Atramentum

by MJ Duncan

  Twenty

  Joss looked down at the items in her hands and frowned, concerned that what she had thought was a cute idea was just stupid. The voice of reason in the back of her mind told her she was being ridiculous, that this was just a manifestation of the nerves that had kept her pacing the aisles of Atramentum until Scott had enough of her silently freaking out and sent her home, but she desperately wanted this date to go well. Wanted to do all the right things and say the right words to make Maeve smile like she had earlier that morning, where the curl of her lips was so soft and shy and the crinkle at the corner of her eyes said how touched she was by the compliment.

  She shook her head and looked up at her reflection that was staring back at her from Maeve’s glass front doors. The fitted charcoal slacks she wore were nice enough, she figured, with their low-rise waist and the way they hugged her ass, but there was nothing particularly striking about the deep purple silk button-down shirt she had paired with them. Joss frowned at her hair, which she had left down so it hung loosely around her shoulders in her usual style, and sighed as she wondered if she should have done something else with it. She wanted to be smooth and suave and charming, and yet, here she stood, on the doorstep of the woman she had been crushing on from pretty much the moment she first laid eyes on her, in her old work clothes, holding a bouquet of lilies and a bone.

  “Why in the name of fuck did I bring a bone?” she muttered. Bringing flowers for Maeve and a treat for George had seemed like a brilliant idea when she came up with it, since it was George who really first introduced them, but now that she was here, it just seemed…lame. “What kind of moron brings a treat for the dog on their first date?”

  “The kind who knows that it would make said dog’s mom smile,” a soft, amused voice replied behind her.

  Joss squeezed her eyes shut in horror. No, no, no, no, no. Please tell me this is not happening!

  The soft hand on her elbow assured her it was, however, and she blew out a soft breath as she opened her eyes and allowed herself to be turned around. She desperately tried to come up with something witty to say in that half-second it took her to face Maeve, something that would make her seem like less of a dork for talking to herself like that, but her mind went blank the moment she saw her. She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open as she stared at the blonde, but she could hardly find the wherewithal to care.

  Maeve was positively stunning in a black, halter-style dress that highlighted the subtle line of her collarbones and the soft curve of her shoulders. The bodice was tight, hugging the amble swell of her breasts, and the loose skirt that billowed around her thighs before stopping just at the top of her knees added a touch of playful casualness to the dress. Joss’ gaze continued its downward trek, over smooth calves to a pair of strappy black heels that were high enough to bring her and Maeve eye-to-eye. Maeve’s makeup was impeccable, her hair was lusciously tousled in a way that Joss knew took quite a bit of effort to achieve while looking like she had just rolled out of bed after an afternoon of lovemaking, and her eyes sparkled with amusement and something Joss wished she understood.

  A perfectly sculpted brow arching above Maeve’s trademark black frames reminded Joss that she was still waiting for her response, and she bit her lip to try to stem the blush she could feel tinting her cheeks as she offered her the flowers, praying Maeve did not notice the way her hand trembled. “Um…hi. These are for you.”

  Maeve smiled as she took the wrapped bouquet. She twirled the flowers this way and that, her smile widening as she inspected the pink and white star-shaped flowers. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke, the look in her eyes even softer as she leaned in to press a light kiss to Joss’ cheek. “Thank you. I love them.”

  The feeling of Maeve’s lips against her skin was pure heaven, and Joss closed her eyes as she whispered, “I’m glad.”

  Maeve nodded and cleared her throat as she pulled away, and took a deep breath as she tilted her chin toward the bone Joss still held in her left hand. “George really likes bones, too.”

  “Yeah.” Joss smiled sheepishly and handed Maeve the stuffed bone. “It seemed like a cute idea at the time…”

  “It’s perfect,” Maeve assured her with a wink. “I just put her in her run, though, so you can give it to her when we come back.”

  With nothing left to occupy her hands, Joss shoved them in her pockets. “Okay.”

  “Do we have time for me to go put these in water?”

  Joss did not need to check her watch to know that they had plenty of time before their reservation, and she rocked back on her heels as she nodded. “Of course.”

