“You do, too.” They swayed back and forth to the music. Campbell inhaled the scent of Parker’s perfume, which was subtle and sweet, and her body warred between comfort and arousal.
“I’m having a good time tonight,” Parker said, resting her cheek on Campbell’s shoulder.
“What’s your favorite part, the work or having my whole family along for the ride?” Campbell asked playfully.
Parker chuckled. “That’s a tough choice, but I think this is my favorite part.”
“Well, that’s good to know. I’d hate to play second fiddle to the snack table.” Though Campbell joked, there was nothing funny about the way Parker’s body felt against hers. She was turned on, and she didn’t try to explain her reaction away any longer. It wasn’t merely physical or the result of being alone for too long. Parker was one sexy woman.
Parker rested her hand on Campbell’s chest, just above her right breast, and Campbell covered it with her own, hoping Parker couldn’t feel her body tighten in response to her touch. She wanted this woman so badly it was becoming exponentially harder to stay focused on simple conversation. Though she tried to remind herself her heart was at stake, her body was taking control. For the first time she wished she could separate making love from falling in love, but knew she couldn’t.
And even if she could have sex with a woman merely to fulfill some baser instinct, that woman couldn’t be Parker. Their connection involved more than simple sexual attraction. It would be easier if she was just gorgeous, but she was smart, fun, and so easy to be with. Campbell couldn’t possibly resist her, but if she wasn’t careful, the attraction could consume her.
“Less than one minute to midnight,” the DJ announced.
“Come on, let’s get some champagne.” Parker stepped back but didn’t let go of Campbell’s hand. Campbell was happy to follow so long as she could enjoy the touch of Parker’s skin against her own.
The countdown began just as Parker passed her one of the champagne flutes she’d filled a few minutes earlier. “Ten, nine, eight.” Campbell gazed at Parker, then down at their intertwined fingers, and tried to remind herself not to get too used to that feeling. Parker would move on and leave her alone, wouldn’t she? She struggled to remember why it was a bad idea to fall for this woman who seemed so perfect.
“Seven, six, five.” She was going to start the new year surrounded by her family, in the place she loved more than any other, with an amazing woman by her side. Wasn’t that what she’d always dreamed of? What did it matter what things were like a year from now? Why shouldn’t she enjoy what she had right now? Suddenly the past and future lacked importance compared to her yearning for Parker right now.
“Four, three, two.” While family conflicts and business deals and future plans were bound to catch up with them eventually, right now the only thing between them was caring, understanding, and an abundance of sexual tension. Why was she trying to resist? What more was she waiting for? The ideal woman stood next to her, and every move Parker made all night indicated that she was offering herself fully to Campbell. Now Campbell just had to find the courage to accept.
“One.”
*
At the stroke of midnight, nothing seemed more natural than to kiss Campbell. Parker wasn’t sure when she came to expect and even crave physical contact between them, but in that moment their lips came together so perfectly that she didn’t care about anything else. This kiss, like the others, started slowly, sweetly, Campbell’s tenderness so complete that it almost overwhelmed Parker. But then something changed. Her lips parted and Campbell’s tongue slipped inside, caressing hers. The hunger behind this kiss hadn’t been so apparent in the others. Whatever restraint Campbell had been clinging to had broken. And Parker was far beyond resisting. If she had been open to the possibility of making love to Campbell before, now her body begged for it. If Parker hadn’t held a glass of champagne, she would have drawn her in closer.
Finally, Campbell broke the kiss, pulling back only far enough for her bright blue eyes to meet Parker’s. They held no questions, only need. Parker wanted desperately to fill that void, recognizing it as the twin to hers.
“We should stay and help close the lodge,” Campbell said, as though she had no intention of doing so.
“Yes, we should.” Parker took a sip of her drink before she set it resolutely on the table. She refused to let such a perfect moment pass. “Take me home with you.”
