Veritas

by Duncan, MJ

  “Well, that’s disappointing,” Grey teased. She topped off their glasses and tipped her head at the salon doors. “Go out to the tramps?”

  Lauren nodded. “Sure.”

  “So…is she still on Broadway?” Grey asked as she stared toward the front of the boat.

  “She won a Tony last year,” Lauren said with a smile.

  “Damn.”

  Lauren chuckled. “Yeah. So...anyways, that’s it. No real drama. Sorry.”

  “You can make it up to me,” Grey said, winking at Lauren as she took the glass of wine from her hand and set it down on the side of the boat. “Dance with me.”

  “There’s no music,” Lauren pointed out as Grey stepped into her, the brunette’s left hand slipping possessively around her waist.

  “Don’t need it,” Grey whispered. She took Lauren’s left hand in her right and stepped into her, tucking their joined hands between them. Grey shifted her weight to her right foot, then her left, and smiled when Lauren naturally followed. “See?”

  “I do.” Lauren pressed in closer, leaning her forehead against Grey’s as they swayed to the music of the breeze tumbling around them. Her heartbeat slowed to match the even cadence of their movement, and she closed her eyes as she soaked it all in. The strength of Grey’s hand wrapped around her own, the firm press of Grey’s body, the feeling of Grey’s breath landing so lightly upon her lips. They moved in small, uneven circles across the trampoline, and Lauren let out a shuddering sigh when Grey’s lips landed on her own.

  They stopped moving altogether as their kisses became slower, deeper. Grey released her hold on Lauren’s hand to reach up and lightly drag the backs of her nails up the curve of the redhead’s jaw before cradling it gently in her hand. She brought her left hand up to mirror her right, her thumbs stroking softly over Lauren’s cheeks as she poured herself into the kiss.

  Lauren whimpered when Grey pulled back by a fraction, warm breath cascading in quiet pants against her lips. She lifted her chin and recaptured Grey’s lips, eager to taste them again. She slid her hands over Grey’s back, her right dropping low enough to grab a firm cheek as she pressed her left between winged scapulae and tried to draw her in closer.

  Grey used her tender hold on Lauren’s face to keep the raging fire that seemed to perpetually burn between them at bay. It would be so easy to just give in to it, to strip them both bare and fuck until exhaustion made it impossible to move, but she wanted more than that. She teased Lauren’s lower lip with her tongue as she trailed her hands slowly down Lauren’s throat, lingering to feel the heavy beat of Lauren’s pulse against her fingertips. Her fingers bumped over the ridges of Lauren’s collarbones and swept around the swell of her breasts before skating across the expanse of her abdomen to dip beneath the hem of her shirt. “May I?” she asked as she lifted the shirt by a fraction, already certain of the answer, but wanting to hear it just the same.

  “Yes.”

  Lauren’s voice was soft, breathy, and Grey smiled as she inched the shirt higher, her fingers following their previous path back up Lauren’s body until she was able to push the shirt off over her head. She pulled back to look at Lauren as her arms dropped, the shirt fluttering from her fingertips to land forgotten at their feet. Lauren’s skin was radiant in the soft light of moon, her naked chest lifting and falling with each breath, her nipples growing hard as the cooler night air swept over them. “You’re perfect.”

  “Hardly,” Lauren muttered, shaking her head as she reached for Grey. She removed the brunette’s tee quickly, and sighed when Grey stepped back into her. “Much better.” She ran her hands over Grey’s sides and pulled her in closer.

  Their kisses remained deep and unhurried as they undressed each other, each of them taking the time to stroke and caress newly revealed skin before they pushed more clothing off and away. Grey used her body to guide Lauren down onto the mat, their lips never breaking contact as she stretched out on top of her. A shiver rolled down her spine when Lauren’s nails scratched a light line down the length of her back, and she sighed as she dipped her head to kiss her again softly.

  The blatant emotion in Grey’s kiss made Lauren’s head spin, and she drew a ragged breath when Grey’s lips left her own to blaze a languid trail down her throat. She drew random circles on Grey’s back as the brunette moved lower, sure hands cupping her breasts, nimble fingers rolling and tweaking one nipple while Grey tongued and sucked at the other.

