“Shut up,” Teddi said, wiping the traitorous tear that had spilled over and left a wet line down her cheek.
Leah turned slightly, and her expression softened. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. I was just teasing. Honestly, I’m really so happy that it touched you.”
“Well, it did.” Teddi probably sounded like a child, but Leah only smiled bigger.
“You are so cute, you know that?”
“I am?”
“Yeah, but you’re also…” Leah shifted her position so she sat up enough to turn all the way around and face Teddi. Leaning closer, she whispered, “You’re also super hot.”
“Is that so?” Teddi barely got the words out before Leah’s mouth was on hers, and Teddi absently thought how makeout sessions on couches were apparently their thing now. A thing they did very, very, very well.
She sank into the kiss. Teddi had heard that phrase before, sinking into a kiss, but had never really understood it. Until then. Until that moment on that couch with that woman. Like a bolt of lightning hit her and completely lit up the meaning, made it inarguably clear. This right here? This is how you sink into a kiss. This.
Leah pushed herself up so she was nearly lying on top of Teddi, who didn’t mind because it gave her better access to Leah’s mouth. A playful battle ensued, tongues moving, exploring, plundering. Leah’s body was warm, and when Teddi slid her hands up under the back of Leah’s shirt, hit skin, they both sucked in air, stopped for a moment. Leah gazed down into Teddi’s eyes, and there was so much there. So much that was beautiful and sexy. So much that scared the bejesus out of Teddi. With her fingertips, she touched Leah’s lips, traced them, top first, then the bottom, marveled at how full they’d become after they’d kissed, how pink and luscious.
“Maybe we should take this to the bedroom,” Teddi said softly, then hid her own surprise at the words that had come out of her mouth all on their own.
“Maybe we should.” Leah’s eyes had gone dark, heavy-lidded, her cheeks rosy.
Yeah, this is happening.
Teddi was so there for it.
* * *
Leah wasn’t even a little bit surprised by the pristine nature of Teddi’s bedroom. It was ivory with slate-blue accents and black furniture. The comforter and the myriad of pillows on the bed were all ivory, with the exception of three of the pillows in blue. The floor was hardwood, with a thick ivory area rug in the center. A chair in the corner was ivory with a slate-blue afghan folded neatly over the back. Everything seemed new. Fresh. Clean.
Leah wanted nothing more than to mess it all up.
Also not surprising, since that was one of the first thoughts she’d had about Teddi when she’d realized the depth of her attraction. I want to grab on to that put-together, neat and tidy exterior and mess it the hell up, leave her all disheveled and breathless. The thought hadn’t changed. Seeing Teddi’s room only made it intensify.
Teddi led her across the room to the bed, stopped at the edge, and took Leah’s face in both hands. Teddi seemed to be looking for something in Leah’s eyes, searching for…what? Permission? Leah didn’t make her wait. She pushed up on her toes and met Teddi’s warm mouth with hers.
There was something different now. Leah had felt it on the couch and she was pretty sure Teddi had as well. That moment when she’d stopped, gazed into Leah’s eyes, run her fingers across Leah’s lips—there had been something in her face, in her eyes, that Leah’d never seen. Not so much a defeat as a relaxing. A surrender.
Now that they were in Teddi’s room, literally standing next to her bed, the intensity, the sexual tension between them was almost too much to bear. Leah could feel it in every inch of her body. Her heartbeat pounded everywhere. Her chest, her head, her fingers, her center. With curiosity, she laid her palm against Teddi’s chest and felt hers as well. Steady, but definitely pounding.
“I think we’re both nervous. I know I am,” Leah confessed. “Are you?”
Teddi tucked some of Leah’s hair behind her ear, let her fingertips dance down the side of Leah’s neck. “I’m nervous, but I’m not scared.”
“Me neither.” A lie, on both their parts. Leah could feel it. In fact, it helped ease her mind a bit knowing Teddi was afraid as well. It was okay to be afraid. After tonight, nothing would be the same. Leah knew it. She felt it from the tips of her toes to the top of her scalp. Nothing would be the same. And she was all in. She was so all in. “We can go slow.”
