The writer's hands soon found themselves working their way under Dev's shirt, pushing it up as they sought silky skin. Dev ducked as Lauren pulled the material over her shoulders, then her head. She felt her shirt slide down her back as Lauren simply dropped it the second it cleared dark tresses.
Lauren's gaze burned a path from Dev's face to her chest. She grinned broadly, fully appreciating Dev's braless condition. "Definitely a nipple." Lauren chuckled as Dev lowered her arms.
A dark, elegant brow lifted. "Mom was right. You do recognize the important parts."
"Umm, Dev?" Lauren questioned, never taking her eyes off Dev's breasts. She licked her lips and swallowed.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"We're about to make love, right?"
"God, I hope so," Dev breathed. "I'd hate to have to go swimming in the Potomac."
"Then leave your mother out of this."
"Deal." Dev laughed, but it quieted quickly when she felt Lauren's fingers begin to work the buttons of her jeans.
The smaller woman instantly dropped to her knees and began sliding off Dev's jeans and panties at the same time. Where Dev's fingers had trailed down her thighs, Lauren used her lips to tenderly pay homage to every inch of newly exposed skin. She worked her way down one leg, then back up the other, as she slipped off her fleece slippers then pants and panties. By the time she reached Dev's hip, both women were visibly shaking. She placed one last kiss on Dev's hipbone before rising to her feet.
It felt as though fire was rushing through Devlyn's veins, and her furiously pounding heart was threatening to escape the confines of her chest. She wrapped her arms around Lauren and slowly began leaning her back towards the bed. Both women moaned loudly at the first exquisite feeling of skin on skin as their bodies met again. Dev prayed nothing would interrupt them. She was sure if they had to stop now, she would simply die. "Oh, God..." she groaned as Lauren came to rest on top of her, and soft breasts pressed into hers. Their legs tangled together, igniting a new fire in her soul.
For Dev it was an expression of absolute love, trust, and devotion to the woman now in her arms and bed. To touch her like this, to finally add a physical dimension to the deep love they shared, sent her spirit soaring and set her body aflame.
Dev savored Lauren's tentative touches, which were growing bolder by the second. This was where she wanted to be. Always. She didn't give her heart easily, but once she did, she held nothing back. Anything she had, anything she was, was Lauren's for the taking. I want her for the rest of my life. For an instant, the thought surprised her, then she felt Lauren's breath caress her neck as she left a gentle trail of kisses on her neck and shoulders. "Lauren..."
The younger woman smiled when she heard Dev say her name. She had never heard it said with such passion and urgency before, and her own body responded with enthusiasm. God, it's never been like this before. So good. So right, her mind thrilled. There was no denying her reaction to the combination of soft skin, toned muscle, and womanly curves beneath her. And she admitted to herself that she should have given into some of her curiosities years ago. But when Dev whispered her name in her ear, and sure hands drifted from the small of her back to her bottom, pulling them closer together, she knew it was more than gender. It wasn't just a woman making her feel this way. It was Dev. And that made all the difference. There was no way on the planet that Casey would have evoked these sensations or emotions. It was the person. And she was hopelessly in love with the person.
Remembering that she was the one who had done this before, Dev rolled them over and slowly began kissing her way down Lauren's body, the blonde woman's soft whimpers and moans urging her on.
Every muscle in Lauren's body went rigid with pleasure, and she heard herself moan just as her very sensitive nipple was enveloped by a hot, wet mouth. Her hands found purchase in Dev's hair, and she gasped, pulling Dev tightly to her breast, desperate to be closer still "God, yes..." she encouraged, shifting her body and making more room for her lover to take her places they'd never been together.
Dev hummed her approval into Lauren's breast, her own body pulsing in time with the gentle ministrations of her lips and tongue. She knew it wouldn't take much before she would simply explode from the pleasure she was giving and receiving.
They crested together as a couple, and again as individuals. And when their bodies finally came to rest, the room was filled with soft whimpers and labored breaths. They cuddled together, pulling the sheet up over their damp bodies.
Lauren snuggled close to Dev and hummed quietly, waiting for her to say something. She kissed the hollow of Dev's throat, feeling her lover's ribs expand against her as Dev drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, ruffling Lauren's hair.
Dev kissed the writer on the forehead. "I love you, and I'm keeping you, Mighty Mouse."
Lauren laughed and poked Dev in the side, drawing a muffled squawk. "I love you too. And you certainly gave a new meaning to Wonder Woman."
Now it was Dev's turn to laugh. "And here I was afraid I'd lost my touch."
"Oh, no, darlin', your touch is just fine." Lauren closed her eyes, feeling the irresistible tug of sleep. "Trust me, it's juuuust fine."
