Heart 2 Heart

by Julie Cannon

  Holy Mother of God! Kyle stood there unable to move at the sight. She knew her mouth was probably hanging open but she didn’t care. All she could think about was the beautiful woman standing in front of her wearing nothing but a smile.

  “Aren’t you going to come in Detective?”

  Kyle regained what was left of her equilibrium and stepped across the threshold. Lane didn’t move and Kyle’s arm brushed her erect nipples as she passed. She didn’t get much further when she heard the door shut and the lock click behind her. She turned around and was met with the hot, radiating look of desire that left her in no doubt as to what she could expect. As if Lane opening the door stark naked didn’t make it crystal clear.

  “We seem to have trouble getting to dinner on time.” Her throat was dry and her voice cracked with the effort of forming the words.

  “Are you complaining? Because if you are, I can get dressed and we can go now.”

  Lane took a deep breath which drew Kyle’s attention to her breasts. “Hell no. This is a dream come true.” Kyle imagined her tongue on the pert nipples.

  Lane’s nipples hardened into painful tight buds, and she stepped so close to Kyle that her breasts touched the starched pink shirt. “Do you have any other dreams you’d like me to fulfill?”

  Kyle’s eyes never left the white, soft skin as she slowly lowered her head. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Lane wrapped her arms around Kyle’s neck as she was carried into the bedroom. She didn’t feel the scratchy bedspread beneath her as she watched Kyle slowly remove her clothes. Kyle’s body amazed her; there was real strength hidden beneath the womanly curves, yet her touch was as light as a feather. Lane reached for her before she was fully disrobed. Kyle fell on top of her pinning her body to the bed. The muscles in Kyle’s back felt tense beneath Lane’s fingers.

  “You are so incredibly beautiful.” Kyle whispered. She had used this same phrase many times but these were the only words that even came close to conveying her feelings.

  Her kisses covered every inch of Lane’s body before she returned to the lips eagerly awaiting hers. Lane clutched her tightly and sucked her tongue harder as Kyle nudged her thighs apart. When Lane began to move against her, she took possession of Lane’s nipple between her fingers tweaking it in time with the thrusts on her thigh.

  Lane wrenched her lips from Kyle’s and cried out in a voice hoarse with desire. “Oh, yes. Don’t stop. That makes me crazy.”

  The path between her nipples and clitoris was a direct connection, and Kyle knew exactly what to do to burn the trail. Lane gasped and arched her back when Kyle’s mouth claimed her nipple and her fingers entered. She bit down on her lip in a failed attempt to hold back the impending wave of pleasure. Within a few well timed strokes, she came hard and fast in Kyle’s hand, shuddering with the power of her orgasm.

  Kyle’s hand was trapped between Lane’s thighs, and she squeezed it so tightly Kyle started to see stars. Not wanting to ruin the moment but fearing that Lane would damage her gun hand, she lifted her lips from Lane’s breast. “Lane, I’m sorry but you’re crushing my hand.” Lane slowly removed Kyle’s fingers from inside her and held Kyle’s hand gently as the aftershocks shook her body. Kyle held her close while she slowly regained control. When her ragged breathing slowed to its normal pace, Kyle placed light, feathery kisses along her jaw line.

  “Feel better now?”

  “Mmm.” Lane purred.

  “And that translates to?” Kyle asked mockingly.

  Lane slapped Kyle on the butt. “You know exactly what that translates to. I don’t have to spell it out for you. Or do I?”

  Kyle continued her kisses and her hands began to wander again. “No, but I like it when you do.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Between Kyle’s tickling tongue and her insistent hands, Lane was beginning to loose her concentration again. She gasped when Kyle’s tongue found her sensitive nipple.

  Kyle answered her between nips. “It drives me crazy when you tell me what you want me to do to you.” Lane’s uninhibited response to her lovemaking was, by far, the most erotic thing she had ever experienced. Sometimes all it took was a single word or sound to send her over the edge.

  Each time they made love, Lane learned a little bit more about Kyle. After the first initial explosion, their lovemaking was usually calmer, and it was during those times she noticed Kyle’s arousal escalate.

