by Alexa Woods
go small or large. We could visit a few of them and look at everything
before you make your choice. Although, I don’t know that that’s a cheap
idea. Plants are to me like candy is to kids, and I’m not sure I could contain
myself.”
June wiggled her eyebrows. “I could keep you in line.”
Arabella blushed adorably again. “Oh. Maybe I should act up then.
Maybe I’ll be wicked and find lots and lots of plants to tempt me.”
“Maybe we should also go plant pot shopping. And then after we pick
one out, the one you think would be perfect for my place—”
“I’ve never seen your place, so I’m not sure what would be perfect.”
Arabella’s tone was teasing, but she was right. She hadn’t seen her place,
and June very much wanted her to.
“Well, you know me. You know what would match my personality.”
“I don’t know. I think cacti would match your skill level, or a succulent,
but you’re not a prickly person.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Match my skill level with the plant and we
could pick out a pot you think would go well with my décor. I’ll describe it
to you on the way to whichever store you think is best.”
“And what if I don’t behave in whichever store I think is best? Are you
going to take me outside and give me a lecture, deny me ice cream on the
way home? Spank me when we get there?”
“Spank you?” June exclaimed.
An old man gave them a funny look as he hobbled along the path beside
them, leaning heavily on his cane. June covered her mouth to stifle a rather
inappropriate laugh. When she found Arabella doing the same, she nearly
lost it.
She waited a few steps before she burst out laughing. Arabella tried to
shush her, but it wasn’t long before she was snorting and full out laughing
too. She gripped June’s hand and quickly tugged her down the path.
God, if only her high school self could see her laughing like a crazy
person, on her way to buy plants because that was an exciting thing to do
when you were in your late twenties—or any age because plants were
awesome and she wasn’t sure why she hadn’t gotten any before—nearly
bent over double, hobbling down the sidewalk because she couldn’t keep it
together.
She never would have believed it, but even that made her laugh. Her
picturing herself in such total disbelief. She’d probably do everything she
could to avoid ending up here, thinking that it was some great big cosmic
blunder, and that would have been tragic. She was very glad she couldn’t
see into the future. She would have missed out. Big time.
Chapter 16
Arabella
June’s house looked nothing like Arabella thought it would. For one, while
it was in a good neighborhood, the earliest any of the houses besides the
infills had been built was the 1970s. June’s house was a big, sprawling split
level that was at least fifty years old, maybe more. The best part of the
house? It had been left in all its seventies glory from the yellow and brown
floral wallpaper on the walls to the bright red shag rug that actually climbed
from the floor up the walls in the living room. The kitchen boasted brown
appliances and the globe light fixtures were so old they looked like they’d
been beamed down from outer space in a cool, retro sort of way.
“Wow,” Arabella said after walking around, June’s plant in her hands. “I
guess I can see why you were okay with my place. This is…this is actually
kind of cool. Like, it’s a real time capsule. No one has touched this place in
a million years.”
“Well, probably a good forty.”
“I’m not sure where I should stick this. The living room has nice
windows. Although, it’s a cactus, and they do well pretty much anywhere.”
“Really?”
“I did say pretty much. Don’t lock it in a closet and never let it see the
light of day again.”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing that. Poor thing.”
“Do the closets have shag rugs in them too?”
June grinned and winked. “You betcha’ they do.”
“Holy crap. I love it.”
“I know. When I saw it, I wanted to buy it, and I had this dream of
making everything all nice and modern, but then I really started thinking
about it and I thought, why would I do that? It’s so neat the way it is. I went
out and bought draperies and antique furniture to match and then I started in
on the things that really matter. I wanted to live like I work, not just because
I thought people would check, but because it matters to me. I got a brand-
new furnace, new windows, put in an all new energy efficient hot water
heater. The washer and dryer are high efficiency. I’m going to order retro
appliances just so I can finally get back on the right track with the energy
consumption. I love the whole aura the old ones give off, but they’re just
terrible when it comes to using so much electricity. I don’t want to throw
them out, so I’ve already found a place that will take them. I’m not sure
what they do with them exactly, but I did look around to find a good
recycling place where they wouldn’t just go to the dump.”
“You can buy replica seventies fridges?” Arabella asked, amazed.
“No, the ones I’m getting are more of a replica fifties vibe, and they’re
powder pink. I thought it would be a nice compliment to all the yellows
and browns.”
“I changed my mind. I think the kitchen might be best. For the cactus. On
the window ledge if it’s big enough.” The cactus was pretty small, so she
was sure it would fit there.
June gave her a funny look and it took her a second to catch on to what
she meant. “I’m not sure which spot is best,” June purred. “But I know what
spot is best for you.”
