Best Lesbian Romance 2014 (11 page)

She skimmed Lori's soft belly to part her folds, and Lori whimpered as Willie found her swelling flesh. She'd had some practice now with her own body and used that knowledge to find the spot that made Lori wrench away from their kiss and gasp. She was careful to keep the pressure light, but it was difficult. Lori's thigh pushed harder into Willie's crotch, making it almost impossible to concentrate as her own need rode her hard, racing against her determination to bring Lori to orgasm first.

Lori sucked in an abrupt breath and her eyes widened. “Oh, god, Willie, oh.” Lori's body bowed beneath her, and Willie gave in to her own climax.

She didn't remember rolling onto her back and pulling Lori on top of her, but she was thankful. Her heart surely would have pounded right out of her chest if it wasn't for Lori's cheek pressed against it. They panted, perspiration sheening their naked bodies.

Lori shuddered, her body tensing and releasing with the residual of her climax. Her words were a breathy whisper. “I never knew.”

“Yeah. Me neither.” Willie stroked Lori's back, still marveling at the intimacy of touching her bare skin. She chuckled. “I sort of found out by accident one night after you got me all worked up with your kisses.”

Lori lifted her head to hold her gaze. “I love you, Willie.”

“I love you, Lori, more than I thought I could love anyone. It makes me crazy to think about you being with anyone else.”

“I'll never love anyone but you.”

Willie hugged her tightly and swore she'd never let Lori go. They'd find a way to be together.

“Lorraine?”

They both jerked up as Lori's mother called out.

“Where are you?” Her voice came from the edge of the clearing.

“Shit.” Willie looked for their scattered clothes.

“There's no time.” Lori's eyes were wide with panic.

“Jump in the pond.”

They both ran to the water and dove in. When they surfaced, Mrs. Caulder was standing next to their blanket.

“Lorraine Caulder, what on earth?”

Lori bobbed in the water. “We were just swimming to cool off, Mama. Is something wrong?”

Mrs. Caulder stared down at their picnic and scattered clothes. “I'll tell you what's wrong.” She put her hands on her hips and gave Willie a murderous glare that made her want to duck back under the water. “Your tomboy days of traipsing around the woods and skinny-dipping are over. You are much too old, young lady.”

“But, Mama—”

“No buts, Lorraine. Get up to the house. Now.”

Lori gave Willie a beseeching look.

“Go ahead,” Willie said, her voice low. She was beyond miserable that their perfect afternoon had been shattered, but Lori's dilemma was what mattered. “I'll talk to you tomorrow.”

Lori swam to the shore and quickly dressed. When she turned back to Willie, Mrs. Caulder swatted her on the butt. “Git. Now. Earl Montgomery has come calling and is waiting in the parlor.
You need to get cleaned up before he sees you looking like a wild ragamuffin.”

Willie lifted her hand in a silent wave when Lori glanced back for one last look before disappearing down the path.

Mrs. Caulder lingered, glaring at Willie until she wondered if the woman expected her to get out of the water and dress in front of her.

“Y'all aren't children anymore, and you need to leave my daughter alone.” She looked down at the blanket, and Willie felt suddenly exposed, as if Lori's mother could see what they had been doing. Her eyes were hard when she looked up at Willie again. “I don't want to talk to your parents, but I will if you come around again.”

Willie stood in the water for a long time after Mrs. Caulder left. She was scared, really scared. Could they keep her from seeing Lori? She waded out of the pond and dressed. Lori loved her. They would find a way to be together.

She waited at the pond every day for three long weeks—the worst weeks of her life. She closed her eyes against the hollow ache that slowly choked her as she sat on the dock every day, waiting, wondering, and waiting more.

Desperate, she finally went to Lori's house, determined to talk to her. They could run away to another town and get jobs. She didn't have to go to the university. She'd do anything as long as she didn't lose Lori.

But when she walked into the yard, she could hear the angry voices inside. She knocked, but no one came to the door. She knocked again, and Lori finally appeared. Her eyes were red from crying, and she refused to look at Willie as she told her that she was going to marry Earl Montgomery next month.

Willie hung around until the day of the wedding and stood across the street from the church. When Lori arrived, she got
out of the car and looked right at Willie, then walked into the sanctuary. Willie drove to the bus station, bought a ticket to Richmond and joined the army.

She never thought she'd find herself back at this pond, waiting once again for Lori. She squinted in the bright sunlight, searching the tree line again as if she could will her to appear. Every moment without her still seemed like a millennium.

Army life had been good to her, but even sweeter was their reunion and the years they'd finally spent together. The years of waiting had been more than worth it. So there was no doubt that she would wait for Lori again…as long as it took. But then time had no relevance here in this oasis that was theirs.

The water shimmered around her and Willie closed her eyes against the glare. When she opened them, Lori stood on the bank across from her. Her smile was soft. “Somehow, I knew I'd find you here.”

Willie sprang to her feet and dove into the water, swimming across the small pond in strong, sure strokes. Lori waded in to meet her and they were in each other's arms again. Lori's kiss was as sweet as she remembered.

Then Lori's hands were on Willie's face, smoothing down her shoulders and arms to cup Willie's hands in her smaller ones and examine them. She felt her own face, then looked up at Willie in wonderment.

“We're young again.”

“Yes.” Willie held up her hands. “No more arthritis.”

“I never minded. I was too glad to find you after all those years apart.”

“I never expected I would go first. Was it hard after I left?”

“It was dark and confusing. Poor Leah. I don't know what my granddaughter would have done without your great-niece to
love her and help her through it.”

