by Emma Nichols
Ariana’s breath hitched, leaving her body quivering at the proximity of Nikki’s naked warmth. The searing heat and the tenderness of the touch piquing her arousal, she pressed closer, connecting their bodies along their length.
Nikki moaned at the erotic sensations coursing through her body. She could feel Ariana’s sex against her, Ariana’s hand cupping her breast, the thumb dragging mercilessly across her nipple causing her to tense, and bolts of fire to shoot through her body and ignite the nerves along their path. She groaned out, loudly. Her eyes widening, filled with passion, her mouth crashing against Ariana’s, she led her across the room, through the bedroom, clumsily hitting the bed and falling into the firm mattress.
Deepening the kiss, she moved on top of Ariana, re-connecting them and then pinning Ariana’s hands at the side of her head against the bed. She slowly withdrew from the kiss, stopping time, studied the intensely dark eyes and the tender smile that gazed up at her, a reflection of the love she felt towards the woman beneath her. ‘I never stopped loving you, Ariana,’ she said, in a whisper. She released a hand and traced Ariana’s face with tenderness, as if sensing her for the first time, the touch light, sensual, curious, her fingers discovering something far deeper, far more dangerous in the intimacy they shared. Ariana’s eyes were darker than she had ever seen them, and the fine-lines emanating from them seemed softer. The dimple in her cheek sat deeper too, her lips full, swollen with lust. The fingers entwined in hers were stronger and more assured. The sensation of the nipples rubbing against hers, and their bodies beginning to ebb and flow effortlessly in tune, their hips starting to rock together, felt so good. The sound of Ariana’s short gasps, her lips quivering, her eyelashes fluttering, begging for more. She watched lovingly, Ariana losing herself in the slow, sensual movements, taking her deeper, her own eyes closing involuntarily with the arousal steadily building in her core.
Ariana released a soft throaty cry as Nikki’s nipples teased against her own, sending sparks through to her centre. The firm hand that restricted her movement, controlling her, steadying her, increasing her desire to be taken; the fingertips brushing tenderly against her soft skin, erotically, caressing her, adoring her. With the sensations pulsing from her nipples through her body, leaving her desperate for Nikki’s touch and to feel Nikki inside her, she cried out. Overwhelmed by the surge of passion, she wriggled her hand free and reached hungrily for the muscular thigh, squeezing, pulling the leg up towards her, spreading Nikki wider, pressing her own leg tighter against the wet heat. She groaned at the warmth of the breath and the tenderness of the lips against her skin. The tingling sensation in her clit beginning to throb, she groaned out again. The words, I want you, whispered on Nikki’s breath, she eased her hand between them. Enjoying the feel of Nikki on her fingers, she teased the warm, silky spot, sliding tenderly and parting her, and then circling the swollen bundle of nerves that were swelling and hardening.
Nikki released a guttural moan, her hips bucking at the precision of the fingers that seemed to be on her everywhere between her legs and driving her to the edge. Rising above Ariana and opening herself to the touch, she crashed her mouth down, retaking the rigid nipple, sucking, biting, licking and flicking, enjoying the exquisite sensation on her tongue and Ariana’s fingers, causing the tremors to increase and a low, long moan of approval to release.
Compelled by the electric fire coursing from her nipple to her crotch Ariana entered Nikki with urgency. The move eliciting another guttural groan, stronger, more rooted than the last, and taking them to a place they had never shared before, to a life that had only ever existed as a dream, a desire that had remained unfulfilled for so many years.
Nikki screamed out, wave after wave of shocks causing her body to vibrate, her heart to swell and tears to form. Burying her head against Ariana’s chest, tempted by the salty-sweet taste and musky scent, she traced tender kisses down her body, the gentle hum between her own legs continuing to sing.
Ariana shuddered as Nikki’s tongue swept across her lower belly, down the inside line of her leg and settled on the engorged, silky-soft point between her legs, circling, teasing, pulling and twisting her. Then, she could feel Nikki inside her, penetrating her, slowly, and deeply. The glow in her lower belly transformed into a buzz, which then shifted to a tremor, that started to build, taking her mind with it, and then a bolt of lightning shot up her back and into her neck, causing her body to arch and her hips to buck uncontrollably. Her screams were drowned out by Nikki’s mouth, and she could taste herself on the salty lips that caressed her, loved her. When she opened her eyes Nikki was smiling, mischievously, seductively. Ariana reached up, her gaze hazy, and cupped Nikki’s tanned, flushed cheeks, ‘I love you,’ she said, her voice a croaky whisper.