  After lavishing attention on each breast in turn, Grey moved lower, watching the way goosebumps erupted in the wake of every slow, wet kiss she pressed to Lauren’s skin. She paused only for a moment to flick her tongue in Lauren’s belly button before continuing on, her fingertips sliding slowly down Lauren’s sides the lower she went. Grey looked up at Lauren’s face as she nuzzled her thigh, and her heart skipped a beat as she leaned in further, letting her breath play over damp, swollen folds as she moved slowly closer to where they both wanted her to be. The gasp that escaped Lauren at the fist light swipe of her tongue made Grey’s stomach clench, and she groaned as she wrapped her hands around Lauren’s legs and pulled herself in closer.

  “Oh, yes,” Lauren moaned, her voice low and rumbling with desire as she rolled her hips up against Grey’s mouth. The feeling of Grey’s fingers digging firmly into her thighs, pulling her open wider, and the soft flick of her tongue was electric, and Lauren’s eyes fluttered closed as she reached down to comb her fingers through Grey’s hair.

  Grey worked slowly, methodically, lapping lightly at Lauren’s clit and then sucking it into her mouth before pulling back and running her tongue through the length of her. The soft sighs and whimpers raining down on her from above were like a symphony, and she greedily wished that it would never end as she let her hands wander, stroking every inch of skin within her reach as she guided Lauren closer and closer to the edge.

  The gentle affection in every electric swipe of Grey’s tongue or fingertips made Lauren’s head spin, a fog of feelings and sensation swirling inside her mind that made cogent thought all but impossible. All she could focus on was Grey’s touch. The warm, firm press of her tongue, the slightly calloused hands wrapped lightly around her hips, holding her gently in place as release swept through her in surprisingly gentle waves.

  A quiet moan tumbled from Grey’s lips at the feeling of Lauren coming against her tongue, and she eased her middle finger inside her, moving in long, slow strokes as Lauren trembled with her release. When the final spasm eased, Grey looked up into Lauren’s eyes that burned bright in the moonlight, and smiled as she added a second finger to her thrusts. “Good?”

  “So good,” Lauren purred, her hips lifting to meet each slow, deep thrust of Grey’s fingers.

  “Good,” Grey whispered as she curled her fingers and dragged them heavily over hidden ridges, making Lauren gasp and twitch. She smirked as she dipped her chin and sucked Lauren’s swollen clit between her lips, teasing the bud with the tip of her tongue as she held Lauren’s hips down with her free hand.

  Even though her body was still pulsing with the aftereffects of her first orgasm, the heavenly combination of Grey’s mouth and fingers soon had Lauren rushing headlong into a second. Her hips rocked wildly against Grey’s mouth as she sought that perfect rhythm that would send her flying, and she was only vaguely aware of the desperate words falling from her lips as her body strained to reach that euphoric edge. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream as she curled in on herself, her body wrapping around Grey as it exploded in pleasure, and she could hear nothing but the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears as the first violent spasm eased and she sank limply back onto the mat.

  Grey looked up at the feeling of Lauren’s hand tugging at her hair, and she obediently moved higher, dragging her lips and chin over the plane of Lauren’s stomach, leaving a trail of sticky wetness in her wake. She smiled as she hovered above Lauren, and sighed as she dipped down to claim her lips in a deep, lingering kiss.

  The feeling of Lauren sucking on
her tongue made Grey’s nipples tighten and her clit jump, and she groaned as her body remembered that it had not yet found its peak. Unable to ignore the throbbing between her legs any longer, Grey shifted above Lauren, using her right knee to push the redhead’s left leg out wider as she lifted her hips higher and then canted them down into Lauren.

  “Oh god, again?” Lauren whimpered, even as she curled her hips to meet Grey’s. Slick warmth covered her, and she bit her lip as Grey ground down into her.

  Grey rolled her hips slowly, her desire spiking at the feeling of Lauren’s arousal mixing with her own, and she let out a sharp gasp when she finally found her mark. Her back bowed as she dropped her head, and she smiled at Lauren as she began rolling her hips against her in a hard, steady rhythm. “Okay?”

  Lauren nodded. “Yes.” She reached up and wrapped her right hand around the back of Grey’s neck. “You feel so good.”

