by Lynn Ames
French doors leading to the deck and stepped out, inviting Jay to join her.
For a few moments they stood there, gazing up at the profusion of stars above and the full moon that hung overhead.
“It’s a gorgeous night, isn’t it?” Kate asked.
“Mmm, it most certainly is that. I can’t remember when the last time was that I saw this many stars this clearly.”
“That’s the price you pay, living in a big city; you tend to lose the sky, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess you do, although until now, I never gave it that much thought.” Jay shivered slightly as a light breeze buffeted her.
“Are you cold?”
“Just a little.”
“Come here.” Kate opened her arms and surrounded Jay with her warmth. After a moment she asked, “Is that better?”
“Mmm, you’re like a walking electric blanket. How do you do that?”
“Just warm-blooded, I guess. Would you like to go inside? We can leave the doors open to enjoy the night and take advantage of the fireplace to take the edge off the chill.”
The two women walked back through the doors and into the family room.
“Do you like to dance?”
Jay smiled, “I love to dance, but I haven’t had much chance lately.”
Kate was at the stereo, selecting a homemade tape out of her collection. “We can fix that.” Holding out her hand for her date to take, she moved them to the middle of the floor as the first notes to the Bee Gees’ 1977 megahit How Deep Is Your Love began to flow out of the speakers. “Do you know how to swing?”
“I’ve seen it many times, and always wanted to try it, but I’ve never danced with anyone who knew how.”
“Well, it’s your lucky night; we can solve that, too. Just follow my lead, okay?”
Looking up into those amazing eyes, Jay just nodded her head and smiled; she would have followed this woman anywhere, and she knew it.
Kate took Jay into her arms, steering her expertly around the floor, starting with a series of simple moves and spins and then progressing to more difficult handholds and positions. “You’re a natural, Scoop, you move very well; just relax and let the music take you...that’s it.” She spun her partner one last time as the song was ending, bringing her back into her body and dipping her slightly as the last notes faded.
Jay laughed. “Where did you learn to dance like that, Stretch? That was so much fun! Will you teach me more moves?”
“Anytime you want, but probably not on a full stomach.” Kate’s eyes twinkled.
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“Yeah, that’s probably a wise decision,” her companion agreed, patting the somewhat stuffed body part in question.
“So for tonight, how about if we keep it nice and slow?”
“Slow sounds lovely,” Jay murmured, as the sounds of a Whitney Houston song began to fill the room.
Kate pulled her date close and took the lead, moving them gently in a circle to the rhythm of the music. Jay rested her forehead against the side of her dance partner’s neck and sighed happily as the now-familiar scent of Shalimar filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the music and the feel of the incredible woman who was holding her in her arms, smiling when she felt the brush of lips against her hair.
“Is this okay?” Kate breathed into a nearby convenient ear.
“Oh, yes, it’s wonderful; a perfect ending to the perfect day, in fact. A beautiful hike, lovely flowers, a truly special, romantic, private dining experience, topped off with dancing in a fire-lit room; you certainly know how to treat the ladies.”
Hearing the unspoken question, Kate looked deeply into the green eyes and confessed, “Actually, I’ve never done this for anyone before; I’ve never wanted to.”
“You haven’t?”
“No, I’ve never had a woman in this house before; there was never anyone I wanted to bring into my home...until now. As I told you earlier, I’ve never taken anyone on that hike, nor have I ever bought flowers for a woman; only for you, Jay.” She tipped the smaller woman’s chin up, hoping the emotions behind the words would show in her eyes. “Only for you.”
As Whitney Houston transitioned into Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s Endless Love, and intense blue eyes melded with softer green, Kate reached down and caressed the writer’s face and neck, drawing her in for a passionate kiss. Jay’s hands moved of their own accord, sliding under the back of Kate’s jacket as she ran her palms over the softness of the pale blue camisole, feeling the heat of the skin underneath. Moaning into the kiss, Kate deepened the contact, matching the rhythm of the tongue that sought hers as she buried long fingers in the soft golden tresses.
