by M. Ullrich
“Oh God.” She whispered the words against Catherine’s mouth before she went in for another taste. The flavor was unique, bold, with a hint of vodka from the earlier martinis. Catherine was so addicting that Imogene actually whimpered when she pulled away. Her disappointment didn’t last long, though. Catherine’s lips reappeared at the base of her throat and continued south. They brushed along the swell of her breasts, and Imogene tangled both her hands in Catherine’s thick brunette curls, pulling her impossibly closer. She gasped as she felt Catherine sink her teeth into her heated flesh. She lacked control, her movements erratic as she ground her hips and circled them on Catherine’s lap. The friction was delightful, but not enough.
Catherine gripped the soft flesh filling her hands, digging in her fingertips, and flipped Imogene onto her back. Catherine settled between her spread thighs, her weight even over Imogene. When she paused for a moment, Imogene looked up into glittery dark eyes.
“You’re stunning,” Catherine said to her, brushing away the auburn strands that obstructed her view. “You’re the most beautiful, mesmerizing woman I have ever met,” she proclaimed in a whisper before kissing Imogene sweetly on the lips once more.
Imogene fought the tears threatening to rise at Catherine’s words. “I think I love you.” She didn’t even know she actually spoke the words out loud until Catherine stopped dead. Her rapid breathing was hot against Imogene’s neck, and neither woman said anything. Imogene braced herself for good-bye, fully convinced she had ruined the moment with her foolish confession.
Instead, Catherine reached up Imogene’s dress and tugged at the flimsy excuse for underwear she was wearing, leaving them tangled around one ankle. Imogene ripped Catherine’s shirt up, desperately seeking bare skin.
Imogene spread her legs so Catherine could settle between them. Catherine shifted a few times, bracing herself on her left elbow and knees. Imogene gasped as Catherine skimmed the fingertips of her right hand along the sensitive skin of Imogene’s inner thighs. Imogene dug her nails into Catherine’s skin, dragging them along and leaving angry red trails in their wake. She hoped Catherine would feel the sting for days to come and remember how badly Imogene needed to be touched, to be filled completely by her. Imogene groaned as Catherine trailed her long fingers along Imogene’s moist outer lips before separating her flesh and delving deeper into her wetness, lightly circling her fluttering opening.
“Please,” Imogene whimpered, “I need you inside me.” Catherine drove into Imogene with two fingers until her palm was pressed firmly against her throbbing clit.
Imogene let out a howl. It was a scream born of the pure pleasure and ecstasy she felt at being so full and being taken so thoroughly. She moved her hips slowly, coaxing Catherine’s long fingers, buried deep inside her, in and out. Imogene relished the perfect fit, in and out. She started to pick up the pace, and Catherine matched her easily. Imogene sighed each time she moved, and within minutes, she was calling out Catherine’s name.
“Don’t stop. Cat!” She bit her lower lip as she prepared for the fast-approaching orgasm and its inevitable intensity. “Harder,” she demanded, digging her nails into Catherine’s back, using her hips to increase the force of her thrusts. Her toes curled to the point of cramping. “Oh…I’m go—I’m com—” What started as a growl turned into every bit of air rushing from her lungs as her body locked in place. A second later, she shook as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her body with an intensity she’d never experienced.
When she finally stilled, her body went numb as her muscles vibrated. A tear rolled down the side of her peaceful face as she continued to grind slowly, milking Catherine’s fingers of every ounce of pleasure. When the final tremors subsided, Imogene relaxed enough for Catherine to remove her fingers. Imogene was tugged to her feet. She tried to protest but her meek offerings were silenced by reverent kisses being placed along her lips. She walked toward the bedroom with Catherine’s hands in her own. With each step along the way Imogene was regaining her strength and started to plot all the ways she wanted Catherine’s body. She sat atop her plush bedding and looked over Catherine as she stood before her.
“Take your clothes off,” Imogene demanded, but before Catherine could undo two buttons, Imogene batted her hands away and did it herself. “I want this too much to let you have all the fun.”
