by Geonn Cannon
Lance stepped out from behind the door and wrapped Jodie in a loose hug. Jodie yelped, then laughed and turned her head to face Lance. "Don't do that. Jerk."
"Don't laugh," Lance said. Her voice was rough with desire, and a chill ran up Jodie's spine at the sound. Lance took Jodie by the wrist and guided her hand back. Jodie felt the tails of Lance's shirt, the rough material of her boxer shorts, and then her fingers were guided into the open fly of the underwear.
She smiled. "Why would I la—" Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a silent 'o.' She wrapped her fingers around the shaft and squeezed as if Lance could feel it. "Where on Earth did you get this? When did you get this?"
"When I went for lunch last weekend," Lance said. "I saw the shop, and I was just going in for a laugh. And I couldn't...I mean, I just saw this and..."
"Sh," Jodie whispered. She turned around in Lance's arms and kissed her. She put her hands on Lance's hips and walked her toward the bed. Jodie let herself fall when she bumped into the mattress, propped up by her elbows with her legs slightly spread. She lifted one foot and pressed it against Lance's chest, sliding it along the length of Lance's tie. "Why, hello there, sir. Would you be a gentleman and help a lady off with her pantyhose?"
Lance cupped the heel of Jodie's foot in her hands and lifted it to her lips. She kissed the big toe as she slid her hands over Jodie's calf, pausing to massage the soft flesh behind her knee. Jodie drew in a breath and let it out as a sigh. Lance moved Jodie's foot to her shoulder and pushed Jodie's dress up until she found the top of her hose. She slipped her fingers between the material and Jodie's soft flesh and pulled them down and off Jodie crossed her feet behind Lance's head. Lance kissed Jodie's ankle and slid her lips down over Jodie's calf.
"Claire," Jodie whispered. She lifted her hips and tugged her dress up.
Lance hooked her thumbs in the elastic of her boxer shorts and shoved them down her legs. She licked her palm, gripped the toy between her legs, and stroked it rapidly as she climbed onto the bed. Jodie's legs came off Lance's shoulders, spread wide to let her lay between them. Lance covered Jodie's body with her own, both of them panting and eager. Lance tried to ease farther between Jodie's legs, guiding the toy forward, but she lost her balance and fell to the right. She came down hard on Jodie's thigh and Jodie yelped. "Ouch, shit," she laughed as she rubbed the sore spot.
"I'm so sorry," Lance said.
Jodie grabbed Lance's tie and used it to pull Lance toward her. Their faces were inches apart, Jodie's teeth bared and her nostrils flaring. "You can kiss it better later," she said. "Right now, I want you to fuck me."
"Yeah?" Lance asked. She was kneeling on the edge of the bed now, Jodie's legs hooked over her hips. "How do you want me to do it?"
Jodie put her hands on Lance's shoulders. "I want you to fuck me hard, fuck me with your big cock." She closed her eyes and exhaled as Lance brushed the tip of the dildo against her underwear. She brushed it back and forth a few times, causing Jodie to jump with each touch, and then she withdrew the toy completely. Jodie whimpered. "Claire..."
Lance said, "Sh, it's okay, baby." She made a fist, the knuckle of her middle finger extended, and she used it to brush Jodie's underwear out of the way. "Just making sure you're ready for me. Gotta make sure you're nice and wet." She rocked the knuckle against Jodie's labia, and Jodie cried out. She threw her head back, grabbing handfuls of Lance's shirt. Lance watched Jodie's throat, the harsh lines and the loose strands of black hair sticking to the sweat, and said, "I think you're ready."
"Yes, please, Claire, fill me up, fuck me." There were tears in her eyes when she opened them and stared up at Lance. Her eyes were wide, trusting, and she mouthed, "I love you so much."
Lance reached up and brushed her thumb over Jodie's bottom lip. She was trembling, and she said, "Jodie, I love you, too. Are you ready?"
"Uh-hun."
The dress obscured Lance's line of sight, so she had to use both hands to get into position. When she brushed the blunt head of her new appendage against Jodie's folds, Jodie's breath hitched and she lifted her ass a bit off the bed.
