“It has been hard for all of us, but you need to move on,” Amy said, resisting the urge to reach out and comfort her. She didn’t want to give her the wrong idea.
“Have you, moved on?” Jessica asked, her brow lifting in question.
“Yes.”
“With the woman I saw you with the other week?”
“Yes.” Amy wouldn’t elaborate. What she had with Laura was nobody’s business, especially Jessica’s.
“I see. I hope it works out for you.”
Amy could read Jessica just as well as she could Julia and she knew her comment was less than sincere. “Thank you,” she replied anyway.
“Mum told me about your dad. How is he?”
“About the same. Partially paralyzed, can’t talk much. It’s been a difficult six weeks but we’re coping okay. Jessie, I’m sorry if I led you on but I was in a dark place. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. It was wrong of me.”
“It’s okay. You were grieving. I should have stopped it before it went too far. I was selfish.”
“We both were. Can we forget it happened and move on from it?”
“Sure. I’ll probably be going back to the States at some point. It’ll be nice if I could say goodbye when I do.”
She looked so hopeful that Amy didn’t have the heart to tell her she probably would never see her again. If she did go back to America, there would be no communication. And Aaron was getting older, eventually he’d be able to go see Diana without Amy taking him, so there really was no reason to see her. “Of course,” she said, instead of the cold truth. No point hurting her for no reason. “I don’t want to leave it like we did last time.”
“I’ll see you around then.”
“Yes. Goodbye, Jessie.”
“Goodbye, Amy.”
Amy watched her walk away for a moment, hating how out of control things had gotten between them. There was a time that all three of them would hang out, along with which ever girlfriend Jessica had at the time. She had hoped that after Julia’s death they would remain just as close, but Amy had ruined all that. Shame still filled her when she thought of what had happened that night. It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway, being friends, not with the crush Jessica so obviously had on her.
Her mobile began to ring, and she quickly pulled the phone from her pocket, smiling when she saw Laura’s name flash up on the screen. “Hey, Laura.”
“Hi. Whatcha doing?”
“Shopping for someone’s birthday.”
“Ooh...Can I put in a request?” she asked in a sexy whisper.
“No, you may not. You’ll just have to be surprised.”
“Spoil sport. If you’re local, do you have time to grab some lunch?”
Amy checked the time on her phone, her mum wasn’t expecting her back until two o’clock. Placing the phone back to her ear she said, “Sure, if you can make it a quick one.”
“Darling, I’d love to have a quickie with you.”
Amy laughed out loud and snorted un-ladylike, causing a passerby to glare at her. Turning her back on the stranger, she replied, “You’re a troublemaker.”
“And that’s why you love me.”
“One of the reasons,” she said seriously. “I’ve got one more shop to look at and then I’ll head on over to your office.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Amy hung up the phone then entered the shop, her unpleasant encounter with Jessica forgotten and now replaced with a feeling of hope and pleasure, and the stirrings of arousal thinking about Laura always brought.
Chapter Nineteen
Laura looked into the full-length mirror one final time before she headed downstairs to wait for Amy. Today was her fortieth birthday and she was nervous for the nights events. Amy had hinted the day before that Martha would be okay babysitting Aaron if they wanted to have a sleepover. The possibility of finally having Amy thrilled her. It also made her feel a little sick. She had never been apprehensive about going on a date before, but Amy was special. She didn’t want to mess it up. The last few weeks had been a trying time for Amy and they hardly spent any real time together. They had had a few coffee dates and taken Aaron to the beach but most of the time she had been trying to get Amy’s house ready for Jim’s homecoming. Laura hadn’t even expected Amy to remember it was her birthday, but she had cornered her in the new wet room and declared she would be taking her out somewhere romantic. Laura’s mind spun at the way Amy had looked at her and ran her hand down her cheek. Laura wasn’t a stupid woman, she knew flirting when she saw it and judging by Amy’s sexy smile and teasing playfulness, tonight was going to be a night to never forget.
Laura adjusted her linen jacket, making sure the collar laid flat, and ran her fingers through her hair one more time to keep the locks in place. Nodding at her reflection she went downstairs. Just as she reached the bottom step the doorbell rang. Opening the door, she saw Amy stood on the other side, a bunch of roses cradled in one hand and a wrapped gift in the other. She looked amazing in her tailored red trousers and white blouse which accentuated her breasts. Laura’s mouth watered.
“Happy birthday!” Amy said, a wide smile in place.
“Thank you. You look amazing. Come on in.” Laura stepped back from the threshold allowing Amy to enter.
“These are for you,” Amy said as she presented her gifts to her.
“I told you you didn’t need to get me anything but thank you.” She closed the door and took the proffered gifts. “Do we have time for a glass of wine before we go?”
Amy glanced at her small gold wrist watch. “Yes, that’s okay. Reservations aren’t for another forty-five minutes. We don’t need to go far.”
“Great.” Laura led them into her small kitchen and quickly put the flowers in water. She grabbed two wine glasses and an open bottle of pinot, pouring them each a glass. “Here you go.”
