by Joan Arling
* * *
Annie’s knees trembled as she followed Drew to the bed. While Drew pulled back the covers, Annie stopped and stared down at the sheets.
Drew turned and regarded her with a worried expression. “You okay?”
Wordlessly, Annie nodded.
“Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t need to, you know? It would still be the most romantic evening of my life, even if we just spend the night holding each other.”
“No, I ...” Annie cleared her throat. “I want to.”
Drew stepped closer and searched her face. “If you change your mind at any time, you just need to say so.”
Annie nodded, but she didn’t plan on taking Drew up on her offer. She had let her nervousness stop her from showing Drew how much she loved her for too long already. “I might need a little guidance,” she said, studying the inn’s carpet.
“I’ll give you as much guidance as you want, sweetheart. Please do the same, okay?”
Was Drew’s voice shaking? Annie looked up. Drew’s eyes were nearly black, darkened by nervousness and desire. For a moment, Annie forgot her own fear. She took Drew’s hand in both of hers and rubbed it with her thumbs. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Drew exhaled. “I’m just nervous because I want this to be good for you.”
“Oh, Jesus. We’re quite the pair.”
Drew smiled. “Yes, we are. We’ll be okay as long as we keep talking to each other.”
Annie nodded and reached for her glasses on the nightstand.
Drew stopped her with a quick touch to her hand. “You won’t need them,” she said, her voice low. “Just focus on what you feel.” She cupped Annie’s face with both hands and brought her lips to Annie’s. She kissed her slowly, leisurely, her lips caressing Annie’s, no tongue involved except for a playful lick here and there.
Sighing against Drew’s mouth, Annie sank into the kiss.
With careful teeth, Drew nibbled on Annie’s bottom lip and teased the corners of her mouth, coaxing her lips apart.
Every bone in Annie’s body seemed to turn into a quivering, jellylike mass. She sank against Drew and clutched at her shoulders to keep herself upright.
Instantly, Drew wrapped both arms around her.
Annie’s bare breasts pressed against the wet fabric of Drew’s blouse, making her aware again that she was nearly naked. She sucked in a breath and jerked back.
“You all right?” Drew whispered against her ear.
The hot breath bathing her ear made Annie shiver. She nodded numbly. “Your ... your shirt. It’s wet and cold as ice.”
“Do you want to help me take it off?”
The thought of feeling Drew’s skin against hers made Annie’s head spin. She nodded.
Drew took Annie’s hands and placed them on her upper chest.
With trembling fingers, Annie tried to work the top button free, fumbling a bit until it finally slipped through the eyelet. Then she moved on to the next button. When she reached the edge of the gray slacks, she pulled the blouse’s tails out.
Drew stood still, her heated gaze following the path of Annie’s hands.
Finally, the blouse parted, revealing a simple white cotton bra.
Drew glanced down at her chest. “If I had known what you had in mind for tonight, I would have worn something a little more—”
Annie grabbed the blouse with both hands and stopped Drew by kissing her. No talking. No thinking. If she started to think about this too much, she would lose her courage. Her hands slid beneath the blouse and discovered the smooth skin of Drew’s sides and back. So soft. She needed more. She pushed the fabric back, but instead of falling to the floor, the blouse caught on Drew’s wrists. Groaning, Annie broke the kiss and fumbled with the tiny buttons on the blouse’s sleeves before she finally succeeded in opening them.
Drew nodded down at her slacks. “Want me to ...?”
“No,” Annie said, “I’ll do it.” She loosened the metal buckle on Drew’s belt and pulled the leather free. The rasping of the zipper as she slid it down sounded unbearably loud. She paused to study Drew.
Standing there with her slacks open and without her blouse, Drew looked sexier than anything Annie had ever seen. Annie couldn’t believe she was about to make love to her. She trembled with a mix of nerves and desire.
When Annie hesitated, Drew pushed down her slacks and stepped out of them.
Annie’s gaze drifted over strong shoulders and then down to bra-covered, full breasts. God, she’s so beautiful. She loved Drew’s gentle curves, the mix of sturdy muscles and feminine softness. She wanted to see more of Drew. “Can I ...?” Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Drew’s bra.
