Summer’s Cove

by Aurora Rey

  Breaking contact allowed Emerson to regain a small semblance of control. She brushed her fingers through Darcy’s hair and removed the blindfold. Darcy blinked at her, her dilated pupils adjusting to the light. “You okay?”

  Darcy nodded. “You didn’t…I want…”

  Emerson smiled. It was the first time she’d seen Darcy at a loss for words. “Don’t worry, I’m not done with you yet.”

  Darcy licked her lips. “I want you to come as hard as you made me. Tell me what you want.”

  Emerson loosened the knots of the rope, then leaned in to whisper in Darcy’s ear. “I want you on your hand and knees. Can you do that for me?”

  Darcy nodded. Emerson eased back so Darcy could comply. Emerson knelt between her ankles. She ran her hands over Darcy’s ass and into the deep curve of her lower back. Darcy leaned back slightly, seeking.

  “Would you like me to fuck you again?”

  “Yes.” The response was ragged, breathy.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes, please.” Emerson positioned herself so that she could take Darcy again. When the head of the cock pressed against her, Darcy said again, “Please.”

  Emerson braced her hands on Darcy’s hips and eased into her. The pressure against Emerson’s clit was exquisite. She eased out, then pressed in again. Darcy moaned. “Do you want me to take you fast or slow?”

  Darcy’s back arched. “Fast.”

  Emerson smiled. “Fast?”

  “Fast, please.”

  “That’s better. I will, but I’m going to enjoy myself first. Don’t try to speed up or I’m going to have to stop. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  Emerson punctuated Darcy’s reply with a long, forceful thrust. She’d swear she could feel Darcy tighten around her, pull her deeper. Emerson placed a hand on each of Darcy’s hips, guiding her forward as she pulled out, then, when she was on the verge of breaking contact, she dragged Darcy back. Each time, Darcy made the most beautiful noise—not quite a moan and not quite a whimper. The fully kneeling position gave her exceptional leverage. Even with Darcy no longer tied, she was completely and utterly in control.

  She maintained the long, slow thrusts as long as she could take it, enjoying the visual as much as the physical sensation. But her vision was beginning to blur. She tightened her grip, digging her fingers into Darcy’s flesh and holding her still. No longer concerned with the length of each stroke, she pounded into her again and again. Darcy’s noises became more frequent, more frantic. The thrumming in Emerson’s low belly gave way to a tremor that shook her entire body.

  Darcy cried out. Over the rush of blood in her ears, the sound of Darcy coming again undid her. She clutched Darcy to her, vibrating with a pleasure so fierce her legs began to buckle. Darcy collapsed under her and Emerson fell to the side, weak and panting.

  “Holy fucking fuck.”

  Emerson cracked a satisfied smile. “Yeah.”

  They lay like that for a while. Eventually, Emerson summoned the energy to lift her head. Darcy remained splayed on her stomach and the cock bobbed enthusiastically between Emerson’s thighs. She laughed at the sight—the erect silicone unaffected by what had just transpired.

  “What?” Having her face pressed against the mattress slurred Darcy’s speech.

  “Just admiring the stamina of my friend here.”

  Darcy lifted her head and glanced toward Emerson’s crotch. “Are you not done? Because if you’re not done, I am here for you.”

  Emerson chuckled. “You don’t look like you could move.”

  “I could move.”

  Emerson leaned over and brushed the hair from her face. “That’s sweet. But there’s no need. I’m beyond satisfied. For now at least.”

  Darcy returned her face to the mattress. “Thank God.”

  Emerson slid the harness down her legs. Since Darcy was already lying across the bed, she grabbed a pair of pillows and joined her, yanking the duvet over them both. Darcy rolled onto her side and Emerson curled around her. She put an arm around Darcy’s waist and kissed the back of her head. “Good night.”