Nikki placed a tender kiss to Ariana’s lips, eased onto the bed next to her, and pulled her into the crook of her arm, squeezing her tightly. ‘I love you,’ she said in a contented sigh, with a smile that promised so much more.
‘So, this is your place,’ Ariana said after a while, with a chuckle on her lips, staring up at the bedroom ceiling, her body ringing from the orgasm that had just invigorated her senses and cast her back into life with a renewed sense of purpose.
Nikki laughed. ‘Yes,’ she replied, her eyes mapping out the small space in her mind’s eye. ‘It’s not like your place,’ she said, ‘but it’s home.’
‘I love it,’ Ariana defended.
‘You haven’t even seen it,’ Nikki said.
‘I’ve seen enough,’ Ariana said, with a soft tone, snuggling closer.
Nikki chuckled, aware of the pounding of her heart against Ariana’s naked flesh, and Ariana’s chest, thumping against her warm skin.
‘We need to tell Soph,’ she said in a more serious tone.
Ariana pulled up from Nikki’s chest and gazed at her.
‘About the house sale,’ Nikki confirmed. ‘I think she already gets this bit,’ she added, her finger wagging between herself and Ariana.
‘I need to let Nikos know too,’ Ariana said, reminded of the practicalities, with a more settled feeling than she had ever experienced. The realisation resulted in a deep sigh, and she pressed a soft kiss to Nikki’s soft lips. This was home. She was home.
Nikki eased out of the kiss and swept the hair from Ariana’s eyes, tenderly pinning it around her ear. ‘I went to Athens to get a loan to buy the house,’ she said, holding Ariana’s gaze, watching for a shift in her demeanour. She smiled weakly, watching the lips purse as the words landed.
‘Oh! I…’ Ariana didn’t know what to say. The time Nikki had been away, trying to secure the property; the time she had missed her dreadfully, worried about her, when she had only been trying to create a future for them both. ‘I…’ she started again.
Nikki pressed her finger to Ariana’s lips. ‘It doesn’t matter now,’ she said. ‘I just wanted to explain,’ she added, her finger already stimulated by the contact and distracting her from the past.
Ariana kissed the finger exploring her lips, her tongue flicking at the tip, her senses aroused by the texture and scent that distracted her from any further thoughts. She released a sensual moan, taking the fingers deeper into her mouth.
Nikki drew Ariana closer, her lips joining in the dance, deepening the kiss that stirred her and rendered her powerless. As she groaned, Ariana groaned, and a flash of fire flamed deep inside her. It was going to be a long night.
20.
The strong aroma of coffee and baked bread drifted into Ariana’s awareness, her body pleasantly awakening to the warm skin pressed against hers, and the arm around her waist.
‘Morning!’
Nikki’s sexy, sleepy voice thrust Ariana’s eyelids apart, and the loving smile directed at her brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. ‘Hey,’ she said, her voice groggy from the absence of sleep. She moved in the bed and groaned with pleasure at the sensual ache between her legs.
‘Mmm,’ Nikki responded, arousal painted in her dark-hazel e
yes, and raised eyebrows. Instantly, she closed the gap, connecting their lips briefly, and then eased back, running her fingers through Ariana’s wild hair. ‘You look gorgeous,’ she said, with a contented grin.
Ariana reached for Nikki’s hand, pulled it to her mouth and kissed the palm. ‘You are beautiful,’ she said, pressing the hand to her cheek, taking in the tantalising scent of their earlier lovemaking. She would never tire of Nikki’s touch or the delicious scent and taste of her.
‘Breakfast!’ Nikki said.
The room was still reasonably dark, the shutters doing a better job than at the windows on the white house, but a slither of light crept around the closed door.
Ariana had no idea what the time was, or for how long they had slept. She nodded as she spoke. ‘I think I worked up an appetite,’ she said, with a wide grin.
