by Jade Winters
‘Good.’
Carissa walked back into Teal’s open arms. ‘So where do we go from here?’
It felt so natural to hold her. To be close. ‘Wherever you want.’
‘I’d like to sleep with you,’ she said pressing against Teal’s pubic bone. ‘Right now, but it seems a bit ….’
Teal raised her eyebrows. ‘Clinical?’
‘Yeah,’ Carissa said. ‘It’s not exactly a romantic setting, is it? A narrow hallway with only a wall to press me up against and have your wicked way.’
Teal glanced to her left and right, then back to Carissa. ‘You’re right. It’s not very inspiring.’
‘Besides, it’s still light outside.’
Teal grinned. ‘You prefer sex in the dark then?’
‘Oh no, I don’t mind the light,’ Carissa said, nuzzling Teal’s neck. ‘Once we’re used to each other.’
Teal enjoyed the sensations running riot throughout her body. ‘In that case, do you fancy coming to my room tonight?’ I can’t wait to tear your clothes off.
‘Can I stay over?’
Touch you. ‘That depends ....’
‘On?’
Taste you. ‘Whether you snore.’
Carissa playfully nudged her in the ribs. ‘So that’ll be a yes then?’
To excite you. Teal didn’t even bother hiding her wolfish grin. ‘It’s a yes.’
‘Teal?’ Carissa said, her tone a little hesitant.
Hear you scream out my name. ‘Mmm?’ Teal said dreamily.
‘Can I see more of your drawings?’
Teal took hold of Carissa’s hand. ‘Come with me.’
Chapter Thirteen
Teal pushed open the door for Carissa to walk through first. Carissa felt different walking into Teal’s room this time, there was no guilt attached to the action. She waited patiently as Teal lifted up her folder and rifled through the thick sheets of paper. Then slowly, one by one, she laid them out on her bed for Carissa to see. In total, there were four sketches. Two were of scenic views that perfectly resembled the architecture and charm of the Cotswolds, and the remaining two drawings were of Carissa.
Carissa picked up the picture and looked carefully at her likeness caught by Teal’s memory. It was amazing how good she was. Carissa turned her attention to the second picture Teal had drawn of her.
‘This was in the car,’ Carissa said softly. ‘Right before you kissed me.’
Teal nodded.
‘How do you manage to do that?’ she asked, feeling overcome with emotion.
‘Do what?’
‘Capture the moment so perfectly, and in so much detail,’ Carissa said as she ran her hand over the image, half hoping to draw some insight through touch alone. ‘It’s like you copied the image from a photograph.’
‘Sometimes the mind can work like a camera. As a kid I was always drawing,’ Teal explained. ‘And when I didn’t have anything interesting to draw, I relied on my memory to conjure up things I’d seen on TV.’
‘Personally, I don’t think my memory is capable of holding so much detail. You didn’t even miss the beauty spot on my lower neck. Will you convert the drawings into paintings?’
‘Maybe one day,’ Teal replied.
‘Why maybe?’
‘Because I don’t think I can.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Carissa said.
‘It’s … complicated,’ Teal said.
‘It doesn’t have to be.’
Teal smiled as she collected the drawings sprawled across her desk and put them back in the folder.
‘Can I see your collection?’ Carissa asked.
‘Collection?’
‘The one you said the London gallery owner wanted to exhibit.’
‘Another time.’ Teal’s eyes seemed to grow more distant. ‘… maybe.’
Carissa sat down on the edge of Teal’s bed and, a moment later, Teal joined her.
‘People say this kind of thing never works,’ Carissa said.
‘The no strings attached sort of arrangements?’
‘Yes.’
‘I think that depends on who you ask.’
Carissa smiled. ‘Can I be honest?’
‘I think that’s one of the benefits of this kind of arrangement,’ Teal said. ‘You can be as honest as you want without worrying about my feelings.’
‘I’m a little nervous,’ she admitted at last.
‘Of what exactly?’
‘Technically.’ Carissa let out a controlled breath. ‘You’re my boss.’
‘I prefer to think of us as colleagues.’
‘You hired me. You’re paying me. That makes you my boss.’