They worked for a few more seconds to get arranged correctly and then Lance moved one hand to Jodie's hip. She thrust steadily, her tie swinging in front of her like a pendulum marking the time. Jodie managed to open her eyes long enough to make brief eye contact with Lance before she growled and ducked her chin. "Claire, please talk to me..."
Lance moved one hand to Jodie's cheek and said, "You're so beautiful, Jodie. Do you like this? Do you like me being inside of you?"
"Yes, Claire, I love it..."
"I'm never going to get enough of it," Lance said. She pushed Jodie's dress up and found her clit with two fingers. She pinched it between them and gently worked them back and forth, making Jodie tremble. "I'm going to have to start finding places at work. Secret places. Places where I can steal you away and make love to you."
"Closet," Jodie said, breathing heavily with every word. "In the...bathroom..."
"Back seat of my car," Lance said.
Jodie grunted and struggled to form the words. "We...could have sex in my car after I race," she said. "I've always wanted to." She swallowed hard. "Adrenaline. It turns me on."
"Racing makes you horny?"
"Makes me come."
Lance bowed down and kissed Jodie's throat. Jodie cupped Lance's head with both hands and said, "Oh, yes, Claire, I want you to be there next time I race. I want you to be there every time I race. Don't go, please, Claire, don't leave me."
Lance closed her eyes and ignored the plea. She knew it wasn't a sincere request; they'd had this talk. Jodie just had to say the words out loud. She sat up, leaned back and pushed herself deep into Jodie. Jodie brought both hands up to her face, the heels of her hands covering her eyes, and she trembled violently. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she said, her words as involuntary as if she had Tourette's. She pushed her hair out of her face, wiped the sweat from her cheek with the back of her hand, and finally opened her eyes.
"I don't care what you paid for that thing, it was a bargain."
Lance bent down and kissed her. "I was worried you'd think it was ridiculous. But, ah..."
Jodie chuckled low in her throat and Lance blushed. She looked down at herself and said, "And now I don't have the slightest clue what to do with the thing."
"You certainly seemed to know what you were doing with it a moment ago."
"Well, Elaine and I..." She licked her lips. "But, uh, she..."
"She always took care of it?" Jodie said. Lance shrugged and gestured helplessly. Jodie smiled and stretched one arm out to the nightstand. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a small white box. She propped herself up on one elbow, opened the box, and withdrew a wet wipe. She reached between her legs with both hands and gently began to clean the dildo.
Lance swallowed hard, watching Jodie's fingers wrap around the rubber shaft, squeezing and massaging the bulbous head with the palm of her hand. Each time she tugged on it, the center strap brushed Lance's clit and sent an electric shock through Lance's midsection. Jodie noticed Lance's reaction and smiled innocently. "Are you starting to see the appeal, Claire?"
"Oh, yeah," Lance said. She swallowed hard and began rocking her hips with the motion of Jodie's hand. Of course, I'm only seeing one side of the argument."
"Hasn't anyone ever worn one with you?"
Lance shook her head.
Jodie grinned and released Lance's temporary erection. She moved her hands to the straps and began to loosen them. "Well, that is definitely something we're going to have to remedy. Fortunately, we have all weekend."
#
Later, Jodie took Lance's hand and led her into the bathroom. It was close to two in the morning, so Lance allowed Jodie to clean the dildo and set it aside for later. Then Jodie ran her finger over the bump of Lance's knobby knuckle, pushed aside the shower curtain, and guided her into the stall. The warm water washed over their bodies and Lance nearly fell asleep as Jodie ma
ssaged soap into her flesh. Jodie's fingers found the indents of scars, the gouge of a bullet wound, and gently kneaded the tight muscles with her fingers.
"What I said earlier," Jodie said, her quiet voice amplified by the stall, "while we were...what I said about never leaving me." She focused on a small scar on Lance's abdomen. "Heat of the moment. I don't want you to feel guilty about doing what you have to do. I know you can't stay. But it doesn't mean I have to like the fact you're leaving."
"I understand," Lance said. The shower water was cascading down Jodie's face, and Lance swept it away with her hand. "But even though I'm leaving, I'm not going to forget you."
"Kiss me," Jodie said.
Lance bent down and gently brushed her lips against Jodie's.
