Casting Lacey

by Elle Spencer

  Quinn nodded. “Ever since that day.”

  Lacey ran her tongue over the panties and looked at Quinn again. “Me too.” She sat up. “But I really should take these off.” Quinn put her legs together so Lacey could slide her panties off. “Ohhhh…” Lacey breathed out slowly as she got her first real look at Quinn’s waxed pussy. She ran the back of her finger over her slit. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

  Quinn’s wide eyes shuttered closed at the touch. When she opened them again, Lacey was staring at her. “I love you, Quinn.” She didn’t wait for a reply. She bent over and wrapped her arms around Quinn’s legs as she took her first taste. “Mmm…god, you’re wet.”

  Quinn fell back on the bed, unable to hold herself up on her elbows anymore. Lacey took her time, tasting every part of Quinn and dipping her tongue inside. When Quinn started to shudder, Lacey grabbed for her hand and held it tightly.

  Quinn was on the verge. She was grabbing at the sheets with one hand and squeezing Lacey’s hand so tight she was leaving fingernail marks. She came with a force she’d never known before. It was explosive and loud and she would’ve felt embarrassed, except Lacey didn’t give her time to think about it too hard. She was on Quinn, holding her face and looking into her eyes as her breathing calmed down. She kissed Quinn’s forehead, her nose, her lips, her chin. “That was amazing,” Lacey whispered. “You’re so beautiful. And so gay.”

  They both giggled as Quinn pushed Lacey’s hair back and cupped her cheek. She wouldn’t wait another second to touch Lacey everywhere she’d fantasized about. She wanted inside. She wanted to feel Lacey’s warmth. Taste it. Get lost in it. And she wanted it now. “My turn.”

  ***

  Did it really happen? Lacey glanced behind her, just to make sure. Beyond the white linen curtains that were gently blowing in the breeze, she could see Quinn lying naked in bed, still fast asleep. Yes, it really happened. They’d made love. Sweet, sexy, beautiful, passionate love. She turned back around and relaxed into the patio chair, taking in the early morning air. The birds were out in full force, singing their morning songs. It was a perfect moment. One that Lacey wanted to burn into her memory and hold close forever.

  Her heart felt almost full again. There was still an emptiness from losing her father that would never go away, but she’d been down this road before. She knew the pain would fade and life would go on, just like it had after she’d lost her mother. The difference between today and yesterday, was that she felt excitement for the future. She wanted a future with Quinn and it was definitely looking good on that front.

  “Hey.”

  Lacey turned around and grinned from ear to ear. “Hey.” Quinn was lying on her stomach, propped up on her elbows, looking all sexy with her messy blonde hair and rosy cheeks.

  “Should I get up or are you coming back to bed?”

  Lacey stood up. “Oh, I’m definitely coming back to bed.” She sauntered back into the room and untied her robe, letting it fall away behind her. She pushed Quinn onto her back and settled on top of her. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Good morning.” Quinn ran her hands down Lacey’s back and wrapped her legs around her, holding her close.

  Lacey gently placed a kiss on her nose and cheeks. “Any regrets?”

  “Only that I didn’t stop you from going off with Dani that night in New York. I knew what I wanted and I should’ve shown more courage.”

  “Me? You wanted me?” Lacey teased.

  “I wanted to be the one you leaned on. I wanted you to need me, not her.”

  “You…” Lacey ran her finger over Quinn’s soft lips. “…are everything to me.”

  Quinn rolled them onto their sides and possessively wrapped her leg around Lacey. Her eyes raked over Lacey’s body, her hand gently running up and down her torso. “It was everything I imagined it would be.”

  “Sex with a woman?”

  “Sex…with you.” Her hand came to rest over Lacey’s belly button. “You’re everything to me too, you know.”

  “So, you’re not upset that you won’t be able to sow your wild lesbian oats?”

  Quinn pulled back. “What?”

  “Oh, come on. I know you fantasized about dating L.A.’s finest.”

  Quinn rested her hand on Lacey’s cheek. “I’m going to. She’s laying right here with me.”

  Lacey squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears. “That was a really good answer.”

  “Honey…” Quinn leaned in and gently kissed her lips. “Look at me.” Lacey opened her eyes. Quinn wiped away a tear that was making its way down her cheek. “What can I say or do to make you believe I want this as much as you do?”

