by Giselle Fox
"Yep, she moved out two months ago. Now I don't have anyone to hate. It's too bad." She laughed again.
"Oh, so… she didn't just find another place in town?"
"Nope, she left. Who knows where."
"Well, I'm happy for Ambrose. Give him a hug from me," Cate said.
"I will. So, are you coming down for a visit sometime on your world tour?"
"You know, I doubt it but I'll let you know if things change. I just wanted to say bye before I took off."
"I'm glad you did. Have fun. Have lots of fun, even. Wink, wink."
"I will try," Cate said.
When they hung up, Cate sat back on the bed again. She racked her mind for details, snippets of information that Lexi had given her. She realized she didn't know anything. And the more she thought about it, she realized she was stuck. There was only one thing left to, one channel left and if that came up with nothing, she was at a dead end. She looked up the number to Yolanda's restaurant and dialed it.
A few minutes later, the phone was in her hand again. Yolanda had been gracious but knew nothing about where Lexi had gone to.
"Such a nice person," Yolanda had said. "I miss her. Please say hello from me and my kids if you reach her."
"I will," Cate had told her.
The letter and the phone were on the bed beside her now. There was nothing else to be done. The fact that she’d waited too long to read the letter weighed heavily on her heart. She took a deep breath and folded it again. She was about to place it inside her purse but then changed her mind and burned it over the sink instead.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Cate could feel the humidity as soon as she stepped off the plane, like a hot damp cloud she knew would linger until she was closer to the water. She was tired but happy to finally be where she was. Knowing she'd splurged a little on her accommodation gave her the feeling that she was taking care of herself.
The picture of the big tub and the blue mosaic tiles had won her over. The colonial architecture, the balcony off her bedroom and the terrific view had too. Despite the six-story walk-up, she knew she would fall in love with the place as soon as she saw it. She planned to spend her days writing in her journal and sipping coffee in the nearby square. She imagined eating tapas and beautiful crusty bread while children played soccer on the cobblestones. At least she hoped it would go something like that, but she was open to anything.
She spotted a billboard for a flamenco festival through the taxi window and smiled to herself.
"You like Flamenco?" the cab driver called back.
"Yes, very much," she said.
The driver nodded to himself, pleased with that answer as he looked back at her through his rear view mirror.
Climbing six flights of stairs felt tiresome after being awake for so long. The heat only got hotter the higher she went. But the sixth-floor apartment was everything she imagined and more. Once the doors and windows were open, a small breeze began to flow through.
She stepped out onto the balcony and rested her arms on the wrought iron railing. She could see the citadel and the winding cobblestone street below. There was music playing somewhere below her and the loud voices of men arguing and laughing echoed from the square a block away. This would do, she thought to herself happily and turned back to look at the inside of her apartment. Through the arched doorway, she could see the bed, wrapped in a deep red velvet cover, with legs carved from deep brown wood. The wood floors were old and grooved from use but shone with a recent coat of wax. The furniture was spare but elegant: a small white table near the door that could be her desk, a stuffed chair with a faded floral pattern in muted tones of green and gold. There was a painting on the far wall of a dancer in long flowing skirts.
Cate walked inside to look at the blue mosaic tiles that surrounded the deep claw foot tub. There was no shower curtain and only a short hose and shower head. She realized she would be bathing on her knees. It was perfect, though she suddenly felt very alone. She considered having a bath but then decided to take a walk instead around the area. The streets seemed both lively and safe.
She hoped her foreignness would be cloaked by the darkness. She was happy when she was greeted with smiles when anyone noticed her at all. She ambled slowly down the street to the square and watched a group of older boys and girls take pictures of each other on their phones. A group of old men, perhaps the same men she'd heard from her balcony, laughed at one another over a bottle of wine in small glass tumblers.
She watched a couple walk from one side of the square to the other. They kissed under the cover of an awning and then said goodnight. Cate felt the ache in her heart again. There were enough similarities that she couldn't help but compare it to her first days in Panama. The biggest difference was the feeling inside her of loss and regret.
After a time, she walked back to her apartment. She was too tired to struggle against the sadness that often overtook her at night. When she climbed up the six flights of stairs and unlocked her door, she fell to her bed and cried herself to sleep.
***
She was woken by sounds out in the street, the diesel engine of a truck and voices talking quietly between the buildings. She went to the balcony and saw two men unloading crates in front of a doorway below. Everything echoed up the walls of the narrow street. Even the smallest sounds bounced off the stone walls around her. It would take some getting used to since it all sounded so different from back home.
