Mistaken Identity

by Jay, Donna

  Lucy was an interesting mix of confidence and vulnerability that turned Kelly on.

  ***

  Inside, with the heavy drapes pulled and the only light coming from a lamp in the corner of the small living room, the atmosphere was more subdued. The time for jokes and innuendos over.

  After lowering the volume on the iPod dock, Kelly selected shuffle and hit play. When the lyrics Take It Easy filled the room, the irony wasn’t lost on her.

  Watching Kelly from the sofa, right leg crossed over her left, Lucy quirked an eyebrow. “You never cease to amaze me, Kelly. Weren’t the Eagles a little before your time?”

  Ecstatic Lucy recognized the song, Kelly sauntered across the room.

  “That’s rich coming from a woman only four years older than me who recognized the old timers immediately.” Kelly slumped onto the sofa, close enough that their bodies brushed together. As strong as the temptation was to pull Lucy into her lap, Kelly resisted the urge.

  “You got me,” Lucy said. “To be honest, I prefer soft rock, especially from the seventies and eighties.”

  In the dim light, Kelly glanced up at the picture of her father hanging on the wall. “My Dad loved the Eagles. I find their music soothing.”

  “I’d love to hear all about him one day, but...”

  “Now’s not the time,” Kelly finished for Lucy, sparing her from an uncomfortable moment.

  “Agreed.” Lucy tucked a lock of her black hair behind her ear.

  For the first time that evening, Kelly noticed Lucy wore tiny ruby-red earrings. The studs barely bigger than a pinhead.

  After a beat, Kelly decided to dive right in. “Okay, that night.”

  No longer looking so confident, perhaps because they were on Kelly’s turf, Lucy’s throat worked as she swallowed.

  Taking a fortifying breath, Kelly soldiered on. “I made a huge mistake. ”

  “I don’t blame…”

  Not wanting to be absolved quite so fast, Kelly held up a hand. “Please, let me finish.”

  “Okay.” Lucy plucked at an invisible thread on her beige top.

  “As you found out the hard way, I’m into Kink, or BDSM, call it what you will. However, I’d never force myself on anyone, so, for that, I am truly sorry.”

  A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Kelly’s neck. She hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to utter the words.

  Without a trace of humour, Lucy asked, “May I speak?”

  The way she sought out Kelly’s permission sent a jolt of desire coursing through Kelly’s body. Shaking off thoughts of Lucy begging for release, Kelly nodded. “Go ahead.”

  Lucy set her glass on the coffee table and turned to Kelly.

  For some reason, Kelly felt like Lucy needed comforting. She held out a hand. Lucy took it and scooted closer .

  “Remember when you first started dating Paula.”

  “Yes.” Kelly rubbed her thumb over the back of Lucy’s hand.

  “What room did she have?”

  Casting her mind back six months, Kelly pursed her lips. An image of the bedroom at the end of the hallway sprung to mind. “The last one.”

  “And a few months ago, she moved to the middle one, right?”

  “Correct,” Kelly replied unsure if she was following along.

  “Did you ever move house as a kid?”

  The change in conversation gave Kelly whiplash. She frowned. “No.”

  “But you moved here.”

  A snort burst out of Kelly. “Well done, Einstein. Your point?”

  “Ever get lost on your way home?”

  If Lucy was somehow implying Kelly got lost on her way to Paula’s bedroom, she was way off track. Humouring Lucy, Kelly tapped her lip in contemplation. Out of nowhere, a memory slammed into her. Kelly smiled, still able to hear her mother’s laughter.

  “A few months after I moved into my first flat, I jumped on my motorbike, tore out of the parking lot at work, and gunned it for home. Next thing I knew, I was outside Mum’s place. Out of habit I just headed in that direction. I caught myself doing it a few more times after that and had to turn around.”

  “Exactly, it’s called muscle memory. And, like I said, you didn’t go into the wrong room.”

  The look of despair in Lucy’s eyes undid Kelly. She leaned the side of their heads together, so Lucy wouldn’t have to look her in the eye if she was struggling to go on.

  “It’s okay,” Kelly said softly.

  “After having a few drinks, I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  They both chuckled. Nothing about what happened had been straight or thought-out.

