Embracing the Dawn

by Jeannie Levig

  Jinx smiled and touched her fingertips to her lips, kissed them, then pressed them into it. She’d revealed her secret ingredient as part of E. J.’s Christmas present.

  E. J. had beamed, just as she did, now. “As corny as it is,” she said, “it really does turn it into the best PB&J ever.”

  Jinx grinned. “That’s what love does.” She held her fingers to E. J.’s lips and let out a soft moan as E. J. sucked them clean. “It makes everything the best.”

  They settled onto the double lounge chair on the patio with the sandwich and a glass of milk and shared the snack in a comfortable silence.

  “The sun’s coming up,” E. J. said, snuggling against Jinx beneath the blanket after setting the dishes aside. “I love watching the sunrise with you.”

  Jinx looked to the horizon and took in the first shimmer of pink announcing the new day. She thought of all the dawns she’d watched over the years, including those in prison when sometimes she’d wondered if she’d see another, then, as time passed, if she’d ever see one where the sun wasn’t coming up over a stone wall or barbed-wire. She remembered the first morning she’d been free and had watched it rise while walking through the training field at Canine Complete, and the exhilaration of witnessing the sky turn from pink, to mauve, then purple, from the back porch of her little rental, or while riding along the bike path. Now, there was the memory of pure joy while holding E. J. in her arms, tasting her skin, pleasuring her beautiful body, that first time—and so many since—they’d shared this very moment of the day. She remembered feeling as though meeting E. J. represented her own private dawn, the opportunity to start fresh, to leave yesterday behind. “You’re my sunrise,” she whispered into E. J.’s ear.

  E. J.’s lips curved into a smile against the hollow of Jinx’s shoulder. She tightened her arms around Jinx’s waist.

  “The dawn is a promise of another day, another chance,” Jinx said, watching the pink expand into the sky. “Another opportunity to be happy. And every day, I think I couldn’t possibly be happier.” She crooked a finger beneath E. J.’s chin and tipped her face to hers. “And then, I wake up and see you.” She kissed her.

  E. J. moaned into Jinx’s mouth and pressed against her.

  “And this morning…” Jinx looked back to the colors moving through the sky, tinging the clouds with their soft shades. “It all feels so perfect. I have you. I have Pete. I have my family, and that includes yours, too. My friends. I think I might even finally have Andi back. I can’t imagine how I could be happier.”

  E. J. squeezed her, then trailed her fingers across her stomach and abdomen. “How about this?”

  At the simmer of her arousal, Jinx closed her eyes.

  “No, no. Keep them open,” E. J. whispered.

  Jinx complied, then parted her thighs as E. J.’s hand slipped between them. She watched the colors swirl and blend with one another as E. J.’s touch fully ignited her desire. She lifted her hips to meet her strokes.

  E. J. pushed deeper as she worked Jinx’s clitoris with the heel of her hand. She held the pace slow and steady.

  As the sky gradually brightened, Jinx’s orgasm grew closer. She tightened around E. J.’s fingers.

  “Don’t hold back,” E. J. murmured. “Come for me.”

  As the sun crested, Jinx did.

  And E. J. drew it out, with long, languid thrusts.

  Finally, Jinx lay back and sighed. She held E. J., wanting that moment to never end, yet looking forward to every one that followed. “Knock, knock,” she said quietly.

  E. J. laughed. “Are you kidding?”

  “No. You’ll like this one. I promise. It’s a good one.”

  E. J. cuddled closer. “All right. Who’s there?”

  “Olive,” Jinx said.

  “Olive who?” E. J. smiled, her cheek against Jinx’s chest.

  Jinx tightened her arms around E. J. “Olive you, forever and always.”

  “Oooh, you’re right. That is a good knock-knock joke.” E. J. nestled against her. “And I’ll love you forever and always,” she said softly.

  They lay quietly in each other’s arms, all yesterdays behind them, embracing a new dawn.

  About the Author

  Jeannie grew up in Tehachapi, CA, a small town in the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the kind of town where everyone knew everyone and lived with unlocked doors. Raised by an English teacher, Jeannie has always been surrounded by literature and novels and learned to love reading at an early age. She tried her hand at writing fiction for the first time under the loving encouragement of her eighth grade English teacher. She graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English.

  Jeannie’s loves include her beautiful family, an amazing circle of friends, and her four-legged best friend, Dexter. She enjoys many genres of novels, movies, and theater; is a cliché as a George R. R. Martin fan in her grumblings about the wait between Song of Ice and Fire books; and is deeply committed to her spiritual path.

  Jeannie’s debut novel, Threads of the Heart, was a finalist in the 2015 Rainbow Awards, and she is currently working on her third novel, Into Thin Air, scheduled for release from Bold Strokes Books in January of 2017.

  Visit Jeannie’s website at www.JeannieLevig.com or email her at Jeannie@jeannielevig.com.

