by Radclyffe
“So, do you take a lot of women back here to your cave?” I asked.
She looked up sharply at the question. “No. This is actually the first time I’ve ever brought anyone here. It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted to bring someone.”
“I don’t do things like this either. I don’t usually end up in someone’s hideaway.”
“I know. That’s probably why I brought you here. I couldn’t help myself.”
She gazed at me with unabashed desire and my heart skipped a beat. I was overwhelmed by my own lust, by the hot ache to lose myself in her and to have her lost in me. But just who is she, and who am I, that not knowing doesn’t seem to matter?
“I think I should go now.” The words blurted out despite my resolve and I stood up, unable to stop myself from falling back on old inhibitions. I was intimidated by her attractiveness and my own inability to withstand it. In a flurry of movement, Caliana was standing before me.
“Are you afraid of me?” There was unmistakable hurt in her eyes. “I would never let anyone harm you. Don’t you know how lovely you are? You are worthy of so much more than what you’ve settled for. Let me show you, Antonia.”
I looked away, and with the tip of her forefinger, she guided my chin toward her and my gaze back to her own. She dipped in close and our mouths met in a tentative kiss, her cool lips seeking out the warmth of mine as our tongues met, tangling in a rush of hot, strangely pleasant wetness. I pushed her back toward the bed until we fell into the pile of blankets. She held me tight as I landed on top of her, straddling her and grinding my pussy hard against hers. Her hands were both firm and gentle as she briefly cupped my head, her fingers buried in the silk of my cascading curls, before she explored my body, smoothing down my back and lingering on my curvy hips and ass. I couldn’t compete with her strength as she maneuvered me onto my back and began to unbutton my blouse. With a sigh I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. When I opened them, I gazed absently up at the ceiling and noticed subtle movement. I blinked, trying to focus better, but the dim candlelight made it difficult to see much beyond shadows. But then I saw them. Several little eyes staring back at me. Bats. Hundreds, most likely thousands of bats. More bats than I’d ever seen in my life. More bats than I ever wanted to see in my life. I screamed and clutched at Caliana, who froze in confusion. As soon as I screamed, it was as if I’d raised an invisible gauntlet and in one stunningly coordinated action, the bats swooped down all around us, shrieking in a cacophony of fury. I could feel the soft rushing of air, of wings fluttering so close, surrounding us until all the light of the cave vanished. She covered me with her body and whispered, “Shh, they won’t hurt you. You’ve frightened them. They think they might have to protect me.”
I frowned. Are they pets? She closed her eyes for a brief moment and whispered something I couldn’t quite hear, and in another abrupt but precise military-style flight pattern, the bats reversed direction and returned to their prior posts on the ceiling once again, still and quiet as if their chaotic flurry had never happened. Caliana resumed kissing my neck and exposed cleavage, my shirt now open down the front.
“Wait.” I wriggled out of her arms and sat up. “Who are you and what are you doing living in a cave full of bats?”
She laughed. “What do you think it means?”
I swallowed a dry mouthful of air and rubbed absently at my invisible head wound. Was it possible I hit my head harder than I thought and was now hallucinating? There was only one other explanation, though completely ridiculous. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me. You’re a vampire?”
“Vampire? But that’s so unimaginative, mi amor. I am a Camazotz.”
“Camazotz? What is a Camazotz?” I wasn’t really sure I wanted to know the answer.
“In my Mayan culture, it means literally ‘death bat.’ ”
She said this very casually as she took off her shirt and began to unbutton her pants. I didn’t know what to say or do. I just gaped at her in disbelief. Right before she took off her pants, she stared back and said with a slow smile, “What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes.”
It was as if I no longer had control of my fingers or limbs and had to obey her command. I removed my shorts and sandals, peeled off my already opened blouse and unhooked my bra until I lay back on the blankets completely naked. She examined my body closely, running her icy hand up my thighs, brushing lightly across my pussy and smoothing fingers over my flat stomach. She paid special attention to my breasts, cupping their heavy fullness before squeezing each nipple firmly between her thumb and forefinger as I gasped and squirmed at her touch. Still fondling and pinching my nipples, she dipped her head and kissed me, searching out my tongue in sweet hunger. When she released my lips, I pushed her head down toward my heaving breasts again and watched as she captured one hardened nipple, circling it with her tongue in steady licks until she lightly nipped it with sharp teeth. I cried out at the sudden pain, which disappeared just as suddenly as she began sucking hard, drawing as much of me into her mouth as she could. I grasped the back of her head as I groaned and arched my back, instinctively opening my thighs and bucking my hips. She molded her lean body into mine, spreading my legs even more and rocking her hips between them as she buried her face in the side of my neck. I tensed waiting for pain, waiting for the bite. Wasn’t that what she was going to do? Isn’t that what vampires do? Instead she kissed the velvet skin of my throat and rested her mouth there. When I had been lulled into a false sense of security that she was giving only pleasure and no pain, I felt the abrupt sharp stab of her teeth and warmth of my blood oozing out of the wound. That prior nip had been nothing compared to this, a tantalizing mix of pain and pleasure. Every time I winced in pain, the discomfort was immediately replaced with the exquisite pleasure of her now-scorching tongue and lips.
