls are going to love you.”
“What?” Sarah scowled at Maria. “What girls?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Maria asked, pretending surprise.
Sarah began shaking her head. “What are you getting me into now? I’ve only known you for a short time and you are already my personal quicksand.”
“Complain. Complain.” Maria hugged Sarah around the waist. “I’m a city girl. Brooklyn. LA. San Francisco. But doesn’t quicksand have tremendous sucking power?” Maria asked, mimicking a sucking motion with her lips.
Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at the quizzical look on Maria’s face. “Yes, it does. You’ve made your point. We’ll get around to that. I’m positive. Now tell me about these girls.”
Maria’s smile was as bright as sunshine. “So you’ve finally decided to discover for yourself whether or not I taste like cinnamon.”
Sarah nodded, not trusting herself to utter a sound.
“And I bet you’re creamy, like your ivory skin.” Maria pouted. “So, how can you be so cool about it?”
“What girls?” Sarah insisted. She wasn’t about to be sidetracked into comparing tastes. Maria had more on her mind than sex. Sex no longer was a hurdle, but she’d already learned how determined and devious Maria could be when she wanted something.
“Oh.” Maria’s expression was suddenly nonchalant. “One of the many things I do is connect girls up with the exotic dance world and erotic film industry.”
“Porn?” Sarah failed to censor her shock or tone.
Maria’s face contorted and she took a quick step back. “Don’t look down your nose at those women. They’re hard working, many are God fearing, and some are damn good actresses.”
“But—exotic dancing, I sort of understand,” Sarah stammered. “But...”
Maria’s eyes snapped a warning. “You traveled across the country of your own free will to get your brains fucked out and now you’re questioning the morality of women who are willing to fuck—to legally fuck for pay.”
“I wasn’t aware it paid that much,” Sarah said weakly. “I’m not trying to cast dispersions.”
“You could’ve fooled me. It doesn’t pay, with the exception of the occasional meteoric young star, for beginners—like most any other industry. Top pay goes to those with seniority and the best skills.”
“How do you know so much about all of that?” Sarah wanted to retract the words as soon as they’d escaped her lips.
Maria folded her arms and glared. “Because I’ve been there. I was only active in the industry for two years. I discovered having sex for my job screwed up my personal sex life. Many women can adjust to that. I couldn’t, so I got out. As I said, I still help girls make the right connections and try to do my best to see that they only work with producers and actors who believe in health testing and practice what they believe.”
Sarah frowned trying rapidly to process this new information about the woman she wanted to taste. She didn’t know what to say. How many women had Maria been with? Did it matter? Maria was right. She’d traveled half way across the country for one purpose only—to get fucked. How had her world become suddenly so complex, suddenly so simple? She bit her tongue, wishing for an easier way out.
“So,” Maria sneered. “Maybe Adam is right. Maybe you are a Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes.”
Sarah stiffened. That was one way to get her off square one. Was she going to let that old good-girl image get in the way? “No, don’t say that, Maria.” She reached out and grazed Maria’s cheek with the back of her hand. Thankfully, Maria didn’t flinch from her touch. “Your working with the porn industry shocks me, I admit that, but it doesn’t diminish how I see you—not at all. If anything, it makes me feel like a naïve idiot. I probably haven’t spent five minutes in my lifetime thinking about porn stars. But I’m sure you’re right. One industry is basically like any other, in some respects. The rewards go to people with longevity and skill, or to people who know people.”
Maria scowled and then her mouth turned up in a small smile. “That last part is too true.”
Sarah drew in a deep brea
th. “So tell me about these girls.”
“They’re women, typically eighteen to forty, who are trying to keep their portfolios updated for booking agents, directors and producers. You can’t simply send around the same photos year after year. Some are dancers. Some strippers. Some erotic actresses. None are hookers.”
“And you want me to shoot them.”
Maria nodded. “You’re an exceptional photographer, Sarah. You could make a difference in some of these women’s lives. It’s not that they don’t have the skill it takes, they just don’t fathom how to best package and market themselves.”
“That’s my forte—at least for other people. I’ve never been great at marketing myself.”
“Then you’ll do it?”
“They’ll come here?” Sarah said, quickly beginning to take to the idea. “I don’t have to go somewhere else?”
