“But…you just disappeared on me, Gretchen. I mean, I know you had stuff to deal with at your dad’s, but…you were just gone. It hurt. After the time we spent together last weekend, it hurt a lot. I didn’t know what to think.”
Gretchen wet her lips. “I know. I’m sorry. I really am. I had so much to sort through, Kylie. I was confused about so many things…things about my father and things about you. I wanted to talk to you so badly.”
“And instead you left me a cryptic, I-need-time-to-think message on my voice-mail.”
“I know. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Kylie said.
“I just wanted to talk to you so badly.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But I couldn’t. Don’t you see?” Gretchen inched closer and took Kylie’s hands in her own, studying them, remembering how they felt on her, how those fingers could be both gentle and demanding at the same time. She focused on the words in her head. “I had to do some serious soul searching and I had to do it on my own, with no outside influences…not even yours, much as I wanted it. It was the only way to make sense of what was going on in my head. It was the only way to come to honest, unbiased conclusions about what I was feeling.” Kylie was quiet for several seconds, but her eyes never left Gretchen’s face. It was as if she was expecting answers to appear directly on Gretchen’s skin. “And what conclusions did you come to? About what you were feeling?”
Kylie looked so sweet and so beautiful, Gretchen thought she might melt into a puddle right there on the couch. She felt so overcome with emotion that the next words slipped from her mouth before she had time to even think about editing them. “I’m in love with you, Kylie.
I’m so in love with you I can barely see straight. No pun intended.” She took a deep, relieved breath. “There. I said it.” Flashing a nervous grin, Gretchen felt as if an enormous weight had just been lifted and she was suddenly light as a feather. She inhaled again and said it once more for good measure. “I’m in love with you.” She watched with enormous affection as Kylie’s impossibly blue eyes welled and one tear spilled over from each eye, rolling down her flushed cheeks. “Please tell me those are tears of joy,” she whispered.
Kylie could only nod, her throat closed up by emotion.
Gretchen held her arms open. “Come here.” Kylie threw herself forward into the waiting embrace. “I love you, too,” she murmured into Gretchen’s shoulder and felt Gretchen’s hold on her tighten.
Suddenly, a huge crash of thunder rocked the house. Gretchen chuckled at the timing. “I hope this isn’t the part where you begin to laugh maniacally and I realize I’ve just sold my soul to the devil.” Kylie’s shoulders shook as she laughed, but instead of a verbal answer, Gretchen felt warm lips on her neck, nibbling gently and working their way up to her ear. Kylie held Gretchen’s face in her hands as she pulled back and looked her in the eyes. A flash of lightning colored the room an eerie gray for a split second.
“I love you, Gretchen,” Kylie whispered. “I have for a long time.” Without waiting for a response, she pulled Gretchen closer and kissed her slowly and deeply, trying to convey all she was feeling into that one action.
Gretchen let herself sink into the kiss, allowing her entire being to center on the unbroken connection of mouth to mouth, focusing all her energy on the wonderfully intense heat that suddenly ignited between them.
The lightning flashed again and was followed a few seconds later by another crack of thunder and the sound of harder rain spattering the house. The two women on the couch barely flinched, so lost in one another were they. Their easily paced kissing didn’t last long, though, as Kylie began pulling at Gretchen’s clothes, her arousal increasing dramatically the longer her lips were fused to Gretchen’s.
“You’re overdressed,” she complained. “Take these off. Now.” Gretchen arched an eyebrow, as she had just been thinking the same thing about Kylie. She tugged at the shoulder strap of the yellow tank. “Maybe we should take this up to your bedroom.” Kylie nodded, then yanked on the neckline of Gretchen’s T-shirt and fastened her mouth to the exposed collarbone before sliding up to her throat. Gretchen groaned, slipping her fingers into Kylie’s still-wet and shockingly soft hair. Holding her head in place, Gretchen dropped her own head back as the sensations of whatever Kylie was doing with her mouth shot straight to her groin.
