The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars

by Linda S. North

  Leaning her head slightly, she touched her lips to the warm forehead, right at the hairline, and heard a deep intake of breath. Kiernan peered up, met her eyes, and Ariel saw melting tenderness there as well as the desire. Letting her eyelids close, she brought her lips down to Kiernan's and lightly brushed against them, then placed her cheek once more against Kiernan's temple. The velvet touch of lips on the side of her neck made her shiver and inflamed her senses. A voice in the recesses of her thoughts told her she was in danger. Stop. But she had fallen in too deep now and couldn't pull herself free of the persuasive lure of Kiernan's sensuality.

  The song ended, but the dance continued for a few more steps, neither woman able or willing to end it. Another song started, this one a slow American tango. They separated and stood apart, staring into each other's eyes. Ariel's breath caught as she saw the smoldering depths of Kiernan's passion. She knew it was Kiernan's turn to lead, but felt compelled to take her in the tango embrace. She wrapped her right arm around and rested it on Kiernan's upper back, then relaxed when Kiernan placed her left hand on Ariel's upper arm, tacitly accepting Ariel's dominance. They locked gazes, and the unspoken challenge that flowed between them electrified Ariel. She clasped Kiernan's right hand in her left, holding it out in the traditional dance position, and pulled her forward until they were only a few inches apart.

  Ariel began the walk, slow, slow, quick, quick, and slow. The chase had begun and she pursued her quarry with the grace of a lioness.

  KIERNAN HAD NEVER been so aroused when she danced with another partner, nor had she ever felt so in tune with another's body language. She sensed Ariel's every move before she made it. Slow, slow, a pause, quick, quick, closing with their bodies offset to the left and tight at the hip. Ariel executed a right lunge, and Kiernan stepped back with her right leg extended to the side, then shifted forward and sensually slid her left leg up Ariel's thigh. Ariel's eyes widened with surprise and passion before she led Kiernan into the next move.

  Ariel changed sway, and Kiernan gave her the reproachful glance that was part of the dance, then met her eyes. In that moment, Kiernan knew after the song was over, and after the event was over, their dance would continue throughout the night. Ariel twirled Kiernan away and brought her back against her as the dance ended. They stood frozen in the moment, their bodies together, gazes riveted upon one another. They were unaware of the appreciative claps of their audience, who had stopped dancing to watch them.

  Kiernan's heart raced. A wave of heat cascaded through her, causing her clothes to feel too binding and tight. Reading Ariel's eyes, she saw the unspoken request to leave. She took Ariel by the hand and led her to their table to retrieve purses and coats. Beverly came up to them with a big, silly grin. "Holy Moly that had to be the sexiest tango I've ever seen. It was just--just--Holy Moly."

  "It was a great event, Beverly, and we're calling it a night." Kiernan leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  Helen walked up, glancing from Ariel to Kiernan. "You two aren't leaving now, are you?"

  Beverly elbowed her and said out of the side of her mouth, "They're still in the honeymoon stage." Kiernan rolled her eyes. Helen hugged Kiernan and Ariel, and they said their goodbyes.

  Helen and Beverly watched them go. Beverly said, "Bet they continue that dance once they get home tonight."

  "Bet they don't even wait to get home."

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  DAVID HELD THE limo door open. Ariel glided into the back, taking the seat facing the front. Kiernan slipped in beside her to sit inches away. Kiernan ordered, "Computer, do not engage seatbelts. Raise privacy panel." Ariel watched as the solid panel between the passenger area and driver area closed, providing them with total privacy. Kiernan ordered, "Computer, open the roof window."

  The window rolled open, revealing the full moon. Clear safety glass would protect them from the elements for the two-hour ride back to Crestview.

  Kiernan shifted to her and stared openly and searchingly. Ariel met her gaze and saw Kiernan's eyes reflecting the diffuse light of the full moon and stars.

  Ariel wasn't sure who moved first, but they were in each other's arms, pressed together, mouths hot and open. Teeth clashed and bruised tender flesh, and their tongues wrestled. The embraces of desperate arms tightened to nearly crush the breath out of the other. Throats tight with desire and want ground out guttural moans.

