by Dena Blake
She broke away and took in a deep breath. Shay had no idea what she was asking. “I can’t.” She held her palm to her forehead and paced the kitchen. “Because you—”
“What? What did I do?” Shay held up her hands, and Chloe could see by her pained expression that she was truly confused.
Out of pure need, Chloe rushed to Shay and took her face in her hands. “You made me forget everything else and fall in love with you.” Again. She kissed her—long, deep, and slow—and every particle of her zipped with pure pleasure. Kissing Shay was the most arousing thing she’d experienced, ever. Shay’s hands roamed down her back, cupped her ass, and every bit of her resistance was gone. She kissed her as every ounce of raw emotion that had built up within her over the past month and a half spilled out. The dam had broken, and the desire that had been rising inside her since she’d brought Shay home from the hospital spilled out. Shirts came over heads and dropped to the floor. Bras were unhooked, pulled from arms, and tossed, landing only God knows where. Slow down. Chloe dragged her mouth away and stared into Shay’s beautiful chocolate eyes before she took Shay’s hand to lead her into the bedroom.
The phone chimed in her bag and then rang immediately afterward. She tried to pull her hand free from Shay, turned, and saw the confused look in her eyes. She backtracked, kissed her, then went to her purse and grabbed the phone. It wouldn’t power down fast enough as she held the button firmly and moved the slider to Off. The phone slid from her hands back into her purse and she returned to Shay, took her into her arms, and kissed her like she’d never done it before. They were skin-to-skin at this point, at least from the waist up, and it felt so much better than she remembered, if that was even possible. They were fusing together so perfectly, but she had to pull herself away or they were going to end up right there on the kitchen floor, which would be hell on both of them, especially Shay’s leg.
She led Shay into the bedroom and stood by the bed gazing at her for the slightest of moments. God, she was beautiful. She squatted in front of her, slid the sweatpants and plain white underpants from her hips. Stopping only to briefly kiss the spot she’d missed so much, she then moved slowly down her leg to the wounds on the inside of her thigh, now almost completely healed. Who knew that wounds so deep could heal so much of her soul. She glanced up, saw the desire in Shay’s eyes, and wrapped her arms around her legs, pressed her cheek to Shay’s belly, and gorged herself on the warmth of it.
Shay touched her shoulders, coaxing her upward. She complied, and then Shay pushed her to the bed and took complete control as she’d never done before. Chloe let her, and take her she did.
Looking up at Shay, seeing her hair down, wild and thick around her face, made her arousal surge to heights it had never reached before. She wanted her now, but Shay wasn’t yielding as she trailed her tongue from her jaw to her collarbone, then across to the hollow of her neck. She arched her back and squirmed beneath her.
Shay laughed as she sucked on her neck. “Uh-uh. You’re mine tonight.” The low, sultry voice rumbled through her.
The warmth that engulfed her when Shay’s lips surrounded her nipple was amplified a thousand degrees by the jolt that shot through her when she sucked it hard into her mouth. She lifted her hips and pressed into her, wanting more, now, but Shay wasn’t giving in. Shay’s teeth raked across her nipple, and she shifted again.
“I know what you’re after,” she whispered, and Shay’s mouth closed over the neglected nipple. This one was so much more sensitive than the other, liquid gushed between her legs. The time Shay spent licking and sucking had her pleasure topping out. She was almost ready to come, and then Shay let the nipple slip from her mouth, replacing it momentarily with her fingers as she moved down her body.
Chloe was usually so in control of everything, but letting Shay take her this way was astonishingly gratifying. So many new sensations were zipping through her as Shay’s mouth made its way across her stomach and her fingers glided across her hips. The whimper that escaped her lips when the heat of Shay’s mouth found her center was uncontrollable. Shay’s tongue moved slowly and expertly between her folds. She raised up into her, and Shay’s mouth pressed against her firmly, her tongue moving faster and harder as she clasped her hands around her ass, holding her there. The orgasm came in strong, plunging her headfirst into mind-shattering euphoria. Shay’s name tumbled from her lips as she fought for air and lifted her hips, wanting to be so much closer.
