Begin Again

by Nicole Pyland

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” Adler asked from behind the counter.

  “Pax told me I needed to stop by here and get something from you for her,” Chris replied.

  “Something for her? Oh.” Adler motioned for Chris to follow her behind the counter into one of the offices. “She had you come and get it? You’re not running errands for her, are you?”

  “No. She wants me to use whatever it is. She said you and Morgan couldn’t.”

  Adler blushed. She reached for the top desk drawer and pulled it open.

  “Do you remember when we told you we got kicked out of a certain day spa for…”

  “Oh!”

  “Yeah…” Adler said slowly. Then, she produced a gift card. “Morgan’s parents have no idea, obviously. They got us an anniversary present. Wouldn’t you know it’s for the same day spa we can no longer return to, and they won’t allow us to cash it out.” The woman laughed a little. “Anyway, I told Pax she could have it. She got us a gift card for another one to replace it. I just keep forgetting to give this to her.”

  “I can’t take this,” Chris said, keeping her hand outstretched for Adler to take it back.

  “If she wants you to have it, you should take it. It’s a two-hundred-dollar gift card. You can get a lot of spa services with it.”

  “Then, she should use it.”

  “Paxton hates spas.” Adler rolled her eyes.

  “She does? Why?” Chris asked, thinking instantly of Adler being her Paxton cheat sheet.

  “She said it’s all too much. There’s incense, and music. It’s all too much for her. She told me that when she wants a massage, she just wants someone to get the tension out of her muscles. She doesn’t need all that frilly stuff; her words.” Adler paused. “Oh, and if she wants a face scrub, she can buy it at the store.”

  “She has some pretty strong opinions about spas.” Chris laughed, sliding the card into her pocket when it became apparent that Adler wasn’t taking it back.

  “One of her girlfriends in college was a masseuse at a place like that. It didn’t end well. I suspect it has something to do with that. Anyway, Morgan and I can’t use it. She won’t use it. You should totally go for it.”

  “It’s a lot of money, Adler.”

  “My sister is a giving person. If you haven’t figured that out already, you will.” She smiled. “It’s one of my favorite things about her. Case in point, that dinner you guys made for us the other night. She knew we’d get home late from our trip and wouldn’t go shopping. She also knew we had to be at the Truckee McBride’s the day after we got back. She just decided to surprise us with dinner. That’s Pax.”

  “I’m starting to get that.”

  Adler squinted her eyes at her and replied, “You two have been spending a lot of time together, huh?”

  “Adler...”

  “What?” Adler sat in the chair behind the desk. “Is there something going on I should know about?”

  “No,” Chris said. “But only because I don’t know what she wants you to know.”

  “So, there is something?”

  “Talk to your sister.”

  “I would… But she’s been busy recently. I think I’m figuring out why.”

  “I should go,” Chris said. “Apparently, I’m supposed to go to a day spa.”

  “Have fun,” Adler said with a chuckle.

  ◆◆◆

  Chris was certain she’d never been more relaxed than in this moment. There was a masseuse working the back of her thighs. She’d already worked the tension from her shoulders and lower back. Her calves were next and then, her feet. The tension in Chris’s hands actually surprised her. She hadn’t realized it was even there. The mud bath, the shower, and then the sauna was supposed to round out her experience, but an attendant had talked her into a facial as well. Chris had just enough to cover everything with the gift card. She tipped the masseuse and a couple of other staff members in cash. It was odd. She didn’t exactly have money to throw around, but she was also making more working for Paxton and working fewer hours. She had a little more money to spend than usual. Tipping the people that had helped her relieve some of the tension that had built up over the past decade or so was completely worth it.

  She’d finished her day lying in bed and drinking a lot of water because that was what the spa told her to do. She took a nap around four and woke at five, wanting to have plenty of time to get ready for her first official date with Paxton. She showered and looked into her small closet to find something to wear. As she’d told Paxton before, the only dress she owned was black and hanging in the back corner of the closet. Chris hadn’t worn it in probably five years. She wasn’t even sure it would fit. She also had a pair of black flats she hadn’t had the occasion to wear in a long time that she thought would pair nicely. Having no idea where Paxton was taking her, Chris decided she’d prepare by dressing up.

