Bonded Love

by Renee Roman

  Trinity left Blaze and her father to hash out football statistics about tomorrow’s game and went to the kitchen to see if she could lend a hand.

  “Can I help, Mrs. Carter?”

  “No need to be formal in our house. Anyone Blaze brings home is part of the family, like it or not. It’s Millie from here on out.” Her smile mirrored Blaze’s, setting her at ease. “And that old coot will tell you the same thing.” Millie chuckled, then pointed to the counter where salad ingredients were piled around a well-worn cutting board. “If you don’t mind, those all need your knife skills.”

  “I’m glad to help.” She washed her hands and began slicing, dicing, and tearing.

  “Have I been replaced in the kitchen?” Blaze asked as she stole a chunk of cucumber.

  “Maybe,” Millie said. “She doesn’t sass back.”

  Blaze put her hand to her heart. “I’m crushed,” she said, winking.

  “Now if I could just get your brother in line.”

  Blaze groaned. “No such luck. When is Josh heading in?” She popped a grape tomato in her mouth.

  “Stop snitching food.” Trinity didn’t really care and didn’t think Millie did either. It was nice to feel comfortable around the two of them.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been hours since we ate. I’m starving.”

  “You’re a bottomless pit,” she said.

  “Ha,” Millie quipped. “It didn’t take her long to peg you.”

  “Mom,” Blaze whined, then laughed.

  They sat down to a simple meal of chili, salad, and cornbread. When they were done, Millie and Blaze worked on homemade pies, and she got to play sous chef. It was after ten by the time the pies sat cooling on the counter. Blaze asked if she was tired and announced they were going to bed.

  Her nerves returned. She shouldn’t be embarrassed by sharing a bed with Blaze. They were both adults. But the thought of doing so in the Carters’ home felt strange. As she said good night she felt heat in her face, and once they were in the bedroom she voiced her concern.

  “Honey, they know I’m a lesbian, and I’m a grown up. They’d think it was odd if we didn’t share a bed.” Blaze held her shoulders and her eyes softened. “Even when you’re shy, you’re beautiful. It’s okay.”

  It helped that Blaze had her own bathroom, and no one would see her moving about. Thankfully, Blaze’s parents’ bedroom was on the opposite side of the house. “I know, but…” Trinity glanced at the closed door.

  Blaze took her hands and held them behind her back. “Relax.” She captured her mouth and slowly pressed her tongue inside, probing and stroking. Before she could stop it, a moan escaped. When they broke apart, Blaze’s eyes darkened, verging on black, and her muscles twitched beneath Trinity’s fingers. Blaze kicked off her shoes and indicated she should do the same. Hands still entwined, Blaze led Trinity to the bathroom. Blaze stripped, then grabbed her toothbrush and paste.

  Trinity tried not to look at Blaze’s body, but when their eyes met in the mirror, Blaze grinned. She rummaged in her toiletry bag, needing a distraction from what she imagined Blaze was thinking. Not that she wasn’t thinking it, too, but she couldn’t have sex with Blaze here. She could wait a few days.

  “Shower with me.”

  She chewed on her lip. “I don’t think we should.”

  Blaze adjusted the water. “It’s been a long day and I need one. If we take one together, we’ll save water.” Blaze appeared serious. Even though she knew better, she couldn’t say no.

  Blaze lathered up a washcloth and handed it to her before turning her back to Trinity. She ran the cloth over Blaze’s wide shoulders, down her arms, and over her back. She hesitated at the cheeks of her ass. She was being ridiculous. Not trusting her wandering mind, she hurried to finish. Blaze moved under the showerhead, then faced her.

  “Your turn.” The glint in her eye told Trinity she had more in mind than just washing.

  I can do this. She faced the wall and Blaze moved the washcloth over her shoulders and back before replacing it with her hand.

  “So smooth.”

  Blaze whispered next to her ear, the hot breath scorching her sensitive skin. Blaze’s hand moved lower.

