Finding Home (28 page)

“My friends and the familiarity of a city I know like the back of my hand.”

Natalie nodded some more.

“And what I think might be a golden opportunity with a woman I met recently.”

The nodding stopped and Natalie looked as if she were trying to hold back a grin. “A woman you met recently?”

“Yup. I didn’t really like her at Þ rst. As a matter of fact, I wanted to hate her. She stole my dog.”

“Really?” Natalie arched a brow. “Because I heard she
rescued
your dog.”

“Potato, po-tah-to,” Sarah said with a dismissive wave.

“But you ended up not hating her?”

“I really wanted to, but she made it impossible. She’s way too sweet to hate. I didn’t really think we had much in common, but the more I got to know her, the more I realized I was wrong, that we have a lot in common and that I admire her.”

Natalie’s eyes widened in shocked surprise. “You
admire
her? Why?”

“Why?” It was Sarah’s turn to be surprised. “Because she had the balls to ask for what she wanted. She had the courage and the strength to say, ‘Hey, make sure you think about this before you make a decision, okay?’ That kind of bravery is sorely lacking in most women. Most women are too afraid to speak their minds, too afraid to ask for something they want or something they think they deserve. I know. In the past year, I’ve become one of them. But you…” Her voice got quiet and she smiled tenderly.

“You weren’t afraid to tell me not to go. You just put it out there.

Just like that.”

“I was worried I was being reckless,” Natalie confessed with a nervous chuckle.

“You were being ballsy,” Sarah corrected with a chuckle. “It told me everything I needed to know.”

“Yeah, well.” Two rosy circles blossomed on Natalie’s cheeks, making Sarah smile.

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“Come here.” She motioned for Natalie to come into the living room with her. As she approached, Sarah held her arms out. “Come here,” she said again.

Natalie didn’t wait for a third invitation. She nearly threw herself into Sarah’s arms, then pulled back immediately, concern on her face. “Oh, God, I’m sorry,” she said as she gingerly touched Sarah’s bandaged forearm.

“I told you it doesn’t even hurt anymore,” Sarah said, taking Natalie’s face in her hands and pressing their lips together, effectively silencing her. A sudden ß ashback from her drug-induced daze the previous weekend threatened to melt her into a bubbling puddle right there on the couch. She tried to take things slowly, but sense memory urged her forward, the softness of Natalie’s lips nearly undoing her as she pushed herself deeper into the warm wet of Natalie’s mouth. The groan that rewarded her sent a rush to her groin and kicked her heart rate up three or four notches. She gripped the back of Natalie’s neck, the skin there hot to the touch, and used her other arm around Natalie’s waist to pull her closer, hold her tighter.

The next thing she knew, she was leaning backward, Natalie pushing into her until her back hit the couch cushions and Natalie was stretched out on top of her. She moaned into Natalie’s mouth, reveling in the feel of the weight above her.

“Am I hurting you?” Natalie asked, pulling away.

“No!” Sarah said, too loudly, making them both laugh. “No.

Stay right there. You feel great.” Natalie moved her mouth over Sarah’s chin and down to her throat.

“So do you.” Natalie bathed Sarah’s skin with her tongue, hot and sensual. After several long minutes of such treatment, Sarah was nearly panting.

“You know,” she said through ragged breaths, “we probably shouldn’t sleep together so soon.”

“You’re right. We probably shouldn’t.”

“Sex on the Þ rst date is rarely a good idea.”

“Rarely,” Natalie agreed just before she crushed her mouth

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to Sarah’s, kissing her roughly, plunging her tongue into Sarah’s mouth and laying claim to it.

Oh, my God,
was the only coherent thought Sarah could muster as her body went into sensation overload. Natalie gently grasped her bandaged arm and moved it up over her head.

“Keep this here,” she ordered. “I don’t want to hurt you accidentally.”

“But you’ll hurt me on purpose?” Sarah teased.

Natalie leaned closer so her lips brushed Sarah’s ear. “If that’s what turns you on,” she whispered, punctuating her words with a swipe of her tongue, forcing a mufß ed cry from Sarah.

“Christ, you’re going to be the death of me,” she muttered, not at all worried.

“Oh, no, no,” Natalie said. “Where’s the fun in that? I have far too many plans for you to kill you this early on.” With that, she slid a hand up Sarah’s torso and squeezed the handful of breast she came across, running a thumb over the already-erect nipple and earning a startled gasp from Sarah.

