"This is just one woman’s opinion," Ryan mused as she fetched the tray, "but I think this is heaven." A small smile accompanied her words, but Jamie could see the grain of truth reflected in the vivid blue eyes. Ryan took a big bite of the omelet and closed her eyes in pleasure. "Boy, I sure can cook," she said happily. "You’ve done pretty darn well for yourself, Ms. Evans. I get up early and make a fabulous breakfast, and you don’t have to lift a finger."
"I know how well I’ve done, Ms. O’Flaherty," she agreed with a big grin. "I thank my lucky stars every morning that you are my partner."
"I don’t know if the stars have anything to do with it, but I give thanks for you every day too."
"Ryan?" The tone in her voice let Ryan know that a serious question was headed her way, and the dark woman paused to give her partner her full attention. "Do you think we knew each other in a past life?"
"Pardon me?" Ryan shot her partner a skeptical smirk, but when she saw that Jamie’s question was sincere, she tried to control her reaction.
"You heard me, silly. Do you think it’s possible? I just feel so close to you that it’s hard to believe we’ve only known each other since September."
Ryan grew pensive, giving the question the thought that it deserved. "I agree that we have a bond that seems to predate our meeting, but I think that past lives stuff is a lot of hooey. I believe you get one bite at the apple, Jamie. That’s why I try so hard to jam my days with lots of activity. I don’t believe you get a second chance at life. It’s a precious gift that leaves us all too soon, and I believe we need to savor each moment," she said sincerely.
"I suppose you’re right, Ryan. I guess it just scares me to think that our time together is limited to this one lifetime."
"Sweetie, we don’t know what comes after this life. But I’ll tell you one thing: if it is possible to be reunited after death, we will be together. Nothing could keep me from you if there is any way at all that is possible." Her pledge was whispered softly into pale fragrant hair as she wrapped her arms around her partner and nuzzled her head into her neck. "Even though I don’t believe in past lives, I do think that some force brought us together. I like to imagine that my mother had something to do with it," she said with a shy smile. "That might be a lot of hooey too, but it’s a way I keep her involved in my life." She traversed Jamie’s neck in sweet little butterfly kisses from her ear to her collarbone. "And I know she would love you, Jamie." she said solemnly. "She would see all of the beauty you possess, both inside and outside. She would be so happy for us, Honey, I am certain of that."
Jamie wiped a tear from her eye with the corner of the sheet and gazed up at Ryan with a look of pure love. Making a quick decision, she decided to share a very precious moment with her partner. "When we were at the beach the other day, I was suddenly struck by this really powerful feeling," she said as she shook her head a little, still trying to make sense of the incident. "I had this visceral reaction to watching you run and play in the surf. You acted like such a little girl, and I suddenly felt how your mother must have felt, knowing that she wouldn’t see you grow up." She struggled with her emotions and eventually gave up the fight when she felt Ryan’s tears rolling down her shoulder. "It’s odd, Ryan, but I felt like she could hear me, so I thanked her for the marvelous job she did in raising you. I swear that as soon as I did that I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I think she sees us, Ryan. And I think it does make her happy," she said as the tears rolled down both of their faces with abandon.
Ryan lifted her head and began to kiss the tears from Jamie’s cheeks. Jamie's searching lips captured her own tears, and as the minutes passed, their kisses became more heated and more insistent. Within moments they were moving against each other sensually as they sealed their love with a sweet, tender communion. Their intimacy reached a new height, though it did not progress to intimate physical contact. Instead of touching each other sexually, they shared their raw emotions, holding nothing back, revealing all of their most fragile hopes and fears in the deep merging of their souls.
They were both shaken by the overpowering feelings that their connection had brought to the surface, and they held each other for a very long while, letting the feelings seep into their bones. It was almost eight o’clock when Jamie mumbled, "I should get up soon. I’ve gotta look like an adult today."
"Is that such a hard task?" Ryan asked softly, her voice a little rough from disuse.
Jamie chuckled lazily and began to stretch out her muscles. "Not usually, but I’ve gotten used to being naked for almost a week. It’s gonna take some time to get into nylons and a dress."
