Playing Catch-Up

by Zoey Lennox

  Sensing an impending meltdown, Alexis turned to the girls. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Lacey shook her head. “No, but he could have done if it hadn’t been for you guys.” She rubbed her chest as though still feeling Tom’s threatening hand.

  “Yeah,” Taylor gave them a wobbly smile. “Thanks for saving us.”

  Up close, Lacey and Taylor looked kind of cute together. Lacey easily had half a foot in height on her girlfriend, making her shoulder a convenient pillow for Taylor’s cheek. Alexis wondered if she and Ramie looked that good together.

  Stop it! Now wasn’t the time to get all mushy. Ramie was hurt and until she had a chance to inspect the injury, she could only guess how serious it was. She grabbed their bags and turned back to the girls.

  “Why don’t you two go and report this incident to whoever’s in charge while I take care of Ramie.” The last thing she needed was two gawking spectators.

  “Okay,” Lacey agreed. “We’ll see you later.”

  Alexis watched them disappear down the corridor before leading Ramie to the reception desk, where she explained what had happened to the counter clerk. After signing an incident log, she was handed an ice pack and directed towards the nearest toilet so she could tend to Ramie’s war wound.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to call the police?” the counter clerk called after them.

  Ramie shook her head. “It’s all right. I doubt they’d be able to charge him with anything. If you could just make sure he’s dealt with appropriately by the college, that’ll be great, thanks.”

  “Come on, Rocky,” Alexis said, guiding her into the toilet.

  She urged Ramie to hop up onto the unit housing the sinks and stood between her legs so she could take a closer look at the damage. When Ramie wouldn’t let her get near, she pulled on her wrist.

  “Ramie, please.”

  Ramie let out a weary sigh and gingerly removed her hand from her injured eye.

  Alexis winced at the severity of the wound. “Ouch. That’s got to hurt.”

  The tissue around Ramie’s eye had swollen into a slit and was already turning a mottled shade of purple and blue.

  Poor baby. If Alexis could absorb the pain for her, she would.

  “Here goes.” She took a deep breath. “This might sting a bit.”

  She pressed the ice pack against Ramie’s eye, following the motion of Ramie’s head when she flinched backwards.

  “We’ve got to get the swelling down if you want to minimise the damage. You’ll be thanking me tomorrow when this shiner is half the size.”

  Ramie pouted and took a few deep breaths. “What happened out there? Everything was fine…and then it wasn’t.”

  “That was Taylor’s ex-boyfriend. He was convinced she’d been cheating on him with Lacey.”

  Ramie frowned and grimaced at the motion.

  “Are you okay, baby?” Alexis set the ice pack on the side of the sink. Maybe Ramie’s injury was more serious than it appeared. “You don’t think you have a concussion, do you? Maybe we should take you to the hospital.”

  “I’m fine. I’ve just got a bit of a headache.”

  Alexis stared into Ramie’s eyes and tried to gauge her sincerity. The problem with these tough types was that they tended to downplay their wounds. Ramie could have a bleed on the brain, and she would still be declaring she was fit and well.

  She gripped Ramie’s hips. “Do you think you’ll be all right taking the bus back to my place, or shall I call us a taxi?”

  “I’ll be fi—”

  Alexis cradled Ramie’s face. “Don’t bullshit me.”

  After letting out a puff of air, Ramie’s head dipped. “Okay, let’s call a taxi.”

  Seeing Ramie so dejected pulled at Alexis’s heart strings. She tenderly stroked her chin and captured her lips. The kiss was lazy and tender, and Alexis moaned with contentment as Ramie’s arms and legs wrapped around her waist.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, when she pulled back. If there had been any doubt in her mind that she was crazy in love with this woman, it had fled the moment Ramie got hurt. She brushed an errant lock of dark hair from Ramie’s face and marvelled at her beauty which was only amplified by the overhead florescent lighting. “You’re my everything. Do you know that? I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

  A war of emotion raged inside Ramie’s troubled eyes, and then her limbs slackened. “We should probably get moving.” She gently pushed Alexis’s shoulder, forcing her to take a step back, and then slid off the vanity. “We need to pack up before we can go, and it’s getting late.”