Never having been the kind of woman to be led, Sarah couldn’t believe she was letting it happen now.
When did I
become so damn submissive?
she thought with confusion, even more bafß ed by how much she was enjoying it. Sure, Suzanne had taken the reins in their few make-out sessions, but Sarah had been slightly uncomfortable with that, never quite feeling as relaxed as she should have. She was used to leading, to taking control, to setting the pace. She’d always done so with Karen.

Therefore, she was shocked at how easily she allowed Natalie to take over. For the Þ rst time in her life, she was perfectly content, happy even, to let somebody else have the sole responsibility of making her feel good.

And damn if Natalie wasn’t a pro at it already.

It was a little surprising, if Sarah was totally honest. As Natalie deftly unbuttoned the front of Sarah’s blouse, Sarah thought it interesting that she’d never pegged Natalie for a take-control type. She seemed more like an avoid-conß ict, let-

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somebody-else-handle-it kind of girl. Maybe that was because she’d seen Andrea protect her, stand up for her and take the heat.

Sarah had mistakenly assumed that meant Natalie was weak, but what it really meant was that those who cared about Natalie simply wanted to shield her from harm or pain. It had nothing to do with Natalie being timid or helpless.
No. No, she’s certainly
not either of those.
Sarah arched into Natalie’s mouth, which had closed over one now-bared breast, and moaned with pleasure at the shock waves that zipped through her torso.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Natalie said around the ß esh in her mouth.

Sarah’s head was thrown back into the couch cushions, her eyes squeezed shut as she coasted along the ripples of bliss Natalie created in her body.

“Sarah.” Natalie’s voice was hoarse. Sarah lifted her head and almost ß inched at the calm reverence reß ected in Natalie’s eyes. “I think you’re beautiful.”

Grasping her face in both hands, Þ lled with a pounding desire she hadn’t felt in years, Sarah pulled Natalie up so they were nose to nose, and kissed her deeply, pushing her tongue far into Natalie’s mouth, responding to the compliment the best way she knew how. The resulting whimper that issued from Natalie’s throat was enough to ensure Sarah’s panties were not just damp, but soaked. As if reading her thoughts, Natalie slipped a hand between their bodies and fumbled with the fastening of Sarah’s black slacks. Not bothering with any attempts at actually pulling them down, Natalie simply thrust her hand down the front, into Sarah’s panties, and slid her Þ ngers into the growing wetness that was waiting for her, that she’d created. Sarah pushed against her, unbelievably close to climax already, and did her best to open her legs as wide as she could despite the obstacle of the couch.

When the rhythmic rocking began, she knew it was only a matter of minutes. Natalie toyed with her as they continued to devour one another, pressing here and circling there, but not giving the full-on pressure that they both knew would send Sarah careening

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over the edge and into the abyss. When Natalie Þ nally pulled back and held Sarah’s gaze, Sarah was sure she’d never, ever been looked at in quite the same way ever before. Not breaking that eye contact, Natalie lowered herself to Sarah’s chest slowly—painfully slowly—and ran the ß at of her tongue over one pebble-like nipple at the same time she slipped her Þ ngers inside the moist warmth of Sarah’s body. Sucking the nipple Þ rmly, she pulled her Þ ngers out and then thrust them back in, only once, and that was it. The growl that ripped from Sarah’s throat was unrecognizable to her as she arched completely up off the couch. Surely she didn’t make such noises during an orgasm.

Did she? Every muscle in her body contracted and she felt like an overstretched rubber band, about to snap any second. Natalie continued to push her Þ ngers in and pull them out, milking every second of the pulsing, pounding climax, taking everything Sarah was willing to give her and more.

When Sarah Þ nally dropped back onto the cushions, ß at on her back and beaded with sweat, all words escaped her. She couldn’t formulate a single one as she lay there trying to catch her breath, Natalie’s head pillowed on her shoulder, Natalie’s Þ ngers still tucked snugly inside her. All she knew was that she felt full, Þ lled, loved like she never had before. Emotion suddenly welled up, and to her own horror, she sensed her eyes pooling with unshed tears. Before she could collect herself, Natalie pulled her hand slowly from Sarah’s pants and lifted her head to meet her embarrassed gaze. But instead of alarm, as Sarah expected her reaction would be, Natalie simply smiled and her eyes sparkled wetly, too.

