by Sarah Markel
“She punched an FCPD Lieutenant in the mouth,” she said, stepping away from the truck and into the small area that housed the gym equipment.
Tim whipped around at the sound of Lorelei’s voice. Aspen’s head turned and her eyes widened in surprise at the man’s proximity. She hadn’t expected him to creep up on her.
“Hey, Blaise,” Tim said, rubbing his hands nervously over his cotton shorts, “you come to work out with us?”
“No,” Lorelei replied, moving quickly to put herself between Tim and Aspen, “I came to talk to my wife. What are you doing here, Tim? From the looks of things, you’re just watching while Aspen uses the equipment.”
Tim chuckled nervously as his mind raced to come up with an answer. He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her that he’d followed Aspen with the intention of convincing her to give him a try. “It’s always smart to have a spotter,” he replied with a shrug, “safety first, you know.”
“You’re not a very good spotter, Tim,” Lorelei replied coldly, “Spotting someone implies that you’re helping them by spotting any issues they’re having. The only thing you’ve spotted is Aspen’s chest and ass. I’ve been here for almost ten minutes,” she added when Tim started to object.
Tim’s face flushed and he scoffed as he threw his hands in the air. “Whatever, Blaise. I was here before your cheerleader showed up. She looked pissed so I tried to help her talk it out.”
Aspen laughed sardonically. She stood up from the leg press and moved to stand well out of Tim’s bubble. “Yeah, Tim, flirtations and advising me to leave my wife were working great to calm me down.”
Anger, jealousy, and possessiveness thundered in Lorelei’s chest. “I’ve warned you about your behavior, Wilkes,” she said, using his last name to indicate she was in Captain-mode, “I’m not going to warn you again. Keep your comments about Aspen to yourself, or I am going to put in a formal complaint for harassment.”
Tim’s face flushed. He was getting tired of Lorelei’s superiority complex. He’d been a firefighter for over twenty years and he’d be damned if he was going to put up with some little girl on a power trip.
“Fuck your harassment complaint,” he spat, “and fuck you, Blaise. I don’t care what your title is here. If you’re going to talk to me like I’m some probie that needs scolding, then you can just fuck right the hell off. We’re supposed to be a team; a family that has each other’s back. The kid needed someone to talk to and I was just trying to be that someone.”
Lorelei’s expression darkened at his tone. She didn’t care what Tim’s explanation was, she was growing increasingly impatient with his insolence and disrespect for anyone with a vagina. “Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Tim,” she said, taking a menacing step toward the man, “Forget the titles. Forget the professionalism I’ve always strived to maintain while on the job. I’m not stupid. I see the way you look at Aspen when you think no one is looking.”
Tim averted his eyes guiltily, scratching nervously at the back of his neck. He hadn’t realized anyone had caught him watching the cheerleader.
“I’m only going to tell you this once, so listen closely,” Lorelei continued, “Aspen is my wife. There is no reason for you to be anywhere near her unless you’re at a scene together. Unless she approaches you, you’re better off pretending she doesn’t exist. Stay away from her, Tim, I mean it.”
Tim huffed angrily and glared hatefully at the redhead. Who the fuck does she think she is? The two stared at each other for several tense moments, neither willing to be the one to back down. Aspen’s eyes darted back and forth between the two, wondering if one of them was going to get physical.
The vein in Tim’s temple was throbbing violently and his hands were balled into tight fists. Lorelei also sported a vein in the throes of a frenzied dance, but hers was in her jaw. Instead of balling her fists, Lorelei’s hands were loose at her sides, her fingers flexing rhythmically to distract herself. Both had taken defensive stances, watching the other warily for any sign of aggression.
“You both need to knock it off and grow up,” Aspen said, rolling her eyes at the battle for superiority. Standing, she grabbed her sweat towel off the treadmill next to the shoulder press and draped it over her shoulders.
“Lorelei; I love you, but I’m not your property. Tim; you’re a slimy old man who thinks picking on a young woman is a great way to pass the time. You both make me want to quit the department for good.”
