Queen of Hearts

by A. C. Grey

  When they got home, they both practically stumbled through the door, exhausted and stiff from their poker marathon. However, as Tess looked down at her brand new Chucks, she was reminded all over again how incredible her girlfriend was. The thought made her smile, as she watched her girlfriend throw her things on a nearby table and begin to get comfortable. Her heart swelled with love, but that feeling was quickly joined by one of lust as Zoey bent over to remove her shoes, giving Tess a rather pleasant view down the front of her already revealing top. The fact that this gorgeous woman had put Tess’s needs before her own best interests this morning made Tess’s feelings even more heightened. It was time she showed Zoey exactly how thankful she was.

  Zoey sunk down onto the living room couch, an exhausted arm slung over her eyes. “That was a long, long day. I can’t believe I have to do that for several more days before I win the tournament.”

  Tess smiled at Zoey’s newfound confidence as she formulated a plan.

  Zoey continued to ramble. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to move from this couch. So you’re going to have to inform the casino staff that they’ll have to move the tournament here. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired and sore . . .” Zoey’s words were cut off as she felt a familiar touch rubbing her shoulders, warm sensuous breaths tickling the back of her neck, causing her hair to stand on end.

  “I think I’ve got a remedy for your problems, Zoey,” Tess whispered huskily into her ear before gently nipping at her earlobe, causing a shiver to run down Zoey’s spine.

  As quickly as she’d appeared, Tess was gone. Zoey looked around, but saw nothing . . . except two pink Chucks, as well as a few other items of clothing, leading a trail out of the room. Exhaustion suddenly gone, Zoey grinned and rose to follow the path Tess had left for her. She decided to tease her girlfriend just a bit, to leave her hanging in suspense, and waited a few minutes before following.

  Deciding that she’d waited long enough, Zoey followed the trail of clothes and was increasingly turned on as it became apparent that a very naked Tess would be waiting for her. Finally, she found the object of her affection and lust, sitting nonchalantly in the hot tub outside by the pool. Zoey’s mouth ran dry as her eyes grazed across the naked, moistened flesh of her girlfriend. The water came just high enough to cover the tops of Tess’s breasts, subtle mounds hinting at what lay just below the surface. The heated water gave Tess’s pale skin an attractive flush, though whether it was really from the heat of the water or the heat of her thoughts was anyone’s guess. Zoey slowly made her way across the pool deck, eyes never leaving Tess’s.

  “You had me worried there for a minute, Zoey. I was afraid I was going to have to enjoy this hot tub all by my lonesome.” As she said the words, she made sure to emphasize the word hot, voice laced with desire. Tess slid a hand across the glistening skin of her chest before sliding it lower, leaving Zoey with no doubt as to its final destination. Tess let out a quiet gasp as her eyes glazed over, obviously eager to start the party with or without her girlfriend.

  The sight of her girlfriend pleasuring herself was enough to nearly send Zoey over the edge right then and there, a fire bolt of epic proportions shooting through her center. Knowing that wasting time was not an option, Zoey disrobed in record fashion, before joining Tess in the warm water.

  Zoey was immediately upon Tess, straddling her before reaching down to remove her hand from between her legs. “Let me,” Zoey husked before dipping her hand into Tess’s heated folds. Tess shut her eyes and gasped as Zoey gently teased around the outer part of her core. Somehow, Zoey’s touch was ten times more effective than her own had been. Zoey rubbed slow circles around the outside edges of Tess’s clit before swiftly inserting a finger into her opening. Eager to deepen the penetration, Tess flipped them around, never losing contact with Zoey’s hand, so that she was straddling her girlfriend. Tess continued to grind down on Zoey’s hand, moaning as her breasts bobbed up and down in the water. Unable to resist, Zoey bent and took one of her girlfriend’s nipples in her mouth, swirling it around, tasting the mixture of chlorinated water and Tess against her tongue.