  “Buzzed and tired, after using the bathroom, my feet took me to the bedroom I originally moved into. At first, when you walked into the room, I thought you knew what you were doing, that perhaps you’d taken my comments in the kitchen as a come on, or a challenge. As awareness took hold, I realized you thought I was Paula.” Lucy’s voice trailed off.

  Needing to hear the rest, Kelly put a finger under Lucy’s chin and forced her to meet her gaze.

  A blush crept up Lucy’s long, elegant neck. “By that time, I was too embarrassed, then too aroused, to put a stop to things. Please don’t hate me.” The anguished tone of Lucy’s voice was gut wrenching.

  “I know I should’ve pushed you away.” Lucy turned scarlet. “Or closed my legs.”

  Hating that Lucy felt responsible, Kelly interjected, “You know what, Lucy? I think we both need to stop the blame game. Neither of us are masochist yet, it would seem, for weeks both of us have done nothing but beat ourselves up.”

  “I’ve never done that.” Lucy picked up her wine glass. “Not literally anyway. But I’ve tied myself up. Not very well, but well enough to get off.”

  The declaration sent a jolt of lust through Kelly.

  “That night, I discovered the meaning of sexual fulfilment. After coming down from the mind-blowing orgasm, the first I’ve experienced with a partner...”

  A sense of pride shot through Kelly only to be replaced by a pang of sadness for Lucy. She couldn’t even begin to imagine reaching twenty-five and never having had an orgasm with another, let alone approaching thirty.

  “Once my head cleared,” Lucy said. “I panicked and pretended I’d been asleep and thought it was a dream. When you said you had to use the bathroom, I saw the perfect opportunity to slip out of Paula’s bedroom and back to my own. And like I said, Paula would kill me if I even looked sideways at you. So, rather than pursue you, I took the cowards way out and went out of my way to avoid you.”

  “That’s why you weren’t at Paula’s potluck dinner?” Kelly mused out loud.

  “Correct. When you broke up, I wondered if it had anything to do with what happened that night. Not wanting to cause you, or myself, any more pain, I tried to forget you.”

  Having no intention of letting Lucy forget about her, Kelly smiled. “But, lovely lady, apparently fate had other plans for us.”

  Lucy raised her glass, Kelly picked up hers and they clinked them together.

  “Amen to that. I don’t normally audit small businesses, but my work colleague, Mark, was away sick so you got stuck with me.”

  The mention of a man’s name had Kelly’s mind jumping tracks faster than a train wreck.

  “Did you get your kink on with the dude you slept with? I’m not sure if I can compete with a man.” Even though Kelly said it as a joke, the serious look on Lucy’s face suggested she took it as everything but.

  “Don’t ever think you have to compete with a man, or anyone else, Kelly. I thought I was broken, until I met you. The one and only guy I dated, I discussed my desires with at length. When we finally acted on them, he slapped my bottom. He was very heavy-handed, and it hurt. A lot. Rather than be this great sexual moment, I wanted to jump up and punch him in the nuts.”

  Inappropriate or not, Kelly couldn’t hold back a chuckle. She cupped her crotch. “If you ever feel the desire to punch me between the legs, please tell me before
it gets to that stage.”

  When Lucy tipped her head back and burst out laughing, Kelly’s heart sung for joy. Her lecherous gaze zoned in on the jiggle of Lucy’s boobs. Damn she had a nice set.

  Regaining her composure, Lucy went from jovial to serious. “Where do we go from here?”

  My bedroom, Kelly wanted to say, but held off. They still needed to set some boundaries.

  “I might not come across as worldly and confident to others, because I’m not,” Kelly said. “But behind closed doors, I get off on being in control. It’s got nothing to do with my job or needing to feel validated, it’s just the way I’m wired.”

  “I get that, Kelly. Believe me, I do. I have a high stress job but my desire to submit has nothing to do with having to let that go. I didn’t have to worry about paying bills or saving to buy a house when I was fifteen, yet, that’s the first time I woke up tangled in my sheets. Fighting to get free, I somehow ended up with the blankets bunched between my legs…” A blush crept up Lucy’s neck. “And, I experienced my first orgasm. As I got older, I invented more ways to restrain myself and get off. How pathetic is that?”

