Damage Control

by Jae

  They lay in a sweaty tangle of arms and legs until Grace became aware of Lauren’s wetness against her thigh. Her hands shook with a mix of desire and nervousness as she slid them down Lauren’s body. She just hoped she’d be able to please Lauren at least half as much as Lauren had pleased her.

  Lauren shivered as Grace slid her hand down her sweat-dampened side.

  “Show me,” Grace whispered against her neck and then gave it a little nip. “Show me how to please you.”

  “You do already.” Making love to Grace had been a dream come true. God, the way Grace had responded to her touch… She had almost come with Grace the second time.

  Grace pushed one leg between Lauren’s to maneuver her around, onto her back.

  Lauren groaned at the pressure and moved her hips against Grace’s thigh. “Jesus, I’m so close already. It won’t take much.”

  “Oh, no.” Grace rolled off Lauren and lay next to her. “I don’t want this to be over so fast. I want to touch every part of you.”

  Another groan escaped Lauren as Grace’s words pushed her even closer to release.

  Grace paused, leaning over her on one elbow, and swept her gaze down Lauren’s body as if she couldn’t decide where to touch her first. She softly caressed the shoulder closest to her, then leaned down and let her lips follow the path of her fingers.

  Clutching the sheets with both hands, Lauren lay still and let Grace do whatever she wanted.

  Grace stroked and kissed along Lauren’s collarbone and then flicked out her tongue to taste a drop of sweat pooling at the hollow of Lauren’s throat.

  Strands of Grace’s long, blonde hair tickled her overly sensitized skin as Grace covered every inch of her upper chest with kisses and careful little nibbles. Shivers ran through Lauren’s body, and she was already breathing hard. She reached up with one hand and gently tried to guide Grace toward her breast, but Grace didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

  She explored leisurely, tracing the curve of Lauren’s ribs with her fingertips and then circling one breast. Finally, she cupped it in one palm and looked up at Lauren, an expression of awe on her face. Then her hair fell like a curtain around her, hiding her features, as she bent and pressed a gentle kiss to Lauren’s breast. She rubbed her cheek against it, first one side, then the other. “Oh. Your breasts are so soft.”

  The sight of Grace making love to her breasts was almost too much for Lauren. She felt as if she were melting from the inside out. “Not every part of them,” she said, her voice raspy. Her nipples were rock-hard and ached for Grace’s touch.

  “Oh, you mean…this?” Grace took one nipple between thumb and index finger and rolled it gently as if trying to test its hardness.

  Lauren flung her head back. “Yes! God.”

  Leaning down again, Grace took Lauren’s nipple into her mouth and laved it with her tongue. She licked with the same hums of pleasure that had escaped her when Lauren had bought her ice cream. After a while, she tried to switch to the other breast but couldn’t comfortably reach it, so she rolled on top of Lauren and nestled between her legs. Then the sweet torture continued.

  Lauren writhed beneath her, holding Grace against her breast with both hands. Having Grace’s curvy body on top of her felt heavenly, and what Grace did with her mouth… She took several shuddering breaths, fighting for some semblance of control. But it was a losing battle. Her control faded quickly under Grace’s slow explorations.

  When Grace gently raked her teeth over one nipple, Lauren’s hips arched up. She hooked one leg around Grace and rocked against her abdomen, desperately seeking some pressure against her clit. “God, I need…”

  Grace let go of her nipple and looked up. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes clouded with passion. “What? What do you need?”

  “Touch me,” Lauren said. She barely recognized her own voice.

  Now looking a little apprehensive for the first time, Grace trailed her fingers down Lauren’s stomach and, after looking back up into Lauren’s eyes for reassurance, ran them through Lauren’s curls.

  Both drew in a sharp breath.

  Lauren already felt herself hovering on the edge of climax.

  “Oh, wow,” Grace whispered as she started to stroke Lauren, her touch first tentative, then increasingly bolder.

  Groaning, Lauren pulled her down and kissed her. Her hips rocked against Grace. Sensation built deep inside of her. She gripped Grace’s hip with one hand, urging her on. Oh God. This was going to be fast. She broke the kiss to gasp for breath. Incoherent sounds tumbled from her lips.

  Grace moved her fingers faster and then dragged them over the very tip of Lauren’s clit with a little more pressure.

  Lauren’s stomach tightened. Orgasm hit without any further warning. “Grace!” She surged up against her. Her entire body shook and quivered as waves of pleasure rolled over her.

  Then Grace was there, in her arms, holding her close. Her thigh pressed against Lauren, prolonging the pleasure.

  When Lauren’s muscles started working again, she weakly lifted her head and kissed Grace’s lips, her cheek, her temple. Burrowing her face against Grace’s damp neck, she mumbled breathlessly, “I’m not…usually…that…quick.”

  Grace guided Lauren’s mouth to hers and kissed her. Her eyes shone with excitement, glowing against her flushed cheeks. “I take it I did okay?”

  “Okay?” Lauren dazedly shook her head. “Let me put it in a way you’ll understand best.” She pretended to open an imaginary envelope and pull out a card. “And the Oscar for best performance goes to…Grace Durand.”