"Let me help you," Ryan offered. "We can make the time in the shower count."
"Okay," Jamie said brightly. "If we’re gonna do that though, I’ve got a good idea."
"You have yet to have a bad idea," Ryan decided, tweaking her partner’s nose.
Handing Ryan a robe, Jamie led her into her mother’s bedroom.
"Um, are you sure this is okay?" Ryan asked hesitantly.
"Absolutely," Jamie replied. "Mother loves it when people enjoy her bathroom. It’s her favorite part of the house and she is always offering it to guests."
Ryan was rather stunned when they passed through the bedroom and into a massive walk-in closet. Neatly organized clothes covered three walls, with the fourth containing built-in cabinetry that functioned as chests of drawers and a generous dressing table with professional lighting for applying make-up. A large oak door led to a bath, the likes of which Ryan had never seen.
The first thing she noticed upon entering the room was that the floor was a beautiful, highly polished tan marble. The floor dropped off into a sunken tub, located beside a massive leaded-glass window that provided a stunning view of the wild, roiling ocean. Across from the door, two graceful pedestal sinks flanked a large oak armoire. Open shelving on the top half of the piece held decorative soaps, fluffy towels and other little knick-knacks.
To her right, Ryan noted a short wall with a wide marble top with a TV/VCR combination rested on an articulating arm so that the picture could be seen from any part of the room. Behind the wall, a commode with a very strange looking seat was visible. Jamie crooked a finger, and Ryan followed her over to the far wall. Turning to her right, Jamie led her partner into a large tiled shower with a curved seat that extended all along the back of the enclosure. A large skylight provided a clear view of the gray, foggy morning sky. Ryan rocked back on her heels and let out a low whistle through her teeth. "I...I...I’ve never seen anything like this," she said as she shook her head. "I can see why your mother likes to share this place."
"It is pretty neat, isn’t it?" Jamie asked, just a little embarrassed at the opulent display. She removed her robe and asked for Ryan’s, placing them on the marble counter.
"I’ll say," Ryan remarked. "Do we really shower in here?" She indicated the tiled enclosure. "Where’s the door?"
"There isn’t one. It’s sloped just enough so that the water doesn’t flow out. This took a lot of time to get right, but Mother loves the open feeling you get in here."
Ryan’s face was covered by a wide smile. "Are you going to join me in this den of pleasure? We’ve never showered together, you know," she stated with an eyebrow wiggle.
"I’m all yours, Precious," she smiled.
"Let the games begin!" Ryan decreed with a laugh as she turned on the overhead rainfall shower, unexpectedly drenching her partner.
Sputtering the water out of her face, Jamie cried, "You are such a brat, Ryan O’Flaherty! I’ve got half a mind to leave you here all alone."
"I’ll be good," she replied with her most innocent expression firmly pasted to her face. "I’ll make it up to you, Baby," she cooed, running her hands all over Jamie’s wet torso.
"Hey!" Jamie said sharply. "Where are those hands?"
"But I’m just helping to dry you off," she replied with a hurt look on her face.
"Yeah, right!" Jamie replied, already too familiar with her lov
er’s tricks. "You wait right here while I get a few things, you naughty girl." Moments later she was back, and after adjusting the water temperature, the twosome got under the water. No sooner were they wet than Jamie turned off the flow, instructing, "Don’t go away," as she scampered out of the enclosure.
Ryan heard the water running in the tub, and she sat on the wide seat in the shower and patiently waited for her lover to return. Jamie peeked in a few minutes later and beckoned her partner to join her. "Come here, Sweetie," she instructed. "Climb into the tub. You can grab the railing in the back so you don’t slip."
Ryan did as she was told, letting out a huge sigh as the warm water came up to her knees. Jamie sat on the edge of the tub and motioned Ryan to come closer. She did so, rising from the water to sit on a ledge that surrounded the tub. Facing the wall, Ryan closed her eyes in pleasure as Jamie started to brush her hair with a round wooden hairbrush. She brushed it thoroughly, pulling all of her hair away from her face, and when she was satisfied with the look, she began to braid it into a thick rope. She put a covered band around the bottom to hold it together, and then clipped the braid up against the back of Ryan’s head to keep it out of the water. She slid into the water right next to her partner and sat on her lap for a moment. "You look too tasty to pass up," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around Ryan and spent several minutes kissing her tenderly.