  As she headed for the door, Alexis deflated.

  Fuck. Why did she have to open her big mouth?

  Chapter 17

  Alexis had been a wreck since the incident at the community college. Ramie hadn’t gone home with her as planned. Instead, she’d headed back to her narrowboat, claiming her headache had turned into a migraine.

  Although it had been hard watching Ramie walk away, Alexis had given her the space she so obviously needed. She’d hoped Ramie would get back in touch when she was ready to talk or, if they were going by past behaviours, when she was ready to pretend nothing had happened, but after a long week of silence, she was starting to worry. They’d never gone this long without speaking.

  “I’ve scared her off,” she told Lauren, who was helping her weed her small back garden. It was the first chance she’d had since she’d moved into her flat and would probably be the last now November had arrived. “I’m such an idiot. Ramie’s got some deep-rooted commitment issues after what happened with Kenya. I should have known better than to run off at the mouth. I’ll probably never hear from her again.”

  A few feet away, Lauren threw a handful of nettles into a plastic bin. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.”

  “She’s not even texted or called. I really think this is the end. I could just kick myself.”

  She’d tried so hard to keep within the confines of their casual arrangement. She’d followed Ramie’s lead when it came to meeting up, and for the most part, had managed to keep her emotions in check. Until Ramie got hurt and her feelings came spilling out.

  Tears welled in her eyes. She’d been so happy those brief few weeks they’d had together. Something she hadn’t truly been for a long time. To finally know what it felt like to be in love was a revelation.

  Lauren planted her shovel in the ground and wiped her forehead. “Communication is a two-way street you know. Just because Ramie’s not been in touch, there’s nothing to say you can’t reach out to her. Why not pay her a visit? Show her you’re not like Kenya?

  “I can’t.” Alexis ignored the little voice inside her head that told her she was just as much a fraud. “Her schedule’s crazy right now and I have no idea when she’ll be free.”

  “I thought Maddie said she’d been working a lot of late nights at the LGBTQ centre. That could be a good place to start.”

  It wasn’t a bad idea, but part of her didn’t want to confront Ramie. What if she called things off? Alexis might be miserable now, but at least she had a tiny bit of hope.

  “If you want to sort this out, you’ve got to make the first move,” Lauren said. “Ramie’s made it clear she’s not going to.”

  Alexis sighed. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to face another rejection.

  The back door was ajar when Alexis approached the centre out of hours the next night. Alarmed, she took a breath and stepped inside, the bag of Chinese food she was hoping to surprise Ramie with swinging at her side.

  The building was cloaked in darkness save for an eerie glow from the living room at the other end of the corridor. Hoping to goodness nothing was amiss, Alexis tiptoed towards the source of light and let out a relieved breath when she found Ramie perched on the edge of the sofa, paperwork splayed on the coffee table in front of her. Ramie’s hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, but several stubborn locks had es
caped to fall towards her chin.

  Alexis’s heart ached at the prospect of losing such an amazing person from her life. She had gotten used to Ramie’s steady presence. The world always shined a million times brighter with Ramie at her side. There would be a big black hole if she disappeared.

  The bag of Chinese food rustled, and Ramie’s head snapped up.

  Her black eye was well on the way to healing. The skin had turned a yellowish green, and the swelling had gone down completely.

  “Lex?” Ramie’s voice was low and scratchy, as though she hadn’t used it for a long time.

  Alexis fidgeted in the doorway. “I thought you might appreciate some food. Maddie said you’d been pulling all-nighters getting ready for the fundraiser.”

  Ramie eyed her, the lack of contact over the past week hanging heavy in the air. Would she offer up an explanation?

  Just when Alexis didn’t think she could stand the silence any longer, Ramie hopped up and bridged the gap between them.

  “Thanks. That’s really thoughtful of you.”

