"I think I'll call her," Erica decided.
"The number is by the telephone."
Erica got the number and went into the bedroom. She felt excitement as she dialed.
"Hello." the voice was slow and easy.
"Morgan?" Erica could feel her heart beginning to race.
"You finally got home. I guess Kelly told you I've been calling all day."
"Mmm hmm," Erica purred happily.
"Am I going to see you tonight?"
"About six o'clock?"
"Wonderful. Tomorrow would you like to go with me to find a horse? I haven't had one for three years - since my mare, Petite Dame, died."
"Is that an invitation to spend the night?" Erica whispered.
"Please, and would you wear the same thing you had on the day we saw each other?"
Erica laughed. "You want me to wear jeans on our first date? I was thinking of wearing something I could slip out of a little more easily."
Morgan's voice was husky. "You smell wonderful."
"All the way from Topanga? You must have a talented nose."
"I remember how you smell," Morgan assured her.
"I don't remember wearing perfume that day."
"You weren't wearing any," Morgan told her.
Erica's voice was husky. "I remember how wonderful your kiss was. You have a beautiful mouth."
Morgan was quiet.
"Are you still there?" Erica asked.
"Yes," Morgan whispered hoarsely.
"I'll see you at six."
Erica hung up and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly she had an idea. She picked up the phone again.
"Emma, it's Erica. Do you still have Mignon, that beautiful mahogany colored filly with the dark mane?"
"Sure do," Emma told her.
"I'd like to buy her on approval. Would you bring her and Undine to the Murdock place about noon tomorrow?"
~ Chapter 33 ~
There was just enough time to shower, dress and throw a few things into her sports bag.
As she was leaving, Kelly asked, "What did you decide about legs? Hairy or shaved?"
"Oh, shit!" Erica cursed. "I shaved Sunday and now my legs are prickly." She glanced at the clock. "I'm going to be late. Smooth legs are great and hairy legs are great - but prickly legs will not do."
* * * *
Morgan was frowning. "You're late," she scolded.
''Sorry, I-"
Morgan took her hands. "I was just anxious to see you." She smiled and asked nervously, "Are you hungry?"
"Starved," Erica admitted.
"Everything is just about ready." Morgan took her hand and pulled her past the beautifully arranged table into the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?"
Erica shook her head and watched Morgan put the finishing touches on the meal.
"Nothing seems to have gone right today." Morgan looked at Erica. "I wanted everything to be perfect."
"It's perfect."
Morgan had dishes in both hands, but she leaned toward Erica and kissed her on the mouth.
"You're delicious," Erica told her.
"Dinner is served." Morgan led the way to the table. Erica watched as Morgan lit the candles and poured the wine. Morgan put the bottle of wine down and lifted her glass. "To all things beautiful and mysterious." She was looking into Erica's eyes.
While they were eating dinner Erica told Morgan of the encounter on the path. Morgan paled when she realized Erica's purpose for being on the path. Erica reached across the table and covered Morgan's hand with her own. "It isn't like that. It was more like a metaphor. Each time I've begun a relationship I've given up things that were important to me. I'd decided I liked everything in my life and vowed never to trade the things I was committed to for anyone." She looked at Morgan. "Then I met you again after all the years of not being in your life, and..." She looked out the window. "The conflict was too great. Everything seemed to fall apart."
Morgan lifted her glass again. "Here's to everything falling together."
Erica smiled.
"That night," Morgan said, "I had a dream. We were making a collage together. You put pictures of Isa and the girls on it and I put pictures of Britain and Britt. We both placed pictures of our parents... and you added a flute and a picture of your mare. I added one of myself working and a snapshot of my friend Janet and her baby. Together we placed a large transparency of our planet over the other images."
Erica understood. "All of our concerns and commitments."
Morgan nodded. "I woke up without a cold."
Erica handed Morgan her faded Stone. "When we Clicked on the path the Stone didn't light, but look what did happen."
Morgan looked at the E and then took out her Stone and compared the two images. "It's an exact mirror image. This kind of thing no longer startles me." She looked at Erica. "What does startle me is to see your Stone faded."
"Once we had Clicked - I never really wanted to Click with anyone else."
Morgan's eyes searched Erica's face. "Is that true?"
"Yes," Erica whispered.
After dinner Morgan asked, "Did you bring your flute?"
"Yes. Do you want me to play for you?"
"If you would; but first, Britain wanted to get you something for tonight. You'll find it on the dressing table in the guest room."
Erica was curious. She went into the room and found the box. A card was resting on the tissue wrapping. The message was simple: Fiat Lux. Erica gasped when the contents of the box were revealed. Britain's gift was a beautiful silk kimono. When she had changed she found Morgan waiting for her, also dressed in a kimono. She could see the outline of Morgan's body through the silk.
