Side Effects

by VK Powell

  An hour later Jordan waved as Bex left the club with her choice du jour, and she maneuvered Lilly into a back corner near the exit. She raked her fingers through Lilly’s long hair, disappointed that it felt coarse against her skin. She’d imagined the lengthy tresses cascading softly over her body, not lashing her into submission.

  “You like long hair?” Lilly whipped her head and leaned back against Jordan’s chest.

  She liked Neela’s hair and wondered how it would feel sifting through her fingers. “Yes.” Lilly’s position was perfect for Jordan’s next move. “I like you too.” She placed her drink on the end of the bar, grabbed Lilly’s thighs, and pulled her ass tight against her crotch. She’d been aroused since this afternoon, and she almost popped. She pumped her hips and ground against Lilly’s ass. Her jeans were so tight she could come against the seam with only a few strokes. “You have a fantastic ass.” It wasn’t as perfectly round as Neela’s, but it was hot and responsive.

  “Don’t come without me, lover.” Lilly put her hands over Jordan’s and moved them to her breasts. “These are pretty awesome too. Want to see them up close?”

  This was going much better than Jordan had imagined. “Absolutely, but I don’t have a car.”

  “That’s fine. I have a van in the back lot. I came prepared.”

  “What are we waiting for?” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so horny and swollen that walking hurt. She’d replayed that damn kiss with Neela over and over in her mind—that kiss that shouldn’t have happened with a woman it shouldn’t have happened with—and every time her need became more urgent. She’d tried to handle the situation herself, masturbating before she left home, talking to herself on the way to the club, breathing, relaxing her muscles, but nothing eased the impulse. She needed physical contact.

  Lilly guided her around the pool tables and out the back. “I’ve got vodka on ice, if you want.” When Jordan gave her a skeptical look, she said, “Told you I’m prepared. There’s not always time for hotel rooms and champagne. Sometimes you just have to get it where you can, and I have a feeling this is one of those nights for you.”

  “Yeah.” She pulled at the seam of her jeans and flinched.

  Lilly opened the back of the van and waved Jordan inside. The walls were upholstered with fabric and the floor covered with lush carpet. Perfect fuck pad on wheels.

  “Get undressed,” Lilly said as she pulled a single sheet from a basket on the front seat. When she’d spread the sheet and turned back to Jordan, she was kneeling in front of her wearing her black boy-cut shorts and sports bra. “Holy shit. You’re fucking buff. I bet you’re delicious.”

  “I should probably tell you—”

  Lilly held up her hand. “Let me guess. You don’t do head.”

  “I do, but only with protection, and I don’t let you. And you can’t touch me,” she pointed to her crotch, “down there.”

  “So, I get to be a pillow queen, and you do all the work?”

  Jordan’s cheeks flushed as she reached for her shirt. “Major turn-off, right?” These were her rules for one-night stands. Not everybody was comfortable with her restrictions. Sex came in many forms, and she wasn’t ready for emotional or serious physical intimacy.

  “It’s not a turn-off for me. I’m great with whatever.” To prove her point, Lilly stripped and knelt in front of Jordan. “How do you get off?”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Sometimes it just didn’t happen, no matter how much she teased, rubbed, pulled, or poked. She wasn’t kidding herself about the possibility of climaxing with this woman. But Neela had left her feeling frazzled, and she needed to feel in control. “Can I kiss you?”

  “Of course. You can do anything you want. I have dams, condoms, and lube in that box on the floor.”

  Jordan moved closer until their bodies nearly touched, closed her eyes, and recalled a snapshot of kissing Neela. She grabbed Lilly around the waist and pulled their bodies together as Neela had done to her. With her eyes closed and the heat from their bodies, it was easy to imagine holding Neela. Lilly’s breasts were indeed awesome, but larger than Neela’s and didn’t tuck as perfectly against her chest. Jordan pressed her crotch against Lilly’s and tried to remember if she and Neela had made full body contact. Doubtful. If they had, Jordan wouldn’t have been able to stop. She was certain of it.

