Jackie shrugged. “Like I said, it was a long time ago.”
Kayla frowned. “What do you mean she disappeared?”
“It’s not a very good story. I don’t like to talk about it.”
“So you don’t know what happened to her?” Kayla pushed.
Jackie shook her head. “Nope. My old man liked to get drunk and insinuate that he’d done something to her. I don’t know if that’s true or just part of his sick torture. For all I know she just got tired of the abuse and left. She’d tried it before but couldn’t make it with me in tow. It’s possible she had to cut us both loose to get out.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?”
Kayla closed her hand around Jackie’s, but Jackie had grown numb and the touch seemed foreign and distant. “What kid wants to believe their mom walked out and left them in hell? But I don’t want to think the other either.”
Kayla rubbed her thumb across Jackie’s hand. She couldn’t imagine the pain Jackie had carried all these years. There had to be more to this story. Someone had to know something about what happened to her mother. People didn’t just disappear without someone asking questions.
“I can’t imagine. I’m sorry.”
Jackie didn’t answer.
“Was there no one else? No one to care for you?”
“Me,” Jackie said sharply. “I take care of myself. That’s how it works.”
A cool breeze blew through the night air chilling Kayla’s skin as the cold note in Jackie’s tone signaled a shift in her mood and a growing distance between them. Jackie was shutting down.
Jackie pulled away. “It’s getting late and we both have to work tomorrow.”
Jackie sounded tired, but Kayla knew it was hurt, not fatigue that drained her.
“I’m sorry if I upset you with my questions. I know this was hard for you to talk about.” Kayla brushed her fingers along Jackie’s cheek. Jackie’s jaw twitched beneath her touch. “I’d like to help.”
Jackie didn’t answer.
“Thank you for telling me about your mother. I can’t imagine what that was like,” Kayla said.
Jackie sighed. “I moved here to find her. I thought I would just run into her on the street or someone from our old town would know what happened to her. But I’ve found nothing. Everyone I talked to thought she just left my old man. That was the story he gave them anyway.”
“What do you remember about when she disappeared?”
Jackie shook her head. “Nothing. I wasn’t even there. I was away at a swim camp. When I came home, she was gone.”
“What about the house? Do you remember anything missing, her clothes, anything? Anything out of place?”
Jackie’s brow wrinkled as she searched her memories. She sighed. “I don’t know. My dad had her things packed up in trash bags. I managed to steal a few photographs from a pile when he wasn’t looking. I have no idea if it was all of her things or just what she left behind.”
Kayla had an idea, but she wasn’t sure Jackie would go for it. She was already pushing Jackie beyond her comfort zone, and she might not want her meddling in her past.
“Have you contacted the police?”
“Yeah. I did that as soon as I got here. There were some records of domestic issues between my mom and old man, but no missing person’s report or anything to suggest she was missing. I looked for death records too. Nothing. It’s like she just vanished.”
“Would you mind if I have a friend of mine do some digging around? She’s a detective and really good at this kind of thing. She locates missing parents for children at my center all the time when they’ve been removed from the custodial parent and are brought into state care.”
Jackie stared at her wide-eyed. “Seriously? Why would you do that?”
Kayla frowned. “It just seems like the right thing to do. You can think about it if you want. It’s up to you.”
“I think I would do anything at this point. I’ve given up on ever finding anything about her. If you think your friend can help, I’d appreciate it.”
“Good.” Kayla smiled, happy she could do something to help Jackie. “I’ll call her first thing tomorrow.”
Chapter Ten
Kayla bit her lip. She was sure Jackie could feel the tremor in her hands. Something had shifted between them, and Kayla was struggling not to let her nerves give her away. “Could I use your restroom?”
Jackie laughed. “Of course. Come on, I’ll show you where it is.”
Jackie took her hand for the first time since they had come into the apartment. She led her down the hallway and flipped the light on in the bathroom.
Kayla glanced into the bedroom as they passed.
Jackie did a quick survey of the bathroom before letting Kayla enter. “Here you go. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll just go change my shirt.” She pointed to a blob of pizza sauce that had dribbled down her shirt over her right breast.