‘And you’re worried that our involvement will interfere with your work?’ Teal interjected.
‘No,’ Carissa said quickly. ‘I’m confident I can do a good job.’
Teal raised her eyebrows at this. As if to say, if that’s the case what’s the problem?
‘I guess I’m worried,’ Carissa muttered quietly. ‘That things will get messy.’
‘Messy?’
‘Uh huh.’ Was that all she was really worried about? That things could get messy. Or was it because what Teal was offering was something Carissa had never thought she would or could agree to. Thinking about it briefly, Carissa concluded that her values pre-Teal were totally different to the ones she had today. Wanting Teal so badly, Carissa thought she might agree to just about anything if it meant being with her.
‘Then we should agree to end things the minute one of us suspects we’re going in the wrong direction.’
‘How do we do that without having that “awkward” conversation?’
Teal twisted her lips and looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘How about we agree to an uncommon word to replace it?’
‘Like a safe word?’
‘Yes,’ Teal said. ‘That way we can opt out of this arrangement with one word. No explanations necessary.’
‘That sounds very practical,’ Carissa said, wondering how a simple word was going to stop a runaway train. Because this was what the agreement boiled down to. They were going on a journey without a road map and neither of them knew where they would end up. Would it be somewhere magical or would they simply fade into the abyss? While the thought of the magical ending excited Carissa, the flip side of the coin frightened the life out of her.
‘I’m nothing if not practical,’ Teal said, and Carissa sensed an edge to her tone that she found hard to decipher.
‘Okay,’ Carissa said, pushing her fears aside. Wasn’t it only yesterday that she was trying to convince herself that she didn’t need love? Well now she had the chance to put her money where her mouth was and follow through. ‘So, what’s the word? Any suggestions?’
Teal tapped her lower lip with the tip of her finger. ‘How about keepsie?’
‘Keepsie? That’s not even a word.’ Carissa smiled
Teal burst out laughing. ‘Yes, it is. As in we’ll keepsie our promise to not get too deep.’
Carissa joined in with the laughter. ‘I think that’ll work. I don’t see keepsie coming up randomly in conversation any time soon, or ever in fact.’
‘Good, I’m glad that’s settled.’ Teal brushed her thumb across Carissa’s cheek. ‘Is your mind at ease now?’
‘It is actually,’ Carissa said with a shaky breath as she gazed at Teal’s lips.
Carissa tried to recall a moment in her life when her whole body had tingled with lust just by being this close to someone. And then suddenly, without warning, the mood in the room changed. The talking was over. The agreement had been signed. Now it was time to deliver what they both wanted. Without warning, those lips, Teal’s sensuous perfectly formed lips, were against Carissa’s again. Her hot probing tongue invading Carissa’s mouth. Teal’s hands roamed Carissa’s body. All that was constant were the soft groans that left her lips.
Carissa wrapped her arms around Teal’s neck and slid her hands down her back. She rejoiced at her good fortune. Teal wanted her, and sh
e wanted Teal—More than anything. In that moment, their wants and needs were all that mattered. Not their agreement. Not the house. Not her mother. Not Lara. Nothing. Nothing could enter the bubble that enclosed them both. For now, it was impenetrable. They were one. Untouchable.
Teal pushed Carissa back onto the bed and Carissa’s hands got lost in Teal’s hair as they kissed frantically. She inhaled sharply when Teal’s fingers tugged at the zip of her jeans with urgency. The anticipation was almost too much to bear. Carissa wanted this so badly. So badly that she could barely contain herself.
Carissa loved how self-assured Teal was. The way her hands moved with the confidence of a woman who knew what her partner wanted. When Teal tugged down Carissa’s jeans, slid her hand between Carissa’s thighs and touched her sex, Carissa did all she could not to let out a loud guttural scream.
Everything about Teal felt different to Lara. The way she touched her, the way their bodies fitted together. Teal didn’t grapple at her like a blind woman seeking refuge.
Carissa lifted Teal’s top over her head then traced her fingers along Teal’s skin, familiarising herself with the lines, curves and contours of her body. She did everything in a slow tantalising manner wanting their connection to last forever.