  “Night.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Darcy opened her eyes and stretched, again feeling the weight of Emerson’s arm slung over her. Apparently, if they were going to continue sleeping together, this was something she’d have to get used to. Not that it was a bad thing. A sliver of sunlight shone through the blackout curtains, making it impossible for her to determine the time. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and discovered it was after ten. “Holy crap.”

  “Huh? What?” Emerson lifted her head and squinted at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Sorry, sorry. Nothing’s wrong. I just can’t believe how late it is.”

  Emerson blinked a few times, looking around the room. “What time is it?”

  “Almost ten-thirty.”

  Emerson rolled onto her back. “I thought you were going to say two in the afternoon.”

  Darcy laughed. “You really aren’t a morning person, are you?”

  “I thought we’d already established that.”

  “Yes, but you’re much worse than I thought.”

  “One is not better than the other.” Emerson tickled Darcy’s ribs until she squirmed.

  “Okay, okay. Let me rephrase. As a morning person, I can’t believe how late we slept.”

  “Well, we were up pretty late.”

  That was putting it mildly. After the initial sex, they’d dozed for a little while. But the light had remained on and Emerson’s roaming hands led to a second round. After Emerson made her come for the fourth time, Darcy stopped counting. And she had no idea what time they finally fell asleep for good. “True. It was way past my bedtime.”

  Emerson rolled again, this time until she lay on top of Darcy. “Would you like to file a complaint?”

  Darcy shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly find a single thing wrong with last night.”

  “Good. I’ll buy you a huge breakfast, too. Brunch, technically.”

  Darcy couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone out to brunch. “With a Bloody Mary?”

  Emerson leaned down and kissed her. “With a Bloody Mary.”

  The kiss, more of a peck than anything sexual, stirred something in Darcy. While she wouldn’t have thought it possible to be turned on after everything they’d done every which way, it seemed she’d become insatiable. She hooked a leg around Emerson’s thigh and pulled her closer. “Not that we need to be in any rush.”

  Emerson rotated her hips, pressing even further against Darcy. “All the time in the world.”

  By the time they walked out of the hotel lobby, it was after noon. “Will anyone still be serving brunch?” Darcy asked.

  “I know just the spot. And it’s only a short walk away.”

  Darcy turned her face into the sunshine and allowed Emerson to take her hand. They had the entire day in front of them. Really, they had the next two weeks ahead of them. She had to work, but with Liam not home, Darcy would have a huge amount of free time. The thought of being a little reckless—of spending most of it with Emerson—sent a wave of excitement through her. She hadn’t been irresponsible in so long, probably since college. The idea of it made her giddy.

  Emerson delivered on her promise of brunch, complete with Bloody Mary. After, they walked off a few of the calories along the Charles, soaking up the sunshine they’d been denied the day before. Without waiting for Emerson to take the lead, Darcy asked her, “When we get home tonight, will you stay over?”

  “On one condition.”

  The sternness in her voice made Darcy curious. She considered asking what it was, but decided she’d be unlikely to refuse anything Emerson requested. And she’d decided to be reckless. “Okay.”

  Emerson smiled. “You didn’t even ask what it was.”

  Darcy lifted a shoulder. “I have a feeling I’ll be on board.”

  “Tomorrow, spend the night at my place.”

&nb
sp; “What about Will?”

  “She’s officially gotten her own place. Well, not all on her own. She’s moving into an apartment with a couple of other people.”

  “That’s great.” Darcy studied Emerson’s face. “It is great, right?”

  Emerson nodded. “Definitely. It’s good for her and I think it makes it more likely she’ll stick around.”

  Given what she’d learned about Will’s recent past, Darcy knew that was a good thing. “I’m glad.”

  “It also means I get my apartment back. Not that it hasn’t been fun having her there, but…”

  Darcy grinned. “She’s been cramping your style?”

  “Fortunately, I have a very understanding girlfriend.”

  “Is that what I am?”

  “Understanding? Absolutely.”

  “No. Your girlfriend.”