She slid off Ryan’s lap and gently splashed some water on her face. Then she slowly spread a dark, gritty substance on Ryan’s face and neck. It looked a lot like mud and had a rich, deep earthy smell. When she was finished, she handed the jar to Ryan and splashed some water on her own face. Ryan mirrored the application for her, and a few minutes later they each sat back in the tub and just soaked in the fragrant water.
Ryan was feeling deliciously relaxed after 15 minutes in the tub. Just when she was about to nod off, Jamie stood up and pulled the stopper, allowing the tub to drain. They climbed out together, then Jamie led her back to the shower where she unclipped her hair and pulled the braid apart, letting her hair hang loose down her back. "Sit," she commanded as she pointed to the bench and turned on the handheld shower that the lower set of fixtures controlled. She let the warm water run over Ryan’s legs for a moment, then she squirted out a generous amount of shaving cream onto her hands and started to lather it onto one long leg. She rinsed her hands and sat beside and slightly behind her partner, then took a disposable razor and started to stroke smoothly up those strong legs, stopping just above the knee as was Ryan’s habit. The very fine blonde hair that grew on her thighs was one of Jamie’s favorite things, and she was loath to remove the downy covering. She worked all around the leg, getting up to pull the foot up into the air so she could reach the back of her lover’s leg properly, then she followed the same procedure for the other leg, caressing each silky leg to test for perfection.
"Nobody has ever shaved my legs before," Ryan dreamily murmured as she leaned against her partner. "I guess it’s your turn, huh?" She grasped the razor and the cream and, catching the bemused grin on her partner’s face, gave her a puzzled look. Following Jamie’s gaze, Ryan slid her hands up the smooth legs and muttered, "You have hit puberty, haven’t you?"
"Yes, Ryan," she smirked, slapping her on the shoulder. "I just don’t have much hair on my legs."
"Hmm,,," the playful brunette mused. "Maybe you’d like to get rid of this little bit up here," and then playfully tried to remove the blond curls as Jamie slapped her hand and backed away.
"No way, Baby," she laughed. "I’m keeping every one of those!"
Ryan leaned over and placed a kiss on the springy curls. "I swear that you have the most perfect little triangle that I’ve ever seen," she marveled. "You could wear a thong and not have one little curl stick out."
"Just another example of my perfection," she gloated.
When Ryan was finished ogling her, Jamie pulled her to her feet and washed the masque off her face, using a soft cloth to help the process. When the masque was completely removed, she squirted a generous amount of fragrant shampoo onto her hands and guided Ryan under the rainfall showerhead. When her hair was properly wet, she jumped onto the seat and worked the shampoo into the ebony locks, giving her a thorough scalp massage in the bargain. Ryan let her head rest heavily against her partner, enjoying the unfamiliar sensation. When the temporarily taller woman was satisfied with her efforts, she again used the handheld fixture to rinse every bit of soap residue out of her partner’s hair. After she ran her hands through the tresses several times to remove excess water, she applied some conditioner and sat Ryan back down to let it work.
Jamie started to scrub off her own masque, but Ryan divined her intentions and insisted on returning the favor. Next, she washed and rinsed Jamie’s short tresses, applying some firm pressure to various spots on her head and neck to relieve any lingering stress. An application of conditioner for Jamie preceded the thorough rinsing of Ryan’s head. By the time all of the product was out of her thick hair, it was Jamie’s turn, and moments later both heads were clean and conditioned.
Each woman lathered up a soft cloth and washed every square inch of her partner, spending extra time on some of the most prized real estate. Jamie was forced to snatch the cloth away when Ryan started to stray into forbidden territory, and gave her partner a playful slap on the hand.
