Season Four: French Kissing, Book 4

by Harper Bliss

  “You’re a scientist,” Camille said. “That’s what baffles me most of all.”

  “Being a scientist’s got nothing to do with how I feel,” Duflot said.

  “You can go now. And don’t come back.” Camille had had enough of looking at his sorry face.

  He sighed, remained seated for a few more seconds, but couldn’t look Camille in the eye anymore.

  “I’ll escort you out,” Maisonneuve said.

  Camille watched them leave her office. Only when the door was firmly shut behind them, did she take a deep breath. She breathed in and out slowly for a few minutes, then called Zoya.

  “It’s over,” she said. “He’s gone.”

  “Take the afternoon off, darling,” Zoya said. “I’m finishing my last assignment for ANBC.”

  “Gladly, mon amour,” she said on a sigh.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Zoya said.

  “I have nothing to be proud of,” Camille replied. “It was just plain old bigotry.” She closed her eyes. “A lack of respect for another human being. If having to fight for respect is something to be proud of these days, then what has the world come to?”

  “The world has always been like this.” Zoya’s voice was calm. “And it will always be like that, just as love and kindness and dignity will always be the antidote. You’re on the right side and that counts for something.”

  Camille smiled. She could focus all her attention on Zoya now. On making her as happy as possible in Paris—although she suspected Zoya’s level of homesickness had already decreased considerably when she was offered the job at Barbier & Cyr. “I’ll be home in an hour, ready to love you,” she said.

  “Good.” Zoya made a kissing noise over the phone. “You might not think we have anything to celebrate, but I’ll pick up a bottle of Champagne nonetheless.”

  Aurore

  Aurore opened the door. A fire was already burning bright in her belly. Solange was half an hour late, but Aurore didn’t care. She was here now, about to walk in, and that’s what mattered.

  “Hey, you,” she said, unable to suppress a wide smile from appearing on her face.

  “And you.” Solange walked in, slammed the door shut behind her, and gently pushed Aurore against it. She looked her in the eye for a split second before she pressed her lips against Aurore’s.

  So far, they had only kissed, but Aurore had the unshakable belief that something more was going to happen tonight. Solange pushing her against the door only confirmed her suspicion.

  “I’m very happy to see you too,” she said when Solange’s hunger for kisses was stilled. “How was work?”

  “We’ve got you-know-who arriving for a state visit next week. It makes for a lot of jokes, but also for a lot of hypocritical talking points to be prepared.” She shook her head. “As if anyone cares what goes on behind closed doors. They just want the moronic soundbites.”

  “You seem a bit tense.” Aurore dug her fingers into Solange’s shoulders.

  “I’ll be tense for as long as Dominique is president. You should probably be aware of this.”

  “I am.” Aurore grabbed Solange’s hand and pulled her to the sofa. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

  Solange shook her head. “No, but we should probably talk.”

  “What do you want to talk about?” Aurore grinned.

  “You. Me. Us. Is there even such a thing as us? This is all very confusing. I have no idea what I’m doing. Sometimes I wake up at night and I think I’ve lost my mind.”

  “Maybe it’s true what some people will have you believe. Maybe you can become gay by association.” Aurore chuckled heartily.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s very funny,” Solange said.

  “Really?” Aurore tilted her head and started tickling Solange’s side. “Not even when I do this?”

  “Can you be serious for a moment, please?” Despite her words, there was a lightness to Solange’s tone. “This is serious. I think Stéphanie is on to us. She keeps making these remarks. Well, you were there. What do you think?”

  “I think…” Aurore pulled Solange closer to her. “It doesn’t matter one bit what Stéphanie thinks.”

  “You never believe anything that anyone else thinks matters. I do.”

  “So what if she’s on to us?” Aurore asked.

  “There we go with the us again. What is us?”

  “I guess it involves doing this.” Aurore hoisted herself up and straddled Solange, then kissed her on the lips.

  When they broke from the kiss Solange was smiling up at her. “But if, as you put it, this makes me a lesbian by association and you don’t date lesbians, then what is this?”

