by Lola Keeley
Drawing Veronica down into another deep kiss, Cassie busies her hands with undoing the wisp of material masquerading as a bra. It’s easily slid out of the way, and Cassie tries to contain her sharp thrill at the new but welcome sensation of Veronica’s breasts against her palms. A real handful—or two—in every sense of the word.
Moving on instinct now, Cassie’s libido finally overwhelms her analytical side. She can’t stay entirely passive, so she starts to make more deliberate progress in exploring Veronica’s body, letting throaty moans of pleasure guide the way. Cassie progresses from gentle stroking of her nipples to more determined flicks that Veronica is very vocal about enjoying, dropping her head as though faintly embarrassed to be experiencing such pleasure. By the time Cassie allows her mouth to wander towards one hardened nub, she’s confident in her ability to get this right.
Sensing her advantage, Cassie flips their positions, guiding Veronica onto her back. The sheets that had been freshly made up are already mussed beneath them. Letting her mouth trail more purposefully across Veronica’s gently rounded stomach, Cassie is able to slip the silky black underwear down Veronica’s thighs in a relatively smooth movement, leaving her completely naked in front of Cassie. Rational, objective thoughts be damned, because with her dark brown eyes sparkling and lips wet, Veronica looks so completely fuckable that Cassie can’t think of ever wanting anyone more. There’s a pang, then. The guilt. The little clench of her heart that she wasn’t braced for.
No, she wants this too much to let the past come roaring back. Cassie is moving on, and she’s doing it with a happy heart.
Because this isn’t just about loneliness and a chance to spend time beside another warm body. This is a choice. This is choosing the woman who’s captured Cassie’s imagination since the first moment they laid eyes on each other.
“Well, then,” Veronica teases just a little, “what did you have in mind for me?”
There’s a moment’s hesitation, because it really has been a while since Cassie did this. She presses determined little kisses along Veronica’s prominent hip bones, down to the neat patch of dark curls between her legs. Lingering for a second until she can pluck up her remaining courage. Cassie’s quickly very glad that she does, because Veronica is so wet already that it’s flattering, mirroring the arousal pooling between Cassie’s own thighs and soaking through her underwear, the last thing she has on.
And oh, the taste is intoxicating.
Although her intention is to draw this out for as long as possible, Cassie can’t resist the stronger swipes of her tongue over Veronica’s clit that draw out the most emphatic reactions. The instinct to tease and torment seems too strong, but before long, Veronica’s coming against Cassie’s mouth, hips jerking in a syncopated rhythm. Pausing for just a second, Cassie then slips two fingers inside, stroking Veronica steadily to an even stronger second climax.
Proud of her efforts, Cassie is slow to withdraw her fingers, licking them clean before kissing her way back up Veronica’s still-trembling body.
“You did say we were throwing the ‘go slow’ plan out of the window,” Cassie says.
Veronica gives a dazed little smirk in response. That appears to be about as much as she can express, as Cassie falls down next to her on the bed. They kiss, soft and leisurely, with Veronica seeming to relish the taste of herself on Cassie’s lips and tongue.
“You really know how to get to the point,” Veronica says when her breathing has regulated again.
Cassie rests her hand right above Veronica’s steady heart, aware of its faster beat.
“Christ, I needed that.”
Cassie almost swears out loud at how much she still needs, but she buries the thought in a firm kiss to Veronica’s shoulder. “I’m just getting started,” she says, but Veronica is already on the move.
Chapter 27
Veronica places her hand on top of Cassie’s, which is resting over her heart. It’s been so long since Veronica did anything this impulsive, and she suddenly sees the appeal of acting on a whim.
She pulls Cassie up to a kneeling position, taking up position behind her. Veronica enjoys pressing herself against Cassie’s back, dragging her hard nipples over the soft skin. Cassie arches into the focused touch of Veronica’s fingers as they cup Cassie’s breasts, alternating strokes of the thumb and soft pinches of her nipples. Cassie seems more than a little worked up already, so Veronica indulges in rougher treatment, squeezing harder and twisting just enough to make Cassie cry out with pleasure.
Veronica lets her right hand slip down towards Cassie’s slick and swollen centre, her fingers slipping beneath her fitted blue briefs without bothering to remove them. Her movements are strong and direct, seeking out Cassie’s clit until she’s grinding herself hard against Veronica’s fingers.
Cassie doesn’t try to hold back any longer, crying out and reaching behind her to press an open-mouthed kiss against Veronica’s cheek as she climaxes, and it’s even better than she was hoping.
Not that Veronica stops there. She lets Cassie relax in her embrace, kissing the base of her neck, before pushing her gently forward on the sheets. Face-down against the crisp white cotton, Cassie grabs at it as Veronica inserts two, then three fingers inside her, building from slow strokes to a fast thrusting action that has Cassie bucking back against her hand. Using her free hand at the base of Cassie’s back to steady her, Veronica smiles at the sight before her.
Cassie comes again with a sharper, louder cry. She slumps down against the sheets, her ragged breathing finally beginning to slow as Veronica pulls her into a hug before dragging the comforter over their naked bodies.