  She heard the front door open at just after six. Wes came inside and dropped his tennis bag near the front door. He went straight to the kitchen, not realizing she was sitting on the sofa, pulled open the refrigerator door, grabbed an energy drink, and downed the whole thing in seconds.

  “Hey,” Paxton said from the front door.

  Chris had been distracted by her brother. She hadn’t noticed that Paxton had crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a pair of nice skinny jeans and a green and blue flannel shirt, with some gray in there, too. The green in the pattern really brought out her eyes. Her hair was down but back behind her ears. She looked casual and beautiful.

  “I guess I overdressed,” Chris said as she stood. “Just let me change.”

  “No way.” Paxton walked toward her. “You look amazing.”

  “She’s right, sis. You look good. I didn’t even know you had a dress,” Wes said.

  “Thanks, Wes.” Chris turned from her brother to Paxton, who was now standing in front of her. “I should change, though.”

  “Do not change out of this dress.” Paxton shook her head. She looked her up and down and then met her eyes. “I like it.”

  “Okay. That’s my cue,” Wes said. “Have fun tonight. Feel free not to come home, Chris.”

  “Wesley!”

  Paxton laughed until Wes closed his bedroom door. Then, she grew serious, pulled Chris into her, and kissed her.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “You look casual.” Chris looked down at the shirt. “You look good, though.”

  “I remembered how you were that night in Seattle… I thought I’d keep things casual tonight.”

  “Pax, let me change. It’ll take a minute and then we can go,” Chris replied.

  “Can’t. Time to go.” Paxton pulled Chris’s hand.

  Paxton drove them for about fifteen minutes. She told Chris what she missed at work that day. One of the painters had kicked a can over and spent the rest of the morning cleaning up his mess. The restaurant’s gutting had been officially completed, and it was now ready for the tile and brick work Paxton wanted done. When they parked, Chris knew exactly what Paxton was doing.

  “Really, Pax?” She laughed.

  “I would have grabbed it already, but I never did find out what sandwich you planned on getting that day.” Paxton smiled. “We’re not eating here, though.”

  “Really? We’re not eating at the deli for our first date? Color me disappointed,” she said sarcastically.

  “Hey, do not doubt my first date planning ability. I have something planned for you, Christina Florence,” Paxton replied. “Let’s grab the food first.”

  Inside the deli, Paxton had her hand on the small of Chris’s back as they ordered. It felt good, having someone standing next to her. It was something so simple, so trivial, that she doubted most people even thought about it. Chris had come to this place at least a hundred times. She’d never come with someone like this before, though. Paxton ordered their food and handed the guy her card to pay. Chris grabbed the bags when the sandwiches had b
een passed to her over the counter. Paxton grabbed two bottles of water and their chips. Then, they were off.

  “Where are you taking me, Pax?” Chris asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Paxton pulled into the parking lot of the hotel she’d bought on a whim, if she was being honest, but had come to love every minute of owning. She turned off the car and then turned to Chris.

  “You give me the day off and then take me to work on a date?” Chris asked, looking at the hotel through the windshield.

  “Just… Come on,” Paxton said.

  They got out of the car, taking their food with them, and walked through the hotel and out onto the patio that overlooked beautiful Lake Tahoe.

  “Paxton, it’s beautiful.”

  “I may have skipped out on work a little myself to set this all up.”

  Paxton had left the hotel a little after lunch to run to the store. She’d needed white twinkle lights, poles, a few of those tiki torches to keep the bugs away, a couple of outdoor sleep mats that she’d bought at Adler and Morgan’s store, and an overly large blanket that rested atop them. She’d also gotten a few throw pillows, some candles, and wine. She’d sat it all out, hung the lights, lit the torches, and then had gone home to shower and dress before she picked up Wes from tennis practice. It had been a lot of work, but judging by Chris’s surprised expression, it had been worth it. She’d also hooked her old iPod up to a Bluetooth speaker. Soft music played as they both looked at the setup and then the water.

