Savor the Moment

by Dana Piccoli

“Oh, sure, of course. I can have Gino drop you off—”

  “No.” Maddy put her fingers to Nat’s mouth and pressed her mouth against Nat’s ear. “I want you to take me to your place.”

  Nat felt a shock of desire pulse in her. She led her out of the space and into the waiting car. As they slid in, Maddy took Nat’s face in her hands and hungrily kissed her mouth. Nat responded by wrapping her arms around Maddy’s waist and pulling her closer. It took her a moment to remember, they were not alone.

  “Oh shit, Gino, I’m sorry man.” Nat managed to say between kisses.

  He laughed and turned up the radio. “I hear nothin,’ I see nothin’. Home?”

  “Yes please,” Nat replied, Maddy’s hands in her hair. He closed the partition separating them and pulled out onto the street.

  Their kissing intensified, and Maddy took Nat’s hand and brought it up the inside of her soft thigh, under her skirt, until Nat could feel Maddy’s soaking panties. She gasped at the touch.

  “You did that,” Maddy purred. “You’ve been doing that to me every day since the day we met.”

  “Oh god,” she whispered.

  Maddy straddled Nat, her hand still in place. “Please,” Maddy said, so softly, Nat wasn’t sure if she meant for her to hear it.

  “Wait…wait.” She gently held Maddy a few inches away from her so she could look in her eyes. “I don’t want to fuck you in the back of a car. I want to take my time with you. Savor this, remember?” She gave Maddy a cheeky grin and took a moment to brush one of Maddy’s stray curls behind her ear. “Look at you. You are so damn beautiful. Let’s wait until I can get you in my nice, soft bed.”

  Maddy looked at Nat like she couldn’t believe what she was saying. Nat had a flash of panic that she had just screwed everything up. But then Maddy brought Nat’s mouth to meet hers, and they began to slowly, deeply kiss. Just kiss. They explored each other’s lips and tongues, all the way to Queens.

  As Gino pulled up in front of Nat’s apartment, she felt wonderfully dizzy and disoriented from kissing Maddy. Gino opened the car door and held out his hand to Maddy, who took a moment to straighten her skirt, while he averted his eyes. Nat slapped him on the shoulder and handed him three hundred dollars.

  “Thank you, man. I owe you one.” He laughed and gave Nat a knowing wink as he got back in the car and drove off.

  Nat looked at Maddy, her red hair illuminated by the rising moon above. She grabbed Maddy’s eager hand and pulled her inside the building. On the elevator ride up, they resumed their kissing, which had now escalated to a frenzy, knowing that Nat’s bed wasn’t far away. They stumbled down the hallway, and through the door to her apartment. Eddie made the mistake of getting underfoot and let out a meow of displeasure.

  “Sorry, Ed,” Nat panted.

  Maddy pulled the leather jacket from her shoulders and ran her hands through the back of Nat’s hair, gently tugging her head back to access her sensitive neck. The sensation of Maddy’s hot tongue and teeth against her skin elicited a moan from Nat. She slid her hands down Maddy’s sides and under her skirt. She cupped her ass and walked her backward until Maddy was up against the wall. She hooked her fingers into Maddy’s panties.

  “I just need a taste. Is that okay?” Nat whispered into Maddy’s ear, as she slowly tugged her panties down.

  “Oh, god. Natalia, what are you doing to me?” Maddy asked, breathlessly as Nat slowly descended the length of her body. After tossing her panties aside, she slowly rolled Maddy’s skirt over her thighs, revealing what she hungered for. She pressed her lips to the top of Maddy’s waiting sex, and her tongue gently trailed along across her hardening nub. Maddy sighed deeply and ran her hands through Nat’s hair. Nat kissed and sucked for a moment and slid her way back up Maddy’s body, kissing every part of skin left exposed until she held her face in her hands.

  “I’ve never known anyone like you. I want to know every part of you,” Nat said quietly.

  “Then take me,” Maddy replied, her eyes twinkling with desire.

