Primal Touch

by Amber Jacobs

  “Hey.”

  Ashley wriggled on the bed, looking adorably dazed and befuddled as she gazed up at Leandra through sleepy, slit eyes. “Hey. Wh-what happened?” Her voice sounded almost as husky as Leandra’s from crying out during their lovemaking.

  “You passed out.” Leandra grinned, planting a chaste kiss on her lover’s lips. “I went downstairs and got something to eat. I figured you’d be hungry.” She picked up the chocolate and held it out like a token, pleased when Ashley’s eyes lit up instantly.

  “Gimme!”

  “Uh uh, let me.” Leandra undid the paper and foil wrapping, then snapped off a piece of the dark treat. “Open up.”

  Ashley complied, sighing contentedly as Leandra fed her. “Mmm. God, you’re spoiling me.”

  “I’m enjoying it just as much as you are,” Leandra whispered. A fresh fire kindled in her belly when Ashley’s tongue accidentally scored along her fingertips as she accepted the last of the chocolate. Her eyes narrowed salaciously as they drifted from Ashley’s face, down over her nude body, and she remembered the younger woman’s screams of ecstasy that had filled the room not ten minutes ago.

  Ashley paused mid-chew, obviously spotting the hungry look in Leandra’s eyes. “Leandra…”

  “Huh?” Leandra’s focus snapped back to Ashley’s face. “What?”

  “Stop looking at me like that.”

  Blue eyes blinked innocently. “Like what?”

  “You know like what. If I have to go through another ravishing like that again anytime soon, I can tell you right now I won’t survive. I’ll be sore enough in the morning as it is, after what you did to me.”

  Leandra grinned rakishly. “I didn’t hear any complaints,” she purred. “In fact…” She leaned closer and nipped lightly at the skin above Ashley’s breast. “I seem to recall that at several points, you were crying out for more.”

  Ashley shuddered at the sensation of Leandra’s teeth against her flesh, but squirmed away. “Oh God, I can’t.”

  “I could be gentle,” Leandra whispered persuasively, her fingers beginning a trek down Ashley’s body. “I could make it so soft you’d barely feel me there at all.”

  Ashley groaned, but managed to stop Leandra’s advance before it continued past the point of no return. “I can’t,” she repeated, with breathless regret. “I wish I could, but I really can’t take any more.”

  Leandra stopped and studied her lover. “Okay, I’ll behave.”

  Placing one last kiss to Ashley’s cleavage, she pulled back and settled down on the bed beside her. Picking up the momentarily forgotten chocolate, she broke off another piece and popped it into her own mouth. Instantly, her eyes closed in rapture and a loud purr rumbled through her chest. “Mmm.”

  Ashley sat up a little. “Nice?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” The sensual flavor of the chocolate exploded against Leandra’s taste buds, and she was momentarily overwhelmed.

  “I thought you’d like it.” Ashley helped herself to another piece. “I got a bunch of other stuff too. It’s only fair that I re-introduce you to all the things you missed out on in the jungle.” She traced a finger down Leandra’s chest, exploring along the edge of the satin slip that still clothed her body. “I wish I had the energy to give you more pleasure than just chocolate, but you kind of wore me out.”

  Leandra clasped her hand over Ashley’s and smiled down at her. “That’s okay. You can pay me back in the morning, if you like.” Leandra’s body was still singing with arousal, but she was content to ignore it for now. During the course of Ashley’s ravishing, Leandra had paused at intervals to see to her own pleasure, using such moments to drive her lover almost frenzied with desire as she was forced to watch. It had been, for both of them, the most delicious of tortures. “Tonight was all for you.”

  Ashley lay back on the bed sheets, wriggling herself against Leandra’s body and pulling her arms around her. “You know,” she whispered, “I really enjoyed tonight, Leandra. It was…” She paused. “It was something I’ve never experienced before. No one else ever did all that stuff for me.” Mahogany eyes met Leandra’s shyly. “I’ve never really…gone more than one round before, either.”

