A Heart to Trust

by A. L. Brooks

  Olivia’s stomach churned. “No, I didn’t. Not yet.”

  “Really?” Maxwell glanced between Olivia and Jenny, and his eyes widened. “Oh.”

  “Quite.” Olivia gave him a wan smile.

  Jenny blinked a couple of times, then took half a step closer. “Are you seriously considering not applying?”

  Olivia sighed. “Yes. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, but somehow…”

  “I know. I should have brought it up too. It was just easier to pretend it wasn’t happening and hope it all went away.” Jenny’s lips set in a thin line. “I’m too good at doing that.”

  “It’s okay. I understand why, and I’m equally to blame. Neither of us wanted to let this get in the way of what is happening between us.” She inhaled deeply. “I still don’t. I’m not going to apply.”

  “What? You’d give up that chance for us?”

  Olivia’s heartbeat thudded painfully in her veins. “I would.” She said it with absolute certainty, even though she could have sworn she hadn’t made up her mind yet.

  “I can’t believe you’d do that.”

  “This means so much to me.” Olivia brushed one surreptitious finger along the back of Jenny’s hand. “I don’t want to lose it before it’s got started.”

  When Jenny’s eyes filled with tears, Olivia had to fight hard not to wrap her arms around her. Not here, not in front of all these people. “It’s okay,” Olivia whispered. “There will be other job opportunities and—”

  “Do it.” Jenny wiped furiously at her eyes. “Apply for it.”

  “But—”

  Jenny leaned in; her perfume teased Olivia’s nose and made delicious things happen low in her body. “Do it. Please, don’t put your career on hold for any longer. This is what you’ve been working so hard for. Go for it. We’ll be all right. We’ll figure it out, okay?”

  Now it was Olivia’s turn to fight back tears. They were both prepared to give each other so much. It staggered her how quickly they’d got to this point, but it had been building for months. Maybe they were right for each other. The thought sent a thrill coursing through her body. “Are you sure?”

  “One hundred percent.” Jenny’s smile was beautiful.

  Exhaling loudly, Olivia nodded. “Well, all right then.”

  Jenny gripped her arm, just above her wrist, and squeezed. “Good.”

  With her legs a little unsteady, Olivia turned back to her desk. “I guess my morning now has a different flavor.” She opened her laptop and navigated to the company’s recruitment web page.

  Okay, here we go.

  Jenny couldn’t stop staring at Olivia. Her girlfriend—the word still sounded a little strange when applied to Olivia—was totally focused on her screen. She bit at her bottom lip again, which made Jenny chuckle. Yeah, Olivia was in the zone.

  I still can’t believe she would have done that for me.

  It had shaken Jenny to her core. She’d faced the biggest rejection of her life when her parents kicked her out of their home, unable to see that this one thing about her—that she liked women—didn’t change who she was. They didn’t believe in her as a person enough to see past it and that hurt the most. That to them, she merely fulfilled a role in their story and wasn’t her own person with her own feelings and life to live.

  To have someone believe in her that much, believe in what she could offer them just as she was, that they’d be willing to walk away from a great career opportunity? That blew her mind. The fact it was Olivia blew her mind even more. The woman she’d once called icy had turned out to be this incredibly warm, thoughtful, caring person who Jenny loved—

  Whoa.

  Loved?

  Jenny slumped back in her chair. Holy crap, I think I do. She hadn’t been in love for a long time, and only once before. Did it feel like this? She shook her head. No, not like this at all. This was a whole lot better. More satisfying. More connected. More…everything.

  “Are you okay?” A small frown marred Olivia’s features.

  “Yeah, yeah. All good.” I can’t tell her yet. Can I?

  Olivia tilted her head, stared at Jenny for a few moments, then looked back to her screen. “I’m nearly done. Would you read through it before I click send?”

  “Sure.” Working hard to calm her body, which flushed hot and cold and pounded all over with the rhythm of her heart, Jenny wheeled her chair around her desk, behind Maxwell’s, and slid into place alongside Olivia.

  Olivia grinned. “You love doing that, don’t you?”