  “Are you going to—”

  “Don’t talk.” Lilly’s high-pitched voice threw her out of the moment. She sighed and opened her eyes, reaching for the bottle of vodka in the ice bucket. “Want a drink?” After Lilly took a sip, she chugged and replaced the bottle. “Come here.”

  She closed her eyes and went through the routine again. This time the body in her arms produced the required results. Fire burned in her gut. She lowered her mouth and relived the kiss that had tortured her all day. With just enough vodka to blur the lines, the lips against hers, the hungry tongue, the soft full breasts and eager torso were Neela’s. Neela wanted exactly what this woman wanted. They both gave themselves easily and willingly. Jordan’s clit tingled and strained for release.

  She dipped and rubbed herself against Lilly’s pubic mound. So good. She cupped a breast and massaged the tender flesh, and Lilly moaned against her neck. Another stroke. Yes. Jordan wedged her leg between Lilly’s so she could enter her and straddle the muscle along her thigh. Lilly was wet and ready, and her fingers slid in easily. She pumped faster. So close.

  “Oh yes, baby. Fuck me with your fingers.”

  When Lilly spoke, Jordan made the mistake of opening her eyes. The green-eyed woman staring unfocused at her was not Neela. Disappointment shot through her and desire vanished, leaving knots of pulsing pain.

  “Don’t stop, lover. I’m close.”

  Just because one of them was in agony didn’t mean they both had to suffer. Jordan stroked Lilly’s clit, trying to rekindle her own spark with no luck. She pulled her fingers in and out, praying for just a tingle of the desire she’d felt with Neela.

  “Yes, that’s it.” Lilly surged and rubbed against her. “Your hands are magic.”

  Jordan tried to refocus and make her body respond, but the harder she tried, the more disconnected she became.

  “Right there. That’s right. I’m coming.” Lilly grabbed Jordan’s hand and held it inside her until she collapsed, breathing in short rapid spurts. “Holy shit. That was awesome. You’re amazing. Again? I know you didn’t come. What happened? Did I do something wrong?”

  Jordan reached for the vodka again. She wasn’t usually such a heavy drinker, but Lilly wouldn’t shut up, the images of Neela wouldn’t stop, and she desperately needed to come. While she took a few more sips, Lilly talked, about everything and nothing—where she lived, where she worked, her best friend, where she was going on holiday. Jordan ignored the yammering.

  The scene with Neela returned with an agonizing jolt, and she rolled Lilly over on all fours. “Is this all right?” This was a part of Jordan that Neela probably wouldn’t understand. When lust consumed her and her body refused to cooperate, Jordan resorted to more aggressive and less intimate means of satisfaction, rutting like a wild animal just to get off.

  She pulled a condom from the basket, ripped it open with her teeth, and slid it on her middle finger. Squirting some lube on Lilly’s ass, she rimmed her anus with the tip of her finger. “You okay with this?”

  “Oh yeah, feels great.”

  Jordan felt a tingle of arousal as she fingered Lilly’s anus with her left hand and entered her vagina with her right. “You like this, don’t you?”

  “I love it. Ahh, that’s so good. Harder.”

  Jordan pressed her crotch against the back of her hand and rode it as she fucked Lilly with her fingers. Yes. She was hot and wet again, and her muscles strained against invisible fetters. She closed her eyes and relief built inside. “Tell me what you want.”

  “Fuck me deeper in the ass. Yeah. Like that. I want it so bad.”

  Her knees stung from rubb
ing on the sheet but she couldn’t stop humping. She’d never felt so feral and desperate, so in need of something so out of reach.

  “More fingers in my pussy,” Lilly pleaded.

  Jordan slammed her fingers into Lilly until sweat rolled off her forehead. The muscles in her legs trembled as Lilly started convulsing around her fingers.

  “I’m coming again. Right now. Don’t stop.”

  The back of Jordan’s hand burned like she’d been sandpapered. Her clit was almost numb but she couldn’t come. Damn it. When Lilly collapsed on her stomach, Jordan pulled out, fisting her own swollen folds as she fell backward. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Her shoulder struck the side of the van and popped out of joint. Pain spiraled down her arm. She jammed her shoulder against the side of the van and felt it pop back into place. It’d hurt like hell tomorrow, but pain during sex was nothing new for her. She closed her eyes against the discomfort and squeezed her clit. Her shoulder throbbed, but the ache between her legs was much more acute.