Within seconds a slow burn had started within each woman, and, without ever breaking the kiss, Jay began unbuttoning her companion’s jacket, coaxing it from her broad shoulders. She needed to explore more of the delicious body before her.
As she felt the smooth fingers caress her bare arms and roam over her silk-covered torso, Kate redirected her lips to taste Jay’s neck and throat, the blonde’s head tipping back reflexively to give her better access.
Strong hands made short work of the rust-colored jacket, tossing it on the 140
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nearby sofa without missing a beat. Through the thin material that still separated them, each woman was acutely aware of the feel of firm breasts and taut nipples aching to be touched.
Taking a sensitive earlobe into her mouth, Kate grazed it with her teeth while using her hands to trace the smaller woman’s rib cage through her blouse. As she bit down gently on the earlobe, Jay groaned in pleasure. Grasping the crème-colored material, Kate began tugging it free of the slacks, seeking the skin underneath. When Jay immediately stiffened in her arms, Kate pulled back slightly to look into emerald eyes, where she saw unmistakable desire mixed with a small dose of fear that the younger woman tried, but failed, to hide.
Stilling her hands, Kate rested them on Jay’s waist, gazing intently into the sea green depths. She leaned forward and placed a nearly chaste soft kiss on the perfect lips below her and then pulled back again.
“There’s no rush, darling. I’d wait forever for you.”
Studying the sapphires above her, Jay expected to find pity or disgust.
Seeing nothing there save love, passion, tenderness, and understanding, she began to cry and tremble. She shook her head, clearing the tears from her eyes. “Oh, Kate, I don’t want to wait; I want you, and this, more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life, but I’m scared and I so don’t want to be afraid.”
In truth, Jay had never been in a situation where she hadn’t been in complete control at all times. She had never given herself fully to anyone, always achieving a measure of detachment in her head and her heart, even in the midst of lovemaking. Now she was there, with the woman who had fueled her fantasies and dreams for what seemed like forever. Not only did she know with certainty that she couldn’t maintain any distance from her, she didn’t want to, and it frightened her to death.
Smoldering blue eyes burned into her. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart, I’ll do anything it takes to make you comfortable.”
There was nothing to do but to follow her heart. “Make love to me,”
Jay breathed, sliding her arms around her soon-to-be lover’s neck, pulling her down into a mind-numbing kiss that stoked the burning embers into hot flames.
Reaching down and scooping Jay into her arms, Kate made her way up the stairs by memory alone, never breaking the sweet contact until they arrived in the master bedroom, where she set the blonde back on her feet.
Her hands trembled as she raised them to unfasten the buttons on Jay’s blouse. For Kate this was about so much more than sex: it was about freeing her heart and opening it to true love for the very first time.
And then there was the beautiful, gentle soul before her against whom sex had been used as a weapon when she was a child. It was no wonder 141
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that Jay was scared. Kate was determined to do everything possible to make their first time together perfect for her lover, and to leave no doubt in the smaller woman’s mind what was in her heart.
Glancing at Kate’s hands, Jay was shocked to notice the tremor in them. The emerald eyes, darkened with desire and longing, sought and found sapphire as she deliberately placed her hands on top of her lover’s, helping her to unbutton first her blouse, then her slacks. She stepped out of the pants, watching the deep blue orbs as they seemed to memorize every inch of flesh revealed.
Kate’s fingers were barely a whisper on Jay’s skin as she swept the blouse from her shoulders. The taller woman’s fingers and lips ran lightly over creamy flesh, caressing shoulders, neck, and throat. Stepping back, she locked gazes with the vision in front of her, slowly removing her own clothes and coming to stand naked before her heart’s desire.
Jay was finding it hard to breathe; never had she seen such perfection.
Kate’s body was all long, lean, sculpted muscle and velvet softness and it made Jay’s mouth water just to look at her. Add to that the way the moonlight streaking in through the skylight combined with the dim glow of the indirect lighting in the room to bathe this goddess’s form, and it was enough to leave her weak in the knees.
