Emily's Art and Soul

by Joy Argento

  Emily closed the gap between them in an instant. Andi wrapped her arms around Emily and kissed her full on the mouth, pausing only a moment before letting her tongue enter Emily’s mouth. Emily melted into the kiss. Everything in her began to throb. She was ready to forget about dinner and drag Andi off to bed now. The kiss went on for several long moments.

  Finally, Andi let go of Emily. “That should keep us for a little while,” she said. “But if I don’t stop now, we won’t make it out to dinner.”

  “We don’t need to go to dinner. I’m not very hungry anyway.” Emily struggled to catch her breath.

  “Yes, we do. We’re going out to a nice restaurant and on a wonderful date. I’ll put these beautiful flowers in a vase and this wine in the fridge, and we can get going.”

  ***

  The waiter set a plate of grilled flank steak salad in front of Emily and angel hair pasta primavera in front of Andi, asked if they needed anything else, then took his leave.

  “So, how come you left so quickly on Wednesday night? You didn’t even hug me.” Emily asked the question that had been in the back of her mind since that evening.

  “Truth be told, I didn’t trust myself. I wanted so badly to hold you and kiss you and”—Andi lowered her voice—“make love to you. But I didn’t want our first time to be…well, I didn’t want to have to try to be quiet because someone else was in the next room. If you’re a screamer, I want you to be able to scream,” Andi said, with a sly grin and a slight blush.

  “I have never screamed in my life,” Emily informed her. She could feel her own blush creeping up her neck.

  “Maybe you haven’t ever been with the right person before.”

  “Considering I’ve never been with you, I would say I definitely have never been with the right person before. I know I have never felt for anyone what I feel for you.” She fought the urge to lean across the table and kiss Andi. She settled for running a finger over the back of her hand. She could see the effect that small gesture had on Andi. “What do you say we pay the bill and get out of here?” Emily said, her voice throaty and low.

  “What do you say we eat first?” Andi twirled her fork in her angel hair pasta and offered it across the table to Emily. Emily took a bite and dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

  “You really are beautiful, Emily.”

  Emily smiled. She wanted to look beautiful for Andi. “Thank you. I feel the same way about you. In fact, I’m crazy about you. Did I happen to mention that?”

  “Yes, I think you’ve mentioned that a time or two.”

  “Remind me to tell you more often.”

  Andi smiled. Emily loved that smile. She picked at her food, enjoying it, the company and the thoughts of what was to come.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Emily pulled her car into Andi’s driveway.

  “Would you like to come in for a drink?” Andi asked her. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

  Emily had trouble pulling her eyes away from that sexy mouth. “I believe I would. Thank you for asking. Let me get the door for you.”

  Andi sat patiently with a grin on her face as Emily walked around the car and opened the door. She offered her hand to Andi, who took it and eased out of the passenger side. They walked hand in hand to the door.

  Once inside Andi poured two glasses of wine, took Emily’s hand, and led her into the living room. After kicking off her shoes, Andi sat on the couch with one leg tucked under her and pulled Emily down beside her. Without a word, Andi took Emily’s wine and set it next to hers on the side table. She took both of Emily’s hands in hers and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure about this? Last chance to get out of it.”

  “Not on your life. I’m sure. Very sure. I want to be with you. I want to be with you in every way.”

  “Then I have to tell you that I can’t wait another second. It’s your choice if you would like to join me in my bedroom or if you would like me to attack you right—” The words were cut off by Emily’s kiss.

  Emily’s mouth left Andi’s long enough for her to move it to Andi’s ear. Her tongue flicked the edge of it as she said, “Bedroom.”

  Andi rose, pulled Emily up with her and pulled her in close. Their bodies fit together as if they’d been formed for each other. Andi’s hand traveled up over Emily’s back and into her hair as their lips found each other again.

  Emily pulled the tail end of Andi’s shirt out of her pants and slid her hand where the shirttail had been. Her hands slid over silky underwear and she pulled Andi even closer.