  “You mean when I sigh like this?” Lane lightly demonstrated at the same time her hand cupped Kyle’s breast. She could almost hear Kyle’s desire intensify. “Or when I do this?” Kyle moaned when her fingertips grasped an erect nipple. “Or…” Lane moved her hand much lower. “…When I whisper, ‘touch me?’” There was an immediate shift in Kyle when her fingers did exactly what her mouth described. Kyle’s juices increased as Lane poised her index finger just at the entrance to the warm, wet center of her desire. “And do you like it when I tell you to go in me?”

  Kyle pulled Lane to her and ravaged her mouth with a kiss that served as her answer. She sucked Lane’s tongue and matched her rhythm to Lane’s fingers as they slowly moved in and out of her. Lane moaned again and Kyle lifted her hips in anticipation of more to come. As her passion climbed, Lane increased the tempo of her fingers to match. Soon, Kyle was moaning her delight as she crested in the arms of her lover.

  Lane was humbled that this wonderful woman felt safe enough to be totally exposed while in her arms. Lane suspected that it was difficult for Kyle, whose job it was to maintain absolute control at all times, to let go and be vulnerable. She cradled her gently as the storm subsided.

  *

  Between the laughter and sexual innuendo tossed back and forth across the table, Kyle didn’t know if she wanted the evening to go on or take Lane home and make love to her all night. She reached for the bill. A movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention away from Lane who sat sipping the remaining wine in her glass. She stood up as a strikingly handsome woman stopped beside their table.

  “Stephanie, how are you?” Kyle quickly made the introductions, describing Stephanie to Lane as a “good friend.”

  In fact, their friendship was a little unusual in that it involved sex, and as soon as Lane looked at Stephanie, Kyle could tell that she’d guessed that somehow. Her smile was lukewarm as the usual pleasantries were exchanged.

  “I don’t want to intrude, and I have someone waiting for me,” Stephanie said. “I just wanted to stop by and say hello. It was good to see you again Kyle.”

  After she’d walked away, Lane asked, “Are you still sleeping with her?”

  Kyle met her eyes squarely, not surprised at the question. “No.”

  Lane didn’t like the feeling of jealousy that had crept into her stomach. “How long were you involved?”

  Kyle dropped her eyes. She’d met Stephanie Walker three years ago at an accident scene. Stephanie was a firefighter, and they’d naturally gravitated together due to their stressful jobs and unusual hours. They’d fallen into an easy liaison, each providing comfort whenever the other needed it. Kyle had not seen Stephanie since shortly before Lane returned to The SandPiper. She wasn’t ashamed about her relationship with Stephanie or any of the women she’d been with, but she didn’t know how to make Lane understand.

  “We weren’t actually involved.”

  Lane waited until Kyle lifted her eyes to her again. She tried not to sound accusatory. “Then what were you?”

  Kyle toyed with her wine glass. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”

  “Then don’t.” As much as Lane was curious about the nature of their relationship, she was not going to force Kyle into disclosing it no matter how much she wanted to know.

  “No, I want to. I have to.” Kyle struggled to find the right words. “Stephanie is a firefighter and as much as we try to distance ourselves from our jobs, sometimes it gets to us. It’s difficult for people to understand what we go through, what we see every day. Sometimes you just need a relea
se from the nightmare. Neither one of us had been seriously involved with anyone, and we…got together from time to time.”

  Lane frowned and thought about what Kyle said but also what she didn’t say. “To release some stress?”

  Kyle nodded her head.

  “Are you fuck buddies?” Lane continued.

  Kyle’s head jerked up. “No. No, it’s not like that at all. Every day we see the horrible things that human beings can do to each other, and some of those things just don’t go away.”

  Kyle had never tried to explain the emotional effects of her job and she was struggling, but it seemed critical that she make Lane understand.

