Drake's Rock

by Alex Riordan

  “No problem at all. Now,” Julie said, turning her attention to Stephanie. “I want to know everything about you, Stephanie. Tell me everything and don’t leave anything out.”

  Stephanie, taken aback by Julie’s sudden enthusiastic interest, laughed. “Well…do you want the book version, or Readers Digest?”

  “Oh, the book version, of course. I want to know everything about the woman who’s managed to win Jessie’s heart.” She looked fondly across the table at Jessie. “She’s never asked me to dinner to meet anyone she’s dated before, so you must be very special.”

  Stephanie felt herself blush at the compliment and found herself liking Julie despite the woman’s sometimes critical demeanor. Stephanie thought she was actually very nice, once you got passed all that. It was obvious that she loved Jessie, and only wanted what was best for her daughter. And, Jessie had warned her in advance so she wasn’t completely caught unawares. Under the table, she felt Jessie squeeze her thigh in encouragement.

  The rest of the evening was full of laughter, as they traded stories and drank their wine. Nancy and Julie hit it off really well, which pleased Jessie and Stephanie both. This was, after all, the first time Jessie had ever really cared what Julie thought. It was intensely important to her that her mother like Stephanie, and it seemed as if that was happening.

  When dinner was finally over and she thought the restaurant was going to kick them out, they’d been there so long, Jessie asked Julie if she’d like to go back to her place with them for a night cap. Julie declined the offer however, citing her need to get up early for work the next morning. Accepting her answer, after all, it wasn’t every day that the two of them managed to make it through a meal without arguing, she drove Julie home. Before Julie made it all the way out of the car, Stephanie got out and came around to her side. Wrapping her in a huge hug, Stephanie told her, “I’m so glad I got to meet you, Julie. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, when I come back into town.”

  “So, you’re planning on coming to visit Jessie?” Julie asked, slightly surprised. She believed that Jessie and Stephanie cared for each other, that much was more than obvious. Maybe it was her own relationship history, but she just didn’t have the same faith that they did, that a long distance relationship could work out. Still, if they were both willing to give it a try…

  Stephanie nodded. “Every chance I get.”

  “Well then, I look forward to seeing you,” Julie said, hugging her back. “Jessie? You be careful…and call me when you can.”

  Jessie nodded. “I will, Mom.”

  Chapter 30

  Hours later, lying in bed with Stephanie safely ensconced in her arms, Jessie sighed contentedly. Burying her nose in Steph’s hair, she inhaled her scent deeply. She loved the way Stephanie smelled. She never tired of it. Her thoughts were interrupted by Stephanie, however, as she shifted in her arms.

  “I should probably be mad at you,” Stephanie said into her chest, her breath causing ripples of pleasure down Jessie’s spine.

  “Why should you be mad at me?” she asked, creasing her brow in confusion. She’d actually believed Stephanie was asleep, she’d been so quiet.

  “I can’t believe you never told me who your dad is,” the redhead said, lifting her head to look at her.

  Jessie shrugged. “I didn’t know it was all that important.”

  “Jessie, he’s your father. Of course it’s important.” She crossed her arms on Jessie’s chest and rested her chin on them, looking the brunette in the eye.

  “It just never came up in conversation before today, Steph,” she explained, plainly not understanding why it was important to the other woman. “If you’d asked, I would have told you.”

  “You would?”

  “Of course I would. I wasn’t trying to hide my father’s identity from you. I really just didn’t think it was important to you. I don’t have any secrets from you, Steph.” Jessie wrapped her arms around her and flipped her over so that Stephanie was underneath her.

  Stephanie bit the inside of her cheek as she looked up at Jessie. “So…I could ask you anything, and you’d tell me the truth?”

  Jessie nodded. “Anything at all.”

  “So, if I were to ask you…how old were you when you had your first kiss?” she asked mischievously.

  Jessie smirked, but answered. “Fifteen, with Joey Lindeman, a neighbor. You?”