When Teal started undressing her, Carissa was only too eager to help. If she felt self-conscious of being naked with Teal for the first time, those thoughts were soon pushed aside by Teal’s soft touches and tantalising kisses. Carissa lifted her arms so Teal could pull her top off. Teal reached behind her, expertly unhooked Carissa’s bra with one hand and slipped it off. Giving Carissa a lazy grin, Teal lowered her face to Carissa’s breast and traced her tongue over her nipples. She licked and sucked, whipping Carissa up into a frenzy. When Teal suddenly pushed herself upright and slipped out of her jeans, Carissa watched captivated.
Teal’s body was impressive. She had a lean physique. Her arms were toned and her stomach displayed the tight ridges of a six-pack. As Teal pushed down her own underwear, Carissa’s heartbeat raced upwards. Teal then climbed onto the bed beside her and eased down Carissa’s panties. Carissa’s whole body shook as Teal gently pushed her thighs apart and her fingers found Carissa’s sex.
Teal entered her with slow deliberate thrusts. Carissa gasped, gripping the mattress with each movement.
‘Faster,’ Carissa screamed. ‘Fuck me.’
Teal didn’t need any encouragement. She drove her fingers in harder and deeper until there wasn’t any other place to go. Her tongue traced a line down from Carissa’s navel and sank into her swollen, wet labia. When Teal’s tongue grazed Carissa’s clit, a wave of euphoria hit Clarissa. All thoughts of Lara were now banished from her mind. Each time Teal thrust herself inside, Carissa let out a high-pitched cry as the drain of her past flushed out of her. It was as though Teal were emptying her of all her grievances, making them a distant memory. Carissa didn’t need anyone. Teal was fulfilling Carissa’s primal urge with every thrust of her fingers and flick of her clit. Love is overrated.
Carissa grabbed hold of Teal’s shoulders and dug her nails into her skin when Teal increased her pace further. As Carissa’s excitement mounted, she lifted her lower back off the bed and pressed against Teal’s fingers in a frenzy.
The heat from Teal’s body and the sweat on her skin were the catalyst to Carissa’s climax. Teal encircled Carissa’s clit as her body pulsed in ecstasy, her slick fingers now gently moving inside Carissa’s throbbing passage.
As Carissa came down from her high, her primal instincts dissipated only to be replaced with sadness. She clung desperately to oblivion, wishing that she could forget this was all temporary. That once her job was over, so was her relationship with Teal.
Chapter Fourteen
Teal woke up the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. Not the gentle type that fluttered softly on a warm summer breeze. More like the frenzied type getting battered from pillar to post in a hurricane. It was a sign, she thought, warning her to pull out of the agreement with Carissa before things got too hot to handle. The sex between them was good. More than just good. If she was being honest, it was out of this world amazing, but that wasn’t the problem or the reason alarm bells were ringing. It was what had happened after the sex; when their slick, exhausted bodies, limp from overexertion, had clung to one another for no other reason than comfort and security. Teal discovered that wrapping herself in Carissa’s arms was something she could get used to.
In fact, it was Teal who had been reluctant to let go, and for that reason and that reason alone, she was scared. Teal had stupidly thought she could detach herself from the emotions of intimacy. That she could somehow dismiss Carissa from her thoughts and carry on as normal. But as she was now finding out, things weren’t that simple. She had fallen asleep with Carissa’s name on her lips and had awoken with her name on her mind.
Teal opened her eyes and turned to her side, searching for the warmth of Carissa’s presence but she wasn’t there. Teal hadn’t even felt her get up.
Then, almost on cue, Carissa’s voice drifted in from the hallway. She was outside talking to someone. Teal swung her feet to the ground and tiptoed to the door. She pressed her ear to the cold wood and listened but all she heard was a one-way conversation. She’s on the phone. To who though? Her ex? If it was her ex, why did Teal feel a stab of jealousy? Wasn’t this the whole philosophy behind their no strings attached agreement? No emotions involved. And she was the one that had made up the rules. Rules that she couldn’t change or erase.