Moving forward, Kate skimmed her fingertips over perfect lips before leaning down to capture them once again with her mouth. She reached behind her lover and unclasped the satin lace bra, sliding it down off of well-developed shoulders and dropping it on the floor at their feet. Then she hooked her fingers in the matching lace underwear and supported Jay as she stepped out of them as well.
“You take my breath away,” Kate murmured, wondering if her heart would start to beat again any time soon. The woman before her was lithe and toned, flawlessly proportioned and balanced and without question the most magnificent creature she had ever laid eyes on.
Jay’s eyes sparkled at her lover’s obvious appreciation, and an appealing blush crept up her neck to her cheeks. “That’s okay, love, because if Michelangelo had had you to use as a model, he could’ve retired a wealthy man.”
Smiling, Kate ran her fingers along the younger woman’s jawline.
She mapped out the eyebrows, the cute little nose, the well-shaped lips, and the rounded cheekbones before sliding her hand down to stroke Jay’s neck and shoulders. Unhurriedly, she threaded her fingers into the golden strands of hair, initiating a soul-searing kiss and bringing their naked bodies into full contact for the first time.
As liquid fire spread through their veins, Kate backed Jay up, gently guiding her down onto the bed and coming to rest beside her on one arm as she continued to kiss her. She explored the body beneath her with her 142
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mouth and her hands, finding and memorizing especially sensitive spots, taking her time and enjoying Jay’s reactions to her attentions. She was completely focused on satisfying the other woman, blocking out her own rising excitement, not wanting to be distracted even for a second. There would be time for that later; at that moment, it was all about Jay.
Bringing her to the edge several times, Kate eased her back in each instance, not wanting her first time making love to Jay to be over just yet.
She wanted to imprint each taste, each touch, each look, smell, and sound, in her memory forever, because no one had ever made her feel the way this wonderful, gentle woman did. Finally, when she couldn’t deny her any longer, Kate claimed her lover with her body, her heart, and her soul.
Jay felt as if she were floating free in the universe, the climax ripping through her in waves of rapture the likes of which she had never known or imagined. “Oh, God, Kate!”
“Shh, I’m right here, love. I’ve got you. Shh.” Kate rolled over and pulled her lover on top of her, holding her close and soothing her with her hands and her voice. They stayed like that for several moments, catching their breath, until she felt the moisture on her shoulder where Jay was resting her head. She brushed her thumb gently across the younger woman’s cheek and it came away wet.
“Hey, hey, honey, what’s the matter?” Kate began to panic, worry coloring her tone. Lifting Jay’s chin with her fingers, she tried to look into her eyes as her heart plummeted through her stomach. “Oh, love, I didn’t hurt you, did I? Please, God, tell me I didn’t do anything to hurt you.”
Jay shook her head emphatically, trying to find her voice. “No, no, Kate; it’s nothing like that. Quite the opposite, in fact. That was the most incredible feeling I’ve ever experienced. I’m just completely overwhelmed, that’s all; I never, in my wildest fantasies, imagined it could be like that.”
“It should never have been otherwise, sweetheart. I wish with all my heart I could change that for you.”
“You already have,” Jay said, wiping at her tears. How could she put it in words? For her, it had gone so much deeper than purely physical satisfaction. “You didn’t simply make love to my body, Kate; you nourished my soul. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“So, you’re telling me these are tears of joy, then?”
“Oh, yes, love, that they most certainly are.” Smiling a watery smile, Jay planted a small kiss on Kate’s forehead.
“Well, I guess that’s okay, then.”
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“Okay? I’d say it’s a whole lot more than okay, Stretch.” The emerald eyes swept hungrily over the body below them, the look sending an involuntary shiver through Kate.