They dried each other with fluffy beige bath sheets, and then Jamie used a smaller bath towel to remove the bulk of the water from Ryan’s hair. Sitting the tall woman on a small stool, she carefully combed her hair to remove any tangles, pulled out a blow dryer and blew the dark hair dry, combing it straight back off her forehead. Ryan once again echoed her lover’s actions, quickly blowing Jamie’s hair dry.
They returned to their own room where they each playfully brushed the other’s teeth. This task was not particularly easy, but it was fun to try, and when finished, they kissed a few times to test for cleanliness.
Walking back into the bedroom together, Ryan checked her watch. "It’s just a little after nine, Hon. We’ve got an hour to kill."
Jamie tilted her head and considered their options for a moment. "We could go downstairs and see if Conor’s up," she suggested. "We didn’t get a chance to spend much time with him yesterday."
"I’ve been spending time with Conor for 24 years, Honey," Ryan said with a frown. "I’m not really interested in that proposition."
To Ryan’s amazement, Jamie seemed unable to think of any pastime that could occupy them for an hour or so. She blinked up at Ryan and asked, "Do you have anything you’d like to do, Honey?"
"Gosh, Jamie," she said slowly, trying to hide a grin. "It’s the last day of our honeymoon…we’ve got over an hour to kill…we’re sparkling clean…my legs are all smooth—just waiting to be touched…or licked." She shook her dark head slowly and muttered, "Nope. I can’t think of a thing."
"Oops!" Jamie was truly embarrassed to be so oblivious, but when she considered the proposal, she realized why it had not occurred to her. "I don’t really want to need another shower, Honey. I’d really like to be close, but could we maybe just lie together for a while?"
"Of course we could." Ryan smiled as she gathered her in a hug. "It’s the closeness that I really need, too, Honey. Let’s spend the last hour of our honeymoon in each other’s arms."
Obviously not as well rested as they had thought, they both fell asleep within minutes of climbing back into bed.
A small noise woke Ryan and, staring at her watch in amazement, she nudged her partner and asked, "Jamie, do you know what time it is?"
"No," she mumbled. "Can’t we talk about this later?"
"No, Honey," Ryan insisted. "It’s 10:15."
"WHAT! How can that be?" Jamie shouted as she leapt from the bed and ran to her closet.
"That’s more like it," Ryan decided, getting to her feet and trying to stay out of the way.
Only by rushing faster than she ever had, was Jamie ready by herself imposed deadline. But even i
n her great haste she looked adorable to Ryan’s appreciative eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless cotton batik dress in shades of yellow, gold, and orange. The dress was quite short and showed off her smooth, tanned legs, which were somewhat needlessly covered by sheer pantyhose. Simple gold earrings, a matching necklace, several gold bangles on one wrist and her slim gold watch on the other were the perfect accessories. She had on just a touch of makeup that accentuated the golden highlights of her tanned skin, and a little splash of perfume that made Ryan’s mouth water. The dark woman was absolutely mesmerized, staring at Jamie the whole time she was getting dressed.
When Jamie was ready, she turned to make a comment to her partner and was struck by the lovesick expression on Ryan’s lovely face. Her heart clenched in her chest, and she felt the first stirrings of desire flare. Echoing the longing she saw in the deep blue eyes, she murmured, "God, I don’t want this to end."
Ryan closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, wrapping her beloved in an emotion-filled embrace. "I don’t either, Sweetheart, I don’t either." They hugged so fiercely that Jamie was afraid she would have to change clothes to avoid being a wrinkled mess, but she didn’t mind a bit. Being held in Ryan’s arms was worth any sacrifice, she decided.
"You could go with me," a small voice floated up to Ryan’s ears.
Pausing a second to make sure she gave the correct impression, Ryan demurred. "This is something you need to do alone, Honey. I really think I’d be in the way."
Jamie started to disagree, but Ryan silenced her with a gentle kiss. "If you’re worried about going alone, or you need to talk about it some more, I’ll drive you and hang out in Palo Alto while you go to the ceremony, but I really think you need to go to the graduation alone to be able to let go of some of this, Honey."
"I have let go of him, Ryan! Really, I have!" The look on her face was a combination of embarrassment and fear as she tried to convince both Ryan and herself of the truth of her statement.
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