Saturday, September 18th
Dev woke automatically at 4:30 A.M., only this time the warm body curled up next to her gave her a very good reason not to get up. She rolled over and wrapped her arm snugly around Lauren's waist, spooning their bodies together. Without waking, the writer laid her hand on Dev's arm. Dev sighed happily. Yup. I am staying right here. Not moving a muscle. Besides, it's Sunday, and Lauren would kick my butt if I got up this early.
A few more moments ticked by, and Dev gave into temptation. She grinned and swept back Lauren's hair, placing several soft kisses at the nape of her neck. Dev was greeted with a long, steady growl she was pretty sure wasn't Gremlin. "Mornin', sweetheart."
"Sleep." Lauren captured her hand. "Dark. Nighttime. Sleep."
Dev chuckled. "You're cute when you're monosyllabic."
"Nighttime has two syllables, you damned Yankee. Go back to sleep," Lauren mumbled. She rolled over and tried snuggling in that way, burrowing into warm arms.
"Yes, ma'am. Anything you say." Dev kissed Lauren's forehead.
"But when you do drag your backside out of bed," Lauren teased, reaching out a fraction of an inch to kiss just blow Dev's collarbone. "I'll have two poached eggs, toast, coffee with cream, two sugars, and a glass of milk."
Dev's eyebrows jumped. "Oh, you will, huh? What? You think this is a fancy hotel or something?" The President couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face. Hell, she couldn't muster the willpower to even try. She had wondered many times what a ‘morning after' would be like with Lauren, and she was delighted to find it was pretty much what she had expected.
Lauren groaned, more awake than she wanted to be. "Well, last night you were trying to impress me. Taking me out, buying me root beer floats." She sighed and let her fingernail graze over a nipple that was too close to ignore. Dev jumped a little and squealed in surprise, causing Lauren to laugh. Immediately contrite, she covered the spot of her attack with the warm palm of her hand. "I just kinda figured I'd get breakfast too."
"Would you like me to cook it for you?" Dev grabbed Lauren's evil hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it soundly.
"Oh, that'd be wonderful," Lauren uttered softly as she buried her face between Dev's shoulder and the pillow.
"Okay, then I will." Dev struggled and broke free of the laughing woman's grasp.
"Where are you going?"
Dev stalked across the room, naked as the day she was born.
Lauren pulled Dev's pillow to her face and nuzzled it as the tall woman slipped into a robe.
"I'm going to the kitchen to make you breakfast."
"You are not!" Lauren shot up a little too quickly and had to give herself a second to stop seeing stars.
"Yes, I am." Dev wiggled her feet into her slippers.
"The President of the United St
ates is not going to the kitchen to make me breakfast."
Dev leaned over and kissed her nose. "You're right, the President's not, but Dev Marlowe is."
"Do you even know where the kitchen is?" Lauren moved towards Dev and tugged on the belt of her bathrobe.
"No, but I'm sure someone around here can direct me." Devlyn put her hands on Lauren's shoulders and pushed gently, guiding her back to bed. "You just stay right here. I'm going to go fix you breakfast."
"God, I love you." Lauren snuggled back down into the covers and rolled one eyeball in Dev's direction.
"You're not so bad yourself." The President winked.
"When you get lost trying to find the kitchen, I'll send Gremlin to find you." She heard Dev make several mumbled, derogatory comments about her dog as she walked across the room. "But not for a few hours," Lauren added softly just the bedroom door, and her eyes firmly closed.
CHAPTER X
October 2021
Monday, October 4th
"COME HERE, YOU little..." Dev ground out as she struggled to get further under the bed to retrieve several more puppies. "Your time here is over, you little beasties. Now you get to go and terrorize other parts of the world."
Lauren came back in from the bathroom where she had had to lock Gremlin and Princess before Dev could even get near the puppies. She covered her ears at the sounds of Gremlin's and Princess' howls. "God, I feel like a kidnapper!"
"Don't think of it as kidnapping, sweetheart," Dev offered. Lying flat on her belly, she reached under the bed, cursing as the puppies scooted away. She rose to her knees and looked at Lauren. "Think of it as liberation day." Dev gestured towards the bed. "I could use a hand here."
Lauren flinched as two of the puppies poked their noses out from behind the comforter, bared their teeth at the President, and growled. "You'd better count your fingers when this is over, Devlyn. Because they don't seem to want to leave." The writer cautiously moved forward and picked up two of the more docile puppies; they were nearly asleep, despite the commotion their brothers and sisters were causing.
"Oh, sure, take the easy ones. I was hoping you could coax out the ones that were growling at me." She gestured to the two Lauren was putting in the box. "I could have done that. And if I get bit, you have to kiss it and make it better."
A lascivious grin twitched at Lauren's lips. "I'll do that anyway, darlin'."