“Tory is stronger with Leah at her side, too.”

Lori nodded. “They'll be fine.” She smiled. “Did you have to wait long this time, sweetheart? I couldn't keep track of the days. The dementia stole that from me, but sometimes I thought it was actually a gift because it kept me from knowing how long I was without you.”

“It doesn't matter how long. I would wait all of eternity for you.”

Lori looked around. “So, this is heaven? No angels or choirs? No judgment of our sins?”

“Are you disappointed?”

“Heavens, no. I'm relieved.”

They laughed together, and Willie stole another kiss.

“Apparently, we must have done something right. Our eternity will be spent in the place where we shared our happiest memory.” She gestured toward her offerings under the gnarled old oak.

Lori's smile went from sweet to brilliant. “Oh, Willie. In all the years I've loved you, I'm glad you never changed.”

Willie winked at Lori. “I brought a blanket and a jar of Papa's scuppernong wine.”

AUSSIE GIRL

Jillian Boyd

Saturday afternoon, half past one.

I sat near the window at Starbucks, getting better acquainted with a latte. The weather gods were not being kind. Outside, the people of Chelmsford rushed about the street, clad in their macs and wellies.

I really shouldn't have bothered. “Dylan from work” obviously hadn't. Couldn't blame her, though. I mean, in this day and age, who the fuck agrees to a blind date anymore? Oh yeah, I did.

It was all Mel's fault, really. “I work with a lovely girl. You should meet her! You two would get on like a house on fire! Come on, you need a bit of flirting in your life!”

I agreed, mostly to get Mel off my back. Knowing my luck, “a lovely girl” would mean that she was a bit of a bitch who was quite possibly a racist, but perfectly okay when you meet her at the water cooler.

The minutes ticked over to two o'clock. Still no sight of the
mysterious Dylan. I sighed and stood up from my seat.

Suddenly, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

“Excuse me. Are you Sara?”

I turned around to see a young woman fiddling with the wet hem of her skirt. I felt my lips curl into a smile and my breath hitch in my throat.

“Yes. I really hope you're Dylan,” I said.

“Yes! Oh, thank god, I thought Mel made you up.”

A tiny spark made my belly fizz. She was absolutely stunning. I uttered a quick thank you to Mel.

“No. I'm very real. Come, sit down.”

Dylan sat down and took a gulp of her coffee. “Is this supposed to be summer, then?” she said, looking out the window.

“Yeah, it's quite depressing,” I said, homing in on her ample cleavage. I could feel my cheeks burning.

“I miss a bit of sunshine.” She sighed. “Only, I miss home when it's pissing down like this.”

“Where are you from?”

“The Land Down Under. I'm a true Aussie girl.”

Only then did I realize that her accent seemed completely different from the Essex twang. “Oh! I love Australia! Didgeridoos and kangaroos and whatnot!”

Dylan chuckled. “Well, there are some of those about.”

“I'm sorry. It's basically all I know about Australia. I'd love to go someday, but with slightly more knowledge.”

And a ravishing, ample-bosomed guide to take me there.

“Well, you seem like a top sheila. What do you want to know?”

We drank our coffees and talked about life in Australia versus life in Essex. I couldn't stop looking at her plump, rosy lips. Hooked on her every word. What was such a beautiful, worldly girl doing in Essex of all places?

“Oh, you know. Mate of mine had a flat here, and I wanted to get away from Brisbane. It was a start. Plus, Chelmsford's nice.”

“Have you seen the sights here?”

“Well, there's not much to be seen! But…”

A glint in her eye made my belly feel like it had been invaded by butterflies.

“I'd like to see the cathedral.”

“Oh. Right. It's not that exciting, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But it's the company I'm in that makes it more exciting.”

I flushed red and decided that if she wanted to see the cathedral, she was going to get a damn good tour of the place, regardless of how much of a non-event it was.

Trying to decipher the old gravestones in the courtyard had proven to be quite a task. Dylan looked over my shoulder as I gave it another go. The sun had reappeared with a vengeance and I could feel tiny rivulets of moist sweat forming on my forehead.

“B…E…J… Em, I have no idea,” I said, plonking down on the grass.

“Good, because I have no idea too. How old are these?”

“Probably hundreds of years old.”

“Hmm. Imagine being alive back then. No fun to be had anywhere.”

“True. We probably would be frowned upon.”

“Of course. All the cool people would be frowned upon. You were only allowed to be a boring tit. No freedom of expression, sexuality was a moot point…. It wouldn't be fun.”

With that, she grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on the palm. “But luckily, we live in different times.”

She snuggled up against me, and my belly fizzed again.

We moved on and ventured to a sex shop near the station. Dylan had to pull me inside, red-faced and nervous. The man at the counter frowned at the sight of a sprightly Aussie lass, bouncing about.

I marveled at her wonder at everything in stock. She gasped as she eagerly fingered the leather corsets, lace underthings and bottles of lube.

And then she found a bright pink double-ender dildo. “How the hell is this supposed to go in anything?” she said.

I furrowed my brows at the neon monster. “You could use it as a doorstop.”

“Or for a friendly game of dildo jousting!”

“What the hell is that?”

“Swordfighting with dildos. Hurts much, much less. Although I wouldn't know with this one.” She swished and swooshed the dildo about, and my composure failed me. I broke out into a

giggle.

We left in a hurry, holding hands, nearly forgetting to put down the dildo.

“There's a lot of pigeons here,” she said. We had ended up in the Central Park, sitting cross-legged on the grass. Dylan fiddled with flowers.