“That’s my little planner.” Emma patted Keira’s thigh. “We’re closer to your place. I’m going to drop you off so you can get some actual sleep, and I’ll take the train home.”
“Why?” Keira turned her head to Emma as Emma put the car in gear.
“Because I have to wake up in like four hours and work. Even though I’m working from home, I have a conference call at eight and one at ten. I can’t slack off.” She paused. “And you need to sleep and pack for our trip.”
“I want to sleep with you tonight.” Keira placed a hand on Emma’s cheek. “Take me to your place. I’ll go home tomorrow after I’ve slept a little and pack.”
“Slept a lot.”
“What?” Keira glared at Emma who made no sense.
“You said slept a little, and I want you to sleep a lot.” She smiled at the weary-eyed Keira.
“Oh, you sound weird when I’m tired.”
“Sleep now.”
“What?”
Emma laughed loudly at Keira’s scrunched up look of confusion.
“Sleep now, babe. We’ve got about a thirty-minute drive. I’ll wake you when we get to my place, okay?”
“Oh, okay.” Keira turned her head toward the window and watched the outskirts of the city begin to turn into the city itself. “Hey, Em?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“I don’t want the cake smash thing either.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Emma laughed lightly.
“You should,” Keira half-mumbled. “I do want that private garter thing though. No dollar dance.”
“No dollar dance. Got it.”
“Small ceremony and small party. Just close people.” Keira rested her head against the glass. “I know your dad is gone. No one can replace him. But if you need someone to walk you down the aisle, I can have my dad walk us both.” She felt herself drifting off the moment the sentence came out of her mouth.
CHAPTER 32
Keira was talking about their wedding. She wasn’t just speaking in that hypothetical way that some people do when they’re talking about what they want in the future. She was talking about letting Emma borrow her father to walk her down the aisle at their wedding. Emma drove on toward her apartment, making glances at the sleeping woman to her right every few minutes. She thought about a lot on that brief ride home. She wondered if this was how her friends felt when they met their girlfriends, fiancées, and wives. She’d always been someone who fell hard and fast. It had been that way ever since Hailey in high school. Most of the time, it hadn’t worked out for her.
She thought about how she and Keira still had a lot to work out. Keira still needed to figure out how to let Emma all the way in and help sometimes. Emma still needed to learn that fixing things for someone, while helpful, wasn’t always what they needed. She looked down at her keys as they dangled from the ignition and noticed the newest addition. She smiled at the site of Keira’s key next to the key for her own apartment. She knew it wasn’t a big deal. It was logistical more than anything when someone gave another person a key to their place, right? Emma would give Keira her key for that same reason.
Keira could come over whenever she wanted. She could even get there before Emma sometimes and start on dinner. They’d discuss their days. Emma would finally have what she wanted all along. She’d have someone to come home to after a long day, someone to talk to about everything and to listen to about everything else. She’d have Keira. God, she’d have Keira. Emma parked Keira’s car on the street and climbed out, walked around the side and opened Keira’s door slowly since the side of her face was still pressed to the glass. Emma pulled her out of the car and helped her up to the apartment where she placed her on the bed, pulled off her shoes and then the rest of her clothing. She looked down at Keira, who was left only in her underwear.
“Should I take the bra off?” she asked Keira and then watched the woman sit herself up, unclasp it, toss it to the floor and fall back onto the bed.
Emma laughed because she couldn’t help it. She thought about trying to dress her near-comatose girlfriend but thought better of it as Keira had rolled onto her side and grabbed at the blanket to cover herself. Emma completed her nightly routine in the bathroom and returned to the bed to lie next to Keira and watch her as she slept.
◆◆◆
Keira was on top of Emma. Her hips were rolling down into Emma’s body. The dildo attached to her harness was working wonders if Emma’s sounds were any indication. Keira moved faster as Emma held onto her ass and encouraged her to move more deeply inside her. Keira could feel the dildo press against her thrumming clit with every thrust, and as Emma’s orgasm built, so did her own.
“Fuck,” Keira called out.
Her eyes shot open, and she wasn’t on top of Emma. She was lying on her back in Emma’s bed, and she was alone.
“Well, good morning,” Emma’s voice rang out. Keira lifted her head to see that Emma was sitting on the sofa with her laptop. Keira had been dreaming. “And it looks like it has been a good morning for you so far.” Emma lifted an eyebrow and nodded with her head.
Keira looked down at her body, which was half covered by the blanket. She was still topless, and one of her hands was between her legs. She’d been touching herself in her sleep.
“Oh, my God.” She immediately removed her hand. “Oh, my God,” she repeated at the realization that her sex dream about Emma had been so good, apparently, it manifested itself in reality. “How long–”
“For a few minutes,” Emma answered; her face was reading total amusement.
“You’ve been watching me for a few minutes?” Keira sat up, using her hands for support.
“Can you blame me?” Emma placed the laptop on the sofa beside her and stood. “Want to tell me what you were dreaming about there?” Emma moved to the bed. “Also, I am so glad right now that I have a tiny ass studio apartment and that I was able to see all that.” She smirked as she climbed atop Keira’s body, pulling the blanket away as she did.
