Without a Net

by Kimberly Cooper Griffin

  “Pie for Mallory!”

  Maureen looked toward the voice. “There’s my order. I’m so glad I bumped into you. Nice to meet you Meg.” Maureen backed toward her waiting pizza and blew a kiss at Fiona. “I’ll call you soon, promise!”

  Meg watched Fiona watch Maureen walk away and they both sat down. It felt like a tornado had whipped through the tiny restaurant, and it was time to regroup.

  “No wonder she hasn’t been stalking me lately.” Fiona sounded like she was still shocked.

  “Stalking you?” Meg took a bite of her pizza and was surprised it was still warm. So much had been exchanged in the span of a few minutes.

  “It just occurred to me that she would have never let me barricade myself in my apartment if she hadn’t been preoccupied with something. Now it makes sense… Oh!” Fiona stared into the space over Meg’s shoulder.

  “What?” Meg looked behind her, expecting Maureen to be there, but there was no one.

  “Josh was trying to tell me about them the first day I saw you at Helga’s. God, I’m a lousy friend.” Fiona smacked her forehead.

  “You know him from school, too, right?” Meg asked.

  “We all went to law school together. Mike, too. They’re probably my best friends. Josh and Maureen are good people. I’m glad they’re together.” Fiona ate some of her pizza and closed her eyes. “God, this is so good.”

  “Do they know about…?” Meg gestured toward Fiona’s belly.

  Fiona grimaced and shook her head, but didn’t stop eating. “No. I haven’t had the courage to tell them yet. It’s awkward, what with Mike… you know? And I didn’t know if I was going to keep it.”

  “Are they going to freak out?”

  “Probably.” Fiona looked like she was considering it. “I need to tell them. You saw how dramatic Maureen can be.”

  Meg nodded her head. It was best not to comment, she figured. They both ate their pizza.

  After a moment, Fiona spoke. “It’s pathetic that I haven’t told my best friends, huh?”

  Meg understood. “You needed time to process it on your own first. They should understand.”

  Fiona reached over the small table and grabbed Meg’s hand. “Where would I be without you?” Her eyes gleamed with emotion. “Thanks for being here for me. I feel like we’ve known each other much longer than we have.”

  Meg smiled and squeezed her hand.

  *****

  The last of the day’s light had faded from the sky, and the streetlights were on when they left the pizza place to go home. They talked about the neighborhood, architecture, work, and several other topics. A few blocks from the restaurant, they heard the low strains of a cello coming from the open window of one of the apartments. The sound floated down over them and they paused to listen next to the stairs leading up to the building.

  “You know… I’ve never wanted to spend so much time with someone.” Fiona sounded a little vulnerable and Meg wanted to reassure her. She moved closer, but didn’t touch her.

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing.” The music, the night air, the surroundings—they all culminated in a perfect moment and being closer to Fiona seemed so right.

  She watched Fiona trace the lines along the stone column next to the stoop.

  “I’ve always been so focused on my future. Or maybe I’ve just never met anyone like you before, but I like this. I like being here. I like being with you.”

  Meg’s heart melted. “I’m glad, because I like being here with you, too. Aunt Vi isn’t always the most eloquent of people, but she said something to me a few days ago. She said, if you constantly live for tomorrow, you miss out on your todays.” She laid her hand next to Fiona’s on the column. “You definitely help me remember to appreciate my todays.”

  “I haven’t always been like this, you know.” Fiona searched her eyes.

  “I know. That’s why there’s still hope for you.” Meg teased.

  They walked on in silence for a moment. The sound of a lone tree frog echoed through the night.

  “It never ceases to amaze me when I hear country sounds in this big city,” Meg said.

  “Did you get to play outside a lot as a kid? I imagine you outside in all the green they have in Washington.”

  Meg snorted. “Are you kidding? We were outside from dawn to dusk. We have this creek running along our property. One time I caught a bunch of pollywogs. I filled the bathtub with water, figuring I would raise them there, but my mom found them and pulled the plug. Down they went. I cried for hours.” Fiona took Meg’s hand and squeezed. She didn’t let go of it after, and Meg interlaced their fingers. “When my dad came home he asked what was wrong. When I told him, he said they had gone to the ocean and would be happier in the wild. It made me feel better. Of course, I know better now.”

