Fake It Till You Make It

by M. Ullrich

  Harper beckoned for their waiter and paid their check quickly. She ushered Genevieve out to the car, never once relinquishing contact, whether it was softly gripping Genevieve’s elbow or wrapping her arm around her waist. The small, chivalrous gesture was a new experience for Genevieve. Jeremy had never done that for her. They were two kids who had grown into a relationship, bypassing the little things that made romance and love all the sweeter. Most of the time he’d even walk ahead of her whenever they were together.

  Harper opened her car door for her, made sure she was settled with her seat belt on before pulling into traffic, and most importantly, she held Genevieve’s hand the entire silent ride back to her apartment. Once they were inside, Genevieve walked directly to her refrigerator.

  “Beer?”

  “No, thank you.” Harper stripped off her coat and sat back on Genevieve’s couch.

  Genevieve felt guilty for drinking while Harper remained sober, so she didn’t drink her beer, but she kept it in case she needed to drown her sorrows at the end of her confession. Harper had taken off her shoes, lounging casually and comfortably on the sofa.

  “Are you okay?” Harper said.

  “Fine, yeah, sorry.” She shook off her stupor and sat beside Harper. “I was just thinking of the last time you were here.”

  “I haven’t stopped thinking about that night. All I’ve wanted since this afternoon was to kiss you again.” Harper started to lean in.

  Genevieve pulled back and blurted, “I’ve never been with a woman.”

  Harper looked at Genevieve with kind, understanding eyes. “I’m not going to rush you.”

  “No, it’s not that. This is what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Genevieve took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as her anxiety made her dizzy. “I’ve never been with a woman, in a relationship or otherwise.” She struggled to get the exact words out.

  “Genevieve,” Harper said, taking Genevieve’s hands and pulling them into her lap. “I don’t care. Everyone grows at their own pace, and considering where you came from, it doesn’t surprise me you weren’t able to live fully as a single woman.”

  “There’s not much when it comes to gay living in Milan.”

  “The past is the past. You’re not judging me on mine, why should I judge you on yours? Hell, I don’t even care if your last relationship was Jeremy!” Genevieve swallowed roughly. “All I care about is this moment and how I feel about you.”

  Genevieve stared at Harper dreamily. “How do you feel about me?”

  Harper flashed a small smile. “You’re a breath of fresh air for me. I knew the moment you walked into your interview that I needed to get to know you better. And not just because of the sweat stains,” she deadpanned.

  Genevieve laughed unabashedly and covered her face. Harper pulled her hands away and said, “You always do that. Don’t hide from me.” Genevieve continued to watch Harper with awe. “I’ve managed to go so many years without falling for someone, claiming self-preservation or something. But I’m starting to think I was just waiting for you.” Harper reached out and brushed a few strands of Genevieve’s hair from her face. She ran the pad of thumb along her cheek and down to trace her lips.

  “Harper…” Genevieve said breathily.

  “I’m ready to court you.” Harper laughed at Genevieve’s giggle. “I’m following your lead. You set the pace for our future—whatever you’re comfortable with.”

  Regardless of the promise she made to herself to be more introspective and critical of decisions when it came to Harper, Genevieve didn’t have to think very long before she knew exactly what she wanted next. “Take me to bed, Harper.”

  Step Twenty

  Indulge in What Makes You Feel Good

  Genevieve’s cheeks flushed. Take me to bed? Did I really just say that? No one says that except women in their fifties who are ready to take their pool boy for a spin.

  “Genevieve?”

  She snapped back to the moment and looked to an expectant Harper.

  “Are you sure?”

  She could tell Harper how ready she was until she was blue in the face, and Harper would still remain hesitant because she cared for Genevieve’s comfort first and foremost. Harper was very sweet, but Genevieve was ready to move beyond sweet and into something spicy. So instead of answering Harper, Genevieve acted instead.