  Nat led her down the hallway into the bedroom. She made quick work of her dress, unzipping it and letting it fall to the floor. She undid her bra, exposing her full, pale breasts and taking one of the small, pink nipples into her mouth. It was as delicious as a ripe raspberry, and she lavished attention on both breasts. Maddy pulled Nat’s T-shirt over her head, sidelining her busy mouth. Maddy yanked off Nat’s belt with unexpected aplomb. She fiddled with her zipper, pushing her gently onto the bed. She peeled both Nat’s jeans and underwear down her legs. At last, they were both naked. Maddy lowered herself on top of Nat, who spread her legs to accommodate Maddy’s thigh as it slid between them.

  “We fit perfectly together, don’t you think?” Maddy asked while dipping her head to engulf one of Nat’s hardened nipples. Maddy lifted her eyes to gaze at her new lover, Nat’s breast firmly between her lips. Nat looked back, her mind overflowing with affection for this woman, her body on the verge of overload. She pulled Maddy’s mouth back to her own.

  As they found themselves in a deep kiss, so did their centers, causing them both to gasp with pleasure. They moved in rhythm against each other, careful not to lose contact, grasping each other tightly. It didn’t take long before Nat began to feel the wave of climax wash over her. Hearing Maddy’s screams of pleasure and feeling her body begin to tighten sent Nat over the edge. They came together and collapsed against each other. Maddy lay with her head against Nat’s chest, while she gently ran her hand across Nat’s breast. Nat played with Maddy’s curls until they soon fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Nat’s eyelids fluttered at the sunlight streaming into the room. There was something in the air, something sweet and comforting that caused her mouth to water. She rolled over to see that Maddy wasn’t next to her. Her stomach sank for a moment thinking she had left, not wanting to face Nat in the light of day after their night of passion.

  Then she heard a clattering coming from the kitchen and was relieved to know she wasn’t alone after all. She laid her head back and grinned, thinking of the night before. Maddy’s sweet kisses, her hands in Nat’s hair as she…

  “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

  The vision of Maddy appeared, and her beauty in the sleepy haze of the room swept all other thoughts from Nat’s mind. Maddy wore one of Nat’s old well-worn and heather gray T-shirts, from a beloved band long broken up. A simple pair of black cotton panties gave Nat full view of her beautiful, pale legs. In her hands, a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin. Not just any blueberry muffin, a freshly baked blueberry muffin. Maddy set down the coffee, climbed on the bed and straddled Nat, muffin in hand.

  “You looked so adorable. I didn’t want to wake you.” She stroked the exposed part of Nat’s abdomen. “So, I thought I’d make you breakfast. Then I looked in your fridge… You know those things are supposed to contain food, right?”

  Nat gave her a sly smile.

  “Well, I took a little trip to the market down the street and they had these beautiful blueberries. Totally out of season, but I couldn’t resist.” Maddy tore off a chunk of the muffin.

  “I can hardly resist, myself,” Nat murmured hungrily as she ran her hands up Maddy’s naked thighs. Maddy leaned in and placed the piece of muffin in Nat’s waiting mouth. Her finger, stained purple from the berries at the tip, lingered on Nat’s lips. Nat moaned her approval at the taste of the muffin. Sweet and still warm from the oven, blueberries bursting on her tongue.

  “You really are some sort of wizard,” she whispered. “Is it weird that I’m totally turned on by those goddamn muffins?”

  Maddy threw back her head as she laughed and ran her hands up the length of Nat’s torso. She had flour on her cheek, which Nat found so fantastically endearing.

  Maddy brought her mouth close to her ear and whispered, “That was the point,” before taking the lobe into her warm mouth. Nat gasped. Maddy’s lips hovered over Nat’s. She smelled like spearmint and spun s
ugar, Nat thought, wanting to breathe her in. Then reality set in.

  “Oh my god, hold that thought. I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet!” She gave Maddy a quick peck on the forehead before slipping out of bed and running to the bathroom.

  Nat looked at herself in the mirror, and despite her disheveled hair and slightly smudged eye makeup, she beamed. She vigorously brushed her teeth, as two warm hands snaked around her stomach, underneath her tank top. She caught sight of Maddy smiling at her from behind her shoulder, and her hands wandered further up Nat’s body. Maddy pressed her lips to the back of Nat’s neck, just as her hands cupped Nat’s breasts. Desire welled inside Nat, and she spun around, grabbing Maddy by the waist. Maddy wiped away the water from Nat’s mouth with her thumb. Nat crushed Maddy’s lips with her own, as her tongue searched out Maddy’s.

