by Radclyffe
“Sean?” Her voice held a question, as if she almost didn’t trust her own eyes.
Smiling slowly, Sean met her gaze and held it, searching for the flicker of welcome she had missed so much. The breath stilled in her chest as she watched the softening of Drew’s angular features and the hint of a smile lift the corner of her sensuous mouth, and she knew that Drew remembered. The heaviness in Drew’s hooded stare seemed to echo the sensation in her own deep places, and for a moment, she forgot to speak.
“Sean?”
“Good evening, Master Clark.”
Her face very intent, Drew shook her head and placed her hand on the locked door. “Outside these walls, it’s just Drew.”
“Hello…Drew.”
A barrier had fallen, an acknowledgment had been made.
“How are you?” Drew asked as she leaned one shoulder against the wall, her eyes moving from Sean’s face over her body. Sean looked thinner, but her green eyes were clear and sparkled with a light that had not been there the last time Drew had seen her.
“Good. Better.”
“Susan?”
“Better, too. She’s been going to meetings twice a day for the last few days.”
“Good for her,” Drew said firmly.
For a second, they simply looked at one another, then they both spoke at once.
“I missed—”
“I’m glad you’re ba—”
Self-consciously, they both laughed.
“Are you sure you’re ready to work out?” Drew was still a bit anxious. “You’ve been gone a while.”
“I’m okay. I can’t wait to work out, actually.”
Suddenly light-hearted, Drew could no longer resist the urge to touch her. For the briefest of instants, she brushed her thumb along the edge of Sean’s jaw. “Well then, let’s go warm up.”
By the time the rest of the class had assembled, Sean felt as if her life had almost returned to normal. Physically she felt good; and every time she glanced in Drew’s direction, she found those blue eyes on her. That look made her insides turn over and left her aching in a very good way.
“Regular class will end early tonight,” Master Cho announced. “We will have a black belt-only workout now.”
Janet walked over to where Sean was gathering her gear. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Are you well?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Do you feel ready to join us, then?”
“Yes,” Sean replied eagerly. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Once the other students had left, Sean, Drew and Chris lined up for forms. Sean, as the most junior member present, performed hers first. When she had completed all the forms she had been taught, she stood at attention while Chris and Drew completed theirs. She followed Drew’s every move avidly, taking pleasure not only in the beauty of the forms but also in the beauty of the performer.
Unobtrusively from across the room, Janet watched Sean watching Drew, aware of the mutual attraction that had been growing between them for weeks. There were instances of unmistakable desire that she was sure would have embarrassed Sean had she known they were visible to others. But just as often, the look was one of simple, pure pleasure, as if Drew’s presence alone were enough to satisfy her. Such unselfish appreciation was a rare form of love. She hoped that Drew would find her way to accepting it.
“Sparring gear,” Janet called out when Drew had finished her final form.
Sean moved to one side of the room as Chris and Drew met in the middle, bowed, and upon Janet’s direction, began to spar. Drew was the more experienced fighter, but Chris Roma was agile and spirited. In the early moments of the match, Chris managed several hits before Drew backed her into a corner and proceeded to pummel her with rapid hand flurries. When Chris had absolutely no room to maneuver and struggled simply to defend herself, Drew spun three hundred and sixty degrees and launched a spinning back kick at Chris’s head. Chris missed the block. At barely an inch from Chris’s temple, Drew stopped the kick that could easily have killed her.
The room was completely silent as Drew and Chris locked eyes.
“You can’t stop that kick with an arm block, Sabum Roma,” Drew said quietly. “Not without a broken arm and a good deal of damage to your head. Once that happens, you’ll be defenseless. If you’re trapped in close like that, the best you can do is drop to the ground and attempt a knee or groin strike.”
Chris Roma bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master Clark.”
“Sean,” Janet instructed, “now you will spar Master Clark.”
Surprised, both women hesitated for a second before responding crisply in unison, “Yes, ma’am.”