Kayla stared at Jackie’s breast, heat flooding her cheeks. She diverted her eyes and hurriedly stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
Jackie shuddered when the door closed, cutting her off from Kayla. She took a deep breath, and went into her room to change. She was glad they had talked. Kayla had a way of pulling information out of her. No one had ever fought for her that way before. She still felt a little vulnerable, but it was like she had broken a spell and stepped through the illusion of her life into a world of new possibilities. What if Kayla could find out what happened to her mother? She pulled the clean shirt over her head and stepped back into the hall at the same instant Kayla came out of the bathroom. The moment she met Kayla’s gaze she felt the connection between them ignite.
Jackie reached for Kayla’s hand soothed by the feel of Kayla’s fingers laced around hers. She tugged Kayla’s hand to lead them back outside, but Kayla didn’t move. Jackie looked back at Kayla, puzzled. “What?”
“You shouldn’t be the only one willing to take risks.”
Kayla stepped closer and brought her hand to Jackie’s chest, brushing her fingers across her breast. Her eyes were unfocused and followed the trace of her fingers as they moved across Jackie’s chest. She took another step closer.
Jackie’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched Kayla’s eyes grow glassy with desire. She gasped when hot wetness seeped between her thighs. Her control shattered. “Kayla?” Jackie rasped.
Their lips almost touched, separated by a breath. Jackie breathed in the scent of Kayla and closed her eyes as Kayla slid her hand beneath Jackie’s loose T-shirt.
Kayla’s eyes flicked up to meet Jackie’s. “Is it wrong that I just want to be close to you right now?” she whispered and pressed her mouth against Jackie’s. Her hands traced circles along Jackie’s stomach, causing the muscles to tighten and roll beneath her fingers.
Jackie shuddered. Every stroke of Kayla’s fingers sent ripples of desire coursing through her until her body was rigid with tension and need. “It feels good to me.”
When Kayla’s hand cupped her breast beneath her shirt, her knees threatened to buckle. She was usually the one in charge, but Kayla controlled her with the slightest touch.
Jackie moaned when Kayla’s fingers brushed across her nipple and the last shred of her control broke. “That feels really good.”
Jackie grasped Kayla’s hips firmly, pulling Kayla against her. She claimed Kayla’s mouth, parting her lips with her tongue. The world spun and she was falling, soaring, spinning. With each stroke of Kayla’s tongue against hers, she was reborn.
She had been with a lot of women, but something was different this time. She was lost in this kiss. She couldn’t think of a time when she had felt so alive. Kayla felt right in her arms. If kissing Kayla felt this good, she had to have more. Her hands never stilled. She wanted to trace every inch of Kayla’s body, wanted to know the intimate places that would make Kayla cry out in pleasure. She nipped at Kayla’s lips, then slid her tongue into Kayla’s mouth, claiming her, possessing her, co
nsuming her.
Kayla dug her fingers into Jackie’s skin, searching for an anchor that would hold her to Jackie through the storm that raged in her body. She was completely lost in a whirlwind of sensation, every fiber in her being screaming to be touched. The hunger she felt in Jackie’s kiss fueled her desire and she answered Jackie’s possessive strokes by pressing her body down on Jackie’s thigh, pushing herself into a frenzy of desire. Her legs went weak and she trembled with want. She had to have Jackie. She wanted her inside her. She wanted to feel her mouth on her. She wanted it all. She needed to connect, be a part of someone real, someone alive.
“Take me to bed,” Kayla gasped.
When Jackie met her gaze, Kayla felt a pull that went beyond her physical need. Something deep inside her stirred, making her insides tremble.
“Are you sure?”
Kayla peered into Jackie’s eyes telegraphing her need. “I don’t want to think about that now. Just this once I don’t want to think.”
Jackie didn’t hesitate. She led Kayla into the bedroom stopping beside the bed. She slid her hands beneath Kayla’s shirt and slowly lifted it over her head. Her lips immediately claimed the delicate skin of Kayla’s neck just above her shoulder. She danced her fingertips along Kayla’s back and released the clasp of her bra and slowly slid the straps down her arms.
The time Jackie took to explore Kayla’s breasts with her eyes before claiming them in her mouth was pleasant torture to Kayla. Her whole body cried out to be touched.
