by Lyn Denison
Peri sat back on the floor and slowly read the letter. She too wiped away tears as she carefully handed the letter back to Asha. “My grandmother will be absolutely overwhelmed to see this. It’s incredible. A voice from the past.”
Asha replaced the precious paper with the journals and then looked down at Peri. She’d obviously just showered, as the ends of her hair curled damply and fell loosely about her shoulders, and she’d changed into a pale blue T-shirt and denim shorts. “If I hadn’t been crying, would you still have kissed me?” Asha asked softly.
Peri grinned crookedly. “Let’s say it gave me the excuse I was desperately searching for.”
“You didn’t need one, you know. An excuse, I mean,” Asha said and Peri shook her head.
“Can you ever forgive me?” Peri asked. “For being such a coward.”
Asha shrugged, her heart singing. “It was all so new to you. I can understand it would be frightening.”
“How I felt about you, Asha, it terrified me.” Peri stood up, sat on the edge of the desk and took Asha’s hand in hers. “When I opened the front door the day you arrived and I saw you standing there smiling at me, I was completely disconcerted. It’s a wonder I could even speak.”
“You asked if you could help me,” Asha said, squeezing Peri’s hand.
“I was the one who needed help.” Peri rolled her eyes expressively. “I’d never felt that way about anyone, let alone a woman.”
“And you couldn’t even think straight, hmmm?” Asha asked and they both laughed. “You did a pretty fair job of covering your feelings. I thought you disapproved of me big time.”
“Not of you. Of the way I felt about you.” Peri raised Asha’s hand, kissing it gently. “And when you began to talk to Viv and me about family history you were so vivacious, so enthusiastic about your subject, I had trouble taking my eyes off you. It’s a wonder Viv didn’t notice.”
“I was noticing you, too.” Asha chuckled. “I couldn’t believe I was so attracted to you when you so obviously didn’t trust me.”
Peri sobered. “I admit I have an issue with trust. A legacy from Lance and Janet, I guess. And when I saw you talking to Joe Deneen it seemed to reinforce my misgivings. I kept reminding myself you weren’t to be trusted either.”
Asha nodded. “I felt the same after Tessa.” She glanced at Peri. “So that was you up on the veranda that day?”
Peri nodded. “I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but I saw him kiss you.”
“It was a big sister kiss. He’s far too young for me. And he’s not you,” Asha said simply.
“Oh, Asha. I’m sorry. For thinking the worst of you.”
“You threw me into major confusion. I couldn’t understand why you were acting so coolly. Just when I thought you were thawing toward me.”
“I was hot and bothered, actually.”
Asha chuckled and Peri stood up, pulling Asha gently into the circle of her arms. “I kept warning myself to keep away from you, but I found excuses to seek you out. I failed miserably there. Especially that night.” Her gray eyes darkened. “That night, those nights, by the way, were incredible.”
Asha flushed. “They were, weren’t they? And it was so difficult for me to keep reminding myself I was too vulnerable and you were far too sexy.”
“Sexy, hmmm?” Peri grinned. “You say the nicest things.” She sobered, her finger caressing the dimple in Asha’s cheek. “Do you know I’d wait to see the flash of that dimple of yours and then I’d have to stop myself from reaching out and kissing that beautiful spot? It was nothing short of torture.”
Asha grinned and Peri groaned softly. She leaned forward, tenderly putting her lips to the dimple in Asha’s cheek, before claiming her lips in a deep, sensual kiss. They clung together and then reluctantly drew apart.
“You can’t imagine how many times I’ve wanted to do that.” Peri shook her head. “After that first night I knew I was in love with you, but I had no idea what I was going to do about it. It was way out of my field of reference. But you showed me all that was missing, that had been missing, from my life. You made me whole.”
“Oh, Peri. I felt the same. But you moved away from me again.”
“I was committed to go to those two boring conferences, but I came back as soon as I could. Then I saw you and Jack on TV. I was caught in a cleft stick. I loved you, but I also knew how great my brother was. I reasoned it would be so much easier if you went with Jack. He’s a guy. It was all so acceptable. But I desperately wanted you myself, and I didn’t know how or even if I should try to make you see that.”
“Peri, about Jack. He did just step in because I couldn’t ask you, and it was Vivienne’s idea. You know your brother’s a pretty special person. He guessed I was a lesbian, and he also knew how I felt about you.”
“Jack knew that? You mean you told him?”
“No. He said he saw the way I looked at you, the way we looked at each other.”
“At each other? You mean … ?”
“He said he’d wondered about you for a long time.”
“He had?” Peri laughed incredulously. “The rat. He could have told me. It would have saved me a lot of soul searching. And I wouldn’t have had to be so jealous of my own brother.”
“There was no need. I love you, Peri, and I want to spend my life with you. No hiding. No lying.” Asha swallowed. “How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t want anything less. I love you, too, Asha, and I can’t live without you.”
“Apart from Jack, will things be all right with the rest of your family, do you think?”
“They’ll understand that I love you.” Peri shrugged slightly. “Because I do, more than I’ve loved anyone else in my life. You’re part of me.”
“And I feel that way, too. About you.”
“What about your family? Do they know about you?”
“Mum and Michelle do now. And they’re okay with it. I still have to come out to my father and Karen.” Asha made a face. “Now that will be interesting.”
Peri raised her eyebrows and Asha reached up to trace their arch. “You have the most expressive eyebrows, Peri Moyland.”
“Expressive, hmmm? So are they telling you I desperately need to kiss you again?”
Asha grinned. “I do believe they are. Isn’t that amazing?”
They laughed softly and then kissed deeply again, and Peri moaned in her throat. “I want to keep doing this. And so much, much more. But this is far too public. Your room or mine?”
“Mine’s closer,” Asha said as a spiral of desire rose inside her. “And we can barricade all exits.”
“Brilliant idea,” Peri whispered then nibbled tiny kisses over Asha’s throat and along the line of her jaw.
Arms entwined, they went to move out of the study, but Peri paused then lifted the photograph of Georgie and Margaret. “They were a great couple,” she said. “I can’t believe no one guessed their secret.”
“I’ve decided they didn’t want it kept a secret. I think they wanted their story uncovered.” Asha smiled.
“Such an inspiring story.”
“Yes.” Asha thought about another story from the past. Her stepmother and Rosemary’s. She hoped there was a future for them as well. Only time would tell there. She kissed Peri again and held her close. “There’s so much more I need to tell you, but not just now. Maybe later, hmmm? Right now I need some time alone with you. Just us. Reassuringly in the present.”
“Reassurance is good,” Peri agreed with mock seriousness, then her beautiful lips curved into her wonderful smile. “Then let’s make that much later, hmm?”
“Much, much later.” Asha gave a quick laugh. “And I think Georgie and Margaret would surely give us their blessing.”
Publications from Bella Books, Inc.
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