by C J Murphy
Chapter Twenty
THE NEXT MORNING, NOEUL found herself curled into a warm body. Initially startled, she flushed, realizing that her hand was snaked under the soft cotton T-shirt of the woman she was half covering with her own body. She lay there, not moving, enjoying the incredible feeling of waking up with someone. For years, she’d climbed from sleep to awaken in an empty bed. She was surprised that at no time did she ever forget that it was Jordan’s body beside her. This felt different than the countless times she’d experienced the dawn with Aggie. Her first clue was their position in the bed.
Rarely had she woken up without Aggie literally sprawled out over top of her, frequently pinning her, while she clung to a very small portion of the bed. The fact that Noeul was resting so naturally, near the middle of the bed with Jordan, wasn’t lost on her. It was as if they were meeting in the imaginary middle, giving and taking from each other in a balanced way.
Jordan’s arm was around her shoulders, protectively sheltering her. The other arm lay on the leg Noeul had thrown across Jordan’s thighs. Unable to see Jordan’s face, Noeul could tell she was still deep in sleep, as her heartbeat repeated a slow, gentle cadence. The sun was filtering in, and Noeul snuggled in closer. She could feel the moment when Jordan came into conscious thought; a slight stiffening gave her away.
“Good morning.”
Noeul tilted her head up to meet the smiling, chocolate eyes that greeted her. “Good morning.”
Noeul focused on lips only inches from her own. She watched, as Jordan’s tongue snaked out to wet them. The tantalizing view of that second’s worth of tongue peeking out was too strong. The attraction was like the gravitational pull of the sun. Noeul drew closer until her lips met with Jordan’s, the first few seconds tentative before dissolving into a bone-melting fusion that ripped through her.
Jordan’s hands slid into her hair and held her in place as their kiss deepened, until too soon, they both pulled back, Noeul dizzy from lack of oxygen, Jordan still holding her inches from where she’d been.
Noeul knew she was about to step beyond the boundary she herself had drawn. It wasn’t fair to tease Jordan. For that matter, it wasn’t fair to deny her own body what it so clearly was begging her for. Fear suddenly welled up in her chest, and she closed her eyes, biting her lip in an attempt to bring her emotions back to center and firmly under control.
“Please, Noeul.” Jordan’s voice broke midsentence, her eyes pleading.
Noeul heard the desperation and her own heart broke at the sound. Swirling emotions flooded her system: sadness, joy, and overwhelming desire. Quietly, she tried to explain, “I’m trying, Jordan. You must remember, it’s been a long time since I’ve had these feelings. I’m completely overwhelmed with the need to touch and be touched.”
“You’re not in that boat alone. I’m flat out on fire with want, not only for sex and the physical aspect of it. I need the connection to you. I’ve been fighting it ever since I came here. With you in my arms, that want has grown into something else completely. I need much more than a one night stand.”
Noeul watched Jordan struggle to calm the mounting inferno that threatened to leap across the firebreak and scorch everything around it. Noeul had no idea how Jordan was controlling the desire that played out with each shallow breath. She tried to help temper it, while failing miserably to keep her own conflagration from burning out of control. Trying to find a safer topic, she asked, “How’d you sleep?”
Jordan shivered as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. She took a deep breath. “Better than I can remember in a long time. You?”
Noeul suddenly realized her hand under the hem of the T-shirt was probably stoking the fire she was trying to temper. She attempted to nonchalantly withdraw, only to have it held in place with the hand that had released her thigh.
Jordan spoke in quiet tones. “It’s been years since I’ve gone to sleep wrapped around a beautiful woman. I slept fabulously.”
Noeul ducked her head in embarrassment, and again, tried to move her hand.
Jordan held her in place. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I apologize.”
Noeul rose up enough to be able to look into the depths of those dark eyes and pulled her hand free in order to cup Jordan’s cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” She couldn’t let Jordan think she was in this completely alone. She placed a soft kiss on the lips so close to her own, she could see each line and indentation. She could see the small scar in the upper lip and traced it with her index finger.