It was some time between morning and night but Cate couldn't be sure what time it was exactly. She didn't bother finding her phone since it didn't matter. She had nothing planned for the day other than to catch up on sleep and take a walk when the mood struck her. After a brief but refreshing rinse on her knees in the big tub, she returned to her bed and lay awake watching the night sky until she fell into a deep sleep.
She dreamed she was lying atop a canopy of green leaves, cradled in woven boughs that were as soft and silky as a bed. The boughs wrapped themselves around her, entwining her legs and her arms, and then her fingers. She felt the warm wind on her neck and soft touch of the leaves as they rustled over her shoulders. Then the darkness enveloped her and she woke up, suddenly aware that she was not alone.
She might have screamed if she didn't recognize the body that surrounded her, if she didn't know the breath that whispered in her ear.
"It's me, Cate. You're safe."
Cate struggled between the lingering sensations in her mind and what was really happening. She felt Lexi's body against her back. She felt her heart beating in her chest.
"How did you find me?"
Lexi kissed her neck and pressed her lips to her ear. "I never lost you," she whispered.
"But how...?"
"You called Alice and Yolanda."
"How do you know I called them?"
Lexi held her face and turned her until she was lying on her back. "Shhh." She looked down into Cate's eyes. "God, I missed you."
It was all so surreal. One minute she'd been dreaming and the next minute Lexi was there. Cate reached up and ran her fingers through her hair.
"You look different. Your hair, your eyes."
"Yes," was all Lexi said before she bent her head and pressed her lips to Cate's mouth.
Cate let her kiss in. She'd hungered for it for months. She savored her lips and the flavors of her tongue. She breathed in the scent of her skin and felt the instant rushes of desire. She tipped her head back into the pillow and let Lexi's lips travel down, let her tongue wander and work on her skin. Lexi coiled her fingers through hers and pressed her arms down into the sheets.
"I want you to stay," Cate said. She had to say it before Lexi disappeared again. She couldn’t live with the regret.
Lexi stopped her rain of kisses and looked into her eyes. "You know what that means?"
"I don't care. I love you."
Lexi sat back on her knees and began to unbutton her shirt. Cate tried to sit up but Lexi pressed her hand to her chest.
&nb
sp; "Stay like that. I want to look at you."
As Lexi slowly worked the buttons of her shirt and let it fall open, Cate realized how very different the woman in front of her suddenly seemed. Her hair was short and fair and her eyes pale in the soft light. The jacket that she pulled from her shoulders looked tailored and so did the shirt beneath. When she rose from the bed and unbuttoned her pants, she saw the body that she knew so well; muscular and lean, chiseled and yet so exquisitely feminine. Cate propped herself on her elbows and took it all in.
"Can I ask how you got in?"
"You could," Lexi replied. She crawled up the bed on her hands and knees. Cate sat up and let the sheet fall around her. Lexi's eyes drifted down and over her breasts. A little smile curled her lips.
"Was it the roof or the door this time?" Cate asked.
Lexi cocked an eyebrow and looked out onto the balcony. "It's a little high, don't you think? These old locks are much quicker." She turned her head back slowly and reached for Cate's hand.
"Teach me," Cate whispered.
Lexi pushed her gently back on the bed and pressed her body down. “Alright.”
"You’re a thief?" Cate asked.
Lexi kissed her chin and then looked down into her eyes. "Yes."
"Is Lexi your real name?"
"My real name is Alexis. My sisters call me Lexi."
Cate rolled the full name over her tongue. "It's nice. I like it."
"We'll discuss names in the morning," Lexi whispered as she buried her face into Cate's neck again. Her hand slid down Cate’s body and between her legs. “You're wet, Cate," she breathed.
"I was having a very nice dream before you woke me up."
Lexi looked up and smiled. "Was I in it?"
"Yes. We were in the tree house," Cate said and spread her legs to allow Lexi in.
"I should have fucked you in the tree house," Lexi rasped as she sunk her fingers inside her.
Cate closed her eyes and wrapped herself around her beautiful thief. "Yes, you should have."
Thanks for reading Sun Catcher!
Stay tuned for Book Two - coming May 2017.
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review.
Other Books by Giselle Fox:
Rock Candy
Rare and Beautiful Things
Slow Burn in Tuscany
Claire and the Lady Billionaire Series:
This is an ongoing series of steamy contemporary lesbian romance featuring one of my favorite couples, Claire and Camille. Please check them out!
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Giselle Fox Amazon Author Page
Giselle Fox on Facebook
Gisellefox.com
