Beautiful Dreamer

by Melissa Brayden

  “Which shot your property value up by at least a third,” Devyn said, and then winced. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

  “She’s in real estate,” Elizabeth offered.

  “Well, isn’t that as exciting as a pig tussle?” Kristine had always enjoyed a good, nonsensical phrase.

  “This one.” Milla picked up a silver necklace with an infinity sign and held it up. “Mom, what do you think? I’m thinking this would look awesome sauce with my navy top. Oh, hi, Elizabeth,” the young teenager said with a hint of polite enthusiasm.

  “Hey, Milla. Looks like a good choice to me.” She tried to smile but found it hard. All of a sudden, she just wanted to be anywhere but right where she was. “We’re headed home, I think.” She exchanged a look with Devyn, who nodded as a concerned expression creased her features.

  They said their goodbyes and her mother instructed her to stop by sometime “for some iced tea or something”—which was about all she ever said in the way of invitation. Nothing concrete. Nothing that would ever actually happen. The idea of Elizabeth in her life was really just that: a nice thought, but probably too much work.

  She and Devyn walked the streets of Dreamer’s Bay quietly, tired from the day, or in their own thoughts. Likely, a mix of both. She found herself a little introspective after the run-in with Kristine. It happened frequently enough that she should have been used to it by now, but old wounds take a long time to heal.

  “Things seemed…a little strained with your mom,” Devyn said delicately.

  “Oh, they are.” She smiled. “You don’t have to feel weird about that. It’s been a thing since I was seven.”

  “Got it. Her daughters are your sisters, then?”

  “No. Well, stepsisters technically, but we’ve never really embraced that relationship. They live their lives and me and my dad lived ours. Until I lost him.”

  “That had to be rough. I’m sorry.” A pause. “Wanna walk down to the beach?”

  Elizabeth turned, liking this idea. “What’s prompted this suggestion?”

  “You look like you could use a little bit of calm. When I was a kid, finding a spot on the pier and just relaxing used to help. In a small town, it’s hard to find a truly quiet spot.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I did the exact same thing. Still do. I guess we’re not as different as we thought.”

  “Um. Let’s not get carried away,” Devyn said, holding up a finger. “We’re very different, Ms. Chicken Serenade.”

  “I could serenade you right now,” Elizabeth said, leaping into the road and making a sweeping gesture with her hand.

  “Oh, no. Please don’t.” Devyn glanced around to see how many people were watching. There were decidedly several, including Mr. Lowes, who was watering his begonias, which only encouraged Elizabeth more.

  “Happy birthday to you,” Elizabeth bellowed.

  “Oh, dear God.” Devyn shaded her eyes. “It’s not my birthday. Pretty sure it has to be your birthday for that. Objectively. You’re breaking rules right now.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Happy birthday to youuuuuu.” Elizabeth opened both arms wide. “Happy birthdayyyy, dear Devyn Winters from here now Philadelphiaaaaa…”

  “Please stop.” But she was smiling, and Elizabeth was becoming addicted to the image.

  “Happy birthday.” She returned to her spot at Devyn’s side as she sang. “To you.” And booped her nose for good measure.

  “Well,” Devyn said, walking on, eyes forward. “That was certainly a sound sensation.”

  Elizabeth squinted, her spirits already lifted from where they were just five minutes earlier. “What does that mean? I’m feeling suspicious.”

  “A friend once taught me that when you’re not quite sure what to say to someone, you simply use the word sensation somewhere in the sentence. That overly seasoned casserole that left you racing for water? Why, it’s certainly a taste sensation. The ugliest house you’ve ever seen? Whoa, check out the architectural sensation. Works every time.”

  Elizabeth stared hard. “I think you’re insulting my song.”

  “No, I’m not. It was a true sensation.” Devyn grinned widely.

  “You are the worst.” She had to bump Devyn in the shoulder for that one. Behind all the balking and kidding, she really did appreciate how different they were. Devyn mystified her and kept her on her toes. The fact that she was also hardheaded and a total challenge also had Elizabeth hooked. Who knew she liked the difficult ones?