Campbell’s eyes darkened with desire. She had obviously swallowed the last of her reservations. Then without a word she turned and headed for the door, leading Parker.
The ride to Campbell’s cabin was a blur. Parker could think of nothing but the want that burned inside her. She craved to reach across the cab of the truck and take Campbell right there, but knew they both deserved better. So she waited until they entered the cabin’s front door before she kissed her again. This time, with both hands free, she sank one of them into the thick locks of golden hair at the base of Campbell’s neck and snaked the other around her waist. Their bodies fused as if a dam had broken inside each of them, releasing months of passion.
Campbell deepened the kiss with her tongue as she ran her thumb along Parker’s jaw. They slowly worked their way across the room, Campbell’s fingers inching down the curve of Parker’s neck and tracing her collarbone, gently caressing every exposed inch of skin along the way. They broke their kiss long enough to safely climb the stairs, then resumed with even more fervor when they reached the landing. Campbell walked her backward down the hall, their bodies still pressed together, as though miming the tango.
Thankfully, when they entered the bedroom Campbell switched on the bedside lamp. Parker wanted so badly to see the woman who was making her experience all these intoxicating sensations. In fact, she couldn’t wait a second longer to see more of her, so she stopped just long enough to clutch the hem of Campbell’s sweater and lift it over her head. She then brought their mouths back together as she fingered the buckle on Campbell’s belt. Campbell groaned into her mouth as Parker undid the button on her khakis, which she took as encouragement to continue. As she slid Campbell’s zipper down, her knuckles grazed bare skin, and now she moaned. Never before had such a small hint of things to come stirred her so thoroughly. Just one brush against the taut flesh of Campbell’s abdomen almost made her melt.
Campbell took advantage of her lust-induced haze to turn her around and pull her close again, now placing kisses along the back of her shoulders and neck. She unhooked the clasp on Parker’s dress, then drew the zipper slowly down the length of her back. Parker shuddered and bit her lip as Campbell slipped the straps from her shoulders and the dress fell free from her body into a pool at her feet. Campbell then turned her around so that they once more faced each other and, cradling the back of her head tenderly, lowered her to the bed.
Parker grabbed a fist full of Campbell’s shirt and pulled her down with her. Then she rolled them over so she was on top of Campbell, straddling her waist. The lust in Campbell’s eyes only made Parker want her more, so she planted a deep but brief kiss on her lips before gliding down Campbell’s neck and chest. She slowly undid each button of her shirt, placing a kiss under each one as she went. Then she trailed her mouth across the tightly muscled torso, reveling in the feel of bare skin on her lips. Campbell wasn’t wearing a bra, so when Parker reached the last button she pushed the shirt off her shoulders, leaving her naked from the waist up. Not wanting to stop there, she hooked her hands into the waist of Campbell’s boxers and in one motion removed them and the khakis.
Parker took in the exquisite body beneath her. Campbell was everything she expected her to be and so much more. Her dark complexion lightened only slightly where she wasn’t tanned, and her entire body was smoothly muscled. Below her small, firm breasts, the lightly rippled plain of her stomach descended into soft golden curls at the apex of her thighs. “God, you’re gorgeous,” Parker whispered, awed.
Campbell sat up and wrapped her arms ar
ound Parker’s back, then pressed her cheek to her chest. Parker held her close, Campbell’s breath on her skin followed by her mouth. Campbell kissed a line across the top of her bra while she ran her fingers under the bottom of the lace cups, teasing the underside of her breasts. Her hands slid to her back and unclasped the bra, then drew the fabric away from her breasts. She leaned back only long enough to look at Parker’s body and mumble, “So beautiful,” before pressing close again.
Parker gasped and threw her head back as Campbell’s mouth connected with one of her breasts, while the other was cradled in one of her hands. She began to wonder how long she could wait before losing control and didn’t want to let go until she felt Campbell. So, still sitting on her lap, Parker slipped her hand between their bodies. She worked her fingers in circles along Campbell’s chest, caressing the soft skin of her breasts and grazing her nipples, which were firm to begin with but grew even harder at her touch. When Campbell moaned her approval, Parker paused to give them extra attention, but the vibrations from the sound sent a bolt of pleasure through her own body, reminding her once again how close she was to coming.
