by Lynn James
Elaine cleared her throat as she glanced down at the rock near her foot; she kicked it slightly with the toe of her scuffed boot before meeting Devon’s eyes. Watching Elaine’s discomfort made her want to take pity on her, but she had promised herself she wouldn’t. So she waited patiently for Elaine.
“I know it’s the middle of the day and you still have a lot of work to do but I was hoping that maybe you would want to come up to the cabin and have dinner with me. I have a roast on.”
Devon cocked her head and regarded her carefully. “You want to have dinner with me?”
Elaine’s smile was shy and lopsided. “I thought perhaps we could talk?”
“Talk?”
Once Devon met Elaine’s eyes, she knew she had to put herself out there one more time and give Elaine the chance to talk through whatever it was she wanted to talk about.
“I know I owe you an explanation.”
Devon looked her straight in the eyes. “Yes.”
“Yes to the explanation or yes to dinner.”
Devon finally relented and smiled. “Yes to both.”
Elaine audibly exhaled and Devon turned before Elaine could see her grin. “Let me put a few things away and I’ll be ready.”
Elaine looked at her watch. “It will probably be late…if you…I mean if you would like to stay the night.”
Damn this woman was adorable. Devon looked at her for a long moment, trying to discern if there was any other intention behind the invitation. She certainly didn’t feel up to any more rejection from this woman. But then again if she didn’t put herself in a position to be rejected then it wouldn’t be an issue.
“All right. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
Elaine remained next to the tree as she watched Devon gather her equipment and store it in the tent. There was some brief rustling and a moment later Devon emerged with a daypack that she assumed held Devon’s clothes.
She had spent the last week doing patrols and looking for poachers. She had also spent the time trying to figure out exactly what she wanted—no needed—to say to Devon. She knew that she had to apologize to her but it was more than that. She owed Devon an explanation and she had hoped that the words would come to her. They hadn’t but she also knew that she couldn’t stay away from Devon any longer. There was something about the woman that was like a magnet and Elaine couldn’t deny it anymore. So here she was.
She was so nervous. She had thought about how it had felt to sleep next to Devon and she had missed her body. She didn’t think that it was possible to sleep next to another woman in a totally platonic fashion and then miss her.
As they made their way up the trail Elaine tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t like they weren’t two educated, successful women who couldn’t sit down to a meal together.
As they entered the cabin they were greeted by the smell of roasting meat and vegetables and Devon realized how hungry she was.
“If you would like to go ahead and shower while I finish making dinner you’re welcome to.” Elaine decided to focus foremost on being a good hostess.
“Are you saying I stink, Captain Thomas?”
“No. I just thought you might like a hot shower after all of those…” She turned and saw Devon’s smile.
“Relax, Elaine. And yes I would love a shower, but are you sure you don’t need any help in here?”
“There isn’t much to do, so by the time you get out dinner should be ready.”
“All right,” she said as she headed for the bathroom.
The table was already set, save for the roast that Elaine was about to put in the center of it when Devon came out. How she managed to put it down without dropping the thing she had no idea. Devon’s long hair was still wet and had dampened the very thin cotton material of her well worn T-shirt around her breasts, accentuating them. She also had on a pair of plaid silk sleep pants that accentuated her tight ass and well-defined legs. Christ, the woman is a goddess.
Elaine busied herself with uncorking the wine, hoping not to make a complete fool of herself. By some saving grace she managed to remove it without spilling any. As Devon approached the table, Elaine pulled out her chair and it occurred to her that this felt very much like a date. Something she hadn’t really done in years.
“This all looks wonderful, Elaine. You made gravy—how did you know it’s one of my guilty pleasures? Thank you.”
“I’m glad you said yes to dinner tonight or else I don’t know what I would have done with it all.” She felt a little sheepish as she poured their wine and then cut roast for both of them.
When they both were finally settled with food and drink, first bites taken and praised, Devon asked, “So you wanted to talk?”
Elaine looked down at her plate. Now or never.
“Devon, I owe you an apology.”
“I suppose that depends on the reason you’re apologizing.”
“I know I sent mixed messages.”
Devon took a sip of wine. “So why did you do it?”
Now comes the hard part. “Right before I took this assignment my ex moved out. It made our split final. I mean it was literally weeks that it took her to leave. But the truth is that the relationship had been over for a long time. We were more like roommates than lovers. I should have ended it a long time ago, but we were just so good at going through the motions.”
“So why did it finally end?”
Elaine swallowed. “I can’t tolerate cheaters and I made that clear from the beginning. But she cheated anyway. When I came up here it was to make peace with myself and everything that happened.”
Devon digested this bit of information. “Are you still angry with her?” She reached across the table and took Elaine’s hand.
Elaine certainly wasn’t going to pull hers away even if Devon’s caress was sending tiny shock waves up her arm that were making it difficult to concentrate.
“I don’t think I’m as angry with what she did as how she did it. Everyone at our station knew. Well, everyone but my crew. They would have told me. But others bent over backward to keep Grace’s secret. So I think my pride more than anything was hurt.”