The dark eyes locked onto hers, the clench of Jordan’s abdominals a physical sensation under her hand. Pleading eyes searched Noeul’s face, as if Jordan was trying hard to memorize every detail without the benefit of broad daylight. Placing her forehead against Jordan’s, she made a decision. “I need you to hold that thought I saw pass through your eyes.” She dipped her head and flicked her tongue across Jordan’s lips. “I’ll be right back.”
Noeul moved a fraction of an inch and felt Jordan tighten her hold with a near growl. Noeul laughed softly. “I need to get up. The body insists. I promise that’s the only reason. I’ll meet you right back here in a moment.”
Jordan groaned out loud. “Noeul, I’m close to self-combusting here.”
She smiled at Jordan and gently kissed her with promise in her eyes. “Without risking killing this moment, I’ll meet you back here in under five minutes. Go do whatever you need to make yourself comfortable, because when I kiss you next, I don’t want anything standing in my way of hours of exploration.” She bit and pulled at Jordan’s lower lip, eliciting a moan of pure need from the woman she drew away from. Noeul tried to smother a laugh, as Jordan, legs tangled in sheets, nearly fell out of bed in her rush to complete necessary measures. Decision made, Noeul rose and made her own way into the bathroom.
***
Jordan had never relieved herself or brushed her teeth with such urgency before. Terrified that in those brief minutes Noeul would change her mind, she attempted to set a land speed record to complete the required tasks. Moments later, she rounded the corner and watched, as Noeul stepped to the bed and held out her hand.
Later, she would have no memory of taking the steps across the floor to meet the beautiful woman. All she knew was she felt a warm hand in hers pulling her closer. Her temperature rocketed, as their lips met in a fury. Jordan felt hands push her back until her knees met the bed. She sat down in an uncontrolled descent and stared up at Noeul, who crossed her arms and drew the T-shirt up and over her head, before dropping it to the floor. The sexy imp stood before Jordan in only a pair of jade-green bikini briefs. Her mouth went completely dry, as Noeul stepped forward and directed that mouth to her breast.
Soft, pebbled skin met her lips, and she closed her eyes. Jordan rolled her tongue across a nipple, provoking a moan from Noeul. Heart pounding, she wrapped her arms around the slender waist, pulling soft flesh against her body. Noeul’s fingers tangled in her hair and held her tightly to the breast she lavished. Noeul’s head fell back, a whispered oh God escaping her lips.
Jordan let her teeth close gently around the swollen flesh, and blunt nails dug into her scalp encouraging her to continue. And continue she did, until she felt urgent hands pull at her T-shirt, roughly dragging it up and off her body. Within seconds, the fingers of one hand dug into her shoulder, while Noeul’s other hand brought her mouth back to the position it had been forced to relinquish while she was divested of her shirt.
Jordan palmed the soft, round ass she held in her hands and pulled Noeul even closer, until the woman collapsed on top of her. Noeul supported herself above Jordan on all fours, knees apart and straddling Jordan’s hips. Soft, round breasts loomed tantalizingly close to Jordan’s lips, as she leaned up to capture what she’d lost in the move. The sound Noeul emitted forced the blood out of Jordan’s head and straight to her center. Their brief separation had done nothing to quell Jordan’s desire, instead it ratcheted up the fire within her.
Flipping Noeul over, Jordan pushed them up the bed as she slipped her own leg between taut thighs, raising her knee until it made contact with the radiating heat of Noeul’s center. Jordan felt hands release her head and slide around her body. Divine pleasure bordering on pain sent Jordan into overdrive, as nails dug into her back and clutched her tighter. Noeul’s hips rose and the small of her back left the bed and bound her to Jordan’s flesh. Tongues battled for dominance when their mouths crashed back together, each engaged in the dance.
Jordan could stand no more and hooked her thumbs into the sides of Noeul’s bikinis. She dragged them down and over soft flesh. Immediately, the intoxicating scent of Noeul’s arousal filled Jordan’s senses. The need to touch sensitive flesh overcame her, and she threaded her fingers through soft black curls, her palm finding wet heat from the body beneath her struggling to maintain contact.
“Please, Jordan, please…nothing between us.”
Jordan heard the desperate plea. She struggled out of her own boxers and climbed up Noeul’s body, joining flesh to flesh and heat to heat. “I’m here, baby. I’m here. Hold on.”