  Jenny opened her arms wide. “Why walk when you don’t have to?”

  Shaking her head—but laughing—Olivia swiveled her screen around for Jenny to see.

  She leaned in and read. She found only two sentences that didn’t quite make sense and worked with Olivia to make them read easier. It felt good to help her with the application. Sure, she was a little nervous about what it might mean for them, but she’d had no hesitation in pushing Olivia to apply. It was absolutely the right moment and the right step for her girlfriend to take, and what kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn’t support her?

  “Thanks, that’s… Thank you.” Olivia’s eyes were wet again, and Jenny had to sit on her hands to prevent herself from wiping away those tears. “Okay. One last chance to tell me no.” Olivia’s finger hovered over the enter key. One press of that and her application would be in.

  Jenny placed her fingertip on top of Olivia’s and pressed down.

  Olivia’s tiny gasp sent a shiver of, well, Jenny had no idea what it was, but it did amazing things as it shimmied its way down her body. “Do you have plans tonight?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

  Olivia’s gaze locked on Jenny’s, her eyes smoldering. “No, I don’t.”

  “Can I come over?”

  Chapter 34

  Olivia came home in a rush, breathless and tingling with anticipation. She knew what Jenny’s question had meant. She’d seen it written loud and clear in those incredible gray eyes. That look said, “No more waiting.”

  And Olivia had absolutely no problem with that.

  She showered, shaved, and slipped into some comfy jeans she knew very well made her ass and legs look amazing. On top, she added a loose-fit T-shirt that had a habit of falling off her shoulders. She’d noted on more than one occasion Jenny checking out her collarbone, so she’d be a stupid woman if she didn’t play that advantage to the maximum.

  Then she whizzed around her rooms tidying and primping. Clutter was cleared, and candles were lit. Cushions were plumped, and the bed was made up with fresh linens. She found a great bottle of red wine in the wine refrigerator and opened it to breathe. Lastly, she cued up some smooth jazz on her iPod and switched off all the lights except the two lamps in the bedroom and a tall lamp in the living room.

  Broderick was out to dinner with some friends; even if he came back while she and Jenny were…busy, he wouldn’t come to her side of the apartment, so she knew their privacy was assured.

  When the doorbell rang, she chuckled at the excited leap her heart took. Calm down. Yes, it’s Jenny. Yes, it’s the woman you’ve been falling for and craving for months now. But calm down. Tonight is just the start. There is no need to rush anything. With those words repeating in her mind, she walked with more grace than she would have anticipated out to the hallway. “Hi,” she said when she opened the door.

  “Hey.” Jenny gave her a smile she felt everywhere.

  “Come on in.” She motioned to the coat hooks. “Would you like to hang your jacket up?”

  “Yes, please.” Jenny shrugged out of the thick, woolen coat, undraped the bright-red scarf from around her neck, and hung both items on the same hook.

  When she turned back to face her, Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. Jenny looked… The only word Olivia came up with was edible.

 
Jenny had mentioned going home to change before coming back into the city and oh my, it had been so worth the journey. The dark-blue jeans clung to every delicious curve. The white shirt, unbuttoned so that a hint of cleavage was on display, was crisp and bright and contrasted perfectly with Jenny’s dark hair. She’d dyed the tips of her spikes red a few days ago, and it looked amazing with some gel pushed through it tonight.

  Never, in a million years, would I have imagined I’d find a woman with red, spiky hair attractive. But here she was; her heart raced, her hands trembled, her entire body ached to be held by Jenny. To be touched by her, kissed by her, caressed—

  Jenny’s lips were on hers without warning. The kiss was hard but welcome; Jenny dove her tongue into Olivia’s mouth as her arms slid around Olivia’s waist and pulled her close. So, so close.

  Olivia pushed against her, pressed her mouth even closer for a few moments, then pulled back to lick delicately at Jenny’s top lip, then the bottom.

  Jenny groaned, long and low, and every single thing in Olivia’s body responded with unrestrained desire.

