"What?" she whispered, twining the fingers of her right hand through Kaede's and guiding their linked hands between her legs. "You mean this?" She cupped her palm over Kaede's, urging her to squeeze.
Kaede's fingertips glided through Imari's wetness before she even let go of them. She sought out the sensitive spots she had learned before, and Imari's breath hitched as two of Kaede's fingers swirled around her entrance. Instead of pressing inside, they slid through the pool of slickness there and spread it higher, coating the tip of Imari's clit.
Imari's hips jolted at the light contact. She gasped Kaede's name, bracing herself on her left elbow and using her right hand to claw at the back of Kaede's yukata. She managed to pull it down to Kaede's forearms, but couldn't manage to get the sleeves all the way off. Kaede's hand was too busy working between her legs, and she didn't seem inclined to stop.
"I…thought you wanted…" Imari panted, but she couldn't finish her sentence. She could barely keep her eyes open. Kaede's face was a beautiful blur hovering above hers. A simple touch had never made her come undone so rapidly before.
"In a minute." Kaede abandoned the aching point of her clit and slid two knuckles along the root instead, teasing the shaft through its thin hood. "I want this first. I love watching you. Is that okay?"
Imari nodded, the only answer she could manage. Soon, the swift circles of Kaede's fingers had Imari throwing her head back and moaning to the ceiling. She suspected what was coming when Kaede took over the motion with her thumb, but the press of a finger at her opening still set her shivering. The first push was smooth, without a hint of resistance. Her hips hovered off the bed as Kaede's finger hooked forward, searching for the special spot inside her.
When Kaede found it, colors flashed before Imari's eyes. "More," she begged, rocking harder into the palm of Kaede's hand. "Please."
Kaede added a second finger and began kissing down the slope of her chest. Imari felt a hot mouth seal around the peak of her breast as both of Kaede's fingers curled up, and she saw stars. A loud cry tore from her chest, breaking in her throat, and she was certain she would shudder to pieces.
But Kaede didn't give her the release her body craved. She kept up the pressure, keeping her fingers in place and pushing. Imari trembled, raking her nails down along Kaede's back, but there was nothing she could do. Somehow, Kaede had found precisely the right angle to keep her balanced on the edge.
"Kaede."
Kaede kissed over to her other breast, sucking the stiff bud deep into her mouth and grazing it with the edges of her teeth. Her dark eyes darted up, and Imari could tell that Kaede was drinking in the expression on her face. She didn't know what Kaede was looking for—approval, perhaps, or maybe just her pleasure—but Imari didn't care. She fisted Kaede's hair with her right hand, dragging her up for a hard, deep kiss.
Kaede's fingers pushed even deeper inside her, and Imari finally crossed the Roaring Ocean to find heaven. She spilled into Kaede's palm, shaking the entire time, giving sharp cries into Kaede's mouth with each wave that broke over her. Through it all, Kaede kept moving within her, carrying her safely back to shore.
As her crest faded and their kiss broke, Imari gazed dreamily up into Kaede's eyes. There were moments she couldn't quite believe Kaede had never done this with anyone but her before, and this was one of them. "What did I do to deserve you?" she sighed, collapsing backwards onto the bed. Her limbs were limp and heavy, and her entire body tingled.
Kaede's face glowed with pride. "You stole the words out of my mouth." She removed her fingers carefully, placing a soft parting kiss on Imari's lips.
After a slight shake to clear her head and a luxurious stretch, Imari reached down to take Kaede's sticky hand in hers. She brought it to her mouth, folding her lips around the first two shining fingers and running her tongue between them. Her own taste spread across her tongue, and though she found it pleasant, it wasn't quite satisfying. She would have preferred tasting her lover far more.
But Kaede had asked for something else, and Imari hadn't forgotten. She gathered her second wind, releasing Kaede's fingers with a soft pop and reversing their positions. "Now it's your turn," she murmured, placing her hand in the center of Kaede's chest and tipping her over. "Lie back for me and close your eyes."