  She pulled Alexis into a hug, and the Chinese food got squished between their bodies. Alexis didn’t care. She finally had Ramie in her arms and that was all that mattered. She breathed in Ramie’s unique scent and skimmed her free hand up and down her back.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been AWOL.” Ramie kissed the top of Alexis’s head. “I’ve been so busy lately. I’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone call someone.”

  Alexis wanted to believe her, but how long did it take to pick up a phone or send a text?

  As if reading her mind Ramie said, “I know that’s not an excuse, but I promise I’ll do better next time.”

  So, there was going to be a next time. The thousands of nerves that had been standing to attention in Alexis’s body flattened. Everything was all right. Ramie wasn’t going to break up with her. Now that her worst fear had subsided, the idea of confronting Ramie was far less appealing.

  “It’s okay.” She tilted her head back and sealed her forgiveness with a quick kiss. “I know you’ve got a lot going on. Just try to remember to check in every now and again. I was worried about you. Talking about worried,” she added, drawing back. “Did you know the back door was open?”

  “It was?” Ramie frowned. “It mustn’t have latched properly when Miriam and Hector left. I guess I need to bump it up on my to do list. It’s been giving us problems for months.”

  “I hope you’re not working too hard,” Alexis scolded. “I’d have thought you’d have enough going on without spending your evenings here at the centre.”

  Ramie relieved Alexis of the takeaway bag. “I’m fine,” she said, talking over her shoulder as she took the food through to the kitchen. “I’m only covering until the new admin starts on Monday. Most of the staff have families, so when it comes to filling in the gaps, I’m usually their go-to gal. I don’t mind.”

  Good. Alexis hated to think Ramie was being taken advantage of. She did so much for the centre, it would be easy for them to rely on her too much.

  While Ramie searched for utensils, Alexis held back and admired her shapely behind. She’d never seen the tailored black trouser suit Ramie was wearing before. The ensemble was smoking hot, but it begged the question: What occasion warranted such smart clothing? The plunging neckline on the white satin shirt was far too revealing for a business meeting.

  As she syphoned through the many possibilities, her mind flashed red.

  Wait. Had Ramie been on a date? Every conversation they’d ever had flew through her mind. Shit. They’d never talked about exclusivity. Had Ramie been seeing other people this entire time?

  Jealousy seeped out of every single one of her pores. Was that why Ramie wanted to keep things casual? Because she wanted to date other women?

  Overcome with an unstoppable urge to claim her territory, she stalked across the kitchen and twirled Ramie around.

  “Lex, what are you – ”

  Alexis gripped the lapels of Ramie’s blazer and surged forwards, claiming her mouth in a hungry kiss. If some other woman thought they could have Ramie, they were mistaken. Ramie was hers!

  Ramie tensed at first but as Alexis explored her mouth, her body slowly sagged, and soon she returned the kiss with unbridled passion.

  Alexis caressed Ramie’s breasts in a long, sensuous massage, pushing them together and then swirling them around in a circle. They were magnificent, and when Ramie whimpered, Alexis deftly unbuttoned her lover’s shirt and pulled down the cups of her white satin bra, exposing her breasts.

  “You’re so sexy.” She pulled an erect nipple into her mouth.

  She had missed this. Exploring Ramie’s body. With each tug of the distended nipple between her lips, a layer of tension uncoiled from her body.

  She released Ramie’s nipple and pressed a flurry of hot kisses along the underside of her breast. She couldn’t get close enough. She needed more. To feel Ramie come undone around her fingers.

  She stroked the length of Ramie’s toned stomach and dipped beneath the waistband of her trousers. Ramie’s pussy was wet and throbbing, and they both groaned as Alexis swiftly located her opening and thrust two fingers inside.

  Alexis’s eyes were in danger of rolling into the back of her head. She had dreamed of this moment for days. Reconnecting in this most powerful way.

  “Don’t stop.” Ramie’s eyes slammed shut and she gripped the kitchen work surface behind her for support. “Give me more.”

  Alexis almost fell over herself in her bid to fulfil Ramie’s request.

