A Celtic Knot

by Corman, Ana

  Catherine leaned closer and kissed her sweetly and gently. “I’m glad. I had such a wonderful time with you tonight. You made my St. Patrick’s Day so special.”

  Olivia pulled an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Catherine. “Speaking of this incredible day, I’ve got something for you.”

  Catherine removed a shimmering green-and-yellow St. Patrick’s Day card and smiled at the leprechaun on the front. Inside was a slip of paper inscribed in large bold script. “Paris trip voucher for Catherine O’Grady.” She looked at Olivia. “What’s this?”

  “You told me that you wished for your mom’s continued good health and Cocoa Cream to grow and prosper. Those dreams have been fulfilled. You also dreamed of seeing Paris. I want to fulfill that dream with you. I’m going to take you to Paris as soon as we can book the time off together. That’s my tenth-anniversary gift to you.”

  Catherine blinked several times. “This is way too generous a gift, Olivia.”

  “I seem to remember you telling me that certain events deserve extravagance. This is one of those events. You’ve worked hard for the success of Cocoa Cream. I want to celebrate with you. I love you and I want to spend lazy days sitting by the Seine River with you breaking bread, crumbling cheese, and sipping on expensive French wines. I want to fill our days with museums and magnificent churches. I want to spend the nights making love to you in a high-ceilinged Parisian hotel room.”

  Catherine leaned her face against Olivia’s, realizing she was finally ready to accept such generosity. “I love you so much. It would truly be a dream come true to go to Paris with you, darling.”

  “If it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll let you buy the baguettes.”

  Catherine laughed. “I might even spoil you with crepes and marzipan.”

  “Now, let’s not go crazy.”

  “This has truly been a magical day. Do you care to end it with a bath? I can’t offer you the elegance of your Jacuzzi, but I think my simple bathtub will be quite cozy.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Catherine slipped into a tiger-print negligee and matching string bikini panties. She checked herself in the mirror before dimming the lights in the bedroom. She removed several thick pillows from the bed and turned down the duvet. She lit the sugar-cookie candle on her dresser and checked the room one more time.

  She walked into the bathroom as Olivia finished washing her face. She marveled at her exquisite body. Her long shapely legs disappeared into black silk boxers that fit snuggly against her tight bottom. Her lines were sleek and fit beneath a black tank top that hugged firm peaked breasts. Catherine had to restrain herself from tearing her clothes away, especially when she saw the look of longing in Olivia’s eyes. “Are you hungry, darling?”

  Olivia smiled. “Not after Mr. O’Sullivan’s delicious fish and chips. However, the sight of you in that gorgeous negligee certainly makes me very hungry for you.”

  Catherine moved closer. “I was hoping I might be able to stimulate your appetite.”

  “You do more than just stimulate me. You drive me absolutely wild.” Olivia gripped the tiger-print negligee by the hem, eased it over Catherine’s head, and threw it toward the bedroom. Catherine felt like liquid fire in her arms as she guided her backward and leaned her against the glass wall enclosing the shower. “You’re so incredibly beautiful. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.” She cupped each breast in her hands, leaned down, and grazed Catherine’s nipple across her wet lips before sucking her in deeply.

  Catherine felt the cool glass against her back as the heat of rapture flushed through her body. She didn’t know how much longer she could remain standing as she held Olivia’s head close.

  Olivia moved to her other breast and bathed it with her tongue. Feeling Catherine’s knees buckle, she wrapped one arm around her waist and molded the other hand to her firm, heaving breast. She brushed her fingertips down her flat belly and around her belly button before slipping inside her panties. She watched Catherine’s tense expression as she threaded her fingers between her velvety folds. Catherine’s guttural cry infused Olivia with urgency and she dove her fingers within her.

  Olivia fed Catherine’s torrid need, kissing her deeply for several long moments, then slid from within her and caressed her rigid essence. Catherine moaned heavily against her lips as each stroke fueled her desire.

  Catherine thrust one final time against Olivia’s exploring fingers before releasing a cry of pure erotic bliss.

