by VK Powell
“Ohhh, Dani.” Grace pumped harder and clung to Dani’s ass. “Faster.”
Dani raised on her hands until only their lower bodies touched and then leaned down to kiss Grace. She poured all her desire into that kiss, trying to convey what she needed and wanted to do next. Her tongue mimicked the rhythm of their bodies as Grace’s thrusts became more urgent.
“I need your mouth, Dani.”
She kissed her way down Grace’s body and spread her legs wider.
Grace squirmed and cupped the back of Dani’s head. “Uncle. I need to come.”
Dani slid her free hand between her own legs and lowered herself to grant Grace’s wish. The first taste of Grace’s sweetness exploded on Dani’s tongue. She thrashed against her hand and almost came but pulled back in time. She teased Grace’s taut flesh back and forth with her tongue and between her teeth until Grace’s nails dug into her scalp.
“Fingers. Now.”
Dani continued the rhythmic pulling on Grace’s clit until she felt her own climax riding her hard. With Grace’s taste on her lips, the minute she plunged her fingers inside, she’d pop and she desperately wanted to ride Grace’s arousal a bit longer. She’d never been with a woman as exciting as Grace.
“Please, Dani.” Grace’s voice was raspy with need. “Finger me…but don’t stop…sucking. Love your mouth…so fucking much.”
Few things turned Dani on as much as a woman who knew what she liked and wasn’t afraid to tell her. She tried to keep from touching herself again but failed, forking her clit between her fingers. Dani easily plunged two fingers into Grace, stroked twice, and gave her a final flick of her tongue.
“Oh, my God. Don’t stop.”
Dani couldn’t stop if she wanted to. Her orgasm broke loose and shot through her in waves and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her legs tingled, stiffened, and then went numb. She stroked her sensitive clit one final time and then collapsed between Grace’s thighs as she heard Grace cry out her release. The walls of Grace’s vagina tightened around her fingers, and Dani tumbled into another orgasm.
“Oh fuck. That was awesome,” Dani said as another spasm made her shiver.
“Uh-huh.”
When Dani looked up, Grace’s eyes met hers. Her breasts rose and fell rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, her skin flushed a light shade of pink, and a sheen of perspiration made her glow—so damn perfectly beautiful that Dani’s chest ached. “Damn, I’m in so much trouble.” Dani hoped she’d thought that last sentence, but Grace’s expression told her she hadn’t.
Grace gathered enough strength to scoot another pillow under her head and looked down at Dani still resting between her legs. “Why are you in trouble?” Part of Dani’s face was covered, but her eyes were wide. One of her hands was tucked between Grace’s thighs and the other disappeared between her own. Suddenly, Dani’s statement made sense. “Oh…because you didn’t come.”
“No, not that. I did, Grace. Big time.”
“Then why the trouble?” She prayed Dani wasn’t already regretting having sex, because Grace very much wanted it to happen again. Dani was an excellent lover—soft, sensitive hands; sensuous, talented mouth; and long, tapered fingers. She was magic. She’d handled Grace like they’d been lovers for years, intuitively touching her in just the right spot at exactly the right time to heighten her desire and ultimately drive her to orgasm.
“Because I liked that, a lot.”
“Good.” Grace pulled Dani up across her body, flipped her over, and straddled her. “Then you’re really going to like what comes next.” A look Grace could only describe as panic crossed Dani’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…I…don’t…I just need a little recovery time.”
Dani couldn’t look at her. Something was wrong. Had she misread a signal? “Never figured you for not being able to get it up again.” She tried teasing, but the worried look on Dani’s face persisted. She stretched out on top of Dani and rolled her pelvis, easing her thigh between Dani’s legs. “But I can help with that.”
“Grace, no.”
“I really don’t mind.” She rose on her hands and knees and started down Dani’s body, but she flipped Grace over and plunged two fingers inside her. “Oh…Dani…”
“Shush, please, Grace. Let me.”