Biting her lip, Drew nodded.
Annie’s breath came in quick pants. She stepped closer, reached around Drew, and tried to undo the bra’s clasp, but the metal hooks refused to cooperate.
“This takes some practice.” Drew’s voice sounded raspy. “Want me to help?”
Annie nodded.
Drew reached back. One second, then the bra’s straps slid down her toned arms, and the cups fell away.
Even though Annie knew she was staring like a teenaged boy, she couldn’t help herself.
Drew’s breasts were larger than her own and fuller, and like the rest of Drew, they were absolutely breathtaking.
When Annie just stood and stared, Drew took her hand and guided her onto the bed.
Annie sank into the inn’s comfortable pillows, still staring up at Drew.
Drew slid off her panties, climbed up after Annie, and leaned over her on one elbow. She trailed the fingers of one hand through the hair on Annie’s temple and gazed down at her.
Now what? Annie had dreamed about this moment so many times in the past weeks, but now that she was here with Drew, she wasn’t sure where to start. She wanted to touch her everywhere at once. “I did a lot of research,” she said. Her voice shook. “But now I can’t remember a thing.”
“Research?” A smile dimpled Drew’s cheeks. She leaned down and kissed Annie’s brow. “You’re such a geek.”
Annie returned her smile. “Yes, but I’m your geek.”
“Yes, you are,” Drew murmured. She lay down half next to, half on top of Annie, with one leg nestled between Annie’s thighs.
Annie gasped as Drew’s heated skin slid against hers. As different from each other as they were, their bodies fit together perfectly.
Drew picked up one of Annie’s trembling hands. She stroked her palm, then kissed each of the fingers. “Just trust me and relax, okay? You don’t need any research for this.”
Goose bumps prickled along Annie’s skin as Drew followed the throbbing vein in her wrist down and pressed kisses to the sensitive spot in the bend of her elbow.
When Drew looked up, their gazes met. Drew smiled and repeated the gentle treatment on Annie’s other arm. She trailed kisses down the side of Annie’s neck and across first one shoulder, then the other before she caressed Annie’s collarbones with her lips. With tender fingers, Drew moved the moonstone pendant aside and kissed the hollow at the base of Annie’s throat. She slid on top of Annie and nestled between her thighs, propping herself up on her elbows. “Close your eyes,” Drew whispered.
Handing over total control had never been Annie’s strong suit, but she trusted Drew, so she let her eyelids flutter shut. She leaned her head back and arched into Drew’s touch.
A kiss landed on the slope of Annie’s left breast, just over her heart. Drew licked a hot trail down the center of Annie’s chest. Her tongue drifted along the outer curve of her breast, then circled closer and closer.
Moaning helplessly, Annie raked her nails up and down the tight muscles on either side of Drew’s spine. She opened her eyes.
Drew looked up and smiled. “Good?”
Annie nodded wildly, too overwhelmed to speak.
Drew trailed her hands down the sides of Annie’s breasts, dipped her head, and flicked her tongue across one of Annie’
s nipples, sending ripples of sensation through Annie.
Her hands came up and clutched Drew’s head.
Humming, Drew nuzzled her breast, then wrapped her lips around one nipple and sucked.
Dear God. Annie couldn’t lie still. She writhed beneath Drew and gulped air into her oxygen-starved lungs.
Drew caressed Annie’s other breast. The calluses on Drew’s fingers made Annie tingle all over. One last lick, then Drew’s lips moved lower, kissing down her belly. Her wet hair left a damp trail across Annie’s overheated skin.
Wha-what is she doing? Every muscle in Annie’s body tensed.
Immediately, Drew stopped her downward movement and looked up. “Are you uncomfortable with this? I’d really like to taste you. But if you don’t want me to, it’s okay.”
Annie struggled to make sense of everything that was going on. With Patrick, her former boyfriend, she hadn’t liked it, too tense to enjoy the experience, but maybe with Drew, it would be different. Trying to relax, she gave Drew an encouraging nod.
