Irregular Heartbeat

by Chris Zett

  “Tea is great. Surprise me with a new flavor, and I’ll surprise you with the movie.”

  “Deal.”

  When Emily returned with two caramel-and-vanilla-flavored rooibos teas, Diana was already back on the couch. She sat in one corner, leaning against the side with her legs stretched out over all the seats.

  Emily hesitated. Did Diana want her to sit on the armchair?

  “I thought we could try another position for the next film. You know, just for scientific purposes.” Diana looked up at her, patted the couch between her legs, and smiled.

  That smile brought back the butterflies, and Emily relaxed. Laughing, she shut off the light and snuggled between Diana’s legs. She carefully lay back until she was completely wrapped in Diana’s arms.

  “Okay?” Diana whispered, her warm breath tickling the sensitive skin behind her ear.

  Emily sighed. “More than okay.”

  Diana pushed play. She’d chosen Sense and Sensibility.

  “Oh, great. I love Jane Austen.” Emily reached for her tea and blew across the surface to cool it.

  Diana chuckled. “I love Emma Thompson.” She reached around Emily to take her cup and took a sip. “And I love your tea. It tastes like dessert.”

  They watched the movie in comfortable silence. When Emily shivered at the sight of a drenched and ice-cold Marianne Dashwood, Diana pulled the large quilt from the backrest of the couch and spread it over them both.

  Emily had never felt so safe and secure. Closing her eyes, she relished the slow and rhythmic movement of Diana’s chest beneath her head and the hand tangled in her hair. The familiar banter of the Dashwood sisters washed over her. She’d open her eyes again, soon. In another minute.

  Chapter 16

  The last thing Diana remembered was that Emily had fallen asleep on her, and she had wanted to wait until the movie was over to wake her. Now the room was dark and silent. The TV must have shut off automatically, and they both lay on the much-too-small couch. Emily had shifted in her sleep, and now one leg pressed unromantically directly on her bladder. No way could she go back to sleep like this. Carefully, she tried to extricate herself without waking Emily, but she moved immediately.

  “What…? Diana?” Emily mumbled.

  “Ouch! Wait…” Diana wriggled back until the immediate threat of losing control was gone. “We must have fallen asleep. I just need to use the bathroom, then I’d better leave.”

  “No.” Emily held on to her arm to keep her from leaving.

  Diana rubbed her eyes. “No bathroom?”

  “No!” Emily laughed. “Don’t go home. Stay with me tonight? But not on the couch. My bed is much more comfortable.”

  The idea of spending the night with Emily jolted Diana awake. Lacking a witty answer, she leaned forward and kissed Emily instead. She tasted of caramel, vanilla, and something uniquely her. Delicious. Soon she was breathing faster and had to stop for air. Yesterday Emily had hesitated to stay with her; was she ready for this?

  Emily traced a finger along Diana’s jaw. “Bathroom break? Then I’ll meet you in my bedroom.”

  The invitation swept away Diana’s doubts.

  She tried to stand at the same time Emily moved. Their legs were tangled, and they nearly fell off the couch.

  Diana groaned. “I’m sorry. I’m usually not such a clumsy teenager.” She stood first and offered a hand to help Emily.

  Emily didn’t let go of her hand as she led Diana through the dark apartment to the guest bathroom. “See you soon.”

  The warm glow of a light guided Diana to the bedroom after she finished in the bathroom. Emily waited beneath the plain sage-green cover, her bare shoulders gleaming creamy white with just a hint of golden dust. Following Emily’s example, Diana undressed and placed the folded clothes on the dresser next to the door. She left on her panties, not wanting to appear too presumptuous.

  Emily held up the cover, and Diana slipped underneath. Both lay on their sides, so close they were almost touching.

  “Hi.” Emily’s warm breath tickled Diana’s skin as she exhaled.

  Leaning forward, Diana brushed Emily’s nose with her own a few times before retreating slightly. “Hi back.”

  Emily swallowed several times but didn’t say anything as a blush spread over her cheeks. Her eyes flickered rapidly from side to side as though she couldn’t decide where to focus.