  Andi made a weak attempt to walk Emily backward toward her room but failed. “We aren’t going to make it to the bedroom this way.”

  Without another word, Emily turned, grabbed the waistband of Andi’s slacks, and pulled her toward the bedroom. Once in the room, she turned again to Andi and kissed her deeply. Her hands found the buttons on Andi’s shirt. She undid each one and pushed the shirt off her shoulders. It fell to the floor. The bra quickly followed. Emily slid her hands down Andi’s bare arms, feeling the softness of skin and the tightness of the muscles beneath. Emily pulled out of the kiss and looked into Andi’s eyes as her hand found her breasts. Her brown eyes darkened as her body reacted to Emily’s touch.

  She couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt to touch Andi. Couldn’t believe her own boldness. She didn’t seem to be able to control herself. She felt like she had been waiting for this moment her whole life. She had.

  Emily’s lips brushed once again over Andi’s lips before traveling down her chin to her neck and chest. Andi’s breath caught in her throat when the kisses reached her breast and she took a nipple into her mouth. Her lips and tongue went to work bathing it while her fingers massaged Andi’s other breast. Nipples hardened beneath her touch.

  Emily’s arousal soaked her underwear. She found the zipper on Andi’s pants and quickly undid them, sliding the slacks down silky-smooth legs.

  Andi pulled Emily’s face back up to hers and kissed her deeply as she stepped out of the pile of clothes and kicked them away. Andi deftly removed Emily’s shirt and bra and let them fall to the floor. In one swift move, pants and underwear joined the rest of the discarded clothes.

  A hot chill ran through Emily as Andi’s hands slid up her sides to her breasts. The nipples stood tall to meet the palms of Andi’s hands while her fingers caressed the sides of Emily’s flesh.

  Only Andi’s underwear stood between the total melding of their two bodies. Without conscious thought, Emily remedied the situation, and the offending piece of clothing landed on the floor.

  Andi’s fingers worked their way up Emily’s neck until they reached her earlobes. She gently removed Emily’s earrings and set them safely on the nightstand. “I want you totally naked.”

  The sound of Andi’s voice only managed to cause another surge of wetness.

  Andi’s strong arms circled Emily as she lowered her to the bed and settled on top of her. Andi’s thigh came down between Emily’s legs, and Emily let out a moan at the pressure. The moan was pushed back into her mouth by Andi’s tongue as she kissed her hard. Andi’s hands once again explored Emily’s body.

  With each kiss and caress, Emily felt as if Andi were breathing life into her very soul. She had never before experienced this depth of feeling. The physical sensations were matched by the emotional connection she felt for Andi. Emily sucked in a lungful of air when Andi’s thigh between her legs was replaced by Andi’s hand.

  “You are so wet.”

  “It’s all for you.” Emily breathing was rapid and her hips undulated against Andi’s hand. Without warning, Andi slipped a finger inside her, quickly followed by another. Andi moved her fingers expertly through the slickness. Her fingers settled on the small spongy spot inside Emily and made small circular motions as her thumb rubbed between the moist folds of Emily’s mound. Feelings overwhelmed Emily. Her hips matched the movements of Andi’s hand, and it was only a matter of moments before her body exploded and spasms t
ook over. Andi increased the speed of her fingers for several seconds before stilling them and letting Emily’s body ride her hand.

  “Oh God,” Emily moaned. A small scream escaped from the back of her throat.

  Andi waited until Emily’s hips stopped moving before slipping her fingers out. She wrapped her arms around Emily and held her until her breathing slowed and returned to normal.

  “I believe I heard a scream come out of that pretty little mouth of yours.”

  Emily could hear the smile in Andi’s voice. “I can’t believe what you do to me. I have never…never so fast…never so hard…I…well…I just never.”

  “Well said.” Andi kissed the top of her head.

