"You were confusing Karen," Petra said. "She thought you were serious."
"Don't be daft. She knows how I feel about you. Or perhaps felt about you. I have no intention of being with someone who is so ashamed of me. If you wanted someone who acted more maturely and less playfully, what the hell are you doing with me?"
She didn't respond and then it sounded like she was crying. I opened the stall door and saw tears running down her cheeks. I stared at her. "It's not like that," she said quietly. "You've heard from Karen about her upbringing. Well, mine was worse. I have never in my life before tonight danced with another woman in public. As you saw, I don't know how."
"You knew I expected dancing tonight. Why didn't you say something?"
"I didn't realize I'd feel so self-conscious. I was ready to dance with you again when you came back to the table, but then you sat down on the other side and we got mad at each other."
"There was a slow dance. You could have come out and joined me."
"I need more not-slow dances first."
I stared at her for a moment, then brushed past her and stood in front of the sink, wondering how I was going to fix my makeup without my purse. She walked over to stand behind me and set my purse down on the countertop. I didn't realize she had brought it with her.
I fixed my makeup then hers.
"I expect dancing," I told her. "And a real date. I expect you to work up the nerve to a slow dance, and I expect you to kiss me like I've never been kissed, right there on the dance floor. I'll be at our table."
And I walked out.
The four of them stared at me when I returned. "All better?" Beth asked.
"I don't know. I'm sorry for ruining everyone's night."
Sally turned to Erika, cupped Erika's chin with her hand, and kissed her, right there in front of us. Then she turned to me. "My night isn't ruined."
I cracked a tiny grin.
Beth turned to Karen with a hopeful expression.
"Forget it," Karen said. "I'll flirt with you. I'll dance with you. I'll let you do what you're doing with your fingers right now. But girls are way too much drama. I'm sticking to boys."
Erika looked under the table to see what Beth was doing. She came up grinning.
"They aren't," I said.
"Look for yourself," she said.
I stared at Beth and Karen. Karen suddenly shifted. "Oh yeah, right there," she said.
"You two are full of shit," I said.
Beth smiled at me. Karen stared into space and squirmed. "There, honey?" Beth asked.
"Oh yeah," Karen said. "You've-" she gasped. "Done this before."
"You are so full of shit," I said again, then ducked under the table to look.
They were innocently holding hands.
I popped back up.
"Made you look," Karen said.
Petra walked up to the table. She looked poised but a little tense. "Felicia," she said. "Would you care to dance?"
I looked at her for a moment. "Yes, Petra, I very much would like to dance."
I took her hand and she led me to the dance floor. She was still stiff and reserved, but when the third song came up, she didn't flee the floor. I stepped closer to her and tugged on her hips, sliding my leg between hers so we were hip to hip, my leg between hers, hers between mine. I took her hands and put them on my hips and wrapped my arms around her neck.
"Think about what you want me to do to you later," I told her.
Her eyes grew a little wide, but she didn't pull away. She let me lead for two songs. I danced us at half rhythm, turning a fast song into a moderate song. She was still stiff.
"Imagine you're using dance to seduce me," I told her. "Because you are."
She was still stiff and self-conscious.
"No one matters here but me," I told her. "You better convince me of that, Petra."
I captured her eyes with mine. Every time she tried to look away, I pulled her chin back to me. "No," I said. "I'm right here, not over there. Convince me you want me."
I could tell the moment she started to enjoy herself. She settled closer in and smiled at me. She pulled me closer against her, and suddenly she was the predator again. I melted against her.
A slow song came on. She pulled me into her arms and kissed the side of my neck. "Mine," she said.
"Yours," I agreed.
She kissed me when the song was over. My knees grew weak. I clung to her tightly and enjoyed the kiss.
After that, I let her pull me back to our table. I slid in, then moved against her once she was seated. I put my head on her shoulder and my hand in her lap.
She pulled my chin up to look at her and said, "Thank you."
I pushed myself against her more firmly.
"I'd like a tiny bit more wine," I said. "And one more of those sushi platters."
"I just ordered another one," Sally said.
"And then I want more dancing," I said. I looked up at Petra. "Some with you, some with my friends."
She caressed my cheek.
* * *
We closed the bar down. Everyone danced with everyone, and it was nice seeing Petra on the floor. I was amazed when Sally asked her to dance and Petra agreed. I immediately grabbed Erika, and the two of us danced where we could watch Petra and Sally.
I was expecting some sort of dominance game, or that they would stand a couple of feet apart and sort of dance near each other. Instead, Petra slid into Sally's arms and appeared to relax. Sally didn't take it as lascivious as I had with Petra, but it was still pretty hot. Sally's leg was between Petra's, and the two of them were moving together, Sally clearly leading.
They danced two songs like that before a slow song came on. I expected them to immediately separate, but I saw Sally whisper something to Petra, and Petra put one arm around Sally's neck and her head on Sally's shoulder.
Erika and I looked at each other. She shrugged. I smiled and moved into her arms.
It was weird, being that close to Erika. She felt a little stiff, too, but I made a point of relaxing. She was my friend, and I loved her to pieces, and dancing with her felt nice. It was nice to relax.
