With the new season still several months away, the thing bringing her the most joy right now was Kara’s competitiveness. Her girlfriend may not have been a mountain biker, but she challenged the hell out of Sierra, both intellectually and in the gym. That meant Sierra would often have to bring Kara back up for air. The woman had a knack for drowning herself in research and forgetting about real life, but she loved her more for it and made it her mission to get her out of the house as much as possible. Like this weekend.
She turned as Kara stepped out of the little chateau and zipped up her jacket. Her nose was red and she looked so adorable in her wool monkey ski beanie. Sierra never imagined a woman as serious as Kara would even own such a thing, yet it fit her so well. Little by little, Kara had opened up and Sierra couldn’t get enough of her dry wit or silly clothes that would pop up at the most unexpected times.
A newfound passion for competing may have pounded through her veins and chomped at the bit for release, but Sierra was also content enjoying these little moments with the woman who had changed everything for her. She would continue to work hard, but this weekend was a time to play hard. Having learned that Kara shared a love of snowboarding, Sierra couldn’t resist a long weekend together on the slopes. It had taken a day for Kara to get her legs back under her, but she had impressed Sierra with her skill.
Kara came to a stop, blocking Sierra’s view of the landscape. Her smile had disappeared, leaving the furrowed brow of concern in its place. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah,” Sierra said as she snapped out of her daze, her gaze moving from the beauty of nature to the beauty whose arms had just wrapped around her waist. “I’m fine. Why?” Sierra followed Kara’s lead and wrapped her up just as tight.
“You looked so serious. I was worried something had happened while I was gone.”
“No. Just thinking.”
“Ah. I should have recognized your ‘deep thought’ face.”
Sierra laughed and asked, “I wonder if it looks as weird as your ‘analyzing data’ face.”
Kara’s attempt to pinch Sierra’s side was all for naught. The ski jacket made the feat impossible, so she gave her a playful shove instead. “I don’t make weird faces.”
“Of course not. All of your faces are beautiful.”
“That’s more like it.” Kara smiled. She turned toward the blue trail that would take them to the bottom. She had insisted they stay on intermediate trails to lessen the chances Sierra would get injured. “First one down gets to do whatever they want tonight.”
Atop the tallest mountain in Oregon, Kara had thrown down an unexpected gauntlet. Sierra never backed down from a challenge, but she had her doubts about the prize. “Anything?” she asked, her mouth tight. She was skeptical about there being no limitations.
Kara planted a firm kiss on her lips. As she tried to pull away, Sierra held her close and kissed her again, hard and fast. Sierra eyed her curiously as she asked, “Are you messing with me?”
Leaning into Sierra’s ear, Kara gently took the tender lobe between her teeth, drawing a gasp and a shiver as her reward. “I don’t mess around when it comes to bets,” she said in her sexiest voice. “And I always pay up. So, when I say anything, I mean ab-so-lute-ly any-thing, lover.” She spoke the last words slowly, letting them sink in.
Goosebumps crashed like a wave and rolled across Sierra’s skin as the meaning registered in her brain.
With a devilish grin, Kara strapped in and prepared for battle. “If you’re thinking what I’m sure you’re thinking, you better win, because if I do, we’re watching animated movies and having hot cocoa. I haven’t done that in ages.” The blank expression on Sierra’s face had her snickering.
Sierra was not amused. She hated to be teased almost as much as she hated to lose. Kara’s cockiness was grating, yet it was every bit the turn on. She had every intention of having her way with her girlfriend after she won the race.
“Get ready, because you’re going down. And I mean that literally.” Sierra smirked back.
The gleam in Kara’s eye said she was ready for a fight. Bragging rights were on the line and there were a few new things she had hoped to talk her girlfriend into trying, so now was the time.
“Grab that guy over there and have him start our race,” Kara suggested.
“Why?”
“So neither of us can cheat.”
“Good idea. I know how you are.” Sierra winked when Kara blew her a raspberry.