  Books Available from Bold Strokes Books

  A Reluctant Enterprise by Gun Brooke. When two women grow up learning nothing but distrust, unworthiness, and abandonment, it’s no wonder they are apprehensive and fearful when an overwhelming love just won’t be denied. (978-1-62639-500-8)

  Above the Law by Carsen Taite. Love is the last thing on Agent Dale Nelson’s mind, but reporter Lindsey Ryan’s investigation could change the way she sees everything—her career, her past, and her future. (978-1-62639-558-9)

  Actual Stop by Kara A. McLeod. When Special Agent Ryan O’Connor’s present collides abruptly with her past, shots are fired, and the course of her life is irrevocably altered. (978-1-62639-675-3)

  Embracing the Dawn by Jeannie Levig. When ex-con Jinx Tanner and business executive E. J. Bastien awaken after a one-night stand to find their lives inextricably entangled, love has its work cut out for it. (978-1-62639-576-3)

  Jane’s World: The Case of the Mail Order Bride by Paige Braddock. Jane’s PayBuddy account gets hacked and she inadvertently purchases a mail order bride from the Eastern Block. (978-1-62639-494-0)

  Love’s Redemption by Donna K. Ford. For ex-convict Rhea Daniels and ex-priest Morgan Scott, redemption lies in the thin line between right and wrong. (978-1-62639-673-9)

  The Shewstone by Jane Fletcher. The prophetic Shewstone is in Eawynn’s care, but unfortunately for her, Matt is coming to steal it. (978-1-62639-554-1)

  A Touch of Temptation by Julie Blair. Recent law school graduate Kate Dawson’s ordained path to the perfect life gets thrown off course when handsome butch top Chris Brent initiates her to sexual pleasure. (978-1-62639-488-9)

  Beneath the Waves by Ali Vali. Kai Merlin and Vivien Palmer love the water and the secrets trapped in the depths, but if Kai gives in to her feelings, it might come at a cost to her entire realm. (978-1-62639-609-8)

  Girls on Campus edited by Sandy Lowe and Stacia Seaman. College: four years when rules are made to be broken. This collection is required reading for anyone looking to earn an A in sex ed. (978-1-62639-733-0)

  Heart of the Pack by Jenny Frame. Human Selena Miller falls for the domineering Caden Wolfgang, but will their love survive Selena learning the Wolfgangs are werewolves? (978-1-62639-566-4)

  Miss Match by Fiona Riley. Matchmaker Samantha Monteiro makes the impossible possible for everyone but herself. Is mysterious dancer Lucinda Moss her own perfect match? (978-1-62639-574-9)

  Paladins of the Storm Lord by Barbara Ann Wright. Lieutenant Cordelia Ross must choose between duty and honor when a man with godlike powers forces her soldiers to provoke an alien threat. (978-1-62639-604-3)

  Taking a Gamble by P.J. Trebelhorn. Storage
auction buyer Cassidy Holmes and postal worker Erica Jacobs want different things out of life, but taking a gamble on love might prove lucky for them both. (978-1-62639-542-8)

  The Copper Egg by Catherine Friend. Archeologist Claire Adams wants to find the buried treasure in Peru. Her ex, Sochi Castillo, wants to steal it. The last thing either of them wants is to still be in love. (978-1-62639-613-5)

  The Iron Phoenix by Rebecca Harwell. Seventeen-year-old Nadya must master her unusual powers to stop a killer, prevent civil war, and rescue the girl she loves, while storms ravage her island city. (978-1-62639-744-6)

  A Reunion to Remember by TJ Thomas. Reunited after a decade, Jo Adams and Rhonda Black must navigate a significant age difference, family dynamics, and their own desires and fears to explore an opportunity for love. (978-1-62639-534-3)

  Built to Last by Aurora Rey. When Professor Olivia Bennett hires contractor Joss Bauer to restore her dilapidated farmhouse, she learns her heart, as much as her house, is in need of a renovation. (978-1-62639-552-7)

  Capsized by Julie Cannon.What happens when a woman turns your life completely upside down? (978-1-62639-479-7)

  Girls With Guns by Ali Vali, Carsen Taite, and Michelle Grubb. Three stories by three talented crime writers—Carsen Taite, Ali Vali, and Michelle Grubb—each packing her own special brand of heat. (978-1-62639-585-5)

  Heartscapes by MJ Williamz. Will Odette ever recover her memory or is Jesse condemned to remember their love alone? (978-1-62639-532-9)

  Murder on the Rocks by Clara Nipper. Detective Jill Rogers lives with two things on her mind: sex and murder. While an ice storm cripples Tulsa, two things stand in Jill’s way: her lover and the DA. (978-1-62639-600-5)

  Necromantia by Sheri Lewis Wohl. When seeing dead people is more than a movie tagline. (978-1-62639-611-1)

  Salvation by I. Beacham. Claire’s long-term partner now hates her, for all the wrong reasons, and she sees no future until she meets Regan, who challenges her to face the truth and find love. (978-1-62639-548-0)

  Trigger by Jessica Webb. Dr. Kate Morrison races to discover how to defuse human bombs while learning to trust her increasingly strong feelings for the lead investigator, Sergeant Andy Wyles. (978-1-62639-669-2)

  24/7 by Yolanda Wallace. When the trip of a lifetime becomes a pitched battle between life and death, will anyone survive? (978-1-62639-619-7)

  A Return to Arms by Sheree Greer. When a police shooting makes national headlines, activists Folami and Toya struggle to balance their relationship and political allegiances, a struggle intensified after a fiery young artist enters their lives. (978-1-62639-681-4)

  After the Fire by Emily Smith. Paramedic Connor Haus is convinced her time for love has come and gone, but when firefighter Logan Curtis comes into town, she learns it may not be too late after all. (978-1-62639-652-4)

  Dian’s Ghost by Justine Saracen. The road to genocide is paved with good intentions. (978-1-62639-594-7)

  Fortunate Sum by M. Ullrich. Financial advisor Catherine Carter lives a calculated life, but after a collision with spunky Imogene Harris (her latest client) and unsolicited predictions, Catherine finds herself facing an unexpected variable: Love. (978-1-62639-530-5)

  Soul to Keep by Rebekah Weatherspoon. What won’t a vampire do for love… (978-1-62639-616-6)