I’m home.
At that very moment, Kylie came violently, arching up off the bed as her hand left Gretchen’s arm and instead clamped the back of Gretchen’s head, holding her in place. Gretchen’s eyes looked up the length of Kylie’s body and watched her orgasm, then slowly relax, and the overwhelming splendor of what she saw made her emotions surge higher. As Kylie’s hand slipped away from Gretchen’s head, Gretchen’s chest filled with warmth, a feeling completely unfamiliar to her. Before she had time to analyze what was happening, a sob ripped up through her and tore its way from her throat. She climbed up to her knees, her hands on either side of Kylie’s waist, and was unable to stop the tears.
“Gretchen?” Kylie blinked, her breathing still ragged. “Honey? What is it?”
Gretchen was horrified by her own weeping and she clamped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to control herself.
“Oh, God, sweetie. Come here.” Kylie pulled Gretchen down on top of her and, meeting no resistance, wrapped her arms around the shaking shoulders. “I’m so sorry. I was worried that this was a bad idea. I should have known…”
“No,” Gretchen managed to croak out. “No. It wasn’t.” She sniffed, then pushed herself up far enough to make out Kylie’s face, seeing the worry there. “I…” She gazed around the dark room looking for a clear thought to grab a hold of. “I don’t know how to put this into words…” Kylie reached out and lovingly tucked Gretchen’s wild hair behind her ear. “Just talk to me,” she said softly. “Tell me what you’re feeling.”
Gretchen’s eyes found Kylie’s and locked onto them and she swore she could feel energy and courage pouring into her. “I buried my father less than twenty-four hours ago, but…I’ve never felt so… complete in my whole life like I do here with you tonight.” This time, Kylie was the one filled with emotion. Her eyes welled and one tear spilled over as she swallowed audibly. “Oh, Gretchen,” she whispered and pulled her close, wrapping her up and holding her as tightly as possible.
Gretchen burrowed into Kylie’s neck and inhaled the sweet smell of her. She pulled the sheet up over their entwined bodies. She never wanted to leave this spot. Ever.
* * *
Sunlight streamed through the open windows, forcing Kylie to either turn her head in the other direction or have her eyes lanced by the cheerful but irritating rays of brightness. She didn’t open them right away, instead listening and feeling in order to reacquaint herself with her surroundings.
She was lying on her stomach, the light sheet covering her backside and one leg, but other than that, she was completely naked and exposed.
A Cheshire cat grin spread itself slowly across her face as she gradually recalled the activities of the previous night, the pleasant soreness in her thighs reassuring her that it was no dream. When her brain replayed for her Gretchen’s emotional breakdown, she realized she was alone in the bed. Only then did she open her eyes.
The sound of water running registered in her ears and she barely had to move her head at all to see into the small adjoining bathroom.
Gretchen’s back was to her and she was still clad in the small white tank top and striped drawstring pants. She was bent over the sink washing her face, and the sight of the cotton stretched over her petite but shapely ass sent a shot of desire through Kylie that surprised her with its intensity.
She got up immediately and padded naked across the floor to the bathroom. When Gretchen stood up straight, water dripping from her face, Kylie was right behind her. Gretchen gasped in surprise, then relaxed and smiled in the mirror at the reflection of the gorgeous woman at her back.
“Good morning,” she said, her low voice quiet in the stillness of the room.
“Good morning to you, you beautiful creature.” Kylie’s arms encircled Gretchen from behind and she hugged her tightly and studied her still-wet face in the mirror. She planted a soft kiss on the exposed part of Gretchen’s shoulder. “How do you feel?” Gretchen nodded. “I’m doing okay. How ’bout you?”
“My legs are sore.”
Gretchen pressed her lips together in a feeble attempt to suppress a grin. “Really? Huh.”
Kylie tightened her grip, rubbing her cheek against Gretchen’s hair, marveling over the feel of the compact body in her arms, its muscles surprisingly tight. “And I realized something.”