“And, Sean—”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Guard your face.”
Sean almost smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
When she approached Drew, Sean’s face was shining with anticipation. When she lifted her head after their bow, the calm focus was once again apparent in her eyes. Drew’s face, as always at moments like this, was expressionless.
“Begin.”
Immediately, Sean dropped to the floor in a crouch, swung her right leg around, and caught Drew sharply behind the left knee with her foot. Thrown backward by the kick, Drew went down, tucking one leg under her and propelling herself into a back roll. She came up again smoothly with both hands in front of her, ready to block Sean, whom she knew would be following in for the kill.
As expected, Sean was right in her face, her right hand cocked for the jab. Before Drew was even completely upright, she snapped a front kick that Sean had not anticipated and was only partially able to block. Drew’s kick landed in Sean’s mid-section with enough force to rock Sean backwards, and that was the opening Drew needed. She never hesitated, because it was her nature and her training to take advantage of the slightest weakness. Again came the rapid hand flurry of punches to the face and abdomen—the overpowering momentum of a ferocious fighter that left opponents able to do little more than defend their vital parts.
Sean did the only thing she could do. She retreated, blocking one blow after another until her back was to the wall, and she realized she couldn’t win. I’ll block until I can’t raise my arms again, and then she’ll finish me. On the street, I could die. I won’t go down like this.
With a tremendous effort, Sean began to punch back after every blow from Drew she managed to block, until she cleared enough space to get her right knee up between their bodies and buy herself a little room. And then she used her legs, her best weapon, to strike at the only target she could reach—the few scant inches left open below Drew’s guard hand. With every bit of precision and control she could muster, Sean lashed out with an angle kick that skirted beneath Drew’s left arm and caught her just under the ribs. Sean knew better than to kick full power while sparring, but her adrenaline surged and her foot landed with enough force to cause Drew to grunt and back up half a step. Invigorated by her small victory, Sean slipped out of the corner and back to the center of the room where she could maneuver. Eyes focused and intent, Sean waited eagerly for her opponent. She wanted another chance.
“Halt,” Master Cho called, satisfied that they could put aside whatever was between them long enough to train safely and effectively together. The idea of coming between the two women had not appealed to her, but everything within these walls was ultimately her responsibility. She would have prevented them from training together if she’d had to do so.
Immediately, Drew and Sean stopped and faced each other, both of them breathing hard.
“Bow.”
They did, and as they raised their heads, they both laughed.
“Good work, Sean,” Drew exclaimed, rubbing her ribs, delighted at the flush of triumph on Sean’s face.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Sean tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help it. Especially when Drew looked at her that way—as if she were something very special.
Janet couldn’t decide whether to
admonish them for their laughter or to overlook it. They had both fought well, and the genuine pleasure on Drew’s face, something Drew so rarely allowed herself, was perhaps reason enough to allow a little lapse in discipline.
After Janet formally dismissed them, she said, “We will go out for dinner now.”
Sean wasn’t sure the invitation included her, so she remained silent. Beside her, Drew was silent as well.
“All of us, yes?”
Sean couldn’t help but smile in Drew’s direction as she agreed quickly, “Yes!”
The atmosphere in the Jeep was relaxed as Janet drove to a small woman-owned restaurant not far from the dojang.
“You did well tonight,” Drew said to Sean as they rode in the back seat.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn that leg sweep?”
“I’ve been watching you.”
“Have you now?” Drew asked softly, her voice pitched too low for anyone else to hear.
“Yes, I have.” Sean’s stomach did another flip at Drew’s unexpectedly intimate tone, and she added without thinking, “It’s one of the things I’ve missed these last few weeks—watching you.”
Drew barely managed to stifle a gasp as Sean’s words brought every nerve in her body to full attention. The swift arousal was completely foreign, so long in her past she’d thought herself incapable of it. Now, she shuddered under the onslaught. “So have—”
She broke off as Janet announced, “Here we are.”