She smoothed her fingers around the back of my neck with one hand, holding me in place, and with her other, pushed my chin up gently, encouraging me to expose as much of my neck as possible. Which I did eagerly. Eventually, she released her hold on my face and brought her free hand down to my pussy, sliding along the inner folds of my labia, exploring tentatively within the honeyed wetness. She easily slipped her fingers deep within me while using her thumb to massage my clit, and fucked me in synch with her determined sucking. I keened out a high-pitched moan, placing my hand over the four fingers pumping into me furiously. I marveled at her strength and skill, clawing desperately at her back as her fiery mouth clamped even more powerfully onto my neck. The sensations were almost too much, the giving and the taking, how I fed on her purposeful touch the way she fed on my blood, the way it felt so equal but more importantly, felt right, like we were bringing each other to life. I shuddered, trying to keep the orgasm at bay for as long as I could before finally giving in, letting go, as the surge of pleasure engulfed me in a blinding rush like droves of swooping bats fluttering, pulsing inside me and around me.
I almost passed out, but when I was able to catch my breath, Caliana was nuzzling and licking the wound on my neck as it throbbed like an overzealous hickey. She gathered me in her arms and I placed my cheek against her heart, relieved to hear it thumping steadily. At least she was real, warmer than before, almost feverish actually, and I had that welcoming feeling of being protected and cocooned again as I rested against her body.
“Since you bit me, does that mean I’m a vampire too?” I asked hesitantly. Is that what I want?
She smiled as she caressed my cheek tenderly. “No, querida, I’ve simply marked you as mine. Even if you leave Cancun, you’ll come back. You’ll have to return to me.”
“I don’t know if I even want to leave Cancun, let alone come back. I have so many questions.”
“I know. We have time enough for them. We have the rest of the night at least. But first, there are other, more important things to attend to.” She wrapped her long legs around me and pulled me closer and I lost any further rational thought as our mouths homed in on each other, tongues once aga
in playing silkily together. I noted the astonishing coppery taste of my blood mixed with something so incredibly sweet and was sure I’d never get enough.
Even though I asked many questions, she provided no answers, and in the morning I awoke to find her gone and the cave empty. Even the bats had left me all alone. I got dressed and found a note on the table.
Antonia,
Last night was amazing. I’ve been waiting for someone like you for a very long time. I will return at sunset and hope you will too. Follow the path I’ve left for you out of the cave. Te amo y adoro.
C.
Caliana? Or was it C for Camazotz? The more I thought of the night I spent with her, the more it all seemed like a dream, but as I touched the pulsating mark on the side of my neck I knew there was no doubt. Yes, I would be back. I needed her now just as much as she needed me. It was the law of the Camazotz, after all, and most importantly, of my heart.
THE POND
D. Jackson Leigh
Willie Greyson sat on the weathered dock and extended her long legs out over the water. She dipped her heels, then immersed her feet in the sun-warmed pond. She wiggled her toes and frowned.
It seemed like she’d spent a lifetime at this small oasis hidden on the back part of Lori’s father’s farm, a lifetime of long minutes waiting for Lori to appear on the path across from the dock. They’d begun meeting here when they were just girls, Lori’s hair in pigtails and Willie’s in a single long braid. They were best friends. Willie fished and Lori talked. Damn, she could talk the paint off the side of a barn.
Then things changed. While Willie grew tall and lanky, Lori remained petite, her body softened with lush, womanly curves. Their relationship changed, too.
They discovered they wanted more.
Their first kiss had been at the beach. She’d borrowed Papa’s truck and they spent the day sitting on the sand and wading in the surf hand in hand. They explored a rock outcropping, then stopped to rest in the secluded shade of a large boulder. They sat shoulder to shoulder and Lori trembled against her. It was much too warm to be chilled, but Willie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Lori looked up, their faces a hairsbreadth apart. Before Willie had time to change her mind, she lowered her head and kissed her. Lori’s lips were soft and warm and tasted faintly of the salt spray.
She drove home with Lori pressed against her side, until she pulled off onto a tractor path near Lori’s house and stole another long, exploring kiss. That kiss left her breathless and hungry. But for what? Did other women have the same feelings for each other? She instinctively knew this was something they must hide, but it didn’t stop them.
The kiss was followed by weeks, months, of more stolen kisses, tentative touches and frustrated partings.
Willie wanted more.
She had a pretty good idea what “more” meant after one of their long make-out sessions had led her to a stunning discovery. She’d been confused by the dampness in her crotch afterward and surprised when it reappeared that night as she lay in bed and relived their kisses. She smoothed her hand down her belly and slid her fingers into her stiff curls. Yes, she was wet again. Was she ill? She didn’t feel bad. In fact, it felt pretty good, really good when her fingers slid across her swollen tissue. A few more strokes and she experienced her first toe-curling, eye-opening orgasm. Wow. What had she done? Could she make it happen again? Did Lori know about this?
“More” became her new mission.