“Is Grace a good ranger?”
The question was insightful and totally unexpected. “Why do you ask?”
Devon shrugged. “Well, I imagine that part of the reason you are still at your station is because of your crew and their loyalty to you. But you don’t strike me as the type of person who would stay after something like that occurred.”
“I stay because it’s home. My team is my family and I know that sooner or later the whispers will die out and there will be a new scandal to circulate. But to answer your question, Grace is not a good ranger. Shortly before I broke it off I found out that the only reason she has the job is because her daddy pulled some strings to get her a nice comfy desk job. She’s expecting an inheritance and one condition of receiving that inheritance is that she works.”
“And because your pride was publicly bruised it won’t let you walk away?”
Elaine smiled. “Something like that.”
Devon nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“Because it wasn’t until this last week when I was out doing patrols that I finally figured it out for myself.”
“Okay.”
“So will you forgive me?”
Devon was pensive for a moment. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Just try talking to me. Even if you don’t know the words at least try. I would rather know that you don’t know what to say than have you say nothing at all.”
“I can do that.”
Elaine was relieved to know that her actions hadn’t caused a permanent rift between them. The conversation was once again relaxed and easy as they talked about what each had been doing during the week they spent apart.
Stomach full and glad of the electricity, Devon let Elaine talk her into catching up on work while Elaine did the dishes.
Dev,
Raine is doing quite well. We went to the doctor this morning and he said that an early delivery is possible. Your nephew shouldn’t arrive for another few weeks yet, so please don’t worry. I’ll keep this short as I know how busy you must be. I hope the ranger isn’t bothering you too much, he best keep his big, hairy paws off you. I know, I know, you can take care of yourself. I am very relieved to know that you aren’t out in the snow freezing your ass off. Talk to you soon.
Take care. Love,
Stacey
Devon smiled as she read Stacey’s e-mail. Stace hoped the ranger wasn’t bothering her too much? How ironic that she’d chosen those words when Devon was very much bothered, hot and bothered!
As Devon closed her laptop and set it aside, she organized and gathered her notes before returning them to her bag. As she removed her glasses, the silence broke.
“Tell me about Stacey.”
The question seemed to come out of nowhere. Devon looked at Elaine, who had been sitting across the room working quietly for the last little while, trying to figure out why she would ask. “What is it that you want to know?”
“You said she was your best friend. How did you two meet?”
Devon thought back and knew she was smiling. “I was thirteen and I had just moved into a new neighborhood. My dad got a job here in Washington State. It was hard leaving all my Oregon friends behind, but it was too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. I hadn’t been out of the house much, but I finally worked up the courage to ride my bike around and see what my new surroundings had to offer. Stacey lived down the block. I damn near wrecked my bike when I saw her sunbathing.”
“Sexy, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. Anyway, Stacey wasn’t shy about anything. So we started hanging out. She was the first person I had ever met who made me realize that there were other people out there like me. Other girls who liked girls instead of boys.” Devon laughed at the memory. “My parents loved her right away and began treating her like a daughter. We told each other everything. We still do. We became friends so fast and we spent so much time together that she felt more like a sister than a friend. We fought like sisters that’s for sure. She even treated Raine like a sister. I was so young that it never even occurred to me that Stacey and I could be more than friends.”
Elaine was busying herself with putting away cutlery. “Did you ever decide you could be?”
“We did talk about it once, what it would be like to take our friendship to a sexual level. So we kissed…once. There was nothing there. No sparks, no chemistry and we both agreed it was like kissing our sister. And that grossed us both out quite a bit.”
Elaine laughed—did she sound relieved? Now that she understood Elaine’s turmoil about her ex and her own future, Devon had to wonder exactly where she stood in Elaine’s plans. A few kisses, or something more?
“Besides, our friendship was too important to risk. Stacey is the first person outside of my family that loved me unconditionally. And I love her the same way. But it never has been and never will be romantic love. Neither of us ever wants that to change.”
“So did you two ever like the same women…ever compete?”
Devon hesitated for a moment before answering Elaine’s question. It was better to get this out now. “No. Never. And neither of us will be in a relationship with someone who can’t or won’t accept our friendship.”
“I’m sorry for asking. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious.”
Devon nodded in understanding.
“I can’t believe anyone would be interested in her after meeting you.” Elaine looked as if she hadn’t meant to say the words out loud.
Devon was surprised by the remark and saw what she thought to be complete sincerity in Elaine’s expression. Maybe she was just fishing when she asked softly, “What does that mean?”
Elaine smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, your friend is attractive. I didn’t mean to sound rude. It’s just that…I mean, surely you know how beautiful and charming you are. I really can’t imagine anyone not wanting to be with you.”
Devon’s breath caught, partly because of Elaine’s words, but more from the desire she saw simmering in Elaine’s eyes. She felt herself flush and didn’t know quite how to respond to the compliment. Oh my God, I’m blushing? Embarrassed, she focused on trying to hide her flushed cheeks, but she knew it was profoundly obvious.
