The Roommate Arrangement

by Jae

  “You recommending me to Mr. Hicks, of course.” Steph peered at her. “Isn’t that what you were talking about?”

  Rae hesitated. She could still tell Steph, right? But now her courage had left her, and the words wouldn’t come. “Oh, no, no, I mean, yes, that’s what I meant.”

  Steph chuckled. “Anyway, thank you.” She drew them to a halt and placed a short but tender kiss on Rae’s lips before setting them off toward home again.

  Dazed, Rae touched her lips. “Um, you’re welcome. By the way, I recommended you to Mr. Hicks before we got together. If it makes any difference.”

  Steph opened her mouth, then closed it again. A smile slid over her face. “You know what? I thought it would, but it doesn’t. So what if you might not be completely objective? If I want an unbiased opinion, I could ask any of the strangers in the audience tonight. From you, I’d rather have your slightly biased support.”

  Rae trailed her finger along Steph’s wrist. Her throat felt a little tight as she said, “You’ll always have that.”

  They had reached their apartment building and paused to look at each other.

  Should she try again to tell Steph how she felt?

  A loud rumble from Steph’s stomach interrupted the moment.

  Rae laughed. “You should have eaten more before the show.”

  Steph rubbed her belly with her free hand. “I couldn’t. Too nervous.”

  Rae unlocked the front door and pulled her up the stairs. “Come on. I’ll make you something yummy. Can’t have the…” She stopped herself before she could say woman I love. “…star of the evening go hungry.”

  “Are you sure you want to cook?” Steph asked. “It’s two in the morning. I can just eat some cereal or something.”

  Rae unlocked the door to their apartment and held it open for Steph. “No, I don’t mind.” She took off her suit jacket, removed her tie, and rolled up her shirtsleeves. “I’m wide-awake anyway.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  While Rae got a bowl of strawberries from the fridge, Steph hung her blazer on the back of a chair and hopped up onto the counter.

  Rae smiled and snuck a look at Steph’s long legs as she dangled them. She felt Steph’s gaze follow her around as she heated up a skillet and slathered peanut butter onto tortillas.

  “What on earth are you making?” Steph asked from her perch.

  “Patience. You’ll find out in a minute.” She walked over to Steph’s side of the kitchen to get a knife so she could cut up the strawberries, but Steph’s legs were blocking the drawer. “May I? I need a knife.”

  Steph’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, do you?” She crooked her finger. “Then why don’t you come here and get it?”

  Rae’s lips curled into a grin. Challenge accepted. She stepped between Steph’s parted legs and slid her index finger along the outside of Steph’s thigh from knee to hip in a slow line, enjoying the sensual feel of the satin-like fabric and the heat of Steph’s leg beneath. “Knife?” Rae whispered into her ear.

  A visible shiver went through Steph. “What am I getting in exchange?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  Rae swallowed against her dry mouth. “What do you want?”

  “You. I want you.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes. The temperature in the kitchen appeared to climb, and it had nothing to do with the skillet heating on the stove.

  Steph’s smoky-gray irises seemed to smolder. She hooked her fingers through the belt loops of Rae’s dress pants, tugged her closer, into the cradle of her thighs, and kissed her.

  Their mouths connected with a passion that both had held back so far.

  Rae nipped at Steph’s lips, then urged them apart.

  Steph buried her fingers in Rae’s hair in that way Rae loved.

  The warm glide of Steph’s tongue against her own made Rae’s head spin. As they continued to kiss, she let her hands drift down Steph’s back and onto the soft swells of her ass.

  Gasping, Steph dug her fingers into Rae’s scalp. Without breaking their kiss, she wrapped her legs around Rae’s hips and drew her closer.

  Her heat filtered through the thin fabric of her slacks. Both moaned as Steph pressed herself against Rae’s lower belly.

  Desire spiked through Rae. She tore her lips away from Steph’s just long enough to ask, “How hungry are you?”

  “Very,” Steph rasped. She nipped the sensitive spot below Rae’s ear. “Turn off the stove.”