With that, Aspen breezed between the pair. Without looking back, she headed through the bay toward her locker. Lorelei’s posture sagged in shock as she watched Aspen toss her towel into the hamper and slam out the door.
Tim shifted nervously, realizing he was alone with the woman he was certain could kick his ass without much effort. He may be in good physical shape, but Tim knew he was useless when it came to physically defending himself.
Lorelei glanced over at the man and eyed him up and down with a look of absolute disgust on her face. After a moment, she simply scoffed and shook her head as she walked away, not willing to give the man another second of her free time.
Chapter 10
Days passed and the tension between Aspen and Lorelei was palpable. Lorelei tried many times to talk about things with Aspen, but they always ended up in a stalemate. Aspen wasn’t going to budge on her viewpoint, and neither was Lorelei. Aspen’s success was Lorelei’s main concern, followed closely by the desire to make Talia Aldrich eat her words.
Unfortunately, Aspen just couldn’t seem to wrap her head around Lorelei’s point of view. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would make a deal with their wife’s father regarding their sex life.
The situation got even more tense when Aspen’s midterm grades came in the week before the Halloween fundraiser.
“Honey, why is your math grade still so low?” Lorelei asked, dropping onto the sofa next to where Aspen was studying.
Aspen looked up from her textbook and canted her head quizzically. “What do you mean?” she asked, shifting to peek at the papers in Lorelei’s hand.
Lorelei turned the sheet for Aspen to see. “It says your math grade is still a D-minus. Did you fail a test or a quiz?”
Aspen frowned at the document. She’d been consistently on time with her work since the beginning of the month and her math teacher hadn’t issued anymore tests. Taking the page from Lorelei, Aspen read over the list of completed assignments.
“This is the old grade,” she said when she realized that none of the assignments from the past week were listed. “The grading period is a week behind.”
Lorelei arched her eyebrow skeptically. “Babe, the page has Thursday’s date on it. Today is Monday; how is it a week behind?”
Aspen shrugged her shoulders and handed back the report. “I don’t know, but none of last week’s assignments are on there. I’ll ask him tomorrow to be sure.”
Lorelei huffed out a breath. Why would the school send out grade reports that aren’t current? She was just about to voice her curiosity, but the ringing of the house phone stopped her.
“Hello?” Lorelei answered distractedly. “Oh, hi Ambrose… yes, I just got them in the mail… I don’t know, she’s studying every day and doing all of her homework… I did… she said the grade report is a week behind…”
Aspen couldn’t hear exactly what her father was saying, but she could hear the disapproval in his tone. Closing her book, she crossed her legs and turned sideways to give her full attention to the conversation she obviously wasn’t invited to join.
“… no, no, I understand,” Lorelei went on, rubbing her hand absently over Aspen’s bare thigh, “she said she’ll ask her teacher tomorrow… I don’t think that’s necessary, she said she would ask… I know, but… it doesn’t make sense to me either, but it’s been a long time since I was in school…”
“It doesn’t have to make sense to you,” Aspen said harshly as she crossed her arms over her chest and moved her leg out from under Lorelei’s hand, “that’s
just how the grades work. I said I would ask, what more do you two want?”
“I know you did, babe,” Lorelei whispered, keeping half her attention on her father-in-law’s voice and the other half on her wife, “it just doesn’t make sense to us that they would be behind.”
Aspen rolled her eyes and stood from the couch, snatching up her textbook and notes, “I’m so sorry that not everything is done the way you and Daddy want it to be. I’ll be sure to let the school know that they need to change their system because it doesn’t make sense to you.”
“Aspen,” Lorelei reached out for her wife, but the young woman simply turned and stormed out of the room. “Sorry, Aspen’s upset that we don’t understand… I know she will, but I hate it when she’s mad. That seems to be her permanent emotional state, lately, though… I don’t think she’s going to like or agree to that…I know… I will… okay, okay, I’ll let her know… you realize she’s going to be royally pissed off, right?... I know… I’ll call you tomorrow after she talks to her teacher.”