  In one swift move, Nat peeled off Maddy’s shirt and tossed it to the floor. She bent down, taking one of Maddy’s hard sweet nipples in her mouth. Maddy sucked in a breath as Nat picked her up and sat her upon the vanity. Maddy straddled Nat and pulled their mouths together. Nat slid her hand under Maddy’s panties, between her pink, wet folds.

  “Yes, please, Natalia,” Maddy managed to gasp between kisses. Nat obliged, running her fingers along Maddy’s slick flesh, stopping to lavish attention on her throbbing clit. Maddy sunk her teeth into Nat’s shoulder. Nat slowly moved from Maddy’s clit to the edge of her opening. She slid in two fingers, and Maddy moaned. She pumped in and out, her fingers covered in Maddy’s wetness. Maddy’s back arched in the mirror and Nat couldn’t remember seeing something quite so desirable before. She watched her fingers move in and out of her lover. A pang of white-hot desire shot through her body, aching for its own release. Maddy tightened around her fingers and Nat knew she was close. As the redhead climaxed, Maddy took Nat’s face in her hands, never losing eye contact as she came in waves. Nat kept her fingers inside Maddy, even after the tremors subsided, and kissed her flushed cheeks and lips. Maddy collapsed against her, with delicious exhaustion.

  After a moment, Nat broke the silence. “Those were some muffins.”

  Both women laughed and kissed each other until it was finally time to shower and do it all over again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next day in rehearsal, Nat couldn’t stop smiling. She smiled when she broke a string. Smiled when Paul spilled bong water on the carpet. Smiled when her voice cracked on a high note from too little sleep and too much pleasure. She was even smiling when Paul and Jackie stopped playing and simply stared at her.

  “Christ, Chambers. You’re starting to freak us out with all this happiness,” Paul announced. “Did Operation Seal the Deal work or are you on a lot of Xanax?”

  Nat let out a delighted sigh and slid into the nearest chair. “Oh, the deal has been sealed. Many times. Many, many times.”

  Jackie dropped to a cross-legged sitting position in front of her. “I’m absolutely chuffed, Nat! Aren’t you chuffed, Paul?”

  “I have no idea what that means, Jackie, but I am certainly happy for our dear ol’ Chambers. Tell us everything,” he said.

  Nat shook her head but continued to smile. “I’m a lady. I would never besmirch my reputation or Maddy’s by divulging such intimate details.” She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, “But I really, really want to!”

  “Well, all that matters is that you’re happy and you seem…refreshed.” Jackie said.

  “Refreshed?” Paul asked. “She looks like she was fucked by an angel. And yes, that is an actual porn. It’s less awkward than you would imagine.”

  “Paul, do you even just, not?” Jackie asked.

  He shrugged.

  Nat kept smiling. “For real, though, it was amazing and as much as I want to shout from the mountains how she made me feel, I also really respect her so I’m going to have to keep it zipped.”

  Paul rolled his eyes, but Jackie nodded. “We totally understand, don’t we, Paul?” Jackie said.

  He softened. “Of course, we do. Well, Jackie, it looks like our Natalia has found herself a muse.”

  To Nat, the days fell into a glorious routine. She spent a lot of her time in the studio, but when Maddy’s busy schedule allowed, she was quick to spend quality time with her. They had been seeing each other for nearly three months and she couldn’t get enough of the beautiful and sweet chef. Maddy had tough hours, which actually pushed Nat to work harder herself. With the European tour just around the corner, she needed it too. She was starting to find her place in the music again, and while she wasn’t exactly churning out the hits, she felt close to a breakthrough.

  While Nat was in the studio alone, plunking out notes on the piano, her phone buzzed with a message from Maddy.

  Closing up soon. Want to meet me at the restaurant?

  Her heart still fluttered every time she got a message from Maddy, and she quickly locked up the studio and headed to the city to meet. When she arrived, she could see the Touché crew tidying up and Maddy saying her goodbyes to her staff. She emerged from the restaurant in a pair of linen shorts that showed off her lovely legs and a black tank top. The weather was getting hotter and she was happy to see as much of Maddy’s skin as possible. When Maddy saw her outside, she wrapped Nat in a tight embrace.

  “Mmm, hi baby,” Maddy said.

