by Radclyffe
Smiling, Tory turned from the crib, her finger to her lips. After switching on the nightlight on the bright blue dresser by the door, she joined Reese. Once outside in the hall, she said, “She might not have known what the party was for, but she definitely had a good time. I think she sat on everyone’s lap at least once.”
“She didn’t have dinner.”
“We’ll feed her later when she wakes up.” Tory grasped Reese’s hand. “How about you? Did you eat something?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“That’s not exactly what I asked,” Tory said quietly.
Reese stopped at the top of the stairs and pulled Tory close. She nuzzled her hair, then kissed her neck. Some of the doubts that plagued her receded. Tory was real. Tory was alive. “I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
“Comes with the territory, Sheriff.” Tory stroked Reese’s cheek. “Besides, I enjoy looking after you.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.” Reese wasn’t hungry for food, but she still felt empty. Nothing filled her up except Tory. In the recesses of her mind she heard the thunder and felt death coming. She hesitated, uncertain for the first time in her life of how to face it. She gasped, “Tory.”
“What, sweetheart?”
In her mind, Reese saw Tory silhouetted in the moonlight, saw her shimmering in the bright light of day. Tory knew her. Tory touched her inside, beyond the fear and doubt. Tory was all that kept her from the dark. Reese pressed Tory into the shadows, maneuvering her back against the wall. Gripping her shoulders, she kissed her neck again, then her mouth. Pinning her with the weight of her body, she slid one hand under the lower edge of Tory’s T-shirt. Tory’s breasts weren’t as full as they had been when she was breast-feeding, but they were still firm and hot under her thin satin bra. Reese cupped her, squeezing until Tory’s nipple tightened in her grasp. Groaning, she kissed her way down Tory’s neck and fumbled to push Tory’s shirt up with her free hand.
“Reese, honey, we have people in the house,” Tory warned.
Aching, echoing with emptiness, Reese worked her hand into Tory’s bra and lifted her breast free. She bunched Tory’s cotton T in her fist and caught a nipple in her mouth.
“Reese.” Tory sank her fingers into Reese’s hair and pulled her mouth from her breast. She cradled Reese’s face against her throat, not wanting to push her away. Reese had only been home a few weeks, but it had only taken a few days for Tory to realize that something was wrong. Something had changed. Reese had always been passionate—sometimes gentle, sometimes urgent—but always always exquisitely present. Now, her need rose with the fury of an unexpected storm that broke over the horizon and lashed everything in its wake. Sometimes Tory wasn’t certain Reese was even aware of what she was doing. “Sweetheart. We can’t.”
“Sorry. Jesus. I’m sorry.” Drenched with sweat, Reese broke Tory’s hold and jerked her head away. “Tory, I’m sorry.”
Reese was trembling, and that nearly broke Tory’s heart. “It’s all right, darling. It’s all right.”
“No it isn’t,” Reese said sharply, backing away another step. She held up her hands to ward Tory off when Tory reached for her. “My need. Not yours. I’m sorry.”
“No,” Tory whispered fervently. “Your need is mine. It always has been.”
Reese shook her head. “Not this way. Not this way.”
Before Tory could protest again, Reese turned and disappeared down the stairs. A minute later Tory heard the door slam. When an engine revved in the driveway outside and tires kicked up stones that cracked like rifle shots, she knew it was Reese in the patrol car. Leaving. Reese had never, ever walked away from her before and the pain was so acute she was nearly ill.
*
“Hell of a party,” Cath said, dropping into a chair next to Tory on the deck. “Wait’ll next year when she actually knows what’s going on.”
“Thanks for helping out.” Tory sipped her wine, then set it aside when she realized she couldn’t taste it. “Where are Marcus and the kids?”
“I sent them back to the B&B. Where’s Reese?”
“Working, I think.”
“You think.” Cath reached across Tory and grabbed her wine glass. Then she settled back and took a swallow. “I noticed she disappeared earlier.”
“She’s not quite herself.”
