by Amber Jacobs
She could smell the musky scent of Leandra’s desire, and her mouth watered at the thought that she was the one to inspire such arousal. As her fingers began to move hesitantly toward Leandra’s center, Ashley’s lips descended upon the woman lying under her, kissing her ardently and feeling her respond with equal passion. Ashley let go her fears and caution as she fed from Leandra’s mouth, for the first time in her life allowing carnal desires to completely consume her. Her hunger redoubled and she groaned excitedly, as Leandra’s hands began to tug urgently at her own clothes. Breaking contact momentarily, Ashley stripped as quickly as she could, all sense of modesty abandoned to the urgency of the moment. She paused a moment once she was naked, enjoying the way Leandra’s eyes roved appreciatively over her lithe figure, before returning her lips to their feast. This time she claimed Leandra’s throat, sucking forcefully at her thunderous pulse-point while her hands moved feverishly along the curve of her hips, tracing inward.
As soon as her slender fingers grazed Leandra’s center, her hips surged eagerly forward, seeking more. Ashley took her time, however, her touches straying for long minutes over trembling inner thighs and stomach before returning to where Leandra’s need was greatest.
Hot, wet lips forged a trail down Leandra’s collarbone, then dipped lower to snare each nipple in turn. Ashley was completely caught up in the passion of the moment, more aroused than she’d ever been in her entire life. She pulled lightly at sensitized flesh with her teeth, then, hearing the way Leandra responded, bit harder. Leandra convulsed. Ashley’s fingers finally sought out liquid heat and began a slow, steady massage. She broke contact and looked down at the body writhing beneath her, breathless with desire as her fingers flowed through Leandra’s slick folds.
Leandra was biting her lower lip, her powerful body entirely at the mercy of Ashley’s caresses. She twisted and squirmed on the pallet, staring up at Ashley with glazed, desperate eyes. “Oh, God! Harder, please! Harder!” Leandra gasped, and when Ashley complied she clawed at the ground and rolled her hips in urgent, rising ecstasy.
Ashley was stunned at the heat that enveloped her fingers. Leandra felt like liquid silk, and she eagerly set about satisfying her new lover. Though she’d never touched another woman intimately, Ashley had a lot of experience keeping herself happy, and she applied that expertise to this new situation. From the way Leandra’s body pulsed around her fingers and the increasingly desperate edge to her cries and moans of pleasure, Ashley decided she was doing okay.
Unfortunately—but certainly understandably—it was quickly apparent that four years of abstinence had taken a toll on Leandra, for all too soon Ashley felt the first spasms of climax begin tightening around her fingers. Though she had intended this to be a slow, protracted exploration, not wanting to rush the experience, Ashley was too lost in the carnal moment to slow down. Instead, she responded by slipping a third finger in beside the two already thrusting into Leandra’s core. Instantly, every muscle in Leandra’s body snapped taut, straining beneath her rippling skin, and she released a pealing cry of unrestrained ecstasy.
Ashley continued thrusting into Leandra’s clenching sex, keeping her at the highest point of climax for at least half a minute before Leandra collapsed, gasping, back onto the sleeping pallet.
Ashley smiled as she slowly withdrew her fingers from their warm nest, feeling the fading orgasmic spasms grip at her pleasantly. An expression of dazed wonder graced her features as she looked at Leandra’s sweat-streaked body and face, and her heart almost stopped when sated, sapphire eyes turned on her with radiant joy.
“Thank you,” Leandra whispered, struggling to catch her breath after the quick but stunning orgasm. “God, that was…” She grinned, shaking her head. “Incredible.”
Ashley’s smile turned into a full-fledged grin, her eyes positively glowing in the firelight. “Really?”
Leandra nodded sincerely. “Really.”
“Huh.” Ashley settled herself beside the striped form of her new lover. “I don’t think I’ve ever been described as ‘incredible’ before,” she mused aloud. “At least, not in this particular department.”
Leandra matched her grin. “Well, I think you’re incredible in all departments,” she purred seductively, her stunning eyes roving hungrily over Ashley’s nakedness in excited anticipation. “And if you’ll give me a minute or two to recover, I’ll be sure to thank you properly.”