  “You!”

  They wrestled playfully until the slide of skin against skin ignited their passion again.

  Definitely Oscar-worthy, was Lauren’s last coherent thought for quite some time.

  Night had fallen while they’d made love, so now the cottage lay in darkness except for the soft glow coming from the loft. Lauren, who had gone to get them something to drink, climbed back up the ladder, two small bottles of water clutched in one hand. On the last rung, she paused to take in Grace.

  She lay stretched out on her belly, the covers pooling at her waist. The smooth skin of her back called to Lauren, and she almost couldn’t believe that she would get to crawl back into bed with this wonderful woman. A rush of love swept through her. Giddiness bubbled up, and she let out a laugh, amazed at her good fortune.

  Grace turned onto her side and lifted up on her elbow. A slow smile spread over her face and lit up her eyes. “What are you doing down there? Come back to bed.”

  Lauren didn’t have to be told twice. She climbed the last rung and slipped under the covers.

  They sat side by side, leaning against the headboard, and emptied the bottles of water before sliding down in bed and cuddling close.

  Grace settled half on top of Lauren, with her head on Lauren’s upper chest and one leg across her thighs. Her eyes were closed, and she looked more relaxed and at peace than Lauren had ever seen her. “This is wonderful,” Grace whispered. She opened her eyes and looked at Lauren. “I love you.”

  They had repeatedly whispered it to each other earlier, but Lauren’s breath still caught. “I love you too.” She smiled and let her fingers drift through Grace’s soft hair. “What happens now?” she asked after a while of just enjoying the closeness.

  “Well, as a very wise friend of mine once pointed out, we’re women and can have multiple orgasms, so…more of the same.” Grace grinned and trailed her hand down Lauren’s belly.

  “Oh God.” Lauren trapped Grace’s hand beneath hers, stopping it from sliding any lower. “I think I created a monster.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Hell, no!” But for the moment, they were sated, so they just lay in each other’s arms. Lauren craned her neck so she could place
a kiss on Grace’s head. “I meant, what happens in the future? Do you really think you’re ready to make our relationship public?”

  Grace lifted her head off Lauren’s chest and looked into her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m ready. But I want this. I want us. I want to go to sleep with you and wake up with you and spend as much time as I can in between with you. And that’s not going to happen unless we make it official.”

  Lauren’s heart ached with longing. She wanted the same things. It would have been so easy to be selfish and say yes to everything, but she wanted Grace’s happiness even more than her own. “I’d love to do that, but is this really the best time for you…for your career?”

  A sigh fluttered across Lauren’s bare chest as Grace laid her head back down. “I don’t know. I don’t even know if there is a best time. So we might as well do it now.”

  “I’d need to media-train you first, teach you what to say and what not to say. Jill forced my hand, but with most of my LGBT clients, I prepare their coming out for months.”

  “I thought you resigned as my publicist?”

  Lauren grinned ruefully. “Right. I did. But if you hire Marlene—and I would recommend it—she will tell you the same.”

  “Months,” Grace murmured. She peeked up at Lauren. “Can you wait that long? I know you’re out and proud. Stepping back into the closet with me would be awful for you.”

  Lauren linked her hands in the small of Grace’s back and drew her even closer. “Don’t worry, okay? You won’t get rid of me just because I can’t kiss you or even hold your hand in public right now. I know it won’t be easy, but some things are worth waiting for.”

  A smile curled Grace’s full lips. “There you go again, being romantic.”

  “I told you I was rethinking my attitude. It’s difficult not to when you’re in love with the most wonderful woman in the world.”

  Grace rolled her eyes but then grinned and kissed her. “Charmer. Speaking of rethinking… Now that you’re rethinking your professional future, maybe you should think about sending your script to a couple of producers.”

  Lauren paused her gentle caresses to Grace’s back. “I don’t know.”

  “If you’re worried about money… I have more than enough for the two of us.”

  “Thanks,” Lauren said. “But that’s not it. I have enough saved to live off of for a while.”

  “What is it, then?”

  Lauren reached up and rubbed her nose, almost embarrassed to admit it. “I’m afraid of rejection. What if they don’t like my script?”

  “You’ll never find out if you don’t try. They’ll love it; believe me.” Grace’s eyes glittered with conviction. “Besides, I promised to audition for the lead role if you ever made your script into a movie. I don’t think you’ll have any problems selling your script if you tell producers who comes attached with it. Well, that is, if coming out won’t put me on the list of people not to cast.”

  “No,” Lauren said firmly. “You’re past the stage in your career where something like that would happen. You just have to pick your next two or three movies carefully, and you’ll be fine. That means no lesbian movies, though, including mine.”

  “Oh.” The happy glow on Grace’s face dimmed. “But I promised you—”

  Lauren kissed her tenderly. “I really appreciate your willingness to keep your promise. But if I do this, I need to do it on my own. I want producers to buy my script because it’s good, not because of who my parents are or what actress supports it. Can you understand that?”

  Still leaning over her, Grace caressed Lauren’s face with a tenderness that made Lauren’s breath catch. “Yes. But if there’s ever anything I can do to support you, let me know, okay?”

