by Lee Winter
Breast to breast, stomach to stomach, Lauren felt her mind empty of coherent thoughts.
Catherine’s mouth dropped to Lauren’s neck and her lips began a leisurely exploration.
The sensation of heat, from the soft lips, fingers, and coursing water, was sensory overload. Catherine’s fingers danced down to Lauren’s ass, sliding across and kneading the skin.
“Remember our first night?” Catherine asked in a husky voice. “You offered yourself to me after we’d had our brush with death.”
“Well, I remember you said no,” Lauren teased her with a pout, “and then sent me to my room. All alone.”
“Yes, well, my resolve lasted all of five minutes before I stormed your shower.”
“Now that was unexpected.”
Pleasure curled from Lauren’s center as Catherine slid a hand to her stomach and performed a taunting swirl.
“It was…shocking…how badly I wanted you that night,” Catherine admitted. “I was so tired of fighting my need for you. It was unsettling enough that you’d been featuring in my dreams.” Her fingers pushed lower, sliding through swollen flesh.
“That feels so good.” Lauren sighed. She rocked against her hand. “I dreamt about you, too.”
Catherine’s teeth nibbled Lauren’s ear lobe. The slippery sounds of fingers entering soaked flesh rose above the stream of falling water. “Tell me everything,” she urged Lauren.
“We were in Nevada.” Lauren swallowed hard as her pleasure rose. “I’d had a bad dream. You rushed into my room and leaned over me, and, um…well, there was a lot of cleavage.”
“Lauren,” Catherine whispered, “that actually happened.”
“Not the part where I reached inside your shirt and touched you. Not the part where my mouth tasted your breasts. And not the part where I pushed you down on the bed, ran my hands up your thighs, and found you weren’t wearing anything at all under that shirt. You looked into my eyes and told me I could touch you anywhere. I’m sure I’d remember that actually happening.”
“As would I.” Her voice was tight.
“In my dreams, you came silently.” Lauren slid her fingers toward Catherine’s center. “You’re always hiding what you feel, even in my dreams. But then you gasped out my name.” She slipped inside her, welcomed by the heat and wetness she found.
“You like that, don’t you?” Catherine’s breath hot against her ear. “Watching me unravel.”
“You already know it’s the hottest thing for me. I love watching you come undone.” She plunged inside her, over and over. The tremble told her Catherine was close. “Like now.” Lauren slipped her fingers up to her most sensitive spot.
Catherine gasped.
“Look at you trying so hard not to come.” Lauren pressed hard, just where Catherine loved it. “But I’m going to make you anyway.” She swiped her clit lightly, then pressed against it.
Catherine’s whole body went taut, she gave a small cry, then slumped toward the shower wall, taking Lauren with her. Catherine’s arm shot out to brace herself against the wall. Water crashed over them, and Lauren kept stroking her, waiting for the waves to pass, overcome as always that she had the power to pull apart this beautiful, intriguing woman.
Catherine’s eyes fluttered opened, glazed with desire. She raked a gaze over Lauren—her confident and commanding self once more—the look that ruined Lauren every single time.
“We need to get out of the shower,” Catherine murmured. “Because I have an idea. One I think you’ll like very much.”
“Get onto the bed,” Catherine demanded, voice low and daring, “and close your eyes.”
Lauren eagerly did as she was instructed, ears straining to work out what Catherine was up to. She heard the zip of a suitcase. A faint rustling and nothing more.
The bed dipped on the edge, and Catherine’s hot breath was suddenly across her face.
“King?” she said.
The timbre of her voice hurtled Lauren back to a different time—when they didn’t have affection for each other and it was more like molten heat, barbs, and prickles.
Her eyes flashed open. Catherine was leaning over her, wearing the same white button-up shirt she’d had on in Nevada, the night she’d woken Lauren from her nightmare.
“Cath…” She paused at her lover’s half-lidded look. “Ayers.” Because that’s most definitely who was now crouched over her. Arousal slithered through her. Delicious.