Before she could pull back, Jodie said, "Again."
Lance kissed her a little harder and pushed her against the shower wall. "Again," Jodie whispered against Lance's mouth, running her hands down Lance's back to her ass. "Again. Again. Claire, again..."
#
Chapter Nineteen
The weekend was spent camping out in their apartment. They ordered pizza and Chinese for both lunch and dinner, fed each other ice cream on the kitchen floor, and annoyed Danica by stealing her favorite sunning spots for hours at a time. They didn't bother to get dressed either day, giving their delivery boys (and one girl) a thrill by one of them answering the door wrapped in a sheet.
When Jodie brought back the pizza delivered by a wide-eyed redhead, she said, "Maybe we could throw a little Irish into the mix."
"Nope," Lance said. Plain and simple. Jodie bent down, kissed Lance, let the sheet fall, and resigned herself to having cold pizza for dinner.
In the middle of the day Sunday, Jodie kissed the scar on the curve of Lance's shoulder. "What happened?"
"Another life," Lance said.
"Did someone cut you?"
"A bullet," Lance said. "Grazed me."
Jodie shuddered and put her thumb on the wound. She pressed the index finger of the same hand into the hollow of Lance's throat. Her eyes were wet, her lips trembling as she gauged the distance. She said, "Too close." A tear fell from her eye and landed on Lance's shoulder when she leaned forward. She kissed the wound, swept her tongue across it, and pulled Lance to her. "Did I kiss it better?"
"Yeah," Lance said. She let Jodie settle on her lap and said, "It's all better."
Jodie smiled. "Show me where the next one is and I'll make it all better, too."
On Monday morning, they woke slowly and with the knowledge that they would have to rejoin the rest of the world. Jodie slid across the mattress and covered Lance's body with her own. "If I keep you here, Daphne will fire you. And we can spend all morning in bed." She kissed the back of Lance's neck and slipped her hands between Lance's body and the mattress. After a few seconds, she said, "Are you awake?"
"Yeah."
"Why aren't you fighting?"
Lance smiled, but kept her eyes shut. "Is that a serious question?"
Jodie laughed. She sat up and threw one leg over Lance's waist, perching in the small of her back. She rubbed her hands together, then began to run her palms over Lance's back. She moved her hands in slow circles, easing the tired muscles that she'd spent the weekend working so well. She put her hands on Lance's shoulders and gently massaged them, surprised at the lack of tension. "Hey, you're actually relaxed for once. I kind of like this." She slid her hands down along Lance's spine and then pushed them back up. Lance grunted and arched her back.
Lance rolled over and pulled Jodie down for a kiss. "Shower," she said. "Alone."
"Are you sure?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Jodie released her and Lance took a quick shower, reluctant to wash away their weekend. The last time she'd let herself go so completely was far enough in the past that she couldn't remember it. For a while it didn't matter who she was or what she was planning to do in two weeks. She was just Claire, making love to Jodie and letting Jodie make love to her. This was the real life she'd been looking for. And as luck would have it, she found it two weeks before she would have to walk away from it all.
When she got out of the shower, she decided to take a quick jog around the block. She dressed in sweats and gathered her hair—which needed another trim—into a ponytail. She left the bedroom to find Jodie sitting on the couch in her underwear, eating cold pizza and watching one of the morning shows. Lance bent over the edge of the couch and kissed her cheek. "I'm going for a run."
"A run?" Jodie said. "Didn't you get enough of a workout this weekend? Aerobic, anaerobic, strength training."
"Holding you up doesn't count; the wall was doing half the work. Besides, you only weigh, what, ten pounds?"
"Twenty pounds if I keep eating all this junk food."
"I'll be right back," Lance said.
On her way downstairs, she passed one of Jodie's neighbors. "Morning, Miss Schneider."
The elderly woman pressed her lips together and nodded curtly. Lance's face flushed as she continued down the stairs and wondered just how loud she and Jodie had gotten over the weekend. She stepped out into the sunshine and stretched as she took in the sights of the neighborhood.
The Chinese restaurant across the street that already knew her voice when she called for delivery, the convenience store on the corner where the clerk always had a welcoming smile when she came in. She realized that she had, without knowing it, found exactly what she was looking for. She could have hidden here forever, but at the cost of Jodie. That was a thought she was not even willing to entertain.
