by Gayle Keo
Every part of her was glorious to behind, and Melody found herself wondering how she could have doubted her ability to want this woman.
“You okay?”
Melody realized she had been standing there for just a little too long.
“More than.”
She slid her hands inside the robe to touch the bare skin of those hip tattoos and plastered her mouth to Tara's. She used her body to pin the other woman against the firm line of the fridge, pushing herself against the soft lines.
Tara's kiss was hungry. Her tongue dove into Melody's mouth over and over again while her dark nailed hands dug into Mel's blonde curls. Tara made a sound of ardent bliss. The kiss seemed to go on for ever as they tasted one another, a dance of tongues and lips until Melody finally relented and pulled back.
“I want you,” she whispered, and bent, just enough to slide her tongue over one pierced nipple. She drew it into her mouth and played with it. It surprised her how much she enjoyed the feel of Tara's breast against her lips. The rough tip against her tongue was a pleasant sensation. She went from one breast to the other until Tara was making soft sounds.
“Am I doing okay?” Melody asked.
“Mmmhmm,” Tara purred.
“How about more?”
Melody went to her knees, tracing her tongue over the little skull piercing, and then the claw and pride flag tattoos. She kept her gaze on Tara's face, watching carefully to see what the other woman enjoyed. So far as she could tell, Tara was liking it all.
“You don't have to,” Tara said softly, “you've got absolutely nothing to prove to me.”
“Okay,” Melody said, and placed her very first kiss on Tara's nether lips. The woman made a little sound and jerked in surprise. It wasn't quite like kissing a another mouth, for one thing there was no tongue, but it was close. Gingerly Melody wrapped her lips around the other woman's cleft, sucking gently as she swept her tongue over all the sensitive parts. The tip of her tongue played along the nub at the very apex of the division and knew when she found the exact spot for Tara's pleasure.
“Oh!” Tara gasped, placing her hand on Melody's head. She held her in position. “Right there.”
Melody gave. She didn't tease or vary her movements. She kept a steady rhythm on that swelling button. Tara's leg twitch, opening her further, Melody dove in. She felt the wet heat against her cheeks and chin. It was thrilling. Her tongue went wild, coaxing every sound from that musical throat that she could manage. And then she felt it. Tara's body went rigid and still against the fridge, and then surged forward, as if riding some invisible beast, driving her cleft against Melody's mouth.
“Oh god,” Tara gasped.
Melody pulled back, sitting down on the linoleum, wiping wetness from her chin. “That went a lot better than I expected.”
Tara laughed. Her cheeks were flushed and her damp hair looked a little mussed, like she had been dragging her fingers through it. Maybe she had. Melody hadn't been paying attention to her face at the time.
“Same,” Tara said, “give me a moment and I'll return the favor.”
“Only if you want to.”
Tara fixed those dark eyes, made darker by her recent pleasure, on Melody. “I do.”
Melody shivered.
A few minutes later she found herself naked and laid out on Tara's futon bed. The orange terry cloth robe was a puddle of fabric on the floor between the bed and the kitchen. A very naked Tara was laid out between Melody's legs. There was another tattoo on Tara's back. It was a punk rock mermaid with a dark tail, studded leather collar, and electric guitar. It danced as Tara began to kiss her way up Melody's thighs. She couldn't quite help but compare the silken caress of Tara's mouth to her previous experiences. Yuna had been right, it was different.
The first lick kept her from thinking on it any more. Tara's mouth was quick and confident, and slithered against Melody's body like a living snake. Every little lick fed the incredible need growing, building between her thighs. She had never wanted anything so bad in all of her life. She glanced down, and all she could see was the dark fall of short hair over her body, blocking her view from the dance of Tara's tongue.
“Ohh god,”
“Lay back,” Tara said, her breath a warm brush against Melody's thighs, “just enjoy it.”
Melody went lax against the futon. Her entire body felt like some instrument that Tara was master at playing. She closed her eyes and gave into the sensations. It did not take long. A ball of pleasant light build inside a nameless part of Melody's body. Her hips gyrated, and her toes curled. She watched the dark haired head move against her body and she lost control.
“Oh!” she cried out. “Tara!”
Tara kissed and teased Melody through the very height of pleasure. It came in waves, one following so close to the other that Melody's head started to spin with the intoxication of it. When she could finally think again she glanced down to see Tara's head pillowed against her belly.
“Hey you,” she whispered.
“Hey,” Melody croaked back.
*****
The sound of Melody's ring tone brought her out of a deep and comfortable sleep. It was “Fool's Rush out” by Instant Girl, and it always brought a smile to Melody's face when she heard it, even if that was at seven thirty in the morning on her day off.
She blinked open her eyes, still caked in a silvery blue make-up from the night before. It had been far too late after everything was said and done to give her face a proper washing. Her finger nails, now painted a vibrant blue that matched her eyes, raked through bed-tousled locks.