  Sensing an opportunity to lighten the heavy mood, Kelly threw a revised version of Lucy’s words back at her. “Keep playing coy, Lucy. It’s very becoming.”

  Smirking, Lucy poked her tongue out.

  With the speed of a sleek black panther, Kelly pounced on Lucy. In one fluid motion, she had Lucy on her back, pinned between herself and the sofa cushions.

  “For the record, I don’t think you’re any more pathetic than others have made me feel because of my desires. However, I think you need a lesson in etiquette.”

  Heat shimmered in Lucy’s eyes and Kelly ran with it.

  “Do you normally crawl around office floors on your hands and knees? What if the kitchen hand, young Benjamin, had walked in on you with your backside pointed to the door and your skirt practically around your hips?”

  The memory of the gorgeous sight lit a fire in Kelly’s belly. The sooner she had Lucy out of her jeans the better.

  Lucy’s eyes went wide, her expression an adorable mixture of amusement and horror. “Oh, my goodness, I didn’t even think of that.” Lucy sucked in a breath, her breasts heaving against Kelly’s chest.

  Heat sizzled between them and Kelly yearned to feel skin on skin. With any luck, Lucy would take the bait Kelly had dangled and she’d be naked before long.

  “Shit, that could’ve been awkward. I heard light footfalls on the stairs and assumed they were yours.”

  Boom! Gotcha.

  A slow smile spread across Kelly’s face. “Are you saying you purposely dropped your pen with the intention of teasing me?”

  “Oops. Busted.” Lucy bit back a smile.

  For a minute, Kelly wondered if they needed to back up, but considering their relationship had started out arse about face, almost literally, there wasn't much point in that.

  “Do you know what I wanted to do when I walked in on that beautiful sight? ”

  “No, Miss.”

  The submissive tone of Lucy’s voice, coupled with the coy look in her eyes, ramped up Kelly's excitement.

  Before lust overtook her, Kelly needed to know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Lucy was on the same page. And more importantly, that Lucy knew she had the power to stop things with a single word.

  “I’m not in the habit of using a safe word.” Kelly stroked Lucy’s cheek.

  A flicker of uncertainty flashed across Lucy’s face.

  Wanting to reassure Lucy with a gentle kiss, Kelly lowered her head. Lucy’s pupils dilated and her heavy lids closed seconds before their lips met.

  Heat exploded inside Kelly, rocking her to her core. She’d had her mouth all over Lucy’s body, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the intensity of their first kiss.

  A soft moan escaped Lucy when she parted her lips, allowing Kelly entrance. Their tongues danced the dance of new lovers; long, slow, exploring, and panty melting hot. Bracing her weight on her elbows, Kelly ran her fingers through Lucy’s silky black hair.

  The flat of Lucy’s palms pressed into Kelly’s back, holding her close. Breast to breast, their hearts beat a rapid tempo. Kelly yearned to be inside Lucy.

  Needing to come up for air, Kelly broke the kiss. “Phew.” She fanned out the neckline of her dress. “Is it hot in here, or is it me?”

  “Both.”

  “You’re pretty hot, too.” Kelly returned the compliment. “As I was saying, do you need a safe word?”

  “I don’t know, do I?” Uncertainty contorted Lucy’s features, and Kelly didn’t like it one bit.

  “No means no to me, Lucy, and stop means stop. But more than that, I’d like to think I know when to push and when to pull back. However, considering we’re just starting out, and I don’t want a punch in the twat…”

  Just as Kelly had hoped, the comment earned her a chuckle.

  “I wouldn’t do that.” Lucy grinned.

  “No, but you might think it and I don’t want you to ever go along with a scene just to please me.”

  Eager to wrap up her speech before she totally killed the mood, Kelly pecked Lucy on the lips. “Pick a safe word. I don’t think you’ll need it, but I’m sure we’ll both feel better knowing you have one.”

  A faraway look glimmered in Lucy’s eyes. Seconds later, her focus returned.

  “Candyfloss,” Lucy said with a decisive nod.

  “Fitting word for a sweet lady with lovely pink cheeks.”

  A frown crinkled the bridge of Lucy’s nose. “That’s not why I picked it. I hate the stuff, made myself sick on it as a kid.” Her expression softened. “If I utter that word, you’ll know I’m not happy.”

