Holly felt the cold draft kiss her neck as soon as she came down the staircase. She dropped the forensics report Traci had asked for onto the console table by her front door, then hugged herself with crossed arms. It was chilly this evening, more so than usual, and she'd hoped the central heating would have kicked on by now.
"Who was that?" Gail called out from the lounge room when she saw Holly walk back into the kitchen. The doctor had disappeared on a phone call just minutes earlier leaving Gail to fend for herself.
Waiting for an answer, Gail reached for the half-eaten block of chocolate on the coffee table and broke off a few pieces. She plopped them into her mouth then settled back into the sofa.
Lost in thought, Holly reached into the front pocket of her cardigan and pulled out her phone. She was thankful to finally be able to switch it off.
Since the Ford shooting a few days ago, work had been hectic and she'd been running around like a headless chook. On top of the autopsy and all the paperwork that went with it, she had landed a fresh murder case, so her phone had been ringing off the hook from people demanding results. She'd barely had a moment to breathe let alone any spare time for the woman who had so blatantly occupied her thoughts these past forty-eight hours.
Now, she was in desperate need of a reprieve, and seeing as tonight was her first proper evening together with Gail as "more than just friends", she thought they could do without any further interruptions. A small smile formed on Holly's lips as switched off the offending object and pushed it across the kitchen island. She picked up the glass of wine Gail had poured her and turned in the direction of the living room.
Her girlfriend– wait...were they even calling each other that? She wondered– of three days had taken up residence on the far end of her sofa, and sunk into the worn cushions of what had quickly become known as 'her spot.' According to Gail, only awesome people could sit there and Holly had yet to earn her awesome person status.
As Holly continued her once one-sided staring contest, Gail once again claimed ownership of Holly's favorite blue fleece blanket, pulling it out from beneath the coffee table and up over her chest until it gathered comfortably below her chin.
Cradling her glass in one hand, Holly slumped backwards until her back hit the sharp edge of the counter. She raised her glass into the air, moving it closer towards her mouth, but stopped the action when her bottom lip made contact with the rim. Any pain she may have felt against her back was all but forgotten as her fortuitous gaze, now steeped in wonderment, lay soundly on the beautiful woman sitting on her sofa who was now staring back at her with equal intensity.
As it had happened so often in recent times, it wasn't long before their connection became too overwhelming for Gail, so in hopes of breaking the spell Holly had cast, she opened her mouth and asked her question again, "Hol? The phone? Who was it?" before quickly turning her attention to the television.
Holly shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts. "Oh. That was Detective Nash. I might've accidentally taken one of her reports home. Whoops," Holly grinned. "She'll be here in about twenty minutes to pick it up."
Gail acknowledged this new information with a nod, not thinking anything of it, however, Holly had other concerns.
"I offered to take it to her but she wouldn't take no for an answer," she explained. "Besides, she was on her way home anyway. So," Holly paused, and played nervously with the base of her glass, "did you want to go hide?"
Holly dropped head back and groaned as soon as the words fell out of her mouth.
What the hell was that, Stewart? For someone who was usually very good at using that thing called a brain, before speaking, using those other things known as words, lately, more often than not, she found herself losing all sense when it came to doing just that in front of Gail Peck. The woman, who up until a few moments ago, was happily eating chocolate in the comfort of her living room but was now was gaping at her, Gail's chocolate covered tongue in full view because her mouth had fallen open in disbelief.
Once her initial shock wore off, Gail closed her mouth and continued on her mission of chewing and swallowing. "Holly, for the sake of your own peace of mind, I am going to pretend that I didn't hear you say that." She shook her head in amusement but after further thought, frowned.
Did Holly really think Gail worried about such things? That she was ashamed of their relationship? Had she given her reason to? Gail wondered.
It was true that yes, she had only dated men in the past. And sure, dating a woman was uncharted territory for her but she had always considered herself to be a fairly open-minded person. The fact was she'd never really given her sexuality much thought. Gail was the kind of person who once got truly comfortable with someone, wasn't afraid to show those closest to her exactly how she felt about them. "Now, will you please stop fidgeting and come here," Gail ordered before softening her voice to reveal, "I'm cold."
She lifted the corner of the blanket, hoping Holly would take the hint and come warm her feet. Lucky for Gail, Holly recovered quickly from whatever momentary panic Gail had just witnessed and walked over to the sofa and sat down next her.
"Closer," Gail urged, pouting when Holly began to settle too far away from her.
Holly smiled, then shifted along the sofa until Gail was able to bury her toes under what she noted were strong thighs. Her eyes lingered on what seemed like a never-ending expanse of olive skin. Smooth, soft and hot to touch. Or so Gail imagined...
