Carson’s eyes burned when she looked at Erin. “I would like that.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. Unfortunately, there isn’t any room in my drawers for your clothes, so if you want to unpack, the guestroom dresser is empty. I think I’m going to take a quick shower while you do that.”
“Okay.”
Carson started to walk down the hall to unpack, but Erin stopped her.
“Wait a minute, you forgot something.”
A gentle hand on her arm pulled Carson into Erin’s smaller frame. Erin stood on tiptoe, and kissed Carson gently. As usual, the feel of Carson’s lips captured Erin utterly. She forgot everything except the texture, and sweetness. Carson’s tongue explored the small creases in Erin’s lips before she deepened the kiss.
Erin had meant the kiss to be short and sweet, but it deepened until it threatened to set her on fire. The need for oxygen finally forced her to pull away.
They stared into one another’s eyes for a moment before Erin swallowed hard, and said; “I guess I should take that shower now.”
CARSON COULD ONLY nod and watch Erin walk away. When Erin turned the corner and went out of sight Carson took a deep breath. She needed to unpack and take a very cold shower.
And I’m expected to sleep with her?
For the next twenty minutes Carson unpacked, and waited for Erin to get out of the shower. She selected a pair of silk pajamas, and white socks to put on later. She laid the clothes across the bed, and took her toothbrush back toward the other end of the apartment. If she was going to spend the night in Erin’s bedroom, it only made sense to put her toothbrush in that bathroom.
Erin was ruffling her hair with a towel when Carson walked into the living room. She wore a white terry cloth robe, and had nothing on her feet. Carson wondered if she had anything on beneath the robe.
“You look relaxed.”
Erin turned her head and grinned. “And you look tense. Something wrong?”
“Nothing a cold shower won’t cure,” Carson mumbled under her breath.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. I think I’m going to take a shower.”
“I thought we should order something from the RL early,” Erin said to her back.
“Sounds great.” Carson turned back toward Erin and tried to keep her eyes off Erin’s chest. “Why don’t you order for both of us? I trust your judgment just no freshwater fish, right?”
The lights came on in Erin’s eyes and she said, “Right. You’re allergic.”
“Right.”
“Where are you going?”
“To take a shower.” Carson looked confused.
“I thought you were going to use my room.”
Carson hadn’t considered that meant using Erin’s shower as well, but she wasn’t going to admit that. Instead, she said, “I’m just going to get my clothes. Unless you prefer that I walk through the apartment in my birthday suit after I take my shower.”
Erin’s eyes went wide, and blood rushed into her face at the mental picture she suddenly envisioned. Then she let her breath out in a rush. “You did that on purpose.”
“Of course,” Carson said mischievously, and walked saucily down the hall.
Carson retrieved her clothes and passed by Erin on her way back to the bedroom. Erin was on the phone with the RL, and had her back to the hallway. Carson couldn’t help looking at the strong legs under the short robe. Erin’s legs were lean, and well-muscled. It was obvious that she exercised regularly, and Carson wondered if she used the gym on the lobby floor.
She cast an openly loving look at Erin before she walked into the bedroom. It was the first time Carson had been in Erin’s bedroom, and she looked around curiously. She felt like an intruder even though Erin obviously wanted her here. The room was dark, and sultry, decorated in burgundy and cherry wood. The mattress on the bed was thick and covered in a heavy down comforter.
Decadent was the only possible description for what she found, and Carson swallowed hard. She noticed the door in the corner and walked into the bathroom. It was similarly elegant to the bedroom with the same colors of burgundy, and ochre. A heated towel rack stood against the wall between the oversized tub, and the separate shower stall.
Carson put her clothes on the back of the toilet, and her toothbrush in the holder next to Erin’s before she looked around more closely. A shelf next to the tub held several bottles of perfumed oils, and the tub was large enough to accommodate two people. Carson shivered at the thought of sharing the tub with Erin.
She turned her back on the tub and opened the shower door. Carson was surprised to see that even the shower had jets on the sides.
Carson thought of the impression that Erin gave the outside world, conservative, professional and perhaps even a little rigid. From the things she had learned by getting closer, Carson knew differently. She knew that Erin was really a free spirit when not locked into the world of corporate law.
She knew that Erin laughed in her sleep, and hated to get up in the mornings. Erin was a hopeless romantic with a hedonistic streak, and the passion that swirled just beneath the surface could quite possibly capture Carson in a whirlpool and carry her helplessly away.
Carson pushed the thoughts away with difficulty and turned the water on. If she didn’t stop thinking about Erin in a sexual way she would never be able to get through the night without doing something to embarrass herself.
When Carson emerged from the shower, Erin was dressed in a red sweat suit, and had on sports socks. Carson raised an eyebrow at the definite change in style from the short terrycloth robe.
“Can’t exactly answer the door in a robe, can I,” Erin teased.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later. Erin had called down to the concierge and informed him that the RL would be making a delivery. The women settled at Erin’s small kitchen table, and sat down to a wonderful dinner. Erin had ordered a rack of lamb, steamed vegetables and two Caesar salads. Carson wasn’t a huge fan of lamb, but it had been expertly prepared in a light mushroom and saffron sauce.