The gentleman was happy to oblige. Once they were both set, he gave the order and they were off like rockets. Halfway down, they were nearly neck and neck, carving the slopes with expert finesse. The end was quickly approaching. One lone jump lingered to the left, which they both made a beeline to hit. Kara choose a lower angle, giving her a slight edge over Sierra, who had elected to go for big air. Sierra fumed at her decision as she stared at the back of her girlfriend. She lowered her stance, willing herself to go faster, but it wasn’t enough. Kara had edged her out for the win.
Pumping her fist into the air in victory, a breathless Kara yelled, “Yessss! Hot cocoa and movies!” She bent down and freed her feet of the snowboard so she could do a little jig.
Sierra struggled to catch her breath, still mad at herself for blowing it, but secretly in awe of her girlfriend’s skills. “You’re not serious, are you?” She released her bindings and stepped away from her board.
Still celebrating, Kara kissed Sierra’s wind-burned cheek and said, “Honey, it’s my night. I get to do whatever I want.”
“Guess I’ll just hope one of the things you’ll want to do is me,” she teased. “Your loss though. You have no idea what I had planned if I had won.”
“Next time, bring your A game and maybe you’ll get the chance to show me,” was Kara’s retort.
“Someone’s cocky.” Sierra smiled.
“Nah, I’m just that good and you love it.”
Kara’s beaming smile turned Sierra to goo. The feel of her girlfriend’s arms draped around her neck was better than winning an Olympic medal. In Kara’s arms, she felt weak and strong at the same time. She could be a puddle of goo, but conquer the world in the same breath. “Yeah, I do.” Sierra smiled and met Kara’s eyes. “And I love you, Kara.”
“You do?” Kara pulled back, a nervous smile twitched at her lips.
“I am in love with you, Kara Davies. The doctor, the adrenaline junkie, the gamer, the sex goddess, and all the other parts I have yet to experience. I love them all.” Sierra was surprised at how easily she had said those words. She had never said them before, but right now with Kara, they had never felt more right.
“Sierra,” Kara began, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. “I am so in love with you. Completely and irrationally in love with you.”
Their lips met softly, slowly moving together as their tongues touched and teased. A moan rumbled from Kara, deep and low, spurring Sierra to deepen the kiss. Her body arched uncontrollably, searching out more contact, but was denied the pleasure by the impenetrable wall of bulky winter gear. Sierra grumbled her annoyance, to which Kara sucked Sierra’s bottom lip between her teeth, ending with a light tug that ignited a new flame of desire in them both.
“I think you may have earned a little something besides movies and cocoa tonight,” Kara rasped.
“God, I hope so,” Sierra said with a sigh. “At least we can watch the movies naked, right? Unless you have some grownup onesies hidden somewhere?” A daring glare followed.
“No, I don’t have any onesies. At least, not here.” Kara laughed. “But I am so ready to get you naked.”
“I was curious about what kind of onesies you had, until you agreed with getting naked.”
“You have a one-track mind, Sierra Cody.”
“Only for you, Doctor Davies. Only for you.”
“Suck up.”
“Is it working?”
“Always.” A sexy grin made its way to the surface as Kara grabbed her board and walked away. �
��Let’s go warm one another up.”
Sierra smiled wide, scooped up her board, and trotted after her. “Whatever you say, Doctor.”
***
“Now this is what I’m talking about. Snow on the ground, a roaring fire, some wine, and a sexy woman. It doesn’t get much better than this. Using Airbnb was a great idea.” Sierra flashed her million-dollar smile. She swept her damp hair from her neckline and pulled her robe tight. When she kicked her feet up on the coffee table, a grimace shoved her smile aside. Her aching muscles were not at all happy with the move. “Ouch! All that snowboarding is catching up with me. It’s been a while since I’ve done it.”