  “I had a similar experience with some baby birds. They fell out of a nest in a tree near our house when I was a kid. I put them in a shoebox with some old rags and tried to take care of them. One day they were gone. My mom said they’d grown their feathers overnight and flew away. Looking back, I know that wasn’t the case. They were too young. They probably died, but my mom gave me hope.”

  “You have a knack for saving baby animals, huh?”

  Fiona laughed but it sounded sad. Meg was sorry she brought them up.

  “I hope the kittens fare better than the baby birds,” Fiona said.

  Meg squeezed her hand, enjoying the warmth of it against her palm. “I have no doubt they will.”

  Too soon, they arrived at Fiona’s front door. Meg didn’t want the evening to end, but she suspected Fiona didn’t either. She missed the kittens a little more for not giving her an excuse to spend the night again, and immediately felt selfish for it.

  “Well, I guess this is goodnight.” Meg looked down at their intertwined fingers.

  “I wish I didn’t have to work in the morning.” Fiona looked into Meg’s eyes as if she were trying to read her thoughts.

  “Me too.”

  “Give us a hug, then.” Fiona held out her arms.

  Meg laughed at the pathetic Irish accent, but stepped into Fiona’s arms. Memories of holding Fiona while she slept the night before swept through her mind. She wracked her brain for an excuse to see her the next day. When Fiona released her, she had to force herself to let go, too. The surprising sensation of warm lips against her own was a surprise, igniting a rush of electricity through her body. She melted into Fiona, returning the kiss with a moan. Fiona’s lips were an epiphany, softer and warmer than Meg had dared to imagine. Fiona opened her lips to explore Meg’s mouth, and the first soft brush of Fiona’s tongue against hers sent a wave of heat rocketing between them, making them both tremble. No longer just a kiss, it was a promise of things to come. Backing Fiona against the front door, her hands moved up to hold Fiona’s head as she pressed the length of her body against her. Lost, Meg gave herself over to the woman in her arms. She knew she wasn’t going to be leaving as a fire of need engulfed her.

  53

  Lost in their kisses, Fiona had no memory of entering the apartment, nor did she remember the walk to her bedroom, but suddenly there they were, and the edge of the bed was pressed against the back of her thighs. All she knew was the heat of the kiss, driving pleasure into the furthest edges of her body. She sank into the sensation of Meg’s mouth exploring hers with a passion that was more intense than anything she had ever felt before. God. Her kisses. Her hands. Her body.

  She trembled with desire as Meg lowered her onto the bed. Together, they moved to the center of the bed. Meg hovered above her, kissing her, touching her. She was already past the point of no return. She wanted Meg more than she’d ever wanted anything.

  Meg pulled away. Not far, but Fiona tried to pull her back. “Are you sure about this?” Meg’s voice was low and out of breath. Fiona’s skin tingled to know she was t
he cause of it. She reached up and kissed her again.

  Fiona groaned as the lips she couldn’t get enough of pulled away again. Her eyes flew open. Meg’s incredible eyes searched Fiona’s, the question reflected in their depth. She took Meg’s face between her hands. Her eyes traced a path that her thumbs gently followed, and they grazed the dark lips she craved to kiss again. “Oh, God, yes. I’m sure.” She pulled Meg’s head down, kissing her with deliberate intent to show her how ready she was.

  Meg smiled into the kiss and Fiona started a trail of kisses down her chin, across her jaw, and down the curve of her neck. The journey was a discovery. She inhaled Meg’s scent as she learned the landscape of her graceful throat, feeling the rapid beat of Meg’s heart beneath her lips. She paused to nip and lick the tender flesh, eliciting another deep groan. Meg claimed her mouth once again and the weight of her body spread over Fiona. A long moan escaped from deep within her throat when Meg’s thigh pressed against her center. Meg rocked gently, teasing more moans from her. Fiona’s sex pulsed. Her hips moved, seeking more pressure. Their kiss became fervent, and Fiona sucked and explored Meg’s lips, driving both of them into a higher frenzy.