  Rae wasn’t ready to give up the heady feeling of having Steph pressed so intimately against her. She slid both hands under her thighs and lifted her up from the counter.

  Steph let out a gasp. She curled her arms around Rae’s neck, and her legs squeezed around Rae’s middle. “What are you doing?”

  “Carrying you to the bedroom to make love to you.” The words slipped out before Rae could think about their implication.

  But then Steph’s lips were back on hers, and she stopped thinking altogether. She stumbled over to the stove and managed to turn it off without dropping her precious cargo or breaking the kiss. Then she carried her to the nearest bed, not caring whose it was.

  Steph had imagined what it would be like to make love to Rae a couple of times—okay, a couple dozen times. In her fantasies, they had always undressed each other slowly, savoring the experience, but now taking it slow was the furthest thing from her mind. Her entire body hungered for Rae’s.

  When Rae put one knee on the bed and lowered her to the mattress, Steph tugged her down until Rae’s body covered hers and their lips met again. God, Rae’s weight on her felt heavenly.

  Rae trembled against her as she slid one hand down Steph’s hip and beneath her T-shirt to caress the sensitive skin of her side.

  An answering tremor went through Steph’s body. All her thoughts scattered except for one: more. She needed to feel all of Rae. Already breathing hard, she broke the kiss and sat up beneath her.

  Rae rose up on her knees to give her space and used that moment to switch on the bedside lamp.

  Her gaze heated Steph’s skin as she grasped the hem of her T-shirt, pulled it up over her head, and tossed it aside.

  Rae’s fingers stilled on the top button of her own shirt. Naked hunger and awe mingled on her face as she stared at Steph. Her gaze slid up Steph’s body, pausing on her belly button piercing, then trailing higher. She swallowed audibly and traced the edge of Steph’s black lace bra with one fingertip.

  Goose bumps raced down Steph’s chest. Her nipples hardened against the cups of the bra.

  “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?” Rae whispered.

  “You have a thing for lace, don’t you?” Steph asked with a grin, trying to insert a bit of playfulness into the situation. The intensity of what she felt—not just arousal, but more importantly, love—was almost overwhelming.

  But Rae didn’t smile. Her blazing gaze remained fixed on Steph. “I have a thing for you.”

  Before Steph could ponder what exactly that meant, Rae leaned down and placed a string of heated kisses down her throat, then nibbled a path along her collarbone and down her cleavage. With shaking fingers, she found the front clasp of the bra and twisted it open. Still kneeling, she drew the straps down Steph’s arms and gazed at her. “Gorgeous.” Softly, she trailed her fingertips along the outer curve of one breast.

  The tenderness of her touch made Steph’s body ache and her heart melt. “Rae,” she groaned out.

  As if in reply to the unspoken plea, Rae slid down and lowered her head.

  Steph’s breathing sped up in anticipation, and she threaded her fingers through Rae’s hair to draw her down.

  Rae didn’t resist the light tug. She kissed the valley between Steph’s breasts, caressed the soft swells with her lips, and then licked a sensual circle around one nipple.

  Steph writhed beneath her and
tightened her grip on Rae’s hair. God, if Rae already had her so worked up, she could only imagine—

  A jolt of arousal shot down her body as Rae closed her mouth over her nipple and sucked lightly.

  Steph gasped and arched up beneath her. “Jesus, Rae,” she got out thickly. “If you keep this up…”

  “Mmm, I’m planning to,” Rae murmured against her damp nipple.

  “Not like this. I want to see you…feel you too.”

  With obvious reluctance, Rae moved her mouth away, sat up, and started to unbutton her shirt, fumbling slightly.

  Too slow. “Let me.” Steph brushed Rae’s hands away and reached for the buttons. Her fingers weren’t any steadier, though. A growl escaped her. Jeez, why can’t I…? Finally, she gave an impatient yank that made the last few buttons fly everywhere.

  Rae stared down at her, then a slow, sexy grin spread across her face. She wrenched her arms free of the sleeves and tossed the shirt on the growing pile of clothes next to the bed.