We got through half a song before I felt myself peeled off of Erika. Petra was there and pulled me to her. Sally enveloped Erika. I looked around before closing my eyes and saw Beth was holding Karen.
"That last part was a little weird," Petra said into my ear. "I never could have done it before tonight."
I shifted so that my face was buried in her neck instead of away. "I love you," I told her. "Thank you."
That was the last song, and I got a lovely kiss at the end. From the looks of it, Erika did, too. Karen and Beth looked unsmudged but were grinning at each other.
In the parking lot I told Sally, "Please sleep in."
She laughed. "I'm going to be up for a few more hours." She looked at Erika. "Or at least I hope so."
Erika grinned at her and didn't say anything.
In the elevator, Karen and Beth held hands and stared into each other's eyes. I couldn't tell if they were serious or just teasing everyone. I clung to Petra and pulled her arms around me. Karen and Beth got off on their floor, and I heard giggling when the door closed.
"Are they going to?" Petra asked.
"I don't know," I said. "No, I don't think so. They're just having fun."
"Are we going to?"
"We might," I said, smiling up at her.
Once inside the apartment, we were both very gentle with each other. Petra took my hand and led the way to the bedroom. We took turns undressing each other and hanging our clothes up. I slipped into her arms and accepted a long slow kiss. My toes curled in the fibers of the rug.
She led me to the bed, crawling upon the bed backwards. I followed her and pushed her backwards into the pillows. She giggled and let me. I knelt over her and lowered my lips to kiss her. Our tongues took turns. I lowered my body against hers, pressing her against the bed.
I pulled away then lowered my lips to her neck,
my tongue flicking against her skin. I could feel her heart pounding against my chest.
I grinned and flipped her onto her stomach. She shrieked, but didn't resist. I kissed the back of her neck while I slipped a knee between her legs. She squirmed and arched her back.
I shifted my weight and ran my fingers down her side and across her lower back. I lightly tickled the top of her crack, which she always found deeply erogenous. Her squirms increased immediately. I began kissing the back of her neck, my tongue flicking against her skin, my fingers still teasing her crack. I slowly traced a line of licks and kisses down her spine.
She shivered.
I smiled for a moment, my lips brushing against her skin very lightly, and I was rewarded with another shiver from her.
I reached the base of her spin before it dived into her pelvis. I kissed there. She tried to roll over, but I put a hand on her neck and held her there. "No," I told her. Her resistance to my control lasted only a second or two before she relaxed her arms and went back to squirming.
Petra was always the one in control. It was a heady experience to be doing the controlling for once.
I flicked my tongue against her skin then flicked again and again, slowly moving from her spine to her tailbone. She was quivering in anticipation, and as soon as I flicked my tongue against her tailbone, she moaned.
I attached my lips to her tailbone, my tongue flicking repeatedly and her squirms grew frantic. She tasted lightly of sweat and a taste I'd grown to think of as uniquely Petra. I loved how she tasted.
I traced the backs of two fingers from her tailbone all the way down her bottom, teasing briefly around her anus but not actually entering, just letting her know I considered it. She stiffened for a moment, but she didn't try to stop me. She relaxed. I moved my fingers lower until they found her labia.
I spread her and entered. She arched her back and attempted to roll over again. I used my other hand to press her back to the bed. "No," I said again. "Or I'll stop." For a moment I thought she'd call my bluff, but she again relaxed and surrendered to what I was doing to her.
My fingers teased inside of her for a moment, then withdrew. Her hips tried to chase my hand.
I threw a leg over her and sat on her back, facing towards her feet. I slid my feet until they were lodged in her armpits. She struggled underneath me, but I used my weight to pin her face down on the bed. I lowered my mouth and kissed each lovely buttock once playfully, then began flicking my tongue against her tailbone. I let my hair tickle her bottom. She squirmed.
I snaked my right arm under her. She shifted slightly to give me access, and my hand snaked its way all the way between her legs. I found her vulva with my fingers. I parted her and began teasing her clitoris.
She tried to buck me off. I sat back on her, pinning her again. She made a frustrated noise.
"Do you want me to stop?" I asked her.
"No," she said weakly. "But god, you're a tease."
"I'm not teasing," I said. "I'm savoring."
She struggled with her hands to reach me, but she had no leverage and I ignored her attempts.
The fingers of my right hand began moving again, and her squirms grew increasingly frantic.
My left had was feeling left out. I began tracing circles on the skin of her buttocks, the circles growing smaller and smaller, the center of the circle her anus. She seemed to figure out what I was doing, as she tried to squirm out from beneath me. I pressed my weight against her and gave her clitoris an especially playful pinch. She moaned and slapped at the bed with her hands.
I began tapping the fingers of my left hand against her anus and she nearly went insane. I heard her panting underneath me. I slipped two fingers of my right hand inside her vagina. I used the base of my thumb against the nub of her clitoris while my fingers began teasing her G-spot. I continued to tap her anus with my left hand and periodically leaned into her and kissed her tailbone.
She was panting and moaning, and all her struggles had grown completely ineffective.
She stiffened and offered a little shudder.
God, I loved her!