“What’s that?” Gretchen was effectively trapped between the edge of the sink and Kylie’s body, giving her a combined sense of unease and arousal. Kylie’s lips skirted along the ridges of her ear and sent goose bumps across her arms.
“I realized that I barely got a chance to touch you last night.” It was scarcely a whisper, but erotic chills shot down Gretchen’s spine.
Kylie slipped a hand under Gretchen’s tank top and moved upward, capturing one small breast and kneading it firmly. Within seconds, the tight nipple was pushing into her palm.
“Oh.” It was the only word Gretchen could manage to form coherently.
She was shocked by how quickly her body was responding to Kylie. It wasn’t that she was usually slow to arousal, it was that this time, it was virtually immediate. She gripped the edges of the small vanity with both wet hands as Kylie’s lips traveled along the side of her neck, lapping up the trickles of water before fastening onto the juncture of her neck and shoulder. She bit down firmly.
Gretchen gasped. “God…”
“I know you like to be the one in control, Gretchen, but every so often, you’re going to have to give that over to me.” Kylie’s tone was conspiratorial, as if she was letting Gretchen in on a little secret.
Gretchen was astonished to find herself completely at the mercy of the woman behind her, the same woman she had unrelentingly dominated the night before.
Kylie’s fingers pulled at the drawstring of Gretchen’s pants.
“Understand?”
Gretchen nodded quickly, a groan escaping her lungs as Kylie’s hand slipped into her pants and dipped down into the slickness that signaled just how much she understood.
Kylie whimpered as her fingers sank into the warmth. “Oh, my God,” she whispered with awe in her voice. Gretchen was already soaked. “Do I do this to you?”
“You have no idea.”
Kylie worked both hands at once, kneading Gretchen’s breast and rolling her nipple at the same time and in the same rhythm she used to stroke the liquid silk between Gretchen’s legs. Gretchen dropped her head back onto Kylie’s shoulder, her eyes drifting shut at the sensations that were washing over her.
Kylie’s tongue explored the whorls and folds of Gretchen’s ear, dipping in and around, sucking the soft lobe into her mouth. She was completely absorbed by the feel of this woman in her arms. Gretchen’s body was small, smaller than most would expect given her large personality and her penchant for controlling things. But everything was taut…her belly, her arms, her rear end.
Kylie had always thought Gretchen had a dancer’s body, but actually feeling the dichotomy of the strong, sinewy muscle covered with soft, velvety skin was more amazing than she’d even imagined.
She suddenly felt like she couldn’t get enough. Gretchen was breathing heavily against her, her hips rocking subtly with the rhythm of Kylie’s fingers between her legs. Kylie picked up the pace, watching Gretchen’s face in the mirror.
“Gretchen,” she whispered into the ear next to her lips. “Gretchen.
Look at me.” She kept her rhythm steady as Gretchen opened her eyes and blinked, her entire body moving with Kylie. Their eyes locked in the mirror and Gretchen reached up and grasped the back of Kylie’s neck. They stayed that way for several long, blissful minutes, their eyes boring into one another as Kylie’s fingers moved deftly, lovingly, speeding up and then slowing down depending upon Gretchen’s facial expressions.
“Kylie,” Gretchen croaked at last, not sure how much more teasing she could take. “Please.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and tightened her grip on Kylie’s neck. “Please?” Kylie smiled tenderly at Gretche
n’s reflection, allowing the image to burn itself into her brain. “Okay,” she whispered into Gretchen’s ear as she applied heavier, steady pressure. “Come on, love.” Kylie’s adjusted touch, combined with the intensity of their stare and the sound of Kylie’s voice in her ear, finally pushed Gretchen off the precipice on which she’d been perched. She ground her teeth together, a low growl erupting from her chest as she pushed her head back into Kylie’s shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut.
Kylie suppressed a wince as Gretchen’s fingernails dug into her neck as well as the forearm that snaked up Gretchen’s shirt. As Gretchen’s body began to relax, Kylie tightened her grip to keep her from sliding to the floor.