Morgan looked at her. "Perfect," she whispered.
Erica got her flute and followed Morgan into the garden. They sat on a blanket which Morgan had spread on the ground. Morgan lay back looking up at the stars.
When Erica touched her lips to the flute she seemed to lift, and the music that filled the garden was a kind of music she had played only once before. She was looking at Morgan but she included the stars, a soft breeze that moved through the young trees, a bird calling its night song, a dog howling in the distance, the crickets, the silence. It was a music that could not have been played at another time or in another place.
Erica did not know how long she had been playing. She rested her flute on her lap and looked at Morgan.
Morgan stood and reached out her hand. "Come with me. I have a question to ask." Erica took her hand and allowed herself to be led through the open doors into the bedroom.
The furniture was warm wood. There was a hand-crafted quilt on the bed. A fire blazed in the fireplace. Then Erica's eyes were drawn to another light. Two candles - each next to a silver goblet - flickered their light into the room.
Morgan picked up one of the silver goblets. "This goblet of wine represents the love, good times and satisfaction of life together. These are the things we can count on." She put it down and picked up the other goblet. "This contains wine laced with vinegar. Relationships aren't always intoxicating. There are times when things are difficult and seem to have gone sour. We have to know that underneath the sour or bitter taste - it is still wine." She put the goblet down and took Erica's face in her hands. "Will you drink from both goblets with me?"
Erica was trembling. She closed her eyes and thought about the enormity of the promise. When she opened her eyes and looked into Morgan's face she knew she wouldn't be making the promise alone. "Yes," she whispered.
Each in turn drank from both goblets and then they blended the tastes in a kiss. Each looked into the eyes of the other and each reached for her Stone. They looked out the glass doors at the night, and then brought their Stones together in a crash - a salute to some distant light.
Trembling, they stood in the radiant throbbing light and moved toward each other. Both could feel, in the beauty and power of the other, a dynamic that matched her own.
Then their mouths were together
- demanding - insisting. Erica was breathing Morgan. Her nostrils expanded - petitioning Morgan's fragrance into her senses.
Morgan loosened Erica's kimono and slipped her hands inside. When Erica felt Morgan's hands touch her breasts, a bolt of lightning shot through her, from the top of her head to her vagina. She pressed her breasts against Morgan's hands and heard herself gasp.
Morgan looked at Erica in slow motion, feeling emotion distort her features. As Erica's breasts claimed her hands, she heard herself moan.
Erica loosened Morgan's kimono and slipped it over her shoulders. The beauty of Morgan's form commanded her gaze. Her eyelids flickered as she looked at the softness of the line from Morgan's shoulder to her throat. The softness summoned her lips and a hundred whisper-gentle kisses.
Morgan moved her shoulder in a graceful response to Erica's lips. She pulled Erica to her, pushing the kimono over Erica's shoulders while granting her hands the warmth of Erica's skin.
Erica relaxed against Morgan, allowing her kimono to drop to the floor.
Morgan freed one arm and then the other of her own kimono. Pulling Erica to her bed she fell backwards drawing Erica with her. Their bodies entwined, they rolled to the center of the bed - expressing the power of their bodies.
Erica sat up and allowed her eyes what had been denied her by Morgan's kimono - Morgan's breasts, nipples swollen and erect, Morgan's belly with a fine line of tiny hairs from her navel to the dark curling hair. Morgan's powerful hips and thighs inviting her caress.
Morgan watched Erica's eyes - surrendering to the caress of her survey. When Erica's fingers trailed down her thigh, Morgan's pelvis filled with a surge of hotness. She drew one leg up slightly and let it fall to the side in further invitation. She heard herself speak again.
Erica was jolted by the sound of Morgan's voice. She moved between Morgan's legs, slipping one of her own legs over Morgan's thigh. The voice caressed her again as she spread their vulvae and pressed her clitoris against Morgan's, and then leaned back, supporting herself on her arms. She heard herself moan.
Morgan pushed her hips forward and began moving them rhythmically, rocking Erica. Sounds escaped her and her breathing became ragged. As her excitement and keenness of feeling increased, the thrusts of her hips became more frenzied.
Erica heard herself whimper as her body surrendered to the ecstasy of her transport. Her arms were shaking and threatened to slip. She felt herself slipping. She heard herself speak. She heard herself whimper. She heard herself cry out. She heard herself cry out in a long wail.
Morgan felt her orgasm mounting and tried to postpone it, but Erica's cries transported her and the surge of feeling increased with each thrust until the explosion rocked her.
A stream of cool air rushed between them as they fell away from each other.
Each woman lay on her back panting and then each curled her body toward the other - reaching - arms outstretched. Their hands clasped and they drew themselves to each other. They embraced and stretched out their bodies- each to the length of the other. Their mouths came together in a potent, sucking kiss.
