by Tina Michele
“I feel you staring at me over there,” Haven said without opening her eyes.
“What? No, I’m not.”
Haven opened her eyes and raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Sure. Did you get him the flashlight?” Haven sat up on the couch.
“No. He was already up the road near his place when I got out there. If he passes out up that way the goats will keep him company.” Willa sat down on the couch next to Haven.
“Wha—”
“Kidding. He’s fine. See.” Willa held up her cell phone with a text from Kyle on the screen saying, “Hme.”
“Oh, okay. Good.”
Willa adored how even after all these years Haven still cared a great deal for Willa’s family, and she wasn’t afraid to express it. It also surprised her how much in this short time Haven had forgiven. Willa didn’t think she could ever be so merciful to someone who had done what she had to Haven. She just stared at Haven sitting mere inches from her willing herself to believe that miracles do happen.
“You’re staring at me again.”
“I am. I’m just trying to convince myself that I deserve this.”
“Deserve what, Willa?”
“Your forgiveness and your friendship. You.”
“Well, you have my forgiveness whether or not you think you deserve it. As far as friendship, that one is harder for me to give you.”
Willa went from feather to lead in a split second. “I understand.”
Haven moved closer and put her hand on Willa’s thigh. A fire ignited where their bodies connected. “It’s not because I don’t want to be your friend, but because I don’t think I could ever settle for just that.”
Willa set her hand on Haven’s and wrapped her fingers around her slender wrist. “Me neither.” She slid her hand up Haven’s forearm to her elbow and gripped it firmly.
“I realized that it’s not enough for me. It never was,” Haven said.
Willa could no longer resist the urge she had to pull Haven into her arms. Their bodies melted into each other as Willa claimed Haven’s soft lips with her own. Her passion flared when Haven opened her mouth and welcomed Willa’s tongue. Their kiss was desperate with need. She twisted her fingers into the back of Haven’s hair, and Haven purred. Inspired by the sound, Willa clenched her fist tighter. Haven pulled back from their kiss and gasped for air. Willa could see the desire burning in Haven’s deep and darkening eyes. “Are you sure?”
Haven moved swiftly and straddled Willa’s thighs. She could feel the searing heat of Haven’s core press into her leg. “As sure as eggs is eggs.” Haven grinned before resuming their hot, wet kisses.
Willa slipped her hands up the back of Haven’s skirt and squeezed her ass. The move fueled Haven’s need as she pressed herself down onto the seam of Willa’s jeans. The pressure pierced her as Haven rocked herself against the ridge. A rush of heat spread between her legs and her clit pulsed against the friction Haven was creating. Willa gasped for air and cried out, “Shit.” Her breath caught in her lungs as Haven released the button and zipper of her jeans and slipped her hand down between them. She slid her fingers into Willa’s wetness and teased her clit with well-placed strokes. Willa’s fingertips dug into Haven’s flesh and made her cry out with pleasure. The rhythm and the heat built up inside Willa until she was ready to explode, and Haven stroked her closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. Her power and control over Willa in this moment was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
Haven knew what she wanted, and she was taking every bit that Willa was giving her. Willa needed to feel Haven in her hand. She wanted to feel just how aroused she was by her dominance over Willa. She slid her hand down her ass and slipped it under her thigh, pushing her panties out of the way at the same time. Haven was on fire and so wet. The smooth liquid on her fingertips sent Willa over the edge. Her body tightened and shook as Haven stroked hard and steady, pulling every ounce of pleasure from her body.
* * *
Haven cupped her hand over Willa’s mound as she continued to pulse with aftershocks beneath her fingers. She could feel Willa’s own fingers lingering between her legs and fueling her ravenous desire. She wanted Willa in her and on her. Haven wanted to feel the passionate touch of hands long forgotten. “I need you, Willa.”
