Built to Last

by Aurora Rey

  Olivia lost all track of time. It was probably only minutes, but it felt like hours. Her body felt like a vessel into which Joss poured a seemingly infinite amount of pleasure. When the orgasm finally swept over her, it felt like her entire being was overflowing; the sensations spilled over all of her edges, leaving her drenched and weak.

  “I wanted you here, in this room, like this.” Joss was looking at her intently.

  “Mmm.” It was the only sound she could manage. Real words would need a minute.

  “As much as I wanted to surprise you with a finished room, I’d be lying if I said getting you into this bed wasn’t my primary motivation.”

  Olivia summoned the energy to roll over. She traced a finger down Joss’s side. “I do hope this isn’t how you celebrate every time you finish a project.”

  There was a devilish gleam in Joss’s eye when she responded. “Only the bedrooms.”

  Olivia rolled the rest of the way until she was on top of Joss, her thighs straddling Joss’s hips. “It’s not nice to joke about these things.”

  She thought Joss would laugh, but instead she grabbed Olivia’s wrists. “You’re right. I shouldn’t joke.”

  “It’s okay. I was only teasing you.”

  Joss swallowed, but didn’t ease her grip. “It’s you. Only you.”

  Olivia leaned forward and kissed her. “Yes.”

  Joss released Olivia’s wrists. She hadn’t meant to get serious, but something about Olivia’s comment overwhelmed her. Olivia cupped Joss’s face in her hands, kissed her again. Joss felt a tightness in her chest that hovered on the line between pleasure and pain.

  Olivia shifted her hands down, covering Joss’s breasts with her palms. The feel of Olivia’s skin made Joss’s nipples stand erect. Then Olivia started to move, writhing slowly over her. Joss could feel Olivia’s wetness, her heat, against her. Joss grabbed her hips, guiding her.

  Joss’s own hips started to lift, thrusting to meet her. There was something so erotic in the way Olivia looked, the way her red hair tumbled over her shoulders. Her eyes were closed and she’d clearly given herself over to the moment. Her body undulated, putting just the right pressure to make Joss feel like she was really fucking her, filling her completely.

  When Joss thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Olivia eased back just far enough to slide a hand between them. She pressed her thumb to Joss’s throbbing center. Joss came instantly. Her whole body went rigid as the pleasure radiated through her. The speed of it added to the intensity, leaving her weak and panting.

  As much as Olivia wanted to stay in bed—for the rest of the night, the rest of the week—she was starving. The aroma of whatever Joss had cooking had made its way upstairs. When her stomach growled for the third time, Joss sat up. “Okay, I think we need to eat now.”

  Olivia sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. It smells amazing.”

  Joss climbed out of bed and pulled her clothes on. “Your robe is hanging in the closet if you want it.”

  Olivia walked over and opened the door. As promised, her robe was hanging on a hook on the door. She took a moment to admire the shelves and bars that were just waiting for her clothes and shoes. She’d never had such a nice closet before.

  “I didn’t dare touch your wardrobe.”

  Olivia turned to see Joss smiling at her from the doorway. “Oh, I’m going to have fun in here, don’t you worry.”

  Joss chuckled. “I can only imagine.”

  They sat at the makeshift table, eating Joss’s stew of kielbasa and butternut squash and drinking a juicy Shiraz. “I can’t thank you enough for putting the room together. It was beyond thoughtful.”

  Joss cocked a brow. “Even with my ulterior motives?”

  Olivia sipped her wine. “Especially with your ulterior motives.”

  “Well, in that case, let me get rid of these dishes and take you upstairs so we can enjoy it some more.”

  “I’ll put the leftovers in the fridge and take Ethel out. I’ll meet you upstairs in a few minutes.”

  Joss gathered the glasses and bowls. “Deal.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Olivia was painting the downstairs bathroom when the phone rang. She balanced the roller on the paint tray and wiped her hand on her already splattered T-shirt. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Gina.

  “What’s up, woman?” She stepped out of the small space to give herself a break from the paint fumes.