Jordan once again found the soaked curls at the juncture of Noeul’s legs as they wrapped around her. She shifted until she could access the places her own body longed to touch with desperate need. Sliding two fingers deep within Noeul’s heat awakened exquisite pleasure that immediately sent Jordan dangerously close to her own climax. She held back, focused on bringing her lover endless pleasure. “Let go, baby.”
Noeul’s sensual moans threw gasoline on an already white-hot inferno. Pure animalistic desire and passion flooded Jordan’s overloaded senses. She’d watched as Noeul’s closed eyes shot open when she slid her fingers through liquid desire and into Noeul’s heat. Gently at first, Jordan pushed deep inside. She was urged on by the rise and fall of Noeul’s hips, followed by a powerful shudder that overtook the body submitting to her touch. They rocked and arched into each other, the erotic climb rising ever higher, as the pair charged toward the precipice. Each thrust of her fingers bottomed out her knuckles against Noeul’s hot flesh. She looked up to see Noeul palm her own breasts, pinching and twisting the nipples roughly. Jordan felt electrified as she heard Noeul scream out.
“Jordan, don’t stop!”
Jordan felt the spasms start to clutch at her fingers that were buried deep inside her lover. Her eyes were drawn to Noeul’s lush gaze. Those green eyes latched onto her own and never closed, locking them together as Noeul spiraled over the edge in a keening, guttural release.
“Jordan!”
Jordan rode Noeul’s thigh and tumbled with her until she was left spent and panting. She collapsed into Noeul’s neck and kissed the skin that pulsed beneath her lips.
Jordan lay there, ripples of pleasure still coursing through her, as sweat tricked down her back and around her side, igniting the area of her tattoo like molten lava. She felt transformed in an elemental way that she couldn’t explain. What it meant for her future, she had no idea. For now, Jordan forced herself to enjoy the glory of the moment. Whatever happens from here on out, I’ll do anything to stay by her side.
***
Noeul lay on her back, covered by Jordan’s body, the scent of their shared pleasure hanging in the air. They were both panting from their mutual exertion. She was sated, and yet not completely fulfilled. Noeul needed something more. What she needed was to touch Jordan, to connect on another level. I need to be inside her. Though she was sure she’d felt Jordan climax with her, the desire to touch and taste was still strong. She rolled over and stretched out on top of the long, lean body. Her fingers traced a small bead of sweat rolling down Jordan’s neck and into the hollow at the base of her throat. Noeul let her fingers glide gently across the collar bones, toned muscles, and tanned skin. “Perfection.” She kissed the tail of the phoenix that wrapped protectively around Jordan’s left breast.
“Oh God, Noeul.”
A smile formed on Noeul’s lips, as the nipple became more pronounced and swollen every second she teased it with her tongue. Jordan cupped her face, pulling on her and bringing their mouths together. Noeul felt a warm tongue delve into her mouth. When she broke the kiss, she pulled back to look at Jordan’s swollen lips and traced them with her index finger. “You’re so beautiful, baby.” The tip of her finger rested in the center of the bruised lips.
Noeul shivered when Jordan gently sucked the digit into her mouth. Her center clenched at the sensation of her lover slowly tonguing that finger. The sight of Jordan drawing it in and out caused her pulse to race. Noeul began planting slow, wet kisses along Jordan’s jaw, and continued to let Jordan suck her finger. When she could stand it no more, she moved her hand and began to pepper the heated flesh beneath her lips with light kisses.
Noeul lightly grazed her teeth over skin, as she moved down Jordan’s body. She stopped to run her tongue around a nipple and moved lower to kiss more of the vibrant ink that trailed down Jordan’s side. Once she’d nestled herself between Jordan’s spread legs, she marveled at the woman beneath her. Fine wisps of velvety soft hair covered her intended destination. Noeul dropped her head to kiss and taste Jordan with the tip of her tongue, delighting when the lean woman’s hips surged. Noeul met the dark embers that stared down at her over heaving breasts and used her hands to expose the swollen flesh. Slowly, she dipped her head once again to taste the sweet evidence of Jordan’s arousal. So soft.