  A speculative look flitted across Maeve’s face for a beat before she edged past Joss and opened the front door. Joss followed her down the hall to the kitchen, and leaned against the edge of the counter much like she had the night before as she watched Maeve set the flowers and bone on the counter beside the sink.

  “I’ll be right back.” Maeve smiled and disappeared through the door to the butler’s pantry that separated the kitchen and dining room.

  Alone for a moment, Joss closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to settle her nerves. Okay, so Maeve heard me talking to myself. She seemed amused by it, so stop freaking out. She blew out the breath she had been holding and shook her head. Easier said than done.

  “You okay?” Maeve asked as she reentered the kitchen with a cut crystal vase.

  Joss nodded, painfully aware of the way Maeve’s eyes never left her face as she set the vase in the sink. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

  “No reason to be sorry,” Maeve murmured, her smile gentle as she abandoned her task and made her way over to Joss. Her touch was light as she stroked the line of Joss’ jaw with the backs of her fingers, and she sighed as she leaned in, head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side as she closed the distance between them.

  The kiss was slow and sweet, and Joss’ eyes fluttered shut as she reached for Maeve’s hips to pull her closer. The nerves that had been tormenting her all afternoon faded at the feeling of Maeve’s body responding to her touch, allowing Joss to pull her in until they were hip-to-hip and breast-to-breast, and she let out a shuddering breath when they finally broke apart. “Wow.”

  Maeve hummed in agreement and pressed a chaste, lingering kiss to Joss’ lips. “Indeed.” Her expression was thoughtful when she pulled back and asked, “Feeling better?”

  Joss blushed. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat as she rubbed her thumbs over the soft fabric hugging Maeve’s hips. “I don’t think I’ve told you yet how incredible you look.”

  “Thank you.” Maeve smiled and took a step back to give Joss a deliberate once-over. “You look pretty incredible yourself,” she murmured, her eyes a shade darker than usual as she made her way back to the sink. “These really are beautiful,” Maeve said as she cut the cellophane off the bouquet and began trimming the stems. “Where did you find them?”

  Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman, Joss thought to herself, though she did not dare utter such a clichéd phrase aloud. “Just the little florist shop in town.”

  Maeve grinned. “For Freesia’s Sake?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “I haven’t been in there yet, but I laugh every time I drive by. It’s an absolutely genius name for a flower shop.”

  “Right?” Joss agreed with a small laugh. “Of course, the best is tourists’ reactions when they ask for the name of a local florist and you tell them to go there.”

  “I’ll bet,” Maeve muttered as she finished trimming the final two stems before gathering the bunch to set into the vase. “There.” She picked the bouquet up and let it drop one final time so that the flowers spread out and filled the entire vase. “Perfect.”

  Joss waited until Maeve had filled the vase with water and set it on the island before she asked, “Ready to go, then?”

  “Absolutely. Where are we going?”

  “That, my dear, is a surprise,” Joss teased as she placed a light hand on
the small of Maeve’s back to guide her toward the front door.

  “Oh, well, in that case…” Maeve gathered her black wrap and purse that were draped over the end of the banister. Her smile was blinding when she spun back toward Joss, and she chuckled softly as she took Joss’ hand and threaded their fingers together. “I can’t wait to be surprised.”

  Joss brushed a quick kiss across the backs of Maeve’s knuckles as they walked out the door, and was pleasantly surprised when Maeve did not let go of her hand to lock up after them. She glanced toward the side of the garage as they walked hand-in-hand to her car, and had to laugh when she caught sight of George watching them from her run. “We’ve been spotted,” she observed in a mock whisper.

  Maeve rolled her eyes. “She has the garage and her run, she’s fine.”

  George’s sad eyes and droopy ears were utterly pathetic, and Joss shook her head as she opened the passenger’s door for Maeve. “She’s good at that.”

  “The guilt thing?” Maeve grinned and stole a quick kiss before sliding elegantly onto the passenger’s seat. “You get used to it.”