And to her surprise, within a few delicious strokes, Grace came again. The release was just as perfect as the first time. She stilled under Dani, letting her touch and kiss as much as she wanted. When she finally looked up at her, Grace asked, “Will you let me make love to you?”
Dani buried her head between Grace’s breasts, their legs still entwined. “Wasn’t it good for you, Grace?”
“It was perfect, for me.”
“Then what’s wrong?” Dani’s voice was so low Grace barely heard her.
Grace placed her hands on either side of Dani’s face and made eye contact. “Nothing’s wrong. I’d just like to touch you, to taste you.”
“Not sure I can let you.”
“Are you able to tell me why?” Grace ran her fingers through Dani’s short hair, praying something hadn’t happened in her horrible past that scarred her.
Dani tucked her head into Grace’s shoulder. When she spoke again, her words sounded forced, as if they’d been buried too long. “Well…I’m okay giving pleasure, but not so good at receiving. I’m uncomfortable with touch. The whole intimacy thing. Is there a cure?”
She kissed the top of Dani’s head. “Is there a cure for my desire to sit on the floor instead of on perfectly good furniture or for Doreen Divine-Dot’s desire to color her cat with food coloring?”
Dani snickered. “You’re trying to make me feel better.”
“My darling, there’s nothing wrong with you. People’s sexual preferences are varied as their other personal quirks and can shift over time. Find someone whose idiosyncrasies complement yours and experiment. Does that make sense?”
“Intellectually, yes.”
“Just enjoy yourself. You know how to do that, I’m pretty sure. Things will work out as they should.”
Dani finally looked at Grace again. “I think I’d enjoy experimenting with you.”
“That’s very good news indeed.” For the first time since she’d met Dani, Grace felt like they might actually have relationship potential. Her heartbeat trebled, but a small voice inside cautioned her to move slowly.
“How do you know so much about this stuff?” Dani trailed a finger along the side of Grace’s face, down her neck, and to the top of a breast.
“I read tons of books when I wanted to be a social worker. The material was good training and answered some personal questions too.”
“So, you’re not afraid of getting hurt?”
“Everybody is afraid of that, Dani. I gave my heart before and was crushed when she went back to her ex in Savannah, but I’ve decided love is worth the risk. What about you?”
“Never been hurt, not like that. I guess I haven’t really given myself emotionally. And thinking about doing it now, when I might not be here long…” But the thought of leaving Pine Cone and never seeing Grace again made her physically ill. She was in so much trouble. “You’re amazing, Grace, for putting yourself out there again. Very brave.” Dani’s phone rang and she glanced at the screen before returning her attention to Grace.
“Need to get that?”
“It can wait. It’s taken too long for us to get here,” Dani said, kissing Grace again.
“Good answer, Doc. Care to explore just how amazing I can be?” Grace eased her hand down Dani’s torso but stopped near her bellybutton.
“Yes. I believe I would.”
Chapter Seventeen
Grace read Mary Jane’s note and grimaced. Clay, River, and Trip were coming for dinner while MJ was at choir practice. No mention of Dani. Mary Jane wasn’t the only one unsure about her. They hadn’t seen each other since spending the entire day in bed. Dani had opened a bit emotionally, but the subsequent two-day silen
t treatment worried Grace. She’d sent a text and left a voice mail message, but finally decided to give her space.
She filled the cooler with beer and ice before darting across the backyard to change into a pair of shorts and a tank top. On her way back to the house, Trip pulled up in her huge vet truck with Clay and River close behind on Clay’s motorcycle. “Perfect timing, as usual. You guys have the best food radar I’ve ever seen.” She pecked Trip and Clay on the cheek and hugged River like a best girly girlfriend.
“I’m starving,” Clay said.
“Got to keep this body in fighting shape.” Trip flexed her arms and then lunged forward into a Superman pose.
“Clay, would you get the burgers and other fixings from the refrigerator? Trip, bring out the buns and cooler while I fire up the grill.”
“You owe me ten dollars, Cahill,” Trip said. “Told you it would be burgers.”