  She slowly opened her eyes. “Oh, my God, darling, that was incredible.”

  Olivia smiled. “I love making love to you.”

  Catherine grazed her lips across Olivia’s. “I think I’ll take you to O’Sullivan’s on a regular basis.”

  Catherine grabbed the large inflated pillow from the bathtub and one of the large fluffy white towels. She laid the towel open on the vanity and leaned the pillow against the mirror.

  Catherine guided Olivia back up against the gray marble vanity. She crushed her lips to Olivia’s and chased her tongue with a ravenous obsession. Then, in quick succession, she pulled the tank top over Olivia’s head, slid the boxers down to her feet, and slipped out of her own panties. She loved the unrestrained yearning in Olivia’s bright eyes as she moved in tight between Olivia’s parted thighs and pressed herself intimately against her.

  Olivia thrust against her and cried with exquisite pleasure as Catherine slid her hands along her sides and over her breasts. Her nipples strained against the palm of her hands as she caressed them.

  Olivia lifted herself up to sit on the towel on the vanity and lay back against the inflatable pillow. Catherine moved with her and pressed herself firmly between her parted thighs. She loved the feeling of Olivia’s legs wrapped around her waist as she gyrated against her wetness.

  Catherine slid her hands along her thighs and onto her hips. She devoured her lips with an insatiable hunger and plundered her with her tongue in a desperate race for fulfillment. Catherine loved Olivia’s cry of surrender as she slid her fingers through her wetness and deep inside her.

  Olivia tightened herself around Catherine’s fingers. She groaned with pleasure as Catherine slowly slid from within her and caressed her in her own wetness in small light circles.

  Catherine felt Olivia tightening her thighs around her and tensing with each light stroke. She pressed her lips to her closed eyelids and across her cheek. Olivia quivered at her fingertip, then went very still before releasing a deep guttural cry of ecstasy, the tension rippling between her thighs then surging like seawater crashing over a breakwater.

  Olivia held Catherine tight in her arms as she battled for each new breath. “Oh, my God, that was amazing.”

  Catherine buried her face in Olivia’s warm neck. “You feel so wonderful.”

  “You’re an amazing lover, Catherine O’Grady. If I knew that Irish women were like this I would have taken a trip to Ireland years ago.”

  Catherine laughed. “Think of how much money I’ve saved you in travel expenses.” She kissed Olivia’s cheek. “I think we might be ready for bed now.”

  Olivia kissed her way along her neck. “Who needs a bed when this countertop seems just perfect for our needs?”

  Thirty-Eight

  CATHERINE REMOVED THE LAST of the books from the packing box, collapsed the box, and stacked it with the others. Gathering the books in her arms, she turned to the wall unit, which was nearly filled now with familiar volumes and other treasures—lush plants she’d nurtured since they were small, photographs of her and her parents.

  The room where she’d spent her first night at 25 Carriage House Lane was slowly being transformed into her study. After a month of living between two houses, she and Olivia had decided that the big house would be home. Olivia had been very sweet not to push her, and the decision now felt abundantly right, particularly as Catherine moved more and more of her own home to Carriage House Lane. The house that once seemed overwhelming now seemed just right
for four people, with a little one arriving soon.

  Catherine was amazed by how quickly she and Olivia were growing closer, growing into each other’s lives. She actually found herself enjoying Olivia’s somewhat more messy style, a sign of her energy and commitment to her life outside the home. And it helped that she would have her own orderly room to retreat to.

  All week they’d used Olivia’s Escalade to swap furniture back and forth between the houses. All the pieces Catherine truly cared about were now here. Several couches and chairs from the living room at Carriage House Lane, plus the bedroom furniture from the room that was now her study, fit perfectly at Catherine’s house, which they planned to rent furnished to two intern friends of Olivia’s. The puzzle was falling into place surprisingly easily now that they were committed to making it work.

  She heard Olivia’s key in the door, and then her musical voice. “Honey, I’m home.”