Shay slowly made her way back up Chloe’s body and kissed her gently before resting her head on her shoulder.
“Sweet Lord,” Chloe blew out with a breath.
“I’m right there with you on that.” Shay’s arm snaked across her stomach and tightened around her.
She’d just moved into a lazy haze when she felt Shay raise her head and blow a breath across her nipple. It zipped through her, and all her senses came to life again. It was amazing how she knew exactly what to do.
“Definitely not,” she said as she lifted Shay’s chin with her finger, intercepting her mouth with her own and kissing her. But Shay wasn’t giving up control. She crawled on top again, hovered her breast just above Chloe’s face, then lowered herself enough for Chloe to take a nipple into her mouth. This was new and had Chloe wet all over again.
She felt the smooth skin of Shay’s sides as she skittered her fingers across them, felt Shay quiver as she slipped her fingers between her folds and inside. She rocked back and forth above her, setting the pace. Shay’s breaths became quick and shallow, and as Chloe watched Shay’s beautiful body begin to react above her, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She sat up, wrapped her free arm around Shay, and drew her in, breasts to breasts, enjoying the friction between them. Shay’s eyes remained glued to hers as they moved together in perfect rhythm. In a matter of minutes, Shay clenched her arms around her, buried her face in Chloe’s neck, and cried out as the orgasm ripped through her hard and fast.
Still quivering, Shay collapsed against her and held her tight as the words came in a whisper out of her mouth. “I love you.”
Chloe pressed her face into Shay’s neck, breathed in the natural musky scent she adored, and in that moment, she let everything go. “I love you too.”
Shay moved next to her, and Chloe snuggled against her. She’d never been this comfortable with any other woman. She’d forgotten how Shay knew everything about her body, every pulse point, every sweet spot, when it reacted, how it reacted, how to bring her to orgasm quickly, slowly, completely, whichever was warranted at the time. But Shay had never taken her with such power before, and letting it happen felt incredible.
Earlier, when Shay had stood there looking at her that way, the choice had been totally out of her hands. She couldn’t refuse her again. She didn’t want to anymore. She wanted everything back to the way it used to be, and it seemed all she’d had to do was let it happen. In an instant the void in her soul had been filled.
It was so much better than Chloe remembered. Had she really forgotten, or had Shay just become more experienced? She purged the thought from her mind. She refused to let anyone ruin this moment, including herself.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Shay had been afraid to go to sleep last night, worrying that Chloe might not be there next to her when she woke up. Her fears had come true. When she opened her eyes, she found herself alone in the bed. She hadn’t dreamed it, had she? As she slid out of bed and put on her robe, her muscles told her just how much they’d enjoyed each other last night. No, it wasn’t a dream. The aroma of fresh coffee hit her as she padded down the hallway. A full pot was in the coffeemaker and two cups on the counter. She poured coffee into each of them and added just a dash of creamer to Chloe’s.
Then she stood in the doorway to Chloe’s studio watching as Chloe sketched the beginnings of a new painting. From where she stood, she couldn’t tell what it was, but Chloe’s hand was flying madly across the canvas as she created something with charcoal.
Chloe stopped and looked o
ver her shoulder. “I had an inspiration and didn’t want to wake you.” The smile on Chloe’s face was sweet as she dropped the charcoal onto the table, wiped her hands, and swiveled around on her stool. “How long have you been up?” she asked as she intercepted her halfway across the room.
“Just long enough to bring you this.” She handed Chloe a cup of coffee, and she took a sip.
“Mmm. Just the way I like it.” Chloe wrapped her free arm around her waist and kissed her softly. “Thank you.”
