Then another sound caught her ear. It was Dev. Lauren didn't hesitate to quietly open the door that led to Dev's room and check on her friend.
"Don't..." The President's voice was pleading again; apparently she was caught up in another nightmare.
Lauren stepped deeper into the room and moved to the edge of Dev's bed. She noticed two things right away. Dev was rolling around in her bed, all twisted in her sheets. And she was naked as the day she was born. From the waist up at least. Her pajama top was wadded into a ball on the floor.
"Don't!" Dev's thrashed again. Her breathing was coming in short, raspy bursts.
Lauren swallowed as a feeling of helplessness washed over her, leaving her nearly in tears.
Another nightmare? God, Dev, how often do you have these?
"Please...please. Don't leave!" Dev tossed in the bed, fighting the covers and becoming more distressed by the second.
Lauren knelt alongside the bed. "Devlyn," she whispered. "It's just a dream, darlin'." Lauren carefully reached out to straighten Dev's sheets and tug something over Dev's naked breasts, which were bathed in silver moonlight. The sheet stopped just below what she was trying to cover. "Jesus." Lauren closed her eyes and tugged harder, cursing softly when the bedding wouldn't move. Dev's whimpers grew louder and when no amount of soothing seemed to work, Lauren tentatively crawled in bed alongside the older woman.
Dev let out a long hard breath, instantly curling up against Lauren and wrapping her arms around the writer's waist. She made a few more frustrated noises that were quickly followed by soft mewing sounds that eventually evened into gentle snores
Lauren pressed her cheek against Dev's hair and returned the embrace. "That's it. Relax." She took a deep breath, catching the smell of fresh linen and Dev's skin. She exhaled contentedly. Lauren tried not to the think of the warm, soft breasts pressing against her.
I don't want to move, even though I need to. This feels too nice. What are you dreaming of, Devlyn?
Wednesday, June 16
th
Dev was caught up in that wonderful place between sleep and wakefulness, where the slightest push one way or the other is all it would take to get you there. She was having the most wonderful dream: Lauren was in her arms, she could feel her, smell her, and if she lowered her lips just a hair, she could taste warm, soft skin. She shifted to hug her body pillow closer. But with her next breath she was suddenly more awake than asleep.
Panic set in when she could feel her body pillow's gentle breath against the sensitive skin.
Don't panic, Marlowe! Too late! Okay, you don't remember anything after the tattoo thing. But that doesn't mean anything. Relax.
Dev could hear footsteps downstairs and by the angle of the sunshine cascading in through her window, she could tell it was at least mid-morning.
Wake her up, but don't do anything stupid. Tread softly.
"Lauren?"
"Hmmm?" Lauren murmured, snuggling closer.
"Lauren?" It was all Dev could do to breathe and not bolt upright. "Come on, sweetheart. It's time to wake up."
Lauren shook her head and mumbled a grumpy ‘no'. "Go ‘way," she slurred even as she snuggled closer, shifting and pressing her face against Dev's chest. She sighed and began to lightly snore.
Dev whimpered. She bit her lip as the shivers worked their way down her spine and the gooseflesh broke out all over her shoulders.
I could stay like this for a while. What would be so wrong about that?
She ran her fingers through disordered, wavy blonde hair, loving its silken texture.
She was about to try again when there was a sharp rap on the door, just a split second before it opened. "Devil, breakfast is ready and I-" Janet Marlowe stopped dead in her tracks as Dev quickly pulled the covers over her half-naked body and the woman sleeping in her arms.
"Mom!"
Lauren's eyes flew open, only it was dark. She could feel something brushing against her cheek. Her mind desperately searched itself. "Oh my God! A nipple!" she squawked loudly, squirming wildly as Dev held her down.
Dev's face flushed bright red and her mother began howling with laughter. "Well, Devil dear, it's good to know that she recognizes all the important parts!" The older woman tossed her head back in renewed laughter. When Janet finally composed herself, she said, "Breakfast is ready if you two are the least bit interested." The woman continued to chuckle even as she pulled the door shut. "Frank, put a couple of plates in the oven - it may be awhile. Thank the Lord!"
Dev groaned, trying to decide what part of this was going to kill her first. She suspected it would be Lauren.
When Devlyn finally let go of her death grip on the sheet, the writer practically flew out of the bed, landing on the floor with a glorious, unceremonious thud. She looked around the room. Dev's room? Then the events of the night before came rushing back. "You..." Lauren swallowed. "You were having a dream."
Dev made no effort to move. She simply lay on her back with her arms out at her side. "Apparently." After a moment she added, "Do you, perchance, know where my shirt is?"
"I didn't take it off!" Lauren shot back defensively. Then she stopped and got a really good look at Devlyn's semi-nude body, which amazingly looked even better in the bright morning sun than it had in the moonlight. She stared. "Damn, Devlyn."
Dev rolled over on her side, pulling the blanket over herself, trying to hide her smile at Lauren's obvious appreciation of her body. "I didn't say you did. Can you get in that dresser behind you and get me a T-shirt? You'll know they're mine because they have the Presidential seal on them," she teased, hoping to lower Lauren's defensiveness.
They were here to relax and Dev was going to relax and get this sorted out without causing another problem between her and Lauren. More kissing, less problems. Was that so much to ask?