“Is she having a hard time with what happened over there?”
“Yes. At least I’m sure that’s part of it.”
“How are you doing?”
“I’m not sure.” Tory regarded her sister. “No, that’s not true. I’m scared to death. I don’t know what to do for her.”
“What’s wrong, exactly?”
Tory laughed humorlessly. “I don’t know and I feel like I should. I’m her partner and I should know.”
“Uh, I don’t think just because you love her you’re supposed to be a mind-reader.” Cath took Tory’s hand. “Give yourself a break, honey. You’ve both been through a lot. Is it post-traumatic stress?”
“At first I thought so. I’d pretty much expected it. Even troops who haven’t been captured or wounded suffer some form of reentry shock.” Tory watched the stars overhead, thinking of the nights she had sat out here alone wondering if Reese could see the same stars from where she was. “She certainly has reason to show those kinds of symptoms, but now I’m not so sure. She’s not eating or sleeping, and that’s typical enough—but there’s something more. Sometimes she seems so lost. I hate not being able to help her.”
“It hasn’t been that long. You both probably just need some time.”
“I know. I’ve been telling myself the same thing, but tonight…” Tory swallowed back tears. “She left tonight. She left the house, she left me, because she was upset. She’s never done that before.”
“Does she… God, this is really hard to say. Does she drink or abuse drugs or anything like that?”
Tory laughed incredulously. “Reese? God, no. She has always been so solid, so certain. She’s unshakable.”
“Until now.”
“Yes, until now.” Tory said softly, wondering where she was. If it had been KT leaving after being rebuffed, Tory knew where she would go. KT would have sought respite with another woman, at least when she and Tory had been lovers. But Reese was not KT—she had never…would never… “God, I want her to come home. She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever known and seeing her like this just about kills me.”
“You’re no pushover yourself, honey,” Cath said. “You can be strong for both of you until Reese heals.”
“What if I can’t? What if I can’t give her what she’s always given me?”
Cath squeezed Tory’s hand again. “You will.”
Tory held her sister’s hand and ached for the touch of her lover.
Chapter Four
“How about some pizza?” Deo clasped Allie’s hand as they strolled along a sandy walkway between two buildings that led up from the beach to Commercial Street. When the party at Reese and Tory’s had broken up, Deo offered to drive Allie home, but instead of saying good night, Allie suggested they head into town. Even more so than most weekend nights during the season, tourists and summer residents packed every available B&B and condo for theFourth of July. For another hour or so, the streets would be filled with mostly same-sex couples celebrating the freedom to be visible and among community. Deo hadn’t been anxious to return alone to her condo at the end of Bradford Street, and Allie was fun—easy to talk to and easy on the eyes. And she seemed okay with a relationship that was just as easy. A little mutual company, a few hours of shared pleasure, an encounter with no expectations. In Deo’s experience, a lot of girls said they were okay with that, but after a couple of dates, things changed. Now, she was careful not to see anyone more than a time or two, and she didn’t sleep with half the women everyone gave her credit for. It didn’t seem worth disavowing everyone of their notion that she scored more than most guys, and her reputation kept the women she saw from expecting much mor
e than a casual night out.
“Pizza. Hmm. I sort of thought you had an appetite for something else,” Allie said suggestively.
“Oh, I do.” Deo laughed. “But certain activities burn a lot of calories, so it’s always good to stock up when you can.”
“Is that right?” Allie slowed within the slanting shadows of the overhanging eaves and kissed Deo, squeezing her ass with both hands while rolling her pelvis against Deo’s crotch. “Then I suggest you have two slices.”
“Much more of that and it won’t be pizza I need,” Deo muttered breathlessly, surprised not only by Allie’s aggression but by her own swift response. Her stomach tightened with urgency, and she felt herself grow hard and tense. She skimmed her fingertips over the outer curve of Allie’s breast and smiled to herself when Allie moaned. Good to know she wasn’t the only one with a hair trigger tonight. “I’m a little past groping girls in dark alleys, but Jesus, you feel good.”