“I am so embarrassed.” Keira’s face felt fire-hot and bright red. She was mortified. “I can’t believe I did that. I never do that.”
“It must have been a really good dream then.” Emma rested her arms on either side of Keira’s head. “Did you…finish?” she asked with a glance down Keira’s body toward the underwear that had evidence of her arousal she couldn’t hide.
“Not exactly,” Keira replied, wondering how to explain what had happened.
“Not exactly? What does that mean?” Emma slid one hand down the front of Keira’s body between her breasts, and Keira’s hips lifted when the hand slid between her legs beneath her underwear.
“Oh!” Keira let out as Emma’s fingers grazed her slick flesh. “I finished in–” She stopped as Emma’s fingers pressed slightly more into her. “The dream. I finished in the dream.”
“But not in reality?” Emma asked and slid two fingers inside Keira’s body before pulling them back out, coated with her desire, and pressed them into a hard clit.
“No,” Keira replied. “Can you…”
She wanted to ask Emma to do something just then. She wanted to ask Emma to make her come, but Emma was already doing that.
“What?” Emma teased and ghosted her lips over Keira’s.
“Just keep doing that.” Keira let go of her embarrassment as Emma plunged back inside her before pulling out to play with Keira’s clit.
When Keira came, the tension in her body along with all her thoughts melted away, leaving her completely relaxed for the first time in a very long time.
“Can I say good morning again?” Emma asked into Keira’s ear when she finally pulled her hand from between Keira’s legs.
“Very good morning,” Keira agreed.
“So, what exactly were you dreaming about?” Emma asked as she moved to Keira’s side. “And I want details.” She dragged her hand up and down the flat of Keira’s stomach.
“You,” Keira revealed.
“Yeah?�
��
“Yeah.” Keira turned her head toward Emma. “I think you got the rest already.”
“No, tell me,” Emma encouraged.
“This is so embarrassing, Em. I’ve never done that before.”
“You’ve never woken up while getting yourself off?”
“No, why? Have you?” Keira was suddenly more interested in this conversation.
“Maybe. But that story comes after your story.” Emma leaned forward and took Keira’s nipple into her mouth.
“I thought you had to work and couldn’t slack off.” Keira pressed Emma’s head to her breast, not exactly encouraging her to stop.
“It’s noon.” Emma lifted up. “You slept through two conference calls and me trying to wake you up for breakfast. Now, I know why.” She chuckled as she returned to the nipple.
“I slept through all that?”
“Must have been a good dream,” Emma repeated.
“I was inside you,” Keira said softly as Emma’s mouth moved to her other nipple.
It was then that Keira was suddenly aware that Emma only had a t-shirt and underwear on. How she hadn’t noticed that before only spoke to how unbelievably aroused she’d been.
“Yeah?” Emma asked.
“Yeah,” Keira replied and reached between Emma’s legs to cup her sex. “I want to be inside you right now.”
“I’m not stopping you.” Emma rolled onto her back. “Sounds like a great way to spend a lunch break.” She smiled at Keira.
“In my dream, I was inside you with a strap-on,” Keira confessed.
Emma’s eyes, that had closed at Keira’s touch, shot back open as she said, “You were?”
“Yeah.” Keira used long fingers to apply subtle pressure through Emma’s underwear. “Is that something you’d like to do?”
“Yes,” Emma gasped as Keira’s fingers made strong contact with her clit.
“Was that because of what I’m doing or because of what I want to do?” Keira laughed and slid her body closer.
“Both,” Emma admitted. “But why don’t you tell me more about what you want to do just so we’re both on the same page.” Emma wiggled two sexy eyebrows at Keira.
Keira’s embarrassment and concern evaporated. She finally came to understand that the reason she could picture herself with Emma forever was that Emma understood her, she never made her feel bad or wrong for being who she was or wanting what she wanted. She got Keira in the way no other woman ever had. She spent Emma’s entire lunch break trying to convey just how much she appreciated Emma for that.
◆◆◆
They arrived at the hotel around nine, after an uneventful flight but an eventful morning. Earlier in the day, Keira had left Emma’s to pack a bag for their trip. When she’d returned, Emma had kept her promise from the night before. She’d given Keira a key to her place. They’d left for the airport then. After their weekends, both women were more than ready for sleep.
“Miss Colton, you’re here for the conference, correct?” the front desk clerk asked Emma as Keira texted her mom, saying they’d gotten in alright.
“Yes.” Emma passed her driver’s license and credit card across the counter.
“Great,” she replied and checked Emma’s ID. “Wow, this is a pretty good picture for a license.”
“Oh, thanks. I guess I was having a good hair day.” Emma smiled back at the clerk politely.
“You’re having one now too,” the clerk returned.
This caught Keira’s attention, and she lifted her eyes away from the phone to watch the exchange.
“Thanks,” Emma said after a moment.
“So, where are you from?”
“San Francisco.”
“That’s not too far away. Just about an hour-long flight, huh?” She offered a flirtatious smile.