Nikki jumped out of bed and opened the shutters, revealing her toned, tanned body, and a surge of heat filled the room, bathing them in sunlight.
Ariana swallowed hard, debating whether breakfast could wait, but within seconds, Nikki had stepped from the bedroom and into the en-suite shower.
Ariana followed her.
*
‘Have you seen mum?’ Soph asked, her eyes scanning the taverna.
‘She’s with Nikki, working on the shutters,’ Manos said, his eyes sparkling, the toothpick shifting in his mouth.
Soph headed around the bar and into the workshop. ‘Hey,’ she said, spotting the two women, paintbrushes in hand.
‘Hey Soph,’ Nikki said, putting the brush down and making a move. ‘I’ll get some drinks,’ she said, leaving Soph and Ariana alone.
Soph watched Nikki with an approving gaze. ‘So, are you two an item then?’ she asked, a coy smile darting across her face.
Ariana stood, put the brush down and stepped closer, her head tilting as she pondered the question. ‘Yes,’ she said, her cheeks flushed, her eyes studying Soph’s response.
‘She’s hot, and cool, and great fun,’ Soph said, with a shrug.
Ariana’s cheeks darkened, and her mouth felt suddenly dry. It was an odd conversation to be having with her daughter, and yet it was the most sincere she had ever had with her. ‘Everything okay?’ she asked, suddenly aware of Soph’s mild agitation.
Soph shrugged.
‘Is Gianna okay?’ Ariana asked with more than a hint of concern.
‘Yeah, she’s good. It’s just.’ Soph stalled.
‘What is it?’ Ariana stepped up to her with open arms.
Soph accepted the embrace and leaned into her mother. ‘If she leaves, I’ll go with her,’ Soph said, her body limp in Ariana’s arms.
Ariana eased her out of the hug, leaving a comforting hand resting on Soph’s shoulders as she held her gaze with a compassionate smile. ‘I understand,’ she said, her heart fracturing at the idea of her daughter leaving the island. ‘I need to talk to you,’ she said, brushing a stray hair from Soph’s face, holding her dark-blue eyes and leading her out of the workshop. She poured two cups of coffee and walked towards the driftwood bench. Sitting, she handed a cup to Soph.
‘Thanks,’ Soph said, with a deep sigh.
‘You’re in love with Gianna,’ she stated.
Soph nodded, turned to face her mother, her eyes watery. ‘Yes,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘I don’t want to lose her,’ she added. She sipped at the coffee, her hands trembling.
‘You won’t Soph,’ Ariana said, with absolute certainty.
Soph studied her mother quizzically. How could she be so sure?
Ariana sighed. ‘I made a mistake once,’ she started, staring out to sea, finding the memories that seemed like a past lifetime ago. ‘I left this place against my will and my better judgement. I didn’t feel I had a choice back then. I was in love with Nikki when I was a bit younger than you,’ she continued, her voice faltering a wry smile appearing. ‘When I sold the house before we arrived here, I was doing it for you, and me,’ she said.
Soph’s mouth moved as if to speak, elicited a soft grunting sound, but Ariana continued as if she hadn’t even tried to talk.
‘I had convinced myself that we could create a better life somewhere else, that you could get the music training you’ve always wanted and that we would be happy, away from… my mother,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know that Nikki would still be here, and naively I hadn’t given it any thought before we arrived. Seeing her, and spending time together has made me realise, I’ve always loved Nikki.’ She turned to Soph with a warm smile, cupped her cheek, and tenderly rubbed her thumbs under the damp blue eyes. ‘It doesn’t change how much I love you, and I have no regrets about having you or even the life I had to endure to get to this point.’ She sighed, pressed a kiss to Soph’s forehead. ‘The important point is that I wasn't thinking straight before. I thought we needed the money, needed to sell, needed to create a new life when the reality is that that new life is here, for me, and I think for you too.’
Soph’s eyes shifted, lightened, her face softened, and a smile started to appear.
‘We don’t need to sell, Soph. Manos needs to speak to the solicitors,’ she added, ‘to sort out the legalities, but we don’t need to leave here, and I’m not selling the house.’
Soph stared in bewilderment.