Lance finished stretching and jogged toward the corner at a reasonable pace. She stopped to catch her breath at a stop sign and caught a glimpse of herself in a shop window across the street. She looked like everyone else on the street, with a little extra sweat and maybe a few more scars than she was comfortable with, but normal. She wore a pair of sunglasses and the Seahawks cap Jodie bought for her. Her hair was shaggy but still shorter than it had ever been in Chicago, her body was lean and, after a few minutes, she realized she was looking at herself rather than at the people behind her.
She liked who she saw. She liked Carmen Landry.
She jogged the rest of the way to the building's front door and took the elevator up. She found Jodie showered and dressed in her coveralls, and had returned to the couch to give Danica a little love. Lance bent down and scratched behind the cat's ears. "I leave for five minutes and find you with another pussy on your lap."
"I've tried to end things with her," Jodie said, "but I just can't resist her face."
Lance smiled and stroked the cat's back. "I apologize, Danica. I didn't mean to take up all her time this weekend."
"I gave her some Meow Mix candy. All is forgiven."
"Nice to know she's so easy," Lance said. She kissed the top of Jodie's head. "I'm going to change clothes and then I'll be ready to go."
"Okay," Jodie said.
In the bedroom, Lance used the towel that was still wet from her shower to wipe away the worst sweat and put on a pair of underwear and a T-shirt. She wasn't going to bother with pants under the coveralls and wear them home despite how messy they were bound to be after a day of work; it would be more comfortable, and maybe Jodie would want to play out one of those fantasies she had mentioned over the weekend. She pulled on her coveralls and went back out into the living room.
Jodie shooed Danica, who leapt off the couch and went behind the bookshelf. Lance took Jodie's hand and pulled her up off the couch. "Up you go."
Jodie let Lance pull her up and stood for a moment, their hips touching through the coarse material of their matching coveralls. Jodie looked down the gap of Lance's coveralls, at the cotton T-shirt draped over Lance's stomach. She sighed and pressed her face against Lance's throat. "It's not working."
"What?"
"This. Non-stop you and me. We've spent the last few days joined at the hip, and it's only going to make it harder to let you go. We only have twelve days lef
t."
Lance nodded and stepped back, putting some distance between them. "Do you want to go to work alone?"
"I don't know. Maybe just for today."
Lance nodded. "Okay. I understand." She kissed Jodie, and Jodie deepened the kiss.
When they parted, Jodie said, "I don't want you to think this means I'm sick of you or anything. It's the opposite."
"I understand completely. I do. I think Rebecca has something she wants me to do this morning." She kissed Jodie's lips, eyes closed and hands resting innocently on Jodie's hips. When they parted, Lance said, "I'll see you at lunch."
"Yes, definitely. I'll pick something up and meet you at the garage. Do you have any preferences?"
"Whatever you decide will be fun," Lance said. She kissed Jodie again and said, "I'll see you this afternoon."
Jodie stopped at the door and turned to face her. She smiled and said, "This whole understanding thing, that's just making you more attractive to me. You know that, right?"
Lance smiled. "I'll try to stop."
Jodie winked as she opened the door. "Don't you dare."
#
The tangy aroma of barbeque filled the car, rising from the Styrofoam container on the dashboard. Lance was used to eating in the car after all her lunches with Jodie, but her current company left much to be desired. Adrian Durant, Ares, took a large bite of his barbeque sandwich, chewed thoughtfully, and then pointed through the windshield. "Just like clockwork."
An armored car pulled up in front of the Hyperion Bank. Lance watched as the passenger got out, walked to the back of the truck, and met the bank manager. Tania was standing at the bank's door, hands on her belt, staring down the street at nothing in particular.
"They're always here at half past nine," Ares said. "Maybe a few minutes on either side. We should hit around ten to make sure the armored guards are gone."
Lance nodded and peered out the window. It was the last Friday before the big day, and Jodie was covering for Lance at work. Rebecca suggested Lance get to know Ares so they could work together when the time came. So far all she had learned was that he had bad taste in food and an apparent grudge against throwing things away.