  It was Kel’s voice on the other end. “We’re on our way to the hospital.”

  The meaning of her words registered. “Oh, my God! You’re in labor! Are you okay? How far along are you? Is Gina with you?”

  “Olivia, breathe. Gina is driving. I’ve just started having contractions, but since there’s a chance they’ll have to do a C-section, the doctor wants us there now.”

  Olivia laughed. Of course Kel would be the one telling her to stay calm. “Clearly you have everything under control. I’m going to wash the paint off me and I’ll be right there.”

  “Take your time. It’ll be a while yet.” There was a rustling in the background and then she could hear Kel’s raised voice. “Gina! Slow the hell down! I’m not going to give birth in the car!”

  Olivia couldn’t stifle another laugh. “Please be careful—both of you.”

  “Sorry. We’re fine. We’ll see you when you get here. Really, no rush.”

  “Okay.” Olivia hung up the phone, then froze for a moment, unsure what to do first. She had to clean up and change and tell Joss and do something with the tray full of paint. She picked up the paint and roller, stepped into the hallway, and ran right into Joss.

  Mossy green paint spread across the front of Joss’s shirt. It ran over Olivia’s hands and up her arms. It pooled on the floor, where Ethel, who’d gotten up to see what the commotion was about, promptly stepped in it. Olivia yelped. Thinking she wanted to play, Ethel danced around, leaving green paw prints everywhere she stepped. Olivia swore. Joss, it appeared, was trying not to laugh.

  “And that’s why we do floors after we paint.”

  Olivia, still trying to maintain her easygoing, I don’t mind living in a construction zone image, smiled. “Right. You are so very smart about these things.”

  “I try. Did I hear you say something about labor?”

  Olivia walked gingerly to the kitchen with her now-empty paint tray, trying not to drip on the floor any more than she already had. “You did, although it sounds like it’s going to be a while yet. I was just going to put the paint away, clean up, and come find you.”

  Joss raised a brow. “Well, one out of three is a start.”

  “Jerk.” Olivia giggled, taking even the semblance of punch out of the insult.

  Despite the additional time it took them to clean up, Olivia and Joss arrived at the hospital less than an hour after Kel’s call. After making their way to the maternity ward, they got Kel’s room number from the nurse’s station and started down the hall. As they approached the room, Olivia detected Gina’s voice. She was giving someone orders, loudly.

  “You need to be monitoring everything. I want a check-in every half hour. Surely, that’s not unreasonable.”

  She heard murmuring she assumed was agreement, then saw a harried-looking nurse come out of the room. Olivia, knowing exactly how Gina could be when she was worked up about something, caught the nurse’s eye and offered a reassuring smile. “She gets like that when she’s nervous.”

  The nurse rolled her eyes but cracked a smile. “She’s worse than the husbands!”

  She went on her way and Joss grabbed Olivia’s hand and headed for the door. Olivia stopped, causing Joss to rock back on her heel. Joss looked at her. “What? Don’t tell me women in labor make you nervous.”

  She huffed. “Of course not. It just occurred to me that I never asked you if you wanted to come along. This might be the last thing on earth you want to be doing right now.”

  “Are you nuts? This is great!”

  Joss grabbed
her hand again and pulled them into the room. Kel was propped up on the bed. Olivia couldn’t believe how put together she looked. Gina, on the other hand, was pacing. She’d never seen her mass of curls look so disheveled. Considering she’d seen Gina on the beach and first thing in the morning, it was saying something.

  Kel saw them first and raised both hands in the air. “Calm people. Thank heavens.”

  At Kel’s insistence, as well as Joss’s, Olivia dragged Gina out of the room for a walk up and down the hall. It was just enough of a distraction to help Gina calm down. When they returned to the room, they walked in on a heated debate.

  “I’m just saying,” Joss said, “that until the Jets are willing to shake up their offensive line, they aren’t going to have a winning season.”

