|
Been Gone Too Long July 1, 1999, West Village, far west Texas It was a typically dark and dingy night at the local biker bar -- the smell of stale beer nearly overwhelming; a thick cloud of cigarette smoke hanging low in the air; the lights nice and low to hide the filth that was the trademark of Rick's Joint. Kat leaned against the bar and closed her burning eyes for a few seconds before taking a deep breath, coughing, and calling, “Order in!” over the rumbling jukebox. Somebody had played “Born to be Wild.” Again. Just like every night -- about twenty times or so. And every night she thought she’d jam a pen in her ear if she heard it one more time. She reached for a pen in her apron, fiddling with the tempting instrument while the bartender filled her order: a pitcher of Lonestar beer for the two cruddy old guys in the corner. They were wearing biker vests that looked like they came straight out of the ’60s. And she suspected they were authentic. It was going to be another grueling Friday night. Another hour and there’d be fifty old-timers and twenty or so wannabes trying to grab her ass every two minutes. Rick, the bartender/owner, would have to save her butt again. It was like a long-standing tradition. They even had the sheriff’s number on speed-dial in case there was a fight. God, she hated her job. But what else could she do in a tiny town like West Village? Even the name was boring. There wasn’t exactly a lot of entrepreneurship going on there. It was either work at Rick's Joint or be a gas station clerk at the two-pump shop down the road. Or get the hell out of West Village. But that was a dream she’d all but given up too long ago. “Order in, dammit!” she called again because Rick had stopped what he was doing to chat with a regular. He gave her a sheepish grin and resumed filling the pitcher. He was hunting for a couple of clean mugs when she got the feeling that someone was standing right behind her -- too close and too assured. The hairs on the back of her neck jumped up and shivers ran down her arms. Could it really be …? Kat parted her lips slightly and took a deep breath through her nose, her eyes closed. She caught the faintest whiff of sandalwood and chamomile. Her lips twitched mischievously. A split-second before arms slipped around her waist, she said, “Look what the cat dragged in.” The arms froze. “Dammit, how the hell do you do that?” a smoky voice demanded in an all-too-sensuous murmur. The sensation of hot breath on her ear made Kat shiver involuntarily. For a single moment, she wasn’t in a dingy bar at all. She was in a protected glass bubble, away from the crappy music and smoky room with ass-grabbing patrons. That one moment was sharp as crystal, her senses humming with an electricity she hadn’t felt in years. Yeah, she knew exactly who was standing behind her, murmuring casually in her ear. And then the real world came crashing back with double-intensity. She swallowed hard and resisted the urge to shake her head. “It’s a gift,” she mumbled and laughed. Rick placed the pitcher in front of her and gave her an odd look. That’s when she realized her mouth was still slightly parted -- and entirely too dry -- and she was practically swooning back into the woman behind her. Kat moved forward to take the drinks and the body pressed to her back followed the forward movement, effectively pinning her against the countertop bar. Her cheeks flushed and she could feel a tiny sweat break out across her forehead and down her back. She forced back a noise that threatened to escape her lips. Alex was always doing this — playing with her. Pushing the bubble but never going those last few steps. It was a delicious closeness that bordered on torture. “I gotta take this to the table,” she choked out and laughed. “Give me some room, Alex.” The arms retreated and Kat grabbed the pitcher and mugs a bit too quickly, turned a little too fast and sloshed a bit of beer on the woman’s boots. Her eyes lingered there while she tried to compose herself. “Got old codgers waiting for this in the corner,” she muttered before looking up. “How long have you been back?” She dared to meet the woman’s eyes now that she’d posed a semi-intelligent question. She came face to face with an amused smirk on a face she’d always thought was absolutely beautiful. She would not, could not let this show on her face. She fought the urge to curse. Alex made a show of checking her watch. “Exactly twenty-two minutes,” she said playfully and flashed a smile. “When’s your shift