Jay placed feather-soft kisses on her lover’s shoulders, neck, and collarbones, running her fingers slowly up Kate’s sides until she was nothing but a mass of goose bumps. Then Jay shifted her focus to the finely chiseled abdominal muscles and the cute little navel, licking, tasting, and touching everywhere. When she was sure she had her lover’s full attention, she bit down lightly on a taut nipple, nearly sending the taller woman into orbit and vaulting herself into space at the same time as Kate arched up off the bed, letting out a groan.
For the next hour Jay explored and experimented, testing for sensitive spots, teasing, and generally driving her lover crazy. Finally, when Kate couldn’t stand it anymore and begged for mercy, Jay drove her over the edge, gladly allowing her heart to go with her.
A short time later, uttering twin sighs of blissful contentment, the two women fell asleep on a combined breath, each knowing with absolute certainty that she’d finally come home to the other half of her soul.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
everal hours later Jay awakened. It was still the middle of the Snight, and she was snuggled securely in the arms of easily the sexiest woman in the world, wrapped around her like some sea parasite.
She marveled at the sight of their bodies intertwined as if it had always been and would always be; they fit together perfectly.
A wave of warmth flowed over her as she conjured the memories of their lovemaking. Kate had been alternately tender, gentle, and attentive, and passionate, exciting, and provocative. Jay had surrendered to her body and soul, knowing intuitively that Kate had the ability to breach all of the barriers she had spent a lifetime erecting. She had made a conscious decision to allow herself to be vulnerable, to let go of her fears and to place her trust in the exceptional woman who touched her in ways she never imagined possible. Jay smiled; her faith had been well placed.
No one had ever made her feel so well loved or so complete.
Gazing adoringly at the strong profile, nudging aside a stray lock of dark hair that had fallen onto that remarkable face, Jay felt no more fear, only desire and passion. She wanted to give everything to this woman, and to take everything in return. Her hands began to play over the silky skin as her lips danced along a strong shoulder, then across the swell of a high, firm breast. Her tongue flicked the tip of an awakening nipple and she took it into her mouth, groaning in delight at the taste and texture.
Another moa
n joined hers as Kate came awake on a surge of white-hot heat, her body responding instantly to the stimulation. Fiery emerald green eyes met glittering blue in a gaze that promised unrestrained passion. This time the lovemaking was not the slow, sweet, tantalizing seduction of earlier in the evening; this time it was more like the intensity of a sudden electrical storm, with sparks flying, igniting a fire that consumed everything in its path. Both women crested together, bodies straining, hearts pounding, and heads exploding in ecstasy.
Eventually, their breathing calmed and their bodies began to cool.
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reverently on the mouth. “Do me a favor; if that was a dream and I’m still sleeping, please don’t bother to wake me up, okay?”
“Mmm, I know what you mean,” Jay sighed dreamily as she smoothed her palm over the softness of her lover’s backside. “I’m sorry I woke you, I just couldn’t seem to help myself.”
“Honey, don’t ever apologize for waking me like that,” Kate chuckled. “You can do that anytime you like; believe me, you’ll never get a complaint from me.” As she kissed the tip of the smaller woman’s nose, her eyes began to close again involuntarily.
Within seconds, both women were sound asleep, smiling, sated and exhausted.
The next time they opened their eyes, the moon had been replaced above them by blue sky. Rolling onto her back, Kate pulled Jay tight to her side. She reached over and smoothed the disheveled blonde hair, enjoying the feel of its softness against her fingers. “How are you feeling?”
“Mmm, I’ve never felt better in my life. You?”
“That about sums it up.” Kate’s gaze turned serious. “Thank you, Jay, for trusting me. I know that can’t have been easy for you, and I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”
“Disappoint me? Oh, sweetheart, believe me, let down is the last thing I feel.” She propped herself up so that she could look directly into those baby blues. Running her fingers lovingly over the high cheekbones and tempting lips, she tried to let everything she felt show in her eyes and her touch. “Kate, I have been dreaming of a night with you like last night since we first met, and I have to tell you: nothing I envisioned came close to the reality of making love with you. It was everything I ever thought I wanted and so much more, love.” There were tears in her eyes.