“Baby, you have my permission to grope.” Allie hooked her calf around Deo’s thigh and rocked into her crotch again, digging her fingers into the firm muscles of Deo’s backside for balance. She ran her tongue around the edge of Deo’s ear and nibbled on her earlobe. “I can’t believe how hot I am. I’m ready for you to fuck me right here.”
“You’ve really got me stoked too,” Deo gasped, tilting her head back as Allie sucked on her neck. When she pinched Allie’s nipple and Allie whimpered, her vision went hazy and all she could think about was being inside her and making her scream. “Time out. Oh man…Allie, time out.” She grabbed Allie’s hips and put some air between them. “I’m about two seconds from forgetting where we are, and I’m not going to do this up against a building.”
“I know, I know.” Allie shivered. “But I want you to.”
“You’re making me a little bit crazy.”
“Bad crazy?”
Allie sounded genuinely worried, and Deo experienced an unexpected rush of gratitude. Usually her companions figured she didn’t care about anything except the sex, and it was nice to have someone actually ask what she felt. Deo circled Allie’s waist and started walking again. “Feels pretty good to me. You?”
“Better than good.” Allie stroked Deo’s stomach before sliding her fingers an inch or two underneath the waistband of her pants. She purred when Deo groaned. “You tripped all my switches and there’s no off button. I’m so wired my whole body’s buzzing.”
“Still want pizza?”
“Sure. Just don’t fill up on it.”
Laughing, Deo led her through a horde of men spilling out onto Commercial in front of Spiritus Pizza. “Grab us a seat and I’ll get the food. What’s your pleasure?”
Allie grinned. “For now, cheese. I’ll tell you the rest later.”
Deo kissed her. “Coming up.”
“Hurry.” Allie staked out a spot on the low brick wall edging the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
Deo grinned. “Count on it.”
*
“Hey,” Carre shouted above the din, tugging on Bri’s arm as they edged through the crowd. “There’s Allie.”
“Huh? Where?” Bri slowed and followed Carre’s gaze. She stiffened when she saw Deo Camara settle down behind Allie and slide a leg on either side of Allie’s smaller frame. Allie snugged her ass back into Deo’s crotch while Deo dangled a piece of pizza in front of Allie’s mouth. Bri grunted when Allie chased it with her tongue. “Cute.”
Carre gave Bri a look. “What’s with you? Jealous?”
Bri stared. “Jeez, babe. No. Come on.” She saw the fire in Carre’s eyes and knew better than to blow her off. Allie had always been a sore spot between them, ever since Bri had been a jerk the year before and almost slept with her. Almost. Well, she’d been in bed with her, and she’d been naked, and she’d let Allie touch…
“Fuck,” Bri breathed, not blaming Carre for being sensitive about it. And just what was she feeling right now anyhow that made her want to punch Deo for licking the sauce off the corner of Allie’s mouth like she was doing at the moment? “I like Allie. She’s my friend, and besides, she’s my partner.”
“I know that,” Carre said, pulling Bri closer to the building across the narrow twisty street from where Allie sat wrapped up in Deo’s arms. “What I don’t know is why you’re getting twitchy about her and Deo.” She stuck her hand under the bottom of Bri’s T-shirt and rubbed her back. “What’s that about?”
“Allie has a crazy streak, you know?” Bri said, working it out in her head while she watched Allie run her fingernails up and down the inside of Deo’s leg. “Sometimes I think she does stuff so she doesn’t have to think about how she’s feeling.”
“Baby,” Carre said reasonably. “Maybe she just wants to get laid.”
Bri grinned and kissed Carre nice and slow and deep. “Could be. I’d say she’s gonna get her wish.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Not my department.” Bri turned Carre until her back was against the building and kissed her again, teasing her with her tongue until Carre rubbed against her and moaned. “That’s my department.”
“Yeah,” Carre said breathlessly. “And you should maybe take care of it. Soon.”