end?” Kat made a show of squinting at the wall clock. “In exactly four hours and thirty-eight minutes.” She grinned. She couldn’t help it. She must have been Alex’s first stop on a run through the old hometown. It meant more than she cared to admit aloud. “I’ll be back at two then,” Alex said with a lazy smile and carelessly brushed the tips of her fingers along Kat’s chin. “It’s damned good to see you.” And then she turned around and walked out of the bar. Kat stared at the door long after she’d gone. So long that Rick reached across the counter and smacked her shoulder. “Hey, blondie, get that shit over to the table sometime tonight, not tomorrow, okay?” She glanced back over her shoulder and tried to give him The Look, the one that says “back off.” It was ruined, though, by the sudden ear-to-ear grin that split across her face. Rick was smiling, too. “How long’s it been since she showed her face around here?” “Three years.” “What do you think she’s here for?” “Who knows,” Kat said and her voice trailed off. A few seconds passed. She cleared her throat. “I don’t really care.” Rick shook his head and went to go take an order from another regular. Kat willed her feet to move toward the table in the back. She caught the men’s faces turned her way, eyes more intrigued than annoyed by the delay. She sighed and moved across the room. Someone plopped a quarter into the jukebox and played “Born to be Wild.” But this time Kat didn’t give a damn. They could have played that song in a continuous loop and she wouldn’t have even noticed. Alex was back in town. The thought bounced around in her head for the next couple of hours and seemed to brighten the dingy bar. She didn’t even mind the old codgers anymore. She even laughed at some of their stupid jokes. An out-of-towner grabbed her ass. She threw him a dirty look and dumped a beer in his lap. Alex was back in town. Two fifty-year-old bikers tried to corner her near the bathroom. They apparently wanted a piece of the feisty, petite blonde with the steel-gray eyes. She pushed them out of her way as though they were baby dolls. She didn’t even get upset about it. Alex was back in town. She’d been gone such a long, long time. Alex’s visits were regular at first. After they graduated from West Heights High (West Village didn’t even have its own school; they’d had to take the bus twenty miles west everyday), Alex had gone to the east coast and disappeared. But she’d come back every two months or so. At least for a weekend. Then it was once every six months. Then she hadn’t come back. After that last visit, Kat thought for sure that the woman would never set foot again in their boring-ass town. Not that she could blame her. Alex had gone off to college -- to college -- to do something with her life. She was studying art, or maybe she’d already finished. Kat didn’t know for sure. But she did know that her friend had talent and ambition to match. So much unlike herself. Two hours passed, two and a little more to go. Kat couldn’t help but wonder where she’d gone wrong with her own life. Not that living in a little town was wrong, but she certainly never dreamed of becoming a waitress at the biker bar. But the money was easy when she first graduated. She had thought she’d save a little, then get out. A year passed. She thought she’d save some more. Another year passed. She felt too old to be just starting college -- it was so far away and sounded like it was really, really hard. Another year passed. Her mother tried to get her to marry some country fool and she resisted with all her heart. Another year passed. And so on. Seven years later, here she was. Still stuck in first gear. And all of the sudden she felt tired. She didn’t know why on earth Alex would come back after being gone such a long time and she didn’t dare hope it was for the reason she wanted it to be: for her. Kat’s shoulders sagged and the beer mugs seemed heavier than normal. Alex, she thought, would be here for a day, a week, a month. And then she’d be gone. Just like last time. Like a wave crashing against the shore, Kat’s excitement shattered and retreated. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she muttered under her breath. She checked her tables. All the mugs were filled. She slipped out the back door and lighted a cigarette, drawing deeply before expelling the smoke in an angry puff. She told herself she couldn’t keep doing this to herself, letting the hope build until it collapsed in on itself. She told herself it was kind of sick -- the way she’d longed for Alex to come back, the way she acted when she did, the way she held back with everyone she came in contact with, save Alex. It was kind of sick, how much she wanted that woman. She threw the cigarette butt into the parking lot and leaned against the warm brick wall for another two or three minutes. She thought about lighting another. Then she thought about Rick coming out to see where the hell she’d wandered off to. Sighing, she pushed off the wall and went back inside. The smell of stale beer and too much smoke in the air hit her like a truck and she coughed, her eyes burning in protest. It was one of those moments. She knew, for a fact, that after that night, she’d never come back. She would get the hell out of West Village or face a life of working at Rick's Joint until she was fifty. And to hell with that. The knowledge pumped strength back in her tired legs. It made her able to finish the shift without walking out. Tomorrow, she’d call her boss. Then she’d start packing. Two o’clock came quickly. She counted out her tips and shoved them in her back jeans pocket with a satisfied smile. Not a bad haul, she thought, stepping out into the parking lot with a cigarette already in hand, ready to light up. “About damned time,” that smoky voice cut through the silence. It scared the crap out of Kat. She hadn't seen anyone standing in the parking lot, but when she scanned the darker corners along the wall she could see Alex's white shirt, as though it should have popped out at her immediately but didn't. “How do you do that?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady. “It’s a gift,” Alex said, the smile on her face fading a touch. “You too tired to hang out?” The disappointment was evident in her question. Kat sighed. She did not want to do this to herself. Not again. It was late and that excuse was perfectly admissible. Except that she’d always dropped everything for the woman who now stood before her. Kat examined her tennis shoes for a few seconds in silence. Then she looked up and her resolve melted. She stared hard at Alex, watched the muscles along her friend’s forearms bunch nervously. Her eyes trailed up to take in the tight white tank top and down to admire the well-fitting faded blue jeans that were stained on the right side just above the knee with yellow paint. Alex’s favorite jeans. “Come on, Kat,” Alex said, trying to laugh but it sounded much less assured. “I’ve missed you.” “You’ve been gone a long time, Alex.” Silence. Kat lighted her cigarette. She didn’t want to be angry, but it bubbled up so quickly she couldn’t keep it at bay. She exhaled with an exasperated sigh, flicked the cigarette, and held Alex’s gaze, looked into those deep blue eyes that looked almost lavender in the parking lot’s fluorescent lights. She watched the jaw muscles work, a sure sign, as she well knew, that Alex didn’t know what to say and was trying to come up with something. Alex ran a hand across her close-cropped brown hair, ruffling it a little. “But I came back,” she finally said weakly and it seemed horribly inadequate. The look on her face showed she knew it wasn’t enough. She pushed herself off the wall she’d been leaning against and took three quick steps toward Kat. No, Kat told herself. Take a step back, show her you’re not satisfied. But she couldn’t. She felt the warm, strong hands on her shoulders before she could do anything. The hands squeezed lightly, like they used to when she needed some comfort. They didn’t wrap around her shoulders and pull her close. “How long are you staying?” Kat demanded, though the anger diminished by a fraction. “Are you going to be gone by Sunday?” “I don’t know,” Alex said apprehensively. “I haven’t really planned that far ahead.” Kat looked into her friend’s eyes again. There was something about the way that last sentence had been said that was … strange. Not like Alex at all. When cornered, her friend usually resorted to flippant or sarcastic remarks. She’d expected something more like, “Who the hell knows?” or maybe, “I’ll leave when the wind changes direction.” Whatever. Kat drew on her cigarette and exhaled. It went into Alex’s eyes. That was deliberate but the woman didn’t flinch. Suddenly, Kat felt stupid and also scared, worried that she’d given far too much away when she was supposed to be hiding behind her protective inner walls. Anger is so easy to interpret. She dropped her eyes back to her shoes. “I’m sorry,” Alex nearly whispered. “I really did miss you. I …” her voice trailed