Despite hating herself for doing it, Teal opened the door a crack so she could catch the gist of what Carissa was saying and, more importantly, to who.
‘I want to get my foot on the housing ladder. Of course it’s kosher. I know. Yes … yes … I understand. Of course I want to see you, Mum. There are a few places. If you feel strongly about it. Okay, Mum, I understand. Yes and I’m sorry about getting angry with you.’
Phew it’s her mum. Even from where she stood, Teal could sense Carissa’s frustration. Her tone grew increasingly weary as the call progressed and when Carissa finally hung up, she sighed and it was wrought with tension. Teal ran back to the bed and jumped in. She was pulling the covers up to her chin when Carissa slipped back into the room.
‘You’re awake,’ Carissa said.
She was wearing Teal’s shirt from the night before and her hair fell in loose waves down her back. Teal tried hard not to reach up and bury her face in it when Carissa sat down on the bed next to her.
‘Just about.’ Teal yawned as she stretched out.
‘How did you sleep?’ Carissa asked.
‘Sleep?’ Teal said looking at her with a grin. ‘Did we actually get any?’
‘I did try but you were insistent.’
Teal raised her eyebrows and looked at her questioningly. ‘Me? Never.’
Carissa bent down briefly to kiss Teal on the tip of her nose. ‘Yes, you. Not that I’m complaining.’
‘Good because, if I remember rightly, you owe me one.’
Carissa feigned surprise. ‘What? Are you kidding? It was three all by the time we’d finished.’
‘So we should make it four-three.’
‘I’d love to ….’
‘I feel like there’s a “but” coming on?’ she said with disappointment. Now that the fire had been ignited within her, it was going to take some doing to extinguish it. Rules or no rules.
‘I’m just a bit wound up at the moment.’ Carissa sighed and stared down at the mobile in her hand. ‘I just spoke to my mum.’
Teal pushed herself into a sitting position and reached out for Carissa’s hand. ‘And?’
‘I know I should have said something before, but I’ve got the chance to buy one of Nicole’s apartments off plan. I just asked my mum to lend me the money.’
‘Do you think that’s wise?’
‘Asking my mum for money?’
‘No, investing in a project with Nicole? I mean, it’s not like you know her
or anything.’
Carissa twisted around to face her. ‘I don’t, but you do, or at least your friend does. And you’re happy with her work, aren’t you?’
Teal had no choice but to agree. Nicole had done a fantastic job knocking the place into shape. ‘What’s not to be happy with?’
‘There you go. The only problem is that my mum wants to see a contract first.’
‘I don’t blame her,’ Teal said. ‘Surely that makes sense.’ Teal actually agreed with Carissa’s mother. It was a bit worrying that Carissa couldn’t see the need for caution before she ran full steam ahead into things. Which made her wonder if Carissa had actually given their agreement any thought before saying yes. The last thing Teal wanted to do was hurt Carissa in any way. Especially after what her ex had just put her through.
‘I just don’t want to miss this opportunity. This could be a new start for me.’ Carissa let out a frustrated sigh. ‘I’m really scared she’s going to find every excuse not to help me.’
Teal gathered Carissa in her arms and kissed the top of her head. ‘She might prove you wrong in this instance.’
‘You don’t know my mum. She has a tendency to … shake things up. And not always in a good way.’
‘So why don’t you call Nicole and ask her to drop off the paperwork. Simples.’
‘If you say so.’
Teal rubbed Carissa’s back in soothing concentric circles. ‘I don’t like seeing you look so unhappy.’
‘I’m not,’ Carissa said, drawing back slightly. ‘This is my natural resting face when I think about my mother.’
‘When will she let you know?’
‘She didn’t say. But knowing her, she’ll make it as drawn out as possible. Even if she is going to say no.’
Carissa fell back onto the bed and her dark hair spun into tendrils around the pillow. ‘I remember the weekends Mum used to visit dad and I,’ Carissa said, with her eyes trained on the ceiling. ‘She used to call up suddenly and announce that she was visiting. She never gave us much notice. Dad would turn to me and say, “the storm is coming”. That was how I knew mum was visiting.’