  The connection of her mouth on Kiernan's sent a rushing wave crashing through Ariel's senses and broke with all its force in her groin. Strong contractions of desire clenched her center. Kiernan pushed Ariel's coat off and ran her hands over her shoulders. Ariel felt goose pimples down the flesh of her arms and eagerly returned the action. She removed Kiernan's coat and gathered her up to kiss her mouth with hunger.

  Ariel was on fire. All reasoning burned away, leaving only this insane drive of sex and lust and a conflagration of the senses that would consume her if not extinguished. Kiernan's hand was at her knee, blazing a scorching path inside her thigh over the stockings and stays of her garter belt. She pushed up Ariel's dress and reached the destination where the inferno burned hottest. Kiernan deftly stroked between Ariel's legs, over the silken panties soaked with the evidence of her want.

  Ariel tore her mouth from Kiernan's, removed the bold hand driving her to distraction, and pushed her against the back of the seat. She leaned on that hot body and said in a ragged voice, "This dance isn't over. I lead."

  "You've had your turn, twice. My turn." Kiernan brought Ariel's mouth back to hers.

  Ariel conceded for now, knowing she would lead again. She let Kiernan push her down on the seat and slide her body sensually over her, kissing and rubbing her mouth against Ariel's neck.

  That hot and dexterous hand once again journeyed up her leg, reaching its goal. Fingers slipped stealthily inside one leg of her panties, slid against the wet crease, and lightly caressed the hardened knot.

  Ariel sucked in her breath and placed her hand over Kiernan's, encouraging her to press harder.

  Gruffly Kiernan said, "I'm leading this dance." She moved her hand from under the panties and with one rapid motion ripped them down enough to grant access to the source of wetness beneath.

  A warm finger ran down her center, separating the hot folds of flesh. Ariel cried out. She pushed her hips up and ground herself into Kiernan's hand, silently begging her to keep fondling her clit.

  Ariel had no thought of delaying, or of taking it slow. She was driven by an urgency to drown the blaze before it became an aching frustration. "Kiernan, oh, please, I'm on fire."

  "Tell me what you want," Kiernan growled in a raw voice against her neck.

  "I want you inside," Ariel said with a catch in her throat. She inhaled sharply as warmth and fullness pierced her hunger. A steady rhythm moved her higher and faster toward the summit. Her want was all that existed, and she surged and ground her center relentlessly against the heat and firmness penetrating her, urging a faster rhythm. The muscles within greedily contracted, pulling the source of pleasure deeper. She felt a gathering of forces within her, a pulsating energy compacted into one point that became her entire existence, until she thought the point could contain no more.

  KIERNAN'S MOUTH FOUND that wildly beating vein on Ariel's neck, and she sucked, and licked, and scraped her teeth along it. She pushed her finger inside Ariel, and firmly and slowly withdrew, only to push forward again. The velvet walls pulled her in for a deeper touch. A throaty rasp from Ariel vibrated against Kiernan's lips as she continued to lave her neck with attention. Ariel's hands and arms were a vise around her back, and she surged in rhythm as Kiernan's fingers and hand fed her hunger.

  Kiernan lifted her head from Ariel's neck and kissed her. She wanted to consume Ariel, to drink her in, to satiate her own hunger and fill the void in her center, and in her soul. She needed Ariel to know she belonged to Kiernan. And that she, Kiernan, belonged to Ariel.

  Feeling Ariel tense and arch her back, Kiernan knew she w
as reaching her peak. Her hips twisted and bucked, but Kiernan maintained the steady rhythm. Tightness around her finger let her know Ariel reached the summit. Quickly tearing her lips from Ariel's mouth, she moved her other hand to grasp Ariel's hair and pulled Ariel's head back more firmly against the seat, holding her in a firm grip. She needed to see her angel come, only for her--forsaking all others.

  "Yes, darling angel, come for me."

  The moonlight painted Ariel's face silver and ivory, and Kiernan saw the beautiful mouth held in an expression of ecstasy as Ariel gasped for breath. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face darkened. Then a sighing cry, a sudden inhalation of breath and another cry, and another. An angel falls and Kiernan rejoiced.

