The Right Thing Easy

by Laina Villeneuve

  “You’ve spent time thinking about it,” I said, surprised and touched.

  “Gotta occupy my brain with something with Hope’s car parked at your place every night.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, waving my good hand. “We’re not sleeping together.”

  He leveled his eyes at me.

  “Okay, we’re sharing a bed, but come on,” I gestured toward my arm. “You don’t seriously think I could get any action right now.”

  The way he avoided looking at me said that’s exactly what he thought.

  Fact was, Hope and I had come close to sleeping together, but my slightest flinch sent her skittering away from me. I still wondered how much of that was tied up in her doubts. I wasn’t going to push for more than what was comfortable for her, but I wasn’t going to tell Gabe that. “You can stop thinking about that right now, mister. Trust me. The pain meds have me completely out of commission. She’s staying with me to help me out. That’s it.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I’m not talking about this with you,” I said.

  “That’s okay. Everyone else is.”

  “Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t take long for people to start wondering.”

  “It isn’t anything nasty,” he assured me. “Just people wondering how good a friends you are.”

  “The pleasures of living in a small town?”

  “You bet. That’s why Kristine ran as fast as she could and never dated any locals.”

  “How do you think we’re going to go over?”

  “Depends on how the two of you play it. If you make it a big deal, it can be a really big deal.”

  I blinked in surprise, amazed to hear him say the same thing I’d told my class when Halley came off Eights. Of course it depended on how we played it. I thought about how worried I’d been about the possibility of outing myself to my students. I wondered if I had clarified that I had personal experience scoping out women like it was no big deal, how many of them would have quickly shrugged it off? “It’s funny. I’ve never been so on edge about who knows and who doesn’t. Partly it’s the size of the town, but a lot of it is wondering how Hope’s going to react to people knowing.”

  He scratched his chin. “That’s the question.”

  I glared at him and grumbled about his being able to keep his kind of helpfulness to himself.

  “I didn’t mean to add to your worries. If it would help you out any, I’ll work with Eights for you.”

  “Would you? No one at school will touch her now, but I can’t let her stand around until I’ve got my shoulder back.”

  “No problem. I’m on my way out to fix some fence out in the pasture. I could pony her out there. You want a saddle on her?”

  “Yeah. The more she wears it, the better.”

  “Okay. I’ll work her in the round corral a little before I saddle her up.”

  “Thanks Gabe. I appreciate that you’re not writing her off as a basket case. I’ve invested so much time in her that I’d hate to throw it away.”

  “I get that,” he said. “Though the way I heard it, she’s got some great moves.” I winced at the memory of the effectiveness of those moves, but I couldn’t help remembering thinking the same thing before Halley had come off. She moved like she was on springs, her compact mustang build like a little stick of dynamite.

  My body was screaming at me to get back up to the house and lie down for a bit, but I stayed to watch him work with Eights until she was under saddle and heading out through the pasture following Gabe on the mule he rode. She trotted behind him without any sign of trouble, and I thought again of how satisfying it was to put in the time and eventually get the reward of effective groundwork. Of course I remembered telling Hope how good I am at groundwork, and I felt good about how I’d held true to my word even before I’d hurt myself.

  I fully expected Gabe to jump to conclusions about how fast my relationship with Hope was progressing, knowing that Hope and I were moving at a much slower rate than most. I knew in my bones that it was best to let Hope set the pace for our intimacy. Right now, having her hold me felt absolutely right, even if it became more and more difficult. Following the curve of her body, it would be so easy to let my hand drop, but I always kept it perched on her hip. I figured the insinuation of what I was thinking was there and kind of thought if I was stirring something up in Hope that it was only fair for her to suffer a little too.

  Even through the dopiness of my pain meds, my body zinged remembering how active our snuggling had become before I’d gotten tossed, how close we had come to stripping each other’s clothes off. Each time, though, Hope had regained control. Without a doubt, had Eights not put a damper on things, Hope’s car would have been parked next to my rig for exactly the reason Gabe presumed.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Dani slumped against Hope, her feet tucked underneath her on the couch. Seeing that her eyes were already shut, Hope clicked off the movie and stroked Dani’s hair.