  Lacey took Quinn’s hand in hers and kissed it. “I don’t know. I guess I just need some time to let it sink in…you know…that it’s real. That your words and your kisses are real. And that you won’t regret not dating Ginny Strong.”

  “Oh, god.” Quinn held Lacey’s face, forcing her to look her in the eye. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

  Lacey hated feeling this insecure. She wanted to be strong and confident, but it worried her that Quinn had an obvious crush on someone else. “Kind of,” she said under her breath.

  “What if I shout it to the world that I want to date you and only you? And what if from now on, I always introduce you as my girlfriend? Would that help?”

  “You would’ve anyway. That was the plan.”

  Quinn’s hand slid lower. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “Mmm…no, it wasn’t. Oh, god.” Lacey’s hips bucked.

  Quinn entered the wet warmth with two fingers. “And this wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “No.” Lacey’s eyes shuttered closed. “Definitely not.” Quinn pushed in a little deeper. “Oh, god.” Lacey opened her legs and lifted her hips. She needed this – for Quinn to be deep inside of her. She needed the connection, and she didn’t mind begging. “Fuck me, Quinn. Please.”

  “Tell me,” Quinn urged as she pushed in harder. “Look at me and tell me you know this is real. That this is us. Not a contract. Not a sham.”

  Lacey covered Quinn’s hand with her own, pushing it in deeper. She wanted to feel Quinn in her very core. She wanted to become one with her and create a bond that would never break. She opened her eyes and met Quinn’s gaze. “I know.”

  Quinn didn’t stop. Not until Lacey was writhing underneath her. Not until Lacey shouting Quinn’s name echoed in the room as she climaxed. Only then did Quinn slowly remove her hand and wrap her arms around Lacey, burying her face in her long hair. “God, I love you. I love you so much. And I love saying it out loud.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  “Lace?” Quinn stepped into the guesthouse. “Hey, where’s my girlfriend?” If the happy grin on Quinn’s face was any indication, she loved saying that out loud as well.

  “Bathroom!”

  They’d had an amazing overnight stay in Napa, each of them posting a photo on Instagram before they left. Lacey’s was a photo of Quinn, sitting across the table from her with the tagline – Lucky me.

  The comments from fans were overwhelmingly positive, which was a huge relief to Quinn. They’d be shooting the final episode next week, followed by a two-month break. Everything had come together as planned. And then some.

  “There you are.” Quinn stepped up behind Lacey and kissed her shoulder, looking at her in the mirror. “Jack is stopping by in a few minutes.”

  “Jack? Why?”

  “I’m not sure. He just asked that we both be here.” Quinn looked around and noticed that Lacey still hadn’t packed up her things. “When are you moving into the main house?”

  Lacey tied off her braid and turned around, leaning on the bathroom sink. “I thought I’d work on it tonight.”

  Quinn stepped closer, tucking her finger into the waistband of Lacey’s jeans. “Why the worried look?”

  “I don’t know…I guess I’m not sure you’re going to enjoy sharing a closet with me. Or a bathroom.
Or a house. Maybe I should stay out here for a while longer.”

  “You kept my house extremely tidy when I couldn’t.” Quinn tucked a loose strand of hair behind Lacey’s ear. “I really don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

  “I did that for you, because I knew it was what you expected.” Lacey lowered her gaze. “Can’t I just keep my things out here? We don’t have to rush into this.”

  Quinn lifted Lacey’s chin. “I know what I’m getting myself into. I’ve imagined you stripping your clothes off at the side of the bed and then crawling under the covers. Even right now, I know your toothbrush is on one side of the sink and the toothpaste is on the other. It’s fine.”

  “You’ve imagined that, huh?” Lacey sat on the counter and pulled Quinn in between her legs. “What else have you imagined?”

  “Waking up in your arms. I really want to wake up in your arms. And I don’t want you rushing out of our bedroom to get ready in the morning. I want you right there with me in that big bathroom with the double sinks.” Quinn put her hands on Lacey’s waist, caressing her stomach with her thumbs.