Dev quirked an eyebrow. "You have a dirty mind. Just like my mother. No wonder she loves you." She looked back under the bed where the snarling puppies had once again taken refuge.
"Watch out, Devlyn. I've discovered I have a thing for older women."
"You-" Dev strained, trying to get under the bed again, "couldn't handle my mother. She'd kill you." Dev laughed recklessly, waiting to see what kind of a response that got. But before she got an answer one of puppies nipped her finger. "Ouch! Dammit!" The puppies all began to bark and whine.
"Hey." Lauren's eyes snapped. "Quiet!" The puppies instantly went silent. She dropped to her knees and gently began examining Dev's finger. Please don't let it be bleeding.
"I'm okay. He missed. Mostly." Before Lauren could get a good look, Dev pulled her finger away and began wiggling it in front of her face. "I still have all ten, and there's nothing broken or bleeding." She smiled at the sound of Lauren's relieved sigh. "You know why they don't want to leave, don't you?"
"You're sure it's okay? You don't need a Band-Aid or anything?" Lauren wanted to see for herself, so she captured Dev's finger. She studied it carefully, finding only a small red scratch, which she promptly kissed. "They just like sleeping under my bed 'cause it's so nice and quiet."
A sexy smirk overtook Dev's face. "I can change that right now, sweetheart."
Lauren rolled her eyes and laughed, feeling a sudden heat in her cheeks. "Sorry, Devil. I've got a meeting with Wayne in fifteen minutes. And you've got one with the Secretary of Transportation in ten. I'm surprised Liza hasn't been here looking for you already. Not that I'm not tempted. Because I am." More than you know, darlin'. Her eyes twinkled.
Dev poked out her lip, then smiled when Lauren leaned in for a kiss.
"But," Lauren diverted her kiss at the last second, denying Dev's lips and giving her a playful peck on the cheek instead, "can I have a rain check?" She laughed again at the look of shocked outrage on her lover's face.
"Brat."
"Later," Lauren promised, earning an instant smile. She turned back to the puppies and gazed at them affectionately, even the ones who had inherited Gremlin's dislike of the President. "Let's get this over with, so I can stop feeling like Cruella DeVille."
"Well, then get your little fanny under there, Mighty Mouse, and dig the little beasties out. I think you'll fit more easily than I will." The President sat back on her heels. "Then I can take them and make the coat."
"That's not even close to funny, Devlyn." But Lauren giggled anyway as she scooted her upper body under the bed and pulled out two reluctant puppies. "Hello, my little demons." She lifted them both up and gave them sloppy kisses, receiving an enthusiastic face-licking in return.
"Well, eeewww!" Dev grimaced as she watched the scene unfold. "Hurry up and put them in the box, and I'll take them to their new vict... I mean owners. Heh, that's another perk to being President. You can give away really ugly puppies, and people have to take them." Dev wrinkled her nose and pointed at Lauren's mouth. "And if you think you're gonna get another kiss from me, you'll need to, at the very minimum, brush your teeth. With bleach."
Lauren jerked her chin towards the door. "Out! Before I decide to keep them all," she drew out the last word, watching with satisfaction as blue eyes widened perceptibly.
"Going," Dev squeaked as she shuffled towards the door, trying to keep hold of the jiggling puppy crate.
Lauren puttered around her room for a few moments before taking Wayne's video call. She pulled out some hand-written notes, and her publishing agent's secretary brought Wayne on the line.
"Hiya, sweetheart," he said affectionately.
Lauren smiled. "Hi, Wayne. How's life in the Big Apple?"
"Eh." He moved his hand in a teetering motion. "Could be worse. Could be Cleveland. How are you?" He wriggled eyebrows liberally dosed with gray. "Been doing anything lately you'd like to tell your old buddy Wayne about?" He gave Lauren his best wishing look.
Which had never worked on her anyway.
"God, Wayne, why do I work with you again?" Laughter bubbled up inside Lauren when the man patiently began listing all his virtues, which, in actuality, didn't take very long. "Okay. Okay." She held up her hands in defeat. "I get the picture."
Wayne continued unaffected. "And when you're finished slumming with the President of the United States," he grunted, "don't forget to give me a call. Some people still appreciate a charming yet rugged man."
"Wow. Rugged and charming?" Lauren crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to laugh as both eyebrows edged their way up her forehead. "Uh huh. I'll be sure to call you, Wayne," she drawled.
Wayne blew out a disgusted breath. "No, you won't." He clutched his heart. "But I'll love you anyway." His face grew serious. "Even when you mess with a winning formula."
Lauren worried her lower lip. She'd figured this was coming. "You didn't like it?"
"Oh, I liked it." He threw his hands in the air. "Hell, I loved it. But it's not a good idea, Lauren."
Her eyes went round and innocent. "What's not a good idea?"
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