Love & Devotion

by Jove Belle

  “I’m sure there’s a range in Austin.” KC was teasing her.

  As they walked toward the exit, Trina poked Emma’s arm and asked, “What’s that?”

  KC pulled Emma’s shirtsleeve up higher so that Trina could fully view the nicotine patch on Emma’s arm.

  “I’m trying to quit.”

  “In the middle of a move? And starting a new career? Damn.” Trina let out a low whistle.

  “The only time I really smoke is when KC does something especially stupid.” Emma laughed when she said it, but KC didn’t think she was joking.

  “Too bad they don’t have a quit-being-stupid patch for KC, huh?”

  “She’s doing okay.” Emma smiled in a way that made KC wish they were alone.

  Trina laughed. “It’s only been a week. Give her time.”

  “Not funny.” KC pulled Emma into a hug. “I’m going to ride home with Trina. I’ll see you tonight?”

  “Count on it.”

  KC helped her into her Mini, then watched her pull away before climbing into the passenger seat of Trina’s car.

  “How big of a hurry are you in?”

  Trina shrugged and adjusted her sunglasses. “I got time.”

  “Let’s swing past Longhorn Chevy.”

  “First a new haircut, now a new car. What’s next?” Trina started the car and pulled out into traffic.

  KC imagined her future with Emma and happy warmth filled her. When she’d looked to the future before, all she saw was a big blank page, waiting to be written. It filled her with uncertainty. Now, she still saw a blank page, a story waiting to be written, but Emma was with her, their joined hands holding the pen together. The uncertainty gave way to hope and anticipation. The hair and the car were window dressing in a much bigger picture. “The rest of my life.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  KC pulled into Emma’s driveway a few minutes early. She let the engine idle, the powerful thrum of the eight-cylinder four-wheel drive a world away from that of her old Accord. The dealer had taken much longer than she anticipated. The Chevy Tahoe was her first brand-new vehicle, and the amount of paperwork involved staggered her. At the end of it all, she was pretty certain she’d signed over all of her present and future offspring, along with three Nubian goats.

  She’d driven straight to Emma’s after they finally handed her the keys, not having enough time to swing past her house to clean up, let alone pick up flowers. She hoped it wasn’t too much of a let-down after their last date. She didn’t want to disappoint, but she’d reasoned that on time and empty-handed was better than late and bearing gifts. She hoped she’d made the right choice.

  Before she could overthink it, Emma burst through the front door and ran out to greet her. She opened the driver’s side door and pulled KC into a hug.

  “Oh, my God, no wonder you tried so hard to get rid of me this afternoon. This is beautiful.” Emma inhaled the new-car smell. “I want to drive.”

  “I should go in and say hi to your mama before we go.” She reached to turn off the engine, but Emma stopped her.

  “No, she’s at my grandma’s. If you really want to say hello, you can call while I’m driving.” Emma pushed at her arm.

  She laughed and climbed over the console to the passenger seat. “Did you grab your license?”

  “I’m good.” Emma smoothed her hands over the leather seats. “This is hot.”

  “Hot? Emma, you’re twisted. This is a family vehicle.” She mentally clapped her hand over her mouth a split second after the words left it. That wasn’t the way she’d envisioned telling Emma why she’d picked the SUV instead of a smaller, sportier alternative.

  “I know.” Emma climbed behind the wheel and winked at her. “Want to make out in the backseat later?”

  Hell, yes, she did.

  Emma backed out onto the street. “Where are we going?”

  “I originally planned to take a picnic and drive out past the Decker farm, but I ran out of time.” The backseat was regrettably lacking a picnic basket. The Decker family owned a good amount of land south of Fairmont. Beyond that stretched mile after mile of open road and not much else.

  “Alternative plan. How ’bout we swing past Church’s and grab some chicken. Then we can go for that drive.”

  Emma turned off the air conditioning and opened all the windows, including the sunroof, and reached for her hand. She laced their fingers together and pulled KC’s hand to her mouth. “This is a beautiful car.” She kissed her knuckles, then dropped both hands, fingers interlaced, into KC’s lap.

