Laurie Salzer - A Kiss Before Dawn

by Laurie Salzer

  “Well, I would but…” Chris trailed off.

  “Then you’d have to kill me,” Mary Jo concluded, laughing.

  Chris joined her, giggling and holding her close.

  “Seriously Chris,” Mary Jo said, “I spend a lot of time over here. Maybe I should know it.”

  “Rawhide.”

  “What’s rawhide?”

  “The trigger word. We use ‘rawhide’ because I never give the dogs any, so they would never hear it any other time.”

  “That’s pretty smart. Pretty damned smart.” Mary Jo hesitated. “Chris?”

  When she detected a note of hesitation in Mary Jo’s voice, Chris pulled back and looked into her brown eyes. “What’s the matter?”

  “Um, I just need to ask you something.”

  “Okay.”

  “It’s about… well, I don’t know why, but I need to know something.”

  Chris raised an eyebrow and dropped her arms from Mary Jo’s waist. “Cav, what’s this about?”

  “Nothing. Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Mary Jo reached for Chris, who took a step backwards.

  “Is something wrong? You can ask me anything, anything at all, and I’ll answer as honestly as I can.”

  “Jesus, why is this so hard? It’s just a simple question. Okay. Well, I was just curious, and now I’m almost embarrassed to ask about what’s been bothering me all morning.” Mary Jo took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “While we’ve been, you know, getting to know each other… were you, um, seeing anybody else?”

  Chris cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms over her chest. “No. Why do you ask?” She stiffened involuntarily and felt her good mood evaporate.

  “Please don’t take offense. I’m sorry, Chris. It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have even asked.”

  Chris relaxed. She reached out to caress Mary Jo’s cheek and let her fingers slide along Mary Jo’s jaw. She met her gaze and said, “Babe, I’ve never been with anybody else. You’re the only woman who’s ever captured my heart.” She fidgeted shyly. “Um, I’ve had sex with other women, but I never made love until I met you.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Mary Jo seemed shocked.

  Chris shook her head and looked at her feet. She felt the deep heat of a blush creep up her neck.

  “Oh, come on, I figured there were women taking numbers at your door,” Mary Jo joked. “You’re awfully cute when you play all shy and apprehensive, you know that? Don’t be embarrassed. I like that I’m your first. And sweetheart, you sure couldn’t tell by me that I was your first.” Mary Jo teasingly ran a finger between Chris’s breasts. “And I don’t care. Really. It was dumb of me to ask. Somebody just said something to me today, and her tone bothered me.”

  “What? Who?” Chris had told very few people in the area that she was a lesbian, although she would have answered truthfully if someone happened to ask. She just preferred to keep it to herself, not being one of those chest-thumping, “I’m a lesbian, what are you going to do about it” types. She disclosed her sexuality only to people she could trust not to make an issue of it.

  The anonymity at the bar in Rochester had suited her just fine. Aside from Angie, nobody knew her name, where she lived, or what she did for a living. It had been a safe environment for her to explore her sexuality. At least it had been until Sky went on her recent rampage. Not that it mattered. She didn’t see herself ever going up there again, especially now that she had Mary Jo in her life.

  Mary Jo explained what had transpired at the Bennetts’ farm. “She only introduced herself as Jill. I can’t tell you any more than that.”

  “Huh. I wonder how she knows about me.” Chris furrowed her brow.

  “It doesn’t matter. I just came over so you could hold me in these strong arms of yours.” Mary Jo moved to embrace Chris and pressed close. “I love it when you hold me.”

  Chris kissed her cheek and whispered, “Yeah, I love it, too.” Moving her lips to Mary Jo’s, she asked, “Are you done for the day?”

  “Don’t I wish.” With a moan, Mary Jo grabbed Chris’s hands, which had wandered to her breasts. “Nope, don’t, please. Later. I promise. God, you’re dangerous, Martel. It amazes me how a touch from you can set my skin on fire, no matter how many layers of clothing I have on.”

  “Spend the night with me?” Chris’s voice had gone husky with thoughts of what would happen in the bedroom.

  “I would love nothing more. Now walk out with me. I’ll bring a pizza with me so I don’t have to slave over a hot stove all night.” Mary Jo gave Chris a devilish grin. “I’ve got a hot woman who needs all my attention tonight.”