“Top of my list.” Bri grabbed Carre’s hand and pulled her into the street in the direction of their apartment. She didn’t glance over at Allie. Not her department.
*
Deo fumbled her key into the lock while Allie practically climbed up her back, rubbing against her ass and licking the back of her neck. “One more minute. Just hold on one more minute, and I’ll take care of that charge you’ve got running through your circuits.”
“You’ve had me wound up all night,” Allie murmured, wrapping her arms around Deo’s middle from behind and cleaving to her as they stumbled inside Deo’s condo. “You have your work cut out for you.”
“That’s okay.” Deo tossed her keys onto a small table by the door and threw her shirt after them. Her skin tingled and even the T-shirt chaffed her sensitive nipples. “I love my work.” She twisted enough to free herself from Allie’s grasp and grabbed her arm. “Come on. The bedroom’s upstairs. Let’s see what I can do about taking care of you.”
“What time is it—one?”
“About,” Deo muttered, hurriedly twisting the rheostat on the switch inside her bedroom door until the light was barely a glow. “Gotta be somewhere?”
“Nope.” Allie gave Deo a playful shove and then another, until Deo hit the bed and fell onto it. Allie dropped on top of her and writhed against her. “You might have enough time to take the edge off by morning, at least.”
Deo grabbed Allie’s ass, thrust up her hips, and flipped Allie over. She circled her crotch against Allie’s while holding Allie’s arms against the bed with her fingers clamped around each of Allie’s wrists. “Is that some kind of challenge?”
“Uh-uh. Just a warning to let you know what you’re in for.” Allie raised her head and clamped her teeth onto the side of Deo’s neck, sucking until Deo groaned. “I’d really really like it if you fucked me.”
“That could be arranged.” Deo rubbed her cheek over Allie’s breast until the nipple stood up beneath Allie’s stretchy top. She grasped it in her teeth and shook her head while she pumped her crotch into Allie. She kept up the rhythm with her mouth and her hips, harder and faster until Allie twisted and shook beneath her.
“Oh God I’m hot,” Allie gasped. “You have got to fuck me. I’m not kidding.”
“Would you like a little something extra when I do?”
Allie scraped her nails down the back of Deo’s thin T-shirt. “Will it be good for you too?”
Surprised again, Deo kissed her softly. “Yeah. I’d like it.”
“Then fill me up,” Allie whispered, her mouth against Deo’s ear, “with something nice and thick.”
Deo’s stomach rolled, and for a fleeting second she was afraid she might come just thinking about pushing inside her. She was breathing so fast she could ha
rdly talk. By the time she struggled upright to get ready, Allie was already pulling off her clothes. “I need a minute.”
“I’ve waited this long.” Naked, Allie rubbed her own breasts, arching her back and moaning. “I’m so wet.”
“Take it easy,” Deo said as she shucked her pants and underwear and opened the bedside table. “Don’t get too far ahead of me.”
“I can come more than once.”
The words went through Deo like a shot. Her hands were shaking so badly she fumbled while sliding the thin leather straps of the harness over her legs. “There’s a condom in the top drawer there. Get it for me.” While Allie leaned over to retrieve the safe, Deo swung around and propped her back against the pillows, half-sitting with her legs stretched out on the bed.
“Mmm, that’s nice,” Allie murmured, tearing the foil open as she knelt on the bed. She smiled up at Deo. “Nice and big.”
“Too big?” Deo steadied the cock with one hand as Allie rolled the condom down on it. The pressure made her clit ache. “Because I’ve got a smaller—”
Allie laughed. “Oh no. This is perfect.” As if to prove it, she swung one leg over Deo’s hips and lowered herself until just the broad, round tip disappeared. Her head snapped back and she whimpered quietly. “Oh my God, that feels so good.”
Deo struggled not to move when every instinct cried out for her to pump her hips. She clasped Allie’s waist with both hands, helping to support her as she slowly took more and more of Deo inside her. “You look beautiful like this.”