  She was a supernova, dense with desire, on the verge of either imploding or igniting. There was no room for anything else, yet the feelings mounting within her continued to grow. Fiona slid her hands under the edge of Meg’s shirt and ran them along her bare skin. The feel of Meg’s skin was silk against her palms and when Meg arched into her, Fiona wanted to scream from the powerful sensations coursing through her body. It was a revelation on a scale she’d never known possible, and her body, mind, and soul burned.

  Fiona sensed Meg was riding the same intensity of sensation. She could feel it in her kisses, sense it in her touch, see it in her eyes. Fiona had never wanted anyone the way she wanted Meg. It took every ounce of her will not to shove her hand down the front of Meg’s pants to seek out the wet heat she knew awaited her. She was on fire.

  Meg wiggled out of her shirt and sports bra, causing Fiona’s need to expand. She took in the body before her and let her hands wander, exploring her abdomen, her rib cage, her hips, rising to brush along the sides of her breasts. Meg guided her hands to cup her breasts and she leaned into her, her eyes dark with desire. Fiona had never seen anything so beautiful. Her own nipples strained against the thin material of her bra as she circled Meg’s nipples and finally took one into her mouth, relishing the texture, reveling in Meg’s response to her tongue. A deep and imploring moan trembled from Meg’s throat, echoing between them.

  “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, Fiona.” Meg whispered, before taking a gasping breath.

  “God, you feel incredible, Meg. I’ve never felt so… so… much.” Fiona was overcome with the soft warmth of Meg’s breasts cupped in her palms, her nipple playing against her lip. “I want to touch you everywhere.”

  “I want you so badly.” Meg’s voice was thick with emotion as Fiona’s tongue and lips continued to explore her breasts. Fiona wrapped an arm around Meg’s waist, and pulled her close as she held a breast in one hand and kissed and sucked the other. The pleasure Fiona received from the taste and feel of Meg’s tender skin was something she had never imagined. Her passion surged, threatening to break her open.

  Meg’s breathing grew more and more jagged with every movement of Fiona’s lips and tongue. A throb pulsed in Fiona’s lower belly as Meg rocked against her, her thigh pressed into the warmth between her legs. She craved to feel Meg’s bare skin pressed against her. Meg began to unbutton her shirt.

  “I’m about a millisecond from coming.” Meg pulled back, disengaging Fiona’s exploring lips from her breast.

  “Then let me keep doing it.” Fiona tried to pull her back, but Meg laughed and rolled to her side. The movement took the pressure from Fiona’s center and she tried to follow it.

  “I’d like my first time with you to take a little longer.” Meg pushed Fiona back against the mattress and continued to unbutton her shirt. With each button opened, Meg stroked the revealed skin, causing goosebumps to rise across Fiona’s torso. With tantalizing slowness, Meg finished unbuttoning her shirt and pulled it off. And with a flick of her fingers, Fiona’s bra was unclasped and sliding off her shoulders.

  Fiona barely breathed while Meg’s eyes traveled across her body, their path leaving a trail of heat on her exposed skin. When Meg pulled her close, Fiona purred, experiencing the feel of their soft, warm breasts pressed together for the first time. She wrapped her arms around Meg, relishing the silken skin gliding against her. Her desire for more leapt to an aching imperative.

  “Nothing I ever imagined…” Fiona was unable to finish her thought. She needed to kiss Meg. The sensations swirling through her body, mind, and heart were too complex to express any other way. A thrumming electric charge pulsed between them. It was an all-consuming need to touch and be touched.

  “I want to feel all of you against me,” Fiona whispered against Meg’s mouth. She arched into the press of their bodies. A deep throb beat within her, a precursor to what she knew was coming.

  “I’m struggling not to rip the rest of your clothes off.” Meg sounded out of breath. “You’re making me crazy.”

  “We’ll have time for slow later. I want to feel you inside of me, Meg. I can almost feel you now.” She could barely believe the words coming from her mouth. This was new territory, but she was safe and felt secure enough to ask for what she wanted. She impatiently reached between them to get to the buttons of Meg’s shorts and slid them down her sculpted thighs, along with her underwear. Meg seemed just as impatient. She moved her hands into the waist of Fiona’s warm ups and pushed them down. Fiona rolled away to kick them from her feet.