  “Hmm,” Stephanie pretended to think for a minute. “I was seventeen. And…it was with Salvatore Brincata.”

  Jessie shook her head and looked at Stephanie like she was crazy. “Good God, he sounds like a mobster! Did your parents let you hang out with the Italian mob?”

  Stephanie laughed, recognizing the teasing. “No! Actually his family owns the pizza place that I used to work at. My sister, Rachel works there now.”

  “Mmm, keeping it in the family, huh?” Jessie asked, teasing her.

  “Jessie!” Stephanie slapped her playfully on the arm. “That’s just gross! He’s at least thirty five years old now. Rachel’s only twenty three!”

  “Ooh, you dated an older man? I’m telling your mom,” Jessie said, continuing to tease her and kissing her on the forehead.

  “She knew,” Stephanie said. “They were friends of the family. Besides, there’s not much I don’t tell my mom…unlike some people I know.” She arched an eyebrow at the brunette, her tone gentle. After meeting Julie, she could see why Jessie didn’t share everything with her.

  Ignoring the gentle rebuke, Jessie said, “Well crap, I was hoping to be able to blackmail you.”

  “Sorry ‘bout yer luck, Babe. Now, I think it’s my turn for another question?”

  Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes. “All right. Fire away.”

  “Okay…” Stephanie thought about her next question carefully, before finally asking, “How old were you when you kissed your first girl? And, when did you realize you were gay?”

  Jessie looked at her silently before finally saying, “That’s two questions, but I’ll answer them anyway. I was eighteen, and her name was Dana Marshall. We went to high school together, and I think I always knew I liked guys and girls. I turned to women exclusively after Bobby. Well, except the time I had the shit beat out of me. Now, it’s your turn.” She looked down at Stephanie expectantly.

  Stephanie squinted, trying to remember. Pursing her lips, she answered. “I was twenty, and it was my college roommate, Debbie Henderson. I realized I was gay right around the same time. Unfortunately she wasn’t, and it ended up ruining our friendship.”

  “Oh, how very cliché of you. The college roommate?” Jessie teased, but added, “It must have sucked, being her experiment, though.”

  Stephanie nodded. “It did, but I learned a lot about myself. Now,” determined not to be deterred from her fact finding, she asked, “When did you lose your virginity?”

  “I started early. I was seventeen.” Jessie smiled, and added, “Joey the neighbor. You?”

  Stephanie wrapped her arms around Jessie and began running her hands up and down her back as she answered. “Nineteen, and it was with Lonnie Stein. What was your longest relationship?”

  Jessie wriggled under Stephanie’s roaming hands, enjoying her touch. Biting her lower lip, she said, “That would be Bobby, followed closely by the non-relationship that was Alex Fagin. But my favorite relationship…is you.” She ducked her head down to meet Stephanie’s lips with her own, kissing her slowly. When she finally came up for air, she looked expectantly down at the redhead. When Stephanie didn’t say anything right away, she prompted. “Yours?”

  “My longest or my favorite?” She asked, smiling.

  “Both,” Jessie answered, waiting patiently for a reply.

  “Hmm, well…let me see,” Stephanie said playfully, dragging her answer out just long enough to start driving Jessie nuts. When the brunette looked like she was going to explode, she relented. “My longest was with a woman named Linda. My favorite…” she pretended to think about it before
answering, “is most definitely, without a doubt, you, Jessica Drake.” She reached up and pushed Jessie’s hair back behind one ear. “I’ve waited my whole life for you,” she whispered, looking into Jessie’s eyes.

  Jessie closed her eyes and licked her lips. She had never, in her life, felt anything as intense as her feelings for Stephanie. Smiling down at her, she leaned down and kissed the redhead again. The feeling of Steph’s lips on her own was beautiful, the hands moving up and down her back, electrifying. She’d never imagined that it was possible to feel this way. Not even in her wildest dreams. Taking a deep breath when they broke apart, she couldn’t help but tease, by saying, “I’d better be your favorite.”