Within minutes, the four of them were seated at a table in the rear of a tiny restaurant that was sandwiched between a storefront church and an auto repair center. Drew and Sean faced one another across the small expanse of tabletop, smiling as the pleasant meal progressed and Janet shared some of her early training experiences with them. Sean was captivated by her teacher’s stories of being a woman in a traditionally male arena, and it was only Drew’s presence that distracted her from the fascinating anecdotes.
Whenever Sean glanced at Drew, those intense blue eyes were upon her, and there could be no mistake about the message in them. Sean only wished that she knew what to do about it. She knew what she wanted to do—she had lain down to sleep with her body on fire too many nights not to know. The solitary comforts she’d sought had only honed the wanting, and the woman who could answer her needs was gazing at her now with heavy-lidded desire. God, does she even know what that look does to me?
“What? I’m sorry?” Sean stammered as she realized that everyone was preparing to leave. She barely remembered the brief discussion over who would treat whom. She vaguely recalled that Janet Cho had insisted on paying for the meal, and that Drew had protested until everyone agreed that next time—next time? There’s going to be a next time?—Drew would pay.
“I said,” Drew repeated as they followed Janet and Chris out of the restaurant onto the street, “would you like to walk back? It’s really not that far.”
“Yes,” Sean replied immediately. “Yes. I could...use the air.” Maybe the chill will clear my mind. But she didn’t really think so. Too much of her blood supply had already settled well south of her brain.
They bid Janet and Chris goodnight and began walking toward the dojang and Sean’s car.
“I’m glad Susan’s doing better,” Drew said after a minute. “How are you and Ellen getting along?”
Sean sighed. “We don’t see each other that much. I think we both reorganized our office hours so we don’t overlap at all. Even when we bump into each other during off hours, we don’t talk. As far as I know, Ellen is still dating Gail.”
“That’s tough. I’m sorry.”
“I was happy that Gail wasn’t at class tonight. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to face her yet.”
“When you do, I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine,” Drew said with certainty.
“Thanks.” Sean smiled warmly. “You’ve been a tremendous help, you know. Being able to tell you what was happening; your kindness with Susan that night. I needed...that.”
Drew looked uncomfortable, remembering that when Sean had come to her for comfort, she had responded with something very different. “About what happened in the dojang—when I...kissed you. I don’t know what to say about that—”
“Well, I do,” Sean said, suddenly frustrated by the apology she sensed was about to follow. “You held me, you comforted me—and then you kissed me. And I don’t know any other way to say this, but I want you to kiss me again. I want to...kiss you.”
Drew stopped in her tracks and stared at Sean. Her heart raced erratically, and the muscles in her thighs clenched with sudden tension. When she spoke, it was from her need, not reason. Desire had finally dismantled the last barricade of her carefully erected control. “What I want to do, I can’t do here,” Drew whispered hoarsely.
“Then we’ll go somewhere else. Anywhere.”
“My apartment—it’s not far. Will you come?”
“Oh, yes.”
*
Looking back, Sean couldn’t remember if they’d said a single word in the ten minutes it took to reach Drew’s building. Her first clear memory was of standing just inside the door of Drew’s third-floor apartment.
Drew shrugged out of the blazer she had worn with the jeans and shirt that she had changed into at the dojang. Sean pulled off her heavy sweater, revealing the tight silk T-shirt beneath, and dropped it on top of her gear bag. When Drew just stared at her with an expression partway between fear and hunger, it was Sean who took the first step, moving to within a few inches of her.
Resting both palms on Drew’s chest, she gently fingered open the top few buttons on her shirt. She could feel Drew trembling and was amazed at how completely calm she felt, despite the fact that her blood raced hot through her veins. “I have wanted to do this for so long.” Sean barely recognized her own voice.