“They’ll come here.” Maria grinned. “We’ll use the dance studio like we did this afternoon. Will you at least try?”
“You beg well, Maria.” She shrugged. “Yes, I’ll try. I can’t believe how exciting it was taking these pics of you. Some of them really are super. But I did have a super model,” she whispered softly, again dragging her fingers across Maria’s cheek.
Maria licked her lips provocatively.
Was it pent up sexual energy, or the recognition that during the last several minutes their conversation had drawn them across a chasm? Sarah had no fear of falling. She wrapped her arms around Maria’s neck and drew her close. Their mouths joined as if it were the most natural thing to do. Their tongues played leisurely. Sarah tingled with anticipation. Without breaking their kiss, she cradled Maria’s butt and ground their crotches together. Maria reciprocated slowly and then more fervently.
Abruptly, Sarah stepped away from Maria. She knew she must look like a wild-eyed tease, but she didn’t want their first shared orgasm to occur while fully clothed. There was, after all, that important matter of tasting. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I don’t want it this way.” She saw Maria’s look of dismay and felt a catch in her throat. “Soon,” she whispered, slanting a finger across Maria’s lips.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” Maria shot her a wary look. “Adam called. He won’t be home till very late tonight. We’re supposed to go ahead and eat without him. It’s something about the kid he saw at court, the one he mentors. Trying to get him set up in an apartment of his own—or something like that.”
“Too bad,” Sarah said, studying the pictures of Maria hanging on the line. “How convenient. It’ll just be us tonight.” She heard Maria’s catch of breath. She was amazed she could detect that over the pounding of her own heart. She paused a moment to listen to her soul. She found no internal debate.
Sarah angled her face toward Maria and smiled. She pressed her smile against Maria’s lips. She chewed on Maria’s lower lip, then kissed the corners of her mouth and slipped her tongue into Maria’s open mouth.
“Ah,” Maria moaned.
Sarah stepped back and met Maria’s gaze, suddenly aware the wild passion in Maria’s eyes reflected her own. She interlaced her fingers with Maria’s. “Let’s do it. Let’s pour some wine and put together a platter of cheeses and crackers and then retire to the master bedroom.”
“You’re on. You select the wine and I’ll join you shortly.” Maria slanted her warm lips across Sarah’s and backed quickly away. “You won’t regret this.”
Sarah didn’t know if that was a question or a statement. “I know I won’t. I hope you won’t.”
Maria laughed. “No way. I’m getting the feeling you and I have been preparing for this moment all our lives.”
With a trace of sadness, Sarah watched Maria nearly skip out of the darkroom. Why the sadness? They should’ve made love right there on the couch or on the rug. Now she might have too much time to think. What had Maria meant about preparing for this moment all their lives? Sighing, Sarah tidied up the room with trembling fingers. She couldn’t shake or explain the feeling Maria was right. Now that she’d made her decision, she knew making love with Maria was not only right—it was inevitable.
Sarah whirled around the small room feeling as free as she’d felt after she’d gotten accustomed to going commando. Steeling herself not to look beyond tonight, not to look beyond Maria, she closed the darkroom door and headed for the kitchen.
She smiled to herself. She had little doubt where Maria had disappeared to. She was probably summoning their audience of one. Air escaped from Sarah’s compressed lips. If she knew how to contact Adam, she would’ve invited him herself. But she didn’t know where he was, and she trusted Maria to issue the invitation on their behalf.
Sarah set the serving platters down in the master bedroom and turned to meet Maria’s gaze. The next move was up to her. She took the lead, embracing her hostess and sliding her lips across her soon-to-be lover’s mouth, dropping several butterfly kisses. Maria stroked her neck and back. Reluctantly, Sarah moved out of their embrace. “Hope that will tide you over for a few minutes. I’m not changing my mind. No way,” she insisted, catching her breath. “but I have to check something first. I think I forgot to turn off a machine in the darkroom.”
“That’s okay,” Maria replied. “I want to freshen up a bit anyway.”
“Good. I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me.”
Maria lifted her breasts and wiggled. “I wouldn’t think of it. Just don’t take too long.”
After stopping in another bathroom down the hall to make final preparations, Sarah rejoined Maria in the master bedroom and grinned broadly at her. Maria sat fully clothed absent only her shoes on an overstuffed chair across from the bed. She set the wineglass she held on an end table and interlaced her fingers, waiting for Sarah to take the lead.