  “Paxton, I can’t believe you did all this while I was in some spa.”

  “I’m glad you went.” Paxton moved to Chris then. She dropped the bag of food she’d been holding on the blanket and pulled Chris into her, holding her from behind. “Did you relax?”

  “I did, yes.” Chris’s arms went on top of Paxton’s over her stomach. “But I feel pretty relaxed right now, too.”

  Paxton kissed her neck and said, “I thought we could have a nice, relaxing first date.”

  “I can’t believe you did all this.” Chris rested her head back on Paxton’s shoulder.

  “I wanted to.”

  “I’ve lived here for so long, but I so rarely actually look out at this thing.” She pointed to the water.

  “This thing?” Paxton chuckled against her skin.

  “The lake; the reason most of us live here and so many visit.” Chris turned in Paxton’s arms, wrapping her own around Paxton’s neck. “I’ve looked at it a lot since you got here, Pax.”

  “Well, we do work right next to it.”

  “That’s not what I meant, smart-ass.”

  Paxton pressed her forehead to Chris’s and kissed her gently. Then, she pulled back to look at the woman in front of her.

  “Have dinner with me?”

  “Later,” Chris said. “You know what I love about this hotel?”

  “What’s that?”

  “That it’s secluded.”

  She kissed Paxton and walked them back toward the blanket Paxton had laid out earlier, not at all thinking this would happen. Chris knelt in front of Paxton on the blanket, unbuckled the woman’s belt, unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, and then pulled them down. Paxton unbuttoned her own shirt and tossed it aside. Chris’s lips met Paxton’s abdomen, her inner thighs, and then she kissed Paxton’s sex through her underwear.

  “This is not what I had planned,” Paxton said. “Just for the record.”

  “Should I stop?”

  “No. I mean, yes.” Paxton tugged her underwear off her body along with her shoes and her jeans. Then, she fell to her knees, grasped Chris by the shoulders, and flipped them so that she was on top of Chris. “It’s my turn.”

  Paxton was nude. Chris was still fully clothed, though she’d kicked off those adorable flats before Paxton had flipped them. Paxton kissed her. She kissed Chris’s lips, her neck, her collarbone. Then, she reached to the woman’s side and pulled down the zipper. That allowed her to free Chris’s shoulder from one of the dress straps. She then freed Chris’s breast from her black bra and pulled a nipple into her mouth. She’d longed to taste them. She took the other breast in her hand and squeezed.

  “That’s… good.” Chris’s hand went to the back of her head. Paxton couldn’t see, but she could feel Chris lowering the other strap and pulling out her other breast. Paxton squeezed it and kneaded it outside of the bra for the first time. Then, she moved her lips to it. “Wow. Yes.”

  Paxton’s hand slid down to Chris’s thigh, which she pushed aside, giving Paxton the space she wanted to settle between Chris’s legs. She lifted the dress and tugged at the panties beneath until they were down to Chris’s knees. Then, she settled herself against Chris and rocked into her. Her teeth tugged at Chris’s nipple. Chris’s hand gripped her hair. It was all too much and yet not enough at the same time. Paxton could feel her own wetness mingling with Chris’s as she moved against her. She opened her eyes and lifted up to look down at Chris, whose eyes were closed. Paxton watched her as she rocked her own hips. Chris spread her legs a little wider. Paxton heard Chris’s underwear tear at the force of her knees moving apart. She closed her eyes at the sound, because that sound meant Chris needed her so much, she didn’t care about anything else.

  Paxton rocked into Chris harder then, bracketing her own arms on either side of Chris. She slid one hand between them, coaxing Chris’s folds apart, and used two fingers to stroke her clit, then squeezing it between them. It was swollen. It was hard. It was ready to be touched, to be sucked, to be licked, and to be kissed. She moved down Chris’s body, pulling the dress over her own head as she arrived at her destination. There was something sexy about doing this when the woman she was doing it to couldn’t see her. She took Chris into her mouth. She flicked her tongue over her clit. She moved her tongue to Chris’s lips, licking them up and down slowly before moving to the insides of the woman’s thighs. Chris’s sounds told Paxton she was doing something right. She could feel Chris’s body tensing beneath her. Then, she felt Chris’s legs on her back, gripping her tightly. She knew it was time.