  “That’s such a New England pansy thing to say. You’ve got a brand-name quarterback and you think the universe owes you a Super Bowl.” Kel pounded a fist into the mattress. “It’s the arrogance that starts to get old.”

  “It’s not arrogance. The Jets buy a new quarterback every other week, each one worse than the last. Brady is ten times the quarterback of all of them put together.” Joss leaned back in the chair she’d taken up near the bed.

  Gina shook her head. “I cannot, simply cannot, believe they are arguing about football.”

  Olivia shrugged. “Whatever does the trick, right?”

  “Right.” Gina looked over at the two of them, then back at Olivia. “What I really can’t believe is how cool and collected she is. I was so sure I was going to be the one over there and she’d be the one fussing and freaking out.”

  “Are you sad that it isn’t you?”

  Gina waited a long moment before she answered. “I thought I would be. I was afraid I’d be overwhelmed with longing, and envy. The reality is that this is the best thing that’s ever happened to our relationship. It ripped us out of our comfort zones and allowed us to fall in love with parts of each other we didn’t even know existed.”

  “That’s really sweet.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Any thoughts or talk of motherhood?”

  It was a question she’d asked herself over and over. When she left Atlanta, she grieved for the life and for the family she thought she’d have there. On one hand, not having children with Amanda had made leaving so much less complicated. For that, and for not having to inflict that process on children, she was grateful. On the other hand, she was thirty-two. She had time, but the clock was definitely ticking. Although that fact was often in the back of her mind, she kept it firmly there. It was not a reality she felt ready to accept.

  “Yes and no. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a certain longing. In the moment, though, I’m so glad that I didn’t go down that path when I had the chance. I can’t imagine being a single mother any more than I can imagine sharing kids with my ex.”

  Gina tilted her head slightly in the direction of Joss and Kel, who were discussing concussions and what the NFL should or shouldn’t be doing to prevent them. “What about Joss?”

  Olivia was saved from answering by the entrance of the doctor. She briefly examined Kel, then announced, “I don’t think we have much longer to go.”

  “I think that’s our cue to relocate to the waiting room,” Olivia said. She gave Gina a hug. “Be calm. She’s a champ.”

  Gina smiled. “Right. Thanks. I love you. Oh, and this conversation is not over.”

  “Of course.”

  Olivia walked over to where Joss was helping Kel breathe through a contraction. When it ended, they bumped fists and Joss said, “Like a boss.”

  Olivia shook her head. Joss had the capacity to perpetually surprise her. She gave Kel a kiss on the cheek and wished her luck. When they were out in the hallway, she said, “Really? A fist bump?”

  “What? We’re bros.”

  Joss and Kel had become such fast friends. It still caught her off guard how nice it was to have her girlfriend and her best friends get along so well. She took Joss’s face in her hands and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. “You are the best, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who is glad you’re here.”

  “Ditto.” Joss grinned. “Now let’s go rustle up some junk food to keep us going while we wait.”

  “You really don’t mind hanging around a hospital all night?”

  “This is a big deal. Gina is like a sister to you and, even though I give Kel a hard time, I really like them both. Besides, I want to be where you are. Now buy me a candy bar and stop questioning me.”

  “Yes’m.”

  They walked arm in arm down the hall. In the waiting area, the vending machine was dark. A piece of paper with the words “Out of Order” in black marker was taped to the glass.

  “Foiled! Come on, we’ve got time to find another.” Joss pulled her to the elevator and they went down a floor, where they found two machines well-stocked and in working order. She slid a couple of singles into the machine. “What’s your pleasure?”

  “Um, Diet Coke and a Twix, please.”

  “Good choices,” she said, nodding. “Is that your usual or just your mood tonight?”

  “I suppose that’s my usual. There’s enough Southern in me that I do love Dr Pepper, but it’s rare to find Diet. Sometimes I’ll go with peanut butter cups or, ooh, a York.”

  Joss nodded, as though she were taking in critical information. “Good to know. I’m a Kit Kat woman myself, although I do love a peanut butter cup. And while I don’t mind Coca-Cola, I prefer a Pepsi.”