  Tess’s breath became ragged as she quickened her pace, groaning as she rode Zoey. “More . . .,” she whispered. “More, Zoey. I need . . .” Unable to finish her sentence, she let out a soft gasp as Zoey added a second finger and began to tease her bundle of nerves with her thumb.

  Tess knew she was close and placed both of her hands on Zoey’s shoulders as she rocked, rode, ground her way to the promised land. Zoey continued to toy with Tess’s breasts, enjoying the ever-increasing stream of moans dripping from her girlfriend’s luscious lips. The urgency of Tess’s thrusts reached a peak and with one final flick of her thumb, one final nip of a breast, Zoey sent Tess tumbling over the edge into ecstasy. Zoey continued to pump in and out of her girlfriend as her body quaked and trembled with the waves of pure bliss. Zoey smiled as Tess’s moans, as her movements, finally stilled. The look of pure satisfaction and release on her face was also one of pure beauty. Zoey loved watching her girlfriend come, and knew without a doubt that she’d strive to achieve that exact look as many times as possible that night and every other night for the rest of their lives.

  Tess collapsed against her girlfriend, chest heaving, as she rested her head against Zoey’s shoulder, arms wrapped around her. Zoey slowly removed her fingers and Tess immediately mourned their loss. After taking a few moments to regain her senses, Tess leaned back and grinned at her girlfriend.

  Noticing Tess’s expression, Zoey raised a questioning eyebrow. “What? What’s that look for?”

  “Oh, nothing . . . it’s just that I have the perfect idea of how I’m going to make you scream my name . . . scream it so loud that all the neighbors will hear . . . and be jealous.”

  Zoey’s mouth dropped open in momentary shock before her look was replaced with one of amused curiosity. “Well, I’m not going to be one to get in the way of your dreams, Tess. If that’s what you really want to do.”

  Tess leaned over and nibbled gently on Zoey’s ear before placing a series of wet kisses around it. “I do . . . ,“ she whispered, her breath tickling Zoey’s skin. “And you’re not going to know what hit you.”

  Tess pulled Zoey up from her sitting position and immediately forced her against the wall of the hot tub. Tess covered Zoey’s body with her own, her pert nipples pressing into Zoey’s back, sending all of her nerve endings into overdrive. Tess began sucking, teasing at Zoey’s neck while she wrapped her arm around Zoey’s waist. Her other arm played across Zoey’s chest as she gently pinched and teased Zoey’s pebbled nipples. Zoey let out a groan as Tess’s hand slowly made its way south, tickling and drawing lazy circles across her abdomen.

  “Please, Tess . . .” Zoey moaned.

  “Please what?” Tess husked into her ear, her warm breath sending shockwaves through Zoey’s core.

  “Please touch me. Please. . . “

  Chuckling lightly, Tess continued her teasing journey southward, finally reaching the place where Zoey needed her most. She toyed with Zoey’s outer lips, spreading them slightly.

  Suddenly, taking Zoey completely by surprise, Tess tightened her arm around her waist and thrust her body harder against Zoey’s. She shifted them slightly, so that all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Zoey was hit by the stream of one of the tub’s jets directly against her core. Continuing to spread Zoey’s heated folds with one hand, Tess used the rest of her body to thrust her girlfriend against the power stream of water.

  “Oh . . . my . . . Goddddd . . . Tess!” Zoey uttered as the powerful stimulation washed over her.

  Taking her cues from her girlfriend’s sensuous moans, Tess developed a rhythm, pumping Zoey’s body against the jet over and over again.

  Zoey knew she wouldn’t last long. The push, the pull of their dance, her girlfriend pressed against her, the breathy silence broken only by her own moans and the sloshing of the water in time with their movements. Zoey had never
felt so aroused.

  Tess sucked on Zoey’s glistening skin as she repeatedly forced her girlfriend against the jet. Zoey’s moans increased in both frequency and volume as she neared her climax. Tess smiled as she continued to drag her tongue across Zoey’s shoulder. There was little else in the world as sexy as her girlfriend’s cries of passion.