  “Well, get used to it, my love,” Leandra murmured, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on Ashley’s lips. “Ravishing you only once would be such a waste. I could do it a thousand times a day, and still hunger for more.”

  Ashley blushed and lowered her eyes. “You’d say anything to get me worked up again.”

  “Can I help it that you’re so delicious?” Leandra placed a piece of chocolate between her teeth and fed it to her lover in the midst of a deep kiss, the two parting only when the chocolate had melted between them. Leandra licked Ashley’s lips and grinned. “I think we’ll have to work a little more on your endurance, though.”

  Ashley snorted indignantly and pushed her off. “We’ll see how well you do, as soon as I get my strength back.” Rolling over, she managed to pin Leandra to the bed and grind herself against her. “In the morning, I get to play.”

  Leandra growled, sending thrills through the sated woman above her. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Mmm.” Ashley smiled and ran her hands over Leandra’s body for a few more moments before withdrawing. Laying back down on the rumpled sheets, she blew a few errant hairs from her face. “By the way, I called my parents. Before you distracted me, I was going to tell you that we’ve been invited to dinner on Wednesday. I tried to get out of it, but my mom can be pretty persistent.”

  “That’s okay.” Leandra hesitated, not certain how to interpret her lover’s tone. “Are you sure I was invited?”

  “Oh yeah, quite sure.” Ashley grimaced, and the bitterness in her voice became clearer. “She said something along the lines of bringing my ‘new guest’ over to meet them.” She snorted inelegantly. “She couldn’t even bring herself to call you my girlfriend. Or partner, or whatever.”

  Leandra propped herself up on one elbow. “Are you worried about them meeting me? I know I’m not exactly Miss Social Etiquette, but—”

  “No, it’s nothing like that,” Ashley quickly assured her. “I’m not ashamed of you, Leandra, so don’t even think that. I love you. I just…” She paused, and Leandra remained silent while she sorted through her thoughts. “I know how my folks sometimes react to things they don’t understand or approve of. Like when my sister got pregnant at eighteen. They really flew off the handle at her. They started threatening to never speak to her again, and stuff like that. After a while, they calmed down and were all supportive, but not at first.” She met Leandra’s gaze earnestly. “I don’t want them to say anything that might hurt you, or make you think that you and I shouldn’t be together. And it’s entirely possible they might do exactly that. They don’t like controversy, or anything they don’t understand. It might take them a while to accept that we’re together, and in the meantime, they might make things uncomfortable for both of us.”

  Leandra listened carefully, realizing her lover wasn’t worried about her not being good enough for her family, but was concerned she might be wounded by their disapproval. “Nothing they could say or do could make me love you any less, Ash,” she whispered, stroking the damp, tangled blonde hair. “I want them to at least know who I am. I’m part of your life now, right?”

  “Right,” Ashley said a little more brightly. “But still, Wednesday doesn’t give you a whole lot of time to settle in. You’re adjusting to a lot of changes, Leandra. You can’t rush that.”

  “I know.” Leandra relaxed back onto the mattress, snuggling her long body against that of her shorter lover. “But I can handle a simple dinner invitation easily enough.”

  The two lay in silence for a few minutes. Ashley began drawing idle patterns over Leandra’s toned abdomen, inspiring a soft, rumbling purr. “I’m glad Casey took so well to you,” she said softly. “She can be a l
ittle abrasive sometimes, when I start seeing someone new.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. I like her. She’s got a lot of you in her personality.” Thinking back on her own life and the experiences which had shaped it, Leandra added, “When I was her age, I was all attitude and arrogance. But she’s a good kid, and I can see how much she loves you just from talking with her. She really looks up to you.”

  “Mmm…And now she can look up to you as well,” Ashley murmured. She covered a yawn with the back of her hand, then pulled the rumpled sheets up over their bodies. One arm snaked its way underneath Leandra’s waist and pulled her close.