  “We close our eyes and we see mutilated bodies, raped women, and beaten kids. Sometimes we just need to escape, to forget what we’ve seen and focus on something good and pure. It’s like a rebirth. It washes the scum and ugliness out of our lives, or at least it does for that moment.” Kyle refilled her glass. “I don’t know if you can understand, but it was never sordid or dirty or something that either one of us is ashamed about. Sometimes it wasn’t even sex. Sometimes we just needed someone to hold us when we cried. Just two people leaning on each other.”

  Lane did understand. The simplicity in Kyle’s words and honesty in her eyes told her what she needed to know. She wasn’t jealous and she wasn’t threatened. “I understand.”

  “I’ll always be there for her, Lane.”

  Lane understood that Kyle’s comment was a statement of fact, and she continued to be impressed with this woman’s character. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

  “I’ll be there, but I won’t sleep with her while we’re seeing each other.” Kyle had to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

  “I have no right to ask that of you.” But as God as my witness I want to.

  Kyle’s heart swelled knowing that any other woman would have told her to stop sleeping with Stephanie, but Lane didn’t. “I’m seeing you now Lane, and I’m not going to sleep with anyone else while I’m with you.”

  Lane reached over and took Kyle’s hand, oblivious to the looks the gesture caused. The candlelight cast a warm glow on her face and brightened the fire in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  God this woman is wonderful. Kyle drank in the fierce possessiveness in Lane’s eyes. She had never felt owned before, and it felt surprisingly good, very good. Kyle wanted to see that look every time Lane’s eyes met hers. The shadows flickering across Lane’s face beckoned Kyle to lightly stroke their pattern, but her hand was held firm in Lane’s warm grasp. A shiver ran down her spine as Lane lightly caressed the back of her hand. She watched as Lane ran the fingers of her other hand up and down the stem of her wine glass like a pianist stroking the ivory keys. The slow, seductive strokes transfixed her, and she could almost feel Lane’s hands running up and down her back. A lump rose in her throat. Words eluded her.

  The soft rise and fall of Lane’s chest drew her attention away from the wine glass. Lane had chosen a deep purple blouse with full sleeves and pearl buttons cascading down the front from a mandarin collar. Kyle’s hands tingled remembering the soft silkiness of the blouse when she took Lane in her arms and kissed her an hour ago. Those lips, still slightly swollen from their kisses, were wet and inviting, and Kyle ached to cover them again.

  Lane’s hair was down, a style Kyle had only seen once before, and she was breathtaking. Her understated elegance and sophistication turned heads everywhere they went, and tonight was no exception. She pushed a few errant strands of hair away from her face and Kyle almost stopped breathing. Lane’s hands seemed to slide through the air as if they were floating. Everything about her was accentuated and came into sharp focus. Kyle saw more than she’d ever seen before, more than simply her physical loveliness. An inner beauty surrounded her, revealing itself in the play of expressions on her face, the unconscious grace of her body language, and the tenderness of her smile.

  Lane’s gaze drifted across her like a soft feather brushing her skin. Kyle met her sparkling eyes and for a long while they stared directly at one another.

  “I want to make love to you.” Kyle said. This time when she said “make love” the words had an entirely different meaning. She saw secrets and promises in Lane, depths she wanted to explore. She wanted to spend a lifetime uncovering all that was still concealed from her.

  Lane smiled. “I think we could use a night off. Don’t you?” She’d noticed that in addition to being sexy, Kyle sounded tired. Although she wanted to hold her again and spend hours in mutual bliss, there would be time for that later. She wasn’t going anywhere, and it was obvious that Kyle wasn’t either. Kyle laughed, feeling wonderful realizing that this was what it was all about. Loving someone was more than passion and the unending craving for each other. It was much simpler than that. It was about caring for someone and knowing that what you have is far deeper and sustaining than the physical act of sex. That was just the icing on the cake.

  “I hate the idea,” she said. “But I see your point.”

  “I’ll expect you to make up for it, of course.”

  “That’ll be torture. How do I volunteer?”

  Lane leaned closer and brushed her lips across Kyle’s. “My place. Tomorrow evening.”

  Kyle regarded her warmly. “Do you have any plans for tomorrow, during the day?”

