by Fiona Riley
“It’s beautiful here. So quiet, so peaceful.”
Lucinda studied Samantha’s profile; the moonlight reflected against her dark hair and illuminated her perfect features.
“It’s a beautiful view.”
A knowing smile spread across Samantha’s face as she glanced over at Lucinda.
“Mm, I missed you.”
Lucinda smiled, because truer words were never uttered. “I want to show you something.”
She pulled Samantha back to the bed, playfully rolling across the sheets with her before walking to her closet. She pulled out the framed Improper Bostonian cover and turned it so Samantha couldn’t see what it was.
“What have you got there?” Samantha’s eyes shone with curiosity and affection.
Lucinda sat at the edge of the bed and ran her fingers up Samantha’s arm, dancing along her clavicle before she pressed a kiss to the skin of her shoulder. “Everything got so out of hand over the past few days, I didn’t get a chance to properly congratulate you.” She kissed along Samantha’s shoulder and up her neck, pausing under her ear and sucking on the skin gently.
Samantha let out a soft moan, closing her eyes and reaching out to touch Lucinda’s face. “Congratulate me for what?”
Lucinda laughed at the clear distraction in Samantha’s response. She pulled back with an impish grin and brought the frame up onto the bed, facing Samantha.
“We are celebrating your big magazine feature.”
Samantha looked momentarily confused before her attention was drawn to the frame. A slight flush appeared on Samantha’s face as she asked, “So I assume you read it?”
“I did. In fact, I found one bit particularly interesting. There was a part when the interviewer asked Boston’s very own Miss Match if she was seeing anyone special or if she had her sights set on anyone in particular”—Lucinda reached forward to gently cup Samantha’s cheek—“and I believe the exact quote you gave in response was I think I may have finally found my own perfect match.”
Samantha’s eyes were wet with tears as she nodded.
Lucinda leaned close, her lips brushing Samantha’s. “You gave that interview after our first night together, do you remember?”
Samantha closed her eyes and nodded again, her lips parted slightly.
“Did you mean it then? The way I feel it now? Do you think I’m your perfect match?”
A slow shuddering breath left Samantha’s lips, ghosting across Lucinda’s. “Even more now. I have never been so sure of anything, as I am of you and me.”
Lucinda beamed and closed the distance, teasing her tongue along the pouty bottom lip in front of her, sucking it gently into her mouth. She savored the warmth and taste of Samantha’s tongue. This moment, like all her moments with Samantha, was nothing short of magical.
“I love you.” Lucinda leaned back and wiped the happy tears from Samantha’s cheeks before brushing aside her own. She kept her hand cradling Samantha’s jaw, gently rubbing her thumb along her perfect cheekbone.
“I love you too.”
EPILOGUE
Samantha woke up to soft kisses being placed along her neck, over her collarbone, under her jaw, punctuated by a soft nibble to her chin, pulling her from the last of sleep’s hold. “Mm,” she purred. “Good morning, Luce.”
Lucinda smiled against the skin of Samantha’s cheek, kissing her sweetly before brushing the hair from her sleepy eyes. It was only then that she noticed the amount of light coming in through her bedroom windows and realized just how deep a sleep she must have been in.
“Morning, beautiful.”
Samantha snuggled close, breathing in the smell of Lucinda’s perfume and shampoo and sleepy skin, recording it to memory. The last few weeks had been magical. Samantha had never experienced this feeling, this connection with someone else. Lucinda made every moment in her life feel like one that should be celebrated. It was so refreshing that she hoped it would last forever. In fact, she planned on it. When Lucinda had told her the story of the ring in the aquarium, Samantha had decided right then and there to make sure that she and Lucinda would never be apart again.
Samantha shifted, catching the goofy, dreamy grin on Lucinda’s face. “That’s quite a grin for this early in the morning,” she teased, pressing a kiss to Lucinda’s lips.
“Early? It’s after ten.”
“So what?” Samantha challenged. “Do we have somewhere to be?”
“Not until our flight tomorrow. Booking this Tahitian vacation was genius. Have I told you lately you’re a genius?”
Samantha winked. “Well, besides packing, I was planning on spending the whole day naked…in bed…with you. Is that okay?”