  Chris playfully slapped Mary Jo’s butt. As they walked side by side, she put her arm around her waist. “You got that right.”

  She escorted Mary Jo to her truck and gave her a tender good-bye kiss.

  A long time after the vehicle disappeared, Chris stood in the drive, considering. Mary Jo’s story had tickled her worry bone a bit, but she decided not to let it bother her. She had better things to do… like change the sheets on her bed.

  Chapter 21

  Just as Mary Jo went to knock, Chris opened the door wearing a white T-shirt and blue-striped boxer shorts. A wave of heat came rushing out of the house, and the three dogs ran to greet her. She absently petted them and stared at Chris standing in the doorway. She’d never seen anyone so sexy in her life.

  “Oh my,” she murmured, mesmerized as the cold air caused Chris’s nipples to perk up and push against the tight T-shirt material. “Oh my.”

  “Are you coming in? Or are you going to stand outside gawking all night?” Chris’s voice was low and sultry as she opened the door a bit wider for the dogs to escort Mary Jo inside. “I’ve been waiting for you all day.”

  Mary Jo forced her feet to move. Her gaze was still plastered on the obvious swell of Chris’s breasts under her shirt. She blindly held out the pizza box as she took in the entire length of her toned body.

  “Oh my, my, my.” Mary Jo pulled her coat from her shoulders. Chris leaned in and brushed her lips with a kiss.

  Mary Jo let her coat drop to the floor and pulled Chris into a tight embrace. Her lips met Chris’s again, and a wave of hot desire rose through her body. Against Chris’s mouth, she whispered, “Hmmm, to think I wanted pizza for dinner.”

  “Did I make you lose your appetite?”

  “Oh no, no, no. You whet my appetite in a few places, Martel.”

  Dinner forgotten, Mary Jo let Chris take her hand and pull her through the kitchen, depositing the pizza box on the counter as they walked by. Then Chris took her up the stairs to the bedroom.

  Mary Jo barely noticed her surroundings as Chris guided her down a dark, carpeted hallway, past four closed doors. Her eyes widened when she took her first step into Chris’s bedroom. She had no idea what to expect from Chris’s private sanctuary, but she wasn’t prepared for the lack of paintings or photographs. It occurred to her that it must have been Bill’s influence she had noticed in pictures throughout the house, not Chris’s, but that influence didn’t seem to extend here.

  A wave of sadness washed over her. In her apartment, family photos lavishly covered the walls, each one a reflection of a happy childhood spent with two devoted and loving parents. On the other hand, Chris’s bedroom reflected nothing of the past she’d left behind. She wondered if the absence of pictures might be Chris’s attempt to forget and keep bad dreams and memories at bay.

  The glow from the fireplace painted the room with flickering gold. Lace curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows had been pulled back to frame the bright, starlit night. Three large candles on the mantle filled the air with the scent of spruce. The king-sized bed to her right looked soft, and the covers were pulled back invitingly.

  “You know how to set the mood,” Mary Jo said quietly.

  Chris stood close and looked into her eyes. “I want to be with you, Cav. I’ve never felt this way about another woman. Sometime
s it’s hard for me to… um, to show how I… what I… Shit. Why am I having such a difficult time here?”

  Mary Jo put her finger to Chris’s lips. “Shhh.” She slipped her hands around Chris’s waist and kissed her. “I’ve never been with a woman I’ve wanted in so many ways.” She slowly slid her hands underneath Chris’s T-shirt, cupped her breasts, and teased her rapidly hardening nipples.

  Chris shivered despite the heat as Mary Jo caressed her skin. She groaned and, pulling Mary Jo tightly against her, kissed her mouth and the soft skin of her throat. “I love the way you smell, good enough to eat,” she said.

  Chris pulled Mary Jo’s shirt out of her jeans. Strong, callused hands traced the length of her back, then her stomach. She’d decided to forego the bra tonight, and now, her legs trembling, she gasped when Chris’s hands found their way to her breasts and her fingers grasped her nipples.

  “I need to…” Mary Jo whispered. “I need to… God, I need you.”