  “Nu-uh. You’ve got it all wrong.” Aurore kissed her on the cheek. “Who I date has got nothing to do with being straight or lesbian or bisexual. That’s all fluid, anyway.”

  “Oh, yes, that’s right. It’s all about the emotional unavailability with you.” She grinned. “I’ll have you know that my emotions are extremely available.”

  “Don’t you remember, Madam Chief of Staff, what it’s all about with me?” She leaned down and whispered in Solange’s ear. “It’s all about making unsatisfied women come.” She followed with a hot kiss on Solange’s neck, a nibble of her earlobe.

  “Is that your plan for tonight?” Solange asked, sounding short of breath.

  Aurore looked at her. “If that’s what you want. If you’re ready.”

  “Oh, yes,” Solange said. “I do believe I’m ready.” She tugged Aurore close. “I’m ready for you to work your magic on me.”

  “No pressure then,” Aurore whispered back.

  “None at all.” Aurore felt Solange’s lips spread into a smile against the skin of her neck.

  “Then please allow me to invite you into my boudoir.” Aurore freed herself from Solange’s embrace and held out her hand.

  “That den of decadence and sin.” Solange took her hand. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “It’s just an ordinary bedroom with an ordinary bed. I hope it won’t disappoint.” They shuffled to Aurore’s bedroom.

  Solange yanked Aurore’s blouse from the waistband of her trousers. “I can’t stop thinking about you. The thought of this has been scaring and delighting me in equal measures.”

  “You have nothing to be scared of. Then the delight should follow easily.” Aurore unbuttoned the top button of Solange’s white blouse. “We’ll go very, very slowly. And if anything happens that you don’t like, just say so.” She caught Solange’s gaze. “This is important. I need you to tell me. If it’s too much. Or if you want me to stop for any reason. I won’t be offended.” She started on the second button. “This is for you. Okay?”

  “Not just for me, I hope,” Solange said. “There’s two of us here.”

  Aurore nodded. “Yes, and believe me, this is just as big a deal for me as it if for you. I’m just a little more… experienced.” She continued unbuttoning Solange’s shirt and slid it off her shoulders.

  An arrow of desire shot up Aurore’s spine. Solange had posed a valid question when she’d asked what this was. It had taken Aurore by surprise just as much—even though, admittedly, she found herself in somewhat familiar circumstances.

  She banned too much analytical thought from her mind. She wanted to savour every last second of this encounter. This was Solange Garceau standing in her bedroom, and she could pull the plug on this any time. That was why Aurore proceeded with the utmost caution and demanded clear communication. But she only had to glance back up from Solange’s bra-covered breasts to her face to know she wouldn’t be bringing a halt to this any time soon.

  Aurore ran a finger over Solange’s abdomen, delighting in how her skin broke out in goosebumps at the tiniest touch. She let her finger skate along the waistband of Solange’s trousers, then looked at her face again. Solange stood there with her lips parted, her gaze glued to Aurore’s. Aurore moved in for a kiss again, slid her hands to Solange’s back, and while
she slipped her tongue inside her mouth, unhooked her bra. The piece of fabric was stuck between their bodies and Solange took a sharp inhale of breath as they parted from their kiss, and her bra fell to the floor.

  Aurore’s gaze roamed hungrily over Solange’s naked chest.

  “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, and kissed her again, impatient for their naked bodies to press together at last.

  “You’re just saying that,” Solange whispered back. “So you can get the rest of my clothes off.” She smiled widely, her head tilted, her neck in a long, elegant slant.

  Aurore chuckled in response. She ran her fingers from Solange’s shoulders to her breasts, drawing circles around her nipples. She could enjoy herself with this part of Solange’s body for quite some time. She walked forwards, pushing Solange backwards in the process, until the backs of her legs hit the bed.

  “It’s not fair if you don’t take off yours as well,” Solange said—a hint of chief-of-staff tone in her voice. She reached for Aurore’s blouse and, instead of slowly unbuttoning it, hoisted it over her head.

