Lovestruck (21 page)

Jenny lost herself in the kiss. Barbara tasted like toothpaste. After a second bout of love making last night, they'd eaten pizza and drank wine in bed. They had fooled around again, and sometime after midnight they'd finally grown drowsy. They cleaned each other in the bathroom and fell into Jenny's bed naked, snuggling as they fell asleep, arms and legs wrapped around one another.

Jenny laughed against Barbara's mouth.

Barbara moved away. She opened her eyes. "What's so funny, dear?" she asked, playing with Jenny's hair.

"I'm thinking back to how we shared my toothbrush last night."

Barbara grinned. "Next time, I'll have to make sure I bring my own. I'm not sure I want to catch whatever you have."

Jenny frowned. "What I have?"

"Yes. What was it? Lovestruck?"

Jenny rolled her eyes and placed an arm over her face. "You've never said anything that didn't make sense while caught up in the moment?"

Barbara poked Jenny in the side.

Jenny let out a loud giggle. "Stop it! I'm ticklish!"

Barbara straddled Jenny and tickled her in earnest. Jenny let out a peal of laughter.

"Rise and shine—
Oh my god!
" Mike yelled and covered his eyes.

Both women squealed. Jenny reached for the sheet and pulled it up over herself and Barbara. She tried to push Barbara under the covers to hide but it was too late.

"Michael Allen, next time, knock first." Jenny shouted, realizing her face had to be three shades of red.

Barbara laughed and peeked out from under the sheet, pulling it around her body until just her head poked out.

"Hello, Mike," she said and placed her hands behind her head.

Jenny looked down at her lover, wide-eyed.

Mike still had his hands over his eyes as he stood there in his boxers. "Great to see you again, Ms. Jennings. I mean . . . ah, fuck it. Jenny you need to get ready for class." Mike backed out of the room with his eyes still covered and closed the door behind him.

Jenny rubbed her hands over her face. As the sheet dipped down around her waist, Barbara leaned over to touch her nipple, but Jenny slapped her hand away.

"I'm never going to live this down. How embarrassing." Jenny moaned and lay back down, pulling her pillow over her face.

Barbara turned on her side. She pulled the pillow off Jenny's face. "It was bound to happen. Don't sweat it."

Jenny rolled her eyes dramatically and snickered.

Barbara placed her hand on Jenny's neck and kissed her. "Do you have to go to class today? We could play hooky," she said against Jenny's lips.

Jenny nodded. "This week is when most students skip because next week we have finals."

"What happens after finals?" Barbara asked as she pushed her leg in between Jenny's and moved her knee to rub her crotch.

Jenny moaned against Barbara's mouth and nibbled at her lips. "After my spring semester ends, I'll take the summer off and work. I have one year left and then I'm home free."

Barbara lifted her head. "In two weeks, I'll be turning thirty-six and for my birthday gift I'm planning on a trip to Egypt. How would you like to go with me?"

Jenny bit her lip. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am very serious." Barbara flicked Jenny's lip and placed her chin on Jenny's shoulder. "I'd love nothing more than to celebrate my birthday with the woman I love in one of my most favorite places in the world. And since I'm the boss, I can approve the time off. Come on, Jennifer, what do you say?"

Jenny's gaze roamed over Barbara's face and her eyes filled with tears.

Barbara frowned. "Oh baby, there's no need to cry."

"I'm crying because I'm so happy. Why me? Why us?" Jenny asked.

Barbara rubbed her nose against Jenny's cheek. "Sometimes there is no reason. I just know I'm so grateful to have found you. I just hope you won't get sick of me too soon."

Jenny cupped Barbara's head in her hands. "That will not happen. Barbara, I love you so much. I can't explain it, but I just do. I hope . . . ."

"I hope also, kiddo." Barbara kissed her and they held each other close.

"Should anyone ask, what is my reason for playing hooky today?" Jenny murmured against Barbara's throat.

Barbara moved her head down Jenny's body and when she reached her stomach, she pressed a light kiss there. "You've been struck by love of course."

Jenny moaned in passion. "Of course." she whispered, losing all breath as Barbara moved down even farther and her tongue and mouth nibbled in between her legs.

