Sweet Temptation

by Spencer Pearson

  Lauren’s hands covered her breasts, toying with her nipples, rolling them between her fingers until she couldn’t concentrate, letting her hands slide further down Riley’s body, landing on her hips as Lauren’s breaths came in shorter gasps. She was so close. Having Riley on top of her on the couch nearly made her come, never mind this, but then the contact was gone. Lauren lifted her head, her eyes wide.

  “Relax,” Riley said with a smirk as she got comfortable between Lauren’s legs, moving on to her stomach as she spread Lauren’s thighs further apart. “This won’t take long.” Riley licked her lips before dipping her head and running the flat of her tongue along Lauren’s slit, parting her folds as her tongue slid through Lauren’s wetness.

  “Shit, Riley.” Lauren moaned as Riley’s tongue wrapped around her clit, darting and teasing, circling and retreating until Lauren was on the edge. “Right there.” Riley’s tongue flicked over her, and Lauren grabbed a fistful of Riley’s hair as her hips lifted off the bed. “I’m coming.” Lauren’s eyes slammed shut as her body quivered and shook. “Fuckkk.”

  Fireworks exploded behind Lauren’s eyelids as her orgasm took over, and just as she started to catch her breath, her body finally still, Riley was on top of her, her fingers hovering at Lauren’s entrance.

  “Come here,” Lauren said, her voice low as she guided Riley’s lips down to hers, kissing her hard as Riley pushed her fingers inside of her. Lauren moaned into the kiss, their tongues battling, and Lauren could taste herself on Riley’s lips.

  Riley’s hips rocked against Lauren’s leg, matching the rhythm of her fingers, and it only took a few more strokes for Lauren to come again, her body shaking underneath Riley’s.

  “You’re so sexy,” Lauren said, her hand on Riley’s ass, encouraging her, adding more pressure as Riley continued to rock her hips against her leg.

  “I’m so close.”

  Lauren kneaded Riley’s breast, tweaking her nipple as she pushed herself into a seated position on the bed, wrapping her arm around Riley as she rolled her hips against her.

  “Fuckk,” Riley grunted. “I’m coming.”

  Lauren kissed her neck as Riley came, her head thrown back as she clung to Lauren, a light layer of sweat glistening off her silky smooth skin.

  “Oh my God,” Riley said, her breath ragged as she brushed her lips across Lauren’s. “That was crazy.”

  “Hmmm.” Lauren parted her lips, finding Riley’s tongue. “I love kissing you.”

  “Well, the feeling’s mutual,” Riley murmured, draping her arms across Lauren’s shoulders as she tilted her head and found her lips again.

  23

  The brown and rust colored leaves crunched beneath Lauren’s boots as they followed the trail through the woods, almost all the trees bare now, the path covered in their fallen leaves.

  Riley looked around them and reached for her hand. Lauren took a discreet glance behind them, and as far as she could see, they were alone. The path ahead of them was clear, and apart from a squirrel scrambling up a tree beside them and the birds chirping in the branches above them, they were the only ones around.

  It had been a mild enough afternoon that Lauren had left her gloves in the car. She loved the way Riley’s hands fit so easily into hers. It was something they rarely did, and Lauren tried her best to savor moments like this.

  The last two weeks had flown by between work and spending the weekends with Riley. Lauren had canceled on her brother last weekend. She rarely missed their Sunday evenings together, catching up and spending time with her nieces and nephew, but Lauren was struggling to get through the week, craving that time with Riley over the weekend. She didn’t want to give it up, even for her brother.

  Lauren had talked to him during the week, and he’d brought up Thanksgiving. She’d somehow lost track of time, not realizing the holiday was only a week away.

  “Are you doing anything on Thursday?” Lauren asked Riley as they came up to the clearing that overlooked the mountains and the river that winded through them. Riley’s hand slipped out of hers, moving to her waist as she took in the view.

  “For Thanksgiving?”

  “Yeah.” Lauren knew Riley wouldn’t be going home, so that more than likely meant she would be on her own. Nicole and their other roommate would probably be with their families.