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Did you get it because of me?”

  She smiled and considered her answer. How ready was she to have this conversation? She wasn’t even really sure of the answer herself. She opted, as was her promise to Emma, for the truth. No secrets allowed. “It’ll make the drive to Austin easier.”

  “Yes, but that new Camaro you’ve been talking about would have done the same.”

  “Can’t fit any boxes in a Camaro.”

  “I’m renting a U-Haul.”

  “Well, now you don’t have to, do you?”

  “This won’t hold all my stuff.”

  “I’m going to make more than one trip.” KC shrugged. Her reasons for staying in Fairmont were shrinking by the day. It was getting increasingly harder to convince herself not to move to Austin with Emma. But she wasn’t ready to lose herself in another person yet. Not until she had a better grip on herself—who she was and what she believed.

  “Lots of trips is an argument against a vehicle of this size, not in favor of it. The gas mileage is going to be a killer.”

  “But it has great safety ratings.” KC considered that a worthwhile trade-off.

  “Since when do you care about safety ratings?”

  “One of us has to, and if you’re going to continue driving that Mini, I guess it’s up to me.”

  Emma pulled over suddenly, leaving the SUV angled awkwardly on the side of the road. She put it in Park, killed the engine, then scrambled over the console to straddle KC’s lap.

  “That is the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever heard.” She held KC’s face in her hands and kissed her hard and quick.

  She wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist. “Yep, twisted.”

  She smiled into the next kiss, then slowed Emma down and dragged out the connection. If considering a vehicle safety rating earned her this reaction from Emma, what would she get if she brought up childproofing electrical outlets?

  After tugging Emma’s shirt free from where it was tucked into her pants, she eased her hands under the fabric. Emma’s skin was hot beneath her touch, and she moved her fingers in slow, lazy figure eights. Kissing Emma was like a symphony. Joy and beauty suffused her. She was overwhelmed, blessed beyond belief by Emma’s generosity and patience.

  She parted her lips and Emma’s tongue slid into her mouth. Emma kissed her, greedy and hard. She sucked KC’s tongue, then swirled her own around, over, under, everywhere, until KC was lost. When she moaned, it started deep in her gut and traveled through her like a wave, only to land inside Emma’s mouth and be echoed back to her. Emma took control effortlessly and gave it back just as easily. KC’s lungs grew tighter with every second, but she refused to break away. Emma stole her breath, leaving her light-headed and desperate, and KC surrendered to it like a sailor to a siren’s call. Passion flared hot at her core.

  Emma gasped for breath, her mouth warm and wet against hers, but no longer kissing. “God, I want you.”

  Emma fumbled with the opening of KC’s jeans, and the moment the button let go, KC snapped to reality. “Emma.” She panted, unable to catch her breath. “Emma, wait.” She grabbed Emma’s hands, holding firm, and took a deep, steady breath, then another. The spell receded enough for her to remember how much she respected Emma. This wasn’t a random hookup. It was a love of a lifetime, and KC wanted to honor that the best way she could. Desperate humping on the side of the road didn’t even come
close.

  Emma slumped against her, and the additional pressure was delicious. The movement thrust Emma’s pelvis onto their joined hands, and she could feel Emma’s heat through the fabric. Emma groaned and thrust against her hand. “Please.”

  “Emma, look at me.” She waited until Emma opened her eyes and met her gaze. Her pupils were nearly black, with only the slightest ring of blue at the edges. “Not here. Not like this.”

  She didn’t want to remember their first time together as fumbled groping in a car, even if the car was big enough for them to stretch out comfortably. She wasn’t willing to have a member of law enforcement knock on the window and tell them they were illegally parked, then give them a ticket for indecent exposure and lewd and licentious conduct in public. That wasn’t the memory she wanted for the first time she touched Emma intimately. She wanted to work Emma up, make her plead, then watch as she came. She wanted to revel afterward, to hold Emma while they basked in the afterglow. As much as she liked her new SUV, it wasn’t the right place.

  Emma pressed her forehead to hers, inhaled deeply, and lifted her hips so she was no longer riding KC’s knuckles. “You’re right.”