***
Kaede wanted to ask why, but she resisted the temptation. She trusted Imari wholeheartedly, and so she obeyed, reclining the opposite way on the futon and closing her eyes. She even stretched her arms above her head, surrendering herself to whatever Imari wanted to do. Her heart hammered in her chest and she swallowed hard, barely breathing.
Warm lips skated along Kaede's collarbone, and she felt the futon beneath her dip as Imari moved on top of her. As Imari's knees settled on either side of her thighs and Imari's hand slid up to cup the swell of her left breast, Kaede suddenly understood why Imari had asked her to close her eyes. Without the benefit of sight, even the subtle sensations were more intense.
"You made me feel so good, Kaede," Imari said, twirling around and around the hard point of her nipple. She gave it a light pinch, and the breath Kaede had been holding rushed out. "I want to make you feel the same way."
"You do." Kaede's voice trailed off as Imari dusted feathery kisses along her neck, working back up toward her jaw. "Sun and Moon, you do."
The edges of Imari's teeth sank into Kaede's pulse point, not quite biting, but tugging and holding for a moment. When she let go, Kaede could still feel their impression. "It's about to get even better. Are you ready?"
Kaede's head spun, but she managed to rasp out an answer. "Yes."
As soon as Kaede gave her permission, Imari began a slow, thorough exploration of her entire body. With her eyes closed, Kaede wasn’t sure what was coming next. One moment, Imari's hand ran along her arms, admiring the lean muscles. The next, it caressed the plane of Kaede's stomach, lighting up the ticklish skin there. Her mouth explored every inch of Kaede's shoulders, and she wasn't afraid to use liberal amounts of tongue and teeth.
By the time Imari's hand reached her thighs, stroking them from knee to hip and coaxing them open, Kaede was shaking and short of breath. Fire crawled everywhere Imari had touched and the dull ache between her legs had become a desperate throb. She almost gave in to the temptation to open her eyes, but before she could, Imari's fist found her. It folded around the middle of her shaft, slowly drawing up toward the tip.
Kaede bucked into Imari's hand on instinct. She couldn't help herself. She already felt full, and Imari's soft palm was inviting.
But it's not where I want to be.
The thought was exhilarating. Every time she imagined how it would feel to be buried to the hilt inside Imari, her desire doubled. It wasn't something she had thought about often before. If anything, the idea had made her slightly uncomfortable. But with Imari, she felt wanted. Treasured. Safe. Safe enough to consider things she never would have dreamed of before.
Most of all, she felt safe enough to speak her needs aloud. "Imari," she muttered, rolling her head to the side. She was afraid that if she didn't, the temptation to look would be too great. "Imari, I want you. I want to feel you."
"Like this?" Imari's fist began to stroke her, working her from base to tip. At the top of each stroke, Kaede's muscles tensed and her heart thudded harder. Imari's thumb rolled over her, and Kaede bit her lower lip every time it happened.
"No," she said at last. That one word was all she could manage.
Imari's hand stopped, pulling away completely, and Kaede immediately regretted her decision. She twitched as it skated along her stomach instead, teasing the sensitive strip of skin between her hipbones. "What about this?"
Kaede guessed what was coming next when Imari's hot breath washed over her, but she still wasn't prepared for the moment Imari's tongue flicked out to taste her. It started with a lick, then a kiss, and finally, soft lips sealed around her. Kaede let out a hoarse groan, grabbing blindly for Imari's hair. Fortunately, Imari didn't seem to mind. I
f anything, it encouraged her further. She started to suck, and it was all Kaede could do to urge her away.
"N…no," she stammered. "I want…I want."
"Tell me," Imari said, placing another kiss on her tip. "Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you."
Kaede summoned what little will she had. It was difficult to form an answer while Imari's fingertips trailed back and forth along her belly and Imari's lips were hovering so close to her, but she finally blurted out, "Inside you. I want to be inside you."
"That's my girl," Imari said with a note of pride in her voice. "I want you inside me too. Just be patient for one more minute." Before Kaede could protest, the futon dipped and she felt Imari shift away from her. The loss of skin was devastating, and Kaede sighed unhappily until Imari stroked her knee in comfort. "Keep your eyes closed. I'm not leaving, I promise. I just have to get some bamboo tissue paper, unless you want a bunch of little Kaedes running around."