Ashley shivered at the husky promise. Propping herself up on one elbow, she continued running her eyes over Leandra’s powerful frame, feeling the heat radiating from her lover’s body. Her fingers still glistened with her lover’s essence, and after making sure Leandra’s eyes were closed, Ashley lifted the fingers to her lips and took a guilty lick. She marveled at the exotic flavor, finding it very much to her liking, and proceeded to consume the remainder. When her fingers were clean, Ashley’s eyes returned to feast upon Leandra’s nakedness once more.
Thinking back to all the dream-lovers who had populated her fantasies over the years, Ashley couldn’t believe the characteristics that had been common to them all. What the hell was I thinking? Sophisticated? Cultured? They’ve got nothing on Leandra. Simply put, Leandra was the epitome of animal sensuality. Savage nobility coupled with primeval strength and passion, all packed into an agile, six-foot-something body that fairly radiated carnal sexuality. Ashley’s eyes glowed as the fires in them sparked anew, and she reached out to begin a second exploration.
Cobalt eyes flew open instantly. “Oh, no you don’t!”
Ashley gave a startled yelp as powerful yet gentle fingers wrapped around her wrists and pushed her back. Leandra twisted about, pinning her to the sleeping mat and bringing their faces together. “It’s my turn now,” she growled, pressing her uninjured thigh against Ashley’s heated center. Ashley shuddered, her eyelids fluttering, as Leandra began a slow grind.
Painted hands released their hold on her captured wrists and stroked down Ashley’s arms, tickling the sensitive skin behind her elbow, making her giggle and squirm. Ashley arched her back as Leandra brought her attention down to her breasts. Nimble fingers sought her stiffened nipples and began to pinch and roll them gently, then with greater urgency as her excitement became more vocal.
Lying on her back on the rough pallet, Ashley whimpered at the attentions her body was receiving. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure what to expect from Leandra, but she was certainly enjoying the ride so far. No one had ever touched her with this kind of almost frenzied passion, and the young woman found herself getting wetter at the thought of what might lie in store for her. When Leandra kissed her ardently, she responded with a matching hunger, her tongue fighting an erotic duel for dominance against her lover’s. She surrendered control readily, however, the moment she felt Leandra’s right hand quest southwards.
Leandra’s lips abandoned the kiss to trail a scorching path down her slender neck, and Ashley tilted her head back to encourage her. Lips and tongue explored a path from her shoulder down along her collarbone, then lower until they encountered the tempting swell of her breasts. Ashley stifled a moan as a serpentine tongue lashed and teased her nipple, sending ripples of pleasure all through her body. Then she stiffened, feeling those long fingers begin to play promisingly through the damp curls above her center. A single fingertip began tracing tight circles just above her throbbing clitoris.
Giving Ashley’s right nipple a final sucking kiss, Leandra looked up at her breathlessly, sapphire eyes ablaze with ravenous need. “Let me taste you,” she gasped. “Please?”
Ashley hesitated.
“You’ll like it, I promise.” Leandra dipped down to slide her tongue persuasively up Ashley’s inner thigh, making her writhe in anticipation. “Please, Ashley?”
Ashley bit her lower lip, considering, then nodded.
Leandra wasted no time laying a wet line of kisses and licks down Ashley’s lower body, tracing patterns with her to
ngue along sensitized skin and moving ever closer to the source of heat between her legs.
Ashley lay back and closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations generated by Leandra’s ministrations. She blushed in reflex as her partner settled between her legs, and she felt the cool air caress her intimately, making her fully aware of how exposed and open she was. This was a pleasure Ashley had never experienced before, something none of her previous lovers had offered and she’d never found the courage to ask for. She’d often fantasized how this might feel, and it appeared she was finally about to find out.