  Genevieve gripped Harper’s collar and tugged on it, bringing her in for a kiss. She kissed Harper firmly, gliding her lips against Harper’s before tasting Harper’s mouth with the tip of her tongue. Harper moaned softly. That sound, mixed with the scent of Harper’s body so close, spurred Genevieve on. She continued to pull at Harper’s clothes and intensified her kiss, losing herself in the addictiveness of Harper’s velvety tongue dancing along with hers. Pulling and pulling, Genevieve tried to lie down, but Harper pulled back.

  Harper looked at Genevieve with pure adoration. “You asked me to take you to bed, Ms. Applegate. This is the sofa.”

  “I don’t care if it’s the floor at this point.”

  “Come on.” Harper stood and lifted Genevieve into her arms. Genevieve squealed in surprise.

  “You’re strong.”

  “You’re small.” Within a few short steps, she set Genevieve onto her feet and looked into her smiling face. “What would you like?”

  Genevieve thought through various ways to answer, shifting between dirty and honest or innocent and honest. She decided on a balance of both. “All of you.” She reached up and placed her palm against Harper’s cheek. “I want all of you, now.”

  “My pleasure.”

  When Harper kissed Genevieve again, a noticeable shift had taken place between them. Harper had become more firm without losing her natural gentleness that made Genevieve feel revered. But Harper’s passion was now being let off its leash, and she dug her fingertips into Genevieve’s hips with painful, unrestrained pleasure.

  They were locked in an embrace at the foot of Genevieve’s bed, and Genevieve was dizzy at the multitude of sensations. Harper trailed soft kisses along her jaw, spending a few moments below Genevieve’s earlobe before she turned her attention to Genevieve’s sensitive neck.

  “You smell so good,” Harper mumbled against Genevieve’s neck. Goose bumps spread across her flesh. Genevieve stared blankly at her ceiling and focused on Harper’s hands traveling along her back and down to grip her ass. “You feel even better,” Harper whispered into Genevieve’s ear. Genevieve ran her fingers into the short hairs at the nape of Harper’s neck, giving them a gentle tug.

  Genevieve sat on her mattress and looked up to Harper through hooded eyelids.

  “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted this?” Harper said.

  “If how I feel right now is any indication, I’m willing to guess far too long.”

  Harper smirked salaciously. Without breaking eye contact, she unbuttoned her shirt.

  Genevieve sat transfixed. She wanted to help Harper. Hell, she wanted to push Harper’s hands away and take charge of getting this gorgeous woman naked, but she was frozen with desire. Being a voyeur was just as wonderful as being a participant. Harper opened her shirt to reveal a crisp, white undershirt she quickly shed.

  Her imagination did Harper’s body little justice. She was the perfect combination of definition and tone. Genevieve was hypnotized by the few inches between her navel and the waistband of her pants. She stared, marveling at how incredibly soft the skin looked. She was overwhelmed with the urge to drag her short nails across it, taste it with the tip of her tongue, and mark it as explored territory. Genevieve looked up at the flame dancing in Harper’s gaze.

  “How are you so sexy? Are you even real?” Genevieve wondered aloud.

  Harper chuckled, stripping off her belt and dropping her pants to the floor. Harper’s hard nipples were visible through her black sports bra, and her short boxer briefs hugged her muscular thighs.

  “Seriously unreal.”

  Harper stepped forward, bringing her perky br
easts closer to Genevieve. Genevieve closed her eyes at the feel of Harper’s fingers weaving into her long hair. When she tilted her head back, Harper rewarded her with a sweet kiss on her parted lips.

  Harper’s hands fell to Genevieve’s thighs, her fingertips just beneath the hem of her dress, moving upward slowly. She looked at Genevieve and said, “I’m feeling a little underdressed right now.”

  “Fix that, then,” Genevieve demanded, canting her hips slightly to encourage Harper. She knew just how well Harper took charge in the office; now she wanted to see that in the bedroom.

  Harper responded quickly, pushing roughly at Genevieve’s skirt until the material was bunched around her hips. Harper’s palms never lost contact with Genevieve’s bare skin. With a firm grip on Genevieve’s buttocks, Harper pulled Genevieve to the edge of the mattress.