  “I was watching that,” Dani said.

  “Sure you were.” Hope continued to run her fingers through Dani’s hair, loving how her fingers disappeared in the thick black waves. She leaned her own head back against the couch, enjoying the quiet she’d so easily become accustomed to. Early on at Dani’s house, she was on her own, tiptoeing around as Dani slept. She’d sat in the quiet of the house that first day delving into Dani’s lesbian romance novels as she waited for her to wake for dinner.

  By the weekend, Dani had been able to join her more, sometimes reading or watching TV but much of the time she was just resting against Hope as she was doing now. Hope ran her hand down the length of Dani’s arm thinking of how much she had enjoyed being right where she was. Dani’s injury had given her a reason to stay without having to defend her actions to anyone. She was the good friend helping out, which she exploited to the fullest.

  No one needed to know how much she had enjoyed snuggling Dani tight all night, relishing the way Dani leaned against her. At first, when Dani was dependent on her for bathing, she’d been unable to keep her eyes from following the path the water took. However, she hadn’t allowed her hands running across Dani’s silky smooth skin to drift to intimacy, even though the experience left her wet and wanting. As Dani had healed, she could tell that Dani was as aware as she was. Their eyes would lock on each other, and she’d know exactly what Dani was thinking. At times, Dani’s look was too intense to ignore and Hope had slipped into kisses that had grown bold and led to wandering hands, but inevitably Dani would flinch reminding them both of her limitations.

  Her fingers strayed from Dani’s arm and dropped to her waist, teasing her soft long-sleeved tee up, so she could stroke the soft skin. Dani no longer wore the immobilizer and had returned to bathing and dressing herself. There was very little pain. She still had the sling on at work and could put it on herself. She didn’t need it at home which made Hope wonder if she should give her some space, even though that was the last thing she wanted. What she really wanted was more of Dani’s skin.

  “Are you sleeping or plotting to get back on your crazy horse,” Hope asked, unsure of how to ask the real question that had her pulse quickening.

  “Not plotting about that,” Dani replied, moving her arm up, making more of her stomach accessible.

  “Hmm. But plotting about something,” Hope responded, her palm fanned out against the plane of Dani’s belly. She wondered if Dani was thinking about sex and if she was as nervous as Hope was. “Are you going to share, or am I going to have to find a way to get it out of you?”

  “I kind of like the sound of the second option,” Dani said.

  Hope bit her lip and watched the rise and fall of Dani’s shoulders, nervous to cross the boundary she’d been toeing so long. She was used to being pursued, used to being the one to ask to slow things down, not move things forward. Dani’s limitations had given her a safety net, allowing her to feel close without the fear she usually began to experience at this point in a relati
onship.

  She decided she had to trust that Dani would stop her if what she wanted was too much, but to do that she was going to have to say something. The way Dani rested against her, there was no subtle way to begin the kiss that Dani could deepen if she chose. Trust your instinct, she told herself. She shifted forward and felt Dani take her weight back. Dani dropped her feet off the couch, her eyes following Hope as she swung around to straddle Dani.

  Cradling Dani’s chin with both hands, Hope captured Dani’s lips with her own. She pulled at Dani’s bottom lip seductively, inviting more, sweeping her hands back and into Dani’s hair, pulling her closer. Dani’s hands crept around her hips and ducked underneath her shirt, sweeping up her back.

  Hope shivered at the feel of both of Dani’s hands on her shoulders, enveloping her. Nothing existed outside of their arms cradling each other. The tease of Dani’s tongue with her own brought a flood of wetness between Hope’s legs. She needed more. She didn’t want to stop again.

  “How’s the shoulder?” she asked, her fingers poised at the hem of Dani’s shirt.

  “Let’s find out,” Dani said, nipping at Hope’s neck.