  “I’m sorry.” She pressed a light kiss to Emma’s temple. She craved so much more, but the part of her that loved and respected Emma wouldn’t allow her to give in.

  “Fuck Church’s.” Emma groaned as she dragged herself away from KC. The separation bordered on painful, and she fought to not pull Emma back to her. Emma kissed her one last time, then shifted to the driver’s seat. “I’m taking you home.”

  *

  Emma drove them back to her house, the only real option. Her mama was gone for the evening, and Trina and Buddy were both at KC’s.

  Emma killed the engine and held out the key to her. “You better put this on your key ring before it gets lost.”

  “I’ve already got one.” She showed Emma her keys, complete with the new fob for the Chevy. “Why don’t you keep that one?”

  Emma squealed and snatched her hand back before she could change her mind. She laughed. The night so far, even though she’d showed up without flowers and their picnic had been aborted, was perfect.

  She took a deep breath. “Ready to go inside?” KC asked the question with the grave attention she felt it deserved. This was a milestone. She wanted to be absolutely sure Emma was on board. Under her careful scrutiny, Emma’s giddy laughter transformed to serious anticipation.

  “Absolutely.” Emma pocketed the key with a grin, then leaned over the console and kissed her.

  Emma might have intended the kiss to be light and easy, but that wasn’t what happened. KC’s mouth opened reflexively and she teased her tongue over Emma’s lips. It was a gentle hello, an exploration of her new favorite playground, and she moaned at the contact. She pushed forward, taking Emma’s mouth forcefully. She wanted to be inside Emma with a consuming desperation.

  When Emma surrendered to her, she glided into Emma, licking along her tongue, the roof of her mouth, learning the heat inside of Emma. She explored until she was breathless and retreated with a gasp. Emma drove forward, filling the opening before she had even created it. She sucked Emma’s tongue into her and hummed. Emma tasted sweet and minty, like the essence of life lived inside her, and she couldn’t get enough. She wanted her mouth on every part of Emma.

  Emma took her time, slowed the kiss to a deep, passionate journey without boundaries or deadlines. She savored the feel of Emma’s tongue inside her mouth, sucked the flavor of Emma into her. She whimpered when Emma pulled away. Emma made her head spin in the best possible way. With their kiss, the world was reduced to one overpowering thought. Emma was the answer to every question she had ever asked. Emma was her only truth.

  Rather than open her own door, Emma crawled into her lap again and nipped at her lips, then opened the passenger door.

  “Coming?” Emma asked as soon as both her feet touched the ground. Then she turned and ran into the house.

  KC fumbled with her seat belt and almost fell on her head trying to get out of the SUV. Sexy women made her clumsy, and Emma was off the charts. She hoped she would survive the night without major injury.

  Emma watched from the front porch. When she saw that KC had made it safely out of the vehicle, she giggled and ran inside and up the stairs. KC took a moment to center herself. She locked and armed the alarm on her new Chevy, straightened her clothes, and gave herself a pep talk. This was Emma. She knew her. She loved her. Emma was everything she wanted. All she had to do was make it safely into the house and up the stairs.

  She almost hyperventilated when the gravity of what they were about to do hit her fully. The knowledge that Emma was waiting for her simultaneously calmed and excited her. Her heart raced, but her thoughts cleared. She saw her life, their future, with amazing clarity. She took a moment to calm herself and then followed Emma inside.

  “Em?” She called out when she made it through the front door, then stood at the base of the stairs and waited for the answering call. She couldn’t charge up the stairs like a lumbering pubescent boy, too eager to fill her own needs to hesitate for even a moment to consider Emma’s. Emma deserved better from her, so she waited. She wanted to make absolutely certain she was invited to proceed.

  “I’m here, KC. Don’t make me start without you.” Emma’s voice floated down to her and swamped her with desire. She locked the front door and climbed the stairs.

  Her heart beat harder with each step until she trembled from the strain of holding back. She wanted Emma, and the effort to keep herself from running like a bull to Emma was taking a toll. She stumbled on the last step, eager and clumsy.