  Leandra heard Ashley’s breathing deepen, and watched her eyelids flutter, then close. For a moment, she contented herself with simply watching as Ashley abandoned herself to slumber. She memorized every beloved feature, and adoration warmed her heart with an achingly soft burn. She settled her arm more comfortably around Ashley’s lithe form, and closed her eyes as well. “Sweet dreams, Ash,” she whispered into the blonde tresses that tickled her chin.

  Ashley whimpered in her sleep and tightened her hold.

  The next few days felt like settling into a surprisingly comfortable domestic rhythm. Ashley was forced to abandon Leandra from time to time, when the duties of her work called her attention away, but Leandra didn’t seem to mind. She was apparently spending most of her alone time exploring the surrounding woodlands, gaining familiarity with this new, more temperate environment. Ashley overheard a few tourists and locals commenting that they had heard ominous, growling sounds while hiking the trails around town, and there was some debate over whether it could be a bear or mountain lion. Ashley kept her grin to herself and made a mental note to warn Leandra not to have too much fun playing jungle predator with the hikers.

  Casey was a frequent visitor through the week, spending almost every minute she could spare away from studying in the company of Ashley’s new houseguest. The two quickly formed a companionable bond, and Ashley was impressed by how patient a tutor Leandra proved to be. Utterly taken with her new friend, Casey struggled without complaint in her quest to toughen the soles of her feet so she could walk barefoot over brambles and sharp rocks. She even tried refusing to wear shoes to school, an action which Evelyn reported had prompted a fresh round of phone calls from her concerned teachers.

  Even when Ashley was forced to spend precious hours away from home, seeing to her duties at the office, she was extremely happy. Content for the moment to forget about the Wednesday night appointment with her parents, she delighted in the pleasure of having Leandra with her almost all the time. Having never cohabited in a relationship before, Ashley was pleasantly surprised that she adjusted so well to Leandra’s intrusion into her personal space. The two women never argued or disagreed, despite the fact that Leandra still had a long way to go before she was, as Ashley fondly put it, “housetrained.” Ashley found it rather adorable that her lover kept forgetting about little things like using bath towels, cutlery, or laundry baskets, and picked up after her without comment, for the most part.

  Living together also gave Ashley new insight into her lover. Every day, it seemed, she learned something new about her, as Leandra continued to familiarize herself with the modern world once more. Everyday things—music, books, a well-cooked meal—took on new meaning as Leandra rediscovered them. Comforts that most people took for granted seemed to enchant Leandra each time she experienced them. As Ashley learned more about her partner, her love for Leandra deepened. The days passed, their connection grew stronger and more binding, and they reveled unabashedly in their affection and passion for each other.

  In particular, Ashley found herself growing ever more addicted to this new world of sexual freedom. Leandra was, without a doubt, the most uninhibited, passionate, and playful lover she could ever want, and Ashley slowly began to relax as she grew more accustomed to being able to explore her desires fully. She took delight in the discovery that Leandra was such a spontaneous lover; sometimes all the warning she got was a momentary look of animal hunger before Leandra pounced on her and began a frenzied conquest of her body. Their lovemaking ranged from slow and breathtakingly intense to hot and carnal; a raw desire to satisfy their lust for one another. Ashley found it all exciting and intoxicating, and was far too happy to question this newly awakened outgoing attitude in her sexuality.

  On Tuesday night, Casey watched with excitement, as Ashley surprised her lover with a special gift: a large, flat object, wrapped in tiger-print paper. Leandra tore away the wrapping and gasped in surprised delight at the framed print of herself and Shar-Ranjana that Ashley had taken in the jungle.

  “It’s beautiful!” Leandra stared at the image of her tiger-sister, and Ashley saw tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you so much!”

  “You’re welcome. I thought you’d like a reminder of her…a tangible connection to your family. We can hang it in the bedroom, and you can see her every morning when you wake up.”

