Wild

by Meghan O'Brien

  “Enough,” Eve said, though that wasn’t entirely true. For the past few nights, sleep hadn’t come easily, and more than once nightmares had torn her out of slumber. “It’s getting easier.”

  “Did you have your locks changed?”

  “I did.” Eve took another bite of cake, surprised she still had her appetite. “Nothing else has happened, really. As far as I know, the guy’s long gone.”

  “But you’re still worried. Why?”

  “The police found a body in the park the morning I was attacked.”

  “I know,” Selene said, and Eve’s stomach twisted with a surge of fear, though she didn’t understand why. Despite their topic of conversation, she felt safer than she had in days. Incredibly, she sensed that she was picking up on Selene’s disquiet. “I read about it in the paper. A woman, right?”

  “Yes.” Eve watched Selene’s face, trying to decide how she knew that Selene was afraid. Selene didn’t show any outward signs of emotional turmoil, but somehow Eve felt it just the same. “I don’t want to upset you.”

  “No,” Selene murmured, visibly relaxing. “It’s just…unnerving. So close to my house and all.”

  “Of course.”

  “The newspaper didn’t say much. Only that it looked like a homicide.”

  Eve set down her fork and Selene did the same. “She was murdered at least an hour before I was attacked. The police received an anonymous tip that led them to her body.”

  Selene stared down at their plate, studying the last of the cake. “What do they think happened?”

  “I examined the body,” Eve said, matter-of-factly. It was hard to talk about Yasmin Mandujano. Retreating into the cold, hard facts would allow her to keep her voice steady. “Someone stabbed her. Strangled her, too, but that’s not what killed her.”

  “You told me there was a wolf in the park that morning. Is it possible—”

  “No. I almost wish that were the case. Whoever killed that woman was definitely an animal, but also very much a human being.”

  Selene picked up her fork and took another tentative bite, watching Eve’s eyes. “You think the man who murdered that woman is the same one who hurt you.”

  “It’s a definite possibility.” Trying to act more nonchalant than she felt, Eve speared another bite of their disappearing cake. It couldn’t be healthy, how much better the rich dessert made her feel. “It’s hard to say. He didn’t leave much evidence behind.”

  “So what now?” Selene touched Eve’s arm. “How do you catch him?”

  “Maybe we get lucky,” Eve said. She met Selene’s gaze and instantly fell into her green eyes. Unless she was mistaken, her attraction wasn’t one-sided. And suddenly the attack was the last thing on her mind. “Otherwise we wait for him to kill again.”

  “He won’t come after you,” Selene said with conviction. But Eve could feel a palpable sliver of doubt running through Selene’s words. “He would be foolish to try anything now that you’ve alerted the police.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Eve hesitated, then gave in to impulse and covered Selene’s hand with her own. The touch was electric. “If you don’t mind, I really don’t want to think about it right now.”

  “Of course.” Selene glanced down at Eve’s hand and exhaled. “I’m sorry I didn’t return your call. I was so glad to hear from you, but I…wasn’t sure what to say.”

  Staggered to hear anxiety in Selene’s voice, Eve tried to imagine where it was coming from. When had she ever made a woman nervous? “I hope I didn’t throw you, just showing up like this.”

  Selene regarded Eve with a warmth that left no doubt that dropping in had been the right thing to do. “Only in the very best way.”

  “Good.” Eve set down her fork, ready to cede the final bite to Selene. “This isn’t typical behavior for me. Being social. I’m not convinced I’ve got what it takes to be successful at it.”

  “You’re brilliant at being social.” Selene impaled the remaining chunk of cake and moved her fork close to Eve’s lips. “Now have the last bite.”

  The idea of having Selene feed her was almost painfully sexy. Eve bit her lip and hesitated, unsure whether to accept Selene’s offer or deflect it with humor. Nothing about Selene’s intense stare suggested that Eve was misreading the unmistakable heat between them. Though Eve normally became shy when a woman even hinted at seduction, whatever drew her to Selene also emboldened her to play along.