  She tugged Ramie’s trousers and underwear down to her thighs and slipped a third finger inside. “Are you going to come for me?”

  She had no idea where her sudden confidence had come from. Ramie was usually the one who led in the bedroom, but tonight Alexis had an irrepressible urge to dominate. To bestow the greatest pleasure possible upon the person she loved most in the world.

  The only sound in the kitchen was their stilted breaths and the wet thwacking of Alexis’s fingers as she drove in and out of Ramie’s pussy. All the blood in Alexis’s body surged to her crotch.

  “Fuck!” Ramie grabbed Alexis’s wrist and squeezed.

  She was getting close. Alexis could tell by the way Ramie’s sex was starting to flutter around her working fingers. She had never experienced anything so hot in her life.

  “Look at me.” She used her free hand to cup Ramie’s chin and redirect her gaze. Ramie might be able to hide from her in their day to day lives, but when they were like this, at their most raw and primal, there would be no secrets between them.

  With what appeared to be great effort, Ramie’s eyelids flickered open to reveal two burning black coals. Her arousal was so powerful, Alexis preened. She’d done that. Just her.

  Time to finish this. Give Ramie’s body the release it so desperately sought.

  She pressed her thumb firmly against Ramie’s clit and watched, enraptured, as she came undone.

  “Lex!” Ramie’s hips bucked upwards, meeting Alexis’s thrusts, then froze mid-air as her sex clenched around Alexis’s fingers.

  “That’s it, beautiful,” Alexis said as Ramie’s mouth opened in silent ecstasy. “Come for me. All over my hand.”

  And she did. Spectacularly.

  It took a minute for Ramie’s body to relax afterwards. Alexis waited patiently, her fingers still nestled inside her favourite place. There was nothing sexier than watching Ramie in her most vulnerable state, when she let all her barriers down. Alexis wasn’t far off from a release of her own.

  They held eye contact for several long moments while Ramie came down from her high. Then something that looked a lot like panic clouded Ramie’s soulful eyes.

  Suddenly Ramie couldn’t seem to meet her gaze. She fumbled to pull her trousers and underwear back up her legs, dislodging Alexis’s fingers in the process.

  The disconnection was both physical and emotional, and Alexis mourned the loss immediately.

  “Wha
t’s wrong?” Alexis reached for Ramie’s hand before she could do the one thing she did best. Run away.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Ramie covered up her bare chest and turned to fuss with the cooling Chinese takeaway on the counter. “We should eat this before it becomes unsalvageable. Did you get any spring rolls?”

  Was she for real?

  Alexis pulled the box of chow mein out of Ramie’s hand. “Don’t lie to me. You’re obviously upset. Tell me what’s going on, and we’ll work through it together.”

  Ramie’s eyes filled with tears, and dread took root inside Alexis’s stomach.

  “Well?” she asked, pushing past her fear.

  Ramie took a halting breath and shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “Do what?”

  Fat tears escaped from Ramie’s pained eyes. “Us.” The word came out in a whisper. Like if she said it quietly enough, it would lose its ability to fracture Alexis’s heart. “I like you, Lex. I really do. But I think you want more from me than I’m able to give you.”

  The air rushed out of Alexis’s lungs. “You can’t give me more, or you don’t want to?”

  Such a simple question, but it took Ramie forever to answer.

  Her eyes focused on the floor and her shoulders quaked with silent sobs. “I don’t know. My head’s all messed up. Things were only ever meant to be causal. I need some time to think.”

  The fine cracks in Alexis’s heart multiplied until the whole thing shattered. She’d been in this thing alone all along? She couldn’t breathe. She needed to get out of the suffocating confines of the centre.

  The shrill ring of a telephone sounded as Alexis started for the back door.

  “I have to get this,” Ramie said, like Alexis’s world hadn’t just swung off its axis. “It’s the twenty-four-hour hotline and I’m on call.”

  She picked up the phone and sighed as she held it to her ear.

  “Taylor?” The space between her brows crinkled. “What’s wrong?”

  The alarm in Ramie’s voice had Alexis looking back over her shoulder.