  “Are you sure?” Balancing on Dani’s lap, her hands found Dani’s belly beneath her shirt. She pushed upward, her fingers finding Dani’s exposed breasts budded in anticipation. She smiled at the hiss that escaped Dani’s lips as she ran her thumbs over the sensitive skin and then swept across the underside before tickling back down her belly to the waist of her jeans. “Because I want all of you tonight.”

  “I can arrange that,” Dani breathed.

  “But if your arm…”

  “I’m sure we can work around it if need be,” Dani interrupted, her pupils dilated with desire.

  Hope realized that while she had been thinking she was waiting for Dani to heal, Dani had been waiting for her to make a move. She scooted off Dani’s lap and pulled her up by her good arm. Standing, Dani swept that arm around Hope’s waist, her hand sliding down to cup Hope’s ass, pulling her close for a searing kiss that left Hope panting as she followed Dani to her bedroom.

  She’d seen Dani naked plenty in the last weeks. Based on that pattern, stripping Dani of her shirt and bra felt natural, but she hesitated as Dani’s eyes traveled to the buttons on her own shirt. She had always changed in the bathroom, so she felt a surge of anxiety about shedding her own clothes. Dani stepped closer as Hope disengaged the buttons, taking over when the shirt only hung on her shoulders.

  Hope’s skin awakened under Dani’s hands as her shirt fell to the floor. Dani pushed the straps of her bra off her shoulders, tracing the line of the garment over her breasts before unclasping it and letting it fall to the floor.

  Dani’s eyes on her nakedness made it difficult to keep her composure. Hope reached for Dani’s hips to stabilize herself as Dani’s warm hands traveled the length of her abdomen and settled on her breasts. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long,” she whispered.

  Hope released the button of Dani’s jeans to slide her hands down on to the bare skin of Dani’s ass before stripping off the remainder of their clothes. She felt empowered by the decisions Dani left to her. If Dani was waiting for Hope to demonstrate her comfort, her readiness, she would.

  She openly appraised Dani standing before her, absolutely comfortable in her nakedness. “You are so incredibly sexy,” Hope said, tracing a finger from Dani’s shoulder down to the top of the triangle of hair at her legs. She stepped toward Dani, guiding her down onto the mattress before she lay down beside her, now free to explore her entire body with her lips and fingers. She took her time sliding over muscle and curves, noting where her touch made Dani arch against her. The time they had spent together already afforded her a boldness in her exploration that surprised her. As much as she wanted to throw herself on Dani, she also wanted to savor what she had never expected to find or have again.

  Placing a knee in between Dani’s legs, her tongue darted over Dani’s hips and skimmed its way up to Dani’s waiting mouth until their bodies mirrored each other. She lowered her mouth first to Dani’s wonderfully full lips, relishing their soft warmth. As their mouths melded, she lowered herself, legs scissored so their centers met.

  They moaned in unison when Hope’s wetness met Dani’s. Hope ground against Dani just once in a slow circle. Dani’s kiss demanded more, but Hope knew she would finish if she stayed, and she wasn’t ready. The years she had been back in Quincy, she had fantasized about finding someone to love. Now that the reality was in her arms, she wanted to suspend time. She pulled their bodies apart with difficulty as Dani had a tight hold on her ass, and with her chin pushed Dani’s head to the side to expose her neck to kisses she trailed down to Dani’s breasts.

  “Not yet,” she whispered. She cupped both of Dani’s breasts in her hands and teased one with her lips and tongue. Dani’s fingers wove into her hair, encouraging more attention on her nipple. The nipple she didn’t hold in her mouth, she rolled between her finger and thumb, loving the feel of Dani’s body pushing up toward hers. She released the breast she held and traced between their bodies, pushing Dani back to the bed, until she was teasing her clit with her thumb through the curls.

  “Please,” Dani gasped.