  To see her nervous and without the usual confidence prompted Diana to take the lead for now. Maybe reverting to their code language would help. “Have you scientifically tested the comfort level of this bed yet?”

  “Ah, you want to expand our study to a multicenter setting.” Emily’s smile was grateful.

  Diana wriggled her legs and stretched her toes, exaggerating the movements. “This furniture has the best legroom of all the test subjects so far.”

  Emily grinned and patted her pillow. “And a comfortable headrest.”

  “Maybe we should take it for a test drive.”

  “Test drive?” Emily poked her ribs. “Are you mixing metaphors right now?”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  Both of them laughed, and Diana relaxed. Her shoulders loosened. She hadn’t been aware of the tension that receded now. Sex, even sex with relative strangers, had never made her nervous before, but being with Emily was different.

  Emily’s hand on her hip followed the contours down and backward to her ass before she kissed her. That was unexpected, and she leaned into her hand to enjoy it more. Emily’s touch grew bolder, and Diana groaned as Emily’s hand wandered up and down her spine.

  Diana traced the delicious freckles on Emily’s shoulder with a finger, following with her lips along her clavicle via the rapidly pulsing carotid to her jaw, savoring the journey. When she reached her mouth, she reveled in the passion they both poured into the kiss. For a while, she focused only on the sensation of soft lips nibbling and biting and tongues stroking until they were breathless. Catching her breath, she buried her head in Emily’s neck. Her skin was flushed, and the pulse raced as fast as her own.

  Her awareness of the rest of her body returned. While kissing, they had moved closer, and their naked breasts touched in pools of warmth. Her fingers had tangled in Emily’s hair. It was beautiful, smooth, and cascading downward over her shoulders like a cape made from brown silk. She tried to turn Emily onto her back to explore more of her.

  “Nuh-uh” Emily stopped her movement with a hand on her shoulder, a soft but unmistakable push that slowly pressed her down on the bed.

  The sheets were cool against her overheated skin.

  Emily traced the tattoo that reached over Diana’s shoulder and wrapped around her biceps. The touch melted her skin as if the dragon’s fire were real.

  Hovering above her, face flushed, pupils dilated, and lips swollen, Emily was so beautiful it nearly hurt.

  She pulled Emily’s head down to kiss her again. Those lips drove her crazy. Diana couldn’t resist sneaking a hand to Emily’s side and the swell of her breast. So soft. Emily lifted slightly, and Diana took the chance to caress more of the warm, round flesh. Her thumb passed over one nipple, and she admired the rose-colored skin as it puckered and tightened into an inviting point. Another pass of her thumb elicited a moan of pleasure. Diana wanted to hear that sound again and again. She moved to kiss her breast and worked her way from one side to the middle. She traced the uneven surface with her tongue, taking her time to explore the difference in texture.

  Emily pressed closer and moved as though to direct Diana back to her nipple.

  Diana obliged and kissed her there. And licked her. And sucked her. She loved the feeling of Emily twisting above her. When the squirming had turned into a decidedly rhythmic movement, she left the nipple to slow down again. She placed light kisses on the soft skin between Emily’s breasts and moved upward, again following a
n irresistible path of freckles like a gold digger searching for glimpses of the rare nuggets in a stream.

  “Don’t stop now,” Emily whispered.

  “I’m not stopping. I’m just exploring.” Diana grinned and returned to kissing a line from her breasts to one shoulder. “Where do you want me to go next?” She’d reached Emily’s neck and got lost in the scent of her.

  “Uh, what do you mean? Is this not okay?” Emily leaned back and looked at Diana with wide eyes.

  The sudden loss of contact hit her like an icy shower. Goose bumps erupted all over. What had happened? “It’s very okay. I was just… you know…asking. What you want. What you like.”

  Emily traced the tattoo with the opening chord of her first recorded song that covered the thin scar of Diana’s appendectomy and looked at it as if it were the most fascinating piece of skin she had ever seen. “Oh. Okay, then. I’m sorry.” She slowly made eye contact again, almost shy. “So, where were we?”