  “None that I can’t change.” Most Saturdays, she followed the same routine; she straightened up around the house and went to the gym.

  “Hollie and I are going to the zoo. Would you like to join us?”

  Lane hesitated. As she learned more and more about Kyle, she suspected she didn’t do anything of importance without thinking it through. The sheer nature of her job demanded it, and her deliberate inclusion of people in Hollie’s life verified it. The decision to introduce Lane to her daughter would not have been taken lightly.

  Acknowledging the important step, Lane kissed her on the cheek and said, “Thank you. I’d love to. I haven’t been to the zoo in years.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Kyle was nervous, but thankfully Hollie was too excited about going to the zoo to pick up on her mother’s anxiety. It was time to introduce the two most important girls in her life. Kyle didn’t want to split her free time between them, but she was adamant that she would not bring someone into Hollie’s life unless the relationship was serious. She hoped their first encounter would not be a disaster; she’d heard horror stories. Children could change the dynamic between adults in many different ways and create distractions some women certainly wouldn’t want to sign up for. Kyle couldn’t imagine Lane being discouraged by a few initial glitches, if they happened. But Hollie was at that stage where she was shy around people and clung to Kyle until she warmed up to a new person. It was quite possible that she would want nothing to do with Lane for a while.

  When the doorbell rang, Kyle’s trepidations almost outweighed the thrill she felt at the thought of seeing Lane again. Holding Hollie close to her for reassurance, she opened the door and was startled when Hollie almost lunged from her arms at her first glimpse of Lane.

  “Whoa, there little one.” Kyle tightened her grip.

  “It’s okay,” Lane reached for Hollie and held her as though she’d been doing it for years. “She definitely takes after you, jumping into my arms before I even get in the front door.”

  “I guess she’s as anxious to see you as I am.”

  Lane leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Kyle’s lips. “Are you going to invite me in?”

  Laughing, Kyle stepped back from the doorway. “Ignore me. My incredibly shy daughter just decided to be your new best friend. That’s okay. I can cope.”

  She continued to be amazed at how comfortable Hollie was with Lane. They sat down in the living room, and Hollie immediately climbed off Lane’s lap and toddled over to pick up a stuffed dog. She hurried back, lifting her arms in the universal symbol for pick-me-up, then snuggled into Lane’s lap as if Kyle wasn’t in the room. Normally, she s
eldom let Kyle out of her sight, but she hadn’t given her a second glance since Lane arrived.

  Stunned, and incredibly relieved, Kyle settled back at her end of the couch and enjoyed watching the two have fun. There was nothing phony in the way Lane interacted with Hollie. She seemed genuinely smitten. The connection between these two is amazing.

  Things only got better as the day progressed. The excursion turned out to be as perfect as Kyle hoped. Hollie alternated between her and Lane, delighted to be the center of attention. Lane didn’t have much experience pushing a stroller, and all three of them laughed as she maneuvered Hollie through the maze of people at the zoo. Lane was showing Hollie the giraffes when Kyle saw another lesbian couple with their two children. They nodded in recognition, obviously assuming Hollie was her and Lane’s child.

  Kyle felt a sense of pride and camaraderie with the other women. She knew she wasn’t the only lesbian raising a child, but she had not imagined she could be like the women who nodded to her—part of a couple raising Hollie. Until now, she had thought that putting Hollie first meant she could not have a relationship with a woman, that somehow she would have to choose between the two.

  Could she do it? Was she capable of managing the demands of her job, her child, and her lover? She was not naïve. It would be hard, very hard, if it worked at all. Relationships took time, effort, and just pure hard work, and even then most didn’t work out. The thought of throwing in the added challenge of shared parenting made Kyle’s head spin. And what about the effect of the relationship on Hollie? Would she be ridiculed or ostracized in school because she had two moms? Would other mothers out of fear or ignorance forbid their children from coming to their house to play? Would Hollie some day resent her? Kyle watched Lane lift Hollie high so she could see into a monkey enclosure. Was this the woman she wanted to risk everything for?