  “I don’t know. Nothing, really. Why?”

  “I was wondering if you wanted to spend it with me and my family. You already know Brian. His wife and kids will be there and my parents.”

  They stopped walking and took in the view. “So... I’d be going as your friend?”

  “No. I’d like to introduce you as my girlfriend, but maybe leave out the part about being my student. What do you think?” Lauren asked, her mouth dry. She didn’t know why this was making her so nervous. If Riley didn’t want to go, it wasn’t a big deal.

  “Where do they live?”

  “About forty-five minutes from here. They’re still in the house we grew up in.” Maybe Riley was anxious about staying there, about sharing a bed. “So, we can drive back.”

  Riley nodded. “Are you sure you want me there? Because I’m fine being on my own.”

  “Yes. Absolutely. Unless, you’d prefer to stay here. I know meeting my family could add some unnecessary drama. They don’t have any issues with me being gay, not anymore anyway, but we will be telling a small lie, kind of. We could say we met at the casino.”

  “What about our age difference though?”

  “What about it?”

  Riley turned to face her. “They’re going to notice that I’m younger than you.”

  “Does it bother you?” Lauren asked, her stomach flip flopping as she said those words. It was something they hadn’t really talked about, but then again, they hadn’t been out in public together. No one had seen them as a couple. What if Riley was mistaken for her daughter? No. No way. They looked nothing alike, and Riley didn’t look that young.

  “No. Not at all,” Riley said, her eyebrows furrowing, “But I imagine it might bother your parents.”

  Lauren’s eyes followed a hawk circling just above the trees in the distance. Of course, this was going to come up at some point. “Brian’s wife, Katherine, is six or seven years younger than him. They didn’t care.”

  “That’s not the same thing.” Riley ran her hand through her hair. “Do you even know how old I am?”

  Lauren sighed. “Twenty-four?”

  “Twenty-three. There’s sixteen years between us. You’re sure that won’t cause any problems if we go?”

  “I can’t guarantee it, but it’s been so long since I’ve brought someone home, I think they’ll just be happy to meet you. Plus, you’re mature, and you kind of have that old-soul thing going on,” Lauren said with a half-smile. “It’ll be fine. Unless, you wouldn’t be comfortable going, and that’s completely okay.”

  “No. It’s not that. I guess... I guess, I’m just having trouble imaging a family welcoming their daughter home with a girlfriend who’s significantly younger.”

  Lauren sucked in a breath. Of course. Riley was comparing their families. Lauren wrapped her arms around her. “I’m sorry, Riley,” she whispered. “I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s fine.” Riley met her eyes. “I’m just baffled by it,” she said, a smile on her lips. “And glad that you have such a loving family. I’d be honored to go with you and meet them.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Let’s do it.” Riley leaned in, brushing her lips across Lauren’s.

  Riley tossed her keys onto the wooden bowl on the kitchen counter, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up on the back of the door. She hummed the song that had been on the radio in the car when Lauren had drove back from their hike as she made herself a coffee. Riley still couldn’t believe that Lauren wanted her to come to Thanksgiving with her family.

  She was nervous just thinking about it, but that was only because it was a big deal. The fact that Lauren had even asked her showed R
iley how seriously she was taking this. Not that Riley had any doubts. The last few weeks had been amazing. They were still limiting the time they spent together to the weekends, trying to stay as professional as possible during the week, and that was probably for the best, because Riley still needed to study and get her assignments finished.

  The rest of the year would fly by between Christmas and exams. Then she’d have new classes to go to. She’d still have at least one if not two with Lauren, so they really did have to wait until the summer.

  “Hey,” Becca said, coming into the kitchen, her black hair tied up in a messy bun. She was dressed casually in pajama bottoms and a hoody. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. I just went on a hike, so hopefully when I sit down to get some studying done, I’ll actually be awake.”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean.” Becca stifled a yawn. “Sorry. I stayed up late last night.”