“If it’s too much for you, I’ll stop, okay?” Drew moved up and tenderly kissed her lips before she slowly started to trail kisses down her breastbone, over every inch of Annie’s breasts and sides, and finally down her belly.
Annie’s stomach fluttered. Would she really be able to enjoy this? Would Drew really like it? What if ...? Annie gasped and couldn’t hold on to her thoughts as Drew slid her hand over the curve of her hip and rolled down the thong. Annie had forgotten that she was still wearing it. When Drew tugged, she lifted her hips and let Drew slip it down her legs. It landed on the floor next to the bed, and Annie stared down at it, very aware that she was now completely naked.
“Are you really okay with this?” Drew asked.
Rain drummed against the window, the storm outside as intense as the one raging inside of Annie. She nodded.
Drew leaned down and caressed Annie’s lower abdomen with her lips, taking her time. Her chin brushed Annie’s curls. When she looked up, her eyes were hazy. Her nostrils flared. “Mmm, you smell so good.”
Annie flushed. Did Drew really think so? The passion in Drew’s eyes didn’t leave any doubts. She really thinks I’m desirable.
Drew crawled farther down the bed. Resting her hands against the outside of Annie’s thighs, she kissed the hollow where Annie’s belly met her thighs.
Annie shuddered. Her stomach tightened, and goose bumps formed all over her body. Her whole body felt as if electricity were running through it.
The kisses wandered lower. Drew slid her hands down and nudged Annie’s legs farther apart. Her damp hair tickled Annie’s thighs. Warm breath whispered against her skin as Drew pressed a kiss to the inside of Annie’s thigh.
Annie sucked in a shaky breath and clutched at Drew’s shoulders, unsure whether she should pull her back up or press her down.
Before she could decide, Drew spread her open and flicked her tongue over Annie’s clit.
Oh, God. Annie’s body arched up. Heat rushed through her. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and tried to control her erratic breathing.
Drew reached up and entwined her fingers with Annie’s, grounding her. With her other hand, she gripped Annie’s hip and gently held her in place. She circled Annie’s clit with her tongue, then closed her lips over Annie and suckled.
Annie’s mouth fell open. Her body took on a life of its own. Her hips surged upward. She wound her fingers into Drew’s short hair and watched Drew move between her legs until her eyes fell closed. Oh, yes. A long groan escaped Annie. Drew’s answering moan vibrated through Annie. Her fingers flexed in Drew’s hair.
Drew moved with her, sucking, thrusting, flicking. Her hands reached under Annie to cup her ass and pull her closer.
More, more, more. The world spun around Annie. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears, echoing the pounding between her legs. She panted through a dry mouth.
A slight tremor started in her legs. She dug her heels into the mattress. Her hips rose off the bed. “Drew!” Frantically, she let go of Drew’s hair and grabbed fistfuls of sheet to anchor herself. Her thighs clenched around Drew’s head. A deep pounding started in her belly, then pulsed outward. Her body arched, stiffened, and collapsed back against the bed.
Time and sound ceased to exist, and she was only hazily aware of Drew crawling up her body. Finally, when her muscles started to work again, she reached up with one hand and covered her eyes. Oh my God.
“Look at me,” Drew whispered against her neck. She pulled Annie’s hand down and kissed her eyelids, then her cheek.
Annie blinked her eyes open and stared up into Drew’s flushed face. “Drew ...” Her voice sounded hoarse. Had she been screaming?
“I love you,” Drew said. She caressed every inch of Annie’s face.
Weakly, Annie lifted her arms and clutched Drew to her. “God, Drew. I love you too.” More than words can say. Annie hoped she would be able to show Drew.
Drew cuddled closer and wrapped one arm and one leg around Annie’s overheated body. Her head on Annie’s shoulder, she gazed up at her. “I hope this was everything your research promised.” One corner of her mouth curled up into a smile.
Annie’s brain still didn’t work properly, so she barely remembered the books she’d read or the movies she’d watched. She knew, though, that the cold facts of her research couldn’t compare to what she’d shared with Drew. How could she find words to describe what she was feeling? The sensations and emotions were still too overwhelming, and she couldn’t process them all.
“Annie?” Drew asked when Annie remained silent. “It was okay, right?”