  THE BREATH ARIEL drew in burned, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears. She gasped to take in air to still the pounding and smother the fire in her chest. She blinked and saw Kiernan in the dark regarding her with eyes gone glistening jet black. Over Kiernan's shoulder, she saw the moon, a witness to her fall.

  Kiernan descended, eclipsing the moon, as her mouth claimed Ariel's in a kiss. Warm breath fanned across Ariel's face, and Kiernan said, "The next dance is yours to lead."

  Ariel licked her lips to moisten them to be able to speak, her voice hoarse. "Yes, I believe it is."

  Kiernan slid off Ariel and onto the seat across from her. Ariel rolled into a sitting position and watched with avid attention as Kiernan quickly slipped out of her dress and removed her bra, panty hose, and panties. The moonlight luminesced over fair skin and reflected in the auburn hair changed to shadow with glints of dark fire. Kiernan was Fey--a Goddess.

  "God, but you're breathtaking," Ariel said in awe, her eyes feasting on the beauty, and sexuality of Kiernan's womanly form. She reached out to Kiernan. "Come here--my dance."

  ARIEL'S APPROVAL OF her body thrilled Kiernan. She slid onto Ariel's lap, feeling the silky dress slide against her sensitive skin. Warm arms closed around her. Ariel kissed her, running her tongue slowly over her lips, then lightly touched the tip between them. Kiernan opened to allow Ariel's tongue to savor the feel and taste of her mouth. Every plunge of Ariel's tongue caused the nerve endings throughout Kiernan's body to tingle.

  Now Kiernan was the one on fire, burning, and she knew only one touch would bring her salvation. She separated her mouth from Ariel's and knelt with her knees on each side of Ariel's hips. The arms around her pulled her, and a wet, warm mouth closed around a nipple to suckle. She put her hands on Ariel's shoulders, and a soft hiss escaped her lips. The feelings were exquisite, but it wasn't the touch she needed to ease the throbbing between her legs. "Touch me, Ariel."

  Ariel continued to suckle Kiernan's breast as she loosened her arm and brought her hand down to the junction of Kiernan's thighs. Moaning, Kiernan felt that hand slide through the patch of hair and cup her sex for a moment before Ariel slipped a finger between the wet folds. Kiernan gasped when Ariel entered her. She surged against her and drove the finger deeper, then felt the finger withdraw, only to push slowly but firmly into her aching need. Again, she moved her hips back and forth as Ariel glided in and out.

  Ariel removed her mouth from Kiernan's nipple, and cool air replaced the wet warmth. She encircled her left arm around Kiernan's waist to hold her firmly. Kiernan quickened her undulations, and the way her breasts stroked and receded from Ariel's face made her all the hotter. Another finger smoothly entered her, and Kiernan couldn't help but gasp and then groan from deep within her throat. The strokes grew firmer and deeper. Ariel's palm stroked against the sensitive ridge, and drew out a trickle of wetness from Kiernan's core.

  Kiernan cried out at every thrust and increased her tempo. Ariel returned to her nipple, lightly biting it, and Kiernan tightened her grip on Ariel's shoulder. She threw back her head and a quick cry tore from her throat. She paused and let out a deep-drawn breath, and her release swept over her. Her back arched and she rode Ariel's fingers and hand. With a final surge, she shattered. Her cry was raw and guttural, a roar, her body freezing in mid-movement. The feelings were etched in the moment. Shuddering, she collapsed into strong arms that held her as she sobbed, "Hold me."

  THERE WAS A tug at Ariel's heart, almost sorrow, hearing that plaintive plea. Holding Kiernan like this, feeling her body warm against her, and hearing Kiernan's ragged breathing, made her long to discover whether this vulnerability was part of the real Kiernan. Who was the real Kiernan? Was it the Kiernan who cared for her when she was sick, read her The Little Prince, and shared her dream of reaching the stars? Was it the Kiernan who told ghost stories, the one who was kind and considerate? Was it the Kiernan who was vulnerable and needed to be held...after? She could love that Kiernan.

  Everything was moving too fast, and she couldn't even begin to trust her own judgment. How could she manage to remember that Kiernan wasn't to be trusted, that she needed to back away from this liaison? How could she stop herself from this all-consuming rush of passion? But for tonight, Ariel still burned. She needed--she craved--Kiernan's touch. What little thought she could muster up whisked away like smoke in the wind.