Somehow, she managed to stand, pulling Kylie up with her. She divested Kylie of her tank top. As if in a duel, Kylie grabbed Gretchen’s T-shirt and pulled it over her head until they both stood in their bras and shorts, breathing heavily and staring at one another. Their mouths found each other once again and they performed the nearly impossible feat of kissing and walking at the same time, making it halfway up Kylie’s stairway before losing their balance.
Gretchen found herself on her back on the steps, the carpeting rough on her bare skin. She kicked off her shoes, hearing them tumble down several stairs. Kylie was on top of her, wrenching at the button of her shorts, her tongue deep in Gretchen’s mouth, chasing all other thoughts from her head.
Kylie wanted nothing more than to have Gretchen completely naked under her hands, but the steps were hindering her progress. She wrenched her mouth from Gretchen’s, who whimpered at the loss of contact, and pulled her to her feet. Leading her quickly by the hand, she led her up the rest of the stairs and down the hall until they finally fell backward once again the second they hit the edge of Kylie’s bed.
The windows were open and a stiff, hot breeze was blowing through the room, carrying with it the smell of rain and ozone. The two finally naked women wrestled for top position, clamoring all over one another with hands, lips, and teeth. Gretchen was much stronger than she appeared, but she was no match for Kylie’s taller, more muscular frame and before long, she found herself flat on her back, Kylie straddling her hips and pinning her arms over her head.
Both of them breathed raggedly, their chests heaving, their skin slick with sweat, the air charged with the heady combination of sex, desire, and love. Their gazes held, the connection electric. Kylie switched her grip so she held Gretchen’s wrists in one hand while she allowed the other to roam Gretchen’s body. Her eyes never left Gretchen’s as her fingertips skimmed along the pale, soft skin of Gretchen’s shoulder, her chest, down the center of her torso, and then her palm flattened over the quivering abdomen. There was a slight paunch there and it made Kylie smile with affection. As it should be.
She reversed her path and moved back up to catch one small breast in her hand. Gretchen squirmed beneath her as Kylie kneaded the flesh, liking its compact size. She felt the pink nipple tighten beneath her palm and she focused in on it, capturing it with her finger and thumb, rolling it and tugging it gently until Gretchen bit her bottom lip and her eyes fluttered closed. When Kylie bent forward and took it in her mouth, Gretchen growled and pushed her head back into the pillow, twisting her wrists in Kylie’s grip.
“God, Kylie. You’re driving me crazy.”
“Get used to it,” Kylie replied, biting down and then smiling as Gretchen’s entire body flinched.
The thunder rolled on relentlessly, as did Kylie’s mouth. By the time she had freed Gretchen’s hands and her head was tucked securely between Gretchen’s thighs, Gretchen thought her entire body might simply implode. When she tried to participate in the directing of things by digging her fingers into Kylie’s hair, Kylie stopped her ministrations just long enough to command, “Let me,” and grasped her wrists firmly, holding them to the mattress at Gretchen’s sides.
Relinquishing control was not something Gretchen did eagerly and she actually struggled a bit, but Kylie held tightly. When she tugged on Gretchen’s wrists, it caused her mouth to push more firmly into Gretchen’s center and she used that maneuver to her advantage, enjoying the gasp it forced from her partner. It happened three times before a guttural groan erupted up from deep in Gretchen’s body and escaped from her throat as the orgasm took her, full
force. She arched her back, slamming her head back into the pillow and hissing Kylie’s name, her hands fisted in Kylie’s grip.
Kylie held tightly, her mouth still moving, still tasting, but her eyes watching Gretchen’s body. The display was a most magnificent performance, dazzling in its sensuality, and made more beautiful by the flash of lightning that sizzled through the room.
“Okay,” Gretchen whispered, her voice ragged and breathless, her chest heaving. “Okay. Stop. Stop. Christ.” Kylie smiled and released Gretchen’s hands. She placed one last, gentle kiss on the warm, slick flesh beneath her lips, causing Gretchen’s hips to jerk in response.
