Skyclad

by Max Ellendale

  I parked in the lot beside the Triple Goddess and clicked my alarm on the way to the door. A breeze rustled the purple banners, greeting me with a gentle flapping. I pulled open the door and the chime tinkled. Jax leaned on the counter boredly as Mae tended to several customers in the far corner of the store. She glanced in my direction, her eyes lighting up when she smiled. It lasted only a moment until she returned to helping the others. Jax sat up, offering me a faint nod.

  "Sup," she said.

  "Not much." I laughed a bit. "'Sup with you?"

  "Nothin'." She scoffed and dropped back onto the stool. "Mae's being slow and way too nice. I wanna get outta here."

  "When do you close?"

  "Now."

  "At six?"

  "Yeah." Jax drummed her fingers on the counter.

  "Ella?" Mae called out, waving me over. I broke away from Jax to join her by the tall, brawny man and blonde woman who remained chatting with her. I noted the woman wore a hippie-ish skirt similar to Mae. "Ella this is Calista and her husband—"

  "Ella, hey there," the man said, a bright smile spread across his familiar face.

  "Hey, Duncan," I said as a jolt of anxiety struck my gut.

  "You know each other?" Calista asked, glancing between us.

  "Sure. Ella teaches anthropology across from my social psych class. This is my wife, Calista. I didn't know you knew Mae here." Duncan gestured between us.

  "Nice to meet you, Ella. Dunc's told me nothing about you." Calista extended her hand and I shook it.

  "Same here." I forced a smile and glanced to Mae. My breath quickened as the reality of my predicament struck me. Another coworker knowing my private business. What was I thinking? What wasn't I?

  "Duncan and Callie frequent the shop. Callie owns a therapy practice where she mixes alternative treatment with traditional," Mae explained. "They come to our gatherings often as well.

  "Cal's a stickler for it." Duncan beamed. "Speaking of which, we'll see you at Midsummer in a few weeks. Are you going, Ella?"

  "Um…" I glanced to Mae, fighting the urge to bite my lip to quell my nerves.

  "Yeah, she'll be there." Mae grinned as she slipped her arm around my middle. "I'll convince her eventually."

  "Is it still at Liz's house this year?" Calista asked, not batting a lash at Mae's gesture but Duncan did. His gaze lingered on Mae's hand a moment too long before meeting mine again.

  Mae nodded. "Everyone loves her pool. We figured it would be best."

  "Good. Well it was lovely meeting you, Ella. We better get on our way." Calista smiled and gave Duncan's hand a squeeze. "I'm sure you all want to close shop."

  "Oh, is it that late already?" Duncan started, jumbling around to shake our hands. "Thanks, Mae. See you Monday, Ella."

  "See you," I said as Mae saw them out. She locked the door behind them and flipped the closed sign around.

  "You can go, Jax. The ladies in the back will walk their clients out." Mae returned to me, wrapping me in her arms and pulling me to her. It took me a moment to relax into it.

  "Oh goodie." Jax hopped down then stared at the two of us. "Can I watch?"

  "Get out of here, you teenage dirt bag." Mae grinned and waved her off.

  "Ew, keep your 90s song titles out of my face." Jax scowled though a snort hid beneath as she exited through the back room.

  "You are as stiff as a board, kitten." Mae's full attention returned to me. "What's going on?"

  "I'm okay," I said, draping my arms over her shoulders and toying with the underside of her hair.

  "Uh huh…" She shuddered, pressing her lips to mine. The tension washed from my body. "Wait… it was Duncan, wasn't it?"

  "What? I… no, I… he and I." I stumbled over every word and Mae chuckled softly.

  "Easy, kitten." She pressed her finger to my lips. "You work with him and he doesn't know you have a girlfriend. I understand."

  "Girlfriend?" My words came out breathlessly. "Do you mean that?" Hearing the word mimicked the sensation of being punched in the gut. Is that what we were? I hadn't realized until that moment how much our ambiguous status unnerved me.

  "Of course, Ella." She stroked my cheek as my heart thundered in my chest. "Is that okay with you? It better be or else I might have to find a new favorite."