Once she had removed Catherine’s shirt, Imogene began mapping out every inch of her toned upper body. She explored every dip, every valley, every ripple of muscle with such tenderness, tremors overtook Catherine’s body.
“I knew you’d be soft,” Imogene said, kissing one of Catherine’s pulse points. Imogene went smoothly and slowly to Catherine’s rounded shoulder and swiftly down to the lace trim of her bra. “So soft, so sexy…” she cooed as she undid the clasp and released two small, perky breasts with dark nipples. Without wasting a second, Imogene took one pebbled bud into her mouth for a tender kiss, wrapping her lips around it and tracing small circles along the raised flesh with her tongue.
“Kiss me,” Catherine said.
Knowing that Catherine wanted her so badly turned Imogene’s sated body on all over again. An excited and slightly pained whimper left Imogene’s bruised lips as their mouths met fiercely. Imogene felt Catherine tugging at the small zipper of her dress frantically. The material pooling at Imogene’s feet, Catherine wrapped her in her long arms as they kissed. Their tongues danced and moved against each other at a lazy pace while Imogene let Catherine remove the last bits of her mismatched clothing.
Imogene stood naked and vulnerable, watching Catherine take all of her in. Imogene was sure she could feel the path Catherine’s eyes traveled like it was a physical caress across her bare flesh. Her pink nipples hardened instantly, and she could feel herself getting wetter. Without as much as a featherlight touch, she was on the brink again just from Catherine looking at her. The way Catherine stood naked from the waist up, still wearing her pointed heels and tight tuxedo pants, was the sexiest thing Imogene had ever seen, but she wanted to see all of her.
As if reading Imogene’s mind, Catherine quickly removed the rest of her clothing and led her to the bed. They lay beside one another, Imogene on her back and Catherine on her side. Imogene started to squirm as Catherine explored every inch of her body. All Imogene had to do was moan at the attention being paid to a specific spot, and Catherine would linger, like the small mole behind her left knee or the patch of extra freckles just above a small triangle of red curls at the apex of her thighs. Still, she had kept it together and not gone out of her skin. She was about to congratulate herself on her patience and self-restraint, until Catherine palmed both of her breasts. She pressed her thighs together at the onslaught of pleasure overwhelming her. She lay prone and became a whimpering, thrashing mess as Catherine pinched her rosy nipples and rolled them between her expert fingers. She screamed out Catherine’s name.
“I want you to do that again.”
“Do what?” Imogene asked.
“Scream my name.”
Imogene panted as Catherine descended from her chest to her thighs slowly, deliberately placing wet, open-mouthed kisses at random points along the way.
“Please, make me,” Imogene begged. She spread her legs wide as soon as she felt Catherine settle on her stomach between them. The things Catherine was doing to her, the way she was setting her skin on fire with touches in all her most sensitive places, left her desperate and weak.
Imogene was relieved when Catherine didn’t hesitate and immediately wrapped her lips around her rigid clit, only applying pressure for a second before sucking it between her lips fully. Imogene thrust her hips up, and she started to grind against Catherine’s mouth, ready to reach a new high. Catherine explored every fold with the tip of her tongue, and Imogene mewed in response. She gripped the back of Catherine’s head and pulled her closer. Imogene clenched her thighs around Catherine’s head as Catherine penetrated her as deeply as her tongue could go. Imogene could feel the familiar
fluttering come to life, and she became desperate to feel everything Catherine had to offer her.
“Catherine?”
“Hmm?” Catherine hummed against Imogene’s wet opening.
“Fingers.” Imogene slammed her head into the pillow when Catherine gave her exactly what she wanted. Catherine sucked gently and unrelentingly at her swollen clit as she pumped two long fingers in and out, curling just enough to find the sweetest spot that made her scream.
Imogene arched her back and called out Catherine’s name with such force that it bounced from wall to wall. The feelings that started between her legs and came to life in her chest were violent, bold, and filled with an intensity that drove all other senses from her body. When she finally came down like a boneless mass, Imogene was partially aware of Catherine kissing her eyelids and cheeks, finally settling on her dry mouth.
