by Alessia Brio
Dismayed by the sound of laughter, her character always assuming that laughter within her hearing was directed at her, she turned her head nervously towards the sound. She sighed with relief when she realised the laughter was of enjoyment, not mocking. Her eyes took in the group, young - so happily young in her eyes, full of energy, loving life and living it to the full. Young men and women, in their free and easy clothes, relaxed in the company of each other. She envied them that ability to simply be themselves.
As her eyes drifted over the group, not really focussing, one of the girls broke away from them and as she turned, her eyes met Heather's. For a few moments their eyes looked into each other's. Heather held her breath, the girl frowned briefly, a frown that turned to a soft smile as she moved past Heather to one of the side tents.
Heather watched her walk, taking in the view from the back; soft, baggy, comfortable trousers hanging low on her hips and drifting over long legs, sandals barely covering slim, elegant feet. The older woman's eyes lingered on the brief glimpses of lightly tanned flesh visible between the pants and her cropped t-shirt. Slim, neat, delightful. Heather sighed, smiled a rueful smile, and turned away to take in more of the sights around her, and listen to the music.
As the day wore on, Heather toured the site, visiting the stalls and listening to the acts that interested her, she became more and more relaxed. Several times she noticed the girl from the group; she became aware that once or twice when she saw the girl, just at the moment she was looking, the girl was also watching her. The first time Heather was embarrassed and quickly looked away. The second time, the girl smiled gently at her. The third time there was no smile. But neither looked away for a few seconds.
Finally Heather dragged her face away and moved to find a place to sit and rest her legs. She had been strolling around for several hours, and was growing tired.
Noticing a large, comfortably overhanging oak tree, she dropped to the grass at its roots, grateful for the sturdy trunk against her back, and on her head the shade of the overhanging branches. The very warm day had gradually turned heavy and humid, making her very weary. Settling comfortably, the heavy heat soon made Heather feel drowsy, and to the sound of the music and an unfamiliar, but nonetheless pleasant, feeling of relaxation, she closed her eyes.
Very soon her mind was drifting gently through the images captured during her day…people, colours, sounds…and more than once the image of a slim, attractive young woman, with golden hair, golden skin, a gentle smile, soft brown eyes so very deep; her own face registered a smile at the thought of her. Heather was glad she had come to the festival, and relaxed even more deeply against the tree, turning her head to one side.
Shadows of people passing by, flickered over her, and after jerking nervously at the first one or two, she became comfortable with them and relaxed again. Then a shadow fell over her but did not pass. It stayed, cloaking her form with comfortable shade. She heard nothing. No movement, no sound, and after a few seconds she dared to look.
Her eyes widened in surprise. There before her, bathed in an aura of sunlight, was the golden girl, standing tall and elegant, like a sunflower. Heather held her breath, did not dare to speak, merely looked. Their eyes met and held, then the girl smiled, and spoke.
"What a sensible thing to do, its been a long day. Do you mind if I share your tree with you?"
Heather swallowed, licked her suddenly dry lips and smiled nervously. "N-no…not at all. Please."
The girl lowered herself lightly to sit on the grass beside Heather, leaned her back against the tree, their shoulders almost touching. Heather had followed her movement with her eyes, and as the girl sat, her head was turned sideways looking at her.
The girl began to talk; about the music, the groups, the performers, the side-shows, the weather—Heather heard none of it. She was held by the pure sound of her voice, the tone, the nuances and the way it made her tingle.
She was a stranger to these feelings. No. Don't lie to yourself, Heather. That's not true. She remembered school friends, college friends who had captivated her. She remembered her feelings, her desires, her needs. Unfulfilled. Always unfulfilled. And here in front of her very eyes was another woman unleashing the same feelings, the same desires, the same needs.
In a moment of panic, she suddenly started to rise, and speak, "I have…", but before she could rise, the girl had reached out, laid her hand on Heather's arm, the touch burning into her skin. Sending ripples of feeling and desire rushing through her body.
"Please…don't go. Not yet."