  “So sexy,” she said as she cupped her ass and squeezed, making her tremble. A finger slipped into the crevasse between her cheeks, then followed the path forward until she was just below her opening. “I want you,” Blaze growled.

  She braced her hand on the shower wall, her legs barely holding her upright.

  “Please?” Blaze nipped at her neck.

  She was powerless to refuse her. Trinity started to turn, but Blaze slipped inside her, filling her. A few deep strokes had her on the verge of orgasm, but Blaze stilled her movement. Trinity turned her head to complain, but Blaze’s lips covered hers, taking possession of her mouth while her knee nudged her legs farther apart and Blaze’s other hand covered her mound until she found her distended clit. She fought for a breath, the onslaught of sensations stealing the air from her lungs. Finally, Blaze’s mouth moved to her shoulder, nipping at her neck.

  “Touch me.”

  Trinity found Blaze hard and swollen, and she pulled and squeezed in a rhythm that matched Blaze’s. She felt her thick thighs tremble, then her stomach muscles tighten as Blaze pulled her tighter against her and groaned.

  “Come with me, baby.”

  Blaze filled her again, stretching her and thumbing her clit while Trinity played her fingers over the knot beneath them. Faster, harder. Blaze cried out as her clit throbbed in Trinity’s hand and her own orgasm tumbled through her, threatening to send them both to the floor. Somehow Blaze got to the ledge and sat with her in her lap, shaking as the last of her climax coursed through her.

  “God, I love making love with you.” Blaze’s words were breathy as she recovered.

  Trinity turned in her arms and held her face as the steam began to clear. “I’m so glad you do, because I feel the same way.” She kissed Blaze’s swollen lips.

  Though the water had cooled, the bathroom was warm, and they tenderly dried each other. She spent a few minutes drying her hair, getting as much moisture out of it as she could before joining Blaze in bed. “So much for water conservation,” she said. Blaze laughed. It was a sound she didn’t think she’d ever grow tired of hearing.

  “The mind was willing to wait, but the body won.” Blaze kissed her forehead. “I hope you didn’t mind.”

  She looked up into the questioning stormy gray eyes that were so much a mirror of Blaze’s feelings. “Not for a second, though I’m not sure how I’ll face your parents in the morning.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure they knew what we were going to do tonight.”

  Trinity groaned and covered her face. “Oh no.”

  Blaze chuckled, moving her hands. “Babe, it’s okay. They’re well mannered. They’d never say anything.”

  “Even so…” All she could imagine was having a flashback of them in the shower and turning bright red. “If they do, I’m going to blame you.”

  “A blame I’ll gladly take.” Blaze pulled her closer and moved them lower in the bed. “Are you warm enough?”

  “Perfect.” The weather forecast threatened snow. Blaze had put a down comforter on the bed, telling her there was nothing like snuggling under covers, but Trinity knew she’d done it for her. She minded the cold more than Blaze as evident by her flannel shirt and down vest, though it was only in the twenties when they arrived.

  Blaze rubbed her back and sighed contentedly. “Sleep well, darling.”

  “You too,” she said. It wasn’t long before Blaze’s breathing evened. This was their first night of sleeping together and Blaze had acted as though they’d been doing so for a long time. She’d been anxious, but Blaze had a way of putting her at ease, no matter what the circumstances. Though she had nothing to compare it to, she was finding it harder and harder to resist Blaze’s charm. She was thoughtful and caring and honest. Trinity knew without a doubt sh
e was falling in love, and she had no idea how she was going to handle it.

  * * *

  The morning was a raucous affair. After a light breakfast, the turkey was put in the oven and later on the ham would follow. There were potatoes to peel and vegetables to cut, and of course, green bean casserole to prepare. The rest of the family would be arriving with all the accompaniments, including homemade cranberry sauce. Trinity was looking forward to trying a little of everything.

  Josh arrived midmorning, surprising her with a smaller version of the bouquet he brought for his mother, and she saw the love reflected on Blaze’s face for his gesture to make her feel like one of the family.

