Conflict of Interest

Home > Other > Conflict of Interest > Page 50
Conflict of Interest Page 50

by Jae


  Dawn nodded.

  Slowly, not wanting to startle her partner, Aiden reached out to remove the turquoise-rimmed glasses, but Dawn stopped her with a quick touch. "Leave them on. I need to see you."

  Aiden moved back a little and suppressed the urge to undress Dawn. She knew that Dawn needed to do this at her own pace. She waited until Dawn had slipped off her underwear, still covered by the sheet, and drew her closer again.

  Both of them sighed when skin touched skin. Dawn's gentle curves fit perfectly against Aiden's taller, leaner form.

  Dawn instantly began to kiss her, and Aiden closed her eyes to control her emotions and let Dawn set the pace. She was scared to go too fast, but Dawn's display of eager passion made it hard to hold back. She smoothed her hands over tousled blond strands, careful not to pull on them, and studied the vague red highlights in the light of the bedside lamp. Keeping her eyes on Dawn's face, she trailed a path of kisses and light nips down her throat. She caressed each and every one of the freckles that dusted Dawn's pale shoulders until the sheet that covered Dawn stopped her. "Is it okay if I take that away?" She looked up at Dawn. "I want to see you."

  Dawn threw the covers back. Her naked body fidgeted under Aiden's gaze.

  Aiden breathed a kiss onto her chest, just over her left breast. "You're so beautiful."

  "I like your body better." Dawn critically eyed her own body. "You have that really defined, flat abdomen, and I –"

  "You're beautiful, exactly like you are," Aiden insisted and caressed the soft, womanly curve of Dawn's stomach. She looked up at her with a challenging grin. "Now, do you want to continue this discussion about our different aesthetic standards, or do you want to make love?"

  Dawn grinned. "Make love."

  "Very good. Right answer." Leaning over Dawn on one elbow, Aiden bent down and pressed her lips to Dawn's collarbone, then continued down her sternum. Simultaneously, her fingers followed the arch of Dawn's ribs inward until they came to rest along the curve of her breasts. Aiden slowly lowered herself.

  Dawn shuddered and moaned when warm breath teased her nipple.

  Aiden nipped on the outer curve of one breast, playfully kissing away the goose bumps. After a few seconds, she lifted her head and locked eyes with Dawn, searching for any sign of distress. "Is this okay?"

  "Oh, I think it'll do," Dawn answered breathlessly. She tangled her fingers in Aiden's hair, drawing her back down.

  Aiden's chuckle ended when her lips touched the soft skin of Dawn's breast. Never had she felt so connected to anyone. "Hmm... nice." She kissed in smaller and smaller circles until she lightly captured a nipple between her lips and grazed it with the tip of her tongue.

  "God... Aiden!" Dawn gasped. Her fingers clutched Aiden's hair, and her chest was heaving under Aiden's cheek.

  "Mmm, I love touching you." With one last kiss to the hardened nipple, Aiden continued her path downward. She nuzzled the damp skin between Dawn's breasts and then planted kisses down her sternum, tasting the saltiness of her skin with gentle flicks of her tongue. She paused to tease Dawn's navel and pressed her cheek against the slight curve of her belly for a moment. The fingers in her hair were alternately stroking and flexing.

  Aiden stroked down the outside of Dawn's thighs as she moved lower. With her lips, she caressed the almost microscopic hairs just under her partner's navel and then followed them downward.

  Dawn moaned, this time sounding a little overwhelmed.

  Aiden hastily looked up when the body under her hands and lips stiffened. "Is this too fast? Should I stop?"

  Looking down into Aiden's anxious eyes, Dawn tried to catch her breath. "No, no... I'm sorry. It was just a little... overwhelming for a second." She willingly let herself be held when Aiden scrambled up the bed. She took a deep breath, trying to catch up with the onslaught of sensations and emotions. "I felt like I was going to explode or something."

  "I thought that was our goal?" Aiden quipped.

  Dawn laughed and kissed her lover, keeping her eyes open to reestablish their connection. The feeling of Aiden's smooth skin sliding against her own soon made her forget her momentary trace of panic. She squirmed when Aiden's tongue flickered over the crook of her elbow and then traced imaginary patterns down to her pulse point. Their gazes met when Aiden kissed each knuckle. Gentle teeth captured her index finger, and Dawn couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She settled back onto the bed and gave herself over to Aiden's touches. Only when she felt openmouthed kisses wander up her thigh did she reach out a hand to stop her. "No."

  Aiden froze instantly. She looked at Dawn with an expression that almost reminded Dawn of a kicked puppy.

  "Not this time." Dawn entwined their fingers and drew Aiden up to rest next to her. "This time, I need you up here with me. I want to look into your eyes and know that this is you, you and me, making love."

  Amber eyes intently gazed into Dawn's. "Help me," Aiden said, her voice rough.

  "What?"

  "Help me to make love to you," Aiden said. "Show me how you want to be touched."

  Dawn stared at her. "Believe me, you don't need any help. You did a fantastic job all on your own."