The warmth in Chloe’s eyes took her, and she didn’t want to let her go. “You’re welcome.” She took in a breath and released her. “May I see what you’re working on?” Chloe moved aside and let her view the canvas. It was a sketch of her lying blissfully naked, covered by the tiniest swatch of sheet tangled around her legs.
“I hope you don’t mind. You were so beautiful this morning, I couldn’t help myself.”
She set her cup on the small table by the door and moved closer to better see the sketch. “I don’t mind at all.” Her face looked relaxed and calm. The happiness had shown through, and Chloe had captured it perfectly. “You made that happen.” She took Chloe’s face in her hands and brushed her thumbs lightly across her cheeks. “You make my heart happy.”
Tears began to well in Chloe’s eyes. “I didn’t know if I’d ever hear you say that again.”
She pulled her into her arms and squeezed. “I’ll never stop saying it.” Tears streamed from her eyes as well, and soon they were standing there clutching each other as they cried.
How had she ever lost interest in this woman? Shay loved her more today than she ever had before, and she wanted to make her happy every day going forward. She wanted to prove her love to her, but only making love to her wouldn’t be enough to erase everything they’d been through.
* * *
The view from Shay’s office was stellar—at least one perk to becoming chief actuary. Going back to work was the last thing on Shay’s list of things to do, but she couldn’t keep living in a fantasy world. She had work to do, people to take care of—to deal with.
Shay had spent most of the morning catching up on email and reviewing documents she’d been working on before the accident. She heard Lila before she saw her, and the voice sent chills down her spine. She wasn’t scheduled to be in the Tampa office until Wednesday. Shay had purposely started back on Monday to get a handle on everything before she had to see her, wanting to be prepared both professionally and personally. Now she wouldn’t have time to do either.
When her office door pushed open, she wasn’t at all prepared for what she saw in the doorway. Lila was dressed in a powder-blue skirt and jacket, a crisp white shirt tucked in underneath. She was stunning. The temptation was clear now, though the reason was still blurry.
“Hi, Boss. I’m glad to see you’re here and back at it.” Lila didn’t wait to be invited in. She crossed the room and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Shay’s desk.
“Thanks. It feels good to be back.”
“Yeah?” She lifted an eyebrow. “I bet you were going stir-crazy at home.”
“Not really. Chloe and I have plenty of things to do there, but I needed to catch up here.” The mention of Chloe prompted the smile to leave Lila’s face. “Thanks for taking care of everything while I was out.”
Lila took in a breath and smiled again. “Glad to do it.” Her smile faded again, and she looked at her hands in her lap. “I was worried about you.” She looked up and flipped her hair out of her eyes with a quick movement. “When I went to the hospital, they told me you’d lost some of your memory. Is that true?”
She nodded. “Almost all of the past year.” Chloe hadn’t told her Lila had come to see her in the hospital, and there was no doubt in her mind why she hadn’t. The fact that Lila had come led her to believe there was more than sex between them. She hoped that wasn’t the case.
The muted sound of Lila’s hands dropping to her legs filled the room. She seemed relieved, as though she’d thought someone had lied to her. “That means you don’t remember…all the hard work we put in on the new product.” She stood up. “Let me get settled in, and I’ll go over it with you.”
“Sounds good.”
Lila turned and crossed the room but hesitated before she left the office. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”
That had gone better than she’d thought it would. She relaxed into her chair. Hopefully, the next hour or two would go just as well.
Lila returned with a few manila file folders under her arm and a cup of coffee in each hand. She set them both on table in the corner of the office, along with the file folders. “You want to work over here? I think it’ll be easier.”
“Sure.” She picked up a pad and pen and then took a seat at the table.
Lila picked up one of the cups of coffee and set it in front of Shay. “Black, right?”
Shay nodded, and Lila moved a chair closer to where Shay was sitting, sat down, and opened one of the folders. The close proximity made her a little uncomfortable at first, but that soon faded as Lila got right down to business.