“Okay.” Teddi’s word did not match the kiss she then crushed to Leah’s mouth. Not slow. Not slow at all. Not gentle. Not even a little gentle. Hard. Demanding. And so incredibly sexy, Leah was sure her heart was going to explode right out of her chest. That would certainly mess up the room.
Teddi turned them so Leah’s back was to the bed and gave her a tiny nudge so she fell onto it. Teddi followed right after, pushing Leah’s thighs apart with her knee and settling her weight carefully onto her.
“Am I hurting you?” Teddi whispered.
“God, no,” Leah said, and to show how much Teddi was not hurting her, she pulled her down more firmly, shifted her own body so Teddi’s hips fit snugly between her legs. “I have just decided I love feeling you on me like this.”
“Yeah?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” Teddi kissed her again.
Maybe it was because they were so good at it, so good at the kissing, but as much as Leah wanted to move things forward, wanted to feel more than Teddi’s mouth, she simply lost herself in the kiss. Was it feasible to say you could have a perfect match for kissing? Because that was her and Teddi. Their mouths slid together sensually. Their tongues teased. They knew when to tilt their heads and which way, and they did so seamlessly. Everything about this kiss was ultra hot, and Leah couldn’t get enough. She kissed Teddi with everything she had, only wanting to be deeper into her, literally and figuratively.
That’s when that desire for more finally won out.
Leah wasted no time or energy pulling Teddi’s sweater off. “This sweater has been teasing me all night.” Teddi’s grin said she was perfectly aware of that fact. Efficiently over Teddi’s head and onto the floor in no time flat went the sweater, and then there was Teddi. Topless, in a white lace bra that fit perfectly with the rest of her room, because of course it did. Which was why Leah reached around back, unclasped it, and tugged it off.
Now this is the definition of sexy.
The thought screamed through Leah’s brain as Teddi hovered over her on all fours. Dark eyes that had gone impossibly darker took her in, held her gaze. Small breasts, right there for Leah to touch, which she did, with both hands. She kneaded each one slowly in her hands, almost cried out at the softness, felt Teddi’s nipples harden in her palms. She zeroed in on them, rolled them gently with her thumbs and forefingers, then a little more firmly when she heard Teddi’s breath catch. A very subtle rhythm began, Teddi’s hips lightly pushing into Leah’s center, pushing the ridge of her jeans into her most sensitive spot, until Leah groaned.
“These need to come off,” Teddi said, running a finger under Leah’s waistband.
“They really, really do.”
The rest of the clothes came off fast, almost comically so, and Leah smiled as she whipped off the last of her outfit. When they were both naked and kneeling on the bed, facing each other, time seemed to stop. Teddi was beautiful. It wasn’t like Leah expected anything less, but Teddi’s naked form, kneeling there, waiting for Leah to touch her, actually, literally, took Leah’s breath away. Felt as though she’d stopped breathing, didn’t inhale for what seemed like a long time. She simply looked. No—stared. She stared at the body in front of her that was nothing less than gloriously female. All smoothness and curves and softness…
And then Teddi was on her.
Suddenly. Surprisingly. Leah felt her own arousal surge to off-the-charts status and Teddi’s tongue plunged into Leah’s mouth and her body ignited. Leah reached for her, for her breasts, tried to slide a hand between h
er legs, but Teddi caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head in a devastatingly sexy display of dominance. Teddi’s face was mere inches from hers. They breathed the same air in ragged breaths. Teddi simply looked at her, held her gaze in the most delicious eye contact Leah had ever experienced.
And then Teddi said the sexiest line Leah had ever heard in her life, whispered, “You’re not in charge right now.”
If Leah was ever going to burst into flame, it would’ve been then. She heard herself gasp, had just enough time to before Teddi crushed their mouths together, pushed her hips into Leah’s aching center, and everything blurred after that for Leah.