  Lauren cradled Grace’s face in both of her palms and softly brought their lips together. “Thank you. You’re wonderful. Your support means the world to me.”

  “So you’ll do it?” Grace whispered against her lips. “Send your script out to producers?”

  Lauren inhaled and exhaled deeply. With Grace by her side, it didn’t seem so scary anymore. “I’ll do it.”

  EPILOGUE

  Three months later

  Grace stared at the autographed posters of former talk show guests covering the walls of the backstage greenroom, wondering if any of them had been as nervous as she was. She wished the greenroom had a window so she could watch the snow drift down on Rockefeller Plaza.

  A large flat-screen TV was blaring behind her, and an intern chattered nonstop, trying to calm down one of the other guests.

  “You should eat something, darling.” Her mother stepped next to her and pointed at the snacks the studio provided.

  “No, thanks. I’m too nervous to eat.”

  “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” her mother asked. “I really think you should—”

  Grace turned her head and gave her a stern look. “Mom, we’ve talked about this. You’re not my manager anymore.”

  “I’m still your mother. I worry about you.”

  “I understand that.” Grace reached out and squeezed her mother’s arm. “I wish this weren’t necessary, but it’s something I have to do.”

  Her mother bowed her head and fell silent.

  Wow. That’s a first. Sometimes, Grace couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the last few months—and it was about to change even more radically. Her stomach churned.

  Marlene joined them. “Are you ready?”

  She didn’t feel ready at all, but her new publicist didn’t want to hear that, so Grace nodded.

  “Remember not to—”

  “Use the word admit. It’s a relationship, not a crime,” Grace repeated what Marlene had told her during their media-training sessions.

  “Good. I know you’ll do just fine.” Marlene patted her shoulder and left Grace to her appraisal of the autographed posters.

  Someone else stepped up behind her, and Grace knew who it was even before two warm hands came to rest on her shoulders, massaging gently for a few moments.

  With a soft groan, she leaned back into Lauren.

  “It’s getting close to airtime,” Lauren said. “Marlene, your mother, and I have to take our places in the audience now.”

  Grace covered one of Lauren’s hands with her own, not wanting to let her go.

  “You can do this,” Lauren whispered into her ear. “I’ll be right there in the first row the entire time.”

  Grace gratefully squeezed her hand. The talk show would be just the beginning, though; a new media circus would follow. While she worried about what was coming, at least the hiding would be over. Sneaking around for the last three months had been hard on both of them, even though they’d known they were working toward this moment.

  She nodded numbly.

  Lauren pulled her around and looked into her eyes. “Do you want—?”

  “No,” Grace said, knowing what Lauren was about to say. “I want to do this.” Not caring that the other guests were gaping at them or might even tweet about it, she wrapped her arms around Lauren, pulled her down a little, and kissed her. “For good luck,” she whispered when the kiss ended.

  Grace’s mother watched them with the same expression she used to wear when she had watched Grace rehearse a scene and didn’t approve of her performance, but once again, she said nothing.

  Lauren caressed Grace’s cheek and brushed her lips over Grace’s again before stepping back, still holding her gaze.

  Not saying another word, they nodded at each other.

  Then Lauren turned and left, along with Grace’s mother and Marlene.

  Grace wrapped her arms around herself, instantly missing Lauren’s comforting presence. She paced the room and finally forced herself to settle down on one of the red-and-black-checkered
sofas and to chat with the other guests.

  After about ten minutes, Steven Ryland, the host of the daytime talk show, appeared on the flat-screen TV and greeted the audience.

  The other guests chuckled about something Steven said, but Grace was too tense to laugh.

  A production assistant with a headset entered and gave Grace a nod. “You’re up in five minutes.” She escorted Grace to the stage curtain.

  Grace rubbed her damp palms over the above-the-knee skirt that Marlene had chosen for her to wear. She peeked through a gap in the curtain, into the audience below.

  The studio easily seated two hundred, but her gaze immediately zeroed in on Lauren, who was listening raptly when Steven started to introduce Grace as the first guest and talked about Ava’s Heart. Next to her sat Jill; Marlene; Grace’s mother; George, her agent; and Barbara, her new manager, all there to show their support.

  Her nerves settled a little.

  She returned her attention to the host just in time to hear him say, “Please welcome the lovely Grace Durand!”

  With her heart beating overtime, she stepped out from behind the curtain and into the bright lights. She put on her most convincing Hollywood smile and waved at the audience as she stepped onto the set, which looked like a cozy living room with two slate-blue armchairs placed at an angle to each other.

  People clapped, stomped, and whistled.

  She greeted Steven with two air kisses before settling into one of the armchairs. When she crossed one leg over the other, her skirt slid up and revealed a bit of thigh. Each of her moves had been carefully planned by Marlene and the rest of the team—and their plan seemed to work so far.

  The audience clapped even more loudly.

  “They love you,” Steven said with a grin as he sat in his own armchair.

  Let’s hope they still do once this is over. “Thank you,” she said, again waving at the audience.