Ariana gazed at her lovingly. ‘That means Nikos can stay working at the estate if he wants to. I need to speak to him, to let him know,’ she said, registering the fact that she needed to talk to him sooner rather than later and would head up to the house as soon as she had finished explaining things to Soph.
Soph’s eyes sparkled, and she moved to jump up, almost spilling the drink in her hand.
‘Wait,’ Ariana said. ‘There’s something else.’
She settled back down.
‘I found out some other things I didn’t know before,’ Ariana said.
Soph shook her head back and forth; her lips pinched, the comment not making any sense to her. She shrugged as if to say, so what?
‘I didn’t know that Manos and Teresa were engaged, once,’ she said.
The additional detail didn’t make any more sense to Soph, though the fact did bring a faint smile to her face. The idea of her grandmother and Manos ever being together was a bit odd, but then they were both ancient, so it must have been a long time ago.
Ariana breathed in deeply, her eyes cutting to the sea. She hadn’t been aware that her hands had started shaking. She eased the cup to her lips, hoping the strong bitter liquid would distract her concerns. ‘To cut a long story short, Manos is my father, your grandfather.’ She turned to face Soph as she delivered the sentence, observing her daughter’s response closely.
Soph’s mouth dropped, her eyes widened and she gulped around like a fish just pulled from the sea, as she tried to reconcile the words her mother had just spoken. Stunned, silent, she sat, staring open-mouthed.
‘I didn’t believe it at first, either,’ Ariana said, filling the uncomfortable quiet. ‘I found some photographs of them, the dates matched, and then there was the way Manos treated me when I was growing up here, how he is now with me, and with you, and it started to dawn on me, so I asked him, and he confirmed,’ she continued to ramble.
Soph’s mouth had closed, but her eyes appeared vacant to the outside world. Her grandfather, Aaron Carter, wasn’t her grandfather. The thought didn’t elicit an emotional response; he had never shown her any interest, and she hadn’t much cared for him either. Manos had been different though. She had just thought of it as his way, the Islander’s way maybe, and it had been nice and made her feel at home. The warmth that infused her chest told her she liked the idea of him as a grandfather, and a smile grew across her face.
Ariana breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I’m sorry, I only found out yesterday, and, well.’ Her voice faded, and her eyes lowered to the cup in her hand, a wave of heat passing over her with images of the evening’s supper after the girls had returned from their fishing trip, and the events of the night with Nikki.
&
nbsp; Soph’s grin widened, and her eyes sparkled. ‘So, I have a girlfriend and a grandfather,’ she said, with a chuckle.
Ariana started to laugh with her. ‘Yes, you do,’ she said, enjoying the sense of release that had calmed her hands and racing heart. ‘I need to go and speak to Nikos,’ Ariana said, rising from the seat. ‘Do you want to go and say hi to your grandfather?’ she asked, with an encouraging smile.
Soph’s lip curled a fraction as she processed the awkwardness that hadn’t existed before. ‘Sure,’ she said, standing and rubbing her clammy hands down her shorts, acutely aware of the fizzing in her stomach.
Ariana pressed a kiss to Soph’s cheek and started across the beach. She couldn’t think of any reason why Nikos might refuse to stay on at the estate, now that she wasn't selling, but until he confirmed the uncertainty sat uneasily. By the time she reached the top of the slope, the familiar disconcerting feeling she had lived with for so long had taken up residence in her stomach. She strode out through the grove, heading for the office attached to the manufacturing plant. The sound of raised voices shifted her direction, and she dodged between the olive trees, across the rows, until Nikos was in sight. Gianna spotted her, her glare fierce, turned away from her father and started to run.
‘Ariana,’ Nikos said, his tone flat. He looked flustered, his eyes hunting down his disappearing daughter.
Ariana wanted to ask him if everything was okay, but nothing could be until she had updated him. Only then could they have a sensible discussion and put the recent past behind them. ‘I’m sorry, I need to tell you, Nikos, I’m not selling the house,’ she blurted. Her eyes averted his gaze, unable to face the possibility of the reprieve being too late.
The tension in Nikos’ posture softened instantly, and his hand rubbed at his worried eyes. He tried to stand taller, but his shaking shoulders stopped him. He pulled his hands from his face. ‘You’re not selling,’ he said as if waking from a deep sleep.