Jordan moaned and reached for the headboard, her knuckles white with strain. Noeul sucked her swollen clit into her lips and marveled at how wet Jordan was as she drank her in. Noeul felt as if she were a thirsting woman being given her first drink after being lost for years in an arid desert. The taste of Jordan’s need was exquisitely sweet. She tastes like honey.
Noeul shifted her body to drive fingers into Jordan’s depths. The instant she did, she had to wrap an arm around Jordan’s hips to keep from being dislodged. The arching of the taller woman’s back brought her off the bed, as Noeul felt an intense orgasm rip through the body she clung to. Noeul’s mouth was flooded and she drank greedily, as if nourishing her soul with all things Jordan. Great gasping heaves of breath from Jordan’s chest and a full body jerk worried Noeul. She blocked it out because she couldn’t stop feasting.
Feeble hands reached for her, desperately drawing her up and into Jordan’s waiting arms. “Baby, stop…come…up…here.”
Noeul was alarmed by Jordan’s tone. “Oh God. Are you okay, did I hurt you? Jordan talk to me!”
Jordan clutched at Noeul’s head, continuing to jerk. “I’m okay…” Jordan’s chest heaved, “Shattered into a million tiny pieces. Ask me again in a few minutes.”
Noeul relaxed and held Jordan’s face in her hands, lavishing kisses on salty cheeks and eyelids. They lay there enjoying quiet moments after the intensity that had exploded around them.
“Holy…Shit…”
Noeul chuckled. “I’ll second that.”
Jordan’s hand visibly shook as she ran it through her hair. “What did you do to me?”
“I think it’s more like what did we do to each other.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Jordan panted. “I have one question.”
Noeul raised her head to look into Jordan’s eyes. “What’s that?”
“When the hell can we do it again?”
They both laughed as they struggled to catch their breath. While it was still early, the morning light slanted in through the skylight, illuminating their bodies. Noeul raised up onto an elbow, and as they rolled slightly to her right, she let her eyes wander to admire more of the phoenix tattoo. Her eye caught something interesting. She pulled Jordan back down and made her lie flat on her back, then aligned their bodies. Noeul noticed how the dragon tattoo on her own body visually related to Jordan’s phoenix. The claws on her dragon nearly “held hands” with the phoenix’s talons. She tried to mentally lay one tattoo on top of the other and realized they would wind around the other in almost perfect sy
mmetry. It was startling. She remembered Jordan’s story of her vision dream. Maiah had said that Jordan had to seek the rooted dragon to find balance.
Noeul sat up, her shaky hand covering her mouth as imagery filled her mind. Her own dream of the flipping cards came back with vivid clarity. The sprout with its root system, visible below the soil line, became a dragon identical to the tattoo on her side, entwining with a bird. Tails and wings interlaced with roots and limbs until the blank outline of the bird filled in, distinctly forming a phoenix. It wasn’t any phoenix. It was the one Jordan had permanently inked into her skin. The wings wrapped protectively around the dragon until the two were no longer distinct. They were completely one, without a starting or a stopping point. The roots from the tree grew into a sprout that was completely different than any she’d ever seen. The sprout grew until the limbs intertwined to form a bowl that filled up and ran over. Not all of it made sense to her. One thing was clear, her joining with Jordan had been predicted in her own dream.
Jordan rose beside her. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet and trembling. Noeul, look at me.”
Noeul felt Jordan’s arms surround her and draw her into a warm embrace. She melted into the feeling of complete safety, suddenly able to visualize Jordan’s arms as wings. Tears began to flow, and Noeul peered up into terrified eyes that looked as if they were desperate to find the source of the pain or discomfort. She reached up and cupped Jordan’s cheek in her hand, as she brought their lips together. If she had any doubt about the rightness of this moment, it disappeared like a wisp of smoke from the previous night’s fire. Whatever the future handed her, she would face it wrapped up in Jordan’s arms for as long as she was able. Today, she would revel in this feeling. For once, Noeul wasn’t alone.
***
They cuddled for another hour, quietly sharing thoughts and concerns before Jordan tugged Noeul from bed. “Pip will need milking, and I’m hearing a lot of toenails on the hardwood floor. I’m betting two dogs need to go out.” They looked toward the door to see four eyes staring back at them, as tails wagged against the doorframe.