off. Kat expected her to finish the sentence in all sorts of ways, most of which she knew was wishful thinking. She forced a smile. “Let’s not do this, okay? I missed you, too. I can’t stay mad at you, you know that.” She reached up and put her hand over the one on her right shoulder. She dropped her cigarette. “Give me a real hug and let’s go out to the lake. That is what you had in mind, right?” “Yeah,” Alex chuckled, a relieved sigh slipping from between her lips as she wrapped her arms around Kat and pulled her in close. They stood that way for a long time. Definitely longer than is appropriate between two people who claim they’re just friends. Kat didn’t want to let go but knew she needed to, for herself. She gave a gentle squeeze and pulled away. “All right then, let’s go.” She glanced over the parking lot and didn’t see Alex’s car. In fact, the only car parked there was her own beat up Chevy. She raised her eyebrows at Alex. Their traditional homecoming adventure involved Alex driving up to the lake and them sharing a six pack while they caught up on each other’s lives. She received a grin for her eyebrow-raise. Alex nodded across the street at a motorcycle parked there. Kat’s eyebrows shot up even higher. Alex laughed now full-out. “Come on,” she said and took Kat’s hand. “I have a helmet for you, don’t worry.” Damn. So that dream had come true, Kat snorted and shook her head. It was pretty cool for her friend, but meant that she’d be riding plastered against the woman’s back for twenty minutes. She hesitated for a minute until Alex caught her hand and started tugging her across the street. “Okay, okay, I’m coming,” she finally giggled and shook her head. Alex revved the machine -- always the show-off -- and reached back to grab Kat’s arms and wrap them around her stomach. Kat stifled a groan. Not only was she about to be terrified out of her mind (riding a motorcycle was not her idea of a good time), but she’d have to do so with Alex’s sexy flat stomach bunched under her fingertips. Alex pulled her close and she was forced to scoot forward. She could feel her breasts press into the leanly-muscled back. She could feel her nipples brush against shoulder blades and shivered. It was going to be a long, long ride. She heard Alex laugh. Not a mocking laugh, but a purely joyous one. She revved the engine again and pulled away from the curve, then hit the gas and tore down the two-lane country road, trees whipping by at an alarming rate. Kat held on for dear life and shut her eyes, forcing herself to concentrate on the scent that was so distinctly Alex. “Okay, you can let go now,” Alex said with amusement when she kicked the cycle stand out and turned off the engine. Kat opened her eyes. Her body was still telling her not to let go at any cost. Her heart was pounding so loudly she’d barely heard what the other woman had said. And it was definitely from more than simple fear. Reluctantly, she ordered her arms to let go. Like a perfect gentleman, Alex helped her off the bike and offered her arm. Kat took it out of habit. They walked a short distance to their old high school haunt -- a sandstone outcropping of rocks that jutted out ten feet over the expansive lake. “Their” spot was through some brush and away from the park area. The sheriff hadn’t caught them here yet, nor would he that night. Alex flopped down on the flat rocks and pulled off her boots and socks, wriggling her toes with a satisfied, “Ah, much better,” then popped open two lukewarm beers, handing one to Kat. “I missed our spot, too,” she said happily and took a sip. She tried not to make a face because the beer was warm, but Kat saw it and giggled. The grimace made Alex look younger somehow, like she’d looked the first night they’d done this almost eight years ago. “I like your hair like this,” Kat blurted after taking a sip and cursed herself. “Yeah?” Alex looked at her curiously. “Just got it done a week ago.” “It makes you look …” Kat immediately thought “butch” but tried to find another word that was equally complimentary and less obvious. “ … different,” she finished lamely. Alex sat up straighter and laughed. “What word were you trying not to use?” Kat blushed and took another sip of beer. She was glad it was dark. “Never mind,” she muttered and looked out over the lake that was sparkling under the full moon and stars. She glanced back at Alex, who’s eyebrow was raised. Kat sighed in exasperation. “Butch, okay? There, I said it.” Alex leaned back on her elbows rather self-satisfied. “Good,” she said. “That was the point.” Kat coughed on beer swallowed too quickly. Alex had always been a tomboy. Hell, she’d held her own with the boys in high school. She was … well, different, but Alex wasn’t really butch, right? She wouldn’t even use a word like that to describe herself, would she? Kat’s eyebrows knit in concentration. A lot of things can change in three years, she thought. She’d realized her own share of things in three years. She focused back on Alex’s face and noticed the woman had a pensive look there, too. Kat squashed the hope that swelled almost immediately. The minutes ticked by. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. “Why was that the point?” she asked in spite of herself and her resolve to keep her distance. “Kat, don’t tell me you can’t figure that one out on your own,” Alex deadpanned in a very no-nonsense kind of way. Their eyes met and lingered. “Say it,” Alex demanded. Kat swallowed. She tried to stall by taking another sip of beer and realized the can was empty. Alex smirked at her -- she’d been caught trying to stall -- and popped open another for her, handing it over. Long fingers trailed over Kat’s for only a second while the beer passed between them but it left her hand tingling with the contact. “Why did you come here?” Kat blurted and couldn’t help it. Like hell she was going to respond to that last demand. Alex frowned. Now it was her turn to stall with her own beer. She drained her can and opened another. “I came because it’s been too damned long,” she finally said. “And because … oh, hell … because I missed you.” She wouldn’t look at Kat while she continued. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately and wanted to know how you’re doing.” Right, Kat thought. Just curious. Drove a thousand miles on a freaking motorcycle rather than picking up a phone after disappearing for three freaking years. It’s not like they didn’t have phones in West Village. Hope threatened to resurface with alarming strength. “Uh-huh,” she said because she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Alex sat up straighter again and scooted closer. “So, um, how’ve you been?” Their knees were touching. Alex casually put a hand on Kat’s knee like she’d done a thousand times before. But the silence that followed was a bit strained and Kat had trouble focusing on anything but the warmth spreading up her knee and along her thigh. “Fine, fine, really,” she stammered, torn between moving away, out of reach, and staying exactly where she was. She was damned tired of playing this game. To hell with it. She laughed then, suddenly, and the melodic sound of her laughter ripped through the peaceful night. The last of her anger dissolved. “What’s so funny?” “You,” Kat choked out between laughter. She pointed at the lake and their beers, “This.” She looked down at the hand on her leg and up at Alex’s very butch haircut. “That.” She sighed and took a sip of beer. “Us.” Slowly, a smile slid across Alex’s face. She leaned in closer -- so close it was impossible to retain eye contact. “And what about us?” she murmured against Kat’s ear. They’d always been close physically. There’d been a lot of rumors in high school. They’d hugged and cuddled and brushed each other’s faces with tender fingertips, played with each other’s hair, rubbed each other’s backs and feet after a long day. They’d been skinny dipping in the lake. They’d had sleepovers and Alex had slept in her twin bed. But the way they were sitting and the breath on her ear, Kat thought, was definitely not friendly-close. She shivered and allowed the soft sigh to escape her lips. If she was misreading the signals, she was a damned idiot. “Um …” she tried to answer but words were not coming so easily. “Um?” Alex laughed throatily in her ear. She paused long enough to draw breath and release it gently, teasingly, along Kat’s earlobe. “I need to ask you something.” “Uh-huh,” Kat mumbled, her eyelids growing heavy. “Did you ever think about us?” She waited a beat, then added, “I mean, in a way that’s not platonic and definitely not sisterly?” The hot breath on her ear was wreaking havoc on her body and Kat tried to open her eyes a little more, tried to focus. “Oh, yeah,” she sighed and couldn’t help it. She giggled when Alex playfully nipped at her earlobe. “I thought about it a lot.” “Really,” Alex drawled and sucked the earlobe into her mouth, running teeth along the edges. “Me, too.” Kat’s breath caught and she cleared her throat. The hand on her knee was moving