“Who else?” Catherine drawled. “That perky Carson City concierge downstairs?” She leaned forward, and Lauren had a most deliberate, unimpeded view down her shirt.
Bare, beautiful breasts tipped by deep red nipples bobbed into view. Lauren swallowed. She slid her hand up, into the shirt, cupping the nearest breast.
Catherine’s breath hitched. “That’s bold,” she hissed. “How do you know I even like wome—”
Lauren sat up, scooping the breast out from the shirt, and latched onto the erect nipple and began to suck. Hard.
“Oh.” The pained word was dragged from Catherine’s throat.
“You like this,” Lauren murmured into the soft flesh. “Don’t you, Ayers? More than you’ll ever admit. Doesn’t fly with your icy image, though, does it? Desperately wanting some hayseed from Iowa.”
Catherine’s eyes had darkened. “You have no idea what I want.”
“No?” Lauren’s hand slowly meandered up Catherine’s inner thigh, tickling and teasing. When she neared the junction of her legs, she paused.
Catherine’s breathing stopped.
Pulling away from her breast, Lauren gave her a knowing look. “I wonder how icy you really are? Or does your maddening colleague with ugly tractor caps secretly do it for you?” She rolled them over and crouched over her.
Catherine’s nostrils flared as Lauren’s fingertips slid up until they brushed against her trimmed thatch of dark hair, already slick.
“Naughty,” Lauren whispered. “So is it true you weren’t wearing anything at all under this shirt that night?”
“It was too hot to,” Catherine murmured. “I threw this on when you cried out in your sleep.”
Lauren’s breath hitched at the thought of Catherine sleeping nude the whole time they were in Nevada. Her stomach clenched.
“You’re so wet.” Lauren ran her fingers through the proof. Her tone turned to a purr. “Dripping even.”
Catherine’s eyes took on a wicked gleam, and in a flash she was back to the imperious woman Lauren had first met. “Of course you would assume that’s about you, King.”
Lauren’s own eyes narrowed as she plotted her revenge for that line. Her expression earned her an amused twist of lips.
She rubbed her thumb over Catherine’s clit, admiring how slippery the flesh was. “So me touching you like this doesn’t do anything to you?” She thumbed over it, then slid up one side, winning a small, tight huff. “Nothing?”
Catherine said through gritted teeth, “Ah. No. Of course, I don’t—”
Lauren plunged her fingers inside her, curling them up, until she felt a telltale shudder ripple through her lover. As she removed them, her thumb flicked her clit. She repeated it over and over until Catherine’s groan wrenched from her chest. “Oh!”
Lauren pulled out her fingers and grabbed at Catherine’s shirt. With feverish fingers, she wrenched the buttons apart until she could see all of her. She needed her naked and spread out before her.
Stormy eyes stared up at her, burning with need.
Lauren pushed Catherine’s thighs apart and feasted on the sight in front of her. “Not indifferent to me after all, then.” She leaned forward and blew softly on her sensitive skin. She darted her tongue out just to flick her. Barely touching.
“Ah,” Catherine whispered. Her chest rose and fell quickly. “Ki—” She sucked in a breath and tried again. “King.”
“Yo
u want me,” Lauren goaded her. Flick. “You always have. Even when you fought with me and pretended you didn’t want me, you did.” Flick.
Catherine actually whimpered.
“Didn’t you?”
“God,” Catherine gasped, her breathing quickening. “Even when you made me furious, I thought you were so damned attractive.”
“Good.” Lauren slid her body on top of her, relishing the heat Catherine’s body was throwing off. She pressed her thigh between Catherine’s legs and leaned up to kiss her.
The kiss was like the first time, passionate and desperate, tongues and teeth clashing, fighting for air and with an untamed, primal neediness. It was wanton and hot, and it took everything Lauren had not to come from the intensity of it.
Catherine’s exquisite fingers sought out her nipples, pulling and squeezing, as Lauren began to push and grind herself against Catherine’s thigh.
“Fuck, oh, I think… I’m going to…” Lauren groaned as she came. She hadn’t even realized how close she was. “Oh my God.” The quivers ricocheted around her body.