  “Let me help you, lover.” Lilly put her hand on Jordan’s stomach and slid toward the band of her shorts.

  “No.”

  “But you’re in pain.”

  “I’ll do it. Look away.” Lilly probably thought she was a freak, but she didn’t care. She’d learned to manage by herself a long time ago, especially when she was this vulnerable. Resting her back against the side of the van, she slid her hand inside her shorts and tweezed her clit between two fingers. She was agonizingly hard and almost raw from rubbing, but she milked gently until she was wet again.

  “I’d be really happy to do that for you,” Lilly said.

  “No, just keep your back to me. Just like that.” Having anyone watch while she huddled in the corner like a coward made her skin crawl. No one would see her so exposed ever again.

  She closed her eyes, blocking out the substitute in front of her, and imagined what Neela would look like with her legs spread, fingering herself to orgasm. The visual coursed through Jordan like a liquid explosion. She pulled harder and tremors started in her toes. Her legs quivered as the climax roared through her. She stiffened and yanked one final time. “Oh. Yes.”

  As the blessed relief oozed out the bottom of her feet, the red haze in Jordan’s mind thinned to a light fog. At least the orgasm had dulled some of the tremendous pressure that had tormented her all day. She had enough difficulty controlling her impulses normally, but being around Neela had ramped up her urges. The only way to deal with the situation was to stay away from Neela completely. If she didn’t, she could lose more than her self-control.

  When she left Lilly at the bar and climbed on her Ducati to head home, it was almost three in the morning. But she didn’t go directly to her apartment. She ignored her own advice and cruised through Hamilton Lakes by Neela’s house, surprised to see a light on in a back room. Was she awake? What could she possibly be doing at three in the morning? Maybe the same thing you’ve been doing. Jordan gunned her bike as another shock of arousal registered.

  When she opened the door to her sparsely furnished apartment, Blue was waiting. He had plenty of food and water and a doggie door installed by the previous tenant, so she couldn’t figure out why he waited so patiently for her to come home. She patted his head, ruffled his fur, and stumbled toward the bedroom. “Come on, fella.” When he hopped on the foot of her bed, she pointed to the pile of blankets she’d thrown on the floor for him. “I think you know the rules. Off.” He gave her a pitiful stare with eyes as blue as hers and jumped down. “I promise to get you a proper bed soon.” The last thing she heard was something that sounded like a grateful whimper.

  The door slammed behind her. She heard the lock click into place and felt cold. He moved toward her, rubbing his pudgy hands together like she was a gift. She backed up until her legs struck the metal table. Nowhere to go. Trapped again. Screaming wouldn’t help.

  Jordan woke to the sound of her voice echoing off the empty apartment walls. Blue was beside her, nudging her arm with his nose. “I’m okay, fella.” The nightmares had returned since she started therapy, images of the past recurring, spilling over and tainting the present. Would she ever be free of them and in control of her life again?

  Chapter Six

  Jordan and Bex debriefed with the guys on speakerphone while traveling down the interstate at nearly eighty miles an hour. Neela had left home earlier than usual and was apparently in a rush to get to work. Her driving was more erratic than the day before, and Jordan was glad there were fewer cars on the road to navigate around.

  “Wonder what’s gotten into her today? Either she’s anxious to get away from home or to get to work.” Bex tried to drink her coffee, but Jordan stomped the accelerator again. “Seriously? I’d like to have at least one sip before we get to Raleigh.”

  “Maybe she stayed up all night and just decided to go in early.” Jordan remembered her cruise by Neela’s house and squeezed her thighs together.

  “You mean like you? You look like hell and smell like leftover sex. Did you bother to shower this morning?”

  “French whore’s bath. Got in late, left early.”

  “Did you sleep at all?”