  Leaning forward, Eve carefully took the cake between her teeth, then pulled back. She chewed slowly, never breaking eye contact. Desire flared in Selene’s eyes, making it difficult for Eve to swallow. As soon as she could form words, Eve whispered, “Please tell me you feel this, too.”

  “I feel this, too.”

  Before she could second-guess the impulse, Eve captured Selene’s mouth in a firm kiss. More shocking than her own impetuous action was the passion with which Selene responded. Selene tangled her hands in Eve’s hair and kissed back eagerly, letting out a groan of pure, carnal pleasure.

  Everything about the kiss felt right. Their mouths fit together perfectly, and Eve felt none of the hesitation or uncertainty she usually experienced with a new lover. It was as though they had done this a thousand times—no first-kiss jitters for them—and yet it was also the most thrilling moment of Eve’s life. Fierce, gnawing arousal bloomed in her stomach, followed by a jolt of what felt a lot like love. The intensity of the sensation Selene stirred inside Eve sparked a flicker of terror that she was indeed losing her mind.

  Selene broke away from the kiss as though burned. “I’m so sorry, Eve. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  Eve’s head spun from the sudden change in mood. Everything had been so wonderful, but somehow her split second of doubt threatened to ruin the moment. She hadn’t even been aware that she’d betrayed her anxiety. “You didn’t.”

  “I shouldn’t have done that.” Selene touched Eve’s cheek gently. Clearly stricken, she looked as though she might cry. “Your face hasn’t even healed yet. That was totally inappropriate, after what you’ve been through.”

  Selene’s self-flagellation hurt Eve’s heart. She grabbed Selene’s hand and squeezed. “Hey. I kissed you. Remember?”

  “Yes, well.” Selene blushed and studied their hands. “I shouldn’t have gotten carried away. It just felt so—”

  “Right.”

  “Yeah.” Selene raised her face, searching Eve’s eyes. “But it frightened you.”

  “For a moment.” Reluctant to put her strange feelings into words, Eve murmured, “I surprised myself, that’s all.”

  “Being attracted to a woman?”

  Eve laughed nervously. “No, I’ve always been attracted to women. I’ve just never been so forward about it.” Or so instantly, inexplicably infatuated.

  “Me either.”

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you as being particularly shy,” Eve said. She sat back onto the stool, putting some distance between them. “You’re very beautiful. You must have men and women throwing themselves at you all the time.”

  Selene rolled her eyes and picked up the empty cake plate. Carrying it to the sink, she waited until her back was to Eve before she spoke. “I don’t have a very active social life. To say the least.”

  Eve picked up a hint of sadness in Selene’s voice. “By choice, surely.”

  “Yes,” Selene said. “By choice.” She turned and leaned against the counter, folding her arms under her breasts. Her unreadable expression set Eve’s heart thumping. “But there’s something about you.”

  Eve didn’t understand how she could feel so strongly about someone she barely knew. From the tone of Selene’s voice, she sensed the confusion was mutual. “I know.”

  Selene came around the bar and took Eve’s hand. “Let’s go talk in the living room.”

  Eve allowed Selene to lead her to the front room, reeling from the turn things had taken. She didn’t know what she’d expected from this visit, but it certainly hadn’t b
een this. She hadn’t kissed a woman since the breakup with Jac, let alone entertained the idea of a new relationship. She’d planned to focus on work for a good long while and worry about women later. Much later.

  Meeting Selene had thrown all that out the window. Now Eve wanted only to feel Selene’s naked skin against hers.

  Selene shivered, releasing her hand and gesturing at the couch. “Sit.” Her voice had dropped to a bare whisper. “Please.”

  Eve took a seat at one end, both relieved and disappointed when Selene sat at the other. Unsure what to say, Eve mustered what hopefully came off as a casual smile. “I hope I didn’t make things awkward.”

  “No.” Selene laced her fingers on her lap and straightened. “Not at all.”

  Eve could feel Selene’s discomfort and shifted closer, wanting nothing more than to hold her. The idea that she could make a woman like Selene nervous was hilarious, but Selene’s anxiety was definitely real. The last of Eve’s fear dissipated with her desire to comfort Selene.

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Eve touched her throat, an unconscious gesture she had noticed happened every time she thought of her attack. “This is probably a strange time for me to have these feelings. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m having them.”