  Casey, sitting on the lounge opposite the couple, gagged noisily at their open display of affection, then stood up and moved closer to study the print. “What is it?” Her eyes widened when she saw the picture of the pale, striped cat, then she fixed an accusatory glare on Ashley. “Hey! I thought you said there wasn’t any white tiger. That’s what you told your boss, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is, and as far as anyone else is concerned, this picture doesn’t exist.” Ashley gestured for Casey to sit. “You have to keep this a secret. Okay, Case? No one else can know about Shar-Ranjana.”

  “Shar who?”

  “Shar-Ranjana,” Leandra said. “She was my friend in the jungle, the last of my family. Her existence is a sacred trust for me.” She regarded the teenager with a serious expression. “If people know about her, they’ll hunt her down and lock her in a cage. Or worse, kill her. I showed Ashley because I trusted her to keep my secret. I hope I can trust you as well.”

  Casey stared from the picture to Leandra, then back. “You’re so close to her,” she whispered in awe. “She didn’t attack you?”

  “She was raised with me being close to her. We were like siblings,” Leandra explained. “Will you promise never to tell anyone about this picture, Casey?”

  Casey immediately nodded earnestly, and Ashley knew her well enough to recognize how pleased Casey was to be trusted with something so important…included in this secret as an equal to the adults. “I promise.” Her sea-green eyes studied the great cat for another moment, then shifted to the image of Leandra, dressed in her tiger fur and striped paint. “You look so different there.”

  “It was a different world,” Leandra said softly. “There were very different rules.”

  Casey turned toward Ashley. “How close did you get to her?” Ashley smiled, remembering her magical experience in the jungle. “She came right up to me and gave me a good licking. I even got to pet her a bit.”

  Casey smirked and lifted an eyebrow. “I was talking about the cat.”

  Ashley rolled her eyes dryly, but felt her color rising nonetheless. “Hardy har har.”

  Ashley sighed as she pulled her car up outside her parents’ stately house. Her expression when she glanced at Leandra was resigned but determined. “Well…this is it. You ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” Leandra had been mentally bracing herself for this night all week, and now that the moment had arrived, she was nervous. “Meeting my girlfriend’s parents…” She grimaced a little ruefully. “That’s not something I ever thought I’d have to go through.”

  “You’ll do fine, Leandra. Don’t let them get to you. It’s going to take them a while to get used to the idea that you’re here to stay, and until then, they might be a little abrasive.”

  Leandra took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

  Stepping out of the vehicle, she took a moment to study the house. Although similar in appearance to Ashley’s home,
it possessed a greater air of structure and discipline. The gardens were neatly groomed and obviously well cared for. There were fewer windows than there were in Ashley’s house, and a decorative stone path led around to the rear. As she walked up to the front door, her hand clasped gratefully in Ashley’s, Leandra concentrated on keeping her breathing even and controlled, fighting down the urge to escape into the soothing shadows of the forest that lay just across the road.

  Ashley pushed a finger against the elegant brass doorbell and was answered by a musical jangle from inside. A moment later, the door was opened by a slender woman of medium height who had sharp blue eyes and blonde hair that was liberally streaked with grey. She smiled delightedly at Ashley and pulled her into a hug.

  “Ashley! It’s so good to have you back.” She held Ashley by her shoulders and studied her face, her smile only growing brighter. “You look fantastic. Evie said you weren’t sporting too many new injuries, but sometimes she says that just to spare me the worry.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Mom.” Ashley drew back a little from the embrace, and Leandra was caught by the woman’s sharp gaze. They smiled a little hesitantly at one another, uncertain of what to say or do. “Mom,” Ashley said, “this is Leandra Thornton. Leandra, I’d like you meet my mother, Emily Richards.”

  Leandra bobbed her head politely. She felt the pull of the forest shadows even more strongly now, and wished she could hide in their protective embrace. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Emily Richard’s eyes ran speculatively down Leandra’s frame, her lips pursing slightly. She looked from Leandra to Ashley and smiled a little thinly as she regarded her daughter. “Evelyn mentioned your new friend. I’m looking forward to hearing more about her.”

  Leandra saw Ashley wince slightly at her mother’s dismissive, disapproving tone.