Lucinda pretended to ponder it for a moment, tapping her lip with her finger before smiling. “Sounds perfect.”
Samantha had something else planned too, but she lost focus a bit when Lucinda’s hand found her breast. She let out a low growl and straddled Lucinda’s waist. She dragged blunt nails over Lucinda’s toned stomach before placing her palm flat against Lucinda’s chest, massaging as she licked a hard stripe along Lucinda’s jaw.
A low humming sounded in the background, which she ignored in favor of focusing on the soft pants coming from Lucinda’s mouth right by her ear as she slipped her thigh against Lucinda’s core, pressing more fully into her.
“Mm, Samantha…” Lucinda whimpered as Samantha closed her fingers around a pink nipple, pulling gently while her mouth worked over Lucinda’s other breast, her hand scratching down Lucinda’s stomach as she pressed her thigh harder into Lucinda’s wetness.
The humming stopped and the phone rang next to them, loudly, jarring Samantha momentarily from Lucinda’s breast. Lucinda groaned at the loss of contact and ran her hands through Samantha’s hair impatiently, pulling her back toward her chest. Samantha nodded and resumed her position, ignoring the phone. Lucinda rolled her hips against Samantha’s thigh, her breathing getting ragged. She was close. The low humming rang out again, this time the sound swallowed by Lucinda’s pleas.
“Please, baby, I need you…”
Samantha slid down Lucinda’s body, settling between her legs and gently biting the soft flesh on the inside of her thigh, eliciting a whine of frustration from Lucinda. Samantha laughed and abandoned her teasing, kissing across Lucinda’s sex slowly, before dragging her tongue over the soft, swollen lips, tasting Lucinda for the first time this morning. Lucinda let out a deep moan when Samantha flicked her tongue over her swollen clit, Samantha’s hands trapping Lucinda’s hips flat to the bed to hold her still while she dipped lower, thrusting her tongue deep inside Lucinda’s core.
“Yes, God…” Lucinda cried out as Samantha curled her tongue and rubbed two fingers over Lucinda’s clit, feeling Lucinda clench around her before finally moaning with a shudder as she climaxed.
Lucinda tried to catch her breath as Samantha continued to softly lap at her juices, cleaning her with affection, humming periodically and sending Lucinda into small shuddering fits when the vibrations neared her throbbing clit. The bedside phone rang again, just as loudly as before, refusing to be ignored this time.
“Babe, your phone…”
“Hmm?” The vibrations made Lucinda curse and grip the sheets tighter.
The ringing halted only to start back up again after a moment of quiet. Samantha groaned with irritation and refocused on her task. Lucinda quivered, feeling herself get wound up again, but the phone was so distracting. She grunted in frustration as she flailed her arm toward the annoyance. Just as she was millimeters away from swiping the receiver and silencing the noise, Samantha crawled up her body, shaking her head and slipping two fingers into her.
“Let it go to voice mail…we’re busy,” she husked into Lucinda’s ear, kissing along her jaw.
Lucinda groaned as Samantha picked up the pace, thrusting in and out. She repositioned herself to grind along Lucinda’s thigh as they moved against each other, a light sheen of sweat developing on their chests and stomachs. L
ucinda started to climb too quickly, already stimulated from before, so she pressed her thigh harder against Samantha to catch her up, tugging on Samantha’s hair and bringing their mouths together for a hard kiss.
Samantha moaned into her mouth, and Lucinda thought it was the hottest thing she had ever heard, her eyes rolling into her head as Samantha spread her fingers inside her, hitting all the right spots. Lucinda bucked under Samantha, her body going stiff and shuddering, the sudden movement bringing Samantha to climax as well.
She collapsed against Lucinda, laughing and panting, as the phone began ringing yet again. Samantha leaned up on her elbows, settling her hips between Lucinda’s legs as she blindly reached for the phone while pressing featherlight kisses to Lucinda’s still pulsing abdomen. She smiled up at Lucinda as she licked around her navel, then rested her tongue long enough to bark into the phone, “God, what?”