“Cheers.”
“Cheers,” she said then took a sip. “Can I open the present now or would you rather I wait?” She knew some people didn’t like having presents opened in front of the gift giver incase the receiver didn’t like it, but Amy just nodded and said, “Of course.” Laura put down her glass and lifted the twelve by eight-inch present. It felt heavy in her hands. She gave it a shake, as is the custom with any gift, and then asked, “Is it a puppy?”
Amy laughed. “I know dogs come in all shapes and sizes but if that thing is a dog then we’ll need to talk to the PDSA about animal cruelty.”
Laura smiled then tore into the paper. Her eyes went wide at what she uncovered. In her hands was a wooden box engraved with her name on top. She opened the lid and saw a row of professional pencils, all at a different grade of lead. Lifting the top layer out, underneath were all the things an architect could need. Ruler, set square, compass, rubber, sharpener, everything all laid out in a beautifully designed box. Laura ran her fingers over it all. Looking up she whispered, “It’s amazing. Thank you.”
Amy blushed. “I know you probably have all these things anyway, but I didn’t know what else to get you, and I wanted something to remind you of how we met.”
“Your parents retirement house.”
“Yes.”
Laura moved closer to Amy and kissed her squarely on the lips. “I love it. Thank you.” She placed the box onto the kitchen counter and leaned in again, cupping Amy’s cheek and kissing her more firmly. She felt Amy’s hands move to her waist and pull her in tighter. Before she knew what she was doing she had lifted Amy up onto the kitchen counter with Amy’s thighs spread wide, giving her enough room to settle between them and continue kissing her.
Amy’s hands found her head and her fingers pushed through her hair, holding Laura tightly to her, her heels coming up behind Laura’s thighs and trapping her to her body. “You get me so hot,” Amy whispered harshly in between kisses.
Laura butterfly kissed her way down Amy’s throat and onto her chest, her hand finding its way to Laura’s breast, squeezing ever so gently, feeling her nip
ple grow stiff against her palm. She was on the verge of losing control. They had been this close before, but Laura had always managed to control herself, not letting things progress too fast, but now, with Amy’s hot centre pressed against her stomach and Laura feeling Amy’s nipple harden at her touch, she didn’t think she could hold back any longer.
“Amy, I want you,” she said in between nips and kisses. “I don’t know if I can wait to have you.”
Amy pushed her away slightly, making eye contact. “I had plans to wine and dine you but now I’m rethinking my plan to wait to give you your main present. I want you to have it now.”
“What is it?” Laura asked, hoping it was what was beneath Amy’s clothes.
“This.” Amy took Laura’s hand and drew it down from her breast to her centre. “I want to make love to you. I can’t wait any more.”
In one move, Laura hooked one arm under Amy’s thighs and the other behind her back, cradling her close. “Are you sure?” she asked. Amy nodded and with that Laura used all the strength she had to carry Amy up the stairs and in to her room. She settled her on the bed and slowly undressed her, kissing her way down every inch of skin that was bared as Amy’s clothes were removed.
“You look amazing,” she said when Amy finally lay there naked. Her pale skin and curves making Laura grow wet. She had made love before to many a woman but none as special as Amy. Laura planned to show her just how much she cherished this gift. She quickly made short work of her own clothing, not caring it had taken her an hour to decide what to wear and settled her weight on top of Amy. Looking directly in her eyes she whispered, “I love you,” then she kissed her hard.
#
Amy woke to the feel of fingers gliding over the bare skin of her back, swooping over her ass cheek and tickling a thigh. She squirmed with the teasing and rolled over to stop the torment. Laura lay next to her, her head resting on one hand, a pleased smile on her face. Her lips looked swollen and the skin under her eyes were a little puffy from lack of sleep. The sun was only just rising and casting a muted glow through the curtains. Amy guessed it to be about six o’clock.
“Good morning,” Laura murmured, then leaned in close to kiss Amy.
“Hmm, it is, isn’t it,” Amy said after she pulled away. It had been an incredible night of love making, Amy ached in places she didn’t know existed. She hadn’t had a night of all-night sex since the early days of dating Julia. She had missed it.
“Thank you for my birthday present.”
A sly smile curved Amy’s lips. “Which one?”
“As much as I love the pencil set, I have to say spending the night wrapped up in you was the best damn gift I’ve ever gotten.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“I loved it. And I love you.”
As much as Amy was falling in love with Laura she couldn’t find the will to say it out loud. She didn’t want to jinx what they had and as stupid as it probably was, she feared that was what would happen if she said it aloud. She didn’t want Laura to have the power to break her heart, and telling someone you loved them would give them that power. So, she would wait. Instead, she curled her fingers in Laura’s hair and drew her in closer. “You’re a very special woman, Laura. I’ve never met anyone like you.” She kissed her hard and deep, rolling Laura onto her back and straddling her waist.
Laura gasped and whispered, “Did I mention that when you turn forty your birthday is actually a two-day event?”
“I can’t recall ever hearing that before,” Amy replied as she trailed her fingertips over the hard peaks of Laura’s breasts.