After Lila had caught her up to speed on everything, she sat back in her chair and seemed to be assessing her. “You look great.”
“Thank you, but you haven’t seen me naked.” The comment was out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. Her cheeks warmed, and she hoped Lila hadn’t seen her reaction. Lila continued to stare. “Or have you?” Lila seemed to balk at the question. She had to know what, if anything, Lila was going to share with her about their affair. “This question may be out of line.” She rolled her lips in momentarily. “Were we doing anything together besides working?”
Lila hesitated for a moment before she smiled and shook her head. “No. During the time we were working together, you were absolutely head over heels in love with your wife.”
Not the answer she’d expected. Maybe Lila wasn’t so bad after all. Or maybe she had just been fucking her to get the job like everyone else in the office thought. Either way, although Lila was plenty beautiful, Shay couldn’t imagine anyone else making her feel the way she did when she was with Chloe.
When eleven thirty rolled around, Shay was ready for a break. Once she’d settled on when her first day back to work would be, she’d immediately made plans to have lunch with Rachel. She hadn’t seen Rachel’s car when she pulled into the parking lot of the diner near the hospital, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there. The coffee shop was within walking distance, so she figured Rachel had most likely walked—a habit she’d urged Shay toward now that her leg was healing. She spotted Rachel waving at her from a booth at the back of the diner and sped her way. She had so much to tell her.
“So, how’s the first day back?” Rachel asked as she got up and pulled her into a hug. “I went ahead and ordered the club sandwich for you.” They’d been there a few times before.
“Exhausting.”
“I figured you’d have lots to catch up on. I can’t go away for a day without my email filling up.”
“I was caught up on email. I had to meet with Lila this morning and wasn’t as prepared as I should’ve been.”
The surprise on Rachel’s face was clear. “I thought she wasn’t coming in until Wednesday.”
“Me too.” She adjusted the silverware in front of her. “I thought I had more time to get up to speed.”
“How’d it go with her? Did she say anything?” Rachel asked in a whisper as though everyone in the diner would know who she was talking about.
“Really well, actually.” She took a drink of water. “I asked her point-blank if we’d done anything together other than work, and she said no.”
“Seriously?”
As they ate, Rachel listened intently as she told her about what she’d said about her love for Chloe as well as what Amber had told her about the rumors.
“What’s her angle? Do you really think she was fucking you to get the job?”
“It’s pos
sible.” She chewed a bite of her sandwich. “I mean, she’s a gorgeous twenty-something, and I’m just…well, I’m just boring old me.”
“Stop that.” Rachel immediately dropped her fork and reached for her hand. “There’s nothing boring about you.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Remember our deal?” Rachel seemed dead serious.
She rolled her eyes and moved her head from side to side. “If things don’t work out with Chloe, you’re next in line.”
Rachel lifted her eyebrows. “I mean that.”
“Got it.” She chewed on her lower lip.
“I know things are going well between you and Chloe, but don’t you think you should tell her that you know?” She took a drink of water. “I mean rather than let her find out for herself?”
“I’m hoping that will never happen.”
“Those are dangerous waters you’re treading in, love.” Rachel let go of her hand and returned to her salad.
“Tell me about it. They’re getting deeper every day. I’m just not ready to risk it without the lifeboat yet.”
“I’ll talk to her if you want me to,” Rachel said quietly.
She stopped mid-bite. “You’d actually do that for me, wouldn’t you?”
Rachel nodded. “I’d do anything for you.” She looked away, but Shay saw everything in her eyes. “You’re my best friend.”
Knowing Rachel had revealed more of her feelings than she’d planned, Shay reached over and took her chin in her fingers, forcing her to look at her. “And you’re mine.”
Rachel’s advice was sound, but even if she still didn’t remember, telling Chloe now about what she knew could kill any love she had left in her heart. She wasn’t ready to take that chance yet. Not until she was cemented securely into Chloe’s heart again.