  She’d imagined touching Lacey like this so many times, and had kept herself from actually doing it on a daily basis. Little touches, like when Lacey was making dinner and Quinn walked past her to get to the fridge. She often wanted to stop and kiss her shoulder. Put a hand on her hip and thank her for another incredible meal.

  So many missed opportunities. But not anymore.

  Lacey loosened a button on Quinn’s blouse, revealing a little more cleavage. “What about the closet, where everything is perfectly spaced and the shoes are all shiny and all the bras have matching panties?”

  “Why, Lacey Matthews, did you go rifling through my underwear drawer when I was in the hospital?” Quinn joked, because when Lacey said it like that, she felt embarrassed that her little world was so structured and controlled.

  Lacey’s eyes were locked on Quinn’s cleavage. “The only thing I’m willing to admit right now, is that I want to rip this blouse off of you.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Quinn’s neck. “Mmm…you smell so good.”

  Quinn tilted her head back and put her hand on Lacey’s head, loving what those warm lips did to her insides. “You can rip it off of me later, if you want. In fact, I insist on it.” She couldn’t believe how much she wanted Lacey. It had never been like that with her husband or her previous boyfriends. Sex wasn’t something she craved. Not until Lacey.

  Her phone rang and she pushed a button, letting Jack in the gate, then tucked it back in her pocket. “Come on, honey. Let’s get this meeting over with.” She pulled Lacey’s face to hers and kissed her, letting their tongues touch. She pulled away before Lacey could deepen the kiss. “Promise me you’ll move in with me tonight.”

  Lacey buttoned Quinn’s shirt back up. “Let’s go talk to Jack, and then you can beg me to move in with you. Which, of course will turn me on. And then…”

  Quinn pulled Lacey off the counter. “You are such a pain in my ass. Let’s go talk to Jack.” She slapped Lacey’s butt and pushed her out of the bathroom.

  ***

  So many times, Lacey had imagined walking arm in arm with Quinn, the way they were right now. How many times had they walked along this beautiful swimming pool from the house to the guesthouse, and vice versa, never touching one another? Keeping a safe distance between them? She pushed her hand a little deeper into Quinn’s back pocket. “Does it feel different with me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you’ve only been in relationships with men, so I’m just wondering if it feels different.”

  Quinn smiled, a look of contentment washing over her face. “It’s hard to describe how I feel right now. Blissful is probably pretty accurate. Validated – that I was right about my sexuality. And proud of myself for taking this huge risk. It’s certainly paid off handsomely.”

  “Are you calling me handsome?” Lacey joked.

  “Uh oh.” Quinn stopped at the open sliding glass door. “Jack doesn’t look happy,” she mumbled through her teeth. She stepped into the house and greeted him with a bright smile. “Hey, Jack! Your usual?”

  Jack stopped pacing by the sofa. “That would be fine.” He eyed Lacey closely as she walked into the room. She furrowed her brow, wondering why he was looking at her that way.

  Quinn pulled three beers out of the fridge and slid one across the kitchen island for Jack. She opened one for Lacey and handed it to her, then opened her own and took a sip while keeping her hand on Lacey’s back. Jack took a sip, his eyes focusing on Quinn’s hand that was now wrapped around Lacey’s hip. He set his beer down and said, “If you two are really together now, this is going to be worse than I thought.”

  Quinn glanced at Lacey and grinned, which caused Lacey to grin so hard she almost giggled. “We are,” Quinn confirmed. “No more faking it.” She turned her attention back to Jack. “Now, what the hell are you talking about?”

  He set his stare on Lacey. “I got a call from your ex-girlfriend. She has a story to tell and she’s going to start telling it if you don’t take her calls.”

  Lacey’s smile faded. “Dani? What story?”

  “What story?” Jack repeated, incredulously. “Are you really going to deny telling her all about our little agreement?”

  Lacey shook her head in confusion. “What? I didn’t. She couldn’t possibly know.”

  All the happiness drained from Quinn’s face. She removed her hand from Lacey’s body and moved away, out of arm’s reach.

  Lacey’s face paled. “Quinn …” She swallowed hard, her throat constricting. Getting no reaction from Quinn besides an angry glare, she turned to Jack. “What did she tell you?”

  Jack ignored Lacey and kept his eyes on Quinn. “I don’t think I need to tell you how bad this could get.”