Warm air flowed across her sensitized sex, and Ashley tensed, then relaxed as Leandra blew against her again. The first touch of Leandra’s tongue ran along the inside of her left thigh, and Ashley trembled as her core pulsed anxiously. She could feel how wet she was, how ready. This kind of patient foreplay was new to her, and her hands grasped the edges of the sleeping mat tightly as she forced her body to lie still, while Leandra’s tongue played havoc with her already overloaded libido.
The teasing licks continued for long minutes, as Ashley squirmed longingly, and then became more purposeful. Leandra’s lips and tongue abandoned Ashley’s thighs and began a more serious exploration of her velvet folds. Ashley’s hips bucked hard against the erotic assault, and she cried out when Leandra’s tongue flicked her hard nub repeatedly, then returned to the long, slow strokes that swiftly began to drive her to the edge. Her hands grabbed for Leandra’s hair, pulling her closer as she convulsed. “Oh, fuck!” Ashley gasped, white lights exploded behind her eyelids as the most unbelievable sensations ripped through her.
Leandra grinned up at her, fingers poised teasingly against her entrance. “You like?”
“Yes! God, please, Leandra, don’t stop!” Ashley clutched desperately at Leandra’s head, seeking an anchor as her body thrust forward, completely out of her control.
“Would you like more?”
Ashley almost sobbed when she felt the firmer touch of Leandra’s fingers slide tauntingly against her wetness. “Yes!” Her hips surged upwards, pleading. “Inside! Please, Leandra! Inside now!”
Leandra complied, pushing into Ashley slowly. The feeling was so exquisite, Ashley feared she wouldn’t be able to endure more than a few seconds before climax took her. But Leandra seemed aware of her hair-trigger sensitivity, moving at a languorous pace and using only the lightest, most teasing touches of her tongue. Ashley continued to whimper and plead, lost in a landscape of ascending ecstasy. But every time she felt herself drawing closer to the edge, Leandra would respond by slowing her ministrations until she calmed, keeping her hovering constantly at the brink of orgasm.
Still, the patient lovemaking could only continue for so long before Ashley’s body reached the limit of its endurance. The first pulse of climax stiffened her muscles and made her breath catch in her throat. Leandra responded, curling her fingers and thrusting with greater speed and purpose. Ashley looked down just in time to catch the hungry smile on her new lover’s face, then Leandra sealed her lips over her clitoris and began sucking fervently.
Ashley screamed as her body stiffened, crying out words that only vaguely resembled Leandra’s name as the waves of her climax pounded through her sweat-slicked frame. The pleasure was more overwhelming than any she’d experienced before, and Leandra refused to let it die away quickly, lashing her tongue with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings against the tiny bundle of nerve endings at the crown of her sex. But eventually, she could endure no more of the shattering pleasure and collapsed weakly back to the ground, panting for breath as she pushed at Leandra’s head.
“No more,” she begged. “God, I can’t take any more.”
Leandra planted a final loving kiss on Ashley’s sex, sending a last delicious spasm through her, before stretching out full length beside her and slipping an arm beneath her waist. “Was that to your liking, my lady?” she asked impishly.
Ashley blew her damp bangs from her eyes and laughed, snuggling up to her new lover. “I’ll say. I’m still tingling everywhere! That was phenomenal.”
“Good.” Leandra leaned down, and Ashley didn’t hesitate to meet her kiss, moaning when she felt gentle teeth nip at her lower lip. “I’m glad I could make you feel good.”
Ashley gazed up into eyes that sparkled in the dying light of the neglected fire. She wrapped her arms around Leandra and pulled their bodies into a tight embrace. “You make me feel wonderful every moment we’re together,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“Mmm.”
The two lay as one on the pallet, sated and warmed by the flickering glow of the dying fire. But Leandra’s body made an extremely comfortable pillow, and the quiet rhythm of her heartbeat worked as well as a lullaby on Ashley. It wasn’t long before her eyelids fluttered, then closed, and her breathing deepened as she drifted off, exhausted.
Leandra lay awake in the darkness for a long time, content to simply watch Ashley sleep, one hand playing gently through her fine, pale hair. The sounds from outside continued to speak their mysterious knowledge to her, but Leandra felt distanced from that world of hunter and prey, wrapped up in a new world of peace and love she’d never hoped to find.