Not knowing why, why this stranger could compel her so easily, Heather dropped back to her place on the grass, her heart pounding, body burning. The girl's hand stayed on Heather's arm, the fingers encircling her skin, gently caressing. Heather breathed deeply and lifted her head, making herself look at the girl. Their eyes met again, and this time, neither looked away. Heather felt herself drowning in those eyes. Deep, soft, welcoming.
In that moment, everything around them disappeared, all sound stopped. She felt neither the warmth of the sun, nor the chill of the sudden breeze. She heard not one note of music, nor the sound of people laughing. She saw nothing but a pair of deep, brown eyes, golden skin, soft pink lips parted lightly over white teeth. Without realising she was doing it, Heather lifted one hand to lightly trail a fingertip along the golden cheek, letting her breath out in one long sigh.
The girl covered Heather's hand with hers, and held it, a soft smile creasing her cheek.
"I've seen you. Watching me."
Heather paled, tried to speak, stammering with embarrassment. "I…I…I…"
The girl smiled again, touched a finger to her lips. "It's okay. It's not an accusation. I was flattered."
She paused, smiling before continuing. "I was watching you as well. Didn't you sense it?"
The touch of that finger froze Heather in time, the feel of the soft skin against her lips. She was fighting the almost irresistible urge to open her lips and suck the finger into her mouth. Her heart was pounding, head buzzing. What was going on? What was happening? This girl was a stranger, but here she was, here they were, being more intimate than Heather had been with anyone in her whole life.
"I was watching you all the time from the first moment I turned around and saw you there. You looked lost, frightened, but at the same time…" She frowned over the next word. "Determined. That's it. There was a fire in your eyes—as if you were determined to do something." Her finger moved to Heather's cheek, matching Heather's touch on hers, the movement sending shivers of pleasure rippling through Heather.
"You interested me, and for some reason, every time I looked around, there you were."
The finger continued to stroke gently over Heather's cheek. Heather in turn, held her breath, eyes locked on the girl's face, her mouth, watching her lips move as she spoke.
"Sometimes you didn't see me, but I watched you. Watched how you began to relax as you moved around, became more comfortable. Once I looked up and you were watching me." She chuckled softly. "You looked away quickly, so embarrassed. The next time you stayed watching as I smiled at you."
She paused, her finger stilled, and her face softened even more, eyes flickering over Heather's face. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "The third time, neither of us smiled, but both of us continued to watch the other. You knew then, didn't you, as much as I did?"
Heather breathed, swallowed and licked her lips, speaking haltingly. "Knew? Knew what?"
The girl smiled again, slowly moving her hand from Heather's face, to cover Heather's hand, and moved them both slowly until they were lain gently over a small, firm breast.
In a sudden panic, Heather tried to move her hand away. The golden girl held it there, and answered quietly.
"Knew that I wanted you as much as you wanted me."
Gently she pressed her hand against Heather's, shaping them both over her breast. "Now, tell me truthfully that this isn't what you wanted to do?" she whispered to the speechless and
trembling Heather.
During this time, the skies had begun darkening, clouds rolling in, a strong breeze had built up, which usually signalled impending rain.
Heather noticed none of this, she was mesmerised by the girl, the feel of her, the sound of her, the sight of her. Then the girl leaned to Heather and brushed her lips in soft feather-like touches over Heather's lips making the breath stop in her body. Time stopped! Her heart stopped!
The girl withdrew her lips a tiny distance from Heather's, and in the softest of voices, her hand over Heather's still holding it to her breast, squeezing softly, she whispered, "Breathe darling, you have to breathe, or I can't kiss you again."
She released Heather's hand, leaving it cupping her breast, and moved her own hand up to gently touch Heather's cheek; a touch that acted like an electric shock, making her gasp.
Heather's mind was reeling, her body throbbing and pulsing. She could not comprehend what was happening, what had happened in such a short time. Desperately she tried to make sense of it, but it didn't make sense. She was sitting on the ground, against a tree, with a beautiful woman very close to her. She had her hand on the woman's breast, and the taste and feel of their brief kiss still on her lips. The woman had called her darling—had said she wanted to kiss Heather again.