Kaede suddenly understood. She had been so caught up that she hadn't remembered. At first, it made her sad. Yet another reminder of how she was different. But after thinking about it for a few more seconds, her heart lifted. She definitely didn't want any little Kaedes running around any time soon. But a little Imari a few years down the road might not be such a bad thing.
That put ideas into Kaede's head. Despite her best intentions, she couldn't resist peeking. She cracked open one eye and was treated to the glorious sight of Imari's rear a few yards away, as well as a backwards view of Imari's fingers delving between her legs. They were buried part way inside her, and Kaede couldn't help remembering the way Imari's tight inner walls had clamped down around her own only a few minutes earlier.
Imari chose that moment to look back over her shoulder. "I thought I said no peeking."
Kaede shut her eyes again. "I'm impressed that you're so prepared. I didn't even think about it. It doesn't hurt putting it in, does it?"
"No. I don't even feel it once it's in, and you won't either."
Kaede's heart gave another uneven thud. The thought of how Imari would feel around her, slick and hot and tight, had her leaking wetness of her own.
Imari came back over to the futon. Her thighs pressed on either side of Kaede's, and they gasped as their bodies came back into contact. "You're so beautiful," Kaede murmured, smiling up at where she assumed Imari was.
"You can't even see me," Imari pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. It's still true, but when can I look again?"
"In a moment," Imari said. "First, I just want you to feel."
Kaede took a deep breath. "Okay."
Imari's hand closed around her again, but this time, it was with a different purpose. Kaede felt it guide her into a different angle, and then something warm touched her tip. For a split second, she couldn't breathe, couldn't make a sound, couldn't think. Every nerve concentrated on the part of her that was touching Imari. She had never felt such softness.
Then, slowly, the silky heat began to swallow her. Just the head at first—and that was almost enough to make her empty herself early. She pounded with heavy pressure, and the fullness grew worse. Imari's entrance was clinging to her, grasping her, trying to suck her in.
Her first instinct was to push upward, to bury herself in heaven, but she held herself back. She gripped the edges of the futon instead, quivering with the effort of remaining still. Imari rewarded her patience. Little by little, she began to sink down. The tight ring of liquid fire moved lower.
Imari started moaning, soft groans at first, ones that Kaede mistook for discomfort. She opened her eyes in concern, letting go of the bed and preparing to reach out, but instead, she was greeted with one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen: Imari sliding onto her, taking her all the way inside.
Imari noticed her open eyes and blushed. "I didn't want you to see that," she said softly. "I thought it might upset you to watch."
Kaede didn't answer at first. She simply stared in awe, gazing down between their bodies at the place where they were joined. Imari's outer lips petaled apart around her, holding her in. She could even see the base of her shaft stretching Imari open. The bright red button of Imari's clit stood proud beneath its hood, pleading to be touched.
"No," Kaede whispered, shaking her head. "No, it doesn't upset me. It looks…you feel—"
Imari bent down to kiss her, and Kaede forgot everything she had been trying to say. All that mattered was Imari's lips on hers and the way Imari's muscles squeezed her. She could feel every flutter of Imari's inner walls, each shared pulse that passed between their bodies.
But Kaede wanted more. She needed to move, to glide through the slippery heat surrounding her. Even though she was already embedded within Imari, she gave her hips a gentle push, asking for permission without words. Imari took over, rising a few centimeters before lowering herself back down again.
Kaede gasped. The movement was maddening. Imari felt even better than she imagined, so hot and smooth she could barely stand it. The sensations overwhelmed her, but they were also addictive. She began to pump her hips, not at all sure what she was doing, but completely unable to remain still.
Imari placed her hand in the middle of Kaede's chest, letting it rest between her breasts. "Don't force it," she said, tugging at one of Kaede's hard nipples. "Let me get a rhythm going."