“Jeez, Trip. How did you play college sports without getting sidelined for betting? You’d bet on which way the wind blew a fart,” Grace said.
When she finished laughing, Clay flung the sunroom doors wide, and she and Trip headed toward the kitchen. Dirty Harry greeted them with a squawk. “Pretty boys. Pretty boys.”
“Nice entertainment, Grace,” River said. “I’ve heard about Harry, but we’ve never met.”
“Feel free to introduce yourself while I get the coals going.”
“His vocabulary has certainly improved,” Trip said as she dropped the pack of hamburger buns on the table and placed the cooler in the shade near two wooden lounge chairs.
Grace laughed. “Yeah, your vet tech taught him a few less colorful phrases. He hasn’t been too bad since we moved him over here, seems to have taken to the place nicely. He even lets me near him occasionally without going berserk, though I can never figure out why some times and not others.”
“What’s not to like about this setting?” Clay set the burger plate on the side of the grill, placed the condiments on the table, and stared out at the backyard, her arm looped around River’s waist. “MJ’s flowers are awesome, and the view across the fields is pristine. I should paint this someday.”
“Yes, you should.” River kissed Clay with a tenderness that made Grace ache for Dani.
When they stepped apart, Grace said, “I’d really love to have one of your pieces hanging in the B and B someday.”
Clay’s cheeks tinged with color. “Really?”
“Absolutely and not just because you’re famous, which you totally are.”
Trip handed Clay a beer and Grace and River glasses of wine. “To friends, now and forever. Fast Break, Paint Ball plus the woman who tamed her, and Glitter Girl, the modern day musketeers.” She raised her bottle and the others clinked against it. “So…is anybody else joining us for dinner?”
“You mean like Jamie perhaps?” Grace asked.
“Shouldn’t you know the answer to that question, Trip?” Clay teased her. “You have been spending quite a bit of time together lately.”
“Yeah, but we’re not joined at the hip.”
“Yet.” Clay laughed.
“You mean like you and River?” Trip volleyed back and gave River a wink.
“Exactly. You should be so lucky, dude.” Clay propped against the deck railing. “What about Dani?”
“What about her?” Grace tried for nonchalance but heard the slight uptick in her tone.
“She was in your bed two days ago. Is she still there? Because she hasn’t been at work.” Trip started out teasing but ended on a more concerned note. “She’s back, right?”
“Back from where?” Grace’s stomach churned as she flipped the burgers, turned the foil-wrapped potatoes and onions around on the grill, and avoided Trip’s and Clay’s stares. The initial connection she’d felt with Dani had grown stronger as they lay together after sex, and she’d thought Dani felt it too. They’d talked, and Grace had opened her heart more completely. Maybe she’d chosen poorly again or imagined something more because she wanted it so much. “What do you know, Trip?”
River moved to Grace’s side and rubbed her back soothingly.
Trip took a long pull on her beer. “She called me late Friday and said she had to go out of town, some emergency, but didn’t say where or why. Asked me to cover the clinic on Saturday. I owed her one after my cookout binge. That’s all I know.” Trip shook her head. “You mean she slept with you, said nothing about this, and just left? Un-fucking believable.”
“I would’ve sworn she was totally into you that day at the cottage. She fought for you, Gracie, and the way she looked at you…” Clay’s comment hung in the air along with the strong smell of grilling meat.
The group fell quiet except for the occasional new word from Harry in the sunroom, punctuating the silence. She and Dani had shared some intimate and revealing moments, so Grace understood if she needed time to think, but she could’ve at least told Grace she was going away. Finally, she said, “Dani needs time to figure things out.” She hoped she was right.
Clay and Trip exchanged a look, and River shook her head at them, but no one commented on how lame Grace’s statement sounded.
“Have you done anything about that guy from the club?” Trip asked.
She drew a heavy breath to calm her emotions and keep her voice even. “Sort of. I can’t launch an official investigation since I didn’t file a complaint, but I’ve contacted a cop friend in Savannah who’s working a couple of similar cases. She’s sending a photographic lineup of possible suspects. We’ll see where it leads.”