  Chris pulled her to the bed and sat on the edge. She unbuttoned Mary Jo’s flannel shirt and pushed it aside to reveal her breasts. As her mouth claimed a hard nipple, she fumbled with and finally opened Mary Jo’s jeans and shoved them down her hips.

  “God, you’re beautiful.” Chris released the nipple to stroke Mary Jo’s inner thighs. “And hot, too.”

  Mary Jo stepped out of her jeans, discarded her panties, and pushed Chris flat on the bed. She straddled Chris’s waist, pulled the T-shirt over her head, and paused a moment to admire her beauty. As she bent over to claim Chris’s lips, she welcomed the primal need throbbing painfully between her legs. She sat up and shed her flannel shirt in a single seductive motion, wanting to give her naked body to Chris.

  Chris slid her hands beneath Mary Jo’s legs and drew her up to straddle her mouth. Her lips found the source of Mary Jo’s passion. She reached up to Mary Jo’s breasts and kneaded the swollen hard nipples.

  “Oh, Jesus Christ.” Mary Jo arched her back and thrust her hips in time to Chris’s tongue. Her head grew light as every nerve ignited.

  Chris’s fingers gently entered her. Mary Jo squeezed her internal muscles. The rest of her body trembled as her orgasm began and rapidly consumed her entire being.

  Mary Jo tried to hold back, but she couldn’t. She exploded, spasms rippling within, then taking her over completely. Her hips jerked as Chris’s fingers stroked her inside, hot mouth pulling her clitoris in deeper. She cried out her release, again and again, before slumping down in Chris’s arms, panting, and trembling.

  Chris held her close, caressing her sweat-damp skin and planting kisses along her temple. “Oh, babe, you are so beautiful.”

  Mary Jo slid to the side and pulled Chris on top of her, enjoying the feel of her weight. Chris’s eyes were cloudy with desire, her body tight with urgency. The pulse in her neck pounded wildly. Mary Jo kissed it, and her hands wandered down Chris’s firm back muscles, as she felt the swell of soft breasts pressed against her own.

  Well aware it might take only a slight touch to send Chris over the edge, Mary Jo also suspected that Chris would be incredibly wet, her clitoris throbbing with need, desperate for her touch. She deliciously anticipated meeting that need.

  “Cav,” Chris cried, clearly demanding.

  From the pocket of her discarded jeans, Mary Jo’s cell phone began to ring. Groaning in frustration, she said, “I’m so sorry, babe. I do need to get that.”

  With a regretful sigh, she glanced around for the phone.

  Chris prevented Mary Jo from leaving the bed by leaning over the side and retrieving the source of the interruption. She handed the phone to Mary Jo with a pained expression.

  “It’s Doc.” Mary Jo flipped the phone open. “Hey, Doc, what’s up?… Oh wow. Okay… How far out are you?… Forty minutes? Okay, I’ll meet you at the clinic.” She let the phone drop to the floor when she hung up. “We’ve got a surgical colic coming in.” Meeting Chris’s gaze, she said quietly, “I don’t have to leave this minute, but soon.”

  “Just touch me,” Chris pleaded.

  Mary Jo slid out from under Chris to lie at her side. Her hand roamed over Chris’s breasts and came to rest just above the hot triangle between her legs. “Come for me, Chris.” She stroked through the wetness and rolled Chris’s clitoris between thumb and forefinger. “You’re so wet. I love the way you feel.”

  Chris breathed out and shuddered as Mary Jo’s light touch caused her swollen clitoris to twitch, urgently seeking release.

  “That’s it, baby, come for me. Come for me right now, Chris.”

  “Oh, God, Cav, don’t… stop… don’t stop,” Chris choked out, burning as her orgasm rose, triggered by Mary Jo’s urgent fingers. The climax surged upwards to consume her entirely. Her hips drove upward. Mary Jo pushed her fingers inside, thrusting through the spasms. Still shuddering, Chris at last collapsed, panting and shivering. Her eyes closed, and she lay moaning as the last waves of pleasure swept through her body.

  Mary Jo carefully pulled her fingers out. “I’m sorry I have to leave,” she said, leaning over to speak against Chris’s lips.

  “Oh God, it’s not your fault.” Chris pressed her face against Mary Jo’s neck and tried to regain control of her body. “I guess this is what it’s like to have a vet for a girlfriend.” She raised herself up on an elbow and pulled Mary Jo to her for a kiss. “Will you come back tonight?” she asked after breaking it off.

