by Chris Zett
Before the temptation to stay grew too strong, she rushed out the door and struggled to suppress her smile. By the time she reached the staff lounge, she had managed a halfway convincing scowl. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.
The doorbell rang as Diana was straining the pasta. She tossed it into the saucepan, ignoring the splashes of hot, salty water on her slate kitchen countertop, and hastened to open the door.
Twenty-four hours after her last visit, Emily was here again, this time with a bag for the weekend in one hand. She looked gorgeous in a taupe long-sleeved blouse and blue jeans.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Diana took the duffel from her.
As soon as she was inside, Emily pressed her against the closed door. She had showered, and the hair that fell onto Diana’s face was still wet. The faint scent of her herbal shampoo enveloped her.
Diana returned the kiss and dropped her bag. It landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor. “Oops, sorry again.” She laughed, picked it up, and deposited it next to the bedroom door. “Do you mind joining me in the kitchen?”
“No, it smells heavenly.” Emily inhaled deeply through her nose, and her stomach growled.
“Do you want something to drink?” Diana opened the cabinet that held her glasses. “Water? Wine? I opened a red for the sauce, but I didn’t drink any yet.”
“Both? I’d love a glass of wine with dinner, but I need to rehydrate first, or I’ll be drunk in no time.”
Diana filled a water glass from the pitcher resting on the counter and rose on her toes to reach the upper shelf to pick two wineglasses. As she turned to offer the water, Emily’s gaze snapped back up, but it was too late.
After years in the music industry, Diana was used to being the focus of sexual attention. But never before it had turned her on. “Checking me out?”
Emily grabbed the water glass and nearly emptied it in one gulp. It didn’t seem to cool her, though, and her cheeks flamed an adorable scarlet.
Diana laughed and refilled the glass. “I’ll be over here, stirring the sauce until you can talk again.” She turned to the stove and raised on her toes again.
“You’re a tease.” Judging by Emily’s playful tone, she didn’t mind. “Can I help you with anything?”
“No, it’s almost ready.” She stirred the sauce and put a lid on it. “It only needs to simmer a little bit.”
“Do you want to eat or talk first?” Emily took a sponge from the sink and wiped away the spilled water.
Diana shrugged. She’d rather get the potentially uncomfortable part of the evening out of the way. “Everything is going as planned. I talked to Vic and the publicist, and they agree an article could be a good way to go. Jen was nice on the phone. She even offered to help me find another journalist if I didn’t trust her because of how we met first.”
“Oh, I never thought about that. Did you choose anyone else?” She returned the sponge to the sink and washed her hands.
Diana handed her a clean towel, smiling to herself. No wonder Emily’s kitchen looked as though she never used it. “No, I think it’s a good idea to get to know each other better. We’re meeting tomorrow morning at the Rainbow Home. I had a session scheduled, and she wanted to see it. Do you want to join us?”
“I’d love to.” Emily stepped closer and took Diana’s hand. Her fingers were cool, but the grip was warm and reassuring.
Diana raised their joined hands and kissed Emily’s knuckles before letting go. She turned back to the stove to stir the sauce and to mix it with the pasta. Thyme and rosemary filled the air with scents of home. The quiet domesticity of Emily helping in her kitchen had flooded her with the same warmth. She wished she could share that sense of belonging with her.
Oh, but she could. She switched off the gas, covered the pan, and opened her kitchen drawer. It was full of stuff that didn’t fit elsewhere, like a ball of rubber bands, wooden barbecue skewers, and the ugly Christmas tree bottle opener. She’d bet her drum kit that Emily’s fingers itched right now to sort it by function, size, and maybe even color.
Here it was. Before she lost the courage, Diana took one of Emily’s hands and pressed the cold metal into her palm.
Emily’s eyes widened as she opened her hand to reveal the key. “Is that…?”