It would be so easy to succumb to ecstasy, but the feel of Campbell’s body beneath her was too exquisite to ignore. She moved her hand farther down against her abs and stomach into those soft golden curls where she found Campbell wet and waiting for her. When she parted the delicate folds and ran her fingers across the hardness beneath them, Campbell’s hips jerked and she clutched Parker’s back tighter.
“Oh, God, Parker,” Campbell said into her chest. “That feels so good.” Parker continued to circle her fingers, deliberately increasing the pressure. Campbell’s breathing became erratic, and her hips rocked in a steady rhythm with her hand.
“I can’t take any more,” Campbell panted. “I’m going to lose it.”
“Go, baby,” Parker whispered. “Let go.”
“No.” Campbell practically choked on the word, clutching Parker with both her arms and rolling her over slowly onto her back and propping herself up on one arm above her. “I want to be inside you when I come.”
The statement was so raw with intensity and need that Parker almost exploded, but she willed herself to stay focused on this amazing woman gazing down at her. Campbell ran her hand up Parker’s thigh and slid first one finger, then two inside her, her thumb brushing her clit as she pushed deeper. Parker cried out on the verge of orgasm and pulled Campbell’s body flush against her own. With one hand still between them, she continued to stroke Campbell in rhythm with the thrusts of her own body. She wouldn’t last much longer. Her muscles were already beginning to shake as she arched up to meet Campbell. She forced her eyes open, not wanting to miss a second of the connection she felt when her gaze locked with Campbell’s blues eyes, now dark with lust but filled with so much tenderness. The deep, intense emotion there, when paired with the physical sensations, sent her tumbling into ecstasy.
“Campbell,” she sobbed as her body contracted. Somewhere through the roar of her own heartbeat pulsing through her ears, Campbell called out to her, and the muscles beneath Parker’s fingertips tightened. Their bodies shuddered in unison, and the realization that Campbell was coming with her made another burst of pleasure consume Parker.
As they both descended from their orgasms, Campbell rested her cheek on Parker’s chest, her breathing beginning to return to normal. Parker wondered if Campbell could hear how hard her heart was still beating. Every nerve ending in her body still buzzed, but even as the physical high began to subside, her emotions continued to rise. Campbell had touched her with such reverence, such tenderness. She felt both desired and cherished. What had just happened was so much more than sex. They had made love.
Chapter Seventeen
Campbell awoke to the wonderful realization that Parker’s head was resting on her chest. She was asleep, her breathing slow and even. Campbell lay in the silence, soaking up the pleasure of having her arm around Parker, holding her close. Skin-to-skin contact was something she had resigned herself to living without. Now she reveled in the luxuriousness. She didn’t know what the events of the last few hours meant to Parker, and part of her was afraid to find out. Still, if it had been a one-night stand, Campbell wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“Happy New Year,” Parker said sleepily as she opened her eyes.
“Yes, it is a very happy new year.” Campbell placed a kiss on Parker’s forehead.
“I’m glad you think so.” Parker snuggled a little closer.
“What about you? Are you happy about how we started the year?” Campbell asked hesitantly. She wasn’t sure she was ready to hear the answer, but she needed to know where they stood.
Parker searched her expression as if trying to gauge the seriousness of the question. “You don’t know how I feel?”
Campbell shrugged. “I don’t want to assume anything. I made that mistake once, and I don’t want to go through that pain again.”
Parker cupped Campbell’s face with one hand and looked into her eyes. “Campbell Carson, you’re sweet and sexy and one amazing lover. Any woman who wouldn’t be thrilled to be where I am right now is a fool.”