  I gave her hair a tug when another round of emotions socked me. Until I met Mae, I would never have considered myself and emotional person. Somehow, she knew how to strip me down to the core. Her soft, affirming laugh drew me in and I hugged her. She wrapped her arms around me, stroking my back gently.

  "What'd you think, El?" she whispered against my cheek.

  "I don't know." I sniffled, wiping my eyes on my sleeve when I leaned back. "I wasn't thinking. I just…"

  "C'mon." She took me by the hand and led me down the hall toward the room with the sofa. She closed the door behind us then tugged me over to sit on the couch, holding my hands in her lap. My tears subsided quickly, replaced by nothing but desire for her. In my life, no one had moved me to emotions as much as Mae. I rarely cried, so why did she bring this out in me so strongly? Without much warning, I kissed her, pressing her down on the sofa. She rolled with me, tense at first, then grabbed my hips, jerking me toward her.

  Mae cupped my face in her hands, brushing her thumbs over my cheeks. In a way, it seemed as if she knew my thoughts. She ended the kiss to gaze up at me.

  "I know it's hard, being…" She glanced over my shoulder as if searching for the proper word, "Out when you're used to being so in."

  Her words hung heavily in my heart as I gazed down at her, slate eyes meeting mine. I considered her words. Yes, I was wrestling with just that. I worried what people would think of me, or feared their judgment. I struggled to find a way to express this but Mae continued.

  "When it gets really bad," she began, tucking my hair behind my ears after removing the bauble that held my ponytail. "Ask yourself, is it worth the risk? Am I worth it? Are you?" A soft smile curved her ruby lips as she tilted her head.

  "You're worth it," I confessed, bringing her hand to my lips to kiss her palm.

  "So are you."

  I kissed her again, more forcefully than before. She tensed again when my pursuit intensified, gripping the front of my jeans and yanking them firmly. I kept her in the kiss, probing and tasting her mouth as my hunger for her took over. She popped the button of my jeans and shoved her hand down so quickly that I gasped, ending the kiss when she held my heat in a firm hand.

  "Take off your clothes," she demanded, hinting on a growl.

  A single finger dipped lower, stroking my folds teasingly. Heat rushed my core, responding eagerly to her touch. I fought for control as part of me wanted to abandon my mission and submit to her completely.

  "You take off yours," I said through clenched teeth. She drew circles around my clit; a good play as my body melted to her will.

  "You first." A wry grin parted her lips as she licked them. She thought she won.

  "I want something first," I said between increasing breaths.

  "What?" Her eyebrows flicked upward.

  As difficult as it was to move from her affections, I scooted away which drew her hand from my pants. The necessary disconnect pained me. I wanted it just as badly as I wanted to give in to her. I dropped down on the floor, kneeling in front of her. At the same time, I gripped her hips and yanked her toward me. Her startled expression widened her eyes but she didn't fight me as her feet hit the floor on either side of me.

  "Tell me," she said, though I saw her gulp after speaking.

  I slid my hands up her skirt gathering the soft fabric around her hips. My fingers met nothing but bare skin. At this point, I was pretty sure that she never wore undergarments.

  "You." I lifted her skirt, exposing her fully to me. She dug her fingers into the couch cushions as I leaned down to brush my lips over her inner thigh.

  As if I'd stolen her voice, she grew suddenly quiet. I covered every inch of her in gentle kisses, tracing a
long the faded swirls of the henna. Pausing just above her mound, I looked up at her. She drew her tongue over her bottom lip before gnawing on it. The grip she had on the cushions tightened as I fought a smile. For once, I was getting the better of her and not the other way around.

  With our gazes locked, I went in for the kill and raked my tongue once over her naked, glistening heat. Her hips rolled toward me, urging me onward. I obliged, repeating the gesture followed by a slow circle around her clit. A soft gasp escaped her as her body melted beneath me, finally submitting to me in a way she hadn't before. Her legs parted a bit more as if offering all of herself to me. I wasted no time accepting the gesture and wrapped my mouth around her, allowing my flicking tongue to do most of the work. She moaned, her hand falling into my hair as she tilted her head back. Her sweet nectar ignited a primal desire to please and provoke her until she exploded beneath me. The intensity in which I devoured her made me feel like an animal. Feral. Hungry.