Once more, Kaede surrendered herself to Imari's experience. The slow, rocking rhythm Imari picked was both blissful and torturous, and she eased her impatience by running her palms along Imari's legs, feeling the tight muscles there. They tensed as Imari rose, and then relaxed as she sank down. Each time Imari enveloped her again, Kaede twitched. Her peak was building much faster than she had expected, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it off for long.
"Imari," she said, trying to offer a warning. "I can't."
To Kaede's amazement and delight, Imari removed her palm and tilted back, adjusting their positions. The new angle put her on even more prominent display, and Kaede watched with wide eyes as Imari took her hand and brought it between their bodies. "Bring me with you," she said, a clear note of desire in her voice. From the way Imari clutched at her, Kaede could tell that she wasn't alone in her need.
"Always." She found the tip of Imari's clit, rubbing it in time with their rolling hips. The moment she touched it, Imari sped up, and Kaede realized she did have some control over the rhythm after all. She started stroking in earnest, and Imari quivered above her, tilting her head back to the ceiling and letting out short little cries.
The sounds were wonderful, but not as blissful as the rest of her reactions. Imari’s lips were slightly parted, sucking in shallow sips of air, and her eyes were half-lidded, threatening to close. Kaede throbbed at the sight. She needed release, but part of her was unsure of coming this way. It was new and different, and she didn't want to leave Imari unsatisfied.
Right before Kaede could beg for mercy, Imari went stiff above her. Her entire body lit up with a fierce tremble, and her inner walls went wild, rippling with deep, powerful contractions. While Imari mouthed soundlessly to the ceiling, Kaede shouted. More wetness spilled out around her, burning silk squeezed her, and each shiver through Imari's body shot straight to her core.
Kaede fell over the edge gazing into Imari's eyes, burying herself as deep as possible. She gave Imari everything she had, clasping tight to her hip to keep their bodies together. The flood that poured out of her was stronger than anything she had ever felt before, and Imari's pulsing muscles drew out more. She whimpered as Kaede emptied herself, falling into another round of shudders.
They soared for a long time before coming to land safely on the ground. Kaede didn't realize it was over until Imari collapsed on top of her, panting heavily beside her ear. She folded her arms around Imari on instinct, cradling her. "Thank you," she said as soon as she could speak again. "That was…so much more incredible than I imagined it could be."
"Why are you thanking me?" Imari laughed. "You're the one who carrie
d me across the ocean three times. Sometimes I still can't believe you're new at this."
Kaede smirked. "A student is only as good as her teacher. And I wouldn't want lessons from anyone else."
Imari raised her head, surprising Kaede with the serious look on her face. "Do you mean that, Kaede?" she asked, no longer laughing, but speaking sincerely. "This is your first relationship, and I know it hasn't always been easy."
Kaede ran her hand up and down Imari's back in soothing lines. "I mean it. I might not know much about relationships, but I know my own mind, and I know you. I could search the whole Empire and beyond and I wouldn't find a more wonderful woman.”
"There's at least one," Imari said, "because she's lying right beneath me."
Kaede gave a happy sigh. Holding Imari's weight on top of her was comforting. "I don't want this moment to end."
"It doesn't have to." Once more, Imari's expression had become serious—though it was still glowing with love. "I promised myself I wouldn't ask until I had a chance to talk to my father, but I can't keep it in anymore. Kaede, when I think about my future path, I can't imagine walking it without you. I want you with me every day and every night." She gave a slight shudder, her smile falling. "When you went off the edge of that cliff, I felt like I was falling as well. You're a part of me."
Understanding dawned and Kaede sucked in a small gasp of surprise. "Imari." A smile broke across her face, so wide it hurt her cheeks. "Are you asking me—"
"Yes,” Imari said. “I want to marry you. If you'll have me, of course."
At first, Kaede couldn't answer. Her relationship with Imari had developed quickly and intensely—perhaps a little too quickly—but in some ways, it felt as if they had known each other for their entire lives. She had grown to know Imari better in the past months than anyone else. Her heart and her mind were at odds, but eventually, they came to a compromise.
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