  "I don't doubt my skills as a lover," Aiden said with her famous Carlisle grin, buffing her nails on an imaginary shirt. "I just think that it'll be easier for you to let go if you can control what happens."

  Dawn took a deep breath. "Okay, then. I just didn't want you to get an inferiority complex."

  Aiden kissed her with grinning lips. "No danger of that." She lifted their entwined fingers. "So, give me a tour, please."

  "All right. No stops to take photos without my permission, though." A lot more relaxed now, Dawn took the larger hand in her own and placed it on her breast. "First stop, enjoy your stay," she said huskily.

  Aiden's fingers began to move under hers. "Hmm, nice view."

  Dawn gazed down, too, studying the contrast of Aiden's tan hand against her own pale skin. "Uh-huh." Stifling a moan, she closed her fingers over Aiden's and pressed them harder against her.

  Aiden didn't try to hurry her along. She seemed content to explore first one, then the other breast under Dawn's direction.

  The double sensation of feeling Aiden's strong but gentle hand move under her fingers and gliding over her skin made her entire body tingle. Being able to direct the attention of a woman as intense and confident as Aiden was intoxicating. Dawn was panting when she guided their linked hands down her body.

  Aiden's fingertips drew a sensual line from her breastbone to her navel, gently circling it until Dawn shuddered. "Where to now?" she whispered, her breath washing hot over Dawn's ear.

  This time, Dawn had to struggle and catch her breath to formulate an answer fitting their road trip analogy. Thinking and talking were no longer a priority. "I think our trip's destination lies southward."

  Aiden kissed her, gazing into her eyes from just a few inches away. "Lead the way, sweetheart."

  She felt Aiden's free arm wrap securely around her as she eased their hands down her belly. Heat followed the combined touch until their hands came to rest on Dawn's hip.

  "Still all right?" Aiden asked, her lips almost touching Dawn's. Her thumb drew circles over Dawn's hip bone.

  With a nod, Dawn guided Aiden's hand down the outside of her thigh. She shuddered when the cool metal of the only ring that Aiden wore brushed against her knee.

  Aiden's hand stopped and squeezed her knee reassuringly.

  Maintaining eye contact, Dawn trailed their fingers up the inside of her thigh. She was gasping for breath, her vision was becoming hazy, and she almost couldn't hear Aiden's soothing voice because her heart pounded loudly in her ears. For a second, she almost mistook the symptoms of arousal for those of fear, and panic threatened to rise.

  "Easy." Aiden kissed the glimmer of panic away. "It's me – Aiden – you're sharing this journey with. I won't touch you anywhere until you tell me to."

  Dawn pulled her closer, pressing their upper bodies to
gether with the strength of her embrace. She breathed in Aiden's unmistakable scent as she brought their hands back to the inside of her thigh, slowly moving them up. When Aiden's fingers hesitated under hers, she guided them the rest of the way.

  Dawn jerked and sucked in a shaky breath when two of Aiden's fingers combed through damp curls, sliding on either side of her clit.

  Aiden kept her strokes light, never breaking eye contact as she circled Dawn's clit with a featherlight touch.

  Staring into Aiden's eyes, Dawn started to rock her hips. Her hand moved away from Aiden's and slid back to rest on her forearm, where she contented herself with feeling the muscles flex with each movement. Warmth flooded her body, matching the heat she felt radiating from Aiden. Drops of sweat pooled behind her knees and ran down the back of her calves. She could already feel the pressure in her stomach build. Her legs started to tremble.

  "Does that feel good?" Aiden's eyes searched her face.

  Dawn moaned her answer. Her hips surged against Aiden in a faster rhythm. Her eyes never leaving Aiden's face, she closed her fingers tightly around her forearm, guiding her again.

  "Dawn..." Aiden hesitated. The muscles under Dawn's hand tensed. "Are you sure you want me to –?"

  "Yes." Dawn gasped. "I want you... there. Only you."

  Cautiously, Aiden dipped one of her fingers inside of Dawn and then paused to watch her face. "All right?"

  Dawn exhaled slowly. "Yeah." She clutched Aiden's neck and pulled her down into an urgent kiss, moaning into Aiden's mouth when she felt her finger slide deeper into her. "Aiden!"

  A ball of hot tension began to build in her belly, spreading in all directions, making her breath catch until lights exploded behind her now closed eyelids. Every muscle in her body stiffened and then went limp. She slumped against Aiden, trusting the strong arms around her to keep her safe.

  Aiden curled her body protectively around Dawn, holding her close with one arm while kissing Dawn's flushed cheek.

  Dawn gradually became aware of soothing words that were whispered in her ear and a hand that stroked down the length of her back as aftershocks rippled through her. She lay quietly, clinging to Aiden and listening to the urgent pounding of her lover's heart until she could breathe again. Finally, she lifted her head a few inches off Aiden's shoulder. Their gazes met and locked, silently sharing their emotions. "God, Aiden, I..." She buried her face into the crook of Aiden's neck, snuggling deeper into her embrace. Emotions burned behind her eyes, and suddenly, she had to press her lips to Aiden's skin to hold back a sob.