“Good Lord,” Gretchen said, her voice an exhausted sigh. “That…you…I don’t think I can stand up anymore.” Kylie chuckled. “Then let’s get back into bed, shall we?” Gretchen followed obediently and when they reached the edge of the mattress, Kylie turned to her, grasping the tank top and tugging it gently over Gretchen’s head. “I want to feel your skin against me, not your pajamas.”
Gretchen stepped out of her pants and crawled under the sheets with Kylie, opening her arms so Kylie could settle her head on Gretchen’s shoulder. A few more limb adjustments and they were completely wrapped up in one another.
Kylie sighed in contentment. “Oh, this is nice.” Gretchen tightened her grip, reveling in the unfamiliar feeling of satisfaction. “Yes, it is.” I never have to move again.
They were quiet for a long while, the hypnotic sound of their breathing the only noise in the room. Just when Gretchen began to think Kylie had fallen back to sleep, she spoke.
“Gretchen?”
“Hmm?”
“What will you do now?”
Gretchen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while longer. I have to go through my father’s papers with J.J. There are issues with the house. You know. Things like that.”
Kylie nodded against her, surprised but silently pleased that Gretchen wasn’t immediately running back to the office. “I think that’s a good idea. Work can wait. You have more important things to deal with.” She paused, then added, “I wish I could stay here and help you.”
Gretchen placed a soft kiss on Kylie’s forehead. “So do I. But it’s not a good idea for both of us to be gone from the office at the same time. The field reps will panic.” She felt Kylie’s throaty laugh vibrate through her body.
“That’s an understatement. God forbid I’m not at Jason Bergman’s beck and call. He’s liable to have a nervous breakdown.” Gretchen smiled and they burrowed closer to one another, reluctant to allow any space between their bodies. Kylie suppressed a frown, her mind awash in the events of the past twenty-four hours. There was so much she wanted to say to Gretchen, so much she wanted to ask. What was last night? Was it a one-time thing or is there something more here for you like there is for me? If I leave you here, when will you be back?
And when you are, what will I be to you?
But fear of the answers kept her lips fused closed and her voice box achingly silent. After several long minutes, she realized that Gretchen had fallen back to sleep. She swallowed her anxiety and tightened her arm around Gretchen’s midsection, determined to enjoy and remember every second of this closeness that she could…just in case.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kylie was feeling too many emotions at once and she found that fact to be both exhausting and annoying. It was Wednesday and she’d discovered, much to her dismay, that it was nearly as difficult to not call somebody as it was to work up the nerve to call them.
What was worse was that all she wanted to do about her situation with Gretchen was to talk it over with her best friend. But Mick had been avoiding her like the plague and Kylie had no idea how to fix the mess she’d helped create.
On one hand, she completely understood Mick’s evasion. I’d do the same thing in her shoes. Thinking back on that night, Kylie shook her head in self-disgust. At the same time, she was angry at Mick, too.
Am I a mind reader? How was I supposed to know how she felt? In twenty years, she never said a word!
This internal discussion had gone on endlessly. Combined with her Herculean efforts to not call Gretchen twenty-seven times a day, her forced reassurance of the sales reps who called to offer Gretchen their condolences, and her attempts to keep her mind at least somewhat focused on her job, Kylie felt like she was going insane. Two of the most important people in my life and I can’t figure out a way to talk to either one of them.
Her departure from Poughkeepsie on Sunday had been hard.
She’d had to continually remind herself not to cling to Gretchen like lint as she hugged her good-bye. She’d wanted promises; she’d wanted professions of love. She’d gotten neither and she’d made neither and it was more frustrating than she’d imagined it could be.
She’d spoken to Gretchen on Sunday night, dutifully as requested, to let her know she’d made the drive safely and arrived home in one piece, but it was late and they were both tired, so the call had been brief. They’d also talked on Monday evening. It, too, had been a short conversation, as Gretchen was emotionally drained from her trip down memory lane going through her father’s things and not in a terribly conversational mood. Understandably so. Kylie had wished her a good night and hung up, trying not to let her disappointment overwhelm her.