  The door to Emma’s room lay open, and she shut her eyes as she stepped into the room. She didn’t know if she was truly ready for what waited for her and needed a moment to reflect. They were about to cross a line from which they could never retreat.

  She held her breath and opened her eyes. Emma stood at the foot of the bed. Light filtered through the sheer curtains behind her, bathing her in an ethereal light. Emma bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. Then she tilted her head and smiled.

  “Hi,” Emma said.

  KC crossed the room and stopped when she was within touching distance of Emma. “Hi.” She traced her hands lightly up Emma’s arms and smiled when goose bumps rose on Emma’s skin.

  She leaned in until her lips were a breath away from Emma’s. Very gently, very slowly, she brought her mouth to Emma’s. She kissed her for the pure joy of the connection. She had no agenda beyond learning Emma. She tugged at the bottom edge of Emma’s T-shirt and asked, “Can I take this off?”

  In the past week, she’d had her hand inside Emma’s shirt enough times that she knew what her breasts felt like in her palm: perfect. But this would be her first look as lovers. She held her breath in anticipation.

  Emma nodded and covered KC’s hands with her own. She helped pull her shirt up and over her head, then reached around to unclasp her bra.

  “Wait.” KC pressed their bodies together and moaned. She restrained Emma’s fingers and said, “Let me. Please.”

  “Okay.” Emma’s voice shook.

  She stared into Emma’s eyes as she worked the clasp, one hook at a time. She could wait all night to go further so long as Emma continued to embrace her. When the last hook came undone, she released the fabric and it sagged around Emma’s arms, held in place only by the connection of their bodies.

  She stayed still, her body longing for more. Emma would complete her, and the thought humbled and elated her. She was so eager, but she didn’t dare rush for fear that everything would shatter in her haste. She kissed Emma again, deeper this time. She let her lips and tongue explore, savoring the taste of Emma’s lips, her mouth, her skin. She licked inside Emma’s mouth, sweeping her tongue against Emma’s, deep and languid. She was gone in soft, sweet mint.

  Emma moaned into her mouth and grasped her shoulders tight, her nails digging through her shirt and into her skin.
“Off.” Emma worked the buttons on the front of KC’s shirt. Her fingers proved nimble despite the urgent, lost cadence of her tongue against KC’s.

  KC let their kiss end naturally, riding it where Emma wanted until it tapered to a sweet, open-mouthed press of Emma’s lips against hers.

  “Can I see you?” Emma asked while they were still connected at the mouth, and her words resonated down KC’s throat.

  KC answered with a groan. “Yes. Anything.”

  She stepped back to finish removing her shirt, and when she did, Emma’s bra slipped down her arms and fell to the floor. KC whimpered. “God, Em.” She froze, immobile in the face of Emma’s perfect beauty. Emma’s breasts were just the right size for her hands, and the tips were small and pink and so very hard. Her mouth watered at the sight. Her instincts demanded that she drop to her knees and worship Emma, but she couldn’t, not yet. She needed to fulfill Emma’s request to see her, and she would as soon as her brain stopped misfiring.

  “You’re so beautiful.” She bent until Emma’s breasts were at eye level. She licked around the edge of one areola, then the other. When Emma moaned, she flicked her tongue over the tip and quickly sucked Emma into her mouth. She wanted to stay there, work Emma and coax an orgasm through her nipple. She caressed the other side with her hand, rolling the tip between her thumb and fingers.

  “Please, KC.” Emma tugged at her hair, her fingers clenched tight and digging in sharply. She pulled KC away with a slurping pop. She sounded desperate with want.

  “What?” She was dazed. She’d had the barest taste of Emma and it wasn’t enough.

  Emma started in on her buttons again and worked through them with quick concentration. She pushed KC’s shirt open with a growl. “This.”

  Emma jerked the shirt down KC’s arms and stopped when she reached her elbows. She abandoned the shirt and reached for KC’s bra. Unlike Emma, who had worn delicate light-blue lace that matched her eyes, she was wearing a sports bra. Once again, she wished she’d had time to change before their date. Undeterred, Emma pushed the bra up and KC’s breasts bounced free.