  "Hey, hey!" Aiden wrapped both arms around shaking shoulders and pulled her up to look into her eyes. "You okay? Did I hurt –"

  "No!" Dawn dried her eyes. "Of course you didn't. It's just... I never thought that I would have this... feel this again."

  Aiden looked up at her in understanding. Her lips curled into a soft smile. "I never thought that I would have something like this, either."

  Dawn touched the smiling lips with one reverent finger. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe. You're so... good at this. The way you made me feel... God!"

  "Thanks." For a second, a teasing, self-satisfied smile flitted across Aiden's face, but then her expression grew serious. "What I'm used to and what I've always been good at is having sex – making love is a new experience for me, too."

  They had always called it "making love" when they had talked about the physical part of their relationship, mainly because "having sex" had seemed much too clinical, too neutral an expression for something that was so emotional for Dawn after her rape. But now, Dawn could sense a deeper meaning behind Aiden's words. She stared into amber eyes. "You mean...?"

  Aiden nodded.

  Dawn restlessly played with the short hairs in Aiden's neck. "Can you... tell me?"

  The muscles in Aiden's throat moved as she swallowed. "I love you," Aiden said.

  Dawn closed her eyes for a second. She hadn't known how much hearing the words meant to her until Aiden had spoken them. Wordlessly, she dipped her head and set out to kiss Aiden breathless. When they finally drew apart and she could focus her eyes again, she looked into Aiden's eyes. "In case there are any doubts left – I love you, too."

  They snuggled down together, never breaking eye contact until their eyes fluttered closed.

  An hour later the buzzing of the alarm clock woke Dawn. She reached out for Aiden, only to find the other side of the bed cold. Sitting up, she clutched the sheet to her naked body and looked around with tired eyes for her missing partner. Aiden was nowhere to be seen. God, how could I have been so out of it that I didn't hear her get up?

  Then she heard the sound of clanging plates and metal scraping over metal from the kitchen, followed by a crash and a curse. Smiling, she swung her legs out of bed to join her lover and rescue her kitchen utensils from further abuse when the door opened.

  "Hey, you're supposed to be in bed." Aiden balanced a tray with coffee, toast, bacon, and eggs, settling down on the edge of the bed.

  Dawn chuckled and slipped back under the covers. "One night and already all you can think about is to keep me in bed? Damn, I must be good."

  "You are." Aiden handed her a single red rose.

  "Oh. Thank you." Dawn lifted it to her nose and breathed in its scent. Her nose twitched as it detected something else that didn't smell nearly as pleasant as the flower. She turned over the piece of toast. The unbuttered side was almost black.

  "Well..." Aiden leaned over the tray to kiss her. "You can't have everything."

  Dawn closed her eyes as their lips met. I don't know – I think I have.

  The End

  About The Author

  I GREW UP AMIDST the vineyards and gently sloping hills of southern Germany. I spent most of my childhood with my nose buried in a book, earning me the nickname "professor" before I even finished elementary school. The writing bug bit me at the age of eleven. The very first piece of fiction I ever wrote was a thirty-page western story that I still have somewhere (well-hidden because it alternately makes me cringe and laugh when I read it today). I wrote two dozen mostly novel-length stories (westerns, adventure stories, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction - you name it, I've probably written it) in my "baby years" as a writer, but no one but my poor twin sister ever got to read them.

  That changed when I discovered the Internet and the wondrous world of FanFiction and online stories. My parents belatedly got their wish - I took my nose out of my books and started to spend my time glued to the computer screen instead. Soon after, I wrote my first FanFiction, a Star Trek: Voyager story. Don't bother to search for it on the web; even if there was still a copy in circulation somewhere, it's in German. Back then, I would have taken a thousand oaths that I would never, ever be able to write more than a grocery list in English. Then I took an intensive, free online language course - almost eight years of constant fanfic reading. Let's just say that I learned some words I later had trouble explaining to my friends why I would know such expressions.

  So in the beginning of 2006, I finally put my newly acquired knowledge of the English language to good use and wrote a series of three Law & Order: SVU fanfics in English. As my confidence grew, I wrote a longer FanFiction and then my first English historical fiction. In some ways, I've come full circle, because "Backwards to Oregon" takes place on the Western Frontier. Other than the setting I promise that it doesn't have much in common with my first childish attempt at writing.

  I still live in Germany, where I work as a psychologist. When I'm not working or writing, I like to spend my time reading, cooking for a bunch of friends, spending time with my nephew and niece, and watching way too many crime shows. I also enjoy learning new languages (Russian is my latest project. I haven't found any lesbian online stories using the Cyrillic alphabet to help me learn, though).

  Other Titles By This Author

  Backwards To Oregon – Lesbian: Historical Fiction, Romance

  Summary

  "LUKE" HAMILTON has
always been sure that she’d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.

  After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life.

  But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.

 

‹ Prev