She felt as if the world had turned on its head. She had become the shy inexperienced teenager, and the golden girl had become the more experienced, more mature, much more confident older woman. Their roles had completely reversed. She realised that the woman, this beautiful, golden girl, was indeed experienced, knew what she was doing, had loved women before. But Heather didn't care. She just didn't care.
All this had flown through Heather's head in the instant of her gasp. And at the gasp, the parting of her lips, the golden girl leaned to her again, once more capturing Heather's lips with her own, this time lingering, pressing firmly.
Heather moaned softly, her hand unconsciously squeezing the soft flesh held within it; a movement which brought an echoing moan from the girl. The young woman's hand moved to the back of the older woman's head, snaked into Heather's hair. She held Heather to her, lips parting, tongue flicking out to lick across Heather's trembling lips.
At that moment, it began to rain. Large, soft drops that fell heavily against flesh and clothes, noisily against leaves, branches, tents and marquees. So suddenly had it started, that everyone stood in surprise looking up at the sky; everyone except Heather and her golden girl. Their kiss continued, oblivious to the rain soaking into their clothes. Oblivious until the rain became a deluge, and the noise of it against every surface, the sound of people running for cover, and finally the feel of it against their skin made them draw apart.
Lips were moist from the kiss and the rain. Eyes were dark with growing desire. Chests were rising and falling rapidly in breathless excitement.
The girl once again quickly kissed Heather's lips, smiling. She stood, taking the stunned woman's hand dragging her up with her.
"Come," was all she said.
"What…?"
"Come," she repeated, moving around the tree, into the wooded area to the side of the festival site.
In a daze, clinging to the girl's hand, Heather followed her, could not have done otherwise.
For a few minutes, they stumbled through the shrubs and branches, the noise lessened by the overhanging canopy of branches, but the rain was so heavy it fell through the trees, soaking them, turning their clothes to transparent rags. Heather clung to the girl's hand, using her other hand to shield her face against the rain. She had no idea where they were going; she simply followed.
Suddenly she bumped up against a softness, felt arms sliding around her, holding her, hands pulling at her sopping shirt, lifting it upwards. She felt soft, warm hands against her flesh, and gasped loudly at the feel. The unbelievable feel of another's skin against hers. The hands stilled on her back, holding her, simply holding her. She had her eyes closed, not daring to look, not daring to break the dream—for this must be a dream, she must still be asleep under the tree - until she heard a soft voice close, so very close to her ear. "Open your eyes, beautiful, let me see you."
Heather's own arms were held tightly against herself within the circle of the girl's arms, and nervously she twitched her hands, holding her breath once more as she realised she was grasping the girl's top, could feel her warm flesh through it.
Slowly she opened her eyes. What she saw took her breath away. A beautiful golden face, surrounded by dripping wet tresses that sparkled; wide, deep brown eyes, red lips, and a smile. Such a smile from beneath trickles of water, dripping from her long lashes, from her nose, her chin. Without realising she was doing it, Heather's fingers stretched out to touch that face, her eyes flickering over it, finally resting on the lips so close to her own.
Aware suddenly of what she was doing, she glanced back to the brown eyes, her own betraying nervousness and excitement at the same time.
The girl smiled wide and soft, silently mouthing one word, "Yes", before her lips captured Heather's. For a moment, Heather was frozen, panic stricken, until she felt the girl's lips part, and that neat pink tongue that she had glimpsed earlier, lapped gently at her own lips, urging them to open.
As if a flood-gate had been opened, Heather's desires and wants and yearnings all came rushing out. Her lips parted wide, sucking the eager tongue into her mouth. Her arms pushed free of the girl's, and encircled that young golden body, pressing their breasts hard against each other. Heather was moaning, kissing the girl frantically, with all the desire of her forty plus years, her arms squeezing the girl tightly, hands searching for soft skin under the soaked tee-shirt.