  Mae arched beneath me, crying out an instant before her legs began to quake. I pressed on, not daring to stop until I was sure that I pushed her over the edge. Dipping my tongue inside her prolonged her moans. The moment I returned to sucking, flicking her clit, she drew in her breath. Her body tensed and she tugged my hair harshly. Her eyes snapped shut and a rush of added dampness met my lips as she fluttered beneath me. She cried out again as I rode her through her climax, releasing her only when she dropped down on the couch, panting heavily and trembling.

  I ended my affections by pressing my palm to her, rubbing in slow circles to let her down gently. I crawled up her body, brushing my lips against hers. She opened her eyes, a droopy, satisfied expression melted over her face. I chuckled quietly, stroking her freckled, blushing cheek.

  "You surprise me," she purred, her eyes opening and closing slowly.

  "Do I?" I smiled, rolling to sit beside her though I didn't remove my hand from her core. Stroking her softness seemed to keep her under my spell. I placed my head on her shoulder and she wrapped her arms around me.

  "Mhmm." She offered me a slow nod, running her lips over my jaw. "Now get undressed. It's my turn to have my way with you."

  Chapter Eight

  "Stay there," Mae said while I lay naked on a blanket in the center of the room, spent from her endless affections, and reveling in the afterglow. She stood up, gazing down at me as she lit a fresh set of candles. I watched as the glow illuminated her perfect, smooth curves. Ginger hair cascaded down her back, falling just above her rear. In her nakedness, she was a goddess, spawned from the deepest recesses of Mother Earth.

  "Why?" I asked, watching her sleepily.

  "I want to look at you." Mae turned to face me. Her smile displayed her contentment and soothed me to know that I pleased her.

  "You're already looking at me," I said, rolling onto my stomach and tucking a pillow under my chin.

  "I could look at you forever," she said, returning to sit cross-legged beside me.

  "I'll be looking right back." I caressed her thigh. My perpetual affection for her settled something inside me.

  "Lie on your side again."

  "You are incredibly bossy." I turned over, propping my head on my arm as I watched her.

  "You like it," she said, nudging my knees apart as her gaze lingered on my lower half. She was right, I did like it, and I liked how she looked at me.

  "How do you know?" I lifted a brow at her.

  "You wouldn't do it if you didn't. Ella doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do." A wry smile hijacked her formerly smooth grin.

  "True." I laughed a bit. "I've always been that way, haven't I?"

  "Yes."

  "Now you come over here and lay beside me."

  "Why?"

  "Because I want you to."

  She shifted her position as I took her hand, pulling her toward me as I moved onto my back. She rolled with me until I guided her to put her head on my shoulder, holding her the way she held me. At first, she seemed to stumble through it as I wrapped my arms around her. She bent her leg over mine and finally settled. Mae was used to doing the holding; being held seemed like new territory. She went with it though, which told me of her trust.

  In time, she kissed my neck and embraced our ever-changing roles. We shared something different with each other. Something new.

  ***

  "Oy! Mae!" Liz called out as she carried a tray of shish kabobs over to the grill. Opal dove into the pool at the same moment, splashing Liz who let out a string of curses.

  "What do you want now, Lizzie?" Mae called back as she handed me a cold glass of sweet tea.

  "Thanks." I scooted over so that she could join me on the lounge chair.

  Liz's house was a sprawling revamped colonial with cobbled walkways, an in ground pool, and a giant stretch of grassy yard. People flooded the grounds, including Duncan and his wife.

  "Welcome, kitten." Mae placed her hand on my knee when she sat. The smooth fabric of her tie-dye bikini brushed my hip.

  "No handfastings at this Midsummer. I reckon the two of you will be next year's, ay?" Liz cackled as she dropped into a chair beside us. "So did ya do it?"

  "Do what?" Mae asked.

  "Make the vow for the year and a day." Liz glanced between us.

  "We did," I answered before Mae could.