“Thank you,” she finally said. “That’s nice of you to say. We need wood, right? I’ll go.”
Elaine watched Devon escape into the night, glad for once it wasn’t her running for cover. She was surprised her honest compliment had perplexed Devon, who always seemed so poised.
Devon seemed more composed when she came back, leaving Elaine with her increasing struggle not to stare as Devon took care of the basic fire tending chores. She could stand in a corner all day and just watch the woman move.
Finished with the fire, Devon stretched and the T-shirt she was wearing lifted just enough for Elaine to see her midriff, firm and inviting. Elaine hoped that Devon hadn’t heard her struggle for breath. Her body began to sweat and it had nothing to do with the now crackling fire. Those flames paled in comparison to the fire that Devon awakened in her.
It was going to be a very long night.
When Devon had kissed her, it seemed as though the world had spun around her. She just felt right. The feelings she had toward Devon were completely new to Elaine and she didn’t know what to do with them.
It did no good to remind herself she was here to search for poachers and escape to the solitude of the mountains. She didn’t need or want to feel this kind of desire for a woman who would be gone in a couple of weeks. Elaine wasn’t ready for a fling and Devon definitely wasn’t fling material.
Elaine couldn’t presume that there would be a future for them off this mountain. How could she even entertain the possibility?
Devon raised her arms over her head, enjoying another good stretch before slipping away to the bathroom. Several minutes later she returned in shorts and another well-worn shirt. My God, doesn’t the woman own any clothes that aren’t so sexy?
Elaine quickly made her own escape to the bathroom. She had to leave the room or she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions. She was finding it harder and harder to control her desire for Devon. The woman had her salivating like Pavlov’s dog.
After she showered and brushed her teeth, Elaine finally returned to the main room, to find that Devon had already retired for the night. The only light still on was next to the chair. She glanced at the couch as she turned off the light and crawled into bed next to Devon. She knew she could sleep on the couch again, but couldn’t resist sleeping next to Devon another night.
They lay still, not touching each other. Devon’s back was to her and Elaine couldn’t stand it. She wanted Devon to roll over. She wanted to look into her eyes. She wanted to feel that beautiful body pressed against hers. She wanted…
Elaine felt the long sleek body next to her tremble. “Are you cold?”
“No. I’m fine.” The words were belied by a palpable shiver of the covers.
“Come here,” Elaine gently commanded.
Elaine had only meant to hold Devon, to warm her, or at least that was what she told herself for the moments it took Devon to roll over. But as soon as Devon’s body filled her arms, conscious thought escaped her and the desire that had been building all evening took over. With an uncontrollable hunger she claimed Devon’s mouth. The voices that had been screaming all the reasons that she shouldn’t be doing this were silenced as Devon’s tongue slipped into her mouth. Her desire for Devon was all consuming and she was powerless against it.
Devon finally forced her arms to move long enough to push Elaine slightly away. “Elaine, please don’t kiss me if you’re going to stop there. I…I can’t take it.”
Elaine gazed down into the soft gray eyes that were illuminated by the fire and saw the vulnerability they reflected. She kne
w it was her own fault that Devon would be leery of her intentions. She lowered her head and placed another soft kiss on Devon’s lips. She watched as Devon’s eyes darkened with desire and she knew that she was beyond the point of return. How could she possibly not make love to Devon?
Elaine gently cupped Devon’s cheek, her eyes intense as she quietly whispered, “I’m going to make love to you. I’m going to make love to you all night.”
Elaine felt her soften, yielding in her arms. Devon moaned as Elaine bent her head to reclaim Devon’s lips. She wrapped one arm around Devon, holding her close while the other hand cupped Devon’s head, pulling her deeper into their kiss. Their kiss varied from deliciously gentle to probing and hungry. Elaine heard Devon whimper in surrender as she rolled her onto her back. “Elaine…”
“Yes, Devon…God, yes.”
It was amazing how such simple words freed her mind, opened her body and sent any and all reservations fleeing. Suddenly, there were far too many clothes separating her body from Devon’s, but she wasn’t willing to stop kissing long enough to remove them. The breathless merging of their mouths and manic tasting of each other’s lips and tongues continued until Elaine’s need to feel Devon, all of her, became unbearable.
She nudged Devon’s T-shirt upward, only to have Devon seize the hem and yank it off. Their impatience and growing need as they hastily removed the other’s clothes only heightened Elaine’s arousal.
“My God…you are so beautiful,” Elaine whispered.
Devon placed a gentle hand on Elaine’s cheek and slowly rubbed her thumb over Elaine’s bottom lip. “Clearly you haven’t looked in a mirror. You take my breath away.”
“I haven’t yet, but I certainly intend to,” she murmured against her lips before claiming them with a renewed hunger.
Bare, skin against skin, Elaine slowly lowered herself. Devon’s legs naturally parted making room to cradle Elaine’s hips. She gazed into Devon’s eyes; eyes that reflected her trust and desire as she pulled Elaine’s mouth to hers again.
Elaine was quickly consumed with Devon’s long, deep, wet kisses that made her dizzy with need.