“I can’t—That was—You’re…Wow.” It was the most coherent sentence Imogene could put together. Her eyes had yet to open, and no matter how hard she tried to change that, they remained closed. There had to be poetic terms she could use to describe the array of colors that flashed behind her clenched lids or the way each and every nerve ending caught fire and cooled to ice, but she couldn’t form words. She barely had enough energy to form anything beyond a simple “Mmm.”
“Shh…” Imogene was pulled into Catherine’s strong embrace. “Rest now, beautiful.” Imogene’s breathing evened out, and she slept as the clock on the wall ticked away the evening.
Chapter Seventeen
An unexpected heat woke Catherine from the most restful slumber she’d had in years. As she tried to clear her foggy mind she felt soft, naked flesh pressed against her side and a long, smooth leg thrown across her own. As the clouds started to dissipate in her mind, Catherine opened her eyes and saw a wild set of fiery blue eyes and tousled red waves. Imogene. Catherine moaned, realizing the heat that woke her was spreading from her center due to Imogene’s slim fingers tracing the intimate flesh there.
“What time is it?” Catherine asked as she spread her legs slightly, giving Imogene better access.
“A little after two.” Imogene placed a small kiss against Catherine’s throat before continuing. “I had a dream that I was fucked senseless by a gorgeous woman, and then I woke up and realized it wasn’t a dream.” Imogene’s use of such coarse language caused Catherine’s breath to catch and wet pussy to clench. “I needed to return the favor.” She captured Catherine’s lips in a heated kiss as she spread Catherine’s soaked folds, allowing the tip of her middle finger to tease her opening.
Wide awake now, Catherine threw her head back and burrowed it into the pile of pillows Imogene had on her bed. A needy moan escaped her lips as Imogene explored every sensitive inch of her womanhood.
“You’re so wet,” Imogene whispered into her hot ear. Catherine wasn’t normally one for dirty talk or any sort of verbalizing during sex, but something about the way Imogene did it weakened Catherine and made her hope for more.
“You…” Catherine’s voice crackled to life from deep within her tight throat. “You do this to me.”
Imogene grinned. “Good.” Catherine barely had the chance to register Imogene’s response before she slid into her slowly, sinking into moist, welcoming heat millimeter by millimeter. Catherine wanted to keep her eyes open, but they kept fluttering shut as her hips came to life, rolling with abandon.
If Catherine thought she was turned on before, those feelings paled in comparison to what engulfed her body now. Having Imogene’s complete attention focused on her hypersensitive body was almost too much to handle or allow. She found herself approaching the precipice a lot faster than she wanted to, but she was powerless against it. The way Imogene curled one finger deep inside her and circled her clit with the other, Catherine couldn’t stop herself from giving in to a pleasure she wasn’t even sure she deserved. The final straw was when Imogene bit down on her hardened nipple, sending Catherine over the edge with a guttural moan.
Her chest rose and fell as her abdomen contracted with the last few tremors of satisfaction. She smiled a blissful smile when Imogene’s head came to rest over her rapidly beating heart. The last thing Catherine remembered before falling asleep was Imogene kissing her.
❖
The early morning sunlight made its way through Imogene’s gauzy curtains, brightening the room with a hazy glow. Catherine awoke first and stretched her pleasantly sore muscles. At first she was disoriented by the unfamiliar smells and surroundings, then it all came flooding back. The bed was Imogene’s, and the smell was sex. She smiled with satisfaction as she buried her face in the thick hair at the top of Imogene’s head, tucked into her neck. Catherine felt the warmth of Imogene’s arm across her abdomen and her bare, soft breasts pressed against her ribs, and she knew the true definition of contentment. She barely heard her phone buzzing, a sure sign of missed calls and messages.