  Maybe some humor would relax Emily. “I was admiring your neck. Do vampires usually go for the jugular or the carotid?”

  This seemed to help. Emily playfully slapped her shoulder and laughed. “Let’s find out.”

  Emily’s nibbling on her throat drove all thoughts of anatomy out of Diana’s mind. She mimicked the route Diana had taken a moment ago. When she reached Diana’s breast and sucked her nipple into her mouth, the pleasure shot directly to her clit.

  Diana reached with both hands for Emily’s hips to anchor herself. The friction of Emily’s leg pressing into her groin was driving her crazy. She needed more, needed to get closer. When Emily lifted up, Diana groaned. Where was she going? But then Emily pulled Diana’s panties down. When they got stuck on her ankles, Diana kicked them the rest of the way off.

  Finally, firm, warm fingers touched her where she needed her the most. Emily stroked her slowly at first. Was she hesitating? Exploring? Every time she brushed against her clit, Diana strained to get closer to the fingers.

  She couldn’t take it anymore. “Emily, don’t play. I need you now.”

  Emily stopped and looked up at her. She was beautiful; her skin glowed, and her gray eyes sparkled with passion. Her answer was a kiss, soft lips and a hot tongue taking Diana’s breath away. Emily’s fingers returned to their torture, but now they moved with an intentional rhythm. They slipped into Diana’s opening, and her thumb slid over her clit, faster and faster.

  “Don’t stop.” The crescendo of her arousal reached almost painful heights. Everything else ceased to exist. Diana lived only for Emily’s mouth on hers and the movement of her hand. The climax hit her like a surprising drum stroke, leaving her with ringing ears, deaf to the world for a moment.

  Emily snuggled into Diana’s shoulder but left her fingers in her. “I can still feel you,” she whispered in awe.

  Too breathless to answer, Diana hugged Emily and placed a grateful kiss on her forehead instead.

  After a minute, Emily carefully slipped out of Diana and pulled up the covers. She used the time to gather herself and to study Diana. Her face was flushed; she was breathing heavily, and her pupils were still dilated. The diagnosis was easy. Arousal. To know that she had been the one to affect Diana this way made her heart beat even faster.

  Until now, she had considered the point of having sex to be her own climax. As she achieved that more easily on her own, she had never searched for a partner to repeat her few boring encounters.

  What an egoistic idiot she’d been. To see Diana give up control, to see her react to each touch and stroke, to hear her call her name, to feel her arousal coating her fingers, satisfied her on a deeper level.

  “Thank you.”

  Diana chuckled. “I think I should thank you.” She brushed her hand slowly up and down Emily’s side, never quite touching her breast. With soft pushes, she encouraged Emily to turn onto her back, which she quite willingly did.

  Diana started kissing her again all over her shoulder, neck, and cleavage. Those kisses had nearly robbed her of her sanity earlier.

  Emily reached for Diana’s shoulders to ground herself. Her gaze locked on the red flames snaking across Diana’s left biceps. Her fingers followed their path. It was the same image that had lived in her fantasies for so long, but the touch made it real and bound it to Diana.

  “You do like my tattoo,” Diana mumbled against her neck.

  Emily blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind. “I think it’s sexy.” Heat rose to her cheeks, but she did nothing to fight it. She’d probably blush a lot more before the night was over.

  “I—think—you’re—sexy.” Diana accentuated each word with a kiss.

  Emily’s skin burned with the truth behind her touch. She believed her.

  Diana proceeded to kiss her all over as if she wanted to map every centimeter of her skin. Slowly, her path led her downward. Her hot breath burned like the dragon’s breath as she blew over Emily’s hair at the apex of her legs.

  Emily flinched. Would she…? Her breathing escalated, and her abdominal muscles tensed. She didn’t know if she wanted her to continue or to stop.

  Diana quickly kissed her way back up in a direct line and only paused after she’d touched her lips softly. Her gaze searched for Emily’s. “Relax. I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

  Her blood pounded in her ears, making it nearly impossible to think. She was so far outside her comfort zone that past experiences wouldn’t help her. Perhaps the familiar touch of fingers would be easier to enjoy. “I know. Maybe we could come back to it later?”