  Riley didn’t even need to ask. There was a ninety-nine percent chance that Becca had been up late studying, not partying. “Coffee?”

  “Please.” Becca sat down on one of the bar stools while she took out the milk and added a dash to both of their mugs. “Thanks,” she said when Riley brought hers over. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.” Riley pulled out another bar stool and sat down. “What’s up?”

  “I’m sorry if this is too personal, so just tell me to get lost if it is and you’d prefer not to answer.”

  Riley took a sip of coffee. “What is it?”

  “How did you know you were gay?”

  Riley hesitated, momentarily shocked by the question. She knew the answer, but she couldn’t help wondering why Becca was asking. “I was about twelve, thirteen, maybe? I had a crush on my mother’s friend.” She smiled to herself. She definitely had a type.

  “Okay, but how did you know that you were gay and not bi or pansexual?”

  “Well, I’d never been interested in guys, so it wasn’t really something I had to wrestle with. When I realized how drawn I was to this woman, it was like... It all clicked. I figured out who I was. There were other people like me,” Riley said, trying to remember what it had been like, and even though it was only ten or eleven years ago, it felt like a lifetime ago. “I don’t remember being unsure. I was just glad to have figured myself out.”

  Becca nodded as she looked down at her coffee, biting her lip. “Okay,” she said quietly.

  “Why? What’s going on?” Riley had an idea, but she didn’t want to just blurt it out.

  “I think I’m gay, Riley.” Becca met her eyes, and she looked stunned, almost as if saying it out loud made it real.

  “Yeah? How do you know?”

  Becca exhaled. “I can’t stop staring at one of my professors. It’s bad. I’m going to make a fool of myself one of these days. I’ve never said more than a few words to her, though.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Ms. Lloyd. Do you know her? She has a bunch of math classes.”

  Riley nodded. “Yeah. Well, at least, she’s gay.”

  “What?” Becca nearly choked on her coffee.

  Riley sat up straight. Did she just out Taylor? The only reason she knew was because Lauren had said that Brian wanted to set them up. Riley cleared her throat. “I mean, that’s what my overly imaginative gaydar says. I don’t know for sure though.”

  “She’s gorgeous,” Becca said, her voice getting all dreamy. “I love her blond hair. And her glasses. And her eyes. She has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. And she has that sun kissed, I was just at the beach look.”

  “Wow. You do have it bad.”

  “See. And sometimes she’s at the casino when I’m working. She plays poker. Is that how you know her?”

  Riley nodded. “Yeah. She’s there most Fridays for the tournaments.” Her heart skipped a beat. Taylor was interested in a student. What if it was Becca? No. That would be... Insane. No. The chances were incredibly slim.

  “Why couldn’t I fall for someone who was available? Maybe, I should go out and go to a gay bar. Are there any around here?”

  “There’s a gay friendly bar... Have you been thinking about this for a while?”

  “No, but when I think back,” Becca said, wrapping her hands around her mug, “I might’ve had a crush on my best friend in high school. I ignored it. Put it down to just really caring about her, but only as a friend.”

  “And have you dated guys?”

  Becca nodded. “Yeah. In high school and last year here. There was a really nice guy I met at work, and we hit it off, but it didn’t take me long to realize that it wasn’t right. Something was missing.”

  “So, how long has this thing been going on with Ms. Lloyd?”

  “Since day one. And it’s only getting worse. I gotta take my mind off her or I’m going to go mad. I need to get out there and meet someone available.”

  “We can do that, if you want.” Riley brought her mug to her lips. “Check out that bar I was telling you about. It’s a sports bar really, but that’s your best bet without having to travel.”

  “Would you mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Are you dating anyone? I’ve hardly seen you in the last few weeks,” Becca said, propping her chin up on her hand.

  Riley took a sip of coffee to buy her a few seconds. She hated lying, and Lauren had said that she didn’t mind if Becca knew. “Yeah, but it’s complicated,” Riley said.

  Becca’s eyebrows rose. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”

  “No, I do. It just has to stay between us though.”