in tiny circles. “Why didn’t you …” she couldn’t bring herself to finish the question. “I don’t know. I’m a fool,” Alex nearly growled, gripping Kat’s thigh. “I guess, I mean,” she stopped and pulled away, struggling. “I didn’t think you wanted me that way.” “But I did,” Kat whispered and reached over to cup Alex’s face. She held that beautiful face and looked into the stormy eyes for several long seconds. “That’s why I was mad earlier.” She paused. “You’re just going to leave again and I didn’t think … I don’t want to get my hopes up.” Alex dropped her eyes. Kat noticed her friend’s hands were trembling. For a gut-wrenching moment, she thought she’d misunderstood. Then Alex took a shaky breath. “I’m not going to ‘just leave again.’ I thought I couldn’t be with you and tried to distance myself. That’s why I stayed away. After that last visit -- I was a wreck, Kat. It was so much fun,” her voice trailed off and for several seconds she seemed in another place. Then she was back, “But like I said earlier, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately.” She took a deep breath. “I came out here to tell you how I felt and to see if I have a chance in hell.” Kat released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She raised Alex’s face up until their eyes met again. She couldn’t hardly believe this was happening after so many empty nights. “There’s a chance,” she said and pressed her lips against Alex’s. It was tender and sweet until Alex parted her lips. In all of Kat’s fantasies, Alex had always come to her -- strong and eager, ravishing. But the real thing was entirely different. Kat crashed into that mouth like she was drowning and Alex was the air she needed to survive. She slipped her tongue past her friend’s defenses, moaned into her open mouth with relief and excitement. She wrapped her hands around Alex’s head and crushed their lips together, sucking a bottom lip into her mouth and nibbling along the edges. Her head was pounding for need of air and she tore her lips away with a gasp. “Shit, Kat,” Alex groaned, her chest heaving for breath, her eyes heavy-lidded and pupils shot through with desire. She scooped Kat up with powerful arms and settled her in her lap. Kat wriggled until she was comfortable and continued to assault those full, pouty lips that were so soft -- so incredibly soft. Hands slipped under her blue work T-shirt and kneaded her back. The sensation tore little noises from her throat that she couldn’t stifle, didn’t want to. Warmth was beginning to build in her stomach and stretch outward. She felt light-headed. She drew a line with her tongue to Alex’s neck and nipped at the pulse point, delighting in the moan that she was responsible for drawing out. The hands were working at her bra, unsnapping it with surprising ease, then followed the fabric around to the front, cupping her breasts. Thumbs brushed across her nipples in teasing circles. Kat threw her head back and cried out. “Damn, you’re sexier than I thought,” Alex growled and released the breasts, tearing at the T-shirt. “Raise your arms,” she ordered and Kat complied without hesitation. The T-shirt hit the rocks two seconds later, followed by a black bra. Alex stopped long enough to say, “You’re fucking beautiful, Kat. I always thought you were so fucking beautiful. I couldn’t hardly stand it sometimes.” Then she dipped her head lower and sucked a nipple into her mouth, rolling it along her tongue and teeth, grazing the tip. Kat squirmed and moaned with abandon, shamelessly rocking her hips against Alex’s abdomen. She gripped two fistfuls of white tank top fabric and tugged upward -- not wanting the attention to her nipples to stop, but desperately craving the sight of Alex topless. She wanted to see those perfect small breasts that she’d only caught glimpses of before, the last time of which had been while they’d skinny dipped at that very site three years before. Alex got the hint and broke contact long enough to tear off her shirt. Then she hugged them together so that their bare upper torsos ground together. “Yesss,” Kat hissed and ran her fingernails along that tight, muscled back. Alex wedged her hands between them and pushed Kat back so she could suck the other nipple into her mouth. She hummed into the tightened flesh, massaging Kat’s upper thighs with her hands. Kat felt the wetness growing. Her panties felt slick as she ground her center against Alex’s stomach. But when a set of fingers left her right thigh and started to fiddle with her fly, she