  Their movements reached frenzied pace, water splashing everywhere before Zoey’s body finally let go, shuddering and spasming as fireworks exploded behind her eyes. “Ohhhhh . . . yessss . . . . fuuuuuckk . . . Tesssss. . . .” Losing all power of speech, Zoey’s words turns to guttural screams as the most intense orgasm of her life wracked her body. Tess held her there, pressing her against the stream of water until she sensed that Zoey could take no more. Finally, shaky and spent, Zoey collapsed into Tess’s arms. She smiled at her girlfriend. “Tess Fucking McLeod. You are amazing. I will never, ever be able to look at a hot tub the same way again.” She leaned down and kissed her girlfriend with all the love, all the passion was spilling forth from her heart.

  * * * * *

  The next morning, Tess woke early, needing to finish repaying Zoey for not only the gift of her shoes, but for the gift of her love. When they had been home with her parents and sister, Tess had been reminded of just how important family was. It was incredibly unfair for Zoey to have to face the world, to live her life, without her family. Conservative or not, judgmental or not, her girlfriend needed them in her life. That much Tess was sure of. And she knew, because Zoey was so important to her, that she needed to do everything in her power to make that happen. Gently sliding out of Zoey’s arms, careful not to wake her, Tess rose. She headed to the living room and found Zoey’s cell phone. After quickly scrolling through her contacts, Tess found the right number. Heading outside to the pool deck so as not to be heard, she dialed the number.

  “Hello? Zoey?” Zoey’s father answered.

  “No, sir. Actually, this is Tess McLeod. We met very briefly. I’m your daughter’s . . . um . . . I’m your daughter’s girlfriend.”

  “Is everything alright? Don’t tell me that Zoey has gotten into some sort of trouble. She’s not hurt is she?”

  The concern in his voice gave Tess hope. He still cared. “No, no. That’s not it at all. I was hoping, sir, that we could just talk about Zoey for a minute. She’s really been hurting, not having her family.”

  “That was her decision . . . Tess, was it? She made that choice and she’ll have to live with the consequences. She can return home at any time. She’s the one who has chosen to lead a life of sin. What she’s doing, what you’re doing – it’s an abomination and goes against the teachings of the Bible.”

  “Sir, we both know that’s not that simple. And you were the one who forced that choice on her. And even though she’s so strong, so brave, I can tell that she’s hurting. And she doesn’t need to. Why can’t she have it all? Why can’t she do what she loves, be with who she loves, and have her family? Why must they be mutually exclusive? You’ve raised such a wonderful woman, Mr. Cameron. Why throw that away?”

  “I will not discuss my daughter with you. After all, you’re the one who led her down this path.”

  Tess paused for a moment, debating what to say next. Finally, she took a deep breath and began, thankful that at the very least, he hadn’t hung up on her. “My father is a retired cop. He was highly decorated, tough, brave, and well-respected amongst his peers. Like you, he’s also conservative about his views, and he’s not a person that embraces change easily. He’s always felt most comfortable when there are rules and order. When things remain unchanged, when no one rocks the boat. When I realized I was gay, I was petrified to tell him. I expected to be thrown out of the house. But when I finally got up the courage to tell him, when I threw him probably one of the biggest curveballs he’d ever faced, do you know what he did? He embraced that change. Embraced me. Told me that I was still his little girl, that he would love me no matter what. That he just wanted me to be happy. I know that wasn’t easy for him. But he did it. For me. I’m not presuming to tell you how to parent your own daughter. I’m just telling you that I am grateful everyday for my own father. Grateful for the fact that he chose to love me as I am, even though I may not have been exactly what he wished me to be. Your daughter is a beautiful woman, inside and out. She’s tough. She’s smart. She’s kind. She’s talented. She’s still all the things you raised her to be. She’s just a little different than perhaps you planned. I have no doubt, if you choose to walk out of her life, that she’ll be okay. But she shouldn’t have to live her life without her family. And I hope, for both her sake and yours, you’ll reconsider.