  Steph’s gaze went to Rae’s broad shoulders, then to the soft curve of her breasts, cradled in a black sports bra. God, she couldn’t wait to feel them—to feel all of Rae. “My turn.” She pushed against Rae’s shoulders until she got the hint and rolled over, taking Steph with her.

  “Is this okay?” Steph indicated their reversed position.

  Rae nodded. The mix of raw vulnerability and desire on her face took Steph’s breath away.

  Steph cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her, softly at first, then with escalating passion. She reached between them with her other hand, found Rae’s belt buckle, and tugged on the leather. Finally, the belt fell open, and she fumbled for the button of Rae’s dress pants. The rasp of the zipper filled her ears.

  Rae willingly lifted up her hips as Steph eased the pants down, along with her boxer shorts.

  When Steph stood for a moment to get rid of her own slacks, Rae took the opportunity to pull her sports bra up over her head.

  Steph’s slacks dropped from her hands as she stared down at Rae, who lay before her, now completely naked. “Wow. Now who’s the gorgeous one?” There was something incredibly appealing about this mix of strong muscles and subtle curves. Steph hoped she wasn’t drooling. Impatient to feel all of her, she reached for her own panties to tug them down.

  But Rae sat up and covered her hands with her own, stopping her. “Let me,” she said, her gaze smoldering.

  The heated forcefulness in her tone sent a thrill through Steph. She took her hands away. “Be my guest.”

  Rae slid to the edge of the bed and pulled Steph into the V of her powerful thighs. She trailed her fingertips up the outside of Steph’s legs, as she had done earlier, in the kitchen. But now, with no fabric between them, the touch was so much more intense that Steph groaned out loud.

  When Rae reached Steph’s hips, she dipped her fingers beneath the elastic, but instead of finally drawing the panties down, she slid her hands around and caressed Steph’s butt.

  Steph would have teased her about being a butt woman, but she needed all of her focus to stay on her feet.

  Keeping eye contact, Rae slowly eased the panties down.

  Her hands left trails of fire along Steph’s skin. When she swayed, Rae grasped her hips, lowered her to the bed, and rolled over her. Now she was back in the top position.

  “Smooth,” Steph whispered, “very—” Her sentence ended on a gasp as Rae’s strong thigh slid between hers, pressing against her wetness.

  Rae bent her elbows until they were touching all along their lengths, Rae’s breasts nestled against her own, their heartbeats racing in tandem.

  The skin-on-skin contact was the most delicious thing Steph had ever felt. The little sounds of need vibrating through Rae’s chest made Steph’s entire body tighten. She arched her hips up against her.

  “God,” Rae whispered against her lips. “You make my head spin.” She trailed her hand up and down Steph’s hip and side as if she didn’t know where to touch first. After a few seconds of sweet torture, she cupped her breast and rasped her thumb across one stiff nipple.

  Pleasure rushed down Steph’s body. She hooked her leg around Rae’s and pressed herself against her until Rae made that strangled sound again. Her hands slid restlessly over Rae’s back. “Rae…”

  “Hmm?” Rae let her lips follow the path of her hand over the swell of Steph’s breast.

  Steph’s heart thumped hard beneath each caress. When Rae sucked her nipple into her mouth, Steph buried her fingers in Rae’s hair and bucked her hips upward.

  Rae nipped lightly on the underside of her breast, then pressed openmouthed kisses to the planes of her belly. At Steph’s pierced navel, she paused. Her warm breath fanned over Steph’s skin, making her quiver. Gently, Rae traced a circle around the piercing.

  Just the brush of a single finger over her skin made Steph arch up for more contact.

  Rae touched her fingertip to the small stud. “Does this hurt?”

  “No,” Steph got out. “The only spot on my body that is aching is farther down.”

  Rae chuckled against her belly. “Don’t worry. I’ll get to that spot.” She flicked at the stud with her tongue, sending another bolt of pleasure through Steph. “Eventually.”

  Steph grazed her fingernails down Rae’s muscled back until she drew a groan from her. “Now.”

  The need in her voice seemed to wash away the last bits of Rae’s self-control. Her eye smoldered with desire as she kissed a path back up her body until she captured her lips in a demanding kiss.