  “If you say so,” Joss muttered, making Maeve laugh. She winked at her and slammed the door shut, and looked over at George as she strolled around the hood to the driver’s side. “We’ll be back later, Georgie-girl.”

  George let out a loud, pathetic whine and then turned and disappeared into the doghouse that served as both shelter and camouflage for her super-sized dog door into the garage.

  “She told you,” Maeve said as Joss climbed behind the wheel.

  Joss shrugged as she twisted the key in the ignition. The courtyard was wide enough that she could turn around without shifting into reverse, and she arched a brow at Maeve as she got them heading in the right direction. “Come on, like that’s really surprising?”

  “Well, no,” Maeve teased, taking Joss’ hand into her own once more as they started down the drive. “She’s got you pretty whipped.”

  She’s not the only one, Joss thought, shooting a glance at Maeve. “Shut up.”

  Maeve laughed. “Whatever. So, how was your day?”

  Joss shrugged and filled Maeve in on the highlights of her day, omitting everything that had to do with her trying to plan their date and/or freaking out about said date, and once she was done, Maeve shared some of what she had accomplished with her editing. They chatted amiably on the drive into town, and Joss watched Maeve out of the corner of her eye as she pulled into the main lot at Buckskin Ski Resort, curious if Maeve had any idea where they were going. The small frown of confusion that wrinkled Maeve’s forehead as she read the large billboard sign on the front of the ski shop advertising guided trail hikes told her she did not, and Joss grinned as she pulled into a space on the westernmost edge of the lot, nearest the gondola that would take them to the top of the mountain.

  “Ready?” Joss pulled her keys from the ignition and turned to grab her blazer from the backseat just in case Maeve’s wrap was not enough to keep her warm and she needed a coat later.

  “Yes?”

  Joss chuckled and leaned across the center console to kiss Maeve softly. “Excellent,” she murmured as she pulled away and opened her door.

  “We’re not going hiking, right?” Maeve asked as she climbed out of the car.

  “Maybe next time,” Joss said. “George would like that, right?”

  “I dunno, Ms. Perrault,” Maeve teased with a smirk as she joined Joss at the front of the car. She slipped her hand in the crook of Joss’ elbow and gave it a light squeeze. “Don’t you think you should see how the first date goes before you start planning the second one?”

  Joss laughed and led Maeve toward the small chalet at the base of the mountain where they would pick up the gondola. “Do you?” she retorted as she ushered Maeve inside. She caught the eye of the gondola attendant who was standing at a small podium just to the side of the loading area, and nodded. “Perrault.”

  The attendant checked the list on his podium and nodded. “The next car should be down in a minute or two.”

  “Great. Thanks.” Joss walked over to where Maeve was looking out a window that overlooked a wide grassy area that, during the winter, served as the runout for the majority of the resort’s runs. Aware of the fact that they were no longer alone and unsure of how much physical contact Maeve preferred while in public, Joss shoved her hands in the front pockets of her slacks as she stopped behind her, just close enough that they would be able to keep their voices from carrying to across the room to the attendant. “It won’t be long.”

  Maeve nodded. “I heard.” She leaned back into Joss and gestured at the runout. “Is that a deer?”

  Joss looked across the meadow and nodded. “Yep. You know, a lot of the old-timers around here believe it’s a good omen to see a deer on a first date.”

  “Really?”

  Joss laughed and shook her head as she spotted the gondola approaching the bottom of the hill. “No.” She laughed harder at the playful huff of exasperation her honesty earned her, and took a small step back as she gestured toward the loading area. “However, making one’s reservation on time is. Your chariot awaits, m’lady.”

  “You’re not as cute as you think you are,” Maeve grumbled, bumping Joss with her shoulder as she passed.

  Joss hurried to catch up to her, and hovered just off her elbow as they stood out of the way as an older couple climbed from the car. Joss smiled her thanks to the attendant as she followed Maeve inside, grateful to be free from prying eyes. Once the door was shut, and the gondola slid smoothly into motion, lifting them into the air, Joss wrapped her arms around Maeve’s waist and pressed a light kiss to her ear. “You don’t think I’m cute?”