  Hope let her finger dip down between Dani’s legs. She groaned when her finger found so much wet waiting for her. She teased that wetness back up to Dani’s clit, circling it with her finger as she circled the nipple in her mouth with her tongue. Dani pushed up with her hips, meeting the pressure of Hope’s fingers. Hope smiled and slid slowly downward letting Dani rock against her finger, guiding her deep inside. Hope moaned at how ready and open Dani was inside and matched the rhythm of Dani’s hips, applying pressure to Dani’s clit with her thumb.

  Her own wetness pushed against Dani’s leg, threatening to distract her. Dani’s body felt so good wherever they touched. The sounds Dani made as she loved her made her own blood pound. Every stroke connected them more deeply, and when Dani tipped into orgasm, shuddering beneath her, Hope’s world settled into place. This is where I’m meant to be, she thought, feeling Dani’s walls squeeze against her finger as Dani milked the aftershocks of orgasm.

  “You okay?” she asked, cupping her palms around Dani’s curls, still enjoying the moans of pleasure coming from Dani.

  “You have to ask?” Dani opened her eyes and searched Hope’s.

  “What are you thinking?” Hope asked.

  “That normally, I’d flip you over and show you how much I want you, but…”

  Hope’s eyes dropped to Dani’s mouth, and she blushed deeply.

  “What?”

  “Who says you can’t show me from where you are?” She drew her abdomen up between Dani’s legs until their centers collided.

  “Oh,” Dani gasped, cupping Hope’s ass and pulling her tighter.

  Hope arched upward with her shoulders to increase the contact between them. She let her body take over, moving how it pleased against Dani as she climbed toward her own finish.

  “God, you’re sexy,” Dani said. “I want to be inside you.”

  Hope complied, raising her hips, so Dani could slide her hand in between them. She lowered herself greedily, shuddering as Dani filled her and teased her. She moved slowly at first but their rhythm quickly picked up speed until she felt the waves of release gathering deep inside her. She called Dani’s name as she crested, panting into her neck, continuing to rock against Dani’s hand, shifting from the frenzied rhythm to a more sensual grind that extended the ripples of pleasure.

  Hope lifted her hips again, so Dani could slip her hand out from in between them. She slid it around Hope’s waist, holding her tight. Hope pulled herself up, so she could look into her lover’s eyes.

  “Sorry to be such a pillow queen.”

  Hope laughed. “Do you hear me complaining?”

  “No. You’re amazing. I might never get better, so I can keep getting that kind of treatment.”

  Hope dropped into the crook of
Dani’s right arm, running her fingers across Dani’s belly.

  “What did I say?” Dani asked, concern in her voice at the extended silence.

  “You are getting better which means you won’t be needing my help.”

  Squeezing Hope, Dani said, “This is your spot. Whenever you want it, with or without the aerobics.”

  Hope’s hand crept higher. “How do you always know just what to say?”

  “Your sister gave me an instruction booklet that’s been most helpful.”

  Hope pinched the nipple she’d reached, eliciting a yelp from Dani. “This is a good spot to be.”

  Dani smacked her hand away and rolled to spoon Hope. She slowly traced the curve of Hope’s hip. “I love having you right here.”

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Hope answered, drifting to sleep. She’d never felt as at home as she did in Dani’s arms. For the moment, she was completely content without any inclination to run or hide, finally embracing what she wanted most.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  In the early morning light, Hope slept peacefully. I needed to get up and into the shower to start my day, but I allowed myself a few minutes to trace the naked form next to me. More mornings than not, she lay next to me. Only occasionally did she stay at Pauline’s for a night, returning with more of her clothes or a book that she wanted the next day.

  I traced her shoulder remembering how she’d woken before me the morning after we’d first made love. She’d leapt from the bed and skittered to the bathroom leaving me to worry about whether she was in there freaking out about the intimacy we’d shared the night before. When she’d finally emerged, she’d picked up her shirt and panties from the floor. I’d watched her through my eyelashes as she debated whether to put them on, happy when she finally set them down and crawled back into bed with me.