“That was—”
Veronica cuts her off with a kiss. “I know. For me too.”
They spend a few minutes like that, bodies still learning each other with random caresses. When Cassie rolls into her, Veronica feels the tickle of those long eyelashes blink against her skin. They’re as close as two people can be in that moment, and Veronica finds herself surprisingly tearful. Nothing she can’t hold back, of course, but it’s so delicious to be this close and not find it irritating or suffocating.
“Well,” Cassie says eventually, and Veronica takes her cue to wriggle free and slide out of bed.
She doesn’t go far, sussing out the location of the minibar in the perfectly generic wooden panels on the wall. She plucks out a bottled water, waving it in Cassie’s direction. When she nods, Veronica tosses it over and pulls out another for herself, draining it without pausing between gulps.
Feeling a little self-conscious, and with the slight chill in the air, she soon returns to the bed.
Cassie is propped up on one elbow to drink, opting for careful sips instead. “Get what you came for?” she asks a moment later, throwing in a wink for good measure.
It has no business being that adorable, but with the mussed blonde hair and rosy pink cheeks, that’s the overall effect.
“I’ll say.” Veronica watches Cassie for a moment, wondering if the moment will come.
Sure enough, an internal storm cloud passes over Cassie’s lazy grin.
“Listen, I didn’t rush you into anything, did I?” Veronica asks.
“No. No! I was very much going after what I wanted. Still want. Would want again, given even a fraction of a chance.”
“Babbling?” Veronica shouldn’t tease, but it’s honestly irresistible. “I meant to ask, if you’ve been with anyone since…”
“An ill-fated attempt or two. More beer and optimism than any kind of moving on. It’s strange; for just a moment there it still felt like I was cheating on her. On Jan. She’d have been the very first to mock me for that.”
“Well, I won’t be the second. Are you sure you’re okay now? It doesn’t have to be all basking in the afterglow, or whatever.”
Cassie laughs softly.
“Nothing very rational about feelings, i
s there?” Veronica leans back against the stack of pillows. “Travers must be feeling guilty—this is a much better suite than I got in Birmingham.” She gestures towards the sitting area in the other half of the space, with its huge sofa and even bigger television mounted on the wall.
Cassie groans, and when she rolls over this time, it’s to press her face into the mattress. “I’d almost forgotten again.”
“Well, I was going to help you anyway,” Veronica says. “But consider me even more motivated now, Major.”
“You really do enjoy calling me that, don’t you?”
“Oh, only in bed,” Veronica says with a smirk.
“Don’t you dare!” Cassie warns, but when she surfaces it’s to slide her way up Veronica’s body, capturing her lips again.
The kiss tastes cool, from the chilled water, but that strange sensation soon passes.
“Am I keeping you from the end of your conference?” Veronica asks when they settle into a side-by-side position, rubbing her thumb over Cassie’s cheekbone. Her bone structure really is something out of Greek sculpture. The breasts are holding their own, too, though smaller cup sizes do have that advantage over gravity. Definitely winning on the arms front, though, with both present and well-defined.
“Oh, today it’s mostly watching the walks of shame from the party last night, I’m sure.”
“Really? I’ve never done any such thing, of course. Clearly I’ve been going to the wrong conferences. And how many offers did you have?”
Cassie raises an eyebrow. “One or two. I think there’s a nurse from Newcastle still hoping she’ll get my number. Seemed a little too interested in my methods for wound cleaning in the field.”
“Don’t think they have a lot of battlefields in Newcastle, unless you count the city centre on a Saturday night. But tell me, is that going to be a factor? How many interested nurses am I going to be beating off with sticks?”
Veronica is well aware how petty she sounds, but somehow in her bubble of first dates and grand conspiracies, she forgot that anyone else might stake a claim. Generally she hates that possessive talk, treating women like prizes to be won, or property to be defended. Then something like this clicks and suddenly she’s Xena, Warrior Princess, ready to ride into battle against any possible foe.
“Do you know where I want to be right now?” Cassie asks, expression almost entirely innocent.
“Downstairs to give out your number?” Veronica answers, her voice getting higher as Cassie trails her fingers down Veronica’s abdomen.
Cassie pauses, fingertips pressed against wet, sticky curls. “Right here,” is her reply, as her fingers slip lower and begin to work.
Veronica tips her head back and sighs in contentment.
By the time they feel a break is necessary, via a long shower that’s not much of a break at all, Veronica is wrapped up in the hotel robe and perusing the room-service menu.
“God, a steak sandwich sounds like heaven, but I’m supposed to be cutting back on red meat.” It’s a small complaint, but a valid one.
“Indulge yourself.” Cassie leans down from where she’s just finished drying her hair, tying it up in a neat little ponytail before kissing Veronica’s neck. Most of the hair falls loose again; it’s still too short to be properly tied back. “I’ll have one too. Make sure they send up so many chips that Davidson in Cardiology would have us struck off too. With mayonnaise.”
“How continental.”
They content themselves with fooling around until the knock at the door and the table is wheeled in. Only when they’re alone again does the subject turn to work.
“I think we need a strategy. One that puts you on the offensive sooner rather than later, to get all military about it.”