Arabella’s mouth went dry as June stepped close to her and plucked the
plant out of her hands neatly, setting it on the kitchen counter. She
advanced, all purpose and flashing eyes that were hot on Arabella’s face,
and Arabella backed up a step, just because she liked the thrill she felt at
being pursued. June closed in on her until she was backed up against the
wall. She bracketed her in with a hand on either side of her shoulders. Even
though she was inches shorter and more petite, Arabella still felt excited at
being caged that way.
“Don’t you want to know where you’d fit best in here?” June asked
playfully.
“Uh, if you say the closet, I might be a little bit afraid. But then again, if
it really has shag rug, it might be pretty comfortable.”
June’s lips twitched and Arabella knew she didn’t mind one bit that she
wasn’t playing along properly. “I was thinking more like the shower
actually.”
“Do I stink?”
June couldn’t keep from laughing. “You could never stink. I think you
sweat out rose petals and apricots.”
“That would be quite a sight.”
“I thought a shower would be nice. Warm water with my fancy hot water
on demand system. It’s a great energy saver, so we could be a little more
frivolous and take a litt
le longer in there than the five minutes I usually allot
myself.”
“Do you really have it timed?”
“No, I guess I’m just fast. But I’d like to spend more than five minutes in
there with you. Even if the water got all cold and uncomfortable, I don’t
think I’d mind.”
“Is your shower super vintage?”
“Brown tile, baby.”
“Then yes. Oh, my God, I’m sold.”
June’s gaze clashed with hers. It was almost unnerving, the intensity in
her dark eyes. Arabella found herself getting lost in the beauty of them
before June leaned in. She gulped as June’s hand bracketed her face, her
thumb caressing the wild leaping pulse at Arabella’s throat.
“That’s good,” she whispered, gruff at first, but smooth at the end, her
voice like sandpaper and melted better all at once. “I would very much like
to make you come in there so hard that you forget your own name.”
Oh my sweet lord. Arabella’s core throbbed at the blissfully erotic intent
behind June’s words.
June’s hands reached out and undid the zipper of Arabella’s athletic zip
up. She shoved it aside, then worked her hands under the loose-fitting
workout shirt Arabella had donned in the bathroom at work in preparation
for their walk.
She kissed Arabella furiously, their tongues and lips dancing together as
their hands peeled away layers of clothes. Arabella kicked off her shoes
while she thrust her tongue into June’s mouth. She peeled away June’s yoga
pants, then worked her t-shirt over her head.
June pulled at Arabella’s thong so hard that the fabric burned her hips.
She nearly tore June’s underwear clean off. June was a master at unhooking
even the toughest of sports bras and she made quick work of Arabella’s.
June’s was more difficult and it rasped over her nose so hard that the end of
it actually bounced back into place as Arabella frantically tore it off.
“Ouch.” June rubbed her nose. “I’m kidding, it’s fine.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Which way’s the bathroom?” Arabella panted.
The air suddenly seemed thin, and Arabella could barely drag in enough
air to keep the black spots from dancing before her eyes. June’s eyes blazed
with heated desire as she pointed down the hall.
“That way.” She wrapped her arms around Arabella’s waist possessively
and tugged her to her. Hard. Their knees clashed and their arms tangled as
they walked backwards, kissing each other feverishly down the length of
the hall.
June was steering. She was quite adept at it, and they made it into the
bathroom without anyone getting a bruised tailbone or stubbed toe from
bumping into something. June flicked on the light.
There was a small window in the bathroom, with the heavy yellow drapes
closed for privacy. The shower was a huge, ancient, glass contraption with
brown and yellow floral tile. The showerhead had been replaced. It was
new and chrome. The floor in the bathroom was tiled too, a yellow, also
with flowers, that clashed tremendously with the shower. The sink and toilet
were both that burnt yellow color that was supposed to be so warm and
inviting in the seventies. It was a big bathroom, and in its day this house
must have been the pride of the block.
“I love it.” Arabella gave her praise easily. “I really do.”
June looked darkly at the shower. “My goal is to help you love it even
more as I show you all the ways I can make you come.”
Arabella nearly swallowed her tongue. June fixed that for her by kissing
her until her pulse beat even harder, echoed like a pulsing drum between her
legs. Her nipples were rock hard, and every inch of her body was suffused
with desire so thick she felt drenched in it like it was moisture in the air.
She never would have guessed before she’d been with June that first time
that she liked to take charge. It was magnetic and it drew Arabella in until
she was utterly helpless to resist.