Kara toweled off her hair, then wrapped herself tightly in her own robe. She stepped out of the bathroom and smiled as she took in the sight of the woman she loved reclined on the couch staring at the fire. Kara had uttered those three little words before, twice actually, but never had they come from the heart. The previous “I love you’s” had felt like something she had to do, like a formality for someone with whom she had spent significant intimate time. Maybe she had had some love for them, like Jamie. She had cared greatly for Jamie, but with Sierra, the difference was unmistakable and monumental. Kara was truly and deeply in love with this woman. For the first time in her thirty years, she couldn’t imagine life without someone. And that someone was Sierra.
As if knowing Kara’s thoughts centered on her, Sierra craned her neck and met her eyes, yanking her from her moment of deep reflection. Kara vaguely remembered the last thing her girlfriend had said and responded, “I love the mountains. They make me feel so alive.”
“Definitely. They’re beautiful. Almost as beautiful as my girl.”
Kara took a seat beside Sierra, watching her girlfriend’s joyful smile turn wickedly teasing as she licked her lips and visually devoured her body. She loved being on the receiving end of that look. No one had ever made her feel as beautiful and desired as Sierra. “Oh yeah?”
With a glint in her eye, Sierra answered definitively, “Yeah.” Her fingers toyed with the collar of Kara’s robe, dipping inside to tease the soft skin hidden underneath.
“You’re such a sweet talker.” Kara leaned in and placed a soft kiss to Sierra’s lips. She went to stand, wanting to finish her after-shower routine, but was stopped by Sierra’s hand on her own.
“Hey, um…I want to tell you something.”
Sierra took a turn toward serious, sending a bolt of fear straight to Kara’s heart. “Okay.” She sat dead still. Dread had chased away all the happiness that had resided within her just seconds ago. Something inside screamed that whatever Sierra said next would change everything. Was it a confession? Had she slept with Harley again? Would it be a need for space? One of those “I love you, but” confessions? Though she radiated confidence for Sierra’s benefit, her internal world was under the upheaval of a cataclysmic earthquake.
Sierra reached up and cupped Kara’s face with the most tender of touches, her thumb tracing idly back and forth across her cheek. Her eyes glossed over as she said, “I’m sorry for ever doubting your intentions. I’m sorry for letting other people get in my head. I’m sorry for being a stubborn ass when you only wanted to help me. I should’ve listened to my heart, but I was afraid you were too good to be true. I mean, why would someone like you want someone like me? Unless…”
Her words were cut short by Kara interjecting, “Unless I wanted something from you.” She understood what Sierra was saying, but hearing it come from such a confident woman broke her heart. Understanding that Sierra’s past relationships had been more sex than substance, Kara made a silent vow to never let her feel that way again. Sierra was deserving of true love. They both were—no matter how much they had denied needing or wanting it until now.
Sierra’s hand fell away. Her eyes cast down in shame as a half-nod served as her acknowledgement. She chased the lump from her throat and continued, “But I want you to know that I do trust you with everything.” A set of teary amber eyes rose to meet Kara’s warm greens as she added, “Especially my heart. I hope you know that.”
Kara took Sierra’s hand in her own. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t bothered me, that your actions hadn’t stung. But I’m glad it’s out in the open. We’re moving past it. I trust you too, with everything.” She brought their joined hands to her heart and held them to her chest. The words were spoken in truth, despite fighting her own lingering fears. “If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be here now.”
She kissed Sierra’s lips gently. Her eyes opened as she pulled back a breath to memorize every detail of Sierra’s outpouring of expressions during the emotionally intimate moment. As much as Kara had made it her mission to avoid drama and feelings, sitting here with Sierra, both of them vulnerable and open, had been exhilarating rather than exhausting. Finally revealing their truths had brought a closeness she had never experienced. Emotionally naked rather than physically naked had felt every bit as rewarding.
“Kara, I want you. I want us. And I know we’re both bad at talking about our feelings, but I’m glad we did this. It feels good. I feel lighter.” Sierra’s lips curled up and her eyes sparkled.
As a long, slow breath left her lungs, Kara agreed. “Me too.” There was a sense of relief at having finally let go, to have given herself to someone. Her smile climbed to the arches of her eyes as the woman that held her heart stared back with such deep affection.