  “I’m not sure I can do the same for you,” Emily admitted. She certainly wanted to try, but her lack of experience worried her.

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Andi pulled the tangle of blankets up over them both.

  “I want to do everything to you. I’ve just never done it before, so I’m not sure what to do. How to do it.” Emily looked up into Andi’s eyes.

  “Do what would feel good to you. I love being with you, so anything you do will be perfect.”

  “Will you help me?” Emily suddenly felt shy.

  “I’ll do anything you want me to do. Anything.”

  Emily gently pushed Andi onto her back. Her hand went immediately to Andi’s breast. Her fingers began a slow caress while Emily’s lips found Andi’s mouth. Emily’s tongue washed over Andi’s lips before entering her mouth. Emily savored the kiss. “I thought I would try starting out like this,” Emily said.

  “What an excellent way to start.” Andi smiled briefly as her breathing took on a ragged edge. “You’re doing great so far.”

  Emily kneaded one breast while her mouth and tongue licked the nipple of the other.

  “Oh, yeah, you’re definitely getting the hang of this.”

  Emily lifted her face to Andi’s. “I want to taste you. Is that all right?”

  Andi nodded and pulled Emily into a deep kiss that left them both gasping for air.

  Emily pulled the blankets off, turned, and lowered her face to Andi’s center. She ran a tentative finger over Andi’s already swollen flesh. She felt a surge in her own body as she felt Andi’s wetness. Her own body reacted when she heard Andi suck in her breath as Emily tentatively allowed her tongue to find what it was seeking. The scent and taste of Andi was overwhelming. Emily’s own arousal grew as she found the secret folds and crevices of Andi’s body.

  Her instincts took over, and Emily moved her mouth and tongue over and into Andi without hesitation. Andi’s pleasure became her pleasure.

  Andi’s heels dug into the mattress as her hips rose to meet Emily’s mouth. Her hands came down on the back of Emily’s head and held her there as Andi’s breath became more and more ragged and caught in her throat. Her release came in waves and crashed around her.

  Emily moved up to hold Andi in her arms. She curled into her, molding her body to the heat of Andi’s, as Andi slowly came down from the crest of the wave she was riding.

  She lifted Emily’s chin and planted a moist kiss on her mouth. “For someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, you sure know what you’re doing.”

  Emily liked the taste of Andi’s arousal on her lips. “I cheated,” Emily said with a sly grin.

  “Should I ask?” Andi raised an eyebrow.

  “I bought some books and read them cover to cover. Several times. But you made it easy for me.”

  “How so?” Andi still held her chin as she looked into Emily’s eyes.

  “I listened to your breathing and those other wondrous sounds coming out of you. I could tell what you liked.”

  “Well, I like you.” Andi kissed her again.

  They drifted off to a peaceful but short-lived sleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

  ***

  “How come you didn’t tell me how you felt before I told you?” Emily dragged the back of her fingernails across Andi’s stomach and watched as the skin broke out in goose bumps.

  “At the beginning, I thought you were straight, so I figured that letting you know would scare the hell out of you, and I didn’t want to risk losing you as a friend.” Andi paused. “Then when you told me that you were gay, I was about to tell you, but you told me that you met someone and, well, it didn’t seem right to say anything.”

  “And after that? After it was over with Sarah?” Emily looked into Andi’s eyes as the moonlight from the window danced over her face. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”

  “You said you wanted to play the field, and I thought I should let you. But I have been in enamored of you since the first moment I met you.”

  Emily smiled. “You are so full of shit.”

  “Okay, maybe not since the first moment, but I did think you had a really nice butt the first time I saw you, all bent over picking up papers.” She kissed Emily on the nose. “It didn’t take me long to fall for you. Not long at all.”

  Emily’s tone turned serious. “What if I had met someone while I was playing the field?”