  “God, you’re beautiful, Fiona.”

  Meg’s hands wandered across her abdomen and chest, causing her muscles to contract and her need to heighten even further. She couldn’t speak, she could only feel. She pulled Meg on top of her. With her legs spread, Meg’s bare thigh came to rest on her center and she gasped. The pressure sent a tremor through her body, and she instinctively moved her hips to chase relief. Meg’s center found her thigh and she rocked with her. It made her crazy, the wet heat against her thigh. Nothing prepared her for this. They kissed and Meg slid her hand between their bodies, pressing her fingers against the slippery peak of Fiona’s clit. Powerful waves of exquisite sensation flowed through her and Fiona cried out. Her rocking became more insistent, and her eminent release built within her. It was impossible to control herself, so she gave up, throwing her head back, arching against Meg, who kissed her exposed neck and drew circles around Fiona’s clit with her fingers.

  “Oh, my God, oh my God.” Her words were a chant and a rhythmic pulse surged within her, becoming more and more powerful. Her cries became incoherent when she experienced the exquisite press of Meg’s fingers as they slid deep inside.

  A rush of warm wetness flowed out of her, and she felt a similar wetness leave Meg, slicking over her taut thigh where Meg straddled her. Meg thrust into Fiona with long firm stokes and kept cadence with her hips.

  Fiona opened her eyes and caught Meg watching her. It was as if her own physical feelings were being reflected in Meg’s expressions, driving her excitement even higher. Her indescribable pleasure expanded beyond measure. It filled her body and her heart.

  “Oh God… Meg!” Fiona cried out in a hoarse voice, as she lifted her hips and shuddered. Her hands grabbed the sheets and her heels dug into the mattress, but her eyes never left Meg’s as the powerful storm rushed through her. Meg’s eyes held her riveted by the electric power of her stare, and she could almost see the incandescent heat flowing between them.

  The waves of her passion begin to slow, as did Meg’s thrusts, and she relaxed back down onto the mattress, letting the sheets slip from her fingers. Her breath came raggedly as her heart battered against her chest. She finally closed her eyes. She need
ed to catch her breath and the look in Meg’s eyes threatened to send her back into ecstasy. Her muscles involuntarily tightened around Meg’s fingers, still deep within her, and she squeezed her legs together. Unexpectedly, her need surged again, sweeping away the exhaustion that had begun to descend upon her after coming harder than she ever had before. Meg seemed attuned to her body and her eyes registered the flare of renewed energy in Fiona’s depths. She slowly moved her fingers inside Fiona’s heat, coaxing her with pleasure. Fiona’s body, trembling from the shattering storm, surprised her, and the power of a fresh tsunami brought her right back to the brink.

  “Oh God, it feels so good. I can feel you everywhere.” Fiona rocked gently with the small motions deep within her. “Please don’t stop. I’m… going to come again.”

  And, as if saying it made it happen, Fiona arched dramatically as an orgasm almost as powerful as the last one quaked through her.

  Meg kissed Fiona’s neck and moved slowly down Fiona’s body, kissing a trail through the valley of her breasts, across her stomach, around her navel, finally to find home in the warm wet folds between Fiona’s thighs. Fiona basked in the attention from Meg’s lips, but she wasn’t sure she could handle any more sensation, although she relished the feeling of Meg’s fingers filling her. She sighed deeply, closing her eyes as Meg’s lips softly caressed her center.

  Fiona caught her breath and lifted her head, pulling her arms up so she could rest on her elbows. “That was incredible.” Her voice was breathless. Meg opened her eyes but didn’t move from her position. Her tongue slid over Fiona’s open center, forcing a surprised moan from Fiona’s throat and a new wave of arousal to course through her. “I can’t.”

  Meg’s eyes shone with amusement and she took Fiona’s clit between her lips and gently sucked, stroking it with her tongue. Fiona was startled by the immediacy and power of the earth shattering orgasm lifting her from the bed. Her head dropped back and her entire body shook. She had absolutely no control as wave after wave of incandescent pleasure flowed through her. This time, she didn’t even try to acknowledge or name her pleasure. It simply was, and she was swept away.