  Catherine hurried happily down the hall and met Olivia as she reached the top of the stairs. “And what a lovely sight you are, Dr. Carrington.” Catherine brushed her hands along her jeans and slipped into Olivia’s arms, feeling the tension in Olivia’s muscles. She kissed her softly and looked into her eyes, alarmed by the exhaustion and sadness she saw there. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  Olivia forced a smile. “Geez, I can’t hide anything from you.”

  Catherine took her hand. “You’re too sensitive to hide your feelings from me. Let’s go in our kitchen. I’ll pour you a glass of orange juice and you can tell me what’s troubling you.”

  “That sounds great.”

  They walked hand in hand down the hall. Catherine had moved everything from her own small kitchen into the one in her and Olivia’s suite. She doubted they’d prepare more than breakfast or snacks here, but it made her happy to be surrounded by her favorite dishes and utensils.

  Olivia watched Catherine dig into the fridge and pour her a tall glass of orange juice. She slipped onto a familiar stool from Catherine’s house and touched the leaf of a lush fern. “Are you making headway with your unpacking, babe?”

  Catherine handed Olivia the glass. “I’m nearly finished with the books. Wait till you see how great the wall unit looks.” Catherine touched Olivia’s face. “Thank you for being so patient with me about this decision. I’m so excited by the way things are coming together.”

  “The rewards have been worth it.” Olivia took Catherine’s hand and pulled her close. She kissed her softly and deeply.

  Catherine held Olivia’s face in her hands. “What’s wrong, darling? What happened this afternoon?”

  Olivia set the glass on the counter and pushed it away. “Emma never showed up for her two-o’clock appointment this afternoon.”

  Catherine frowned. “What happened?”

  “I had my receptionist call her house. One of her sons answered. He’d gone to pick her up and bring her to our appointment when he found her down on her kitchen floor.”

  Catherine brought her hand to her chest. “What does that mean?”

  “Emma was dead when he found her. There was no evidence of foul play so they’re speculating that she had a heart attack or stroke.”

  Catherine stared at Olivia in disbelief. “Why didn’t you call me and tell me as soon as you heard?”

  “I couldn’t tell you at the time, Catherine. I had a waiting room full of patients I still had to see. I would’ve loved to pick up the phone and share this with you, but I couldn’t.”

  Catherine stepped away from Olivia as tears filled her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, babe,” Olivia said. “I know you cared about Emma.”

  “She was such a darling. She had such strong will to fight her cancer.”

  “I know. I wanted to help her fight.”

  “If that first idiot doctor had helped her instead of blowing her off, this may never have happened.”

  “You don’t know that. We still don’t know the cause of her death. Echo did a very thorough study of Emma’s cardiac function and she cleared her medically for surgery. If it was a stroke, it may have happened whether she’d had earlier surgery or not.”

  “Are you defending his actions?”

  “I’d never defend another physician for not giving a woman a chance to fight her breast cancer. We’ll never know how well she would have done had I done the surgery.”

  “Emma died not knowing, either,” Catherine said, her voice harsh.

  “This is my career, Catherine. I deal with life and death issues every day. But I don’t want to see you upset like this. It’s not healthy for you or us.”

  “I see. Because I’m not so skilled at dealing with cancer and death and dying like you and my mother then I’ll be only allowed to share a selective part of your life. Well, that’s not good enough, Olivia. I thought we’d committed to sharing our lives completely. I’ve got news for you. Us mere mortals feel what we feel. If something upsets me, I show it. When someone I care about dies suddenly, I’m deeply shaken. You’re telling me she was found this afternoon and you’re just telling me now and you’re expecting me to handle this rationally.”

  Catherine walked to the window and stared out into the yard.

  “This isn’t the type of news we share on the phone, Catherine. I wanted to be with you when I told you.”

  Catherine turned back to Olivia. “You’ve had time to process your feelings, Olivia. I haven’t. I need time to deal with my feelings, too. I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you with my anger. I’m sorry I can’t be supportive to you right now when I’m in shock.”

  “This tears me up too, Catherine. I’ve been so afraid that you would feel like I failed you.”