  “And what are those feelings?” Selene’s voice had dropped to a near whisper. She exuded a curious combination of hope and trepidation. “Exactly?”

  Unable to believe she was admitting it out loud, Eve said, “I want you.”

  Selene licked her lips, sending toe-curling arousal through Eve’s body. “I want you, too.”

  “Not just tonight.”

  Fear flickered in Selene’s eyes. “I’ve…never done that before.”

  “Date?” It occurred to Eve that under normal circumstances, such obvious ambivalence would make her newfound courage wither and die. But she couldn’t imagine anything dissuading her from pursuing Selene. Eve didn’t simply want Selene. She needed her, needed her so desperately that instead of apprehension, all she could feel was delicious anticipation. Whatever this was felt so right that Eve had no doubt it would change her life for the better. “Dating can be fun. You should try it.”

  Selene’s laughter warmed Eve and steadied her resolve. Shaking her head, Selene said, “I don’t think I’d be good for you.” Despite her expression of humor, Selene’s tone turned deadly sober. “Seriously, Eve. If you were smart, you’d stand up and leave right now.”

  A twinge of apprehension curled in the pit of Eve’s stomach. After Jac, Eve was terrified to trust someone wholly again, only to have that trust broken. No matter how right Selene felt, hadn’t Jac also felt right? Eve had thought they were happy until the moment she discovered Jac was cheating. More than anything, her failed relationship with Jac had taught her that nothing was certain, not even when you believed it with everything inside you.

  Selene seemed to recognize that her warning had hit the mark, but instead of looking relieved, she radiated sadness. Regret. “I’d never hurt you on purpose. I just—”

  “This scares you.” No matter how unnerving Selene’s attempt to caution her away was, Eve sensed that pure worry motivated it. She also knew that Selene meant what she said about not hurting her. All her misgivings faded, bringing desire back to the front. “It scares me, too. But not enough to make me walk out the door.” Eve shrugged. “Sorry.”

  “Well, I don’t want to be scared.” Now Selene shifted closer and, after a brief hesitation, rested her hand on Eve’s. “I’m very drawn to you, Eve. Unbelievably so.”

  Too embarrassed to admit just how powerfully she felt the connection between them, Eve nodded. “Maybe if we kissed again, we’d realize that all this being-afraid stuff is kind of silly.”

  Selene’s mouth twitched, then eased into a smile that made Eve’s stomach flutter pleasantly. “It’s a theory, at least.”

  “Well, I am a scientist.” Pushing aside any lingering doubt, Eve closed the distance between them, pausing when her lips were mere inches from Selene’s. “Testing theories is sort of my thing.”

  “Mine, too.” Selene initiated their second kiss with a throaty moan that threatened to bring Eve to orgasm the instant their mouths met.

  Once again, lust and love surged through Eve’s veins, ratcheting her desire to new, unknown heights. Sex with Jac had been good, at least for her, but it had never come close to what Selene made her feel with a simple kiss. All the inhibitions that forever held her back had vanished, and for the first time in her life, Eve wanted nothing more than to physically lose herself in someone else. Usually she faced the prospect of sex with more than a little worry, but not now, not with Selene. She wanted to take Selene—and be taken by her—so badly she could hardly breathe.

  Selene tightened her hands on Eve’s shoulders and pulled away. “Perhaps we should take things slow—”

  “If you need to take it slow, we can go slow.” Eve punctuated her words with wet, hungry kisses across Selene’s throat. She would respect Selene’s wishes, she really would, but she didn’t know how to stop until Selene absolutely commanded her to. “I usually take things slow. But—” Eve scraped her teeth over Selene’s earlobe, delighting in the shiver the bold move elicited. “My new theory is that slow is overrated.”

  “So overrated.” Having apparently decided to stop fighting what was happening between them, Selene pressed Eve back on the couch, settling on top of her. Eve spread her legs on instinct and Selene eased into the space between them. Then Selene placed a hand on either side of Eve’s face and stared down into her eyes. “You’ll tell me if this is too much, right?”