  “Can this go over your head?” Harper said, and Genevieve took it off completely. She looked down at Genevieve’s body and said, “Now who’s unreal and sexy?”

  Genevieve blushed and mentally high-fived herself for picking out a lacy matching set of lingerie in hopes of Harper getting to see it.

  Harper knelt in front of the mattress. “I want you, Genevieve, but I’m serious when I say I don’t want to rush you. If you don’t feel comfortable at any time, tell me. Okay?”

  Genevieve nodded.

  “Now,” Harper said, running the fingertips of her right hand along Genevieve’s collarbone and down her sternum. “I think the best way to make sure you’re comfortable is to communicate clearly.” Harper brushed her left hand across Genevieve’s thighs.

  Genevieve’s reply came in a shaky, breathy moan. “Okay.” She spread her legs, and Harper moved closer, showering Genevieve’s chest with kisses.

  “Are you comfortable with this?” Harper said, as she grazed her lips along the top of Genevieve’s bra.

  Genevieve felt her nipples constrict, as if trying to answer Harper themselves. “Yes,” she nearly hissed. She wanted to pull it off, but she didn’t. She could barely move once Harper’s hands began traveling her bare abdomen.

  “Are you comfortable if I touch you here?” Harper dipped her fingertip into Genevieve’s navel before she spread both hands across her thighs. “And here?”

  “I’m comfortable,” Genevieve said in a strangled voice. “But I’d be even more comfortable if you took this bra off me.”

  Harper winked and did as Genevieve demanded.

  The cool air hit Genevieve’s bare breasts, and she shivered from both the chill and the exposure. Harper stared, and Genevieve began to shrink away from her intense gaze, but she saw a glimmer of awe sparkling there.

  “You’re stunning,” Harper said.

  Genevieve giggled. “Are you talking to me or my tits?”

  Harper kissed her passionately. “You and your tits,” she said when she pulled back. She took a waiting nipple into her mouth, paying the pebbled flesh the perfect amount of attention, biting and licking. Once Genevieve started to squirm, pulling at the hair on the back of Harper’s head, Harper ascended her abdomen. She placed kisses on her trembling flesh, Genevieve’s muscles contracting each time Harper’s lips landed on previously untouched skin. With each kiss she felt weaker, and when Harper sank her teeth into her hip bone, Genevieve fell back against the bed.

  “Are you comfortable?” Harper said.

  Genevieve hummed her response, not able to form coherent words while she focused on the warmth of Harper’s breath against her inner thighs. Her skin was on fire. She could feel her blood rushing throughout her limbs, and she was hypersensitive to every stimulant around her. Harper branded her skin with her lips and hands. The scent of Genevieve’s own desire filled her nose. Genevieve could still taste Harper’s lips on hers. And when Genevieve looked down, Harper’s hungry eyes stared back.

  “I’m going to remove these now.” She hooked her thumbs into the band of Genevieve’s panties. “Is that okay?”

  Genevieve raised her hips in response.

  She was briefly struck with self-consciousness, thinking she should be ashamed of the way she reacted to Harper’s touch. She started to close her legs, to hide her copious arousal from Harper, but Harper persuaded her knees apart, and Genevieve gave in willingly at the sight of Harper licking her lips. For the first time in her life, she felt like a sexy woman.

  In a bold move, she let her head fall to the mattress and bowed her back, thrusting her naked chest up. “Please,” she whispered.

  The instant Harper’s tongue made contact with Genevieve’s pulsing flesh, Genevieve clamped her eyes shut. The world went black to everything except Harper’s tongue caressing her most intimate places. Genevieve keened at Harper’s enthusiastic exploration of her every saturated fold. She moved her hips in time, around and around to ensure that not even a millimeter went untouched.

  Each slick pass of Harper’s tongue drove Genevieve higher toward a peak of pleasure, and when Harper centered her attention on her swollen clit, she was sure no better feeling existed. As she writhed in passion, Harper slowed her attention. When Genevieve looked down, Harper was grinning at her wickedly. Genevieve didn’t have much time to wonder what Harper was up to before she felt the tip of Harper’s finger tease her fluttering entrance.