With huge effort, Gail tore her eyes away from Holly's legs and pulled the blanket back over them. She offered Holly a warm smile as she nervously drummed her fingers against the wine glass in her lap. She tried and failed to concentrate on anything other the sexy woman beside her and the perfectly toned arm that just brushed up against her side, and left a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
Gail cleared her throat, in hopes that speaking would help change the subject in her head. Besides, easing Holly's concerns about her newfound lesbianism felt like the right thing for her to do in this moment. She felt so comfortable with Holly, more so than anyone who had come before her. And Holly needn't worry about gay panic either. To be honest, she'd be more inclined to freak out over the fact that she had fallen in love with this woman so fast.
"You know, I meant what I said the other night," she started, remembering how she'd called Holly her girlfriend, rather casually mind you, as she ascended Holly's staircase with a bottle of bourbon towards what would now be forever known as The Great Hair Massacre of 2014.
Holly turned her head to face Gail, "Hmm? What? That you're never drinking bourbon again? Or that I'm the best kisser in the world? Or was it the universe?" Holly cheekily tapped a finger against her lip in mock contemplation. "I can't remember."
Gail scoffed. "Firstly, that comment was made in the heat of the moment. Besides, I was probably still a little bit drunk, therefore obviously not thinking clearly."
"Obviously." Holly smirked.
"And secondly, you're dreaming, Stewart! I never said anything of the sort!"
At the time, Holly was pretty sure Gail was being dead serious. "Oh, really? You think so do you?"
Holly was being smug. A little too smug for Gail's liking.
"You must be thinking of the last girl you kissed," Gail sassed.
"Probably. I do hear this a lot," Holly agreed, before backtracking, "Not that I go around kissing a lot of people because I don't," she explained. "There's some, I mean...I kiss a regular amount of people." She looked up to the ceiling and shook her head, "Why am I still talking?" she asked herself.
Gail chuckled. She watched Holly closely, her blue eyes dancing with mischief. "You're kinda cute when you ramble." She smiled. "Did you-" Gail stopped talking mid sentence and frowned.
"Did I what?"
"That girl…your someone," Gail visibly gulped, "from the Penny the other night, did you, um, kiss her?"
"I-"
"You know what? Forget it." Gail put her glass down on the coffee table and attempted to shake the thought from her head, "I don't want to know." She picked up a few more squares of chocolate and tossed them into her mouth.
They sat in comfortable silence. While Gail tried to focus all her attention on the TV, Holly sat still and smiled to herself. Gail Peck was jealous. She needn't have been though, because in the back of Holly's mind, she'd always known that any setup would end up going nowhere, especially when she had feelings for someone else.
"That's not to say it isn't true," Gail suddenly piped up, interrupting Holly from her thoughts.
"What isn't?" Holly turned to face Gail fully. She lifted her legs onto the sofa, folding them underneath herself so she was sitting cross-legged. Gail soon followed, mimicking Holly's exact same position, their knees now touching.
"That you're the best kisser in the world," Gail answered once she was comfortable.
"Universe," Holly quickly corrected her, smirking.
"Whatever," Gail rolled her eyes. "It's just-" She paused. Gail could feel her cheeks getting warmer but she was feeling brave nonetheless. "I don't think I have collected enough conclusive evidence to support this claim of yours."
"Oh," Holly ran her hand through her hair, suddenly nervous at the prospect of kissing Gail again. Not that she should be seeing as they'd spent the better half of thirty minutes exploring each other's mouths in Holly's shower the other night, where eventually confident hands roamed freely, however, clothing had stayed on.
"I mean, what? We have only done it, like, twice?"
"Three times." Holly counted quickly in her head.
"What?"
"We have kissed three times," she repeated. "You are probably forgetting that I kissed you at your colleagues wedding the week after we met."
"I didn't forget." Gail smiled, poking Holly's shin with her big toe. How could she forget that? It was an eye opening kiss that she never saw coming. And more so, hadn't stopped replaying it since.
"You know, there was a part of me that regretted kissing you that night," Holly confessed, her voice quiet.
"You did?"
Holly nodded, noting the surprise in Gail's tone. "It's not that often that I get the chance to meet new people."
"You mean, living people?"
"Har, har," Holly poked Gail back with her big toes and Gail swiped them away. "And then, all of a sudden I find myself in a coatroom, on my way to being fairly drunk and having a lot of fun. And then there you were asking all those questions."
Gail groaned as she found herself remembering that particularly ignorant line of questioning.
"Whatever," Holly said, waving it off. "After my initial giddiness wore off, I felt angry with myself for potentially ruining anything we might have had going. Actually, I really surprised myself that night and I'm not sure if it was in a good way."
Gail felt sure though.
At the time, Holly chalked it up to her attempt at trying new things, new straight things apparently. Though as it happens, not so straight anymore. That, and Gail was being adorable and looked irresistible while doing it.
Gail nodded as she slowly took in what Holly was saying. "I won't lie and say I wasn't shocked, because I was."