  KIERNAN'S BREATHING STEADIED. For some reason she was close to tears, so vulnerable and exposed. She moved off Ariel and onto the other seat, gathered her clothes, and dressed. Kiernan regarded Ariel closely, trying to read her expression in the moonlight. Glittering, silver eyes returned her scrutiny. She wanted more of Ariel. She wanted Ariel to hold her afterward--forever. She wanted Ariel to love her. Make love to her. Ariel love her? She was kidding herself. Ariel had sex with her--had fucked her.

  But if that's all she could get from Ariel, she would take it, as long as she could have her. "Stay with me--tonight."

  "Yes."

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  "ONLY SHE HAS graced my bed." "She has taken me to her bed." "Her hair spills light across my pillow." "Her hair sparks embers in the moonlight." "Her eyes are silver pools in the starlight." "Her eyes are deep wells in the darkness." "I pour my want into her mouth." "Her mouth pulls from me my need." "I drink in her warm breath." "She has taken my breath away." "Her voice is the soft patter of rain." "Her voice is the night breeze in the hollow." "Her caress is so gentle, as if she cares." "Her touch is so tender, as if she feels." "She is the storm that breaks the bough." "She is the ocean wave that conquers the shore." "My need for her is an ache in my heart." "My need for her is bitter-sweet surrender." "Her angel wings flutter against my tongue." "Her passion rises and ebbs against my mouth." "I drink the sweet spring water." "I taste the briny ocean." "Her cry is the sigh of an angel." "Her cry is the keening of a hawk." "She flies." "She soars." "An angel falls into my arms." "Her talons have struck the earth." "She has placed her seal upon my heart." "She is a thief and is stealing my heart." "Oh, God. I have fallen--" "Oh, God. I am falling--" "--in love with her." "--in love with her." "If she cannot give me tomorrow, I will take--" "Tomorrow does not exist. There is only--" "--the now." "--the now." Warmth cradled Kiernan's shoulders, and heat beneath her cheek moved in a steady rhythm, up and down. Breathing. Realization struck. She wasn't alone. Ariel was with her, in her bed. The first. Even though Ariel had come to her bed once before, it wasn't like this. Kiernan had brought her here this time. Never had she taken another to her bed, it was always some other bed. But this was Ariel, and she wished to keep her here for always, as she now kept her in her heart.

  She was afraid to move, lest she be Psyche to Ariel's Cupid and the divinity take wing and flee. She was content to savor this time and listen to the heartbeat beneath her ear measure out time as a metronome, to the song's final note to wakefulness. Breath wafted warmly across the top of her head, stirring her hair. Her arm rested across Ariel's torso, right beneath the breasts, and her leg draped over a soft, warm thigh.

  Her head rested upon a soft pillow of breast. She wondered how close the nipple was to her lips and whether she dare move enough to discover it. Feeling her mouth water at the thought, she pushed it out of her mind, afraid her angel would awaken and flee i
f she acted.

  She let her thoughts unravel and gave her mind free range over images, impressions, and sensations. Ariel was the hunter, demanding and taking, yet tender and giving. And she was the hunted, surrendering to and accepting Kiernan's passion.

  Kiernan wanted to believe Ariel was seeing her in a different way, beyond only friendship. But she feared it was only the dance and the moonlight that stirred that ancient madness and released it from the primal darkness. The madness would return to the dark place in the light of day, and truth would emerge. And the truth was she loved Ariel, but Ariel did not love her.

  WARMTH ACROSS HER torso and upper thigh and arm held her so she couldn't move. Solid softness rested on her breast, pressing against her chin and the side of her cheek and mouth. She inhaled the scent of rich loam and briny estuaries. The taste of the ocean still lingered on her tongue. Sleep clouded her reasoning and the images flickering and flashing behind her eyelids existed in an ephemeral dreamscape. Kiernan in the moonlight. The dream Kiernan, giving and gentle as a lover and as ardent as a champion on the field of battle, conquering all. And in the dream, Ariel was falling in love.