  Diana’s smile flooded her with warmth, releasing her tension. “We have all the time in the world.” Slowly, she trailed her hand down to where her mouth had been. “Is this okay?”

  The words caught in Emily’s throat, and she could only nod. Vigorously.

  Diana caressed the inside of her legs, moved over, parting her hair, and finally dipped into the waiting wetness. That was more than okay.

  Her last conscious thought was that familiar was such a wrong description for Diana’s touch. Heat concentrated inside her, like molten lava trying to break free. She tried to contain it, to prolong the pleasure, but much too soon she exploded.

  Emily found herself wrapped in Diana’s arms, lying half over her with the covers back in place around them. She had no recollection how she had ended up here, but now she never wanted to move. Lassitude sank over her, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She wanted to say something, anything, but speech eluded her.

  “Sleep now,” Diana whispered.

  That was a perfect idea.

  Sunlight and chirping birds pulled Emily from a deep sleep and infused her with energy. Her head was once again resting on Diana’s shoulder, and she had wrapped a leg over her. The rhythmic movement of Diana’s chest suggested she was still asleep. But when Emily opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Diana, she found she was already awake. The hazel eyes sparkled more green than brown this morning, and the few fine lines around her eyes deepened in amusement.

  “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

  Heat rose to Emily’s cheeks, but after last night her tendency to blush didn’t faze her anymore. “Morning.”

  Emily trailed her hand along Diana’s abdomen to the soft swell of her hip and back. She relished the sensation of skin against skin as she listened to the birds outside her window chatting excitedly. Were they as happy as she was, or was she just anthropomorphizing and projecting her emotions? For the first, time she understood the sights and sounds of spring as a symbol of new life and love. Love? Her heartbeat soared. She froze. Was it too soon to call this new and exhilarating feeling love?

  “Are you okay?” Diana laid her hand over Emily’s.

  She had dug her fingers into Diana’s side and now loosened her grip. Was she okay? She scrutinized herself and searched for doubts or regret
s. She couldn’t find any, only this slightly frightening feeling of bliss. Unable to put her thoughts into words, she rose on her forearm and kissed Diana, pouring everything into the touch.

  When her liquefied muscles couldn’t support her anymore, Emily let herself fall onto her back. Judging by Diana’s response, the kiss that had lasted quite some time had been the right way of conveying her emotions.

  Diana rolled on her side, cupped Emily’s jaw, and stroked her lips with her thumb. Her smile was different now, more intense. Her gaze seemed to echo Emily’s emotions and burned into her until Diana closed her eyes to kiss her.

  Emily stopped overthinking and analyzing. Her world was only filled with sensations as they made love again.

  Diana fought her heavy eyelids. Don’t fall asleep again! She placed one last kiss next to Emily’s navel before she rose and stretched her spine. “As tempting as it is, I don’t think it’s the best idea to stay in bed all day.”

  “Afraid of bedsores? Let me see.” Emily made a show of inspecting her backside. Her soft kisses tingled. “Nope, skin is still intact.” She sat up against the headboard and grinned.

  Diana laughed. Who would’ve believed that Emily hid a wicked sense of humor? “No, but I’m afraid of wasting away if we don’t have breakfast soon.”

  Emily looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table and shook her head. “Closer to lunch than breakfast. I can’t remember the last time I spent so much time in bed. You’re a bad influence.”

  “I don’t think you can blame the last hour on me.” Diana hadn’t gotten over the surprise yet that Emily had taken the initiative and had shown so much passion. For a moment she’d looked as though she wanted to bolt, and Diana’s heart had clenched painfully, afraid Emily would end the relationship before it had really begun.

  “Maybe it’s all the dragon’s fault.” Emily placed a kiss on the dragon’s tail on Diana’s right biceps before she scrambled out of bed. “I’ll just take a quick shower, and then I’ll see what I can find to eat. I’m afraid shopping wasn’t my top priority last week. Eggs? Maybe toast?”