Gus got excited when he heard his name and came over to Izzy for a pet, but in the process, his tail knocked over Jane’s water.
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry!” Jane quickly righted the glass, but the entire contents had already escaped, covering the table, and were now dripping onto the wooden floor beneath it.
“It’s only water.” Izzy used the dish towel she’d draped over her shoulder to sop it up. While doing so, she had slid over on the couch, and she was now sitting right next to Jane. Once the water was sopped up, she started to move back to her end of the couch, but Jane reached over and took her hand, stopping her.
The soft warmth of Jane’s hand on her wrist surprised Izzy, and she stared at it for a moment before looking up. Jane’s eyes had the same expression she’d seen in the train station. She couldn’t look away. Again, she wasn’t sure who started it, but they were kissing. And before long, they were back to where they were in the parking garage. Jane’s hands were under Izzy’s shirt, and Izzy pulled her onto her lap. An annoying voice tried to invade her mind, telling her this wasn’t a good idea, but the sensations buzzing through her and her overwhelming attraction for Jane easily overrode the voice. She welcomed the presence of mania, which only amped up her excitement.
Without breaking the kiss, Jane straddled her, pressing into her, and an exquisite ache filled Izzy. She slipped her hands under Jane’s skirt, cupping her ass and pulling her closer. The satin fabric of Jane’s panties was soft under her fingers. Their kiss was slow, deep, exploring. Jane’s kisses sent tremors through her, feeding the throbbing pulse between her legs. Izzy slid her hands under the band of Jane’s panties and massaged the muscles beneath her palms. Jane’s hips began to rock, and she shifted to the side so her legs straddled Izzy’s thigh. Jane’s leg between Izzy’s put pressure against the throbbing at Izzy’s core, which intensified exponentially as Jane’s rocking grew faster and harder.
The experience of growing so aroused so quickly was an absolute first for Izzy. Without warning, a flash of brilliant pleasure burst through her; she went taut and threw her head back as waves of warmth flowed through her. She kept her eyes squeezed shut as she gasped for breath, and Jane’s soft lips pressed against her throat. Explosions of erotic sensation originated between her legs, coalescing in the places Jane kissed. She shuddered. “Oh God, please.”
Jane’s lips closed over hers, silencing her, and Jane’s hips moved quickly. Izzy’s thigh was wet where Jane’s center moved against her bare leg. She squeezed Jane’s firm backside and pulled her against her, harder, helping her keep contact. Suddenly, Jane’s back arched and she lifted her head. She had her eyes wide open, staring at Izzy with a laser-like intensity. Her mouth formed an “O,” and a long moan slipped through her beautiful, full lips, swollen and glistening. A thrill pierced Izzy, causing her to shiver as Jane’s movements slowed, and she felt as if they were dancing. Jane collapsed against her, dropping her head to rest against Izzy’s shoulder. Izzy held her and kissed the side of her face, not caring about Jane’s thick hair tickling her. The soft, warm dampness against her leg held most of her attention. Had they really just done what they did? Fully clothed?
Jane turned her head so her face was close to Izzy’s neck. Small puffs of breath tickled her sensitive skin.
“What just happened?” Jane asked. She dragged her fingertips up Izzy’s arm.
Goose bumps rose in the path of Jane’s fingers, and Izzy shivered. A surprised giggle nearly escaped her, but she kissed her instead, their kiss unhurried and full of words Izzy didn’t know how to speak.
Jane reached up and traced the side of Izzy’s face.
“I can’t believe we just…you know…” Jane’s voice was husky, lower than Izzy had ever heard it.
“Did you…” Izzy tilted her head.
A slow smile etched itself across Jane’s face. “Oh, yeah. Right after you.”
Izzy smiled back. “I’ve never done that before. I mean, fully clothed.”
“God, I want to touch you right now.” Jane slipped her hand into the front waistband of Izzy’s shorts.