“Oh God.” Kayla moaned as Jackie’s lips found her nipple and began to suck, flicking the swollen flesh with the tip of her tongue. Kayla threw her head back and arched into Jackie. Jackie’s hands were at her waist and she heard her zipper slide open. Tender hands brushed her sensitive skin as her shorts were pulled down her hips and fell to the floor.
Kayla stood mostly naked, trembling with need. She was mesmerized as she watched Jackie shed her own shirt and shorts.
Jackie pressed their bodies together, blanketing Kayla with warmth. She claimed Kayla’s mouth and backed up until her legs were touching the bed.
“Sit down,” Kayla said, guiding Jackie with a hand against her chest.
Jackie hesitated. Kayla seemed to sense her reservation. She kissed her tenderly and ran her tongue along her ear, sucking on her earlobe and whispering hot breath into her ear. Jackie’s resistance melted. Kayla could have whatever she wanted.
Kayla felt Jackie surrender. Kayla followed Jackie down onto the bed, savoring the feel of cool fabric and hot flesh against her skin. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but she had had enough waiting. Her want for Jackie was fierce and she didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. In that moment being with Jackie was her only thought, her only desire, her only need. Damn the consequences.
Kayla couldn’t take her eyes off Jackie’s perfect body. Her long lean arms and legs were sculpted muscle that framed perfect breasts and a firm flat stomach that rippled with tension as the muscles flexed beneath her skin. Kayla reached out a hand to trace a small tattoo of flying birds that wrapped from Jackie’s hip, up her side, and around to her back.
Kayla leaned down to kiss Jackie lightly before kneeling in front of her beside the bed. She wrapped her fingers beneath the delicate lace of Jackie’s panties and pulled the fabric free, exposing Jackie’s wetness. Kayla ran her hands along Jackie’s inner thighs and felt her shudder. She brushed her fingers along Jackie’s center, gently parting her swollen flesh, exposing her fully. Jackie gasped and her body tensed.
“Perfect,” Kayla murmured and blew a hot breath against the exposed flesh. She marveled at the sweet smell of Jackie’s arousal, the perfect pink lips, and the slight tremble in Jackie’s legs. She loved seeing what she was doing to Jackie.
After several teasing breaths and faint passes with the tip of her tongue, she felt Jackie’s fingers slide through her hair, encouraging more. Obediently Kayla slid her tongue into the wet folds, enveloping Jackie with her mouth.
Jackie whimpered as Kayla’s tongue slid against her swollen clitoris. Ecstasy flooded through her veins, melting her, filling her to the point of oblivion. Kayla’s teasing had her ready to beg for release. She had never wanted anything so badly. When Kayla’s mouth surrounded her, she became intoxicated with pleasure. The storm was gathering, winding into a tight mass in the center of her soul, each stroke of Kayla’s tongue pushing her closer to surrender.
Kayla’s hands were like silk as she stroked her fingers across Jackie’s skin, stroking her stomach, cupping her breasts, and rubbing her fingers across the hard points of Jackie’s nipples. Jackie was out of her mind with pleasure. Her thighs trembled and her hips writhed in time with Kayla’s momentum, intensifying each stroke. Her body tensed as all her strength gathered into an explosion of sensation that spilled out through her body, down her arms and legs, making her fingers and toes tingle. She grasped Kayla’s hair in her hands and pressed against her lips, intensifying the pressure against her clitoris. Jackie cried out as her orgasm erupted sending colossal waves of pleasure crashing through her. The pleasure was beyond belief and she was far from having enough. She wanted Kayla’s body to envelop her. She wanted to touch her. She wanted everything that was Kayla.
“Come here.”
Kayla kissed her way up Jackie’s abdomen to her breasts. She slid an arm beneath Jackie’s shoulders and lifted, helping Jackie slide farther up onto the bed.
Jackie drew in a slow, deep breath as Kayla’s breasts pressed against her own, sending another wave of pleasure rippling through her. She held Kayla as her body pulsed with the aftershocks of orgasm. Kayla’s touch was heaven.