  Lucy bent her knee, and whether intentional or not, the heat of her thigh burned through Kelly’s underwear, sending a jolt of horny anticipation dancing up her spine.

  “Now that we’ve established a safe word, do I need to sign a contract?” Lucy asked, mischief dancing in her eyes.

  Delighted to be back on track, Kelly nipped at Lucy’s neck. “Oh, sassy, too.”

  Giggling, Lucy squirmed like a worm, goose flesh erupting on her skin .

  Somewhat reluctantly, Kelly pried herself off Lucy and stood. “Time to show you what I wanted to do when I walked into the office at ten on Tuesday.”

  Lust surged through Kelly. “Resume the position.” She pointed to a spot on the floor.

  Without hesitation, Lucy slid off the sofa and presented herself on all fours. Kelly pulled the coffee table out of the way and walked a slow circle around Lucy, drinking in her intoxicating form; the shape of her shoulders, the slope of her back, the flare of her hips—all of which were concealed by too many clothes.

  “Nope, that’s not how I remember it.” She slid her hand under the waistband of Lucy’s white jeans, luxuriating in the shiver that ran through Lucy, and the feel of her bare flesh against the back of Kelly’s hand.

  “Up you get. The jeans need to go, you were wearing a skirt and gave me quite the show.”

  Just then, a song Kelly’s father used to listen to, caught her attention. The lyrics were so apt, she turned up the volume.

  When Kelly turned back around, Lucy had already climbed to her feet. She flashed Kelly a seductive smile and deftly popped the top button of her jeans.

  Lucy’s eyes burned into Kelly. The power of their unspoken words stunned her. This was what Kelly craved, the unmistakable connection of lovers. She didn’t know Lucy well, but she knew her well enough to know she wanted more, lots more.

  A feeling of euphoria washed over Kelly as she perched on the edge of the coffee table, settling in to enjoy the show.

  Lucy toed off her shoes, then lowered her jeans, inch by slow inch, swaying her hips in time to Joe Cocker singing…

  Baby, take off your coat,

  Real slow,

  Take off your shoes,

  I’ll take off your shoes,

  Yes yes yes…

  The e
roticism of the moment stole Kelly’s breath away. She no longer knew who was running the show and right then she didn’t care. If Lucy suddenly ordered her to her knees, she’d probably do her bidding. Well maybe not, but if Lucy kept up the erotic dance, Kelly would end up a puddle at her feet all the same.

  When Lucy straightened and kicked her jeans aside, Kelly’s breath hitched. A triangle of pubic hair, as black as the hair framing Lucy’s face, pointed to where Kelly longed to be.

  “No panties?” Kelly quirked an eyebrow and reached to turn the volume down.

  With the music on low, Lucy reverted to looking shy. “I like the feel of the denim seam against my...” She paused as if searching for the right word. “My lady bits.”

  Eager to get her hands on the parts Lucy was coy about naming, Kelly sidled up next to her. She leaned in close and whispered in Lucy’s ear. “You like the rough seam on your cunt, your pussy, your labia.”

  Kelly slid her middle and forefinger through the thin triangle of hair, and lower. “Your clit?”

  Lucy gasped when Kelly snapped her fingers closed.

  “Yes, Miss Kel. Those bits,” Lucy said, her voice thick with desire.

  Damn, she liked the sound of that.

  Kelly nipped Lucy’s neck. “I approve of the title. ”

  She cupped Lucy’s mound, absorbing her slick heat. “But you’re not off the hook for purposely teasing me. Payback’s a bitch and I’m going to enjoy every minute I draw out your pleasure.”

  Kelly brushed Lucy’s entrance with the tip of her finger, drawing a whimper out of Lucy.

  “Make no mistake, once we cross the threshold to my bedroom, you’ll be at my mercy, understood?”

  “Yes, Miss Kel. Take me to your dungeon.”

  Biting back a smile, Kelly pointed her finger of doom at Lucy. “That’s the last wisecrack you get to make.”

  The hint of a smile disappeared so fast, Kelly wondered if she’d imagined it.

  Lucy held her arms out, wrists together. “I am yours to do with as you please.”

  The earnest look in her eyes, such a stark contrast to Paula’s pathetic outburst when she’d presented her wrists to Kelly, made Kelly’s chest tight.