Izzy gasped, and Jane’s fingers were teasing the top of her panties, trying to move them aside. A throb ripped through Izzy again, and she rolled slightly away to allow Jane more room to do whatever she planned to do. Her toes curled in anticipation as Jane’s fingers slid beneath the edge of her panties, skimming her…
The fire alarm started to chirp, and through the fog of desire gripping her, Izzy became aware of a burnt smell.
“Dinner!” she said, trying to get up. Jane’s hand in her pants prevented her from moving, and a huge smile stretched across her face. She kissed Jane. “I’m so sorry!” Jane laughed and removed her hand, and Izzy regretfully got up to check the oven. The pot pie was toast.
Jane was a few steps behind her.
A cloud of smoke filled the kitchen. Fortunately, there wasn’t any fire. Just a pot pie with a blackened crust.
“Let’s open some windows.” Jane was already tugging at the sliding-glass door.
Izzy turned on the oven fan and carried the burnt dish out to the back patio to take the smoke outside. Jane waved a magazine at the fire alarm to stop its chirping. After a few minutes, the smoke cleared enough to silence the alarm, and by then, the voices in Izzy’s head were telling her she’d let things go too far. Fortunately, the emotional high was still quite strong, and Izzy was easily able to quiet the voices—mostly.
“That was exciting,” Jane said.
“Sorry. I should have reset the timer.”
“I guess we lost track of time.” Jane moved closer to Izzy.
“We sure did.” Izzy wrapped an arm around Jane’s waist and pulled her close. They kissed for a minute or two before Izzy reluctantly pulled back. “Maybe almost burning the house down was a sign.”
“A sign of what?” Jane looked confused.
Izzy felt stupid, but everything happening between her and Jane, as exciting and sexy as it was, was starting to scare her. “A sign telling us to maybe put on the brakes a little bit.”
Jane’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Because I thought we were just getting started.” She nibbled on Izzy’s earlobe, and it felt so good, Izzy couldn’t help but tilt her head to show Jane just how much she enjoyed it. She had to work hard to remember what she’d been saying.
“Um…” Had she been talking about signs? Izzy shivered when Jane ran her tongue along the outer edge of her ear. Signs. Yes, signs. They needed to slow down. Jane’s tongue was soft and hot. They didn’t have to stop. Just go slower. Even as she thought it, a tremor of apprehension wove through the elation of being in Jane’s arms. “We…we haven’t even gone on a proper date yet.”
What a weird thing to say, like she was some sort of stodgy old man. But she felt Jane smile against her neck.
“Are you saying you’d like to date me?”
The vibration of Jane’s voice, low and breathy near her ear, sent tremors along Izzy’s spine. She closed her eyes and tried to stuff the apprehension away. “Yes. A date.”
Jane stepped back so they were no longer touching. “Then ask me.”
Without the heat of Jane’s body pressed against her and without soft lips teasing her, Izzy was able to think beyond the haziness of desire, and her unease grew. She focused on the beautiful woman in front of her, the softness in Jane’s eyes giving her courage. “Will you go out with me tomorrow night?”
Jane stepped closer with a slow, sexy smile.
Izzy’s stomach fluttered with anticipation…or was it trepidation?
“Yes. But just for the record, proper dates are overrated,” Jane whispered before teasing Izzy’s lips with the tip of her tongue. Izzy gave in to another deep kiss and slid her knee between Jane’s legs. Tension began to build in her lower belly, and any unease melted into the background.
The doorbell rang.
“Ignore it,” Jane said, increasing the pressure of her thigh between Izzy’s legs.
Izzy didn’t
intend to answer it. She ground against the taut muscle of Jane’s thigh, so close. Jane slid her hands under Izzy’s T-shirt and ran her fingers up the sides of her breasts. Izzy threw her head back, and Jane kissed her neck. Jane pinched one of her nipples through the fabric of her bra. Izzy gasped. A tremor began in her center. Izzy closed her eyes.
“Izzy? Are you okay? It smells like something has turned to charcoal in here.” Audie’s voice sounded from the living room.