  “I am the worst. I can totally admit that,” Devyn said. “I’m not even sure why you’re walking the streets with me.”

  “Someone has to, and I do perform odd jobs for a living. I’m probably the best candidate.”

  Devyn gasped.

  “What if you fall in love with me?” Elizabeth asked. The stupid words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to run them through her brain. It had always been a problem for her, the unfiltered what-you-see-is-what-you-get side of herself. At least she said it in a semi-playful tone, right? That was something. She held her breath, ready to deflect.

  “I won’t,” Devyn said, with a soft, self-assured smile. But the words, as expected as they were, still packed an awful punch. She’d set herself up for that one, hadn’t she?

  “Good. I can’t be breaking hearts all over the Bay.” Elizabeth added a chuckle for effect. It sounded hollow, mirroring how she suddenly felt.

  “Hey,” Devyn said, squeezing her hand as the water, bursting with color, came into view at the end of the street. “Doesn’t mean I don’t have a good time with you. You’re a ton of fun. I like you a lot.”

  That was her. Lots of laughs. “I have fun with you, too. In many different ways.”

  “Now who’s flirting?”

  “Now who’s announcing the flirting?” Elizabeth went up on her toes to see the pier better. “C’mon. Jimbo’s ice cream cart is out.”

  “You can still eat?”

  “Well, no, but it’s ice cream.”

  “I guess there’s no arguing that.”

  They sat side by side with their legs dangling off the pier. The water wasn’t high enough to reach them today, but the serenity of its lapping was a nice contrast to the more boisterous atmosphere of the festival.

  “Did you have fun today?” Devyn asked. She licked her lime sherbet cone. Elizabeth stopped to watch a moment before returning to the question.

  “It was a best day.”

  “A best day. That’s a thing?”

  Elizabeth nodded, nearly halfway through her chocolate sundae swirl. “Some days just reach their own level of greatness. A best day kind of day. Today was that. A best day.” She looked over at Devyn feeling uncharacteristically shy. “Confession. I like hanging out with you. I know you’ve been to all kinds of festivals here before, but I felt like maybe you saw a new side of the fun today.”

  “I did,” Devyn said. She pointed at the ladybug on her cheek. “The evidence cannot be ignored.” She stared out at the water. “Confession right back. When I’m with you, I do a lot of things that would never occur to me otherwise. I ate fried Coca-Cola today. That actually happened.”

  “I’ve never been prouder.”

  Devyn turned to her, her expression now dialed to serious. “What are you doing tonight?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “No set plans. Usually on a Saturday I see what Dexter is up to, or KC, if she’s free. Or both. We’re kind of a three-person friend group.” She paused. “Unless I had another offer.” She licked her cone and watched the water, acutely aware of Devyn’s gaze on her.

  “I’m offering.”

  Elizabeth pulled in a slow breath as her body shivered. “You could always come over later. I’ll need to shower first and get all this festival off me.”

  “I don’t see why that has to happen on your own.” Devyn continued to lick her cone, and it was the most amazing thing Elizabeth had seen since FaceTime was invented. “Seems like a waste.” Elizabeth exhaled in an attempt to steady herself, b
ecause do you know what wasn’t wasted? The image of Devyn’s tongue circling the ice cream. God.

  Elizabeth didn’t understand how Devyn was able to affect her so potently, with her having zero say in the matter. Yet here she sat, so turned on she was uncomfortable. “Huh. You make a decent point.”

  “I should come with you, then?” Devyn smiled proudly at that one.

  Elizabeth felt the blush. She opened her mouth, closed it, and shook her head. “You said that on purpose.”

  Devyn took a last lick of that cone and tossed it in the nearby trash can. When she turned back, her eyes shone brightly with a look of determination. “I’m feeling very purposeful.”

  * * *

  Devyn had never been more ready to touch another person. To be touched. Heart raced. Desire rippled. She throbbed endlessly and loved every damn second of it. Elizabeth made her feel like a kid on Christmas morning, and there was no better feeling.