  “Are you—”

  “Yesss…” Genevieve lay back once again, ready for the pleasure to take over.

  Harper entered her slowly, much to Genevieve’s delight. She was able to focus on every sensation that overwhelmed her as Harper passed another knuckle through her tight opening. She felt spasms begin.

  “Another, please, I’m so close,” Genevieve begged in a high voice. Harper obliged and Genevieve could’ve sworn she saw stars the moment Harper slid two fingers into her with unexpected force. Genevieve moved her hips again, chasing her impending orgasm by riding Harper’s fingers and grinding against her tongue.

  “You’re so sexy,” Harper whispered, as Genevieve reached up and pinched her own nipples. Harper’s breath quickened, and Genevieve wondered what effect she was having on her.

  The thought that she was turning Harper on, reducing the professional woman to a quivering mess, drove Genevieve to the edge, and her orgasm took over. She came loudly, the breath leaving her lungs in a whoosh as every sensation that started in her toes, belly, and heart gathered directly between her legs.

  “Harper!” Genevieve called out as she threaded her fingers into Harper’s hair, holding her mouth in place against her skin as she rode out the final waves of pleasure. She didn’t release her hold until she became too sensitive for even the lightest touch and had to push Harper’s head away.

  Something in Genevieve broke the moment Harper stood and looked down at her. It could’ve been the softness in her eyes or the pride in her smile, but a dam burst in Genevieve and she started to cry.

  “Hey,” Harper cooed. She climbed on the bed and cradled Genevieve in her arms, bringing her to lie in the center of the bed. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

  They lay together for a long while as Genevieve cried softly, lost in the swell of emotion. Harper ran her fingers through her hair and lavished Genevieve’s brows and temples with featherlight kisses. Genevieve knew exactly why she was crying. She was relieved and in love.

  Step Twenty-one

  Accept Your New Role

  After Genevieve’s cries had subsided, Harper continued to hold her close and soothe her with gentle caresses. Genevieve lay with her head on her hand, facing Harper and smiling softly.

  “When did you know you were gay?” Genevieve said. “I know about Trevor, but when did you really know and accept it?”

  “I suppose I always knew, but things started to make sense around senior year when things were off again with Trevor because spending time with my best girlfriend was more important to me. I started to realize it wasn’t about Trevor or my friend, it was about me.”

  “I bet you were adorable.”

  Harper laughed. “I was awkward and gangly and impos
sibly shy.”

  “When did you blossom into this gorgeous human being?” Genevieve said, putting her index finger at the center of Harper’s chin.

  “My late twenties, when I learned the importance of a good haircut and having a tailor.”

  “The second thing I noticed about you was how well your clothes fit.”

  “What was the first?”

  “Your eyes.” Genevieve said. She traced the lines of Harper’s brows and along the bridge of her nose. “They’re amazing. I was lost the moment you looked at me.”

  “And the moment I looked at you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman that had ever sat across from me.”

  “Oh, please.”

  “I mean it, Genevieve.”

  “Thank you, really, but I just find that hard to believe.”

  “Why?” Harper said, a hint of hurt in her voice.

  Genevieve paused, but she had promised herself she’d be honest with Harper from now on. She took a deep breath and said, “You were married to Clarissa.”

  “And you’re more beautiful than she ever was or will be to me. Inside and out.”

  Genevieve took in Harper’s dreamy eyes and messed hair. She leaned forward and kissed her, alternating between firm exploratory kisses and shallow kisses. Harper caressed Genevieve’s body, her hips starting to move involuntarily. Harper’s breaths grew more rapid, Genevieve pulled back and looked her in the eye. “I want to touch you.”

  “And I won’t stop you. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

  “I need to.” Genevieve scraped her short fingernails over Harper’s covered nipples. “Take this off first.” Harper did as told, removing her underwear as well before resuming her position in bed.

  Genevieve was about to admit she didn’t know what she was doing, but she realized she was more excited to discover what made Harper feel good than she was worried about being an inexperienced mess. She planned on taking her time in learning her body well, and she didn’t hesitate to get started.