Izzy and Jane jumped away from one another, and Izzy stepped back, her bare leg grazing the edge of the open oven door. Fortunately, the door had been open long enough to cool somewhat, but the shock of it against her leg caused her to overbalance, and she stumbled to catch herself, ending up on the kitchen floor.
She wasn’t hurt, but the surprised look on Jane’s face caused her to laugh out loud, and Audie found the two of them doubled over in laughter when she came into the kitchen.
“What happened in here?” Audie asked, staring at Izzy on the floor and then at the open windows and doors.
Izzy, out of breath from laughing, pulled herself up to standing. “It looks like we’re going to have to order pizza.”
* * *
And then there’s the seventh-inning stretch.
Everyone is different. Have I said it before? It’s true. Some people are “all or nothing, jump right in, don’t look back” kind of people. Some people are “one toe at a time” kind of people. And some people fully intend to go into it one toe at a time but find themselves doing a triple gainer into the deep end before they realize what happened. I realize I just mixed sports metaphors, but you know what I mean, right? It’s all good. It’s just better if you know what kind of person you are before you start second-guessing everything you do.
The thing is, people go at their own pace, and each situation will affect their actions, sometimes producing surprising outcomes. There is no perfect numbered list, like they publish in those magazines in grocery-store-checkout racks. “10 Steps to Landing Your Dream Lover.” Really?
Anyway, the best advice you can use is this. If you listen to your heart, you’ll do well.
Chapter Twenty-two
It was Friday night, date night, and Izzy stepped out of the shower. The cold water had felt good. She’d gone for a run after work, but her skin had been hot all day thinking about what had happened on the couch the night before. She and Jane had barely talked all day, but their looks at each other the few times they crossed paths could’ve started fires. Izzy had alternated between aching for more to terror to do it again. The back-and-forth was exhausting. Now she was getting ready for the date and the amped-up rate of toggling was beyond ridiculous.
After last night, she told herself this date would not end with them in bed. Her libido, on the other hand, told her to shave her legs and wear cute underwear. She stared at her reflection and reminded herself they needed to go slow, take their time getting to know each other. God, she was nervous, mostly in a good way. But if she wasn’t careful, she could find herself in—No! She didn’t want to think like that. She just had to keep an eye on her emotions. Elation was a tricky beast. She was already feeling it, and she had to step back and wonder if it resulted from the normal pheromones and excitement of a possible good thing, or if she was tipping into the danger zone where racing thoughts and sustained mania lived? She was so tempted to let the elation take over, much like it had the night before. It felt good. But she had to be wary. She needed to remind herself to sleep, eat well, exercise, and take her medicine on schedule.
She leaned against the bathroom counter and shook her head. If she just stuck to her schedule, she could let the elation run its course. Going slow would help her manage all this. She took a deep breath and went into her room to get dressed.
A few minutes later, she rolled up the sleeves of her favorite button-up shirt. It was soft cotton, and the lavender looked good over the white T-shirt she wore under it. With her favorite jeans and new suede slip-on shoes, she felt just the right amount of casual for the restaurant she’d picked for them.
With rush hour over, the drive over to Jane’s house didn’t take much time. They lived only five miles apart, but rush hour could make the difference between a twenty-minute drive and an hour-long one. Sometimes, Izzy wondered what it would be like to work in a place where she didn’t have to factor in the drive time to reach places. But her family lived here, and aside from the driving commute, the crowds, and astronomical price of housing, San Jose was a great place to be. She didn’t mind the urban crowds. She owned her own home. Her house was a straight shot on the train from her work. She had it good here.
Jane’s house was in an older part of town Izzy loved but had little reason to visit. Her instructions had Izzy find a red gate with her address on it, which opened to a narrow sidewalk flanked with wooden fencing running alongside the side of a massive Victorian house. The fence on either side was draped in a vine sporting a plethora of sweetly aromatic white trumpet flowers. Walking down the path, she felt a little like she was in a fairy tale, venturing into a magical realm.
Jane’s house was an ivy-covered granny flat with lots of windows. A water fountain gurgled under a front window.