“It was ...” Annie paused to catch her breath and find the right words. “Intense and wonderful.”
“Yes, it was,” Drew said, her voice lowered as if she were in church and didn’t want to interrupt worship. “But you still look a little ... worried. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” She trailed her finger over the spot between Annie’s eyebrows as if smoothing out a worry line.
Annie gnawed on her lip. “I don’t know how to say this.”
Drew tenderly stroked her cheek. “Just say it. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together, okay?”
No longer able to hold eye contact, Annie glanced at Drew’s muscular leg that was still wrapped around her. “In all the books I read, even the inexperienced partner is always able to make her lover ... you know. But I’m not sure I ... I don’t know how to ...”
Drew’s smile brought out her dimples. “Is that what has you so worried? God, Annie, believe me, you won’t have any problems either. I’m so turned on right now that you could finish me off with two strokes.”
“Really?” Hearing what effect she was having on Drew was beyond exciting, but Annie didn’t want it to be over that fast. “I don’t want that.”
Drew’s smile faltered. “You don’t?”
“No. I want to do to you what you did to me.” Annie flushed at the memory. “I mean ... not exactly that, but I ... I want to kiss you and caress you all over.”
A moan rumbled up Drew’s chest. She rolled onto her back and took Annie with her. “Well, for the sake of research, I guess I’ll sacrifice myself.”
Annie smiled despite her nervousness. Pushing herself up on one arm, she lay next to Drew and let her gaze slide over her body. Where should she begin? She took in the athletic arms and legs. Drew’s strong hands rested palm-down on the bed, fingers spread as if she needed to brace herself. The elegant arch of Drew’s collarbones caught her attention, and she lifted her free hand to trace it with her index finger.
Goose bumps formed beneath her fingertips.
Annie followed their path to one shoulder, then down to Drew’s upper chest. She tilted her head and marveled at the contrast of her tanned arms and legs to the lighter tones of her chest and belly. Her gaze flickered down to Drew’s breasts, then back up to her face.
The hungry look on Drew’s face sent a surge of arousal through her. Drawn
in by Drew’s eyes, she bent to kiss her.
Drew surged against her but still kept her hands on the bed.
Breathing heavily, Annie finally broke the kiss. She pressed her lips to Drew’s chiseled jaw and kissed down her neck. A rapid pulse thudded beneath her lips. She tasted the saltiness of Drew’s skin, nearly feeling dizzy with the sight, sound, smell, and taste of her. After exploring every dip of her shoulders and upper chest with her lips, she moved back so she could see more of her. Again, Drew’s breasts, lighter than the rest of her body, caught her attention. She ran her fingertips up and down Drew’s sides, enjoying the smoothness of her skin. On each pass, her fingers ventured a little closer to the tempting breasts until she grazed their outer curve but stopped just shy of touching them.
Drew groaned.
Annie stroked the silky skin beneath Drew’s breasts and let her palms slide over the curve of her belly. “So soft,” she whispered. She trailed one fingertip up Drew’s breastbone, then back down, stroking just a little to the left and right. Finally, she reached out to touch Drew’s left breast. Just an inch from it, she hesitated and looked at Drew.
“Yes,” Drew whispered. “Please.”
Annie cradled the breast in her palm, gently testing its weight. She trailed her thumb over the inner curve and finally brushed across the nipple. It hardened beneath her touch. Her gaze flickered back to Drew’s face.
Drew’s eyes were closed, but now they fluttered open. “Feels so good.”
Encouraged by Drew’s words, Annie leaned down and, with her hand still covering Drew’s breast, kissed her upper chest.
A frantic heartbeat thudded beneath her lips.
Annie kissed along the slope of Drew’s breast, then toward the center. After one last glance at Drew’s flushed face, she carefully touched one nipple with the tip of her tongue.
Drew sucked in a breath. One of her hands came up and cupped the back of Annie’s neck, not urging her on or guiding her, just establishing contact.
How amazing the contrast of the hardened nipple and the silky skin surrounding it felt. Annie explored Drew’s breasts with her hands and lips and tongue until Drew started to writhe beneath her.