  When there was a lull in the activity, she stepped outside and took a deep breath while she waited for someone to pick up the other end of the line.

  “Yeah?”

  The gruff voice of her father shocked her. He sounded older than the last time they’d spoken. Sadly, she couldn’t remember how long ago it had been.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Dad.”

  “Who’s this? Trinity?”

  “Yes, Dad. It’s me.”

  “What do you want?”

  She cringed. After all this time, she’d never asked her parents for anything, and that wasn’t about to change. “I don’t want anything. I just wanted to wish you and Mom a happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Well, it’s not gonna be very happy without a turkey and fixings is it?” He coughed into the phone, and she pulled it away from her ear until he was done.

  “Is Mom there?”

  “She’s still asleep. I’ll tell her you called.” The line went dead.

  “I love you, too, Dad.” She shoved the phone in her pocket and swiped at the errant tears. She wasn’t going to put herself through that again. She’d tried to reach out to her parents from time to time, but it was always the same. What do you want? Do you have any money? Can you cover this month’s rent? They rarely asked how she was or if she was dating, not that any of it mattered to either of them. She’d call her sister later, and hoped she’d made plans to spend the day with a friend. She closed her eyes, wishing she didn’t care what happened to her family, but she did. Being around Blaze’s family reminded her just how different their backgrounds were.

  “Trin, you okay?” Blaze hugged her from behind. She took a shaky breath and turned in her arms.

  “I am now.”

  “You’ve been crying.” Blaze’s forehead creased with concern. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Just family stuff. Nothing to worry about.” She tipped her chin toward the house. “Let’s not leave your parents alone with Josh. They’ve already got their hands full with getting that huge meal on the table.”

  Blaze laughed. “Don’t worry about them. They’ve been doing this a long time.” She kissed her lightly, then wrapped an arm around her. “Let’s go in and discuss who you’re rooting for in the first game, then I’ll know where to look for your body.”

  She punched her in the stomach, not surprised when Blaze didn’t even flinch. “I know what to do. I’m going to ask your father who he’s rooting for, then you won’t have to worry.”

  Blaze beamed at her. “I knew you were smart.”

  The smartest thing she’d done lately was open her heart to Blaze.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  They’d left Blaze’s family after the festivities had quieted down a bit, leaving a handful of relatives cheering the last quarter of the football game. Blaze wanted them to spend the night at her house and had gladly given up her room to her favorite aunt and uncle. Trinity could see why. Ellen and Bob were sweet and fun. They doted on Blaze, and Trinity could tell they were close.

  After a leisurely morning in bed making love and talking about her family’s antics, Blaze got up, insisting she stay in bed and enjoy her day off. She’d fallen back asleep only to wake to the scent of coffee coming from the mug on the nightstand. When she was awake enough to shower and dress, she went to find Blaze. They took a walk through the woods behind the house and when they returned, Blaze proclaimed being famished.

  She watched Blaze move around the kitchen, making them a simple lunch. Trinity didn’t know if now was the time to broach the subject, but she was still bothered by thoughts of DJ. She didn’t want DJ to come between them, and she wanted to know where she stood.

  Blaze tapped on the table to get her attention and Trinity glanced down at her plate.

  “Trinity, talk to me. I know something’s on your mind by the way you’re making a meal out of your bottom lip.”

  “Fine. I was thinking we should have talked about this sooner.”

  Blaze tipped her head, clearly confused.

  “The first time I met DJ, she had it out for me. And that night you were out with her, she wasn’t very happy I had your attention. I get the feeling she doesn’t like me, and I’m not sure why.”

  Blaze patted her sandwich. “She’s overprotective and doesn’t want to see me get hurt.”

  She could understand that kind of friendship, but that wasn’t the vibe she got the last time she was around DJ. “I don’t think that’s it. When she said I had ulterior motives I think she knew it was an outright lie.”

  “We’ve talked this out, believe me. She was upset by what happened after our date. She thought you were only interested in sex, and she knew I was looking for a committed relationship and someday, a family.”

  Her food stuck in her throat. “What did you say?”