Texts, calls, questions, answers—they all went hand in hand as reality hit Catherine with an alarming force. She didn’t want to deal with all those things outside the walls of Imogene’s apartment. Could she finally indulge in a happiness that once seemed so impossible and trust another woman to keep her heart whole? Another phone alert sounded through the room, and Imogene started to stir. Not wanting to wake her sleeping lover, Catherine made a move to get her phone.
Catherine gently extricated herself from Imogene’s deceptively strong hold. She gathered her discarded clothing as quickly as possible and got dressed haphazardly. She sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through several text messages, mostly from Alice. Catherine deleted them without reading them, she knew what her best friend wanted to know. Catherine checked the voice mail list, finding Richard Thorton, Alice, and her mother.
“That’s an odd combination to wake up to,” Catherine grumbled before deciding to ignore Alice’s messages. She tapped on Richard’s name first and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She grimaced when she noticed her fingertips were stained black from her makeup.
“Hey, Catherine, it’s Richard Thorton.” His message was a little loud for Catherine’s liking. She pulled the phone away from her ear a bit. “I was calling to see when you’d like to get together again. Call me back.” She deleted the message the moment she heard it.
She tapped on her mother’s name next and smiled when Martha Carter’s warm voice filled her ear. “Catherine, it’s your mother. I’m not sure if you remember me since it’s been so long since the last time I’ve heard from you. I know, I know, work has been busy.” Catherine snorted and rolled her eyes. “I’m just calling to remind you about your brother’s birthday party next weekend.” Catherine stood and walked over to the bookcase, peeking around the corner at the snoozing Imogene as her mother’s voice went on. “Make sure you tell Alice to come, and if there happens to be anyone special in your life, feel free to bring them, too. Call me back, sweetheart.” Catherine concentrated so hard on those few words that she almost missed the end of the message. Someone special, she thought. I have someone special now.
The sun highlighted Imogene’s pale, freckled skin as she slept. Catherine’s heart swelled at the innocence of the moment. When she looked at Imogene’s peaceful face, she knew she could trust this woman with her life, not just her heart, no matter how scary the idea was.
Catherine’s phone buzzed again, and she swiped the screen. Mr. Adamson was calling an emergency meeting at ten o’clock. That gave her little more than an hour to get home, shower, dress, and get to the city. She rushed around the apartment to retrieve her coat and find a small piece of paper so she could leave a note for Imogene. She scribbled a quick sentiment and made her way out the door.
The walk back to her condo was brisk, and Catherine couldn’t determine whether her cheeks hurt from the cold wind or the beaming smile she wore thanks to Imogene Harris and spending a night learning to love again.
❖
Imogene started to stir and stretched across her bed. A lazy smile crept across her s
leepy face as she searched for her bedmate. She needed to touch her, but the sheets were cold in the empty spot beside her. Imogene sat up quietly and listened for any sign of Catherine even as her gut told her Catherine was already gone. She didn’t hear any running shower or smell any breakfast being prepared. She stood and wrapped the light pink sheet around her naked body before walking out to the kitchen.
A certain vulnerability always accompanies the first morning after with a new lover. Waking up alone causes even the most docile of imaginations to run wild. After the constant push and pull she and Catherine had been through, Imogene tried to remain positive, but the painful throb in her chest made that a difficult feat to accomplish.
Maybe Cat went to get coffee or takeout for breakfast. I know she loves the café down the street. The excuses came too easily and then died just as quickly when she spotted the small rectangle of paper on her kitchen table. Imogene approached slowly, her heart beating wildly. She wanted to look everywhere but at the words scrawled neatly across the paper. She held her breath as she read.
Good morning, beautiful.
Money doesn’t sleep in on the weekends.
I got called into an emergency meeting.
I’m sure I’ll have a hard time concentrating thanks to you.
I’ll call you later.
—Cat
Imogene started giggling. It wasn’t until her stomach growled that she calmed down and finally started her day.
❖
“Good morning, gentlemen!” Catherine said as she nearly bounced into the bustling boardroom. Everyone had apparently received the same message, which usually meant a very large, very wealthy client was seeking their help.