Campbell flushed at the compliment, but had trouble internalizing it. The way Parker made her feel only reminded her of how special Parker was, too special to be happy in a little slope-side cabin for long.
Parker propped herself up on one elbow and ran her other hand through Campbell’s hair. “You don’t believe me?”
“I never said that.” Campbell wondered how Parker read her so easily.
“You didn’t have to. It’s there in your beautiful blue eyes.” Parker kissed her temple to accentuate her point. “You’re already shutting me out. Don’t put that wall back up, not after tonight. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking,” Campbell started, then swallowed, trying to force a tremor from her voice, “that you’re out of my league.” Parker started to protest, but Campbell silenced her with a kiss. “I know you’re happy right now, but you’re used to having more than I’ll ever be able to give you. You’re passionate, intelligent, and stunning, and you’re accustomed to all the power and prestige that come with that.”
“You’re all of those things, too, and you’re happy here.”
Campbell pondered that logic for a second, then remembered the conversation they’d had in the Sno-Cat earlier that season. “But you told me once that you wouldn’t be able to stay out of politics unless you got away from the city. When you regain your confidence, you’ll miss all the things that can come with it.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Parker lay back and stared at the ceiling. “I will miss it after a while. Sometimes I already do.”
An ache began to throb in Campbell’s chest, but she refused to voice her pain. If Parker wanted to go, she wouldn’t do anything to stop her. She would never again hold on to something that didn’t want to be held.
“But,” Parker continued after a second, “I wasn’t in politics because I got a kick out of it. I was in politics because I felt guilty.”
“Guilty?” Campbell sat up in bed. “What do you have to feel guilty about?”
“I was born rich and white on the lakeshore while people less than a mile away were born into pain and poverty. I’ve had the whole world laid at my feet, and people who are every bit as deserving are denied access to health care, a living wage, or an education because of where they live, how they talk, or who their parents are. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t try to change that system?”
The anguish in Parker’s voice made Campbell pull her close once again. “That’s so much weight to put on yourself.”
“I know. I bet it sounds pretty stupid.” Parker shrugged. “I should be grateful that I was one of the lucky ones and enjoy all the privileges of my upbringing, right?”
“No, not at all.” Campbell hugged her a little tighter. “I know exactly what you mean. When I was in Madison I worked for a YMCA program for underprivile
ged kids, and I saw exactly what you’re talking about. The contrast in how I was raised and what they had to deal with was overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine making a difference.”
“I used to believe politics was the answer, but I’m not sure that’s the case anymore. I wasn’t making a difference, and I wasn’t happy. Here with you, on this mountain, I’ve found peace I didn’t know I was capable of.”
Campbell felt a sort of guarded elation to hear Parker say she was happy at Bear Run. That alone set her apart from the problems she had experienced with Lynn. But she knew better than to assume that because they were happy now they always would be. “You might change your mind. You didn’t stop caring about the poor and disenfranchised. What if that need to effect change resurfaces in a few months, or even years?”
“And what if you fall on the slopes tomorrow and break your neck or I get hit by a snowplow next weekend?” Parker said. “I want to be with you, and right now there’s nothing I want more. I can’t tell you that nothing about our lives will ever change, and you wouldn’t believe me if I did.”
“I know that.” Campbell leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes. “I just need to know I’m not the only one feeling this way.”
“Feeling what way?” Parker ran a finger down the center of Campbell’s chest.
A shiver ran over Campbell’s body and she opened her eyes to Parker’s mischievous grin. “Like I’ll explode every time you look at me.”
Parker nodded and began to place kisses at random intervals along Campbell’s throat and shoulders. “What else?”
Campbell felt the edges of arousal stir. “Like I don’t want you to ever stop doing what you’re doing.”
Parker moved lower, dragging her tongue across Campbell’s breasts, abdomen, and stomach until she was between her hips. Campbell parted her thighs as Parker rested her body between them. When Parker’s breath warmed her clit, every muscle in her body coiled with anticipation.
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