  Aurore unfastened her own bra and held it to her chest. Solange gently swatted her arms away so Aurore’s bra, too, tumbled to the floor.

  “Better?” Aurore asked, as the rush of air against her skin made her nipples peak.

  Any hint of smile had disappeared from Solange’s face. She just nodded and pulled Aurore against her.

  Their skins and lips met and, glued together, they fell onto the bed. They clumsily kicked off their shoes and Aurore made sure Solange was lying comfortably on her back before she started caressing her breasts again. She cupped one in her hand and caught the nipple between her fingers.

  She bent and took Solange’s other nipple in her mouth, licking it gently. She then kissed a path back up, along her neck, to her mouth, and while she intensified the grasp of her hand on Solange’s breast and kissed her deeply again, her own breasts pushed into Solange’s naked flesh.

  When they paused for air, both of them a little out of breath, Aurore smiled at Solange and wondered how she could make things go differently with this woman. How she could make her stay. Because this was the easy part—the fun bit. But for Aurore, heartbreak had so often started with a scene like this one, naked in bed with another woman. She was almost fifty. She was ready for something to last. But there was no way of knowing now. Not at this stage. Just as there was no point in worrying. All she could do was what she always did. Try to give the utmost pleasure.

  Aurore pecked Solange on the lips, then kissed her breasts. She rolled her nipples between her lips while she kneaded the flesh with her hands.

  Solange moaned beneath her, and Aurore wished she could get a glimpse inside her head, to know exactly what she was thinking at that very moment. Instead, she had to make do with the outward signs of Solange’s pleasure, which told her plenty. Had it been her speech at the dinner party that had pushed the chief of staff over the edge? The promise of something she, until then, had only vaguely known? Had that propelled her to kiss Aurore like that the other night? The thought that she would have to start somewhere? It didn’t matter. Either way, Solange had come to the right person. Not because of Aurore’s sexual experience, but because of her life experience. The work she did. What she stood for. The message she tried to spread. And the message she was trying to convey loud and clear tonight: it’s okay for you to feel like this, to let go, and give yourself up to this physical sensation.

  Aurore didn’t feel pressure, although the fact that this was Solange’s first time with another woman gave her a definite thrill. Maybe that was just how Aurore was wired. For all the information she had acquired about the psychology of sex in her forty-nine years on this earth, she didn’t have the exact piece of knowledge that would adequately explain what it was that made her crave this so much. But that was okay, this mystery within her. Not everything needed to be explained. Some things could just be enjoyed.

  While she feasted on Solange’s breasts, Aurore flipped open the button of her trousers. She slowly zipped it down and let a finger slide down just for a fraction of a second.

  Now that that particular button had been popped, she checked in with Solange again. She kissed her way back up to Solange’s lips, and the fierceness with which Solange pressed herself against Aurore told her everything she needed to know, but still, Aurore had to hear the words come from her mouth.

  “I’m going to take off your trousers now. Okay?” she asked.

  “Please,” Solange said. She looked into Aurore’s eyes, swung her arms around her neck and pulled her close. “I’m all in,” she whispered. “Tu comprends?”

  Aurore nodded, her chin bumping against Solange’s flesh. She understood, all right.

  She pushed herself up and draped her body against Solange’s. Her finger danced along Solange’s skin, all the way down, where it slid inside her trousers again, just lightly touching down, just to gauge Solange’s reaction.

  Solange raised her hands above her head and expelled a sigh. The poor woman probably had decades of sexual frustration running amok in her body right now, only slowly being released by the gentle touch of Aurore’s fingertip. But if she had waited this long, she could wait a little longer. This was a moment to be savoured.

  Aurore went to work on Solange’s trousers and slid them off her legs, taking care of her own in the process. Then there they lay, only clad in panties. Aurore’s clit pulsed against the fabric of hers. But this wasn’t about her release. As far as she was concerned, that wasn’t even on the table tonight. She got plenty of pleasure out of this.

  Aurore positioned herself so she lay half on top of Solange, giving one hand free rein to roam while also being able to kiss her and look at her face.