  “It’s overrated.” After she’d ridden by Neela’s and gotten worked up again, she’d opened her bike up on the highway, daring a state trooper to try to stop her. She’d been in the mood to test her limits, but in the cold, lust-free light of day, she was glad it hadn’t happened. It had been a stupid move because she’d had way too much to drink. She couldn’t afford to lose her license and possibly her job or to hurt someone else.

  “So tell me about the girl last night. She wasn’t your usual flavor.” Bex wiggled her eyebrows and raised her coffee again. This time Jordan tried to make her spill it.

  “Variety is the spice of life.”

  “She looked like Ms. Short, Dark, and Sexy ahead of us. I hope you got her out of your system. If we screw this up, Milton will have our asses walking a beat downtown, barefoot.”

  If she protested, Bex would know for sure she had a thing for Neela. If she admitted it, Bex would try to play matchmaker, in spite of her own interest. She was that kind of friend. Either way, it was best not to give her any ammunition. “Have we heard anything from the lab on Branson’s case yet?”

  “Forensics found a couple of hairs that don’t belong to him. They’re running them for DNA typing, and then they’ll check for a match in the system.”

  “That would be too easy,” Jordan said. “I bet whoever did this isn’t in the system. The whole thing feels disorganized. The suspect didn’t choose a private location for the attack. A parking lot with security cameras seems like an amateur mistake.”

  “But, of course, the cameras weren’t working at the time. Now that would’ve been easy.”

  “And Branson’s knife wounds look frenzied, like the suspect was just trying to inflict damage without any real knowledge of the most efficient place to strike.”

  “Yeah, I thought that too. I’ll keep the heat on the lab guys. And it’ll give me a chance to check out the new crime-scene investigator that I’m pretty sure is on our team.”

  “Jeez, Bex, is that all you ever think about?”

  “You’re one to talk. Remember the good old days when you came in hung over with all kinds of sex-induced injuries like rug burns, bondage marks, and spanking welts?”

  “Not much has changed.” She winced and relaxed her shoulder as she turned the wheel to follow Neela into the parking lot. Neela slid her car into a space and sprinted inside. “Pull up the camera feed,” Jordan said.

  “I’ve got it.”

  Jordan parked between other cars in the lot to look less conspicuous and turned her attention to the tablet Bex was holding. Rosemary was already in Neela’s office with papers spread across the small worktable and a coffee pot in the center when Neela arrived. They exchanged a few words, and Neela put on her reading glasses before hunkering over the documents.

  “Don’t you just love those freaki
ng glasses,” Bex asked. “Makes me want to—”

  “Focus. This looks serious.” She didn’t need Bex conjuring up tantalizing images of Neela. Her own traitorous mind did that quite nicely without any help.

  “As long as she’s not yelling for help or waving us in, it’s none of our business. Damn, this is good coffee.” Bex sighed contentedly.

  But Jordan was concerned about what had put a very noticeable frown on Neela’s lovely face so early in the day. Her shoulders slumped forward like she was trying to protect herself, and her eyes had lost some of their usual spark. Bex was right though. As long as Neela was safe, it wasn’t their problem.

  She watched the interaction between the two women for three hours, straining to pick up every nuance of Neela’s movements and expressions. She didn’t know enough about Neela’s work to speculate about the crisis that had brought them into the office so early. She’d decided not to like Neela before they met, but her body had responded quite differently. She felt off balance. The only way to resolve the issue was to get more information.

  When Neela pushed away from the worktable and left the office, she grabbed the opportunity. “She’s out of camera range. I’ll check on her.”

  *

  Neela had hoped to be on her way to work before the officers’ shift change. She had to focus single-mindedly on work today. Rosemary’s call an hour earlier had left her scrambling to get to the office, assess the situation, and do damage control. The last thing she’d needed was a distraction like Jordan Bishop, but every time she’d looked in her rearview mirror, there she was. Bex’s comment that Jordan’s taste for speed aroused her had flipped through Neela’s mind as she’d dodged slow-moving vehicles.

  How could she manage today’s demands with images of Jordan floating through her mind like frames on an old movie reel? Today wouldn’t be like any other day. The governor’s agenda was changing, and she had to represent the best interests of the state’s health-care community and her subordinates.