froze. Alex pulled back immediately. “What’s wrong? Too fast?” the words came out alarmed and confused. “Not too fast,” Kat panted, blushing so badly her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She tried to catch her breath and groaned in frustration. “It’s just that …” Realization dawned in Alex’s eyes. Kat knew her friend read the rest of the sentence on her face, knew by the widening of Alex's eyes. “Are you trying to tell me that you never …” “Yes,” Kat whispered, embarrassed. “But why?” Alex’s voice was not mocking, just baffled. Kat ducked her head in the nape of Alex’s neck and inhaled the comforting scent. “Not exactly a lot of lesbians in West Village,” she whispered and couldn’t help the very girly giggle that escaped. “Besides, for me there was only you. And you weren’t here.” “Oh,” Alex said and hooked a finger under Kat’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. “Are you sure you want this? I mean out here, like this, we’re moving kind of fast.” “Hell yes I want this,” Kat snorted. “Like this. In our spot. Fast.” She gave Alex her best I-can’t-believe-you’re-even-asking look. “Alex, if you don’t finish what you started, I’m going to kill you.” She lowered her mouth until they were practically breathing the same air. “Do it,” she ordered breathily and groaned with satisfaction when Alex resumed working on her fly with both hands now. Alex tore the button off and ripped the zipper down with force, slipping her fingers inside the tight jeans as far as she could, brushing them along the damp panties where Kat’s swollen clit was throbbing almost painfully. “Oh, holy shit,” Kat groaned and threw her head back. “Wow,” Alex sighed, her eyelids sliding shut. “You’re so wet.” Kat’s eyes slid shut and she could see stars behind her eyelids as a finger slid beneath the thin fabric and ran the length of her folds. She could feel Alex straining to reach her center and heard a frustrated growl against her nipple. “Hold on,” Alex murmured pulling her hand free and gripping Kat’s thighs, pushing her up. I want you to lay down on the rocks.” Kat scrambled out of Alex’s lap and lay down, her eyes shining with expectation. She didn’t give a damned that the rocks were rough against her bare back. Maybe tomorrow she’d care, but not right then. She lifted her hips so Alex could peel off her jeans, followed by her panties. She shivered as a breeze ran across her bare body. Alex looked at her then, and it was a hungry look -- a look that drinks up the sight before it. Kat shivered again and squirmed with anticipation. And then slowly, Alex unzipped her own fly, never breaking eye contact, and slid out of her jeans, leaving Kat speechless for the sight before her. So much lean muscle, covered by a thin layer of feminine softness, leaving the planes of flesh smooth and graceful. Alex was breathing hard. It was the only thing Kat could hear over her pounding heart. She tried to speak, but a low sigh slipped out instead. Alex lowered herself on top of her, holding most of her weight on her forearms on either side of Kat’s head. She kissed her slowly, languidly, as if to memorize the touch. And then one arm readjusted and that strong, callused hand worked it’s way lower toward Kat’s aching center. “Oh, please,” Kat pleaded, writhing. She raised her knee between Alex’s legs instinctively and felt the hot, slick center. The wandering hand froze and Alex groaned, cursing, pushing back against the upper thigh between her legs, rubbing herself along its length before tracing her hand lower, though it took more effort to focus. Kat cried out when the fingers again touched her clit and applied more pressure this time. Slow, torturous circles until she thought she’d loose her mind. She thrust upward with her knee, forcing an equally frustrated cry from Alex. The fingers dipped lower, swirling around the entrance. “Lower your knee,” she ordered through gritted teeth, lowering her head to Kat’s ear, swirling her tongue there in a rhythm to match her fingers. Then she said, “I want to go lower and you are distracting me.” Kat laughed hoarsely and did as ordered. Alex burned a trail along her throat and through the valley of her breasts, stopping long enough to nip and nibble her lower ribs before dipping into her bellybutton and down to the curly hair. She readjusted her body and licked up the insides of Kat’s thighs. Kat wrapped her legs around Alex’s shoulders and writhed, her shoulders rubbing against the rough rock, her mouth open in a silent scream. She