She rolled out of the now familiar embrace of her rocker girlfriend, pausing just long enough to leave a peck on the soft curve of Tara's shoulder. Tara, who was completely oblivious to any attempts at waking up before ten, mumbled happily and rolled back over.
These had been, quiet easily, some of the most incredible days of her life. Melody woke up in the arms of a very attractive person. She got to work the ticket stand during the days and do the make-up of local rock stars at night. Her name was beginning to mean something in that world thank to Sweetie. At the end of it all she got to crash on the cheap futon with the most incredible woman that she had ever met. Life was good.
The cell phone went silent a moment before Melody touched it. Her hand sat there, outstretched and lethargic as she drearily contemplated ignoring the missed call message or finding out who was trying to get a hold of her this early in the morning. When the phone went off again, that settled the answer.
“Hello?”
“Melody? Where are you?”
Melody's stomach lurched all the way into her chest.
“Momma?”
“Well of course. Who else? I'm at your apartment, why aren't you answering?”
Because she wasn't there. That was the easy answer. It was also the one that would have her mother asking a lot more questions.
“I stayed over at a friends last night. It was late when I got done with work.”
“Late?” her mother asked, voice full of worry. “How late? You shouldn't be out in a city like this.”
“Momma, I'm perfectly safe. I promise.”
“Don't lie to me, young lady. I am not a full. I know very well what happens late at night in big cities like this. What job were you working so late?”
“Make-up. I've been doing the make-up for some local bands.”
“You expect me to believe you stayed out too late because of make-up.”
“Momma, I don't have a curfew anymore. It can't be too late if I don't have a time to be home.”
Melody felt Tara finally begin to stir next to her. A single hand, with fingertips callused with the strumming of guitars, laid upon her hip in silent comfort. Melody wrapped her hand over it.
“Will you be coming back or should I just stand here in the hallway and wait?”
“I'll be there in a little bit. Did you want to get breakfast?”
“Is there something wrong with your stov
e?”
Melody winced. “No, Momma, there isn't.”
“Then you can make breakfast with your own two hands. You don't need to go out and buy it.”
“I just thought you coming into town was a special occasion.”
“Don't butter me up. Get home quickly.”
The line went dead.
“Wow, your mom sounds like a real peach.”
Melody slid out of bed and pulled on her outfit from last night. The spangled blue dress was several inches too short to alleviate any maternal fears. The matching hair streak that Sweetie had talked her into getting wasn't going to help things either, temporary though it was.
“Did you need me to come with you?” Tara asked.
“I don't...I don't know.” Melody tugged on her strappy sandals. “I haven't told my mom about us yet.”
Tara's black brow lifted up her pale forehead. “Are you going to?”
“I wont keep you a secret.”
Tara went up on her knees, the blanket sliding away to show off her sleek nakedness. Her hands cupped Melody's chin. “Don't get in trouble on my account.”
Melody placed a gentle kiss on Tara's lips. “You are worth getting in trouble over.”
*****
“Melody Ruth Quinn what are you wearing?”
The use of her full name, even at twenty-four years old, made Melody wince. Her mother, who was not in the hallway when Melody returned, sat instead on a couch between a shell shocked Yuna and a bemused Sweetie.
“Hi, Momma.”
“Your mother has just been regaling us with your exploits as head cheerleader,” Sweetie smirked. “Do you still have your uniform?”
Melody shot Sweetie a deadpan look. “It doesn't fit.”
“Oh pish-posh,” her mother set down a glass of tea. “you haven't gained a single pound since high school. Though you'd gain some healthy pounds if you settled down with a good man.”
Yuna's eyes went a little wide and Sweetie hid her laughter behind a cough.
Abigail Quinn was the mother of nine children. She had spent her entire adult life taking care of them, and seeing them grow up. She had cared for a hundred scrapped knees, twenty broken hearts, and more colds, sniffles and coughs that the average person could count. Melody knew she was not fooled by a fake cough.
“Alright, what is it?” she demanded, her eyes focused on Melody, “What is going on? Tell me Melody, I will not be made a fool of.”
Yuna and Sweetie managed to make an escape. It was a surprise, considering the fact that one was nearly six feet tall, the other was wearing day-glo green. In moments Melody found herself very alone with her mother.
“I assume the gentleman that you were with last night is not someone I would approve of.”
“What?” Melody blinked through her surprise.
“Well, if he were acceptable you would have told me about him. If he were acceptable, he would have come with you to introduce himself.” Her mother's eyes were like cold steel gimlets looking down a long nose. “So, what's wrong with him?”
“There is nothing wrong. It's just...”
“Don't lie to me, young lady.”
It was the 'young lady' that did it. Melody hated the way her mother used the phrase like a weapon, pointing out Melody's youth like it was some kind of flaw. She'd done it forever.
“Tara is wonderful.”
There was a long silence.
“Tara?” she asked, as if trying to make sure that she had heard right.