  Tess paused, waiting for him to say something. She was met with silence, so she continued. “I know that this can’t be easy. This is all sudden and new and different and scary for you. Zoey changed the game. I get that. You need time. But please sir, all I’m asking is that you think about it. You think about your daughter and what she means to you. Please, give her a chance to be happy. And to be truly happy, she needs her family, as well as the life she’s chosen for herself. So think about it. That’s all I’m asking. Believe in her, Mr. Cameron. Believe in your daughter. And love her. Love her for who she is, not who you want her to be.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After finishing her speech, Tess let out a sigh and waited. Silence. Finally, Zoey's father responded. "Well, thank you for calling. I've got an appointment I must get to, so I'm going to go now." With that, he hung up.

  Tess looked down at the phone, as if it might hold the answer to the questions running through her head. He'd thanked her. Did that mean something? Maybe. Or maybe he was just being polite. Still, he hadn't hung up. He'd let her say her piece. Surely that counted for something. Hopefully he'd think about. It was all she could hope – that maybe she'd planted a seed, that maybe, he'd come around. She didn't see how he couldn't. His daughter was wonderful. And how could he cut out something so miraculous from his life? It didn't make sense. Looking down at the phone once more, she sighed and turned to head inside.

  Just as she reached the door, she saw Zoey. "Hey," Zoey said, a small, sleepy smile on her face. "Who were you talking to?"

  Tess panicked for a moment. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done, but didn't know how Zoey would feel about it. Besides, they had a big day of poker ahead of them and the last thing she wanted was to bring all of Zoey's hurt and sadness back to the surface. Praying that Zoey hadn't seen which phone she'd been using, she slipped in quickly into her pocket. "Oh, just Angie. Talking about the tournament. I didn't want to wake you, so figured I'd go outside." She smiled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "Ready to go kick some ass?" She leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Zoey's lips.

  "Never more ready," Zoey said before recapturing Tess's lips, quickly deepening the kiss, their tongues quickly tangled in a frantic dance. Zoey reached down and pulled Tess's hips against hers, leaving her girlfriend no question as to the direction of her thoughts. Pulling back slightly, she began placing wet kisses along Tess's collarbone. "Think we've got time for a quickie before we head to the tournament?"

  Tess laughed. "Zoey, you are insatiable."

  "And where's the problem?" Zoey asked, as she continued her attentions.

  The feel of Zoey's touch, her hips, her mouth, the way her fingers were grazing against the bare skin just above her waistband, caused Tess to lose the power of coherent speech. "Right now . . . I couldn't really say . . . some pesky, horny brunette is distracting me."

  "Well then, what do you say I finish distracting you in the shower?"

  Tess looked into Zoey's lust-darkened eyes and simply nodded as she attempted to swallow. Zoey grabbed her hand and dragged her from the room, all thoughts of poker and fathers and anything else not involving the gorgeous woman in front of her vanishing as quickly as Zoey's clothes did.

  After their quickie turned into something decidedly unquick, they rushed to make it to the casino on time. Tess had manag
ed to successfully slip Zoey's phone back into her purse and she prayed that she'd remain undiscovered . . . and that Zoey's father would think long and hard about the way he was treating his daughter.

  * * * * *

  The next few days of the tournament flew by as the field slowly shrunk from thousands of would-be poker hopefuls to hundreds. At that point, both Zoey and Tess could be proud of their accomplishment. They'd both successfully lasted until the money – they would be making a return on their entry fee. Tess was so proud of Zoey. Not that she'd doubted that her girlfriend had the talent, but because Zoey was finally doing it, she was living her dream. No one, least of all Zoey, could now doubt that this world, the poker world, was where she belonged.