Willa shifted beneath her and lifted Haven from her lap. Disappointment flashed for a moment before Willa stood and pulled Haven up from the couch. She wrapped her arms around her and kissed her hard. Haven’s body melted and her knees buckled when Willa pressed a firm thigh between her legs, but Willa held her tightly. Lost in a haze of emotion and hunger, she led Haven to the bedroom. Without releasing her from her grasp, Willa laid Haven on the bed.
Her kisses moved from her lips to her neck and down to the dip of her neckline. Haven shrugged out of her cover-up as Willa slipped her shirt up and exposed her bare breasts. Willa wasted no time taking a firm, rosy nipple into her warm mouth. She flicked the tip with her tongue and scraped her teeth over the sensitive skin. The light pain fed the fire that was roaring within her. She needed to be free of the clothes that separated their skin. She tugged and stripped Willa of her shirt, accidentally popping off two of the buttons she was too impatient to manage. Willa kicked out of her jeans as Haven did the same with her skirt and panties. Willa’s eyes ran up and down the length of Haven’s nakedness and she could feel her flesh burn under her gaze as she hovered over her. Unable to tolerate it any longer, Haven pulled Willa down and their bodies pressed into each other.
Haven wrapped her legs around Willa’s waist and pressed herself into her. Their smooth, slick centers met and Haven bucked against Willa as she thrust against her swollen clit. Their connection eclipsed time and distance with each pulse that passed between them. Haven had never missed anyone or anything so much. Once she let Willa back into her life and heart she was afraid that losing her again might just kill her. But love and passion took over and Haven gave herself into this moment. “Touch me,” Haven begged her. “Please.” On her command, Willa slid her fingers into Haven, and she cried out.
“I’ve missed you so much, Haven.”
When she heard her name on Willa’s lips, her heart soared. She never thought she’d once again hear her name spoken with such intensity. Haven opened herself up as Willa filled her with her fingers and circled her thumb in rhythm with each thrust of her hand. Haven could feel herself tighten around Willa’s fingers. She was so close, but when Willa raked her teeth against her neck and bit down with a sharp sting, Haven climaxed. She gasped and hissed in pleasure as pain and ecstasy surged through her entire body. Haven dug her nails into Willa’s bare shoulders as she rode out each wave of her orgasm.
Willa collapsed, panting and breathless, beside her, their wet bodies weak and sated. Tears escaped Haven’s eyes as she struggled to maintain her emotions in the swirling aftermath of intimacy.
“Are you okay?” Willa asked as she propped herself up on her elbow and brushed away the hair that stuck to Haven’s forehead.
“I am. Just a little overwhelmed, I think.” She downplayed it significantly because she was more than a little overwhelmed. Just two days earlier, she had been in Colorado working on her art for her girlfriend. And now she was in Florida on her ex-girlfriend’s farm making love to her. She was beginning to think a set of Class V rapids would be less of a risk to her life than this was to her heart.
When Willa wrapped her arm around Haven and pulled her close, some of the uncertainties faded away. She still had no idea what had lead her here, but in Willa’s arms she was content with the mystery of the moment. “Close your eyes, sweetheart.” Willa pulled the covers up from the side and threw them over.
“I can’t,” Haven said.
“Why not?” Willa looked down into Haven’s eyes. Her own filled with concern.
“I’m afraid if I do, then tomorrow it will be but a dream.” She’d had so many dreams of such an idea, but they disappeared each morning after she opened her eyes. Sometimes they’d
made love, and sometimes they’d just been in love, but each night Haven felt at peace and whole just to wake in the morning and feel the gaping wound of Willa’s absence.
Willa lay back down beside Haven. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise I’ll be here tomorrow when you wake up. It’s my house, after all.”
“Yes, it is. And a beautiful one at that. I’m a little jealous, ya know.”
“Jealous? Of what?”
“Of the life you’ve made for yourself here. Everything you always wanted. You did it.”
“It may seem that way, I suppose. I do love it here, but look at everything you’ve done, who you’ve become. That’s more impressive than anything I’ve done here.”