“I don’t want you to break in or wait for me anymore. Come in whenever you want to, whether I’m here or not. Stay as long as you want to. I’ll show you how to set the alarm later.” After growing up with five brothers and later sharing a house with Mel, Katie, and whatever lover Katie had picked up, Diana hadn’t thought she’d give up her newfound solitude so soon, but Emily’s presence wasn’t an intrusion.
Emily still hadn’t said anything.
“Too much too soon?” The last thing Diana wanted to do was to push her into something she wasn’t ready for.
A smile slowly softened Emily’s stunned expression. Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms around her and buried her face in her neck. After a minute, she mumbled into Diana’s hair, “No, it’s perfect. Thank you.”
Her warm breath tickled Diana, but soon her giggles turned into moans as Emily nuzzled her neck and followed the contours of the tank top down to the swell of her breasts. Her hands roamed Diana’s back downward until she squeezed her butt.
The key hit the slate floor with a high metallic sound. Emily immediately let go of Diana and bent down to retrieve it.
Laughing, Diana stepped aside to give her more room. “I’ll get you a key chain if you want.”
Emily shook her head, went to her bag, and retrieved the simple ring that held her keys. She pushed them to one side one by one, then hesitated at the last one with a wistful expression.
Diana recognized the key to the beach house, but before she could bring it up, Emily fastened Diana’s key to the ring and stowed it away.
Instead of joining her again, Emily extended her hand and wriggled her fingers in invitation. The spark in her eyes left no doubt that she had no intention of getting back to the kitchen and dinner anytime soon.
Suddenly, Diana wasn’t hungry anymore, at least not for food.
The ravenous gleam in Diana’s eyes mesmerized Emily. She walked backward until the backs of her legs bumped into the bed. She hooked a finger through a belt loop to pull Diana closer for the last inches. The scent of vanilla, almonds, and Diana made her weak in the knees. With a deep sigh, she sat on the mattress.
Goose bumps erupted on Diana’s skin as Emily blew along the line between her tank top and her faded blue jeans. She skimmed her fingers underneath the hem of the forest-green cotton to widen the gap and then placed openmouthed kisses on the soft, soft skin.
Diana moaned and leaned into the touch. Her hands came to rest on Emily’s shoulders, a light contact that turned into a solid grip as Emily opened the button of her jeans and slowly pulled down the zipper.
The power that came with the knowledge she was responsible for Diana’s sighs and squirming, signs of her pleasure, shot directly to Emily’s head and nearly made her dizzy.
The jeans had to go, as much as Emily had enjoyed the way they showcased Diana’s tight ass. She pulled them down, taking the panties with them to the floor. On her way back up, she kissed the inside of Diana’s left leg, mirroring the path on the other side with a fingertip. Just before she reached the apex, she moved outward, toward the curve of the hip bone.
The hold on Emily’s shoulder tightened as Diana quickly stepped out of her clothes that pooled on the floor. A gentle push and Emily toppled onto her back with her feet still on the floor.
Just as fast, Diana crawled up to straddle her.
Perfect, just where Emily wanted her: Every part of her easy to reach.
In a teasing slow motion, Diana pulled up her tank top to reveal perfectly shaped breasts.
Emily’s gaze immediately fixated on her nipples, which
had already hardened in expectation. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Emily sat up and kissed first one, then the other, enjoying the curves between them and the moans she elicited from Diana. Her abdominal muscles quivered, but the strain was worth it.
Diana untucked her blouse at her back and slid both hands beneath it. The contrast between the soft fingertips and the calluses on her palms sent shivers up and down her spine.
Moaning, Emily pressed her face closer to Diana’s soft flesh. She could get lost in her scent and the rapidly beating heart under her lips.
Still supporting her with one hand on her back, Diana sneaked the other between them to open the buttons of Emily’s blouse from the top.
Every light touch tingled and made her yearn for more—more skin, more contact, more Diana. Emily leaned back to give her room to work with, enjoying the sense of security that resting in her strong embrace brought.