  Her knee fell between Solange’s legs and Solange pressed herself up against it, her action intensifying as their kisses deepened again.

  The butterflies in Aurore’s stomach roared up as she started kissing her way down once more. This time, she didn’t halt at Solange’s breasts for long, and she went all the way down, along the soft skin of her belly, until she reached the delicate fabric of her panties.

  Aurore didn’t stop planting soft kisses. She continued, until her mouth reached Solange’s clit. She found it through the fabric of Solange’s panties. It was hard against her lips. Aurore couldn’t resist throwing in a slow lick of the tongue.

  Solange writhed beneath her. Aurore looked up but Solange’s head was thrown back into the pillow, her hands already clinging to the sheets for dear life. She kissed Solange there again, lingering this time, moistening her panties. Solange’s clit was clearly lined out in the fabric now, and Aurore licked it again. By then, Aurore was done teasing. She wanted to taste the real thing. She pushed Solange’s panties to the side and looked down at her wet pussy. Aurore paused to take a breath, before she leaned in and repeated the process of gently kissing Solange’s clit.

  “Mon dieu,” Solange said on a sigh.

  Aurore paced herself. This was an important moment for her as well. What if this was the start of something that would last? Wouldn’t she want the memory of this to be equally as lasting?

  She circled her tongue around Solange’s clit, then skated it along her lips. Oh, the joy of this. Of touching a woman like this for the first time. Of getting to know her so intimately, so profoundly. Aurore was so turned on, she was of half a mind to bring a hand between her own legs, but she wanted, even more so, to focus all her attention on Solange. No distractions.

  She manoeuvred Solange’s undies off her and tossed them somewhere into the semi-darkness of the room. Solange was fully naked in front of her now. How unlikely an outcome. When they’d first met, Solange had given the impression she wanted to ban Aurore to a desert island so she and her progressive, sex-positive politics would never be heard of again.

  Aurore sat between Solange’s spread legs and kneeled down. She kissed her clit and felt Solange’s muscles contract as a loud sigh escaped her mouth.
/>   She circled her tongue around Solange’s clit and felt her wetness spread against her chin. Aurore didn’t have it in her to tease Solange much longer, yet she kept herself from launching a full-on onslaught of licks. She continued to lap at her gingerly, careful not to set her off too much. Solange pressed her body upwards to meet the strokes of Aurore’s tongue. From under her lashes, Aurore tried to catch a glimpse of Solange’s face, but she couldn’t see anything. Solange’s head was still thrown back into the pillow, only the curve of her neck on display. And in that moment Aurore had an inkling of what she could do differently this time. How she wanted it to be a departure from other times she had been in this exact position—both mentally and physically.

  She wanted to see Solange’s face. She needed to. She licked her clit one last time and scooted upwards. She replaced her tongue with a finger for an instant and, just as she kissed Solange on the cheek, she pushed her finger high inside.

  Solange turned her head and looked at her. Her eyes were glazed over, her lips parted. She blinked, then closed her eyes, her pelvis pushing up, eagerly meeting Aurore’s stroking.

  Aurore looked on in wonder at Solange’s abandonment. Her belief was once again reconfirmed that no matter how buttoned-up anyone came across outside the bedroom, it had no bearing on how much they could let go inside of it.

  Aurore pressed her lips against Solange’s and slid her tongue in as she curled her finger inside of her. She kept caressing Solange’s clit as she fucked her. She could smell Solange’s most intimate aroma on her chin.

  “Harder,” Solange whispered when their lips parted for a split second, and her uttering of that word surprised Aurore most of all.

  Aurore happily obliged. She should have guessed that, once she’d reached that space beyond all her self-imposed barriers, the chief of staff wouldn’t be afraid to ask.

  Solange had thrown her head back again and Aurore kissed her neck until the bucking of Solange’s hips became more frantic. Then Aurore trained her gaze on Solange’s exquisite face and witnessed how she came at her fingers with a grimace and a succession of loud sighs.