“There’s nothing impressive about running just so you can distract yourself from everything you don’t want to deal with in life.”
“Well—”
Haven shifted onto her elbow to look at Willa. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Haven could’ve kicked herself.
“I know.” Willa brushed her fingers across Haven’s cheek. Her eyes flickered closed and she lay back down in Willa’s arms.
“I can’t say that everything to come out of our separation was bad. I found great friends, a worthy cause, an exciting hobby, and a new path for the future. But all I ever wanted to do was share each of those things with you. No matter how far away I ran, you were always here.” Haven took Willa’s hand and pressed it against her heart. “I’d have given them all up to be with you again.”
“And that’s why I had to leave. You never would’ve done any of these things had I stayed. You would have given up your life to save mine, and that…I couldn’t let you do that.”
“But that was my choice to make, Willa. We could’ve fought the cancer together and then done it all together.”
“And what if I had died?”
Haven’s stomach lurched, and she felt sick. “Don’t ever—”
“But what if, Haven? You would’ve stayed by my side wishing for a miracle and missed out on your own life. This wonderful life.”
“You were my life.” Haven didn’t even try to hold back the tears any longer. “And you’re alive, and look at all the time we missed together.”
“Believe me, my love, there is nothing about those years to be missed. Now go to sleep.”
“Hold me,” Haven said as she closed her eyes.
“Forever,” Willa said as Haven drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Willa woke up with the sun just as she always did. Haven was sound asleep wrapped in her arms where she had been all night. She was afraid to move for fear that she would wake her so Willa took a few minutes to stare at Haven’s peaceful, sleeping face. When the roosters began their morning wakeup call, Willa was helpless to stop them.
Haven stirred and stretched until she opened one eye and growled. “What the hell is that?”
“That, beautiful, is a farm clock. Wakey, wakey.” Willa leaned down and kissed Haven.
“Meh. Where’s the snooze button?” Haven moaned.
“No snooze. It’s breakfast time.”
“For us or them?”
“Both. I’ll go take care of them first and then come back for you. That will give you a few more minutes to sleep.”
“No, no. I can help.”
“Okay,” Willa said. “Would you like a cup of coffee first?”
“Oh God, yes.” Haven sat up and Willa couldn’t help but chuckle. Her funky and fun hair was even more so this morning.
“I like it,” Willa said, nodding and eyeballing Haven’s bedhead.
“I can only imagine. It’ll straighten itself out after some caffeine.”
“Coming right up.” Willa jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt off the clean clothes chair in the corner as she headed to the kitchen.
She had expected Haven to go back to sleep as soon as she left the room. But she came shuffling out of the bedroom right behind her wearing one of the flannels from her chair. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight.”
“You’re full of crap. But thank you.”
While the water heated, Willa ground some fresh coffee beans for the press. She apologized to Haven for the barrage of noise but promised her it would be worth it. After a few minutes, she plunged the strainer and poured out two dark and delicious cups of coffee. “Ready?” Willa asked as she grabbed the kitchen scrap bin from the counter.
“Let’s do it.”
Willa slipped her feet into a pair of bright red rubber boots and offered her spare pair to Haven. They were much too big for her, but it added to the oversized theme Haven had going with the shirt. “Do you need shorts?” It had dawned on her to ask when she noticed that Haven appeared not to have anything else on beneath the flannel.
“Nope,” Haven said when she lifted up the hem to show that she was wearing her skirt from last night. “Not that it matters any since I couldn’t find my panties.”
Willa laughed. “I’ll help you find them when we’re done out here.”
“Okay.” Haven followed Willa out toward the coop. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the container Willa had.
“Kitchen scraps.” She opened the lid and showed Haven the vegetable peels, eggshells, and other food waste that she fed the chickens each morning.
“Um. They eat their own shells? Isn’t that chicken cannibalism or something?”
“They eat the rest of the egg too, sometimes. Chickens eat almost everything. Bugs, mice, lizards.”