  “That she thought you were only interested in sex?”

  “Not that.”

  Blaze smiled. “A family?”

  Trinity nodded, her skin cold.

  “Oh yeah. I want kids. Definitely.”

  She blinked several times. “You’ve never said anything about children before.”

  “We’ve never had this kind of conversation before.” Blaze’s smile slowly faded.

  “I don’t want children.” All she could picture was the small trailer shared by six people and no room to breathe. She hadn’t worked and saved and studied just to throw her freedom away and spend all her time raising a family.

  Blaze reached for her hand. “You’d make a great mom, and…”

  Trinity jumped up, nearly toppling her chair. “No. My mother gave up what little she had to take care of us. She never got to do any of the things she’d dreamt of doing because she worked so much, and when she wasn’t working, she was looking after the house, and my dad, and—” A sob wrenched from her throat. Everything she’d tried to escape as a child, Blaze wanted. Only this time it felt like a vise grip closing in on her. A relationship was one thing. The rest would drown her. “I’m sorry. I can’t be what you want me to be.” She rushed out of the room and grabbed her bags as she ran to the front door.

  “Trinity. Wait.” Blaze was there in an instant, standing in front of her. “What just happened? Can’t we talk about this?”

  Tears streamed down her face. “There’s nothing to talk about. I don’t want to end up like my parents. I don’t want kids. I don’t want…” She grabbed her keys off the table. Her mind was a firestorm of conflicting emotions, and she grabbed onto the one that rose to the top. The one she’d constantly worried over. “Maybe DJ can give you what you want.”

  “What does she have to do with us?” Blaze asked.

  In the time between her outburst and where they stood now, she stopped caring about treading lightly around the subject of DJ, and her biggest fear about moving forward in their relationship. “Don’t you see it?”

  “See what?” Blaze took a step closer.

  “DJ’s in love with you.” Blaze looked shocked, and Trinity wished she could take it back, but it was too late. “I think she always has been,” Trinity whispered before moving around Blaze to open the door. The cold air hit her in the face. Like Blaze’s revelation, she didn’t have any protection from it, and she hurried down the steps. There wasn’t anything else to say. She had no leverage over the years DJ had with Blaze, and
she definitely had no interest in raising children. She stumbled to the car. All she could think about was the way her heart felt, like it was being ripped open, knowing the future no longer held the possibility of a happy life with Blaze.

  Chapter Forty

  What the fuck just happened? Blaze stood rooted in the spot where Trinity had left her, speechless and confused. It was one thing to hear Trinity didn’t want children, and really, they hadn’t discussed having a family of their own. Hell, they hadn’t discussed dating either, let alone a future like that. It was just conversation. She could even understand Trinity’s reluctance given that their childhoods had been so vastly different. Her heart ached as she listened to Trinity talk about the struggles her family had faced. She’d been even more surprised to find out she still carried the shame of being poor when there wasn’t any reason. Those were circumstances beyond her control.

  She’d been encouraged by Trinity’s visit home. When they made love, the fire that burned between them reignited, and she let it consume her. It had been perfect.

  And now to find out Trinity believed DJ was in love with her? Fuck. The kitchen nook had the remnants of their unfinished meal, but she couldn’t think about cleaning it up. Her stomach churned into knots of unease. Times like these she’d normally take her bike for a spin. but she was too upset and too confused to go out. She wasn’t about to chance another injury. Fists on hips, she looked around until her gaze landed on the bottle of scotch she hadn’t touched in weeks. Blaze took the bottle and a clean glass and headed for the back porch. She’d built this space specifically for the times she needed to do deep thinking.

  She took a sip, then another. Baxter jumped up beside her and watched, sensing her unrest. Baxter blinked, then extended a paw to get her attention. Blaze ran her hand over the silky fur and Baxter purred in contentment. She closed her eyes and listened for the sounds that soothed her. Crickets chirped and owls hooted. The crunch of underbrush as animals foraged. And the steady rhythm of Baxter’s purring against her.