  Elizabeth fumbled behind her, holding her around the waist with one arm and turning the shower knob at the same time with the other. If Devyn hadn’t been so acutely turned on, she would have been impressed. They’d shed their clothes one piece at a time as they stumbled, hopped, and bumped into random pieces of furniture, walls, and lamps as they traversed her house on their way to the master bathroom. Devyn flung her bra behind her and watched as Elizabeth’s gaze dropped immediately to her breasts, for which she was learning Elizabeth had a thing.

  Elizabeth stepped backward beneath the stream, and Devyn followed her there, catching her mouth again, dancing the way they did with lips and tongues and just the right amount of cling. Her hands slid down Elizabeth’s body, over her round breasts, now wet from the spray, the perfect curve of her hip, to the outside of her thighs. She felt the pressure between her own legs near its peak, aware of Elizabeth touching her intimately there. She suspended her exploration of Elizabeth’s body when the sensations became too much. Her back was against the shower wall, hair wet as they stood face-to-face, water dripping from their chins. Elizabeth’s hand continued to stroke her rhythmically as her legs shook. She was headed toward a major release, and the need was almost unbearable. She bucked her hips and pressed her hands against the now-heated tile of the shower wall as pleasure arrived hard and wonderful, racing through her like a bullet train. The sounds she heard were definitely emanating from her. Lost and delirious and riding out an orgasm that had to have been building since the damn three-legged race, she allowed herself to revel in every moment of decadent gratification. She’d never come so hard in her life and it was all thanks to unassuming Elizabeth, who was not unassuming at all, it turned out. With soaked hair and slick skin, she found her breathing as Elizabeth continued to touch her softly, circling her most sensitive spot as the water fell.

  “What the fuck?” she breathed, allowing her head to fall forward onto Elizabeth’s shoulder. “How do you do that? Did you take some sort of class?”

  Elizabeth kissed her neck, melding herself to Devyn’s body. “It wasn’t hard at all with you standing here without clothes. Look at your body. Unreal.” Elizabeth ran her hands down Devyn’s torso. Devyn caught them and placed them against the opposite shower wall. She dipped her head, caught a nipple between her lips, and sucked. Elizabeth whimpered.

  “Prepare to call out my name,” Devyn said in her ear.

  “Yeah?” Elizabeth bit her bottom lip with a grin.

  “I have some creative ideas I think you might like.”

  “Creative things are my favorite,” Elizabeth breathed, as Devyn kissed down her body.

  * * *

  Dawn hadn’t broken, but Elizabeth lazily glimpsed the first hint of orange through the tree branches outside her window and watched in captivation as the small light grew. Inside, Devyn lay in her arms sleeping soundly, their limbs intertwined, their clothes still scattered throughout her home wherever they’d dropped them, forgotten and not at all missed. Scout slept peacefully near the door, snoring quietly. All felt right and calm.

  She’d had shower sex. She, Elizabeth Draper, who lived a fairly mundane existence, had had sex not only in her kitchen but now her shower, too. They’d stayed in there until the water had run cold. What in the world was happening? She wasn’t sure, but it scared her. She kissed the forehead of the woman in her arms and vowed to slow the emerging feelings that would only get her heart into trouble. Focus on the great sex, she told herself. Don’t think about how it feels to hold her this way. To inhale her scent. To feel her warmth as the morning creeps in.

  Devyn certainly wasn’t dwelling on those things. She was too in control to allow those feelings to percolate, and honestly, Elizabeth probably wasn’t even that noteworthy a partner. She closed her eyes, knowing that wasn’t true. She saw firsthand the effect she had on Devyn, and it was potent. At least physically.

  “Good morning,” a scratchy voice said. Elizabeth smiled as Devyn kissed her neck softly in greeting. “I stayed the night. I’m sorry about that. I hope that’s okay.”

  Elizabeth pulled her in further, her fingers threaded through the back of Devyn’s hair. “I’m glad you stayed.”

  “Really? I wasn’t sure if that was crossing some sort of line we hadn’t—”

  “Devyn.”

  “Yeah?” She smiled.

  “We’ve crossed so many lines that I can’t see them anymore.”

  “Good point.” Devyn smiled and stole a kiss. “I checked in with Jill before falling asleep. Turns out you’re not the only one with overnight company.”

  Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “Does that mean Charlie had a good night, too?”

  “Mmm-hmm. And it’s not even Thursday.”

  Elizabeth smiled at the ceiling. “You go, Jilly.”

  “What about me?” Devyn asked, raising her head from the pillow she shared with Elizabeth. Her blond hair was tousled. Her lips were perfectly swollen. She had never been more beautiful. Elizabeth’s heart filled and grew. “Should I get out of your way now?” The sheet only came up to Devyn’s belly button, and Elizabeth stole a glimpse of her right breast, which had her hungry and ready to take it into her mouth.

  “You stay right where you are.” Honestly, it was shocking how perfectly their bodies fit together. She’d never slept so comfortably with another person in her entire life. Just as the thought hit, Devyn pressed against her, sliding a thigh between hers. The hint of stimulation grew to full blown. She blinked and rolled her lips in to steady herself. Her arousal didn’t pass. She wiggled the tiniest bit, pressing intimately against that thigh, which seemed to alert Devyn to her predicament. She eased the thigh upward and studied Elizabeth’s face.

  “I love it when you get that look. I know exactly what it means and exactly what to do about it.” Elizabeth didn’t have time to answer or ask what the look consisted of. Devyn placed a soft kiss on her cheek before disappearing under the covers on a very welcome mission.

  Elizabeth inhaled sharply as her thighs were parted, and twisted her head against the pillow at the sensation of Devyn’s tongue.

  Sweet heaven.

  Morning had arrived.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Would you look at what we have here,” Jill called from one of the quaint rocking chairs on her front porch. The morning was a nice one with just a hint of a chill in the air, but the sun was beginning to make itself known. Jill sat outside in her robe, rumpled hair and all, with a cup of tea she hopefully hadn’t had to work too hard to make.

  Devyn wound her way sheepishly up the sidewalk, wearing the same outfit she’d worn the day before. “Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me all you want, Jilly Donut, but I’m not the only one who spent the night with someone.”

  Jill pointed at the rocking chair next to hers. “Sit down and spill your guts, and maybe I’ll do the same. I made you a cup, too, just in case. Coffee. Black and boring the way you like it, you weirdo.”

  Devyn stole the cup and brought it close to her face, enjoying the heat and the potent aroma. She glanced behind he
r and lowered her voice. “Liquor Store Charlie gone?”

  Jill squinted. “Can we just call him Charlie? Or Charles.”

  “I mean…we can. It’s less fun, but I can make that sacrifice if it makes you happy.” She reset herself in time, and brightened. “Hey, is Charlie gone?”

  “Left a half hour ago.” Jill wasn’t able to hide the smile in the slightest, and her cheeks and neck turned rosy red.

  “You are smitten with him, aren’t you?” Devyn said, leaning over and poking Jill a million times on the arm. “You are a schoolmarm by day and sex kitten by night and very few people suspect it. Even your ears are pinking up right now. Look at you go. What would Mom say?” She was teasing her sister because it was part of who they were, but underneath it all she was thrilled to see Jill light up the way she did when Charlie’s name came up.

  “She would be pleased, I think.”

  “She would interrogate the hell out of him and then make us all set the table so she could invite him to dinner.”

  Jill smiled at the characterization. “She would. She might even use the guest dishes.” She paused. “But we’re forgetting the more surprising story.”

  Devyn cradled the warm coffee mug. “And what is that?”

  “I’m not the one who waltzed into town and set my sights on the very sweet and most innocent of townspeople.”

  “Neither did I. There are no sights set.”

  Jill sipped her tea and looked straight ahead to the front yard. “Liar. You have feelings for Elizabeth you didn’t expect. It’s written all over your face when you’re around her, Dev. That goofy grin when you came up the walk? That told me all I need to know.”

  She balked. “We’re killing time together. Nothing more than that. Trust me. She’s nice enough, and yeah, I find her very, very attractive.”

  “If you say so.” Jill drank her tea.

  “I do.” She took a swig from her mug and burned her tongue, which only made her think about Elizabeth and their morning and the cute sounds she made while in the throes.