Teddi was everywhere. Leah lost track of what were hands and what was a mouth. Tongue and fingers and teeth and hips…they all melded into one giant web of sensation. Leah had never been at anybody’s mercy in bed, but then? On that night? Teddi could’ve done anything she wanted. Leah had no willpower, no strength, barely any brain function. She was one large organism of pleasure. It was all she felt. Teeth teased her nipples to almost-pain, hands kneading her breast, a mouth sucking in as much of her flesh as it could. Fingernails scratched down her sides, hard enough for Leah to hiss air in through her teeth but not enough for her to protest, because it honestly ratcheted her arousal even higher. And when Teddi quietly ordered her to keep her hands were they were, still above her head, and Teddi’s mouth closed over her, over the very core of her and sucked hard, Leah was sure the top of her head would simply blow off. All that blurred sensation, all the pleasure melted together suddenly focused, met in one spot, and Leah felt every single thing Teddi did to her down there. The shift from combined sensation to very specific pleasure was unexpected, and Leah wondered if she’d survive it. But if she didn’t? What a way to go.
Teddi teased her for a while. Was it a while? Or was it mere seconds? Leah honestly didn’t know, but her body was moving on its own, undulating, writhing. She obeyed orders and kept her arms above her head but found pillows to grab, to hold on to for dear life, until Teddi finally zeroed in on the exact place Leah needed her, as if she’d known where it was all along and had been taking the scenic route.
Leah unraveled.
Shouts. Cries. Screams. None of those had ever been parts of an orgasm for Leah. On the contrary, she was fairly quiet in bed. But that night, sounds were ripped from her throat that she hardly recognized as her own voice. One hand gripping the back of Teddi’s head, the other holding a pillow over her own face so she didn’t wake the entire neighborhood, Leah came hard. Hips raised up off the bed, taking Teddi with them, every single muscle in Leah’s body tightened, and colors exploded behind her eyelids like fireworks.
Time became nonexistent. Leah finally opened her eyes with no idea how long she’d been recovering, and there was Teddi. Gentle smile. Dark, inviting eyes. Tousled waves of deep chestnut hair. And the dimples. God, those dimples. Looking down at her like that. Just waiting patiently until Leah found herself again. It was the most beautiful sight Leah had ever seen, and she reached a hand up, laid her palm against Teddi’s cheek as if she wanted to hold the moment, literally, in her hand.
“Hi,” Teddi said, then kissed her softly on the mouth.
“Hi yourself,” Leah whispered. “Also, oh my God, that was incredible.”
“Yeah?” Something passed quickly across Teddi’s face. Worry? Uncertainty? Was that even possible from a woman as confident and put-together as Teddi Baker?
“As soon as I can feel my limbs again, I intend to show you exactly how incredible.”
“So you’re saying if I’m patient, you’ll make it worth my while?”
“Worth your while and then some.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that.” Teddi lowered her mouth to Leah’s, and that kiss suddenly recharged Leah’s everything. Flex, push, press, and Teddi was on her back, looking up at Leah with those big, expressive eyes.
Leah made it totally worth her while. Totally.
Chapter Eighteen
Teddi was pretty sure Leah hadn’t intended to stay the night. After all, it was Monday morning, and not being her own boss like Teddi, Leah had to get to work at a certain time. But it had snowed overnight, and it was cold, and they’d been not only toasty warm all hunkered down in Teddi’s bedding, but it had been close to two in the morning before they’d given in to the need for sleep. Teddi could’ve gone all night long—Leah’s body was that captivating, as were the sounds she made, her responsiveness to Teddi’s touch—but instead, she’d set her alarm for six thirty and wrapped Leah up in her arms.
Cuddling while sleeping wasn’t something she was used to. Julia had never been a snuggler. No reason other than it just wasn’t her thing. She didn’t need, crave, physical touch like Teddi sometimes did, and Teddi had learned to get along without it. Unless they were having sex, she and Julia had rarely had any physical contact. Leah was different. The polar opposite, in fact. She slept wrapped around Teddi like a spider monkey. Arms around Teddi like vines. Leg tucked between Teddi’s. Head either on Teddi’s shoulder or up against her back. The biggest surprise? Teddi didn’t hate it. In fact, she kind of loved it. She’d woken up twice and simply grinned in the dark at the feel of the woman so securely wrapped up in her, she wondered if Leah actually had more than two arms and two legs.