“Oh yuck. Stop. Mice?”
“Oh yeah. You’ll never need a barn cat with a flock of chickens around. Hold this for a sec.” Willa handed Haven the scrap bucket as she unlocked the shed and scooped out a couple of buckets of feed.
The ladies were ready and waiting for breakfast when they got to the coop. Willa filled the pans and feeders and then unwound the hose from the side of the building. Haven stood back with the bucket held to her chest and watched the chickens scramble for their food and freedom. It wasn’t long before they recognized the black bucket she held and began to gather around her feet.
“Uh, Willa,” Haven said with a nervous tone.
“It’s okay. Just toss the scraps out onto the ground right over there.” Willa pointed at a clearing about five or so feet from where Haven stood.
“Okay.”
Haven removed the lid and then slung both the bucket and its contents all over the flock of chickens standing between her and the space Willa had pointed out. “Uh. That’s not what I meant.” Willa laughed hysterically as the startled birds flapped and scattered at the unexpected assault of food scraps.
Haven looked equally startled by her epic failure. “It slipped.” She blushed.
“It’s okay,” Willa said as she leaned down to pick up the bucket and dump out what was left in it. “Good thing you’re cute.” Willa moved in and kissed Haven on the lips.
“Whoa, hey now. Not in front of the chickens,” Kyle said as he sauntered up.
“Morning,” Willa said.
“Morning, ladies.”
Except for his comment about their brief kiss, Kyle gave no other awkward glances and mentions to the fact that Haven was still there that morning. Willa assumed he would save all that for after she left. “What brings you over this way so early?”
“I assume you haven’t had the television on yet this morning, but the storm track was updated last night and it’s making a turn.”
“Storm?” Haven asked.
“They also upgraded it to a Cat Two. The new report should be out at eight o’clock. I think we need to get ready for this one, Will.”
“Eh. I’m sure it’s fine. We’re inland now, remember?”
“Right, but if it turns and comes in at an angle, like they think it might, we’ll be on its bad side. And that’s if it doesn’t get stronger once it’s over the Gulf.”
“Willa, it couldn’t hurt to be prepared,” Haven said.
Willa refused to let so
me storm put a damper on this moment. Haven had spent the evening in her arms, and now they were doing chores as naturally as if it had always been. Everything in her world was going better than she could’ve ever thought it would again, and she would fight reality as long as she could to keep it that way. “Let me finish this first, and then I’ll check out the Weather Channel.”
“All right. I’ll be over in the barn seeing what we’ve got. I’ve got some, but we’ll need to make shutters for your place.” Kyle headed back off toward his house.
“How’d I not know there was a hurricane coming?” Haven asked.
“Because up until Kyle came running over here like a nutcase it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Well, you know how Gianna is. I imagine if it was something to worry about she’d be all over it.”
Willa laughed. “Good to know that hasn’t changed.”
“Are you kidding? I think her spider senses have evolved. It can be good or bad, depending on how much caffeine she’s had.”
“If you want it known, get Gia on the phone.” Willa recited their long-held motto for Haven’s sister, and they both laughed.
“So now what?” Haven looked around at the chickens that now milled about minding their own business.
“Now, we can eat,” Willa said.
“And shower?” Haven added with a sexy spark in her eye.
It reignited the memories from hours earlier. Willa stepped close to Haven, slid an arm around her waist, and pulled her in. “Or just shower,” she offered.
* * *
Willa had barely waited until they had closed the door before her hands started searching for the buttons on Haven’s shirt. They pulled and tugged at each other’s clothing on their way toward the bathroom leaving a trail of garments behind them. When Willa bent over to start the water, Haven couldn’t resist the urge to run her fingers along the round curve of Willa’s smooth bottom. Her body was soft but sturdy, and she dipped and swelled in all the right places. Years of working on the farm had added onto the strength of her best assets. Haven wanted to lick and taste her way around every inch of her skin.