Lucinda watched in mild amusement when Samantha’s sinfully aroused look faded as the person on the other line began speaking rapidly. Samantha shuffled up the bed to lie next to Lucinda, halfheartedly looking for her cell phone while holding the receiver to her ear. She laughed upon finding her cell phone lost in the sheets, showing Lucinda the screen flashing four missed calls. Lucinda pulled Samantha back to her side and gently stroked her fingers along her stomach, swirling indiscriminant patterns along the soft flesh.
Samantha pulled the phone from her ear, covering the mouthpiece with her hand to whisper to Lucinda, “Ugh, it’s my mother.”
Angry ranting could be heard in the background as Lucinda laughed and pressed a kiss to Samantha’s lips. “Yeah? What does she want?”
Samantha brought the phone to her ear, listening momentarily before pulling it away again. “She’s back from her three-week cruise and just saw the article. I think she’s calling to chastise me for not telling her I was seeing someone.” She giggled, leaning forward to kiss Lucinda, abandoning the phone entirely on the bed next to her.
“Mija!” A booming voice rang out on the pillow next to them, breaking apart their make-out session.
Samantha paused for a moment before flashing an evil grin to Lucinda. “Yes, Ma, I know…No, I was ignoring your calls…Because I was busy.” Another pause. “Mom. Jesus. Just stop.” Another pause. “Ugh, relax, don’t be so dramatic. Ma. Ma. Ma. Listen! I’m dating Lucinda, Ma.”
Lucinda looked over at Samantha expectantly. She pulled the phone away from her head and looked at the receiver as if it were crazy.
“What?” Lucinda asked, suddenly nervous.
Samantha shrugged. “I think she fainted.”
“Should we call someone? Is she okay?”
A throaty laugh reverberated from Samantha as she hung up the phone and crawled back on top of Lucinda, pressing kiss after kiss to her face. “Meh, she’ll call back when she comes to.”
Lucinda smiled, deepening the kiss and running her hands along Samantha’s naked torso, holding her close. She closed her eyes and let the weight of Samantha on her body warm her from the inside.
Samantha intertwined their fingers and briefly shifted out of Lucinda’s grasp before snuggling close and sliding off to her side. She rejoined their lips and whispered, “I want to spend every day of my life wrapped in your arms, Luce.”
Lucinda opened her eyes and looked over to find Samantha watching her intently. “I want that too.”
Samantha beamed and pulled their intertwined fingers up to Lucinda’s eye level, bringing her attention for the first time to the platinum band with the sparkling, flawless solitaire that Samantha must have slipped on her ring finger without her noticing.
Samantha wrapped herself in the sheet and knelt before her. “Marry me, Lucy.”
Lucinda stared at her hand in disbelief. The ring was gorgeous. It was perfect and simple and stunning. She looked up at Samantha, kneeling before her in silk sheets, looking every bit the angel she had come to consider her to be. “Oh my God. Yes, of course. Yes.”
Samantha squealed and was on Lucinda in a flash, kissing her face and repeating, “I love you,” over and over, her happy tears mingling with Lucinda’s own.
Just as Lucinda thought she might combust from all the feelings, the phone rang next to them. Samantha picked it up on the first ring, not breaking their kiss until the phone was pressed to her ear.
“Yeah, Ma?” Pause. “I love her.” Pause. “No, I’m sure.” She leaned back and gently nibbled Lucinda’s ear, smiling into the phone once more before replying happily, “Yes, Ma, I finally found my perfect match…and we’re getting married. I’ll call you later.”
Lucinda laughed as Samantha hung up the phone and pulled the cord out of the wall before snuggling up closer to Lucinda and asking, “Now…where were we?”
About the Author
Fiona Riley was born and raised in New England where she is a medical professional and part-time professor when she isn’t bonding with her laptop over words. She went to college in Boston and never left, starting a small business that takes up all of her free time, much to the dismay of her ever patient and lovely wife. When she pulls herself away from her work, she likes to catch up on the contents of her ever-growing DVR or spend time by the ocean with her favorite people.
Fiona’s love of writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a “real job.” Fiona found herself with a bachelor’s, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer.
A series of bizarre events afforded her some unexpected extra time, and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.