  Heat flared between them; she could feel the warmth of Jenny’s skin through her shirt and knew very soon she would need that shirt off. She ran her hands up Jenny’s back, wrapped her fingers in Jenny’s hair, and pulled her even closer to deepen the kiss as she arched her hips into Jenny. She swept her tongue into Jenny’s mouth once more, loving how Jenny whimpered and pushed her thigh between Olivia’s legs.

  Oh God, the feel of that thigh between hers. The pressure instantly hit exactly the right spot. Before she thought about it, she moved, grinding against the firmness of Jenny’s thigh. She moaned when Jenny swept one hand around from Olivia’s back to cup her breast and squeeze, oh so gently. She gasped when that touch firmed and roughly kneaded the soft flesh. Even through her bra, her nipple responded with alacrity, hardening and only increasing the pleasure exacted by Jenny’s fingers.

  Olivia thrust harder against Jenny’s thigh; her hands clutched at Jenny’s hair with something akin to desperation. She needed an anchor, needed something to keep her afloat as wave after wave of delicious, long-missed sensation traveled the length of her body.

  “Wait.” Jenny wrenched her mouth away. “Just…” Her breathing was ragged as she looked into Olivia’s eyes. She clasped hold of Olivia’s hips and with a strength that simultaneously thrilled and frustrated Olivia, stopped her moving. “I know I was the one who jumped on you.” Jenny shook her head. “But can we take this to your bedroom? Or at least your couch? I don’t want our first time to be so…”

  Olivia inhaled deeply. “Come on.” She extricated herself from Jenny’s arms, then took her hand and led her along the hallway. Maybe slowing down would be a good thing—although it had been a long time since she’d had someone else pleasure her, rather than herself, she didn’t want to go off like a rocket. Jenny deserved far better than that. So, instead of taking Jenny straight to her bedroom, she tugged her into the living room, where the candles hadn’t burned the place down but instead cast a romantic glow over the room.

  “Wow,” Jenny whispered. “This is gorgeous.”

  Olivia pushed the door closed and turned to her. “I wanted it to be special.”

  “You knew?”

  “That tonight we’d make love? Yes. Your eyes…” Olivia shuddered with excitement. “Your eyes earlier. They’re so expressive. They told me everything I needed to know about tonight.”

  Jenny stepped close and ran the tips of her fingers down Olivia’s cheek. “You are so beautiful, Olivia. Inside and out. I’m sorry it took me so long to—”

  Olivia stopped her with a finger on her lips. “You have nothing to apologize for. Besides, I think you’re more than worth the wait. That, out there?” She gestured to the hallway with her head. “One of the sexiest things that’s ever happened to me. I’m in quite the state already.”

  “Oh really?” Jenny arched one eyebrow.

  “Uh-huh.” It was hard to breathe again, so hard to fight the need to grab hold of Jenny once more.

  Jenny nodded knowingly, then took Olivia’s hand and led her over to the couch.

  Olivia had barely sat when Jenny’s lips were on her neck, trailing gentle kisses down and then up again. Every touch made her shiver, and the throbbing sensation in her clit rapidly increased in tempo.

  When Jenny’s lips finally found hers again, she moaned in relief, then sunk into the kiss as if her life depended on it. Jenny’s hands tugged at the bottom of her T-shirt, and she pulled away from the kiss only long enough for Jenny to push the shirt up and over her head.

  The shirt hadn’t even made it to the floor before Jenny trailed her lips down Olivia’s neck to her collarbone. Jenny hummed in appreciation as she planted soft kisses along its length. “So sexy,” she murmured.

  And then Jenny’s kisses moved down to the curve of Olivia’s breasts, and Olivia let out a sound that was part gasp, part groan. “Yes,” she hissed in the next moment as Jenny nuzzled her hard nipple through the bra. It was wonderful, but it wasn’t enough. She reached behind to undo her bra, then waited for Jenny to lift her head so she could remove the silky item entirely.

  Jenny stared at her, her breathing ragged. Then she glanced up, once, at Olivia before licking her lips and leaning in. The first touch of her tongue on Olivia’s nipple made her so wet and made her gasp so loudly Olivia knew all her hopes of making this first time last a while had gone out the window. This was unbelievably good. Sensations she’d forgotten her body knew how to experience skittered all over her skin.