Soft moans resonated from Jenny's bedroom as Mike moved his ear away from the bedroom door. He didn't have any shame over eavesdropping; as far as Mike was concerned, it was his duty to make sure things were going well for Jenny. He walked away, whistling under his breath. He couldn't help but smile as he entered the kitchen where he would start on his latest story. This would be a romance about the two least likely people finding love with one another. But instead of the lead characters being women, they'd be men, to fit his audience.

For the next few hours the sounds of keyboard typing and female laughter filled the small apartment, providing perfect mood music for Mike's muse.

The line at Starbucks always stood ten people deep on early Monday mornings.

Jenny stood in line, yawning from lack of sleep. She wore a warm knit cap on her head instead of her usual baseball cap. The brisk winter weather had caused havoc all over the East Coast. It was only the middle of February and already Jenny longed to put away her bulky pea coat and break out her favorite black hoodie sweatshirt.

The door kept opening and closing, letting the chilled breeze in. Jenny shivered and anxiously shuffled her feet. She had less than half an hour to get to her first class.

She would be late at the rate the line was moving.

She was stamping her feet and rubbing her hands together when someone bumped into her from behind. With her cap low over her head, she turned to snarl at whoever was responsible, but instead let out a huge yawn.

"Hey, watch it—" Jenny mumbled and stopped when she saw who it was. She smiled around her scarf.

Barbara wore a long, black coat with a fur hood around her head and held two Venti cups.

"How'd you get here so fast? I left before you did." Jenny rubbed her stuffy nose.

God, how she hated winter colds. She accepted the cup Barbara offered and took a big gulp.

Barbara watched her and grimaced. "I still can't believe how fast you can drink that and not burn your throat." She took Jenny by her arm and walked over to fix her coffee.

"Lots of practice." Jenny smiled against the rim and guzzled some more.

Barbara rolled her eyes and after her own coffee had been fixed to her liking, she took a quick sip and pulled off Jenny's cap.

"Hey—" Before Jenny could grab her hat back, Barbara gave her a very wet and heated kiss.

Jenny just stood there holding her latte. Whether it was the caffeine hitting her system or Barbara's kiss, she now felt wide awake.

Jenny didn't hear someone clearing their voice behind her. When something wet splashed on her leg, she released Barbara's mouth. She looked down and saw Barbara had tipped her cup and some of her coffee had splashed on her briefcase she had placed on the floor.

"Oops," Barbara said with a twinkle in her eye and handed Jenny a napkin.

Barbara turned to the much older woman wearing an expensive fur coat. "My apologies."

Jenny covered her mouth, embarrassed by the public display of affection Barbara had given her. She waited for the woman to give them a disgusted look or tell them off.

The woman grabbed a handful of sugars and placed them in her bag. She gave Jenny and Barbara a small grin. "What I wouldn't give to be woken up that way each morning. Can't go wrong with a great cup of coffee and kissing someone you love.

Congratulations by the way." She raised her cup and walked away.

Barbara and Jenny laughed. "Only in Manhattan," they said in unison.

As Barbara held the door open for Jenny to walk back outside, the brisk winter morning didn't seem as cold as before. Jenny glanced down and smiled at the diamond engagement ring Barbara had given her this past weekend. As she took another sip of her latte, Barbara kissed her on the side of her neck.

"Love you," Barbara whispered and rubbed her nose into Jenny's hair. She placed the cap back on Jenny's head.

"Love you back," Jenny responded, fixing her cap. Placing an arm around Barbara's neck, she kissed her the same way Barbara did a moment ago in Starbucks.

Neither Barbara nor Jenny noticed any of the commuters who walked past them or overheard the buzz of conversation discussing the bill recently passed by New York State making gay marriage legal come the spring.

The End

About the Author

KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well known book reviewer and blogger who doesn't shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT also works in Manhattan as a freelancer in the television and video industry. KT has been quoted in such publications as the Romance Writers Associations’ Romance Writers Report. She has also been mentioned in the Guardian.UK, Publisher's Weekly's Beyond the Book and at Bookseller.com. You can visit her at
http://ktgrant.com/
and at her personal blog at
http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/