  Stephanie responded by wrapping her legs around Jessie’s thighs and pulling her down against her. “It’s you, hands down, Jess. There’s no doubt in my mind. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

  Grinding into Stephanie’s hips, Jessie smiled at her again before once more taking control of her mouth. This time, when they broke apart, she shifted her attention to the bare expanse of Stephanie’s neck. Her head arched back on the pillow, eyes closed, it made the perfect target and Jessie couldn’t resist. Trailing her tongue from Steph’s shoulder to her ear, she slowly nipped at her earlobe until she heard Steph moan with pleasure.

  Reaching down, Jessie slid her hands under the edges of Steph’s t-shirt and began sliding it upwards. Leaning over her, she began covering Stephanie’s stomach with tiny butterfly kisses. Her breath ghosting over the firm abs, she smiled when she felt the redhead’s hands on the back of her head, running through her hair.

  Long minutes later, Jessie finally managed to slide Steph’s shirt up completely, exposing her breasts. With help from the redhead, she pulled it off and tossed it aside, smiling as she slid her hands up to begin squeezing firmly. Stephanie, her breath coming in short gasps, had one hand on Jessie’s right thigh. The other, she trailed down Jessie’s ribs until it was resting on her hip, under the waistband of her panties.

  With her thumb, Stephanie traced small circles on Jessie’s pelvic bone, causing the brunette to spasm with the sensation. Rocking now, to the timing Steph set with her thumb, Jessie reached behind Steph to pull her up into a kneeling position. As she attached her mouth to one of the redhead’s breasts, and continued massaging the other, Stephanie slid her hand further toward Jessie’s center.

  As Steph’s hand made contact, Jessie moaned low in her throat. “God…Steph…” Sliding her own free hand down passed Stephanie’s stomach, she quickly abandoned the redhead’s breasts to reach around behind with her other hand, and pull her closer at the same time that she slid a finger inside.

  Both of them moving in time, it wasn’t long before Stephanie gasped out, “Jess…Jessie…ahhh…Oh God, Jessie!” Her body convulsing, Stephanie gasped for air. For long minutes she trembled, Jessie’s hands stroking her slowly, calming her. Finally, taking a deep breath, she managed to say, “Lay down Jess…on your right side…please.”

  Jessie, not sure what Steph had in mind, didn’t question her. She’d learned rather quickly that when Steph gave directions, she meant business. And, she always got great results. Releasing her hold on Stephanie, she turned around and lay down on her right side, back facing the redhead.

  Stephanie waited patiently for Jessie to get comfortable. Then, lying down on her right side behind the brunette, she stretched out and spooned against her. Pulling Jessie’s hair back, she exposed her neck and began nibbling lightly. With her left hand, she began trailing her fingers along Jessie’s ribs.

  Within seconds, Jessie was having trouble breathing. Every touch of Stephanie’s fingers was burning into her flesh. Biting her lower lip, she almost screamed when the redhead’s hand snaked around and caught her left breast, first squeezing, then teasing her nipple. Reaching around behind with her left arm, she caught and held Steph’s head against her neck. She never wanted this to stop. Overpowering and delicious, sex with Stephanie was the complete opposite of everything Jessie had come to know about sex over the years. She had quickly come to the conclusion that she didn’t always have to be the one in control; that it was okay to let the other woman direct the action. Still, it was a hard habit to break, and Jessie had to work to allow Steph the control she wanted. When she felt Steph’s hand slide down to the waistband of her panties, she closed her eyes. She bit her lower lip again, when Steph slid the offending material down and pulled them off, flinging them across the room to land somewhere near the laundry basket.

  “I know this is hard for you, Jess,” Stephanie whispered into her ear. She knew exactly how hard it was for Jessie to not be in control of their lovemaking. “But trust me; it’s gonna be worth it, Baby.” Then, she abandoned Jessie’s breasts in favor of massaging her ass. With light strokes, her fingertips barely touching, she was turning Jessie on like never before. She could tell by the way the brunette’s muscles were trembling. As she continued to lick Jessie’s neck and nip at her ear, she slid her hand further down, between her legs.