Erin also chose a heavy red wine that perfectly complimented the meal. Dinner was a leisurely affair, and neither of them felt the need to rush. It was nice just to spend time together. Eventually the meal came to an end, and they retired to the living room.
Carson noticed Erin make a quick stop by her briefcase, and she took a breath to steel herself for what was to happen. Obviously, Erin had decided it was time to study the file she had mentioned earlier. Carson didn’t really think the old case could be connected, but she had promised to go through the file with her.
Erin sat down closely beside her and opened the folder up on the coffee table. Carson was impressed by the size of the file. She noticed that Erin had even included press clippings related to the wrongful death suit.
By the time Carson finished reading the newspaper stories, she was convinced that Marsters should have been found guilty, but was sharp enough to realize that the press could make a nun look like a mafia hit man. Still, even if most of the information was true, Marsters must have paid someone off to literally have gotten away with murder.
“Why didn’t the EPA get involved in this?”
“They did.” Erin dug deeper into the file and retrieved another document that she offered to Carson. “The Environmental Protection Agency had an injunction issued against Marsters after they were cleared by the courts. Marsters may have gotten off light where the victims were concerned, but the EPA is something else altogether. Marsters’ research lab was forced to shut down until more stringent safety protocols were instituted.”
“But it was too little, too late,” Carson said. “If the victims were correct and it was the research company’s fault that they got sick, new safety procedures would have been little comfort.”
“True, but there really was no way to prove the company was guilty of any wrong-doing. I mean, how do you prove why someone gets cancer?”
Carson had to admit the truth of that, but if one
of the victim’s relatives came to the conclusion that Marsters was involved, what lengths would they go to in order to exact revenge?
For the next hour, Erin and Carson reviewed the file. They looked for anything that might explain why the company was continually targeted, and even studied the pictures of protestors in the newspaper clippings in the hopes that they would see a familiar figure.
In the end, they found nothing definitive to link the events.
“I still think it’s all just a coincidence. It does look as though someone has it in for the research company, but it could have nothing to do with what happened five years ago. People protest chemical research companies all the time.”
Carson could tell by Erin’s expression that she was disappointed not to find the connection, and she resisted the urge to smile. Erin was a bulldog when she latched onto an idea, and Carson thought she would have made an excellent detective.
“I guess you’re right.” Erin put all the documents back into the folder and pushed it away. “Maybe I’m just grasping at straws.”
Carson slid an arm around Erin’s shoulder and hugged the smaller woman against her side. “It’s understandable to want an explanation for what happened to us, but we may never know. Right now, it’s enough for me that I’m here with you.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
Erin looked deeply into Carson’s eyes, and Carson decided she didn’t want to think about the research lab anymore. All she wanted was the feel of Erin’s lips pressed against her own. Carson had just started to lower her head to kiss her when Erin suddenly had to stifle a huge yawn.
Carson grinned. “It’s late, and you’re tired. Why don’t we get ready for bed?”
“Umm, sounds wonderful.”
Erin released her and stood up from the couch. She offered a hand to Carson who didn’t really need it, but took it nonetheless. Erin let Carson brush her teeth first while she pulled down the covers on the bed. When Carson returned to the bedroom, she quickly slipped beneath the sheets while Erin got ready for bed.
When Erin came out of the bathroom a few minutes later she stopped suddenly, and looked down at Carson with an unfathomable expression on her face.
“Do you prefer this side,” Carson asked confused.
Erin smiled and shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I was just thinking how strange and wonderful it is to come in this room and see you lying there.”
“Come to bed,” Carson said softly and lifted the covers invitingly as she had at her own house on Sunday.
Just as quickly as she had on that previous occasion, Erin got into bed and snuggled close to Carson. Carson had to lean over her to turn off the bedside lamp, and pressed their bodies even closer together.
Erin stifled a moan when Carson’s full breasts crushed against her, but she could do nothing to prevent the slow burn that started in her veins. Carson must have sensed the sudden tension in Erin’s body. After the light was out Carson moved even closer until Erin was flat against the mattress with Carson lying on top of her. Carson rested most of her weight on her elbows, and placed her lips close to Erin’s.
Carson’s breath whispered against Erin’s lips, and she waited for the kiss she knew was coming. When it didn’t, she opened her eyes to see Carson watching her in the darkness.
“What are you waiting for,” Erin asked breathlessly.
Carson didn’t answer. Instead, she kissed Erin slowly, but gently, careful not to let the caress escalate out of control. Eventually Carson drew back, and Erin opened her eyes. She could feel Carson tremble against her, but after a few moments, Carson lay back against the sheets. Erin cuddled against her, and finally fell asleep with Carson’s arms wrapped around her.
CARSON CAME AWAKE slowly and reluctantly. She was nestled in a warm cocoon of flesh amidst tousled covers. It was still dark, and for a moment she was confused about what had awakened her. Then Erin shifted again from where she slept atop Carson’s prone form and pressed her breasts against Carson’s.
A soft gasp escaped parted lips when Erin wriggled sensually against her.
She realized Erin was only partially awake and was moving against her in a hypnotic, half-dream state in which her body was simply responding to its desire. But that didn’t make lying motionless any easier.