As if she sensed her need, Diana let go of the buttons and pulled up the hem of the blouse instead, over her head and down both arms.
But the inside-out garment wouldn’t slip over her wrists. Emily tried to reverse the movement to pull the cuffs free so Diana could unbutton them. A strong grip clutched her closer to Diana, trapping her arms and the blouse between them.
“Oh, no,” Diana whispered directly into her ear, her voice husky. “Why don’t we leave it like that for a while?”
Adrenaline spiked, and Emily thought her heart would explode. She trusted Diana; she really did, but giving up control like that had never been a fantasy of hers. Fear of the unknown froze her insides, and she couldn’t reply.
Diana nuzzled her earlobe, then whispered, “Is this okay?”
Her gaze fell on the flames licking across Diana’s shoulder and winding around her biceps. Instantly, her reluctance melted as red-hot desire scorched her brain.
Unable to speak, Emily nodded and was rewarded with featherlight kisses along her chin to her mouth.
Their lips met in a deep kiss, and Emily tried to convey her arousal. Diana answered in kind, and each stroke of her tongue sent tendrils of fire through her blood.
When they came up for air, Diana was panting as much as she was. After a moment, Diana slowly leaned forward and lowered Emily to the bed. She nudged her to lift her legs and scoot up toward the headboard. Her gaze locked with Emily’s, and without blinking she slid her hands to the front, following the contours of the bra Emily was still wearing and down to the hands captured in the wrinkled blouse.
Emily’s heartbeat kicked up another notch as she realized her intentions. She didn’t protest.
Diana encircled both wrists, lifted her arms and the entrapping blouse, and laid them on the pillow behind her head. “Can you stay like this?”
Her mouth was dry, and she needed two tries to answer. “Yes.” All the moisture in her body seemed to have pooled between her legs. How on earth hadn’t she known that something like that would be so hot?
The permission broke the spell of Diana’s gaze, and she kissed her on the mouth again. This time, she didn’t linger but followed a path down her neck to her breasts, accompanied by strong hands stroking every inch of Emily they could reach.
From Emily’s point of view, she could only see the dark, tousled hair and glimpses of the brilliant green and red ink. Her fingers ached with the need to guide and encourage her, but she forced herself to stay still and enjoy the sensual exploration.
Diana didn’t remove her bra, lavishing her breasts and taut nipples through the thin silk instead.
Every touch ran directly from her nipples to her clit like an electric current. Emily feared she might come from this stimulation alone, so she was grateful for the wet fabric soothing and protecting her skin.
The pop of the button and release of the zipper of her jeans was a relief. Cool air caressed her as Diana pulled her jeans and panties down and tossed them aside. As Emily had done, she kissed up one leg while stroking the other. Only she didn’t move outward as she reached the apex of her thighs, but hovered over her, her warm breath tickling her curls.
Emily raised her head with difficulty and met Diana’s gaze. A small circle of brilliant green surrounded her dilated pupils. The mixture of tenderness and desire reflected in them flooded her with a warmth she’d never felt before. Any insecurity was swept away by her trust in Diana. Closing her eyes, she spread her legs and lay down again.
Emily was so tense with excitement that the first touch of Diana’s tongue almost didn’t register, but with each stroke and swirl, her focus narrowed on the elating sensations. At first, she tried to discern the different stimulations, then the tide of pleasure reduced her to a moaning and shuddering mess. She no longer thought about what Diana did or how she was doing it. Her body was Diana’s to play with like an instrument, and Diana’s performance drew her to heights she’d never dreamed of before. The climax completely overwhelmed and surprised her, and Emily came with a yell, almost crushing Diana between her thighs.
After a while, Diana removed her fingers and crawled up to her. She licked them clean with an impish grin, wriggling her eyebrows. “I don’t want to stain your blouse.” She untangled the garment, opened the cuffs, and kissed each wrist as it was freed.