could feel the warm breath on her clit, thrust her hips upward to meet the lips so close. Alex ran her tongue the length of Kat’s throbbing center and released the blocked scream that came from deep in Kat’s stomach. Alex lapped at the wetness, rubbing her checks and nose and lips until she was coated in sex. Strong arms clamped around her thighs and still Kat ground her sex into her lover’s face. She’d imaged many things, what it would be like to have Alex there, but even her wildest fantasies paled in comparison to the fire raging between her legs. She felt like she couldn’t draw enough breath before it was ripped from her lips. She gasped, cried out, sucked the air in as fast as she could and gasped again. She needed something to hold on to. Her fingers found the short hair and she alternated between gripping hard and caressing it. Alex released one thigh and brought her fingers to the slick entrance. She stopped her assault on Kat’s clit long enough to coat her fingers in the hot sex, then hesitated, teasing the folds, causing whimpers to escape the blonde’s throat. “Alex, Alex, inside. Now. Fuck me,” Kat cried, thrusting her hips upward, trying to pull the fingers in. It was all the invitation Alex needed. She eased two fingers inside slowly, feeling the resistance -- the thin layer of skin. Kat pushed herself up on her elbows and snapped her eyes open to meet a look of wonder. “Do it,” she whispered. Alex thrust her fingers in as quick as she could, saw the look of pain on Kat’s face, and held her fingers still for a few seconds, running her tongue slowly back and forth over the buddle of nerves under her lips. The pain in Kat’s face faded. Alex moved her fingers slowly out, then in. Kat closed her eyes and shivered, easing her back down against the sandstone. “Oh my God,” she moaned. “Un-fucking-believable.” Alex groaned against her clit and the sound vibrated along her over-sensitized skin. She writhed under her lover. The rhythm quickened in response and Kat knew her orgasm was building. She could feel it swelling up inside her, feel pressure worm along her spine and force the air from her lungs. Those fingers felt like they’d crawl up inside her and burrow under her heart, squeezing. She screamed. Like a shockwave, the full orgasm crashed over her from the epicenter to her toes and fingertips -- her hands clenched tight and thighs quivering with final, desperately-needed release. She collapsed against the rock and lay panting for several minutes while Alex remained inside her. “You are so amazing,” Alex murmured, bringing Kat back to earth. “So, so …” words seemed to fail her. She gently tugged her fingers out, ripping a small cry from Kat’s lips. Kat opened her eyes and caught the sloppy grin on Alex’s face. The fingers slid back in and just like that, her body was on fire again. She groaned. Alex dove back in for another taste and brought her in a manner of seconds, swirling her fingers inside to create contraction after contraction until Kat cried out, “You’re going to kill me!” Alex chuckled low in her throat and it was a very satisfied sound. She eased her fingers out and crawled up to lay next to Kat. Kat wiped a sweat-soaked strand of hair out of her face and took several deep breaths through her nose, trying to regain some control. She rolled her head to the side and bumped Alex’s nose. She laughed and kissed the woman’s lips tenderly. She’d never again think that anything was quite as sexy as tasting herself on Alex’s lips. That first time, she spent long moments tracing those lips with her tongue, delving deep inside that mouth. She could feel Alex shaking with need and abandoned the soft lips for a throbbing pulse point along her tanned neck. She had no experience whatsoever. It didn’t matter. What was good for her was good for Alex and she’d make damned sure she gave back what she was given. “There’s more than just a chance,” Kat growled as she worked her way lower, stopping to suck in a nipple and tease her new lover. She stopped and looked up with serious eyes, caught Alex’s gaze and continued, “Let’s not pretend anymore that we can’t be with each other. Let’s figure something out. But we’ll talk later. Much later.” A humming noise was in the air, and Kat was surprised to discover that the noise was coming from her throat. She smiled a very wicked smile and inched herself across Alex’s taut abs until she hit wiry dark curls. Then she went lower and loved every second of it. Feedback? E-mail me at kimberlylafontaine@yahoo.com. |