“So, oh great victorious one…” Sierra pulled Kara onto her lap and looped her arms in a loose embrace. “It’s your night. What do you want to do?"
“I’d like you to make us some dinner, naked of course, and then…” Her eyes drifted to the ceiling in deep thought, pausing for a moment before making her decision. “I want you to show me what we would’ve done if you had won.”
Sierra practically threw Kara off her lap when she hopped to her feet. She ran to her suitcase and yanked out a bag. With a seductive wag of her brows, Sierra allowed her robe to slip down her shoulders and pool at her feet. The sway of her hips as she made her approach left Kara enthralled. She paid no attention to the bag in Sierra’s hand or the fact that it had been placed by her side on Sierra’s way to the kitchen.
“I know it’s your night, but I think you should also have to be naked while you watch me cook.” Sierra threw the words out casually without so much as a glance.
Entranced by the enticing view of her girlfriend bent over in the fridge, it took a few seconds for Sierra’s request to register, but when it did, Kara happily obliged. She untied her robe and let the front fall open to expose her torso. The results of her intense workouts were proudly on display as the once flat muscles of her stomach now had a slight cut to them.
Kara finally noticed the generously-sized bag and looked inside. Her eyes grew wide and a smirk hit her lips. “Really?” She glanced up at Sierra, her heart rate rising rapidly as the possibilities flashed through her mind.
Sierra looked over her shoulder, flashed the smile that always made Kara all gooey inside, and winked.
Kara couldn’t say she had never used toys in the bedroom, but it had been limited. She hadn’t really deemed them necessary and truth be told, many of them were intimidating—not really the vibe she wanted in the bedroom. Apparently, Sierra didn’t have that problem and had decided to bring a small selection for the weekend. The move managed, much to her surprise, to excite the hell out of her as that lovely familiar ache between her thighs made itself known and she began to grow restless.
She didn’t feel the same insecurities about sexual experimentation with Sierra as she had with former lovers. The love they shared was the most likely reason and it gave Kara a sudden boost of confidence. She was curious by nature, which was why she loved experiments so much, and she was struck by the sudden need to do some exploration—for research, of course.
“Hey, Hon? Maybe we should just have energy bars for dinner.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Sierra sta
red at Ochoco Lake and let out a soothing breath. They had decided on a lazy Saturday to unwind, so she and Kara took a drive to take in the beautiful view and have lunch. If only she could relax.
The season opener was just two weeks away and Sierra was nervous. The feeling was foreign to her. Usually she was filled with confidence and anticipation. Those feelings still surged through her veins giving her a boost of energy, but this season would be filled with heavy expectations. Expectations she had set for herself. There could be no excuses this year.
She was more fit than ever, thanks to the consistent training, healthy diet, and mental preparation. Kara had offered her strength, stability, and encouragement, as well as keeping her body well-adjusted. Nicole had made good on her promises of securing several new sponsors, giving Sierra a chance to compete in a few World Cup races overseas, like Ronni. Nicole had even gotten Leo, the mechanic she had requested, so her bike was fine-tuned like the instrument it was meant to be. She was one step closer to becoming a full-time pro like Ronni. Everyone had done their part. Now, it was all on her. If she did well, a full World Cup tour could be in her future with the big names like Atherton.
A squeeze of her thigh caused her to jump. The sympathetic smile directed at her said Kara knew exactly what she was feeling. Not wanting to ruin their afternoon, Sierra opted for some light conversation to occupy her busy mind.
“Dinner last night with Ronni and Blake was fun.” Sierra recalled the raucous evening. When was a night out with her best friend not an event in itself?
“Yeah, it was,” Kara agreed.
They chuckled as they recalled the memory of Blake begging to go dancing so he could be seen with “three fine ass hunnies.” Blake was always so prim and proper that he had blushed redder than a firetruck the moment the words left his mouth, causing everyone to burst with laughter.
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