Carson tried to stay still and let Erin come fully awake, or settle back into sleep, but she couldn’t prevent her body’s response. Blood surged through her veins, and her nipples hardened beneath the pajama top. Her arms had come up instinctively to hold Erin to her and now she felt them tremble.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and gritted her teeth to hold in the sounds she wanted to make. Two of the top buttons of her shirt had come unbuttoned during the night and Erin’s cheek lay against her exposed chest.
Erin moved again and mumbled something Carson couldn’t understand before she lifted slightly and pressed her lips against Carson’s breastbone. Erin’s tongue slipped between her lips and Carson felt the heated touch on her tender skin.
“Erin,” Carson whispered softly.
The sound of her name seemed to awaken Erin more fully and she raised her head to look into Carson’s eyes. Instead of stopping as Carson expected her to, Erin held her gaze and slowly closed the distance between them. Even in the dark, Carson saw the heat of desire in Erin’s eyes. Her lips touched Carson’s gently, and Carson moaned into the kiss.
The kiss was gentle, exploring, and Carson’s arms tightened around her. Erin shifted against Carson again, and her legs parted to straddle a muscled thigh. Her right hand slid up Carson’s ribcage to the opening of her pajamas. Carson shuddered when Erin’s strong fingers began to stroke her skin.
Carson knew this wouldn’t be happening if Erin were fully awake and had her defenses up, and that she should stop her before Erin did something she would regret, but she couldn’t. She wanted Erin too badly to push her away.
Erin slowly released Carson’s lips and slid down to kiss and nip the soft flesh of her neck. The sensations were so intense that Carson didn’t notice what Erin was doing with her hand. Sharp, white teeth closed on the lobe of her ear at the same time that she slid under the shirt and grasped Carson’s breast in a full-handed hold.
Carson cried out again and arched into the touch. Erin smiled against her before she slid down the long, lean form to place gentle kisses in a line across Carson’s chest.
Erin raised her head again and stared into Carson’s eyes. She released the breast and kept Carson pinned with her gaze as she finished unbuttoning the shirt. Folds were parted. Carson’s upper body was exposed completely in the moonlight before Erin released her gaze, and looked down to see the creamy expanse of delicate soft skin she had exposed.
“So beautiful,” Erin whispered.
Without warning Erin dipped down and took as much of Carson’s breast into her mouth as she could. Erin sucked at the soft flesh, and swirled her tongue around Carson’s hardened nipple.
Carson grunted and pressed a hand against the back of Erin’s head.
Erin wasn’t still during all this. The taste and feel of Carson was too much for her. The pounding pressure between her legs was getting harder to ignore, and she just needed to ease the sharp sensations a little. Erin pushed against Carson’s thigh, and the sudden intense jolt took her by surprise. She groaned against Carson, and started to move against the strong leg.
Erin’s pressed her thigh up against Carson’s center, and both women gasped. Erin could feel Carson’s heat and moisture against her bare thigh as her nightgown rode up, and she writhed in response.
The movement of Erin’s thigh made Carson aware of the new sensations that exploded in her body. Carson immediately slid her hands down Erin’s back and grasped her hips firmly.
Erin’s mouth left Carson’s nipple and she threw her head back. “Oh, yes.”
With her hands braced on either side of Carson’s body, Erin closed her eyes and rocked against her unashamedly. Their bodies merged, and became on
e in sense and feeling. Erin opened her eyes, their gazes met and held as Carson moved her hands from Erin’s hips to cup rounded breasts. It was the first time she had touched Erin’s intimate flesh directly and she gasped at the softness.
The sight of Erin moving above her was incredible. She watched Erin’s eyes half close, her mouth open, heat pouring into Erin’s cheeks as she bit her lower lip and stroked herself back and forth across Carson’s leg. Erin’s chest heaved as she moved faster and faster.
Carson watched Erin’s breathing become harsh, and wondered if she was near release. The idea titillated her, and was so overwhelming that she released Erin’s hips to brace one arm against the small of her back to increase the contact. Erin gasped again, and Carson moved her other hand to the place where Erin rode against her leg.
“Oh, yes, Carson. Touch me.”
Carson whimpered, and slid her hand between Erin’s body and her leg. Erin pressed down against her and started to move when the moment was abruptly shattered.
A sudden, strident ring stopped Erin in mid-stroke, and her eyes opened in confusion. For an instant that was an eternity, she couldn’t seem to make sense of the horrendous noise that filled the air. Then both of them realized it was the telephone.
“Oh no,” Carson groaned, trembling harshly in her desire. “Oh no, Erin. Don’t answer that.”
Erin’s expression was stricken, but she responded, “I have to. I’m so sorry.” It was obvious that Erin couldn’t quite bear to leave Carson’s embrace. She lowered her body against Carson, whose long fingers still pressed against her, to answer the call.
Erin stretched across the bed to reach for the phone on the nightstand. She could just barely reach it with her fingertips, but finally managed to get hold of it. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was just after six.
“Hello,” Erin said harshly into the receiver. Erin propped up on one elbow, and pushed her mussed hair away from her face with her free hand.
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