“I…I just…” Sarah thought an explanation was in order, but she had none, the description of what she was feeling too complex, a little awkward, too confusing to verbalize.

Natalie placed a Þ nger over Sarah’s lips, her voice a whisper.

“It’s okay. I know.”

The relief Sarah felt, the contentment and comfort at not having to explain herself was almost immediately overshadowed

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by the pang of arousal that hit her when her own scent, which coated Natalie’s Þ ngers, hit her nostrils. Suddenly, there was nothing in the world Sarah wanted to do more than touch this woman, to see her naked, to feel her skin, to make her groan and whimper and beg. Nothing. She took Natalie’s chin in her hand and held her gaze.

“I want you. Come to bed with me.”

v

“Oh, that’s nice.” Natalie spoke softly, something about the dim candlelight of the room creating an atmosphere she didn’t want to disturb. “A little mood lighting.”

“Exactly,” Sarah said, setting the large candle she’d just lit on the nightstand nearby. Natalie watched as she slid onto the eggplant-colored bedspread and propped up a couple of matching pillows. Quickly shedding what remained of her clothing, she slipped beneath the covers and sat with her back against the pillows. Waving a directing Þ nger at Natalie, she commanded in a hoarse voice, “Off.”

Natalie stood before her, fully dressed with the exception of her shoes. Granted, her hair was disheveled and her turtleneck wrinkled from their session on the couch, but otherwise, she was entirely overdressed and they both knew it. “You’re a bossy thing, aren’t you?” Natalie commented with a wink.

“Hey, I let you have your way with me in the living room.

Now it’s my turn.” She made the same gesture with her Þ nger.

“Off.”

The commanding tone of Sarah’s voice sent an erotic tingle up Natalie’s spine and she wet her lips with her tongue. “Yes, ma’am,” she said quietly and began to do as she was told.

“Slowly.”

Natalie swallowed hard, her arousal almost painful. She unclipped her hair and let it fall around her shoulders, brushing her Þ ngers through it to ß uff it. The belt came next, and unbuckling

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it proved to be difÞ cult with her suddenly trembling hands, but she managed, unfastened her khakis and slid them down her legs.

She didn’t meet Sarah’s eyes again until she’d stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.

Sarah’s gaze wandered slowly up her legs, so intense that Natalie was sure she could actually
feel
it, as if it was Sarah’s hand and not her eyes traveling along Natalie’s skin. When Sarah’s focus returned to Natalie’s face, she arched an eyebrow as if to ask, “And? Why are you stopping?” Astonishment Þ lled Natalie as she tried to reconcile how she’d been so brazen and commanding twenty minutes ago and now felt like a virgin on her wedding night, wanting nothing more than for her partner to Þ nd her body pleasing. She grasped her turtleneck by the hem and pulled it up and over her head, certain she heard a small gasp come from Sarah. She dropped the shirt on the ß oor and stood before Sarah in a black satin bra and matching panties, and when she saw the expression of undeniable excitement etched across Sarah’s face, she silently congratulated herself for taking a risk and wearing the only truly sexy underwear she owned, despite having no idea where the evening would go.

“My God,” Sarah whispered. “You’re stunning.”

A warm sensation Þ lled Natalie from the inside when she heard the words. “Stunning, huh? Okay, I’ll take that.”

“Come here,” Sarah ordered, throwing the covers back and indicating the space between her knees. “Sit right here.”

Still in her bra and panties, Natalie did as she was told, crawling onto the bed and sitting between Sarah’s legs, her back to Sarah’s front. Sarah wrapped an arm around her torso and pulled her back tightly. The sensation of Sarah’s bare breasts against her back, of Sarah’s warm legs alongside her own, caused her to moan softly as she leaned fully back, feeling surrounded by Sarah’s body and reveling in it. Sarah’s chin rested on Natalie’s shoulder, her lips brushing Natalie’s ear as she spoke in a breezy whisper.

“You are so unbelievably sexy,” she said, her tone underlining

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her surprise. “I want to touch you everywhere.” Her bandaged arm was tight across Natalie’s middle, the gauze scraping against the sensitive skin of her stomach. With one easy shift, Sarah closed her hand over Natalie’s satin-covered breast, kneading it gently but Þ rmly, coaxing the nipple to stand at attention, which it did in a matter of mere seconds. Natalie’s breath hitched.