“Please,” Gretchen begged. “Come up here.” Kylie did as she was asked, feeling more satisfied than she had in ages. She kissed Gretchen sweetly on the mouth, lingering only a little before Gretchen wrapped her arms around her and pulled her down.
“Oh, God,” Gretchen moaned as Kylie settled her weight. “You’re so warm.”
Kylie burrowed in and sighed in happiness as she felt Gretchen’s arms tighten around her. She slid a little to the side so her full weight wasn’t crushing Gretchen, and threw one leg over hers. She settled her head on Gretchen’s shoulder. She could feel Gretchen’s wetness on her knee and she fought hard to keep from pushing into her. Gretchen pressed a kiss to Kylie’s forehead and they lay in silent contentment for a long while. Kylie was just about to drift off when Gretchen spoke.
“Kylie? You asleep?”
“Yes,” Kylie answered wryly.
“Can we talk a little?”
“You can talk as much as you want. You have no idea what your voice does to me.”
“Oh yeah?”
“If you weren’t such a great sales manager, I’d suggest a career in the wonderful world of phone sex.”
Gretchen smiled. “I’ll file that away for later. Maybe I’ll call you sometime and you can rate me.”
“You’re on.”
“Kylie, I…” Gretchen faltered and seemed to be searching for the right words.
Kylie lifted her head. “Oh, Gretchen, you’re not dumping me already, are you?”
“What?” Gretchen’s eyes widened in surprise. “No! No, of course not.”
Kylie settled back down. “Thank God.”
Gretchen chuckled. “I guess I’ve sort of given you the right to expect that, haven’t I?”
“You do seem to like to check out during the afterglow, so to speak.”
Gretchen grimaced, realizing the validity of the statement.
“Is that when you panic?” Kylie’s voice was soft and without accusation.
Gretchen nodded. “Yeah. I think so.”
“Are you panicking now?”
“No.” Gretchen inhaled and let the air out slowly. “But I am worried.”
“About what?”
“About a lot of things.”
Kylie drew small patterns on Gretchen’s stomach with her fingertips. “Name a couple.”
Gretchen cleared her throat. “Well, let’s see.” She paused, trying to determine exactly how honest she should be and decided on 100 percent. “I’m worried that I’ll screw this up. I’m worried that I’m not what you think I am. I’m worried that I’m going to hurt you.” Kylie smiled. “You’re so predictable. Do you know that?” Gretchen turned to face the woman in her arms, her face showing a combination of insult and puzzlement. “I’m predictable?”
“It’s not meant as a jab, sweetie. I just mean that I’m not the least bit surprised that you’re worried about these things.”
“You’re not?”
“No. You’re a perfectionist and a control freak.” She laughed at the mock anger that crossed Gretchen’s face. “Oh, come on. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. All I’m saying is, given your personality type, it would be very strange for you not to be worried about those things.”
“Oh.” It was the only answer she had to respond to such an accurate assessment.
“And for what it’s worth, I worry, too. So there.”
“Yeah? About what?”
“The same things you do. I don’t want to screw this up. I don’t want to hurt you. And I want to be everything you want me to be, everything you think I am, but I’m sure that I won’t.” Gretchen absorbed the information in silence.
“All we can do is our best, right?” Kylie asked.
And just like that, the simplest answer was the right one. Gretchen nodded and tightened her arms around Kylie. She pulled the sheet up to cover them lightly. They lay in each other’s embrace and listened to the sound of the rain falling gently around them, the thunder a distant, rumbling memory moving east.
“I love you, Gretchen,” Kylie whispered, just before she let go completely and allowed sleep to claim her.
* * *
Kylie felt like she was underwater, the sound muffled, her body throbbing as she debated pulling herself into wakefulness. She was so warm and comfortable in this place, a sensual tingle buzzing through her, making her limbs seem exhaustedly heavy and feather-light at the same time. Then the tingle became stronger, more of a pulse that settled directly between her thighs, a delicious aching need that had an unmistakable rhythm.