  “Sure. Yeah.”

  Riley sighed. “Do you know Ms. Harper?”

  “Brian Harper’s younger sister? I have him for Algebra, and I’ve seen her around. They get coffee together.”

  Riley nodded. “We’re kind of seeing each other.” She held her breath, waiting for Becca’s reaction.

  “You’re what? You’re dating Ms. Harper?”

  “Lauren. Yes.”

  Becca’s eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape. “But... How...?”

  Riley smiled. “She plays poker too. That’s how we started talking, but she is my lecturer. I have two classes with her, and that’s why it’s a secret right now. Nicole knows, and actually um... Taylor, I mean, Ms. Lloyd knows. She’s a friend of Lauren’s.”

  “So, wait...” Becca smiled. “Sorry, I don’t even know where to begin. How long has this been going on?”

  “A few weeks now. It’s only gotten serious recently. It’s technically okay to date our professors. There’s nothing written in the college handbook or anything, but we’re keeping it quiet for now because why risk it, you know? It could make things difficult for Lauren.”

  Becca’s jaw dropped. “I just can’t believe it. She’s... Well, she’s gorgeous. And she’s gay? And she’s dating you?”

  Riley scoffed. “Gee thanks, Becca.”

  “No. That’s not what I meant.” Becca’s hand was on Riley’s arm. She smiled, almost laughing to herself. “That came out wrong. I guess, I’ve already gone and imagined that happening to me. It just seems so unattainable.”

  Riley shrugged. “It was for me. Until it wasn’t.”

  “But... How? When?”

  “We had a moment in her apartment, and...” A tingling sensation ran through her body even thinking about that night.

  “Who initiated it?”

  “Me,” Riley said, biting her lip.

  “Oh my God.” Becca wiped her hand across her face.

  “Yeah. It was just there... I don’t know how to describe it. I could see it in her eyes and there was this energy in the air. Anyway, it never would have happened if we hadn’t been at the casino. She gave me a ride there and back. She asked me up to her apartment to talk, and it just happened.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Part of me is like, I should try and talk to her, because, you just don’t know. It could happen, but then on the other side, I should probably go out and I don’t know, si
gn up for a dating app. Even if I got as lucky as you did, I mean, I’d be... Inexperienced. I’ve never dated a woman, and I’ve never been in a relationship for more than a few months.”

  “If you want to go out, I’ll be your wing-woman. Nicole would probably come too. She’s up for anything. If you want her to know,” Riley added. “If you want this to stay between us for now, that’s fine.”

  “I’m not ready to come out to everyone, but I’m gonna tell Nicole.”

  “Okay.”

  “Thanks, Riley.” Becca finished her coffee.

  “No problem. And I’m here, you know, if you want to talk or whatever.”

  Becca smiled. “I know. Thanks. I better go do some work now.”

  “Impress Ms. Lloyd?”

  Becca laughed. “Something like that. I actually can’t concentrate in her class. It’s a complete disaster.”

  “I know the feeling,” Riley said. “I’ll see you later, okay? I’m going to hit the library.”

  Becca went back into her room, and Riley finished her coffee. It was so strange to say it out loud. She really was dating Lauren Harper. Riley shook her head as she put their empty cups in the dishwasher. She was even going to meet her family. The whole thing was surreal.

  24

  Lauren cradled her glass of wine as she watched Taylor pace, the heels of her ankle boots clicking against the wood floor. Lauren’s gaze moved past Taylor. The snow was falling heavier now. They were supposed to get more than two feet of snow today and tomorrow, which meant classes were going to be canceled for the next day or two.

  “Taylor,” Lauren said, trying to keep her voice level. She knew Taylor was the kind of person who liked to talk it out, but Lauren just wanted to shake her. It couldn’t be that bad. “Is it possible you’re overreacting?”

  Taylor stopped walking and spun around, her hands on her waist. “She practically ran out of the bathroom. What else am I supposed to think? I crossed a line. What if she reports me? I could be fired before today is over.”