  Eve ran her fingers through Selene’s hair. She knew exactly what Selene was hinting at. The weight of Selene’s body on hers could evoke memories of the man in the park, but it didn’t. Not even close. “I’m not thinking about him.”

  For the first time since the attack happened, it was far from Eve’s mind. Much more immediate was the slick wetness between her legs, the tight ache of her erect nipples. Selene’s touch kept her firmly in the moment, safe from harm, and Eve wanted more.

  Selene’s entire body relaxed. She kissed Eve slowly, as though they had eons to explore, as though Eve wasn’t about to explode. Selene rubbed her thumbs over Eve’s cheeks, touching her so tenderly, so lovingly, soothing Eve’s fierce need and replacing it with the calm desire to make this contact last. It was their first time together, hopefully the first of many, and Eve wanted to savor it. She looped her arms around Selene’s neck and moaned quietly, but loud enough for Selene to hear. It was a shock to hear herself make noise like that, but also a turn-on.

  Jac used to tease her about being silent in bed, and Eve had always felt powerfully self-conscious about giving voice to her pleasure. But not now. Just one more way her feelings for Selene confounded everything she thought she knew about herself.

  Eve placed her hands on Selene’s chest, pushing gently. When Selene broke away, Eve murmured, “Do you have a bed somewhere?”

  “I do.” Selene nipped at Eve’s lower lip. “You sure that’s what you want?”

  “Take me there and I’ll show you exactly what I want.”

  Chapter Nine

  Selene hadn’t touched a woman’s body in fifteen years, so when she pushed her hands under Eve’s shirt and cupped the heavy weight of Eve’s breasts in her palms, it took everything she had not to come. Being with Eve made her feel like a clumsy sixteen-year-old, and it was no wonder. Selene had been a teenager the last time she’d made love to someone, in what felt like another lifetime. She had only vague memories of being with Carla—mostly that the other girl had been just as young and innocent as she was, with a slim body that only hinted at the womanly fullness of Eve’s curves. Everything about being with Eve was different.

  Particularly because Selene knew the stakes this time around. By opening her heart to Eve, she risked the possibility of a loss so acute she didn’t know how she would survive it. But Selene hardly had a choice. No mat
ter how she tried to resist Eve, she couldn’t. Their bond was too strong. Selene had moved past want to need, and not even the possibility of heartbreak would stop her from claiming what was hers.

  Selene broke their kiss and gulped in much-needed air. Eve stared up at her from under heavy lids, running her hands over Selene’s sides.

  “You feel so good.” Eve placed her hands on top of Selene’s, encouraging her to gently squeeze her breasts. “I’ve never been so turned on.”

  Face heating, Selene pushed her thumbs under the edge of Eve’s bra and stroked her erect nipples. “Me, too.”

  “We’re not moving too fast, are we?” Eve frowned as though something unpleasant had just occurred to her. “I don’t mean to push you.”

  Selene shook her head and moved her hands from beneath Eve’s shirt, backing off so that Eve could prop herself up on her elbows. “I want this,” Selene murmured. “Want you. Desperately. I just…I meant it when I said I don’t usually do this.”

  Understanding softened Eve’s gaze. “It’s been a while.”

  “That’s an understatement.” Unable to stay away, Selene caressed the soft skin of Eve’s belly. “You’re only my second lover. And the first one…she was a long time ago.”

  Eve radiated a strange mixture of sympathy, concern, and impossibly ardent arousal. “We can take this at whatever pace you need.”

  Selene ducked her head and closed her eyes, wishing she could explain to Eve that her fear went so much deeper than being uncertain about her sexual prowess. Making herself vulnerable with a human being went against every rule Selene had adopted for survival. She had arrived at a crossroads between a lonely life of safety and the chance for something more, and though she honestly felt no choice in the matter, she wasn’t sure how to proceed.

  Warm hands covered her own, prompting Selene to open her eyes and meet Eve’s kind smile. “Why don’t you let me lead?”

  Selene nodded silently.

  Biting her lip, Eve pulled her shirt over her head, allowing Selene to see the white cotton bra she had felt under her hands only moments ago. Eve reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, watching Selene’s eyes with a slow-spreading smirk.