Lorelei clicked off the call and tossed the cordless phone onto the couch beside her. Grumbling to herself, she fisted her hands in her hair and moved to find Aspen.
“Babe?” she called as she made her way out onto the back porch, “What’re you doing?”
Aspen didn’t bother making eye contact as she grunted and extended the weight bar over her head. “Playing soccer,” she replied dryly.
Lorelei’s eyebrow arched at the sarcastic comment, “You’re playing it wrong,” she answered, moving to the head of the weight bench to spot Aspen, “I thought you were studying.”
“Nope,” Aspen replied, grunting as she continued to push the heavy weights into the air, “needed a break. I’ve been on those books since I got home. The numbers are starting to run together. You and Dad gonna take away my birthday now because of my grades?”
“Honey,” Lorelei frowned as she looked down into Aspen’s slightly flushed face, “don’t be like that. We just want you to succeed, that’s all.”
“Whatever, Lorelei,” Aspen spat as she dropped the bar onto its perch, “Just tell me what I’m grounded from now. I know you two and I’m sure there’s some kind of punishment coming, so just tell me what it is.”
“It’s not a punishment, Aspen,” impatience was clear in the redhead’s voice as she followed Aspen into the yard. “We’re just removing the distraction so you can focus.”
“Right,” Aspen replied, dropping to the ground to do push-ups, “I’m eighteen, Lorelei. I’m currently oozing sexual desire literally all the time, so I’m sure taking away the one thing that helps temper that desire is really going to help. Great plan.”
“You need to quit acting like a brat, babe,” Lorelei fisted her hands on her hips, “We aren’t taking anything away. Your dad thinks we should cut down more, though, and I think he’s right. Clearly, you aren’t focusing any better.”
Aspen stopped mid-push-up and turned her head to stare open-mouthed at her wife. “Cut down more?” she asked incredulously, “How much more?”
“Maybe we should only be intimate a couple of times a week, instead of every night. That will give you more time to study.” Lorelei shrugged her shoulders as she spoke. She knew Aspen wasn’t going to like it, but she didn’t have to; Aspen needed to focus, regardless of how much enjoyment she did or didn’t get from the arrangement.
Aspen pushed to her feet and pinned Lorelei with a furious stare. “If you don’t want to fuck me anymore, fine,” she spat, turning away from Lorelei as she strode toward the gate that separated the back yard from the front, “I’m going for a run.”
“Aspen, wait,” Lorelei called. She let out a frustrated growl when the blonde continued through the gate without looking back. “Goddammit!” she muttered as she made her way back into the house.
This will all be over soon, she thought as she dropped back onto the couch and kicked her feet onto the coffee table, once it is, she’ll see that it was all for her own good. Until then, I guess we’re just going to have to deal with bitchy-Aspen.
Lorelei sat staring angrily at the living room ceiling for a long time while she waited for her wife to return. Just as Aspen entered the house, the strident tones of a tap out sounded throughout the house.
“Duty 121, Engine 121, Ladder 121, Rescue 101, Medic 101, Support 108. Grass fire reported at the corner of Fair Oaks and Ellis. Duty 121, Engine 121, Ladder 121, Rescue 101, Medic 101, Support 108. Grass fire reported at the corner of Fair Oaks and Ellis.”
Without a word, the women grabbed their badges and made for the station. As they geared up, all evidence of their marital troubles vanished. Adopting their professional personas, Aspen and Lorelei climbed into their respective seats in the truck and went through the motions as if nothing was wrong.
***
“Are you ready to talk?” Lorelei asked, once Aspen entered the bedroom from her shower. The grass fire suppression had been quick, and the young boy who’d started it would likely never go near another box of matches.
Aspen shrugged her shoulders and removed her towel. Standing naked in the middle of their bedroom, she bent at the waist to wrap her hair in the towel. “Are you ready to accept that I’m not lying about my grades?”
Lorelei let out a huff and forced her gaze from Aspen’s tantalizing rear end. She hated that her body immediately responded to the sight of Aspen’s nude form, despite the fact that both women were irritated with one another.
“I never said you were lying,” she said as she changed into her sleepwear, “I just want to get clarification to be certain.”