Lori was so beautiful. One look as she appeared at the edge of the pond’s clearing and Willie wanted to bury her fingers in her thick mahogany curls. She wanted to stare into those sable-brown eyes framed by long, dark lashes and soak up the strength and shy affection she saw there. She wanted to feather kisses across the freckles that dotted Lori’s otherwise flawless skin and to taste those soft lips.
She wanted that, but today she planned to have more.
Lori paused and their eyes locked. Willie was already wet from the anticipation, and seeing Lori standing in the sunlight, barefoot and clothed only in a simple sleeveless gingham dress, made her stand to relieve the uncomfortable pressure building in her loins. The wood dock was hot against her bare feet as she trotted to the pond’s grassy bank and skirted the water to meet Lori under a huge shade oak.
Willie kissed her shyly, and the question in Lori’s eyes told Willie that her nervousness was showing.
“I brought a blanket and I swiped a jar of Papa’s scuppernong wine,” she said.
Lori smiled at the small feast Willie had spread out for them—wine, cheese and soda crackers—and they sat with the food between them.
“Oh, Willie, this is wonderful. You won’t get in trouble for the wine, will you?”
Willie grinned at her. “No, but one of my brothers might. Papa would never believe I did it.”
Lori shook her head, but smiled. “You’re such a scamp. Your poor brothers, always taking the blame.”
“They’ve all done it before, so they’ll be too busy blaming each other to think it could be me.” She uncapped the mason jar, handed it to Lori and watched her take a sip.
“It’s sweet,” Lori said.
“Sweet like you.” Willie followed Lori’s pink tongue swiping across her lips to gather all of the grapes’ nectar. Her cheeks heated when she realized Lori caught her staring, and she began to ramble nervously. “It won a blue ribbon at the county fair last year. Papa says this year’s batch is even better, and he’s going to enter the fair again next month.”
Lori handed the jar back to Willie and lowered her eyes, toying with the hem of her dress.
Willie frowned. “What’s the matter? Is the wine too sweet?”
“No, the wine is perfect.” She looked at Willie, affection softening her gaze. “You’re perfect.” Her expression turned to frustration. “It’s just that, well, Earl Montgomery asked Daddy if he could take me to the fair next month. I told Daddy I was going with you, but Mama said it’s time for me to start paying some attention to boys.”
Willie took a big gulp of the wine and swallowed it down. “Is that what you want to do?” She stared at the blanket and picked at a loose thread near her knee.
“No.” Lori crawled around the food and took Willie’s face in her hands. “I want to go with you, Willie.”
Willie searched her eyes and saw the truth of her declaration. “I told Papa that I don’t want to get married. I want to go to the university and get a degree and then a good job. I’ll buy a house and you can come live with me. They’ll call us old maids, but I don’t care. I just want to be with you. I love you, Lori.”
Lori’s eyes filled. “I love you, too, Willie. Only you.”
Her lips, her tongue, tasted of the wine and Willie drank her in. She gathered Lori in her arms and eased her down until they were lying side by side. She was careful, though. Lori’s tiny, delicate frame always made her feel big and clumsy. But Lori rolled onto her back and drew Willie down on top of her.
“I’ll crush you,” she murmured.
“No, you won’t,” Lori said. “I love the weight of your body on mine. I love your strength.”
Willie kissed her way down Lori’s neck and sucked at her pulse because she’d discovered that it made Lori hum with pleasure. She hummed now and Willie reflexively pressed her tingling crotch against Lori’s hip. She captured Lori’s mouth, pouring all the passion, all the feeling that was welling up in her, into a long kiss as she inched her hand up to cup Lori’s breast. They’d done this before, and Willie anticipated Lori’s whimper when she circled her thumb around the rigid bump of her nipple.
She broke their kiss and stared into Lori’s eyes as she slowly unbuttoned her dress. They hadn’t done this before. They’d only groped and pressed together fully clothed. But Lori didn’t stop her. Instead, she reached for the buttons of Willie’s shirt, too.
Lori’s chest was flushed, but her skin was cool. Willie slipped her hand under the stiff white cotton of Lori’s bra, then closed her eyes
and moaned at the supple flesh that filled her palm.
“Oh, Willie.” Lori wiggled beneath her. “Let me up.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She withdrew her hand and sat up abruptly. “I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s okay.” Lori sat up, too. “I just—” She unfastened the last button on Willie’s shirt and dropped her gaze to take her in.
Willie had never needed to wear a bra under the work shirts she always wore. She was glad for that now. She shivered when Lori pushed the shirt back and trailed her fingertips lightly across her collarbone, then downward to touch her small breasts.
“So strong, but so soft,” Lori said, pushing the shirt off Willie’s shoulders. She stopped. “Is this okay?”
“Yes.”
“I want…I want to feel your skin on mine, Willie. Take this off and unhook my bra for me.”
Willie shucked off her shirt and leaned into Lori, kissing her again as she reached around to work the hooks loose and pull the straps from Lori’s shoulders. Lori lay back and drew Willie down with her. Their moans mingled as their breasts brushed together.
“Willie.” Lori’s hands explored her back, her arms tightening around her.