  “Lauren,” Grey moaned, her eyes fluttering shut. A part of her wanted to draw things out like she had for Lauren, but her body, already well past the limits of restraint, had other ideas.

  “I know,” Lauren murmured. Though it was too dark for her to see the flash of ecstasy that she knew would flare in Grey’s eyes when the brunette came, Lauren still gave the back of her neck a squeeze and whispered, “Look at me, Grey.”

  Grey forced her eyes open and her breath caught in her throat when her gaze locked onto Lauren’s. Already so perilously close to release, the visual connection seemed to tug at her very soul, anchoring her in that moment to the woman spread beneath her. Her hips continued to rock without any conscious effort as she stared into Lauren’s eyes that reflected the moon and the stars back up at her. “Lauren,” Grey breathed, the name falling from her lips like a prayer as she raced toward her climax. “Oh, Lauren.”

  The emotion in Grey’s voice made Lauren clench, and she whimpered as her left hand shot out to latch onto Grey’s hip. The promise of a third orgasm thrummed in her veins, just waiting to explode, and she moaned as Grey’s breath fell in hot, ragged pants against her lips. “Please don’t stop. God, Grey, please don’t stop.”

  Grey chuckled and nodded. “I won’t,” she promised, rolling her hips down harder for emphasis. Tension coiled low in her hips, threatening to snap, and she licked her lips as she stared down at Lauren. “Are you close?”

  “So close,” Lauren rasped as she clung to Grey.

  “What do you need?”

  “You. Just you,” Lauren sighed, fighting to keep her eyes open as her rising pleasure began to crest.

  “You have me.” Grey pressed a hard, desperate kiss to Lauren’s lips. “You have me.” She took a deep breath and groaned. “Shit. Lauren, I’m…” Her voice trailed off into a deep, keening moan as her climax overwhelmed her. She tried to keep looking at Lauren, but her eyes snapped shut as her body shook and trembled, though the feeling of being tied to Lauren remained.

  Lauren used her hold on the back of Grey’s neck to pull the brunette down into her, their heated kiss muffling the sound of the moan that escaped her as she followed Grey over that blissful edge.

  Chapter 40

  Grey awoke slowly the next morning, and rolled onto her side to look at Lauren, who was stretched out on her stomach beside her, one fist tucked beneath her chin as she dreamed. Her eyes roamed slowly over Lauren’s face as memories from the night before washed over her, filling her with a feeling of warm contentment. Her heart fluttered as she remembered the passion that had filled Lauren’s kisses once they had finally made their way back inside, every press of lips searing its way to her soul with the unspoken emotion that had burned like wildfire between them on the trampolines. Her skin broke out into small goosebumps at the memory of Lauren’s hands, so strong and sure against her hips, guiding her back onto the bed. The entire night had been so much more than just sex, and a small, sad smile lifted Grey’s lips as she reached out to tenderly brush a stray curl away from the corner of Lauren’s mouth.

  “I wish we could just stay here forever,” Grey whispered as her eyes lingered on the soft curve of Lauren’s lips.

  The hushed confession lingered in the air, an unrealistic longing that Grey knew would never be realized, and she sighed as she lightly traced the ridge of Lauren’s knuckles with her index finger. The physical connection eased the ache that had built in her chest, and so she did it again. And again. Bumping down over each knuckle and then skating lightly along the smooth skin behind them. Her breathing slowed to match the progress of her touch, measured and even, in and out, until she was able to convince herself that this was enough. That these last few days, this moment, and the next too-short cruise were more than she had ever expected to experience again, and that she would be fine.

  She knew that it was a lie, but it gave her comfort anyway.

  Eventually Lauren began to stir, and Grey dropped her hand to the mattress as hazel eyes soft with sleep slowly opened. “Good morning.”

  Lauren reached out and covered Grey’s hand with her own. “Good morning to you, too,” she whispered. She rubbed her thumb over the back of Grey’s hand and smiled. “Last night…”

  Grey smiled and leaned in to nuzzle Lauren’s cheek with her nose. “I know,” she murmured as she finally closed the distance between them and captured Lauren’s lips in a sweet kiss.