  Olivia made a face and raised a hand to her chest in horror. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know if we can be together.” She pulled out her thickest drawl. “I can handle a lot of your Yankee ways, but Pepsi drinkin’ may be one step too far.”

  Joss laughed. She’d come to find many of Olivia’s Southern mannerisms charming, but she enjoyed the over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek variation the best. It served as a pleasant reminder that Olivia didn’t take herself too seriously.

  With hands full of sugar and caffeine, they made their way back to the maternity floor. Once the candy bars were devoured, they sat holding hands in companionable silence. Joss picked up an abandoned newspaper and they got about three-quarters of the way through the crossword before giving up. Olivia rested her head on Joss’s shoulder and, despite the sugar intake, started to nod off.

  At 2:24 a.m., Gina appeared, looking the perfect combination of elated and exhausted. “They’re here. Liam Andrew and Jacob Glenn are here.”

  The boys weighed a respectable five pounds, four ounces and four pounds, thirteen ounces. They were born six minutes apart and both came out screaming. Gina led them back to the room, where Kel was looking triumphant, but exhausted.

  After hugs and congratulations, Gina looked at Olivia and Joss. “Do you want to hold them?”

  Joss waited for Olivia to reply, since Gina and Kel were her friends first. Olivia nodded, but seemed a little unsure of herself, and Joss couldn’t figure out why. When she saw Liam cradled in Olivia’s arms, however, the questions vanished. In their place, a deep and profound longing. For the first time since Cora, Joss could envision being a parent. And she could envision doing it with Olivia.

  “Don’t you want to?” Olivia’s question pulled Joss back to the present moment.

  “Of course. Sorry, my mind wandered for a moment.”

  Gina handed the tiny sleeping bundle to her. Jacob’s light brown complexion held a hint of pink and the top of his head was covered in soft black curls. He made faces in his sleep.

  “He’s beautiful.” Joss hoped the emotion in her voice wasn’t completely obvious.

  Knowing Gina and Kel both needed some rest, Joss and Olivia didn’t linger. The roads were empty and the drive was quiet. Joss knew where her mind wandered; she wondered if Olivia’s was anywhere in the same vicinity. When they pulled into the driveway, it was nearly four o’clock. Olivia stifled a yawn. “Aren’t you glad the babies had the courte
sy to arrive at two in the morning on a weeknight?”

  Joss shut off the engine and told herself to keep things light. “Lucky for me, my current boss is pretty lenient.”

  “Lenient, huh? Is that what I am?”

  Joss tilted her head. “Flexible, perhaps, is a better word.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car. “I’ll take it.”

  Despite the hour, kisses led to roaming hands. Joss was still surprised by how quickly Olivia stirred up her desire. The need was always there, just under the surface. It was empowering, if a little unnerving.

  After they made love, Olivia curled up against Joss’s chest in that way she had. It made Joss feel both soft and strong, protected and protective. Given how rocky the start of their relationship had been, it still caught her off guard just how right it felt. But rather than quieting that nagging voice in the back of her head, the feeling only seemed to make it stronger.

  Joss still had no idea what Olivia wanted. At first, Joss told herself it was irrelevant, that they wouldn’t last long enough to bother having the conversation. With each passing day, however, the connection felt deeper. The possibility of a future no longer seemed absurd. Seeing Gina and Kel tonight with their sons filled Joss with yearning to start a family of her own. She’d known that yearning was there, but Joss had come to realize that Olivia was now—or at least could be—a part of it. Not knowing if Olivia felt the same gnawed at her.

  “Olivia?”

  Olivia wiggled herself even closer, tightening her grip around Joss’s middle. “Mmm. Yes?”

  Joss’s chest tightened and she realized she was terrified. If Olivia’s answer was a flat-out no, what was Joss going to do? As painful as it would be, not wanting children was a deal breaker. “Do you want kids?”

  Olivia waited a long moment before responding. It felt, to Joss, like hours. “Yes.”