“Well it is.”
“So, does that mean I have to get you another present?”
“Yes, but I don’t mind having the same gift I had last night,” Laura said, her hips beginning to undulate under Amy’s hot centre.
“I’m not sure I can find another personalised pencil set,” she whispered breathlessly, her own hips picking up pace, feeling Laura grow impossibly wet beneath her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold back her climax. The pressure in her clit was driving her crazy and she needed a release, and soon.
“I wasn’t talking about that gift.”
“No? Huh. I suppose I could go out and find you something else.”
“You know what I want and it’s not something you find in a shop.”
Amy fell forward, catching herself before she collapsed entirely on Laura, and kissed her again. Laura opened her legs wider and hooked her feet behind Amy’s calves. “As it’s your birthday,” Amy said, “you can have whatever you fancy.”
“Oh goody,” Laura replied as she flipped Amy over, reversing their positions.
Amy threw her head back into the mattress as Laura bit down on one of her nipples and the pain-pleasure shot straight to her clit. Before too long her orgasm hit and she cried out Laura’s name as her climax rolled through her body, shuddering in pure joy.
#
“Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?” Laura asked as she poured coffee into two cups.
“No, I can’t really leave Mum with Aaron and Dad.” She stepped up next to Laura and kissed her cheek while taking one of the mugs. They had both showered and changed, Amy wearing last night’s clothing, and Amy had just enough time for a quick shot of caffeine before heading home. Her mother had said before Amy left last night there was no hurry to get back, that she would be fine with Aaron, but Amy didn’t think that was fair. As much as she wanted to spend the day making love with Laura, they both had responsibilities they needed to take care of.
“Okay. Don’t forget I’ll be in London for the next couple of days.”
“Shit. I completely forgot.” Laura had mentioned a couple of weeks ago she had a client meeting she needed to attend in London, but it had slipped Amy’s mind. She had been too busy stressing about her dad and making sure Aaron was okay. Not to mention the quandary of what to get Laura for her birthday. “When will you be back?”
“Tuesday evening.”
“Aaron goes back to school next week and I start my new job too. Do you think you could take Wednesday off and we could go somewhere, the three of us?”
Laura smiled then sipped her coffee. “I’d like that. It’s been a hard few weeks and I’m sure Aaron would love a play date again.”
Amy shook her head, laughing. “I swear you love that kid more than I do.”
Laura put her mug onto the counter, her face turning serious. “You know I do love him, right?”
“It’s pretty obvious.”
“Is that okay?”
Amy’s forehead creased. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”
“I just thought that maybe you wouldn’t want us getting too attached in case we didn’t work out.”
“You’re right, that is a concern of mine, but it doesn’t matter.” She clasped Laura’s waist in her hands and kissed her quickly, tasting the bitter coffee. “He fell in love with you the minute you got him that Lego set.”
“He’s a pretty amazing kid.”
“He idolises you. If for some reason we don’t work out, I wouldn’t stop you from seeing him. You’ve been great with him all summer and it wouldn’t be fair to take you away from him.”
“Wouldn’t that be weird? We’re not related or anything.”
Amy cupped her cheek. “Laura, families come in all shapes and sizes and no matter what happens between us, he’s your family. Just don’t hurt him or I’ll be forced to kill you.” Amy wasn’t a cruel person and no way would she stop either one seeing the other if that’s what they wanted.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She leaned in and kissed Amy. “Thank you, for letting me be a part of your family.”
“Thank you for being here.” Amy moved out of Laura’s reach. “Right, I really need to get going. Call me when you get to London.”
“Will do. And thanks again for an amazing birthday.”
Amy smirked and winked. “See you later.”
Chapter Twenty
“Amy, I need to talk to you about something fairly important,” Martha said, taking Amy’s hand and leading her into her bedroom.
“Sure, Mum. What is it?” she asked as they settled side by side on her mother’s mattress. A small table lamp illuminated the room in a soft glow and it made the exhaustion on her mother’s face more apparent.
“It’s about the house and land we were going to be building on.”
Amy scrunched her eyebrows. “What about it? I thought you decided you weren’t going to go ahead with it.”
“We aren’t, but I’ve been talking to your father and we’re both in agreement that you should have the land.”
“What?” Amy asked as she stood from the bed.
“We always planned on you having this place but with your father being ill, we have to stay here.” She shrugged. “We have enough in our savings to keep paying the bills so that won’t be a problem, and we think maybe you could build your own house for you and Aaron.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start with that.” She sat back down heavily, sinking into the plush duvet. She knew the plans for the new house had been cancelled and she assumed the land would be sold. Never in a million years had she thought about building her own place. This house was plenty big enough for them all and she had no problem staying with her parents, especially with her father’s stroke.
“Well, you do know a good architect,” Martha quipped. “Honey, I know this has come out of left field, but it makes sense. We have already bought the land and I really don’t want the hassle of trying to sell it. If you honestly don’t want it I can put it on the market, but I really think it would make a great home for you and Aaron.”
A New Beginning Page 14