  Nat loved it when Maddy called her baby. “Hi yourself. Want to go do something or do you want to head to my place,” Nat asked, untangling herself from the blissful kiss.

  “It’s late,” Maddy commented. “Why don’t we go to my place?”

  In the time that they’d been dating, Nat had never been inside Maddy’s place. “Wow, this is like, a big deal. Seeing your place.”

  Maddy poked her in the ribs. “Hey, stop it. I’m hardly ever there and it’s super small. Your place is much better. It’s just close, and I don’t know, I thought it was long overdue.”

  Nat offered her hand. “To Casa Maddy.”

  They strolled the streets of the Lower East Side in no real hurry. When they reached Maddy’s, it was after midnight and the building was shrouded in dim light. She lived in a fourth-floor walk-up, which would partly explain her killer legs. When they reached the door, Maddy stopped her.

  “Okay, it’s really small.”

  “So you mentioned,” Nat laughed.

  Maddy smiled and gave the sticky door a push with her hip as she turned the key. The apartment was cozy. It was a studio with tall white walls and huge windows that looked out to the city. She could see why Maddy picked the place. In addition to its proximity to Touché, it had charm. It was exceptionally clean and cutely but sparsely decorated. A tiny kitchen shared space with the living room area, a queen-size bed tucked into the corner by a window.

  “I’m going to hop in the shower really quick, okay?” Maddy kissed her on the cheek. “There’s a kettle in the cupboard. Make us some tea?”

  Maddy headed into the bathroom. She offered a knowing smile and left the door open so Nat could catch a glimpse of her naked form slipping into the shower.

  She found the kettle and the herbal tea. While the water boiled, she toured the apartment, looking at the few things Maddy obviously cherished. A tiny bookshelf with some dog-eared novels. A record player. Portraits of Paris. On a shelf near the bed was a lovely framed picture of a red-haired woman holding a toddler and smiling. The same smile as Maddy. Maddy’s mom. Nat ran her finger lightly over the glass, removing any accumulating dust.

  “She was a knockout, wasn’t she?” Maddy gently toweled her hair, wearing just underwear and a loose T-shirt. “When I left, I wasn’t able to take much. It’s the only picture I have of the two of us.”

  “Well, I know where you get it from now,” Nat said. “We haven’t really talked much about your mom. How does talking about her make you feel?”

  Maddy tossed the towel on a nearby chair. “Oh, I love talking about her. You don’t have to worry about upsetting me.”

  The kettle whistled and Nat returned to
the kitchen to fill their mugs. “Peppermint or lemon?”

  “Peppermint, please.”

  They settled into Maddy’s love seat with their tea, and Maddy sighed in relief.

  “So, tell me about her. What was she like?” Nat asked before burning the tip of her tongue on the piping hot tea.

  “Well, she was beautiful. That you can see. I always thought she was some kind of princess. She just lit up the room. She was soft-spoken. And kind, very kind. She was a kindergarten teacher before she had me so she had a natural temperament for kindness.” Maddy blew on her tea but didn’t yet drink. “I was so young when she died that all I have of her are slivers of memories. A flash here and there. I know she loved me and I know I felt safe with her. She loved my dad too, for all his stubbornness. They were high school sweethearts.” Maddy seemed to pull thoughts of her mother from the background of her mind.

  “Can I ask… What happened?”

  Maddy sighed. “Aneurysm. A freak thing. One day she was fine and the next day my dad found her unconscious in the flower garden.”

  Her heart sank, trying to put herself in Maddy’s shoes. “Maddy, I’m so sorry.”

  Maddy reached out and caressed her face. “Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. It happened, and it was terrible, but she loved me and that’s what I keep in my heart.”

  “You are something else, Madeline LaDuke,” Nat said, leaning back to take Maddy all in—her wet curls brushing her shoulders, her bright eyes, and a heart that knew pain but chose to focus on love.

  “Okay,” Maddy said, smiling at Nat’s obvious affection. “What were you like as a kid?”

  Nat laughed. “Oh, man. Well, I was…artistic. That’s a good word for it. Also intense. Very intense for a young person.”

  Maddy stifled a giggle. “I can totally see that.”

  “You can, can you?” She picked up one of Maddy’s feet, placed it on her lap, and rubbed away. “Yeah, imagine me, basically being this, bangs and all, but like, ten.”