Whatever was about to happen, Sean was absolutely certain that she wanted it. Wanted it in a way that she had never wanted anything before. Wanted this woman in a way she had never wanted anyone before. When her fingers slipped under the fabric to touch skin, Drew made a sound that was half moan, half growl. The next thing Sean knew, her back was against the door, and Drew’s mouth was at her throat.
Gasping, Sean tilted her head back and exposed her soul. When she felt Drew’s fingers fumbling to pull her T-shirt from her jeans, Sean stripped off the garment with her own hands, baring her heart. When Drew braced an arm on either side of Sean’s body and thrust her hips wildly against Sean’s, Sean parted her thighs and welcomed her.
Drew lifted her face to Sean’s and their lips met, breath joining as they moaned into one another’s mouths. Their tongues slid over each other, seeking wordless union. Abandoning herself to the intoxicating kisses, Sean cupped Drew’s buttocks and squeezed, urging her closer. Suddenly, Drew stiffened and pulled her mouth from Sean’s.
“Oh, no,” Drew groaned, her arms shaking so badly she almost collapsed as she felt herself rushing toward release, helpless to stop. “I’m sorry, I’m sor...oh, Sean, I’m coming.”
“Let me see you,” Sean cried, fisting her fingers in Drew’s hair and pulling her head back until she could look into Drew’s eyes. Stunned by beauty she never dreamed could exist, Sean watched as Drew’s orgasm consumed her.
The force of it drove Drew to her knees, and when she could breathe again, she found her face cradled against Sean’s thighs, Sean’s hands still in her hair, slowly stroking the strands through her fingers.
“Sean,” she managed through a throat thick with emotion, “I didn’t mean for that—”
“I knew you would be like this,” Sean murmured, eyes closed, her head rocking slowly from side to side with the pulsations of her own desperate desire rising from her depths.
“Like what?” Sensing Sean’s need, Drew shifted and rapidly worked the button free on the fly of Sean’s jeans.
“Fierce,” Sean said on a sigh, back arching, her breath catching as she felt Drew slide her zipper down.
Drew groaned. “God, I want you.”
Sean’s thighs trembled as Drew grasped the top of her jeans and worked them down, then lifted one leg to free it from the folds of fabric and rested it carefully over her shoulder.
“And gentle,” Sean managed as warm breath wafted across her exquisitely sensitive flesh.
“So beautiful,” Drew murmured.
“Oh...” Sean lost her voice as Drew’s lips closed around her aching clitoris. She wanted it to last forever, this first glorious touch, but she was so hard, and Drew’s mouth was so soft, so knowing. In what seemed like an instant, her muscles clenched, preparing for the cataclysm.
“Drew,” she whispered, like a prayer, then shuddered and bucked, her back to the door, her weight on Drew’s shoulders. When she couldn’t bear the exquisite pressure on her sensitive nerve endings any longer, she pushed feebly at Drew’s head. “No more.”
But Drew ignored her. And as the first wave of pleasure passed away, another followed, unexpected, surging from some previously unexplored place deep within her soul. Sean cried out—in shock, in wonder, and, ultimately, before her mind surrendered to sensation—in exultation.
*
When she returned to awareness, Sean discovered she was mostly naked, cradled in Drew’s arms. Her head rested on Drew’s shoulder, and the two of them appeared to be on the floor in Drew’s living room. No one who knew her would ever have believed it, but, oddly, she felt completely at ease. Except for the cramp in her calf, and the fact that there were far too many layers between her and the body she longed to explore. Drew still seemed to be entirely clothed.
“Do you have a bedroom?”
“Hmm?” Drew asked from somewhere far away. Her eyes were closed, and her chin rested on the top of Sean’s head.
“Mattress, sheets. A pillow?”
“Oh, that. Yes.” Drew waved an arm vaguely. “That way.”
Sean stood up, surprised that she could, and extended her hand. “Show me.”
Heaving a sigh, Drew got unsteadily to her feet. “Sean—”