Finally, Emily could bury her hands in Diana’s hair. “It was torture not to touch you. I love your hair.” She massaged her scalp and elicited tiny moans. Her muscles had turned to mush, and she wasn’t yet ready for more, but she wanted to keep Diana close.
“Mmmh. Likewise.” Diana rested her head on her shoulder and twirled a strand of Emily’s hair around a finger. “Why do you color it?”
“What? How did you know?” She’d done it for so long that she almost thought of brown as her natural color.
“Well, it doesn’t match your other body hair. Your natural color is red, right?” Diana tickled her chin with the tip of the strand.
Heat that had nothing to do with arousal rose to her cheeks. “I always thought… I’ve been told it looks unprofessional. Nobody would take me seriously.” She didn’t want to bring her mother into the bedroom, but she supposed Diana knew her well enough to guess.
Diana shook her head. “I wouldn’t think so. But it is your hair to do whatever you want with.” She pushed up on her elbow to look into Emily’s eyes. “No matter what you do to your hair, I think you’re sexy and professional and beautiful and serious and perfect.” She accentuated each word with a kiss, working her way up from Emily’s collarbone to her mouth.
She was far from perfect, but right here and now she almost believed Diana. The kiss roused her enough to collect her strength and push Diana onto her back. It was her time to play.
Diana studied Jen as she set up a recording app on her phone and then placed it on the wooden crate between their deck chairs. With her straight blond hair in a ponytail and wearing jeans and a T-shirt from a band so obscure that even Diana didn’t know them, she looked deceptively young and innocent. Maybe that helped with snooping out the stories. Stop it. The few questions Jen had asked so far had all been professional and respectful. And Diana had promised Emily and Mel to give Jen the benefit of the doubt and trust her. Jen had shadowed Diana on her visit to the Rainbow Home but had suggested more privacy for the interview.
Emily arrived with a large pitcher of iced tea she had made in a surprising show of domesticity. Maybe it was her way of coping with the tension between the three of them.
Diana sighed. Sitting in her garden with her lover and her lover’s best friend on a warm June afternoon should have been a fun social event. Instead, it filled her with trepidation.
Jen took the glass Emily offered and sipped from it. “Thanks, that’s great.” She smiled at Emily, then turned to Diana with a far more serious expression. “Before we start the official part, I’d like to say something.”
“Sure.” All day Diana had waited for a glance behind the friendly girl-next-do
or facade.
“We have gotten off on the wrong foot. You probably thought I was an unprofessional hussy who tried to sleep her way to a story after our first meeting. And after our second encounter, I definitely thought you were a player who wanted to take advantage of Emily’s limited experience with women.” Jen held up her hand to stave off the protest from Emily and Diana. “I know, I know. I’m sorry.”
She held out her hand, and Diana shook it. “I’m sorry too. Mel assured me that I could trust you.”
“Great. Let’s do this interview. Now, what I suggest is not my normal journalistic behavior, but I think unique circumstances allow for unique measures. Don’t hold anything back. Don’t censor every word and just talk to me. Trust me to extract the story that needs to be told without compromising your reputation as a physician. I’ll let you read and approve the articles. That’s something I’ve never offered to anyone before.”
Did she really mean that? This contradicted everything Diana had learned about working with the press during her music career. She wanted to trust her because Emily did, but a small grain of doubt remained. “What are you getting out of it?”
Jen smiled and didn’t seem to be offended by the question. “An exclusive story?”
Diana raised her eyebrows and waited. That answer only scratched the surface.
“I’m doing it for Emily. She always supported me and kept me grounded, even during my wild party years at the university.” Jen reached for Emily’s hand and squeezed it.
The genuine caring for her best friend showed in Jen’s expression, and Diana believed her, but this wasn’t just about her. Her life story was intertwined with Katie and Katie’s drug addiction. “What about Katie?”
“I could probably make a lot of money selling the backstory now that she’s back in rehab, but then I’d lose two friends and a lover. Believe me, that’s not worth it.”