Catherine’s throaty chuckle was silenced when Lauren’s fingers fell between her lover’s thighs and took her in rough, fierce strokes. “No gloating. Not when you’re on the edge, too.”
A rush of warmth coated Lauren’s fingers. Catherine’s sensuous neck arched back, and her groan was long and deep. She gave a soft, satisfied sigh, as she relaxed slowly back down onto the sheets.
“Oh, Lauren,” she said, reverting to the familiar tone that oozed affection.
“Catherine,” Lauren murmured, unable to believe how aroused her wife could get her. “Making love to you is gonna kill me one of these days.”
“Probably.” Catherine huffed out a breath and sat up. “That was intense. And exceedingly fun.”
“Oh yeah.”
“But just so you know, you were never just some hayseed from Iowa to me.” She eyed her. “You were always much more, even when we were barely friends.”
Lauren chuckled. “Oh, I know.”
“Just for that smugness, I’ll tell you something else. That night in Nevada?” She cocked her eyebrow. “I knew you peeked down my shirt.”
Despite the heat that suddenly rushed to her cheeks, Lauren couldn’t help but grin. “There’s a coincidence. Because I know I peeked, too.”
Chapter 29 –
Out of the Rabbit Hole
Catherine awoke to the sensation of Lauren’s tongue slowly sliding up her leg. She cracked an eyelid.
Well, this wasn’t unpleasant in the least. Her body twitched in awareness of the ascent of Lauren’s tongue. “What’s the occasion?” she murmured.
“We got married yesterday. Oh, and our stories should be out today. I wanted to properly celebrate.”
“Ah. You wanted the first full day of our honeymoon to go off with a bang and a whimper.” Catherine smiled.
“Word puns during sex? I must not be distracting you enough.” With that, Lauren’s tongue found its goal.
Warm heat coursed through her as Lauren’s mouth thoroughly claimed her center. A finger slid inside her, followed by a second. Lauren’s eyes were bright as she licked Catherine harder.
“You love making me squirm,” Catherine whispered. “But wasn’t yesterday enough of me doing that?”
“Never enough. Never tiring of you. Or this. What can I say? You’re just so unflappable, so I like making you…flappable.”
Catherine widened her legs, loving how warm and languid she felt. “No objections.” How right this felt. She sank into Lauren.
Her gasp turned to moans as Lauren began curling her fingers up and slipping her teeth across her most sensitive spots. “There,” Catherine gasped. “Don’t stop. Oh.”
Lauren smiled against her and sped up her dance across her slippery flesh.
Catherine’s pleasure peaked. It wasn’t hard and explosive like some orgasms. It was a swelling of bliss, gentle and enveloping. It curled her toes and tightened her thighs and her back to form a perfect, taut arch. The rush of warmth was intoxicating, as was the sensation of Lauren’s lips all over her.
She slumped back, the flooding endorphins making her boneless and happy. “Marry me,” she ordered. “This instant.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, I’m spoken for.” Lauren slithered up her body. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to a bit of hanky panky with you. You’re sexy as hell.”
“Ah,” Catherine said. “By all means, then.” She slipped her fingers down Lauren’s body and found the heat between her legs.
“You won’t have to do much,” Lauren confessed. “I almost came when I was trying to wake you up. God, you’re so beautiful.”
“As are you.” Catherine slipped her fingers between Lauren’s thighs and buried them inside her. “I love that I turn you on so much.”
“You do. God, yeah.” She wriggled impatiently.
Her sigh was strained as Catherine began to work faster. There was little resistance. The heel of Catherine’s hand pressed against her clit.
“You look so delicious. Maybe I’ll taste you next,” Catherine teased. “How will that feel? My mouth all over you? Tongue inside you? Is that what you thought about on those long nights in Nevada alone in your hotel room? Did you touch yourself and think of me?”
Lauren stiffened, her body clenching around Catherine’s fingers, as she gave a tight cry.
After Catherine withdrew her fingers, she slowly licked them. “So you did?” Her eyebrow lifted.