"Why are you so concerned about your shirt," Lauren hissed. "I'm a girl too, you know." She ignored the fact that she had been staring at Dev's naked body like she was a 16-year-old boy. "We need to worry about your mother! She caught us... us..." Lauren waved her hands in the air. "In bed together!"
Dev took a deep breath and got out of the bed, looking around until she found her pajama shirt on the floor at the foot of the bed. She slipped it on. "First, I only wanted my shirt because believe it or not, I'm modest."
When I'm not drinking beer.
“And second, did my mother sound upset by the fact that she found us in bed together?" Dev tilted her head, finally getting a good look at Lauren in her cotton boxers and thin T-shirt.
Nice, very nice.
"I dunno. I couldn't hear very well because one of my ears was pressed up against..." She pointed at Dev and flushed a bright red. "You know!"
"Oh yeah. I know." Dev sighed and took a tentative step forward. "Trust me. My mother was not upset. There's no reason for you to be, unless you're upset that you were in bed with me."
Which, you moron, she probably is. Jesus, Dev, what the hell did you do last night?
"I'm umm... I'm sorry if I did anything out of line, Lauren. I never meant to hurt you. To be honest, I'm not even sure how we ended up here together. But if I hurt you or upset you-"
Lauren raised her palms. "Hold it."
Dev's parents are not your parents, Lauri. Relax. She's not upset. Her mother didn't freak out. They won't be mad at her and nobody's going to come in here brandishing a shotgun
. With effort, Lauren allowed some of her tension to slip away. "You didn't do anything. You were having a nightmare and I came in to see if I could help." She smoothed out the bottom of her T-shirt as she approached Dev. "I was worried. You didn't wake up when I shook you, so I climbed into bed and you calmed right down. I... umm... I guess I feel asleep," she admitted bashfully.
Dev smiled. "You came in to help me with a bad dream? That was very sweet of you. I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Apparently you... uh...well, we both slept like babies last night. Thanks for staying. I know it must have been hard for you."
Please tell me it wasn't. Please, please, please.
Lauren looked up shyly. "Hard?" She laughed. "Ummm... that's not exactly how I would describe it, Devlyn." She reached up and fingered a lock of dark hair.
Dev took Lauren's hand, kissing it very gently. When their eyes met, a smile spread across her lips. "You know what, Lauren Strayer?"
Lauren shook her head ‘no' and gazed up at Dev from behind pale lashes. "What?"
"I really want to kiss you right now. Do you think that'd be all right? Or are you afraid my mom will come back in?" She gave the shorter woman a lop-sided grin and inched a little closer, taking a deep breath and stroking Lauren's cheek with the back of her hand.
Lauren's eyelids drooped slightly when she felt the warmth of Devlyn's body come to rest against hers. Her heart began to pound and she lifted herself up onto tipped toes. "Who's mom?"
Dev slid her arms around the smaller woman and barely brushed her lips over Lauren's. Then, on impulse, she sighed and decided to show Lauren exactly what she felt. The kiss was slow, and patient and as loving as she could make it.
Lauren whimpered quietly when Dev gently requested more, which she gave without hesitation.
The writer felt Dev thread her fingers in her hair and pull her closer, deepening the kiss.
Oh yeah, this is good in so many ways.
Lauren's thoughts slowly moved from how good the kiss was to what else might be worth trying.
Every blessed thing I can talk her into trying
, she decided,
as soon as I can figure out what that might be.
When they finally broke apart, Dev smiled and brushed her thumb over Lauren's lips. "So soft. Now I have another question for you."
"Yes," Lauren sighed dreamily. "Whatever it is, as long as I continue getting kisses like that, the answer is yes."
Dev straightened and gave Lauren a bright smile. "All right. If I'm going to take you out, then the least you can do is pick the place."
Lauren blinked. "Are you asking me on an honest to goodness, real live date?"
"Yes. And you can't back out now," Dev teased. "You already said yes."
A playful expression overtook Lauren's face. "Oh, I wasn't going to back out, Devlyn Marlowe. I'm holding you to your offer." She put her finger on her chin and pretended to seriously consider Dev's question. "Wherever we go, will there be a team of Secret Service agents lurking in every corner?"
"Yup. Unless you have some kinky fantasy that I'm not aware of that requires several agents."
"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know," Lauren shot back, stealing another small kiss. She hummed as they separated. "I should go get dressed." The smaller woman turned on her heel and moved toward the bathroom. "You don't have to take me anywhere, Devlyn. We can spend time together at home for all I care. So long as it's together."
"Actually, I would like to know," Dev called after her. "Now we get to go downstairs and face the family. Not to mention David and Beth. You ready for that?"
Home? Did she just say home? Go ask her, stupid. No. Wait. One thing at a time. Ask her later.
Lauren turned around as she pulled open the bathroom door, the wood floor made her toes cold, but she felt warm inside. She cocked her head to the side. "We do it together right?"
Dev nodded.
"Then I'm ready if you are."
CHAPTER VII
July 2021
Thursday, July 1
st
DEV
RUBBED HER temples. The men and women in the cabinet meeting waited for her to say something. Finally, she looked up and smiled. Even in a few months, this group had learned that this particular smile was not a good thing. "Fine," she said on a low and determined breath. "Since we don't seem to be getting anywhere talking to each other, let's try it the old fashioned way."