  “Yeah.” Lauren rolled onto her back and hummed approvingly at the way Grey moved with her, the brunette’s right leg slipping between her own as she settled on top her. Grey’s lips were so soft and gentle against her own that Lauren felt her heart skip a beat, and she sighed as she melted into it.

  Grey knew that they were on a tight schedule, that the cleaning crew she employed would be at the dock in Charlotte Amalie ready to prepare the Veritas for its next charter at noon, but that knowledge meant very little when Lauren was so warm and naked beneath her. She wanted nothing more than to steal a few more moments of happiness, and she had no trouble ignoring her responsibilities as she began thrusting her hips gently into Lauren, painting her thigh with the sweet essence of the redhead’s desire. Their kisses grew deeper as they moved together, and Grey smiled at Lauren when she pulled back to look at her. “Okay?”

  “Mmm, yes.” Lauren held Grey’s gaze as she ran her hands down the length of Grey’s arms to tangle their fingers together beside her head.

  “Good,” Grey murmured, giving Lauren’s hands a gentle squeeze. She rested her forehead against Lauren’s as they resumed their slow dance, their hips rolling and grinding together as they stared unblinkingly into each other’s eyes. The raw emotion burning in Lauren’s gaze stole the breath from Grey’s lungs, and she whimpered as she pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “Lauren…”

  Lauren moaned, her hold on Grey’s hands tightening as the speed and force of their thrusts increased. She would have gladly stayed in this moment forever—pinned beneath Grey and staring up into eyes so dark that only the merest ring of brown was visible—but her body had other ideas. “No,” she groaned as she felt her orgasm begin to crest.

  “Yes,” Grey rasped, pressing her forehead harder against Lauren’s as she ground their hips together. “God yes. Please, baby.”

  “Oh, Grey…” Lauren’s voice trailed off into a moan as she rocked against Grey’s thigh. “You?”

  Grey gritted her teeth and nodded. She stared imploringly into Lauren’s eyes as their hips rotated together, and she finally let the breath she had been holding go when she felt Lauren begin to pulse against her thigh. A low moan rumbled deep in her throat as her own release swept through her, and she smiled against Lauren’s lips as they clung to each other, their gazes locked as ecstasy flared like fireworks in their eyes.

  “My god,” Lauren sighed when Grey collapsed on top of her.

  Grey chuckled and flicked her tongue across the hollow of Lauren’s throat. “Yeah.”

  “I think I’m ready to go back to sleep,” Lauren teased as she pressed her lips to the top of Grey’s head.

  “Can’t.”
Grey shook her head and pushed herself back up to look at Lauren. “We need to head back to Saint Thomas.”

  “I know.” Lauren smoothed a hand over Grey’s jaw and sighed. She was not ready for her final cruise aboard the Veritas to begin. She was not ready for this to end. “What do we need to do today?”

  “More of this,” Grey said, kissing Lauren softly. She smiled and nuzzled Lauren’s cheek affectionately.

  “I like this,” Lauren whispered.

  “Me too.” Grey sighed and kissed Lauren again. No matter how much she liked it, however, the reality of their situation could not be pushed aside any longer. In an ideal world, they would stay holed up in one secluded bay after another, hiding from the world and losing themselves in each other, but she had long ago been forced to come to terms with the fact that hers was not an ideal world. “But, we also need to do some grocery shopping to restock the pantry and the liquor cabinet for the next cruise. I figure we can hit the farmer’s market tomorrow morning like we did before the Muellers’ cruise, that way everything is as fresh as possible, and then we’ll be ready to shove off as soon as the guests arrive tomorrow morning. Do you have a general idea of what you’ll need?”

  Lauren nodded. She had received menu questionnaires—allergies, preferences, likes and dislikes—when she accepted the position aboard the Veritas, and had already planned out the menus for each of the cruises. The Muellers were the more difficult to plan for, with having small children and the family planning on eating almost every meal aboard the boat, but their next charter was a trio of married couples who wanted to spend their days on the water and their evenings in various ports exploring the local nightlife. That meant she only had to really plan for breakfast and lunch, with enough supplies for a few dinners just in case the guests decided to dine on the Veritas before they headed into town for the night. “Yeah.”