Cassie gives an indulgent smile, dipping her French fry in mayonnaise with a certain quiet glee. “I’ve been going over and over what we know. There’s definitely a hole in my department budget, nothing to do with the little I’ve signed for or requested. I mean, it’s been a few months. I’ve hardly had time to spend anything.”
“No, this part of the year is all about burning through what you’ve stockpiled. And stealing from other departments, preferably while they’re distracted by stealing from you.”
“So far we know Travers has sent at least one email from my account, budget-related. He seemed very keen to get me out of the hospital this week too, leaving it to the last minute so I couldn’t get suspicious or snoop around once I knew.”
“What would he have done if you’d said no, I wonder? If you had childcare, or a phobia of trains? Some kind of Merseyside curse preventing you from ever returning?” Veronica winces as the horseradish stings on the tip of her tongue. She takes a long drink from her glass of soda and lime. “Speaking of, fancy a bit of a tour later? I could do with stretching my legs.”
“You stretched your legs just fine when we—”
“Cassandra, please.”
Cassie wrinkles her nose. “Nobody calls me that; please don’t. Anyway, from what you’ve found out this week, at least a few people working directly with him think he’s having financial troubles. More than a few think he has a pretty serious coke habit. In your emails you said that nurse was going to come back to you about the men hanging around looking for Travers?”
“He never got proof, but he’s pretty sure they were some kind of bailiffs. The rumour was Travers took something from petty cash to pay them off in the short term. They haven’t come back, that anyone knows about.”
“And we still don’t know why me.” Cassie slumps against the cushions. “Travers and I have no history. No one in common that I know of. Unless he pegged me for a lesbian at first glance—which is possible, I suppose—I can’t see how homophobia is a motive. And it isn’t some kind of anti-war statement, because he’s more into the military pomp and circumstance than I am.”
“I spoke to Edie about that.” Veronica takes Cassie’s hand in her own. “She wondered if it wasn’t a case of any person would do—it just had to be in a department with turnover. Less likely to be any scrutiny from someone learning the ropes. If you hadn’t swept in to take the job, it might just as easily have been Peter.”
“But he’s…”
“A fellow posh boy? Fully paid up member of the straight white men club? Yes, but he’s not bad as they go.”
“Ah yes, your protégé. So the question is, assuming it’s not that personal, what happens if I march in there on Monday and pull the alarm?”
“Well, don’t pull an actual alarm; the last full evacuation was in a thunderstorm. Now, Travers seems to have been a little sloppy so far, but we have to assume he has a contingency. Some sort of insurance that he can blame you and get away with it.”
Veronica sets her plate down and checks her phone. Besides the usual email alerts and a forward from Angela about Daniel’s school timetable, it’s all quiet on the southern front.
“You know, all this plotting and planning isn’t going to do much. We’re only going to get results if we confront him.” Cassie sounds more than a little fed up.
“Or it might tip him off that you’re aware, so he can cover it all up before you prove anything. At best he might blab something he doesn’t mean to. I imagine you can be quite intimidating when you corner someone, but we have to be more strategic than that.”
“I don’t intimidate you, even when I’m really trying.”
Veronica leans in to kiss her. “No, but Wesley Travers is no Veronica Mallick.”
“If we’re right, they’ll fire him. Won’t they?” Cassie asks. “Because the idea of him just getting a tap on the wrist, having to watch my back forever more…”
“Planning on sticking around that long, are you?” Veronica doesn’t mean the question to sound so loaded. “I wasn’t entirely sure you wouldn’t panic and re-enlist at the prospect of trouble like this.”
“Buying a house. Making a move with you. Rearranging my whole department.” Cassie counts the commitments on her fingers. “I’ve got running routes I like in the park.” That makes four. “And Daniel’s going to need a reference for the RAF at some point, so I’d better stick around for that.”
Veronica rolls her eyes, pleased all the same.
“We can plot about how you confront Wesley later, but I wasn’t kidding about stretching my legs,” Veronica says. “Let’s finish this off and get dressed.”
Cassie tugs the belt of Veronica’s robe in protest, letting it fall open. “You sure about the clothes?”
“Well,” Veronica replies. “There is plenty of afternoon left.”
Chapter 28
Monday creeps around far too fast, but Cassie is braced and ready for it. Returning to London on Saturday, they went straight to Veronica’s house, with Cassie returning to her place in Swindon late on Sunday afternoon. Even that was a wrench. There’s a pile of paperwork waiting for her about the new house, the mortgage, a hundred other things.
That’s all going to have to wait until she’s sure she can defend her job. Hopefully that won’t take long, since she’s just made an appointment to meet with Travers after his lunch, his secretaries eyeing her warily the whole time.
Maybe it’s the spring in her step, or waking up a full hour earlier than necessary, but she slips into Veronica’s office about five minutes before she usually arrives to leave a travel mug of piping hot coffee and a granola yoghurt something that’s entirely up her street.
Part of her wants to wait and steal a few kisses to start the day, but that’s just greedy at this point. Besides, if she can sign off a couple of things now, she can get in on a rescheduled liver resection before the tedium of the weekly surgical meeting.