“From the way Dani described him, he’s probably some pervert who doesn’t have a pot to piss in and gets his rocks off drugging and raping women. Creep.” Trip tapped her beer bottle in the wet circle on top of the picnic table.
“Speaking of Dani, do you think she’ll cooperate, look at the photos?” Clay asked.
River hooked her arm through Clay’s. “Of course she will, love.”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t she?” Grace had asked herself the same question. Would Dani want to get more involved in Grace’s life or in Pine Cone?
* * *
Dani cut her car engine and coasted into the B and B driveway, hoping to arrive unnoticed. The cozy setting with Grace’s cottage tucked back in the tree line was an oasis after the hectic interstate traffic and the frenetic activity of the city. When had that happened? The city had always been her go-to place to relax and lose herself in the hubbub, but this trip had been different. She’d been on edge and felt herself retreating into her shell but shook it off as just homecoming nerves. Now she wasn’t so sure.
For two days, she’d effectively avoided Grace and her protective friends, but she’d also missed Grace terribly, which had been unexpected. She and Grace had connected and it scared the hell out of her. She wasn’t ready to face an interrogation about her feelings for or intentions toward Grace, especially not today. The past two nights in her hotel room after the interviews had been quite enough soul searching. She grabbed her overnight bag and crept up on the large wraparound porch, carefully turned the doorknob, and opened the door.
“Trying to sneak in?” Trip sat at the foot of the stairs leading up to the guestrooms. “What’s going on, Dani?”
“I told you I needed a couple of days off.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell Grace anything. You should explain this to her and soon. In the meantime, we need to talk about something else.”
Dani tried to squeeze past her on the stairs, but she blocked her. “Trip, I just want to go to my room and be left alone.”
Clay stepped from around the corner. “And we’d really like to talk to you for a second, on the back deck. Grace is grilling burgers.”
She wanted to go to Grace and tell her things—she was a fool for leaving without a word; she missed her; and the city hadn’t been as welcoming as she remembered—but not in front of an audience. But how would Grace react? Was she hurt by Dani’s absence? Glad she’d gotten rid of an emotional liability? Her min
d was spinning, and Clay and Trip were waiting for an answer. “I’m not sure what you want.”
Clay stared at Trip as if trying to get her to speak, but when she just glared back, Clay said, “Give us a few minutes?” She turned toward the back of the house and pulled Trip from the stairs behind her. “We’ll see you outside and don’t try to slip out. It’s important.”
Dani gave a half nod and bolted up the stairs. Grace had told them what an emotional cripple Dani was, and they were going to not so politely ask her to get lost. Or worse, Grace was having second thoughts, which was probably just as well under the circumstances. She took a quick shower, changed clothes, and decided on her way downstairs that she’d just play dumb. Try levity, and then wait and see what happened.
“I knew this was going to be a strange evening when a van passed me with a cow on the roof. I stopped on Main Street for a double take. A cow’s head drooped over the windshield, legs dangled over both sides, and pink udders down the back window like she’d dropped out of the sky. And just when I thought Pine Cone couldn’t get any weirder.”
The quartet standing around the grill turned from what appeared to be a serious conversation, and Grace was the first to respond. The sound of her laughter cut into Dani and melted everything inside. Her gaze urged Dani forward like a beacon in a sea of uncertainty and made her feel everything would be all right.
“That was the delivery truck for Seward’s Butchery. Totally just as you described it.” She walked to Dani and placed a light kiss on her cheek. “Nice to see you. Are you okay?”
Dani nodded. Grace’s tone was light and non-judgmental, her words sincere, and the touch of her lips warm and welcoming. Dani couldn’t wait to get her alone, to tell her what had happened, and to ask…to ask what? Dani’s happy image dissolved.
“Have you met Chucky Seward?” Trip asked, grabbing her breasts. “Man boobs for days. I think he might give those udders a run for their money.”