  “Emily, I care about you and I want you to be happy. So, if that meant that you were happy with someone besides me, well then, I guess I would have been happy for you. But in all honesty, if that had happened, I think a piece of me would have died inside. I am so glad, so unbelievably glad, that you fell for me.”

  Tears flooded Emily’s eyes. “I wish I’d realized sooner. I’m sorry I put you through that. I wish you were the first woman I ever kissed.”

  Andi kissed away the tears as they escaped down Emily’s cheek. “Shh,” she said. “It’s okay that I wasn’t your first kiss, baby. You needed to experience what you experienced.”

  “So, then I could come back to you whole and complete?” Emily couldn’t help but smile through her tears as she remembered what Andi said about that Tom Cruise movie.

  “Something like that. Besides, now you know for sure that I’m the best.” A broad smile covered her face, bringing the dimples out with it.

  “A little conceited, aren’t we?”

  Andi gave Emily’s ribs a quick tickle. “Admit it! Admit that I’m the best.” She leaned over and glided her tongue up Emily’s chest, beginning right above her belly button and around each nipple. “Admit it,” she said, bringing her face back up to Emily’s.

  “I admit it. The best.”

  Andi rolled Emily onto her back and climbed on top of her. She kissed Emily briefly on the lips before moving downward, leaving a trail of kisses in her wake until she reached the spot she was aiming for. Emily’s hips rose to meet Andi’s mouth and they both moaned as contact was made.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Warm sunshine filtered through the open window, soaking the room in light. Andi awoke from a sound sleep to a soft nuzzling in her ear. She lay still for several seconds with her eyes still closed, enjoying the feeling. Her eye opened instantly when Emily laughed from across the room. Andi turned her head toward the nuzzling and came face-to-face with Butch.

  “Hey, how did you get here?” Andi said to the cat.

  “She was scratching on the bedroom door, so I let her in. I also refilled her food and water bowls.” Emily held up a cup. “And I made you coffee. Guess I have to do everything around here.” She had put on a gray T-shirt she must have found in Andi’s drawer, but hadn’t bothered to put any underwear on.

  “You poor baby. You must be so tired from doing all that. Come here and let me do something for you for a change.” Andi opened her arms to Emily.

  Emily set the cup of coffee down on the nightstand and crawled into Andi’s arms. Butch must have decided that the bed was too crowded. She jumped down and stomped out of the room as if she had been insulted.

  “I guess we pissed her off,” Emily said.

  “She’ll get over it. She always does—whenever I have a beautiful, naked woman in my bed.”

  Emily swatted at Andi. “He
y! How many beautiful women have you had in this bed? Never mind. I don’t want to know, and besides, I’m not naked.”

  Andi tugged at her shirt. “Let’s see if we can’t fix that.” Andi pulled the shirt over Emily’s head and threw it on the foot of the bed. “And truth be known, you are the only beautiful woman that I’ve had naked in this bed. The rest were kind of ugly.” Andi got swatted again.

  “Hey!”

  “I’m kidding. You are the only woman I ever want in my bed, ever. How’s that?” She kissed Emily softly on the lips.

  The kiss deepened.

  Andi’s coffee got cold…

  ***

  “I’ll make another pot,” Andi said, pouring the almost full container of coffee down the drain. “Why don’t you sit and I’ll make us breakfast.” She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this happy.

  “I think it would be lunch. It’s after one. And I am famished. It’s hard work loving you all night and half the morning.”

  “Are you complaining?” Andi asked.

  Butch jumped up on the counter the same moment Andi pressed the start button on the coffeemaker. The machine made a loud noise as the whole beans started spinning and were ground to bits, falling into the filter to wait for the hot water to pass through them. The sound startled the cat and she jumped into the air, spun around, and half fell, half jumped off the counter and ran out of the kitchen.

  They laughed. “I’ve made coffee in that thing the same way every day for the past year and a half. Every time it starts, that cat runs. I may have to change her name from Butch to Wuss.” That brought about another round of laughter.