  Emerson stopped walking and looked at Darcy. She was the last one to obsess over labels, but she couldn’t think of another way to define them “Aren’t you?”

  Darcy put a hand on her arm. “I’m not denying it, we’ve just never discussed it.”

  Something in Darcy’s tone felt forced, like she was trying to keep it light. “I think of you that way.”

  Darcy angled her head and narrowed her eyes, as though it was a test. “I guess I do, too.”

  “And, for the record, I’m not seeing anyone else. I don’t want to see anyone else.”

  Darcy nodded slowly. “Same here.”

  “I guess it’s settled then.”

  They started walking again, but Darcy continued her slow nod. Emerson wanted nothing more than to know what she was really thinking. Eventually, Darcy made eye contact and asked, “Is this a big deal?”

  Emerson picked her words carefully. She wanted to be honest, but not scare Darcy off. Of course, she didn’t even know which extreme would scare her off at this point. “Sort of, but it doesn’t have to be.”

  Darcy laughed and hooked her arm through Emerson’s. “A perfect answer.”

  What did it mean that Darcy was completely satisfied with such a non-answer? Did it matter? It didn’t today. For now, she was going to enjoy having Darcy all to herself.

  They meandered back to the hotel. Since they’d checked out before leaving, Emerson got their car from the valet and they were on their way. The sun really seemed to be making up for lost time and the drive down and along the Cape was bright and beautiful. They got back to Darcy’s apartment early evening. They climbed the stairs and went inside. For all the times she’d been there, only once had it been when Liam wasn’t home. It felt oddly quiet without him. “Can I be excited to stay over and also miss Liam?”

  Darcy’s smile told Emerson it was the right thing to say. “I know what you mean.”

  “Oh, good. So, what time do you have to be at work tomorrow?”

  “Nine.”

  “God, that’s early.”

  “You know Alex is in by five, right?”

  If she’d thought about it, Emerson would have known that. But she never had. “I appreciate the profound sacrifice you both make so we can have coffee and pastries and macaroni and cheese.”

  Darcy shook her head. “Thanks.”

  “I promise I won’t keep you up as late tonight.”

  Darcy stepped closer, ran a finger along the neckline of her V-neck tee. “Don’t be making promises you might not be able to keep.”

  Emerson put her hands on Darcy’s hips. “I’m figuring if I drag you to bed now, we’ll get to sleep at a reasonable hour.”

  Darcy bit her lip. “I see.”

  “I mean, unless you’re hungry. We could eat first.”

  “Food is so overrated sometimes.”

  “And we did eat a huge brunch.”

  Darcy took one of Emerson’s hands. “Exactly.”

  Emerson allowed herself to be led to Darcy’s bedroom. “I’m so glad we agree.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Darcy walked into work, fifteen minutes late and out of breath. “Sorry,” she said to Alex as she hastily put her things away and pulled on her cap.

  “No need to apologize.” Alex looked at her with what appeared to be worry. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Good.” Darcy’s mind flashed to what she’d been doing half an hour before. She could feel the smile spread across her face. “Great.”

  Alex narrowed her eyes. “Were you at Emerson’s?”

  Darcy flashed a coy grin. “Maybe.”

  “Have you been there every night this week?”

  “No.” Darcy arched a brow. “A couple of nights, we were at my place.”

  Alex laughed. “Getting serious, huh?”

  “More like on vacation, I’d say.”

  “Vacation?”

  “Yeah. With Liam at his dad’s, I sort of feel like I’m on vacation. I figure I might as well live it up while I can.”

  Alex frowned. “Does Emerson know that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’m not sure that’s how I’d interpret things. Have you said as much to Emerson?”

  “Well, not in so many words, but she knows.” Didn’t she?

  “Okay.”

  “Did she say something to you?”

  “No.”

  Darcy folded her arms. “Then what aren’t you saying?”

  Alex sighed. “Nothing.”

  “Come on, Alex. Don’t start something, then backpedal.”