  “I don’t know. It depends on how the surgery goes.” Mary Jo got up and searched for her clothes. She sat on the bed to pull her pants on. Leaning over Chris, she kissed her. “I’ll try, but if it gets too late, I’ll probably just go home. I’ll see you at Frances’s house in the morning?”

  “Yeah.” Chris tried unsuccessfully to hide the disappointment in her voice. “I’ve fantasized all day of waking up in the morning with you in my arms.”

  “We can try again tomorrow,” Mary Jo assured her with a wicked grin,

  Chris laughed. “Okay, I’ll hold you to that.” She got up and found her T-shirt. As she slipped it over her head, she noticed Mary Jo’s appraising stare. “Keep looking at me like that, and I promise you, Doctor Cavanaugh, you won’t be leaving anytime soon.”

  Mary Jo let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I do have to go.” She took Chris’s hand and followed her downstairs. She let go, shoved her feet into her boots, and pulled on her coat. “Okay, babe, I’ll see you later.”

  Chris pulled her into an embrace, kissed her softly, and lingered as long as she could. “I’m counting on it.” She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against Mary Jo’s before she released her and watched her walk to the door.

  Mary Jo paused in the doorway. “Don’t wait up for me,” she said, and then she was gone.

  The house seemed incredibly empty to Chris when the door closed behind Mary Jo. “God, Martel, you have fallen hard,” she muttered. She shut off the light and trudged back to her empty bed.

  Chapter 22

  Frances was taking a pan of scones out of the oven when she heard a truck in the drive. She put the pan on the stove, took the oven mitts off, and walked to the window. She pushed the curtains aside so she could see. Not only was Chris’s truck there, but Mary Jo’s as well. As she watched, Chris got out of her truck and let all four dogs out. She closed the door and strode to the other truck where she pulled Mary Jo into her arms and kissed her.

  “Finally,” Frances said with a huge grin. Her smile remained after she left the window to make another pot of coffee, and she continued grinning through breakfast.

  Chris finally asked, “What is with you today, Frances? You look like a Cheshire cat.”

  “Who, me?” Frances batted her eyelashes in mock innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Chris stared at her with raised eyebrows and then glanced at Mary Jo who was sitting at the table with her gaze focused in her lap.

  Frances noticed that Mary Jo was smiling as well.

  “What?” Chris aske
d, “What am I missing here?”

  “Oh, Chris, Frances knows.” Mary Jo put her hand on Chris’s thigh. “I saw the curtains move when I got out of my truck, and I figured Frances was peeking out when you kissed me.”

  Chris stared blankly at Mary Jo, and then realization dawned on her face. Clearly surprised, she looked at Frances. “I… uh… oh,” she stuttered as her face turned red.

  Frances laughed. “Oh, Chris, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.” She got up, moved to their side of the table, and stood between them. Bending down, she put her arms around both women and squeezed. “I am so happy for you. You’re each what the other needed.” She kissed the tops of their heads and returned to her seat. “I thought I was going to croak of old age before you two realized it, though.” She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Mary Jo, I hope you’ll be able to join Chris and me for dinner that day.”

  Frances had celebrated every Thanksgiving and Christmas with Chris since Bill died. Chris normally arrived right after morning chores, and they spent the day baking pies, drinking wine, and cooking the turkey with all the fixings. They always made an abundance of food. The leftovers kept Chris going for a week after the holiday, Frances thought fondly.

  “Can you?” Chris asked Mary Jo, her face beaming with hope.

  Mary Jo squeezed Chris’s leg as she answered, “I would love to spend it with you two. Doc and I are going to share any emergencies that come up, but I hope there won’t be any.”

  “Your parents won’t mind?” Frances topped off everyone’s coffee cup.

  “No, it’s been years since we spent Thanksgiving together. They’re usually still traveling the countryside or heading to some place overseas. We do get to spend Christmas together, though.”

  “I’m glad you’ll join us,” Frances said. “We’re going to have a wonderful dinner.”

  “Please let me help,” Mary Jo insisted. “If I know Chris, she’ll be content to sit with a glass of wine in her hand and watch us cook.”