Contact Fiona and check for updates on all her new adventures at:
Twitter: @fionarileyfic
Facebook: “Fiona Riley Fiction”
Website: http://www.fionarileyfiction.com/
Email: [email protected]
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
A Touch of Temptation by Julie Blair. Recent law school graduate Kate Dawson’s ordained path to the perfect life gets thrown off course when handsome butch top Chris Brent initiates her to sexual pleasure. (978-1-62639-488-9)
Beneath the Waves by Ali Vali. Kai Merlin and Vivien Palmer love the water and the secrets trapped in the depths, but if Kai gives in to her feelings, it might come at a cost to her entire realm. (978-1-62639-609-8)
Girls on Campus edited by Sandy Lowe and Stacia Seaman. College: four years when rules are made to be broken. This collection is required reading for anyone looking to earn an A in sex ed. (978-1-62639-733-0)
Heart of the Pack by Jenny Frame. Human Selena Miller falls for the domineering Caden Wolfgang, but will their love survive Selena learning the Wolfgangs are werewolves? (978-1-62639-566-4)
Miss Match by Fiona Riley. Matchmaker Samantha Monteiro makes the impossible possible for everyone but herself. Is mysterious dancer Lucinda Moss her own perfect match? (978-1-62639-574-9)
Paladins of the Storm Lord by Barbara Ann Wright. Lieutenant Cordelia Ross must choose between duty and honor when a man with godlike powers forces her soldiers to provoke an alien threat. (978-1-62639-604-3)
Taking a Gamble by P.J. Trebelhorn. Storage auction buyer Cassidy Holmes and postal worker Erica Jacobs want different things out of life, but taking a gamble on love might prove lucky for them both. (978-1-62639-542-8)
The Copper Egg by Catherine Friend. Archeologist Claire Adams wants to find the buried treasure in Peru. Her ex, Sochi Castillo, wants to steal it. The last thing either of them wants is to still be in love. (978-1-62639-613-5)
The Iron Phoenix by Rebecca Harwell. Seventeen-year-old Nadya must master her unusual powers to stop a killer, prevent civil war, and rescue the girl she loves, while storms ravage her island city. (978-1-62639-744-6)
A Reunion to Rem
ember by TJ Thomas. Reunited after a decade, Jo Adams and Rhonda Black must navigate a significant age difference, family dynamics, and their own desires and fears to explore an opportunity for love. (978-1-62639-534-3)
Built to Last by Aurora Rey. When Professor Olivia Bennett hires contractor Joss Bauer to restore her dilapidated farmhouse, she learns her heart, as much as her house, is in need of a renovation. (978-1-62639-552-7)
Capsized by Julie Cannon.What happens when a woman turns your life completely upside down? (978-1-62639-479-7)
Girls With Guns by Ali Vali, Carsen Taite, and Michelle Grubb. Three stories by three talented crime writers—Carsen Taite, Ali Vali, and Michelle Grubb—each packing her own special brand of heat. (978-1-62639-585-5)
Heartscapes by MJ Williamz. Will Odette ever recover her memory or is Jesse condemned to remember their love alone? (978-1-62639-532-9)
Murder on the Rocks by Clara Nipper. Detective Jill Rogers lives with two things on her mind: sex and murder. While an ice storm cripples Tulsa, two things stand in Jill’s way: her lover and the DA. (978-1-62639-600-5)
Necromantia by Sheri Lewis Wohl. When seeing dead people is more than a movie tagline. (978-1-62639-611-1)
Salvation by I. Beacham. Claire’s long-term partner now hates her, for all the wrong reasons, and she sees no future until she meets Regan, who challenges her to face the truth and find love. (978-1-62639-548-0)
Trigger by Jessica Webb. Dr. Kate Morrison races to discover how to defuse human bombs while learning to trust her increasingly strong feelings for the lead investigator, Sergeant Andy Wyles. (978-1-62639-669-2)
24/7 by Yolanda Wallace. When the trip of a lifetime becomes a pitched battle between life and death, will anyone survive? (978-1-62639-619-7)
A Return to Arms by Sheree Greer. When a police shooting makes national headlines, activists Folami and Toya struggle to balance their relationship and political allegiances, a struggle intensified after a fiery young artist enters their lives. (978-1-62639-681-4)