They released each other's mouths and lay gazing into each other's eyes.
Erica moved and sat leaning against the headboard. She pulled Morgan to her.
Morgan entered into the circle of Erica's embrace. She heard herself sigh.
Erica's fingers trailed over Morgan's back, making little designs.
Morgan moved down and buried her face in Erica's belly.
Erica, using her arms and legs, pulled Morgan up until Morgan was straddling her.
Morgan held onto the headboard with both hands. She heard herself speak.
Erica shook her head and reached out to touch Morgan's belly with both hands. One hand trailed down. She allowed her fingers to linger there while with her other hand she guided Morgan's breast to her lips.
Morgan felt her hips move toward Erica's fingers. Then, when the soft lips encircled her breast she pushed into Erica's mouth. She felt a contraction as Erica's tongue teased her nipple.
Erica felt the jolt of Morgan's contraction and moved her fingers the short distance to her lover's vagina. She heard herself moan as she reached into the wetness.
Morgan felt Erica's fingers reach into her deeply-seeking. She heard herself speak and then groan.
Erica pleased herself - exploring and probing. No part of Morgan was going to escape her touch. She heard herself speak and then moved down between Morgan's legs - seeking the wetness with her mouth, hungrily.
Morgan felt her lover's tongue circle her clitoris and then dart to the opening of her vagina and out again, flickering over her clitoris and then darting to her vagina. She could feel the inside of her thighs begin to tremble. She heard herself speak - her voice was shaking.
Erica moved up against the headboard again and pulled Morgan to her lap. She covered her lover's face with kisses. She heard herself speak.
Morgan allowed her body to be supported by her lover. She relaxed against Erica's shoulder, relishing their closeness.
Erica supported Morgan with one arm, and with her free hand reached between her lover's legs and into her vagina.
Morgan heard herself gasp as Erica entered her again. She felt an urgency. She heard herself moan and then speak.
Erica used her own body as a hammock and rocked her lover while reaching into her again and again. She heard her voice caressing Morgan.
Morgan heard herself whimper. She was completely limp in her lover's arms and her lover was rocking her and shaking her insides. She heard herself whimper again and then cry out.
Erica slowly lowered Morgan's head to the bed while reaching into her and into her.
Morgan dug into the bed with her feet, arching over Erica's lap. She could feel Erica pulling the orgasm out of her. She felt her hips arch higher. She heard herself gasp and then whimper. She heard herself speak. She heard herself cry out. She felt her body go limp.
The lovers moved, again lying side by side. Erica heard herself sigh.
There was quiet.
Erica listened to the crackling of the logs in the fireplace and listened to her lover's breathing. Morgan looked at the tranquility of her lover's face. She reached and touched Erica's cheek with her fingers.
Erica looked into Morgan's eyes and suddenly her insides started quivering. She needed Morgan inside her - now.
Morgan read her lover's eyes and was filled with a mighty force. In a swift movement she positioned herself between Erica's legs and pulled Erica's hips toward her.
Erica was suddenly lighter than air. Morgan's face loomed before her. She groped for something to hold on to. The wind began to howl. Images changed to shapes and colors.
She became the wind - whipping, tugging and blowing. She battered against the soft wall, wanting to go out beyond the barrier. She didn't know which way to go. She took off in one direction and then another. She had to find something. She took off in another direction and found another barrier. Back and forth she flew and the distance between barriers got smaller and smaller until the wind was contained in a very small dark place.
Out of the darkness a voice spoke. It was the beloved voice - the slow, easy, husky voice. "Where do you think you're going?"
Erica opened her eyes. She was with Morgan.
Morgan raised herself from between Erica's legs, her face glistening. "Where did you go? You were flying - we were flying together. Then you went away."
Erica looked away from Morgan.
"Are you all right?" Morgan asked tenderly.
Tears filled Erica's eyes. "The other night when I came here and thought I saw you with... when I thought I had lost you..." She covered her eyes.
"Look at me," Morgan demanded softly.
She looked at Morgan's face through her tears and saw love.
Morgan reached into Erica. "Even if you had lost everything you thought you needed - you still had the most important thing." She reached into Erica again. "What you had was you!" She reache
d into Erica deeply.
Erica felt Morgan's caress reach into her heart. She looked into her lover's face - into the face of love. Then the face began to change. It became every emotion Erica had ever seen - it changed from bliss to anguish - from agony to exaltation - from ecstasy to torment to pensive to melancholy to rapture.
Tears washed down Erica's face. She reached out to Morgan. She was lifted - lighter than air. Morgan's face loomed before her. The wind began to howl. Images changed to shapes and colors. She became the wind - wild and furious - whipping, tugging and blowing. She battered against the barrier. It gave way. She was free. She flew above the trees. Higher and higher - aiming for a distant light.
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