  "She rocked your world, ay? Better than the cock-a-doodle-do?" Liz slapped her knee and I couldn't do anything save for snicker. Mae burst out laughing and shoved Liz firmly. "Well?" Liz's gaze bore into me for an answer.

  "Yeah. It is. But I think it has more to do with Mae and our relationship than body parts." I weaved my words through the laughter.

  "An' she gives me a politically correct answer. C'mon, Ella!" Liz cackled, swatting my foot a few times. "Admit you love the p—"

  "Okay, that's enough. Get along now, drunkard, before I hex you." Mae swatted Liz with a towel and she bounded off in hysterics.

  "She's too much," I said, fighting the heat in my cheeks.

  "Especially when she's right." Mae grinned, pressing me to lie back as she kissed me. I smiled through it, toying with the end of her braid.

  "Shut up," I said.

  "Never." She nipped my lip.

  Splashes filled the air as some of the guys had a cannonball contest in between batches of burgers. Joyful chatter filled the hot summer air around us, matching the intensity of the rays of the sun. I liked it here and I liked being with these people.

  "Are you happy?" she asked, interrupting my thoughts.

  "Happier than I've ever been. Are you?" I watched her as she gazed at me, sun-kissed skin heightened the intensity of her freckles. I traced my finger over the ones on her nose.

  "The happiest." She kissed my finger as my phone buzzed obnoxiously on the glass table beside us. I snatched it up and saw the text message from Delia.

  "Want to go to a wine tasting next week at Delia's?" I glanced to Mae as I typed up a response.

  "Sure." She shrugged. And for the first time ever I replied, We'll be there, to Delia.

  Mae leaned the chair back some so that to two of us could rest comfortably together. She propped herself up on her elbow and gazed down at me while drawing circles around my navel.

  "So Midsummer isn't a skyclad festival?" I asked with a smile.

  "It's still daylight." She wagged her brows at me. "How's the paper going?"

  "Haven't worked on it much. I'm enjoying my fieldwork right now."

  "I'm glad of it." Mae grinned, nipping my chin.

  "You're normally a naked dancer at these things, aren't you?" I teased.

  "And you haven't figured that out yet, why?" She wagged her brows at me.

  "Just double checking." I laughed as she fingered the waist of my bikini bottoms.

  "Speaking of which, what's it going to take to get you skyclad for me right now?" She bit her lip, allowing for a single finger to stroke just beneath the fabric.

  I slipped my hand into her hair, pulling her into a deep kiss. My heart
thrummed as her fingers dug into my flesh. I broke our connection, bringing my lips against her ear to whisper, "I already am."

  ~ Autumn ~

  Chapter One

  "Ella?" Mae's voice called out from the storage room of the Triple Goddess. I set my laptop down on the sofa and crossed the hall to tend to her.

  "You summoned me, Mistress?" I teased as I watched Mae balance herself precariously at the top of the rolling ladder. "Be careful."

  "Can you take this?" She lifted an oblong box with a grunt and slowly passed it down to me.

  "What is it?" With care, I guided the box to the floor with a light thud.

  "Halloween decorations," Mae said, descending the ladder.

  "It's September."

  "Do you know what Salem is like this time of year?" She gawked at me.

  "I do." I smiled at her when she approached me, my hands falling to her skirt-clad hips. "Does that mean I'm never going to see you?"

  "Nope." She draped her arms over my shoulders. "It means you're going to see me all the time because you'll be here helping."

  "Am I going to be paid for my services?" I lifted a brow at her.

  "Oh yeah. In the only currency I find valuable." Mae gripped my ponytail, tugging it firmly enough to tilt my head back. She raked her teeth over my neck before turning to kisses.

  "You're wicked." I flinched at the conflicting sensations until she released me. "I've never met anyone with a libido like yours."

  "Please. You outrun me every night." She gripped my belt, holding my pelvis against hers.

  "Liar." I captured her lips with mine as she shoved me painfully against the shelving. "You're going to break me one of these days," I said through a grunt when she gripped my wrists, and held them above my head.

  "You're my unbreakable Ella," her words purred against my ear.