Aspen righted herself and fisted her hands on her hips. She made no move to get dressed, even after seeing the struggle her wife was enduring to keep her eyes averted from the tempting sight. “Call it what you want, Lorelei. The bottom line is that you don’t trust me. If you don’t trust me, then we have nothing to talk about.”
Lorelei sighed again, but this time the sound was more sad than annoyed. Moving over to stand in front of Aspen, she gathered the younger woman into her arms and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “I trust you, Aspen,” she said gently, “that’s why I’m not insisting on talking to your teacher myself. You said you’d ask, so I trust that you will. I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”
Aspen’s body responded to Lorelei’s embrace. Her center thrummed pleasantly and her nipples tightened against Lorelei’s chest. She was still supremely annoyed with the evening’s events, but if Lorelei was offering the affection, she wasn’t going to turn it down.
Lorelei felt the hardening of Aspen’s nipples and she bent down to press kisses along her wife’s throat. Her hands trekked up and down Aspen’s bare back, lingering momentarily on the sensitive spots that always made Aspen whimper.
“I thought we were cutting back,” Aspen said breathlessly as pleasure in the wake of Lorelei’s lips shot through her. She brought her hands up and rubbed at Lorelei’s hips as the redhead’s mouth began to claim the tender flesh of her collar bones.
“We can start that tomorrow,” Lorelei replied between nips, “tonight, I want to make love to you.” She moved her hands, dancing her fingers over Aspen’s firm, supple breasts.
A deep moan was Aspen’s response. “Okay… good plan,” she breathed, sucking in a breath when Lorelei’s lips replaced her fingers.
Lorelei’s mouth worked slowly, teasing and torturing Aspen as she arched into her wife. Lorelei knew Aspen wanted her to move faster; it was obvious in the way the blonde pressed closer and tried to guide Lorelei with the way she moved. Lorelei had other ideas.
Instead of taking Aspen hard and fast, the way the cheerleader liked it, Lorelei had every intention of taking her time. She only planned to give Aspen one orgasm that night, so she wanted it to be worth it.
Releasing the blonde’s plump nipple from her lips, Lorelei took Aspen’s hand and tugged her over to the bed. Wordlessly, Lorelei climbed onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. She was goin
g to make Aspen understand that she trusted her, even if it meant putting herself in a highly uncomfortable situation.
“Come here,” she said, holding her hand out to Aspen.
Aspen took Lorelei’s hand and threaded their fingers as she climbed onto the bed on her knees. She started to seat herself next to her wife, but Lorelei shook her head and nodded toward her lap.
“Straddle me,” she instructed and rested her hands on the tops of Aspen’s thighs when the younger woman moved over her.
Aspen looked down into Lorelei’s eyes and wondered at the hesitation she found there. Lorelei was confident in most everything she did, especially when making love to Aspen. The blonde had never seen hesitation and concern in her wife’s face when they were being intimate, so seeing it flicker now had Aspen concerned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked gently.
“Nothing is wrong,” Lorelei replied, drumming her fingers lightly over the tops of Aspen’s thighs, “I want you to know how much I trust you, Aspen. What’s the one thing I have never trusted anyone to do before?”
Aspen’s brows drew together as she thought. There were plenty of things Lorelei didn’t trust other people with. Growing up under the circumstances she had, Lorelei didn’t easily trust anyone to do anything. Those she did trust had earned it.
Lorelei could see Aspen’s confused mind working and offered her a reprieve. “I want you to touch me, Aspen,” she said, smiling softly at the look of absolute surprise in her wife’s eyes, “I want you to touch me the way I touch you.”
Aspen’s jaw dropped. “Um, honey, I wouldn’t even begin to know how to do that. I’ve never been the giver before…”
Lorelei brought her hand up and placed her fingers against Aspen’s lips. “You know what you like me to do to you, right?”
Aspen nodded and tried to interrupt. Lorelei simply shook her head and leaned away from the headboard enough to remove her t-shirt. She then took Aspen’s hand and brought it to her breast.