Way too soon was when the alarm went off, but just-waking-up Leah was even more adorable than wrapped-around-you-like-ivy Leah. Green eyes blinked. Muscles stretched. A huge grin formed as a good morning was croaked. And while Teddi would’ve loved to keep Leah in bed with her for several more hours, she also knew Leah needed to get up for work. Leah decided to shower in Teddi’s bathroom, then run home to change, so after a quick kiss and a long hug, Leah hit the shower and Teddi slid her arms into her fleece bathrobe and went to the kitchen to make coffee.
It would not have been hard to lose herself in replays of last night. It sounded silly, she knew, but she’d never had sex that good. Ever. In her life. It was as if she and Leah knew all about each other’s bodies. Where to touch, how much pressure, when to stop teasing and allow release. Teddi’s sexual energy had seemed endless; she wanted to touch Leah, make her come, watch and listen as she did, forever. And when Leah had turned the tables, Teddi felt like she was being worshiped, like Leah couldn’t believe her good fortune. That’s how Leah made her feel. And when Leah’d pushed her fingers into Teddi… She closed her eyes briefly and lost herself in the feeling again. As the coffee brewed, she stood silently, watching the snow fall outside the window, and relived every moment of the previous night, the throbbing between her legs becoming insistent, until the coffeepot beeped to announce the end of its brewing cycle and yanked her attention back to the present.
Coffee poured and doctored, she carried both cups back to the bedroom and felt the haphazard knot she’d used to belt her robe slipping, one of the drawbacks of fleece. By the time she got to the bathroom, her robe hung open.
Leah was dressed in a pair of yoga pants and an old sweatshirt she’d borrowed from Teddi so she didn’t have to put yesterday’s clothes back on. Her hair was wet and combed back from her face, and she was plugging in a blow-dryer. When she glanced up into the mirror and saw Teddi’s reflection, her eyes went wide.
“Oh, my, is this a naked coffee delivery? Is naked coffee delivery a regular thing? Because I’d like to put in a request. For, like, every morning. Some afternoons, too. And evenings. Definitely evenings. Who do I have to talk to?”
Teddi could feel her own blush, the heat moving up her neck in a wave to settle in her cheeks.
Leah turned to face her. “God, you’re beautiful.” Reverence filled Leah’s quiet voice as she reached out and ran tender fingertips over Teddi’s nipple, which stood at attention instantly.
A hard swallow. “I’d love nothing more than to drag you back to bed,” Teddi said softly. “But I might never let you out of it again, and that wouldn’t do much for your status at work.”
Leah blew out a breath, kicked one hip
to the side like a sulky teenager. “I know you’re right, but this”—she repeated the motion of her fingers—“would be so worth it.”
Teddi stepped closer, kissed her quickly, then stepped back and held out a mug. “Consolation prize.”
Leah scoffed in a ridiculously cute way and took the coffee. “Fine.” As Teddi retied her belt, Leah pouted. “Well, that’s just sad.”
Teddi placed a quick kiss on Leah’s head and put some distance between them. She sat on the bed and watched Leah finish getting ready. How something as mundane as blow-drying hair ended up looking astonishingly sexy, Teddi had no idea, but Leah made it so. Blond hair flying, surreptitious—and not-so-surreptitious—glances at her in the mirror, the heat from the dryer as well as the glances…it all combined to wake up Teddi. More accurately, to wake up her body.
Yeah, she needed to get dressed and stop staring.
Instead, she stood up and walked into the bathroom, wrapped her arms around Leah from behind, moved her nearly dry hair to the side, and closed her mouth over the sensitive skin of Leah’s neck. The blow-dryer clattered to the counter as Leah turned in her arms and kissed her hard. And then Teddi’s robe was on the floor and she was up against the bathroom wall and Leah’s hands were everywhere and what day was it again? Teddi couldn’t think. Only feel. So she did.
Leah was late for work.
* * *
“And I barely made it out of her place this morning.” Leah was blushing. And smiling like a goofball. She could feel both things and could also tell by the way Tilly was looking at her across the table at lunch.
“That first time.” Tilly’s voice had an oddly dreamy quality to it, one Leah didn’t think she’d heard from her friend before. “It can be…” Not only did her voice trail off for a minute, but her eyes seemed to glaze over, and she stared off into the small café as if searching for the right words in the lunch rush air.
Hopeless Romantic Page 17