“More,” Jackie rasped against Kayla’s ear before sliding her tongue along its edge.
Kayla moaned. “Oh God, yes. Anything.”
Jackie shuddered as Kayla’s fingers slid through the wet folds where her mouth had been only moments before. She opened herself to Kayla’s touch, her hips rising to encourage Kayla inside.
Jackie wanted to feel Kayla, she needed to touch her. She slid her hand between Kayla’s thighs, feeling the silky wetness of Kayla’s arousal. Kayla moaned and trembled beneath her touch. Jackie pushed inside and felt the delicate muscles close around her fingers, joining them together. She pressed her thumb against Kayla’s clitoris and thrust into her as another orgasm gathered in her depths, filling her, shattering her. Kayla clenched her thighs together riding Jackie’s hand until she shuddered and cried out, signaling her own release. Jackie held on to Kayla as if she might slip away, praying the familiar emptiness wouldn’t follow.
*
Kayla stirred, waking to a soft breast beneath her cheek and the rhythmic thud of Jackie’s heartbeat against her ear. Her hand still lay nestled in the soft curls between Jackie’s legs. She lifted her head and drew her hand from the warmth of Jackie’s sex. Her fingers were still wet from their lovemaking. She drew her hand up Jackie’s stomach to cup her breast and Jackie’s arm immediately tightened around her. She looked up to see Jackie’s eyes on her. Jackie’s lips curved into a smile as she began to trace small circles on Kayla’s back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Kayla whispered.
Jackie took Kayla’s hand, drawing it to her lips to kiss her fingertips. “I liked it. It was nice just holding you. You are very beautiful when you sleep.”
Kayla smiled shyly. She was a little embarrassed now as she remembered the way she had thrown herself at Jackie. But that embarrassment was quickly extinguished when Jackie placed her fingers under Kayla’s chin and lifted her head to kiss her.
Kayla was sure she had never been so thoroughly undone by any kiss before. Jackie’s lips were tender, yet molten as they molded to her. Excitement flooded Kayla’s brain, hijacked her reasoning, and her body responded with an urgent need to have Jackie claim her again.
She whimpered as Jackie rolled her onto her back and the weight of Jackie’s body pressed along the length of hers. Soft breasts brushed
across her nipples until they were painfully hard. Jackie pressed her pelvis into Kayla and pushed her legs apart with her knees.
Kayla’s heart raced. The tenderness in Jackie’s touch had Kayla ready to beg for mercy. She knew what was coming and she desperately wanted Jackie to claim her.
Fully exposed, Kayla stared up into Jackie’s soft, hungry eyes. She slid her heels behind Jackie’s thighs, pulling her against her. She could feel Jackie’s heat engulfing her exposed flesh. Jackie slid farther down as her strong hands pushed against Kayla’s thighs, opening her farther. When Jackie’s mouth closed around her, Kayla closed her eyes in bliss.
What had taken her so long? What had she been waiting for? Kayla surrendered. This time she let her body lead the way. There was no holding back, no hesitation, no fear, nothing but the exquisite pleasure of Jackie’s hands and mouth claiming her.
Chapter Eleven
Kayla stared at the clock, watching the numbers change over as time slipped away. It was six in the morning, and she had put off the inevitable as long as she could. No matter how hard she tried to stop time, morning had come. She slowly slid free of the arm draped around her waist, instantly missing the contact. She had awakened to the feel of Jackie’s body pressed against her, spooning her with an arm thrown possessively around her, with warm breath tickling the back of her neck. It was a feeling she didn’t want to end, but she had to go. She had to be at work soon.
Jackie stirred, reflexively reaching for her as she slid off the bed. As she searched for her clothes, Kayla considered leaving without waking Jackie so she wouldn’t disturb her rest, but that was too much like slinking out as if she had done something wrong. She wasn’t ashamed of her night with Jackie. She had wanted the night to go on forever. She felt right in Jackie’s arms, against her mouth, and inside her body.
Kayla looked down at Jackie’s serene face and smiled. She eased onto the edge of the bed and trailed her fingers along Jackie’s cheek. She brushed the hair away from her face and relished Jackie’s beauty as she lay sleeping.
Unbroken Page 13