  Alex turned away from the oven and gave Darcy her full attention. “When Lia and I started seeing each other, we had this mutual understanding that it would be casual.”

  Darcy chuckled at the memory. Casual had quickly morphed into something more, but neither Alex nor Lia wanted to admit it. At least at first. “This is different, I think.”

  “Maybe. I’m just saying that Emerson might have more feelings than she’s letting on. You should talk to her.”

  “Are you implying I’m taking advantage of her?”

  “Not at all. Like I said, I don’t know what her feelings are. But me not being completely open with Lia almost cost me our relationship.”

  “I thought her crazy ex almost cost you your relationship.”

  “If I’d been more honest, her crazy ex wouldn’t have mattered. My point is that you should both know where you stand. No matter where that is, it’s better for everyone.”

  Darcy nodded. As much as she hated being put on the spot, Alex had a point. And since Alex was friends with Emerson, too, Darcy couldn’t blame her for trying to look out for both of them. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Alex nodded, too, looking relieved. She started to leave, but turned back. “Being on vacation. Is that really how you feel?”

  Darcy squared her shoulders. “I don’t see how I could feel any different.”

  “Okay.”

  Alex left, leaving Darcy standing alone in the kitchen with her thoughts. Emerson had given her no indication she wanted something more than what they had. After all, Emerson seemed to be all about living in the moment. Surely, serious relationships and settling down were not part of that plan. Nor were they what Darcy wanted. Yes, it was nice to have a couple of weeks that were all about her own enjoyment and pleasure. But that’s not what her life was about, or even what she wanted. Being selfish and self-indulgent was fine when Liam was away, but he’d be home soon. And she wanted him home. No matter how nice the last week had been, she wouldn’t choose that over her actual life.

  She was pretty sure Emerson got that, with or without a discussion.

  Darcy tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that had crept into her stomach and got to work. She’d do a check in at some point before Liam got home. To make sure they were on the same page. Having a plan made her feel better. She nodded, even though there was no one in the kitchen to see. Then she shook her head and chuckled at herself. She went to the fridge and started pulling out ingredients for the day’s specials. The kitchen help would be in soon and she wanted to have clear task
lists to keep everyone busy and the lunch menu on track.

  *****

  Emerson waited until about two to stop by the café. The worst of the lunch rush would be done and, with all the extra staff, Darcy should be able to take a break. When she poked her head in the kitchen, three people milled around assembling salads and sandwiches and dishing up macaroni and cheese. None of them was Darcy. She looked again and realized that Darcy was standing in a corner with a clipboard, lost in thought.

  “Darcy.”

  Darcy looked up, clearly startled. She glanced in Emerson’s direction and her face relaxed into a smile. “Hi.”

  “Do you have time for a short break?”

  “I’ll do you one better. Have you eaten?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Requests?”

  A few minutes with Darcy and lunch. Lucky her. “Surprise me.”

  “Grab something to drink from the case and meet me out back.”

  Emerson offered a small salute and returned to the main part of the café. She picked up a couple of flavored seltzers, letting Jeff know she’d pay him when things settled down. Instead of weaving her way through the kitchen staff, she went out the front door and walked along the side of the building. She found Darcy already sitting in one of Alex and Lia’s Adirondack chairs, holding two bowls of salad. “No mac and cheese?”

  Darcy smiled. “Given how we’ve been eating since Boston, I thought we could both use some leafy greens.”

  “Fair enough.” Emerson sat, placing the seltzers on the arms of their chairs and taking one of the bowls. She studied the contents—spinach with cranberries and bleu cheese and what appeared to be candied walnuts. “This looks delicious. Thank you.”

  They ate for a moment, then Darcy said, “So, did you miss me or were you hungry?”

  Emerson laughed. “I don’t see why it has to be an either/or.”

  Darcy tipped her head and gave Emerson’s phrase back to her. “Fair enough.”

  “I did want to talk to you, though.”