She pulled herself up from the depths with effort and opened her eyes to three wonderful realities: Gretchen’s body stretched along the length of hers, Gretchen’s mouth fastened onto and sucking one of her breasts, and Gretchen’s fingers between her legs, sending little shocks of pleasure throughout her body as if controlling her completely from that nerve center.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered as she tried to focus in the darkness of the room. “Gretchen.”
“I’m sorry,” Gretchen whispered back as she looked up, her fingers never ceasing their movement. “I couldn’t help it. I woke up and I was watching you sleep and you were just so damn beautiful, I had to touch you.” She didn’t sound the least bit regretful and her eyebrow arched wickedly as she continued, “And you were so wet.” Kylie could respond with nothing more than a whimper, and then Gretchen’s mouth covered hers in a searing kiss. Tongues battled, pressure increased, and Kylie was rushed to the edge before she was even fully awake, her body refusing to wait for her. Her muscles tensed and strained as she teetered, waiting for release. Her body arched, and Gretchen felt the delicious pain of Kylie’s fingernails on her back.
“I love you,” she hissed into Kylie’s ear, giving her a final push with her fingers, her voice, and her heart.
The erotic cry ripped from Kylie’s chest was almost enough to send Gretchen over right behind her. God, I love that sound. She watched and listened, awed by the effect Kylie’s climax had on her, how it filled her so completely with love and passion and confidence. She wished with every ounce of her being that it would always be this way and she knew instinctively, deep inside, that it was actually possible. With Kylie by her side, anything was possible.
They lay together in the aftermath. No more words were spoken as Kylie struggled to catch her breath. Gretchen kissed her neck, her cheek, her forehead, and withdrew her fingers gently. She wrapped them up in each other until they were nothing but a mass of tangled, exhausted limbs, heaving lungs, and racing hearts covered with a midnight blue cotton sheet.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Stephen Jenkins’s office, this is Kylie. May I help you?”
“What are you wearing?”
“Who is this?”
“Funny.”
“Why are you harassing me at work?” Kylie did her best to hide the smirk, knowing Gretchen could hear it anyway. “I have very important things to do, you know.”
“Are you wearing the black silk set or the blue one?”
“I think you’re single-handedly keeping Victoria’s Secret in business.”
“If you didn’t look so damn edible in their stuff, I wouldn’t be forced to buy it. Just tell me which color. Please?”
“If you had come over last night, you’d know, now wouldn’t you?” Kylie adopted a teasing
tone to take any sting from the words.
“Touché. I’m sorry, sweetie.” Gretchen’s voice sounded truly apologetic. “I really needed to get my monthly sales figures in order and I knew if I was anywhere near you, there would be no work getting done. Not to mention I needed some sleep.”
“Are you saying I’m a distraction?”
“The biggest.”
“And I prevent you from getting any sleep?”
“You have no idea.”
“Well, I’m sorry about that.”
“Liar.”
Kylie laughed because it was true. She was still learning the effects she had on Gretchen, physically as well as emotionally. She chuckled inside because Gretchen had the exact same effects on her; she just didn’t realize it yet. All Gretchen had to do was look at her and Kylie could completely lose her train of thought. She could be speaking to other people and if Gretchen glanced her way, she’d falter in mid-sentence, totally forgetting what she was going to say. It was unnerving…and devastatingly sexy.
She was well aware that their “newness” would eventually wear off—or at least tone down a little—and they would be able to actually sleep when they were together. She vividly recalled three nights ago when they’d made love on Gretchen’s kitchen floor, unable to wait even long enough to make it to the bedroom. Clearing her throat, she pressed her lips together and looked around in embarrassment, wondering if any of her colleagues could read her filthy mind.
“What time are you picking me up tonight?” she asked, thinking a change of subject was definitely in order.
“About six thirty.” Gretchen’s voice softened. “Nervous?”
“A little. Yeah.”
“No need, love. Pete already adores you and Allyson is the sweetest woman on the face of the earth. You two are going to hit it off and I’m going to have to drag you out of there kicking and screaming when it’s time to go.”
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