Izzy knocked on the front door, and Lester barked on the other side of it.
Jane’s voice followed. “Hush, big man. It’s your friend Izzy.”
The door opened, and Izzy’s heartbeat increased. Lester looked at her with a friendly doggy smile, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Izzy patted him on the head, but her eyes were riveted on Jane.
“You look awesome.” Jane’s appearance deserved a more eloquent comment, but Izzy couldn’t think of one. Jane glanced down at her pale-yellow sundress with small blue flowers and then up with a shy smile. She always looked good but normally wore her hair back or in a ponytail. Today her hair was loose. Izzy could almost feel her fingers slipping through the long strands.
“You clean up nice, too. But I already knew that from when I rescued you from Boozy McHandsy,” Jane said.
“Boozy McWhat?”
“The woman you went out with who wouldn’t take no for an answer?” A crease appeared between Jane’s eyebrows.
Was that jealousy in Jane’s expression? “Yeah. Fun times.”
Jane pushed her hair over her shoulder. “You and I have way different ideas of fun.”
Izzy reached up and moved a lingering strand of hair. “I was thinking about the platform when we were waiting for the train, actually.”
Jane’s eyes dropped to Izzy’s mouth.
Izzy’s stomach fluttered with anxiety and something else.
The side of Jane’s mouth rose. “Oh, yeah. Fun is an understatement, then.”
A cat weaved between Jane’s ankles, and they both looked down.
“Who’s this?” Izzy asked, bending to pet the black-and-white-spotted cat.
“This is Juliet. You will now be her favorite person ever because you scratched behind her ears.”
Izzy stared at Jane. God, she wanted to kiss her. Another nearly identical cat rubbed against her leg.
“And who is this?” Izzy asked.
“Romeo. They’re brother and sister.” Izzy raised an eyebrow and looked up at Jane again as she petted both cats. “I know. But it’s purely familial love between them, I assure you.”
“Are they allowed outside?”
“They’re inside cats. They’ll sit in the doorway and sometimes venture out to look around, but neither of them seems interested in exploring beyond the front stoop.”
“My cats are indoor cats, too.”
“I didn’t see them when I was over the other day.”
Izzy stood. “Fat Bob and Prince. They were running on only twenty-three hours of sleep and couldn’t be bothered to meet guests. If you had been there when they were awake, you would have had a cat lap blanket. They love company.”
“Speaking of company, why are we still on the porch? Come in. Where are my manners?”
“I’d love to, but we should leave. Our reservation is in twenty minutes.”
Did disappointment cloud Jane’s eyes?
* * *
Jane rolled down the window of Izzy’s Tesla, and fragrant night air filled the car. It was late, and the heat of the summer day had transitioned into a pleasantly cool night. Izzy glanced at her passenger and wished she wasn’t driving so she could watch her hair blowing in the wind and her beautiful skin glow in the lights from the car’s computer display.
The date had been better than she’d hoped, and she’d expected it to be wonderful. Their conversation over dinner had been engaging, the live music after dinner had been perfect, and the walk they’d taken after dinner, hand in hand through the flower garden in a local park, had been just right. It was now past midnight, and even the ride home was something out of a fairy tale.
When they arrived at Jane’s gate, Izzy got out of the car to walk Jane to her door. After she opened the gate, Jane took her hand, and they strolled along the walk toward her little flat.
Jane reached out and cupped one of the white trumpet flowers in her hand, and a sweet fragrance rose in the air. “I had a truly wonderful night tonight.”
“I did, too. Thanks for humoring me and going on a date with me.”
Jane looked at her, the light from the moon reflecting in her eyes. Izzy’s stomach did a cartwheel, a frequent sensation she’d experienced throughout the night any time Jane looked at her.
“I wasn’t humoring you. I looked forward to this all day.”
“Me, too,” Izzy said. They’d made it to Jane’s door, where Jane held both her hands in hers, and Izzy looked at them. “I wish the night wasn’t over. I really enjoy being with you.”
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