  Jenny was everywhere; her mouth was on Olivia’s breasts, her hands caressed and stroked her back, her ribs, her belly. “I can’t get enough of you.” Jenny moved her mouth from one breast to the other. “You feel so good.”

  “Jenny, please.”

  Jenny lifted her head. Her eyes were such a dark gray it was breathtaking. “What?” Her voice was no more than a whisper but the desire in it made Olivia’s heart skip a beat.

  “I need you. Now. Please.”

  Jenny’s gaze never left Olivia’s. “Me too. I had all these ideas about going slow but…”

  Olivia chuckled. “Oh yes, same. But I can’t. We can do slow some other time, I promise. But right now, I want to feel you on me, feel your skin. Feel you inside me.”

  “Oh, fuck.” Jenny ground the words out even as her hands moved to the button on Olivia’s jeans. “Off. Now.”

  Olivia helped her, her hands frantic at the fastenings, then was quick to yank the jeans down as soon as they were undone. “You too.” She pointed at Jenny’s clothes. “All of them. Off.”

  Jenny’s grin was wicked and sent another throb straight to Olivia’s clit.

  She pulled off her own jeans then sat back, wearing only her panties, to watch Jenny strip before her. If she’d thought Jenny looked sexy doing her strut down an imaginary catwalk, it was tame compared to watching her right now.

  Whether consciously or not, Jenny peeled off her clothes in the most seductive way possible. First, the shirt was unbuttoned, then carefully draped open to reveal the lacy bra beneath. After pushing the shirt off her shoulders, she let it fall to the floor behind her and undid her bra.

  Olivia sucked in a breath when Jenny’s breasts were revealed; firm, small, and with dark nipples that were taut already. I can’t wait to taste them. She leaned forward to do just that, but Jenny held up a hand.

  “Wait, Ms. Impatient. Let me get undressed first.”

  Olivia made a hurry up motion with her hands, and Jenny laughed.

  Within seconds she too was down to panties and slid her thumbs into their waistband. “I will if you will,” she said with a smirk.

  Her gaze locked on Jenny’s, Olivia stood and mirrored Jenny’s actions, sliding her panties down and kicking them away.

  Then, before she could figure out how it happened, Olivia w
as on her back on the couch with Jenny poised above her, leaning on her elbows. She gazed down at Olivia with such tenderness and desire it made Olivia’s breath catch in her throat.

  Jenny moved, pressing her form against Olivia’s. Their skin connected everywhere possible, and Olivia moaned, sweet and low. She wrapped her arms and legs around Jenny and pulled her closer, searching for her lips with her own, kissing her deeply when she found them.

  Jenny settled between Olivia’s thighs, their centers almost touching. She kissed Olivia while her hand wandered to Olivia’s breasts to rub and pull on her nipples.

  It was electric; deep jolts of desire thrummed through Olivia’s clit. She needed something happening there. Although Jenny moved against her, slowly thrusting back and forth, it wasn’t enough. Each thrust in brought her tantalizingly close and drove Olivia wild with anticipation. “Please.” She looked for and found Jenny’s gaze. “Please, touch me.”

  Jenny moaned and moved her hand from Olivia’s breasts, down over her belly. She lifted her hips away from Olivia’s, and in the next moment, her fingers found Olivia’s wetness and stroked swiftly through it.

  “Oh God!” Olivia bucked upward, almost overwhelmed with sensation after just one touch.

  “Oh yeah…” Jenny’s gaze locked on Olivia’s as she stroked again. Then again, and again, and—

  Olivia’s orgasm slammed into her so fast she couldn’t have done anything to stop it even if she’d wanted to. Her eyes closed tightly, and she arched up into Jenny; Jenny’s mouth on hers captured her sounds of ecstasy. She could feel Jenny everywhere, and the touch of their bodies against each other only amplified the flush of her orgasm. She rode wave after wave of it while she thrust her tongue deeply into Jenny’s mouth once more.

  Eventually, everything calmed, and her heartbeat slowed, and her breathing returned to something near normal. She slumped back against the plush material of the couch.