“About that, yeah,” Emma answered.
Keira glared at the clerk, who was attractive and obviously flirting with her girlfriend.
“I did the long-distance thing with a woman who lived up there. It wasn’t that bad, actually. We both had our freedom but got to see each other when we wanted.” She slid Emma’s credit card into the reader, passed it back to Emma, and ran her fingers along Emma’s as Emma went to take it.
Keira went to move toward the counter but paused when she heard Emma’s reply.
“I’m actually not a fan of long-distance. I prefer to be as close to my girlfriend as possible. Like right now, for example, I think she’s too far away.” Emma turned to Keira. “Babe, come up here.” She smiled at Keira.
“Your room is 243, and breakfast is from 6:30–9:30 every morning,” the clerk stated the moment Keira moved next to Emma and took her hand.
“Great. Thanks.” Emma took the packet of keys that were offered and turned around, still holding onto Keira’s hand. “You ready?”
“You are so getting laid tonight.” Keira laughed as they walked toward the elevators.
◆◆◆
“Hey, Dad.” Keira hugged her father.
Emma had gone to the conference an hour earlier, leaving Keira in the room alone. She’d enjoyed an extra-long shower, not worrying about leaving hot water for Kevin this time, and then readied herself for her parents, who were coming to pick her up soon.
“Hi, honey.” He let her go and moved to the side to allow her mother to offer a hug.
“Hi, Mom.” Keira hugged her mother. “How was the drive?”
“Oh, it was fine. But I still don’t understand why you couldn’t just stay at the house.” Her mother pulled back.
“Mom, I told you. Emma is at a conference at the hotel.”
“You can stay with us. She can stay here then. We never see you, Keira.”
“She’s my girlfriend. I came down here with her. I’m not staying at the house while she stays here.” Keira climbed into the backseat of her parents’ car and felt instantly like a child again, in the way that every adult does when they’re with their parents.
“I brought you that iced tea you like for the drive.” Her mom slid into the passenger’s seat and passed back a bottle of iced tea.
“Thanks, Mom.” Keira took it, preparing herself for the drive and the questions she’d have to answer along the way.
Keira had endured the questions about Emma and how they’d met, gotten together, and just about everything else. When they arrived at the house, her mother began making them all lunch while her father turned his attention to golf on the TV, working on a Sudoku puzzle in the meantime. Keira’s relationship with her father had always been strained. He’d made himself conveniently unavailable to her as a child. Sometimes, he had business trips; and other times, he just sat around the house claiming he was busy. By the time she was a teenager, she no longer cared enough about it. It still made her wonder why he’d even bothered to have another child after her brother if he was planning to ignore her. Her mother too had been busy, but Keira felt that was more legitimate. Her mother had also been highly critical of Keira when she did pay attention. She wanted Keira’s hair to be perfect, her makeup to be perfect when she’d started wearing it. Her clothes had to be neatly pressed and match her shoes and bag when applicable. It had confused a young Keira because her mom would be distant and busy for months, but then suddenly care about how Keira was dressed for school and want to attend her parent/teacher conferences.
Once Keira had gone off to college, and they’d both retired, they’d each taken a more active role in her life. Her dad wanted to help move her into the dorm and then checked on her weekly by phone to make sure she had everything she needed. He’d offer to send money, Keira would decline, and then neither would acknowledge the check he’d send monthly that she then cashed and used on food and school supplies. Her mom continued to be critical of her, especially when she joined the sorority. Her mother was not the sorority type and didn’t understand why Keira would join. Then, her mother said some hurtful things that Keira tried not to think about as they ate their sandwiches in quiet. Over the years, her
parents had come to accept and then been supportive of her sexuality, but she’d never brought a girlfriend home before. Emma would be the first. Keira hoped she’d also be the last.
“What do Emma’s parents do?” her father asked after he finished his sandwich.
“They passed away a while ago,” Keira shared.
“That’s a shame,” her mother added. “What about siblings?”
“She’s an only child.”
“And she likes that job with the Health Department? Remind me, what does she do?” her dad asked for the second time since he’d picked her up.
“She’s a Director for the Health Department, Dad.”
“An Inspector? She inspects restaurants and other places?”
“No, Mom.” Keira loved her parents. She loved her parents. “She’s a Director. She oversees an entire department. It’s a great job. And yes, she likes it, Dad.”
“Oh, good,” her dad replied and returned his attention to the puzzle book he’d brought to the table.
“Are you accepting her help then?” her mother asked. “Since she seems to have a good job.”
“Her help?”
“With money, Keira.” Her mom picked up Keira’s plate along with her husband’s and carried them to the sink. “Since you’re not letting us help you.”
“Mom, it’s not that I’m not letting you help me. It’s just that you guys need your money.”
“But Emma doesn’t need her money?”
“Emma doesn’t have money, Mom. What about her having a government job has you thinking she’s a millionaire?” Keira asked in a louder than necessary voice.
“She’s a Director.”
“She also just moved across the country and has her own bills, Mom.”
“Then, how did she afford to fly you here?” She placed the plates into the sink, allowing them to clang.
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