  Maeve shook her head as she spun in Joss’ embrace and smiled as she kissed her softly. “You’re so much more than ‘cute’, Joss. You’re gorgeous.”

  Joss’ stomach fluttered at the compliment, and she sighed as she captured Maeve’s lips in a slow, sweet kiss. “You’re gorgeous.”

  “I said it first,” Maeve chuckled.

  “Yeah, well, we can’t all be wordsmiths around here, now can we?”

  “And yet, you actually used the term ‘wordsmith’,” Maeve retorted.

  Joss smiled and shrugged. “Whatever.” She pressed a chaste, lingering kiss to Maeve’s lips and then hummed under her breath as she pulled away. “You’re still gorgeous.”

  Maeve tipped her head in a small bow. “Thank you.” She kissed Joss softly and then sighed as she spun in her arms to look out the gondola’s wraparound windows at the view spread before them.

  Though the view beyond the glass was spectacular, Joss was more than content to watch Maeve take it all in. It had been years since she had last taken this ride, but majestic beauty of the mountain, with its thick strands of evergreens that filled the spaces between ski runs, and the wild grasses and flowers covering the open slopes that danced in the breeze, paled in comparison to the splendor of the woman in her arms. Her eyes danced over the gentle curve of Maeve’s cheek and the regal slope of her nose as a warm, easy silence surrounded them, and a stab of disappointment shot through her when she felt the gondola begin to slow beneath her feet.

  “This view is incredible,” Maeve observed in an awed whisper.

  Joss smiled and tightened her arms around Maeve’s waist as she kissed her cheek. “Yes, you are.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of Maeve’s perfume wash over her, and sighed as she pressed one last kiss to Maeve’s cheek before releasing her.

  Maeve’s eyes were gentle and dark when she turned around, and she shook her head as she closed the slight distance Joss had put between them.

  Joss’ breath caught in her throat as Maeve’s fingers skimmed over her cheek to lightly clasp the side of her neck. Maeve’s breath was soft against Joss’ lips as she leaned in closer, the kiss that followed so brief and tender that Joss swore her heart stopped beating altogether. The world came crashing back around them the mom
ent the gondola door popped open, letting the indistinct hum of conversation from the restaurant beyond the small entryway pour into the car, and Joss licked her lips as she tipped her head at the door. “You ready?”

  Maeve took a deep breath as her eyes flicked between Joss and the maître d’ that was watching them from her spot just beyond the loading/unloading platform, and she let it go slowly as she nodded. “Yeah.”

  The feel of Maeve’s hand slipping into her own made Joss smile, and she gave it a gentle squeezed as she led them from the car. The interior of the restaurant was mountain elegance at its finest with split-log walls and two massive deer antler chandeliers hanging from the elevated ceiling, the rustic elements blending seamlessly with the trappings one would expect to find at a Michelin star restaurant.

  Joss watched Maeve take it all in as they approached the maître d’, and sighed when she had to look away to give her name to the waistcoated woman at the podium. “Reservation for Perrault.”

  The woman nodded as she gathered the stack of menus she had already laid out in preparation of their arrival. Because the restaurant was reservation-only, Joss was not surprised that she had been expecting them. “Mr. Leblanc has recommended a table on the deck, if that's okay with you ladies?”

  Joss looked at Maeve, who seemed to like the idea of dining alfresco, and nodded. “That sounds great, thank you.”

  They followed her across the restaurant and through a pair of french doors that opened onto a sweeping deck that seemed to hover off the edge of the mountainside. There was a large open area in the middle of the deck and small, square tables fanned out from it. The walkways between tables were wide, giving each table an air of intimacy that was generally lost when dining out, and Joss’ eyebrows lifted in surprise when they were led to a table that was on the far end of the deck, tucked right up against the railing. Joss nodded her approval when the maître d’ asked with a look if the table would be okay. She watched the way Maeve’s gaze locked onto the view as she took her seat across from her, and they both murmured their thanks as they took the menus the maître d’ offered.