I pressed against her clitoris, but lightened the pressure while continuing to stroke her G-spot. She stiffened again and began shuddering underneath me. She buried her face in the mattress and screamed, her sounds muffled.
I removed my hand from her clitoris entirely and used just my fingers on her g-spot. The shudders drew out until she collapsed under me, pinning my arm under her.
I stilled my hand, then squeezed slightly, earning another shudder. I waited and did it again, receiving another shudder.
Then, slowly, I untangled from her.
She lied there where I left her, spent and limp.
I shifted around and lied down on my left side, next to her where I could look into her eyes. They were closed, but I bumped her and she opened her eyes. Staring into her eyes, I brought my right hand to my mouth and slowly licked her juices from my fingers.
"I love how you taste," I told her.
Her eyes looked back and forth between mine again, then she closed her eyes again. She hadn't moved since I had finished her. I was pretty pleased with myself, actually. I lied there next to her, watching her, feeling hyper and wanting to touch her, but not wanting to disturb her afterglow. We stayed like that for a while.
I watched her take a big breathe, then her eyes opened and she looked at me again. I smiled softly at her. "See what happens when you dance with me?" I asked her. She smiled.
She struggled to roll onto her side. I lied there and watched her. My legs had been touching her, but I was keeping my hands to myself. She'd had enough stimulation. She finally managed to roll onto her side and collapsed again that way. I closed the gap that had opened between us when she had rolled away from me. I decided I was done with not touching her. I snaked my right leg between hers, then closed the gap further, completely invading her space, and set my right hand on her hip.
Her hands were curled up in front of her like a preying mantis. She looked soft and vulnerable. She didn't resist my efforts to close the distance.
"Are you all right?" I asked her softly.
She nodded once. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
"Feeling overwhelmed?"
She nodded once again.
I kissed her forehead.
"Letting me have control sometimes doesn't change who we are, Petra," I said. "I am yours. But you're mine, too."
I watched her think about it. She nodded and smiled.
"We left some lights on," I told her. "I am going to turn them off and come back to bed. You're the one getting spooned tonight."
I used the bathroom, washed up, and went around the apartment, turning off lights and wondering where the cats were hiding. I set an alarm for seven, five short hours away, and crawled into bed with Petra. She had made room for me behind her. I wrapped my arms around her and cuddled in.
I could tell she wanted to talk. She was a little stiff. We lied together for a few minutes before she asked me, "Is this how I make you feel?"
"I don't know," I said. "Vulnerable? A little scared? Needy?"
"Yes," she said. "All of those."
"Then yes. Terrified you'll grow bored of me, that what you find cute now will grate on your nerves sometime soon. Terrified how much I need you. Terrified how horrible I'll feel when I lose you, the fear of loss of what you give me. Afraid I can't give you want you want. Afraid I won't measure up. Terrified how little control I have in this situation, how you could thrust me from your life with no notice."
She rolled over onto her back and turned her head to look at me, my left arm pinned under her neck, my right dropping to her shoulder. "Terrified I'm too old," she said. "That forty isn't so bad, but terrified of the wrinkles and the dry skin and aging heart. Terrified the woman you love is the one in Siriena, but not this one. Terrified you're with me only because of the power I have. Terrified you'll ask me to free you, that you won't love me, terrified of what I'd becom
e if you did, that I'd jail you, use my power to make you love me, or some facsimile of love because of what I can do to you, but not because of who I am."
"Being that vulnerable is intimidating," I said.
She nodded.
"But also liberating. I love surrendering to you, Petra. It's not about the orgasms, although those are world class." I paused. "Are you going to let me do that to you again?"
"Now?" she squeaked.
I giggled. "No, not now. But often. Not all the time, but often."
"I don't know how often. You don't know how close I was to popping to my tower and pulling you after me."
"I was surprised when you didn't. I didn't want you to. I wanted that to go exactly the way it did. But I was surprised when you let me." I smiled. "Thank you. It was something I wanted to give you."
She kissed me softly.
"Now, roll over," I told her. "Do you need me to scratch your back so you can sleep?"
"That would be nice," she said.
She rolled back away. I curled in as tightly as I could while still having access to her back. I scratched softly, as soothingly as I could. "We have a very long time together, Petra, and I'm not going away if you don't make me. I'm yours." I saw her relax, and bit by bit she surrendered to sleep. I wasn't far behind her.
The Range
The alarm went off way too early.
I was still wrapped around Petra. It took me a moment to untangle myself and turn off the alarm. She didn't move. I put on a pot of coffee and popped into the shower. Petra still hadn't moved by the time I was dressed. I checked to be sure she was breathing.
I decided to let her sleep. I grabbed the entire pot of coffee and two mugs and popped to my tower. I drank some of the coffee then began to summon Sally.
I'd gotten better at pulling her over. She looked quite bedraggled when she appeared on the floor of my tower. I tossed a blanket over her and continued to sing to her.
She rolled over and looked at me.
"Good morning, Felicia," she said.
She stretched and looked around.
"Where is Petra?"
I put my hands together like I was praying, then held them to the side of my head and leaned over a little. She was still sleeping.
Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) Page 24