  Steph moaned into her mouth, then had to pull away to gasp for breath as Rae slid her hand down her belly. With two fingers, she combed through the trimmed curls between her thighs, then slid deeper.

  Moaning, Steph struggled not to come at the first touch. Her eyes half closed as Rae drew slow circles. Shivers coursed up her spine and down her thighs.

  “Like this?” Rae asked, her breath teasing Steph’s lips. “Tell me what you like.”

  Speech was quickly becoming a thing of the past, so Steph tilted her hips upward in a silent request, inviting more.

  Rae looked her in the eyes as she slowly slid inside.

  Steph’s gasp turned into a long moan as Rae withdrew, then came back with another finger. She added the pad of her thumb, now stroking her inside and out.

  Their gazes held as they moved with each other, and the heady desire on Rae’s face matched her own.

  The rhythm Rae set was perfect, and Steph gave herself over to her touch. She dug her fingers into Rae’s back and her heels into the mattress to feel her even deeper.

  Rae’s mouth found hers again, and she kissed her with fierce intensity, mirroring the movements of her fingers with her tongue, until Steph had to wrench her mouth away to suck in a series of ragged pants. Each of Rae’s thrusts made her nipples brush over her own, and the added stimulation was almost enough to send her over the edge.

  No. Not yet, not yet. She struggled to hold back and enjoy every second.

  Rae nipped the rim of Steph’s ear, then sucked lightly on her neck, while she curved her fingers at just the right angle.

  “Yes! There!” Steph’s hips surged off the bed. Her muscles started to shake. Pleasure cascaded through her body. With a guttural moan, she clawed at the damp, quivering muscles of Rae’s back and arched up beneath her one last time. White spots burst in her vision, and the only reason she didn’t scream was because she didn’t have enough air left in her lungs.

  The next thing she knew, Rae was covering her face with soft kisses.

  Steph let out a breathless sigh. Her hands, which had been clutching Rae’s back, flopped to the mattress.

  When the last aftershocks of pleasure ebbed away, Rae eased back her fingers with another kiss.

  A shiver went through Steph. Her entire body felt heavy and sated, but s
he managed to lift one hand and traced her fingertips over Rae’s shoulders and back to see if she’d left any marks. “Shit,” she got out, her voice raw. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” Rae let out a dazed laugh. “God, no.” A smile curled up her lips. Somehow, it managed to be blazingly hot and sweetly shy at the same time. “Like you said earlier, the only spot that is aching is a lot lower than that.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll soothe that ache…as soon as I can move properly.”

  “I’m not in a hurry,” Rae said, even though her voice was husky and her hips strained against Steph’s, perhaps without her even noticing. “I love seeing you like this. All flushed and beautiful and satisfied.” She combed a damp strand of hair back from Steph’s face, her expression so tender that Steph’s heart melted.

  “Very satisfied.” Steph slid her hand up, into Rae’s hair, and pulled her down. She had intended for it to be a thank-you kiss, but as soon as Rae’s lips met hers, new desire stirred, and the kiss turned urgent.

  Rae let out a helpless little groan and pressed herself against Steph’s thigh.

  The warm wetness against her skin made Steph moan along with her.

  “Jesus, Steph.” Rae’s hot breath tickled her ear. “You make me feel like I’m about to come apart at the seams.”

  “I want to see that. And then help you put yourself back together.” She trailed her hands down Rae’s back, enjoying the silky slide of her skin, and then gripped her hips. “Roll over. I want to touch you everywhere.”

  Rae shook against her as they rolled together, their bodies never losing contact.

  Steph braced herself on her elbow and lay half on, half off Rae so she could admire her in the light of the bedside table. God, she was gorgeous—her wide swimmer’s shoulders, the gentle rise of her breasts, the neat patch of curly hair at the juncture of her powerful thighs. That wasn’t what made Steph’s breath hitch, though; the complex mix of love and passion that flooded her was. She had always taken what she wanted—what both she and her bed partner for the night wanted—but never had she wanted to give so much, to please anyone so much, touch anyone’s body, heart, and soul.