In that moment, Leandra knew there was no way she could ever live without these feelings…no way she could ever fully return to the solitary world of the jungle predator.
Sometime later that night, Leandra woke from a dreamless sleep, her body slightly chilled. Her internal clock told her there were still several hours until dawn, and the night air carried a cold bite. She immediately sensed the absence of her bedmate and sat up, stretching her injured leg stiffly as she looked around.
Ashley was sitting at the mouth of the cave, head propped on her folded hands, looking out over the forests and plains below. She’d donned her shirt and shorts to ward off the chill, but Leandra’s sensitive ears still detected shivers in each breath the young woman took. Shafts of light beamed down through the thin cloud cover, illuminating Ashley’s features and casting her hair into a radiant halo. As Leandra rose and padded silently over to her, she noticed the pensive expression that marked her features.
“Hey.”
Brown eyes that looked almost like smoky quartz in the moonlight glanced up. Ashley smiled. “Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Of course.” Ashley patted the ground next to her invitingly, and Leandra knelt beside her. Together they watched the shifting shadows of the clouds for a few minutes in silence before Leandra spoke.
“You don’t regret anything, do you?”
Ashley immediately shook her head, reaching out to take her hand and bring it to her lips. “Of course not. I told you, Leandra, I could never regret the time we’ve spent together.” She paused, adding with a roguish grin, “And I could certainly never regret doing that with you.”
Leandra smiled, eyeing her curiously. “You just look a little sad, that’s all.”
“Not sad. Just thinking,” Ashley said. “Today’s going to be my last full day out here. We leave tomorrow morning.”
Now Leandra understood. She shifted on the ground and stretched out her wounded leg to relieve the pressure on the stitches. “I know.”
“It’s so close. I’ve been trying so hard not to think about it, you know? I don’t…” Ashley trailed off, seeming unable for a long moment to find words to express her feelings. “I didn’t want to spoil what was happening between us by bringing it up, but after last night, I know I can’t avoid it anymore.”
Leandra had been deliberately avoiding thinking too much about Ashley’s imminent departure as well, and about the changes she was going to have to make if she intended to keep the young woman in her life. Glancing at Ashley quickly, Leandra found herself caught by an intensity there she’d not expected.
“Ask me to stay,” Ashley whispered.
“What?”
“Ask me to stay, Leandra. Just ask, and I’ll do it.”
Leandra stared, thrown totally for a loop by Ashley’s words. She shook her head. “I can’t. I mean, you can’t. Ashley, you have a home, a family. You can’t just—”
“I will.” Ashley sat up straighter and faced Leandra directly. “If you ask me to, I will.”
“Ashley—”
“No.” Ashley shook her head angrily. “I don’t want to leave you, Leandra. It’s not fair! I can’t just walk away from this, not now.” Ashley paused and lowered her head, but Leandra saw teardrops threatening to fall. “I want to be with you. I want to wake up every morning and know you’ll be waking right beside me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my whole life, Leandra, but I know that what we have together doesn’t come along very often. If I walk away now, if I just try to forget all the time I’ve shared with you, I know the chances are I’ll never get to feel this way again. Ever.” She snuffled. “And I don’t want that to happen.”
Leandra gazed into the dark eyes of her friend and lover, seeing the unshed tears and touched deeply by Ashley’s words. “I don’t want to forget you either, Ashley,” she whispered. “But I can’t ask you to live in this world with me. I don’t want to be the one who takes you from your family, your work. I know how much you love doing what you do.”
“But I love you more!”
Leandra was silent as she took in Ashley’s fierce words of devotion, then she smiled incredulously. “You do?”
“Yes.” Ashley reached out and clasped Leandra’s striped hands in her own. “I love you more than anyone in the world, Leandra, and I can’t lose you now that I’ve finally found you.”
That was all she needed to hear, Leandra realized. Any doubts about her feelings for Ashley disappeared in a heartbeat. “Well,” she offered, “when you leave here, I could always just come along with you.”