All this time the rain was cascading over them, soaking them, adding to the fervour of the moment. A moment Heather had never thought she would live in her wildest dreams. Her own tongue danced with the girl's, tasting, touching, seeking. Until that moment, nothing had tasted so sweet, felt so soft on her tongue and lips.
She felt the arms holding her, touching her, suddenly tighten, and her body being moved backwards. Not knowing, not caring, Heather's feet moved where they were urged until she felt the hardness of a tree against her back. Hands moved to her shirt, buttons were released, while a soft mouth was dragged from hers, and the lips moved over her jaw, down her neck, leaving fiery trails in their path. Heather's hands moved to cover the girl's head as it moved lower over her neck and shoulder. She felt her shirt being opened, gasped at the feel of the rain on her skin, invigorating her, causing her to cry out at such unimagined pleasure. Her head was thrown back against the tree, allowing those hot hungry lips access to her flesh. Her eyes were closed, mouth wide and gaping in pleasure at the feelings surging around her body.
The girl was moaning, growling low in her throat, as her hands now reached behind Heather to quickly release her bra. As she felt the garment being lifted, her breasts now hanging free, she had a moment of panic that the girl would be repulsed by her, the age and size of her.
As if in answer, the girl lifted her head from Heather's neck and shoulder. Her eyes, now so dark they were almost black, bored into Heather's. "So beautiful" she whispered, "so very beautiful." As she said the words, her hands covered Heather's breasts, squeezing them, drawing the nipples into the grip of her finger and thumb.
Heather groaned and gasped at the touch, her eyes closing briefly, at which the girl smiled, and did it again.
Heather's mind was going into overload. She knew where this was heading, the inevitable outcome; the thought at once terrified and excited her in a way nothing had in the whole of her life.
She tried to speak, voice her fears. "I-I've…" she stuttered as the girl squeezed and rolled her hard nipples between her finger and thumb. The touch robbed her of the power to speak, simply produced more moans.
The girl stilled her fingers, moved her hands up to Heather's sodden shirt and began to ease it from her shoulders, drawing it down her back, and arms, dropping it to the ground. The feel o
f the air and rain on so much of her skin, sent Heather's senses spiralling. And when she felt the girl's lips once more on hers, as her hands drew the bra off her shoulders and added that to the shirt, Heather felt as if she needed to scream. She was overwhelmed. She felt…she felt… She didn't know how to describe it, but she didn't want it to end.
The girl was nuzzling her mouth against Heather's lips, her hands moving all over Heather's skin, touching, caressing, igniting flames of desire everywhere she touched.
When the girl's hands once more covered Heather's breasts, once more teasing her so-hard nipples, she spoke softly against Heather's cheek. "You've what, love? Never done this before? Never loved a woman before?"
Heather took the girl's head in her hands and lifted her face so that they could see into each other's eyes. Swallowing briefly, licking her lips, her quiet voice answered her. "I've never loved...anyone…before."
As she spoke the words, her eyes and face briefly flashed 'fear' and the girl saw it. Understood it. She reached one hand to gently stroke Heather's hair, brushing some of the rain from the soaked tresses. Her eyes softened once more, lips moving softly over Heather's face, tongue gently licking at the rain trickling over her lashes, down her cheeks, before she answered.
"What a wonderful gift you give me! Your first time; so very, very special." She softly pressed her lips to Heather's once more, before smiling, looking up at the rain, lifting one hand to it, then back to Heather. "Then let this be your baptism sweet woman. Your baptism of love."
Her lips moved back to Heather's this time, firmly, demandingly, her tongue asking and gaining entry of Heather's mouth. Her hands roaming and caressing all over Heather's burning skin. Her touch created a fire in Heather that even the rain could not quell. In fact the opposite, the feeling of the rain on her skin freed her, released her from her old life. Yes, she thought. Yes. A baptism.
The girl's mouth was moving over Heather's face, down her neck, her throat, to a place at the base of her throat that turned her legs to jelly. As the girl's mouth moved to Heather's breasts, kissing over the soft roundness, but avoiding the nipples, the older woman's breath was held gasping in her throat in anticipation of the feel of those lips on her nipples.