  “The only way you failed me, Olivia, is by not letting me be me. You’ve underestimated my faith in you. I’ve seen you in enough professional situations to know you’re an outstanding physician. You not only care for your patients physically, but emotionally and spiritually. I’m responding to the loss of a wonderful woman who I only met for an hour. She touched my life in that space of time. I need you to have more faith in my emotions. I need to be able to expunge my feelings and know that you won’t worry that I’m attacking you personally or professionally.”

  She took a breath, then went on. “I told you in the beginning I don’t know how you deal with this, day in and day out. You’re a much stronger woman than I am. I’m going to ask you to let me lean on that strength once in a while, and to learn from it. I did my best to deal with losing my father. I learned so much about my mother and myself as we went through her breast-cancer treatments. Both of you are extraordinary women. I admire and envy both of you. You’re the type of women who teach by example. I may not be ready to help cancer survivors myself, but I need to hear your stories and be allowed to react to them, as the emotional woman I am. You need to tell me now if that’s more than you’re prepared to deal with, because I want you completely, Olivia. Not just the safe, selective parts of your life.”

  Olivia reached for Catherine and pulled her in tight. “I love you so much. I love your fire. I never want you to stop sharing your feelings with me. I just want so fiercely to protect you.”

  “You can’t protect me from life, Olivia. I want you to make me a part of your life. Good and bad. I want to be there for you but I need you to give me a chance to react to such horrible news and digest it. I promise I’ll put it in the proper perspective and never let it affect us.”

  “You’re way more woman than I ever dreamed of falling in love with, my mere mortal. I’m more than willing and eager to share my life with you. But I’m so sorry about Emma. I wanted to help her. For her and also for you.”

  “I know. And you did help her. You have no idea the strength your office gave Emma by just giving her that appointment. You gave her hope before she even met you. I just pray that she went quickly and painlessly.”

  “I hope so, too.” Olivia watched the tears fall from Catherine’s deep blue eyes. “I’m sorry about squelching your emotions. I promise not to le
t that happen again. I love everything about you and I never want to stifle the emotional woman you are.”

  Catherine brushed at her tears. “Good, because I plan on tormenting you with my emotions for as long as we both shall live.”

  Thirty-Nine

  CATHERINE CAREFULLY PULLED OUT of the Cocoa Cream parking lot and merged with the evening traffic. She secured the earpiece in her ear and hit the preset button for Olivia’s cell phone.

  Olivia picked up on the second ring. “Hello, sweetheart. Are you coming to take me away from all this madness?”

  “I’d be delighted to.”

  “I’m just finishing my rounds on the fifth floor. I should be done within the hour.”

  “Sounds great. I’ll go talk to my dad. Why don’t you call me when you’re done?”

  “That would be my pleasure. Don’t forget to light a candle for my grass-skirt fantasy. I’m still waiting for that one to become a reality.”

  Catherine laughed. “Dr. Carrington, one of these days I’m going to shock you by coming to bed dressed only in a grass skirt with a tall icy Mai Tai in my hand.”

  “If that’s how prayers work, sign me up.”

  “There’s a little more to prayer than that, darling. Go take care of your patients, and I’ll see you soon.”

  Catherine smiled as she disconnected the call. She liked it that Olivia felt comfortable speaking lightly about prayer. She truly believed that their differences—including their feelings about faith—could make them stronger as a couple, more balanced. And she knew that Olivia was happy for her when she sought out the rituals that soothed her.

  Catherine walked through the main entrance of the hospital and past the lineup at the coffee cart. Just past the gift shop, she saw a familiar figure standing at the end of the hall, seemingly lost in thought as she stared out the huge glass wall to the hospital courtyard. It was Natalie, the daughter of Olivia’s patient. Catherine could still feel Natalie’s pain the day they’d talked in the bookstore. She’d thought about the young woman and her mother often, and Olivia had kept her up to date on their progress. Natalie’s mother had been admitted to the hospital a couple of days before, for something to do with her diabetes. Luckily it didn’t sound too serious.