The kiss was brutal, June stamping herself on Arabella’s mouth as her
hands did wondrous things to her body, roving over her curves and bringing
her to life, to a careening halt, to utter awareness and arousal over and over
again with every single touch.
June’s tongue tangled with Arabella’s, and while she worked her magic
with those deep strokes, her hand cupped Arabella’s sex. She gasped at the
pleasure of June’s touch, rolling her hips into her hand hard.
“I love how wet you are,” June whispered. “Wet and ready for me.”
Arabella wanted to say yes, but all she got was a near painful hiss of air
scraping out over her lower lip. Her stomach muscles contracted as June
carefully smoothed her fingers straight to her clit. Arabella’s legs nearly
gave in when June tapped the hard little bud. She whimpered and grabbed
for something but came up with air.
“The sink,” June said darkly, spinning Arabella around by the waist so
she could curl her hands around the cold pink porcelain.
Her breaths came hard and fast as she bent over it, grasping the edges
with both hands to support herself, angling her hips in the air. June’s hand
ran over the swell of her backside until it was back tantalizingly between
Arabella’s shaking legs. She gathered her moisture there with her fingertip,
smearing it over her slick, heated folds.
Arabella tried to suck in breaths, but all she could do was arch into June’s
touch and keep making low sounds in the back of her throat. Sounds of
approval and fierce, hard need.
“You’re still so wet for me,” June hummed behind Arabella as her fingers
found her clit again and started to circle. She teased her that way for a few
seconds, then, shockingly enough, used the entire palm and then the heel of
her hand against the hard bud. Because June was shorter, it she molded her
body to the middle of Arabella’s back as she arched backward, making it
even easier for her to reach.
Arabella clawed at the sink and nearly screamed. She managed to contain
it and all that came out was a roaring sort of hum at the wild pleasure
shredding her insides apart.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” June said as she tapped Arabella’s clit with
her index finger. Tendrils of wild, hot pleasure coursed through her at each
brief, teasing contact. “So, so beautiful. I love your ass. I love seeing you
spread apart for me. I love you leaking all over my fingers and over my
hand. I love how it coats your thighs, how I can watch you soak us both
before you come on my fingers.”
Arabella’s head jerked up and her eyes flew up along with it. She looked
at her shocked, flushed face in the mirror, then her eyes tracked straight to
June’s. It sent a crazy, elicit, erotic thrill through her to see that she was
watching her in the glass as well.
June’s fingers tapped and circled Arabella’s clit again. Her head fell back,
and her eyes rolled shut. Her hips swayed backwards, eager for the friction,
eager for anything and everything June was willing to give. She held herself
steady, leaning hard against the sink, so hard that she h
oped the thing didn’t
tear off the wall, since destroying June’s house would be quite
embarrassing.
“Do you want my fingers inside you?” June purred. She ran her index
finger over Arabella’s molten slit, teasing her at her entrance.
“Oh God,” she moaned. “Oh, my God.”
“I think that’s a yes. A yes to my fingers.” June slowly pushed two inside
Arabella’s entrance, filling her so ridiculously slowly that Arabella started
to beg on instinct. “A yes to this.” June started to thrust, curling her fingers
until she found that wondrous, sensitive spot inside. “Yes to you coming so
hard you see stars.”
“Fuck…” Arabella couldn’t quite believe she’d said it, but she wasn’t
about to take it back. She could feel herself clenching tightly around June’s
fingers. Her legs shook so badly that her thighs vibrated between the press
of June’s legs and the sink. Her fingers lost all feeling as she grasped the
sink until she was strangling the porcelain.
Arabella bucked hard, riding June’s fingers, taking each and every thrust
deeper. June curled her free hand into Arabella’s hair, fisting it in a great
tangle that sent prickles shooting through her scalp, as hot as the fire
burning from within.
“I want you to come,” June commanded. “Come on my fingers. Shatter
for me while I watch you in the mirror.”
It was too much. The sensual commands. The heart in June’s voice. The
utter desire to watch Arabella do as she asked. She wanted to obey. She
wanted to do this for June, so that she could watch fully the effect she had
on Arabella, so she could watch herself possess her, make her mad,
transform her into a twisted-up ball of utter pleasure. So she could watch
Arabella become someone she’d never been with anyone else. Only with
June. Always with June.
She wanted June to have that. To have all of it. Every secret bit of her.
She wanted only her to have it. To have it forever. To keep all that
vulnerability, that surrender, every bit of emotion safe.
She gave when June curled her fingers and thrust harder, creating a
rhythm she couldn’t hope to withstand. She was done and she knew it, and
when she shattered, she fell hard into that abyss of pleasure. She let it
consume her. She didn’t care if she bucked too hard or begged, if she