  “No,” Quinn said. “I’m very aware.”

  Lacey put up her hands. “Wait! Both of you, just stop! I didn’t tell Dani a damn thing! Whatever she’s saying, it’s bullshit!”

  “She knows how much you’ve been paid. She knows WHY you’ve been paid. That’s not exactly bullshit, Lacey.” Jack’s jaw flexed, he was so angry. “And as of this moment, I am no longer your publicist. My only concern right now, is helping Quinn.”

  Lacey’s head was spinning. “She couldn’t possibly…” She grabbed her head, trying to remember if in her state of grief over the death of her father, she’d shared details she shouldn’t have. It didn’t seem possible, but the night she left the hotel with Dani was all kind of a big blur.

  “Get out,” Quinn said, her voice low and hard. Her arms were folded tightly and her eyes were on the floor.

  Lacey turned to her. “What?”

  Quinn’s face was turning red and her eyes were burning with tears. Lacey made a move toward her, but Quinn put up her hand. “Don’t.” She took another step backward.

  “Don’t do this, Quinn. Not after…”

  Quinn finally met her gaze, her eyes filled with anger. “How could you?” she growled, her teeth clenched.

  “I didn’t! That’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Lacey took another step toward Quinn but stopped, her chest deflating. “I haven’t betrayed you. I love you.”

  Lacey was trying to remain calm. She desperately wanted to tear into Jack for his false accusations and for dumping her like trash. But that wouldn’t help her case with Quinn. And Quinn was the only thing that mattered right now. “Please, Quinn. Let me find out what’s going on. Let me talk to Dani. I’ve been ignoring her calls after what she did, dragging me to Times Square, but I’ll call her. I’ll fix this. Just…don’t shut me out.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that she already knows.” Jack said, behind her. “And I can guarantee you, someone will pay her a lot of money for this story. Damnit, Lacey, why…”

  Lacey whipped around. “Shut up, Jack! You’re not helping!”

  “He’s right.” Quinn said. “You broke the non-disclosur
e agreement. Not to mention my trust. And god knows what she’ll do with it. Blackmail me, maybe? Or you? She sounds like a real peach, this girlfriend of yours.”

  “Oh, god! This again? We’re going to fight about Dani?” Lacey cringed at her own words. “I’m sorry. That was…”

  Any tears that were in Quinn’s eyes had dried up. There was only contempt there, as she stared Lacey down. “I guess this explains why she was so arrogant at the funeral, calling you the mother of her children. She knew all along that we were in a fake relationship.”

  Lacey’s world was crashing down around her and she was helpless to stop it. She sucked back her emotions but a tear still managed to fall. She quickly wiped it away. “Do you really want me to leave?” Quinn didn’t say anything. “You have to say it.” Lacey ventured a step toward her, whispering, “Quinn, I love you.”

  She got a hand on Quinn’s arm but it was quickly snatched away. “Just go.” Lacey didn’t move. “Go!” Quinn shouted.

  Lacey managed to get outside before the tears really started. She ran to the guesthouse and once inside, she grabbed her head and paced around, wondering what the hell to do. She was being kicked out again. Everything they’d shared the last few days – Quinn was just going to throw it all away. Pretend it never happened. So, what – they’d go back to being business associates? Was that even possible? How were they supposed to keep working together?

  Lacey didn’t have the answers, but she knew that trying to stay in Quinn’s house against her will wouldn’t solve anything. So, she packed an overnight bag, grabbed her keys and went out the side gate. She got to her Range Rover and stopped. She looked at her keys and then gently set them on the hood of the car. She walked out the gate on foot and called for a car.

  ***

  Jack watched her go and then sat on the sofa next to Quinn. “There are only three people who know the kind of detail Dani gave me and two of us are sitting here.”

  “I know.” Quinn hadn’t moved much. She was in a state of shock, unable to even comprehend the betrayal that had just been exposed. She couldn’t cry, she couldn’t yell. She didn’t want to feel anything yet. Half an hour ago, she’d been basking in her belief that she’d found real, honest, deep love with Lacey. The kind she’d always longed for. She was ready to stop living her life alone behind those big gates, keeping everyone at arm’s length. She was so ready to live out loud and let the world see how happy she was.