“Yes, Momma. Tara. Tara is my-”
“Stop.” Abigail Quinn surged to her feet and held out a single hand in a slicing motion, effectively cutting Abigail off. “Come on.”
“What?”
“Come on. It's time to get you home.” She plucked up her aged coat and slid it over her shoulders. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“Momma, you can't do that.”
“Are you my daughter or aren't you?”
“I am. But this is were I live.”
“Only because I send you enough money to do it.”
There it was, the gauntlet. “Let me guess. You wont keep sending money if I keep seeing Tara.”
“I will not support that...choice.”
Melody shook her head. “You don't even know her.”
“I know enough.”
“You know what?” Melody demanded. “You know that she is a she and nothing else. You don't know anything about her personality, or how she cares about me. You know absolutely nothing.”
“It's not natural.”
Melody shook her head and finally came to her feet. “Get out.”
“What?”
“Keep your money. I don't need it.”
“Melody!”
A cold place started inside Melody's stomach. She wrapped herself in it. “I love you, Momma. I do. But I'm a grown woman now. If your help comes with strings, I wont accept it. I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just a woman in love.”
“Holy shit.”
Melody jumped. Her eyes flicked in the direction of the front door and there Tara stood, holding Melody's cell phone in one hand. Melody must have forgotten it in her rush to get home.
“Tara.”
Her mother's eyes went angry and flat. “Is this her then?”
Melody felt a steady ache in her chest. “Momma.”
“Did you mean it?” Tara asked. “Do you love me?”
Melody took a deep breath and took a single step past her mother and towards her girlfriend. “I do.”
Their hands touched, and Melody couldn't remember reaching. Fingers laced together offering an unexpected but much needed strength.
“Melody, do not do this.”
“Momma,” Melody whispered, placing her forehead to Tara's, “it's already done.”
Melody didn't hear her mother leave. She didn't need to. It didn't matter right now. All that mattered was the feel of Tara's palm against her own.
“You are nuts,” Tara whispered.
“About you,” Melody said back.
“No wonder I love you.”
Melody laughed right up until the moment that Tara kissed her.
THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 11 of 36
Bound by the Bronco
Olivia smoothed down her skirt and hurried into the building. She had only been working in this law office for the past three weeks and the last thing she wanted was to arrive late. She knew that her boss ran a very tight ship and wouldn’t tolerate any hints of unprofessionalism.
With a few minutes to spare, she plopped down in her chair and tried to catch her breath. She usually arrived at the office twenty to thirty minutes earlier, but last night she’d had a lot of trouble getting to sleep. At 3am, she’d woken up startled. She’d had a nightmare, or maybe it was a dream. She still wasn’t sure.
When she shot up in the bed, she was surprised to find that she wasn’t bound to it. In the nightmare, she’d woken up in a strange house with all of her limbs tied to the bedposts. She could hear someone walking around the house. And she could hear footsteps approaching the room that she was in.
She began thrashing around the bed and screaming for help as the footsteps got closer and closer. The door slowly creaked open. In the dream, Olivia stopped screaming at this point. She was completely paralyzed by fear. But before she could get a good look at the face of the person, she’d woken up panting and covered in sweat. She was terrified. It was the first time she’d ever had that dream. But she had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the last.
*****
“Olivia, I’ve been waiting for you!” the sound of her boss’ voice snapped her back to the present. She sat up straight in her chair and looked around.
“In my office now,” the voice boomed out.
Olivia stood up and looked around the office. There were about eight other employees in the room at the time. None of them seemed to be paying attention to her. It wasn’t unusual fo
r her boss, Mr. Carter, to call people into his office. Actually, it was one of his favorite things to do. He loved to flex his muscles to remind everyone who was in charge.
He was determined to make sure this firm stayed on top. Before he’d taken over from his father, the firm had gone through a period of serious decline. A few high profile cases that had gone seriously wrong had severely damaged the law firm’s reputation. That was unacceptable because in this business reputation was everything.
Carter would often talk about how his father had grown too trusting and lenient with his employees. He vowed to never let that happen again even if it meant pushing people past their breaking points. He was willing to do everything to maintain the reputation of the firm.
That passion for excellence and dedication to provide the highest quality service is what attracted Olivia to this firm. She’d had several offers to work as a paralegal but no one that she interviewed with had made quite the same impression on her as Sam Carter.
As she prepared to head into her boss' office, she was terribly afraid that she’d done something wrong. The word around the office was that as long as you did what you were told and you always put one hundred percent into each case, you would be safe from his wrath.
Why was she getting called in now? Was he just trying to scare her, or had she actually done something wrong?
She could feel her legs shaking beneath her as she walked into her boss’ office. He was typing on his desktop keyboard and didn’t acknowledge her. She kept her eyes on him as she sat down. But he refused to look at her. A few moments of tense silence passed before Mr. Carter finally looked towards Olivia.