“Don’t be so pensive. I’m here now,” Sarah cooed, pulling Maria to her feet. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
“I may have waited for you my entire life.” Sarah watched Maria’s tongue dart out to trace her lower lip. “A few extra minutes were nothing.”
Knowing it was up to her to take the lead, Sarah pressed her lips against Maria’s. It was a tender kiss, a kiss filled with longing and promise. Sarah took a step back and unfastened the top button of Maria’s sundress with surprisingly steady fingers.
Maria smiled her encouragement.
“Do you think he’s watching?” Sarah whispered as she worked on a second button.
“What?” Maria blinked, her brow furrowed.
“Adam. Do you think he’s watching us?”
Maria chuckled softly. “You’re not only an artistic woman, you’re clever. Probably. I did let him know you were about to succeed in seducing me.” Sarah giggled. “I wanted him to at least have the opportunity to share this first time with us, even from a distance.” Maria swept Sarah’s hair off her shoulder. “I hope that’s okay with you?”
Sarah had three more buttons undone and freed a dark breast before she answered. “I’m thrilled. I hope he’s there. I do hope he sees it is I who am seducing you.” She lowered her mouth to cover the pebbling nipple.
Emitting a sharp gasp, Maria entwined her fingers in Sarah’s hair and clasped her tight to her bosom. “He should be able to figure that out. But let’s forget about Adam for a while. Okay?”
Sarah tapped the dark nipple with her tongue and worked on more of Maria’s buttons. “Absolutely,” she murmured. “There’s only you and me in this bedroom, and I intend on sampling you in a variety of ways.” Sarah tugged on the sundress and it dropped to Maria’s feet. “You are so striking. I’ve seen you nude many times in the last two days and each time it’s like seeing the sunrise for the first time.”
Maria reached for the buttons on Sarah’s blouse.
Sarah shook her head. “No, let me,” she said. She slowly undid her blouse, freeing her breasts. The look of adoration in Maria’s dark eyes warmed her blood. Sarah unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor, stepped out of it and held out her arms, welco
ming Maria.
Again she covered Maria’s mouth with her own. This time their tongues collided, stoking banked fires of passion. Sarah rubbed her breasts against her lover’s, and Maria reciprocated. Reluctantly, Sarah slid her mouth off of Maria’s and lowered her head until she was licking first one brown breast and then the other. Maria fondled her neck and uttered soft moans. It pleased Sarah that the more experienced Maria let her continue being the seducer.
She trailed fingers down across Maria’s taut belly until they came to rest atop her neatly trimmed dark pussy. Her folds were already wet. Without hesitation, Sarah pushed a finger into Maria’s inner chamber. “You’re so hot,” she whispered, going to her knees.
Maria widened her stance. “Hot for you, Pepper. Caliente,” Maria groaned, “for you.”
Sarah studied the tiny black ringlets and smiled as Maria’s clit emerged from its protective folds. She slipped a second finger into Maria and lapped at the glistening pussy opening wider before her.
Maria’s breathing quickened. A familiar pounding started in Sarah’s head. She brought her free hand to bear on Maria’s clit. Willingly, Maria stood before Sarah’s probing quest, succumbing to fingers and tongue. She clutched Sarah’s head between her hands, offering guidance. She wailed in Spanish and English praising the gods for this gift. She bore down on Sarah’s fingers and tongue. Sarah held nothing back and neither did Maria.
“Now!” Maria cried. “Taste me now.”
Sarah flicked out her tongue and grinned at the first taste of Maria’s nectar—exquisite. Leisurely, Sarah covered Maria’s flow with her mouth. Cupping Maria’s buttocks, Sarah helped her rock back and forth on her heels as Maria’s flow tumbled over her lips and tongue. Sarah swallowed over and over, going beyond tasting, trying to quench her thirst. At last, the flow stopped. Sarah leaned away, giving Maria’s pussy one last kiss. As for her thirst—it would certainly take more than once to quench that particular thirst.
Pulling playfully on Sarah’s ears, Maria moaned, “That was adorable. But I want to do you, too.” She fell back on the bed, bringing Sarah with her.
The Reunion Page 8