On Tuesday afternoon, Gretchen had called the office to make sure everything Emerson-related was running smoothly. It was, Kylie reported. She told Gretchen not to worry, that everything was well under control and to take whatever time she needed. Gretchen had thanked her and ended the call. By Wednesday morning, Kylie was ready to take the bridge.
Later that day, when Kylie returned from grabbing a quick sandwich, there was one message from Gretchen. Kylie was annoyed that she’d called during the lunch hour. The best chance of avoiding me, she thought bitterly. Still, she played it six times just to hear Gretchen’s voice.
“Hi, Kylie, it’s me. Just checking in, making sure no crises have developed.” There was a long, uncomfortable pause. “Look…I’m really sorry. I’m not in a very good place right now and I…I need to think about…I have to…Christ, I don’t even know what I’m saying. Just…just give me a call if something comes up that needs my attention.” Kylie felt a wave of dread at the implications of the message. She needs to think? She’s not in a good place? Neither of those statements boded well. Gretchen sounded so tired. Kylie wished she could be there to help. She also wished Gretchen would ask for her help…for her presence…for anything at all, but for the first time, she began to seriously doubt it was going to happen. The thought was more than she could bear.
The phone rang and her heart skipped a beat, as it had been prone to doing all week, a fact that was beginning to irritate her. She snapped it up.
“Gretchen Kaiser’s office, this is Kylie. May I help you?”
“Hi, Kylie, this is Jessica Scott returning Gretchen’s call. Is she in?”
Kylie was confused. Returning Gretchen’s call? “No, I’m sorry, Ms. Scott, she’s not. She’s—”
“Oh, wait,” Jessica interrupted. “I see she actually left me the Poughkeepsie number. It would be nice if I paid attention once in a while, huh?” Her laughter peeled across the line and Kylie winced as if it was fingernails on a chalk board. “I’ll call her there. Sorry to have bothered you.”
“No problem,” Kylie muttered to the dial tone. Her brain instantly replayed the conversation she and Gretchen had had about the infamous Jessica Scott when they’d had dinner together.
“She probably just wants to see how things are going. She might have heard through the grapevine that upper management was happy with our budget revisions. She might just want to say hi.”
“She’s your ex!”
“Not exactly.”
“You’ve slept with her, though.”
“Yes. We’ve…kept in touch.”
A mix of jealousy
and panic rose within her and threatened to choke her where she sat. Gretchen had called Jessica from Poughkeepsie? She called her? But not me? Well, she called me, but not exactly to chat.
Why Jessica? Why…
Her thought process stopped abruptly when she remembered the other thing Gretchen had said about Jessica.
“I was ready to get out and Jessica called me at just the right time. She keeps me aware of what’s going on in my field.” Kylie rubbed at her temple with her fingertips. Was Gretchen looking for a new job? Already? Without even talking to her about things first? The idea was almost more than she could bear. She felt like a lead blanket had just been dropped over her shoulders and the air seemed to completely abandon the room.
After all that had happened between them, how could Gretchen close her out this way? They’d made love—no, they’d made passionate love—but it had been more than that. Hadn’t it? They’d made a connection, a solid, emotional connection, and Kylie had been sure they were on a path to… She searched the air for the right words. Something more? It was vague, but frighteningly accurate.
She avoided thinking too much about any kind of a future with Gretchen, but she knew deep down that’s exactly what she wanted.
She thought Gretchen had wanted it too, but now, she wasn’t so sure.
Gretchen’s message left her uncertain. The uncertainty made her angry.
She wanted to call Gretchen, call her right now and ask her what the hell was going on. But she thought of Gretchen’s deep, throaty voice on her voice-mail, of how utterly exhausted she sounded, how hard it must be to sort and sift through an entire life’s possessions of your dead parent, and she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bear to call and burden her with more.
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