  She sucked Chris’s clit hard into her mouth. The hips bucked up. Chris whispered Paxton’s name. Paxton spread Chris’s legs even further apart and slid her fingers inside, feeling the soft, wet skin she’d been craving. She sucked. She moved slowly inside, coaxing and coaxing until Chris bucked harder and faster. Then, Paxton thrust faster and sucked harder. Chris’s body went limp. She let out a soft cry. Her hips fell to the ground. Her legs left Paxton’s back. Paxton lifted the dress, wiped her mouth with a happy smirk, and looked up at Chris. The woman’s eyes were closed. She was breathing hard. Her chest was rising and falling. Her breasts were still out of the cups of her bra. Her beautiful dress was unzipped, the straps were hanging off her shoulders. She looked sexy as hell.

  “Gorgeous,” Paxton whispered mostly to herself.

  Chris opened her eyes and said, “That was…”

  “What?” Paxton moved to hover over her.

  “Wow.”

  Paxton smiled down at her then. She kissed Chris’s lips, her jaw, her neck, and made her way back down to her breasts. Chris stayed there, still breathing hard, as Paxton sucked on her nipple again. When Paxton flicked it with the very tip of her tongue, Chris’s hips shifted beneath her. As she slid her hand down between Chris’s legs, she lifted the dress up in the process in order to see Chris. Her fingers disappeared into Chris’s folds. She watched them move as if on their own, earning another orgasm from Chris. When Chris came back down, Paxton moved to kneel in front of her. She lifted Chris’s hips enough to slide the dress the rest of the way off her body. Chris took care of her bra. Then, the woman was completely nude, lying before Paxton, who could only smile softly at the sight of her.

  Chris watched Paxton watching her. She reached for Paxton with both hands, encouraging Paxton to straddle her. The woman obeyed wordlessly. Chris sat up and kissed her chest. She pulled a nipple between her teeth and tugged. Paxton gasped
at both the pleasure and the pain of it, wanting more of her touch. Chris held onto one of Paxton’s hips, her fingers digging into Paxton’s skin. Her free hand slid between Paxton’s legs, moving up to her clit first, stroking it. Paxton moaned. Chris moved her own lips up to Paxton’s mouth and kissed her through her next moan, which came when Chris entered her.

  “Ride me,” Chris instructed.

  “Yeah?”

  “Come on my fingers. I want to taste you again,” Chris said.

  Paxton’s hips rolled forward and back. Chris kissed her neck, holding onto her hip still, encouraging Paxton to move more. Chris’s fingers were deep inside her, stroking while Paxton moved against them. Chris’s thumb was on her clit, flicking left to right, then stopping to press hard, holding there. Paxton kissed her. She grabbed Chris’s face, lifted it up, and kissed her. Her tongue slid inside Chris’s mouth, meeting Chris’s. She held onto Chris’s head, keeping the woman there, kissing her. Then, she raised up and lowered herself down onto Chris’s fingers. Chris gasped then. Paxton let go of her, grasped her own breast, and offered it to Chris, who immediately went to suck on the nipple. As Paxton started to lift herself up and lower down even harder and faster, playing with one of her own nipples, Chris continued to play with the other nipple.

  She looked up at Paxton then. The woman had put her hand on the back of Chris’s head and tilted it down. Chris watched her move up and down on her fingers. She smiled when she looked back up at Paxton. Paxton moved faster. Chris grasped her around the waist with her free arm. She lifted her own hips up and thrust her fingers inside.

  “Yes!”

  “So sexy, Pax.” Chris kissed her neck, dragging her teeth along the heated skin.

  Paxton rocked against Chris, holding onto her, and pressing Chris further into her own body. Her orgasm was building. When Chris connected their mouths and sucked on Paxton’s tongue, Paxton came at the thought of what that mouth had felt like in the hallway the other night.