“No. But it seems I really enjoyed the idea.” Lauren exhaled. “God, I want to go again, but I’m still a bit wiped. After all, I had two lovers keeping me on my toes yesterday. You and Ayers.”
Catherine smiled and drew her close, loving the feel of her body next to hers. They stayed that way for a lazy half hour.
“I suppose we’ll have to get up soon,” Lauren eventually muttered. “But I don’t want to.”
“On the other hand, it’s our honeymoon,” Catherine reasoned. “We don’t need to be anywhere.”
“But the stories…”
“Mmm. Yes, I can definitely see the appeal of another big scoop. Or you can play with my breasts again.” She shifted Lauren’s hand to her body part in question. “You decide.”
After a shower came lunch, which comprised croissants and more idle playing with breasts. Lauren finally couldn’t take not knowing. She grabbed the iPad and logged on to the Post’s website. Catherine, with a resigned huff, did the same at the Daily Sentinel with her phone.
“Good God,” Catherine said.
“Holy…” Lauren whispered. Her heart started pounding. “Did we just melt down the interwebs?”
“Looks like it. The Sentinel’s running an AP recap of your story,” Catherine said. “‘Privacy Uproar as FBI Steals Veterans’ Data for its Criminal Database.’”
“It’s everywhere.” Lauren’s fingers swiped through the headlines quickly. “Hey, so’s Fiona. All the TV networks have interviewed her after your story.”
“Good—she’s an exceptional witness. Her outrage should be everyone’s.”
“Ooh, she’s found a lawyer who’s threatening a class action for all the veterans. Looks like Lesser would have lost his bet. He told me she’d never sue.”
“Did you see the Reuters story? Ansom’s announced it’s shutting down MediCache, subject to a review of its software.” Catherine tapped the screen and stared at it for a long moment. She slowly slid her gaze to Lauren. “Lauren, it’s also closing its Iowa plant. Looks like my father thinks tossing Iowa out as a scapegoat will contain the damage to Ansom’s share price.”
“Damn it!” Lauren scowled. “Hell. John and his colleagues don’t deserve this.”
“No, they don’t. Ansom Iowa makes a hell of a lot more than those chips.” Catherine sighed.
“I have to call
home.”
Catherine passed over her phone. “Here.”
Lauren bit her lip and dialed. The phone answered on the second ring, with a familiar voice. “Meemaw,” she replied. “I just heard the news. I’m so sorry.”
“Lauren, dear, why are you calling us on your honeymoon?”
“I heard about John. And the plant, I…”
“Your brother is fine. He was expecting it, after all, thanks to Catherine giving him the head’s up. We all were. And your father’s offered him a job for as long or short as he wants it, so he won’t be moping about long.”
“Oh. That’s good. Can I talk to John?”
“Not unless you call the Whiskey River. His friends from work decided to drown their sorrows there.”
“Ah. No, I won’t get in the way of that.”
“I’ll tell him you called when he gets home. But he doesn’t blame you—either of you.”
“Okay.” Lauren sucked in a breath. “But he is fine?”
“He is. Now go, act like a newlywed and disappear off the face of the Earth for the rest of the week.”
Meemaw ended the call.
Lauren stared at the phone for a moment, then passed it back to Catherine. “She says he’s fine. Out getting drunk with his work buddies by the sound of it.”
“Ah.”
“I still feel terrible. Even though I know we had to run the story.”
“That’s natural. But try not to feel guilty. This one’s entirely on my father.”
Lauren returned to refreshing her news screen. She clicked the next story, a local one which had interviewed the Iowan senator. “Hickory’s furious about the plant closing. He’s calling it revenge for him going on the record against Ansom.” Her eyes widened. “And they’ve responded by saying he loved the chip until a day ago. They’re suggesting he knew all along about the data scooping.” Lauren shook her head. “He didn’t, though. He almost swallowed his tongue when I told him the secret behind what he’d been talking up.”
“Well, it’s war,” Catherine said. “Ansom will throw everyone at it they can to avoid scrutiny closer to their own HQ. And my father did say Hickory was going to be a scapegoat.”