  Jessie, anticipating where Steph was going with her hand, slid her left leg higher, giving the redhead better access. Within moments, she was rewarded with the sensation of Stephanie’s fingers trailing along her inner thighs. Gasping for breath, she was so turned on, she couldn’t say anything more than, “God…Steph, please. Please…”

  Not wanting to torture the brunette, Steph smiled into her shoulder and finally slid her hand forward to rub Jessie from behind. As her fingers trailed through the wet curls between Jessie’s legs, Stephanie felt how wet she was. Leaning forward slightly she whispered, “I love you, Jessie.” At the same time, she pushed two fingers into the brunette.

  The combination of Stephanie’s hot breath on her ear, the redhead’s words, and the feeling of her fingers entering her, converged. Together, they created a trifecta of sensation which caused Jessie to scream Stephanie’s name over and over again as she tumbled into orgasm.

  Long minutes later, Jessie had finally stopped trembling and her breathing had finally approached normal. Still wrapped in Stephanie’s arms, she fell asleep to the feeling of the redhead’s body covering her from behind.

  Chapter 31

  Stephanie woke up; still lying spooned up against Jessie’s back. She had one arm thrown over the brunette, who had somehow fallen asleep with her left hand pinning Steph’s to her stomach. The bare flesh was warm to Steph’s touch, and she closed her eyes and breathed in. The room smelled of Jessie and sex. If she concentrated, she could smell her own scent in the air, too. It was comfortable here, now. Under the covers, their naked bodies pressed up against each other. The first weekend she’d stayed here, she’d been uncomfortable, feeling like a guest. Not because Jessie treated her that way, but because she had been nervous, unsure of what was happening between them. On the one hand, Jessie had been solicitous and unfailingly kind. On the other, she seemed skittish and afraid to take things too far too fast. But now, Stephanie felt like this was home.

  An unwanted thought ghosted through her head, reminding her that this wasn’t her home, however. Eventually, she was going to have to return to LA and leave Jessie here. She didn’t want to go back to LA. If she were being honest with herself, she could admit that she wanted to stay here, with Jessie. This was home to her now. She didn’t want to leave and give all this up. She wondered how they were going to make this work. Could they really keep their relationship intact if they were living so far apart? Meeting each other for long weekends, holidays and vacations? She wanted to believe they could. She did believe it. But still…it wasn’t going to be easy. Would Jessie be able to handle a relationship like that? For that matter, could she, herself? Kissing the tattoo on the brunette’s shoulder lightly, she hoped fervently that she could. She really wanted this to work out. There had never been anyone she’d felt like this about. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Jess that she’d been waiting her whole life for her. Now that she’d found Jessie’s love, there was no one else for her.r />
  Feeling unusually self-reflective, she whispered, “Jess?” When the brunette didn’t answer, only mumbled and wiggled closer, she went on, still whispering. “I love you, Jessie. I know you can’t hear me right now, but I…I don’t know. I have so much I want to say to you. I guess, sometimes…sometimes I wake up, and I can’t believe this is real. That you’re real. I’m afraid I’m gonna wake up and realize this has all been a dream. I don’t want it to be a dream, Jessie. It scares me how badly I need this to be real.”

  She rested her forehead on Jessie’s shoulder and went on. “You know, the first time I said ‘I love you’ out loud, it was an accident. I’m not saying that I didn’t mean it, because I do. I love you more than I could ever find words to express. What I mean is…I hadn’t meant to say it out loud. I was afraid you’d get scared and leave if I said it. So, you can imagine my surprise when not only did you not leave, you told me that you loved me, too. I wanted to hear that, you know. I had hoped, but I hadn’t expected it. I think I really expected you to go running out of the room. But you always surprise me, Jess.” She reached over and smoothed the dark hair a bit.