"You definitely looked it." Holly took a sip of her wine and then leaned over toward the coffee table and placed the glass down next to Gail's.
"But more than anything else, I was shocked that I actually kissed you back," Gail admitted. "If I'm not the instigator, I don't usually let people get that close me that quickly, and for some reason that night, I did, with you."
"Well, it's not like I really gave you much of a choice."
"No," Gail shook her head vehemently. She placed her hand on Holly's knee and squeezed it gently. "I had a choice, I had time. I could have easily stopped you. But I didn't. As it turns out, I didn't want to…" She trailed off as the corners of her mouth curled upwards.
Holly eyed her skeptically, "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Just remembering something." Gail chuckled, with a hand over her mouth. "After you ditched me that night-"
"Sorry," Holly cut in.
"It's fine," Gail said, smiling. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I had one of those moments… you know the ones you always see in movies, where after the girl has been kissed for the first time she kinda just sits there, dumb founded, touching her lips?" Like their world had just been completely turned upside down and changed forever with one single kiss. Gail kept that last part to herself.
Holly started to laugh but reined it in as she gradually took in Gail's semi-blank expression. "Oh, you're serious," she said, chuckles still intermittent. "You touched your lips?" She imitated the action.
Gail shrugged. Her cheeks reddened but she didn't look away. Holly, however, lowered her gaze and couldn't help but smile like an idiot.
Feeling even braver, Gail slid her hand from Holly's knee up her thigh hoping to catch her attention, "Hol?"
Yep, that did it. Holly looked up.
"You tasted good that night." Gail bit her bottom lip as her gaze dropped to Holly's lips; which looked extremely enticing from where she was sitting. "I bet you taste good right now."
Not needing an invitation, Gail, ever so slowly leaned in, her chest heaving as her nerves sparked with a mix of anxiety and excitement.
For Holly, everything seemed to be in slow motion, her world blurring around her. Everything except for Gail, all that existed in the moment was her. Gail she could as clear as the day she'd met her.
"Wait!" Gail exclaimed just shy of Holly's lips. She jerked backwards.
"Seriously?" Holly found her voice, and laughed. How could Gail say those words and not expect to be kissed senseless?
"I know, I know," Gail whined, all flustered. "But- Traci is coming over soon and if we start now, well, it would be really shitty if we had to stop, y'know?" Holly nodded in agreement. "And I really don't want to have to stop," Gail said emphatically. "So… I think it might be better if we-"
"Stopped?" Holly finished her sentence, laughing.
"Exactly. You and me, Lunchbox? We are of one mind." Gail smiled.
With a heavy sigh, Holly turned, and slumped backed into the sofa. "Can I at least hold your hand?" She wanted, needed, to feel that physical connection.
Gail thought this over for a second, her body aching with want, "I think even that would be pushing it right now."
"Wow!" Holly breathed out as a small chuckle escaped her throat. "Okay then."
"But maybe when my lady boner goes down?"
Holly choked; her eyes with a mind of their own glanced down.
"Oh my god, Holly! Did you just look at my crotch?"
"I- I might have. But you said boner, so my eyes just naturally went there."
"Okay, move away from me." Gail pulled the blanket off Holly and fully onto herself.
"What?" Holly asked in disbelief.
"I said move away! Scoot down to the end of the sofa!" Gail insisted.
"What? So now proximity is a problem?"
"I am starting to think that proximity might always be a problem with us, Lunchbox. Now move!"
"Fine." Holly huffed. "I'm moving. But just so you know, I am not at all happy about this."
"Duly Noted." Gail smirked. "Now a bit further," Gail instructed and Holly obeyed, scooting backwards a bit more.
"Is this any better?" Holly asked, now at the other end of the sofa.
"Honestly? No, Holly. It actually really sucks!"
"I know. I really want to touch you. Run my-"
Gail shook her head and held up her hand. "No, stop talking."
"Then you stop talking!" Holly countered.
"Fine then."
"Fine."
After a while, Gail felt Holly's eyes burning into the side of her face. "Stop looking at me."
"Christ, you're insatiable. Can't I do anything?"
"No, I'm serious. You have to stop."
"I can't help it," Holly said. "I think you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on."
Gail blushed profusely. If she wasn't overheating before, she definitely was now. "You're kinda smooth for a nerd."
Holly shrugged her shoulders, "I have my moments."
Gail licked her lips. "You are getting so lucky later. By the way, you have chocolate on your face."
"What?"
"Chocolate. On your chin. Right there," Gail pointed to the spot. She would have had no problem in licking it off if time weren't a factor.
"No, what did you say before that?"
"Oh. About you, me and the sex?" Holly nodded. "Yeah, we are totally going to be having some of that. A lot of it in fact." Gail knocked back the rest of the wine in her glass in one swift gulp.
Holly's eyes widened. "We are?"
Gail nodded. "Yep. Later though," she said, hearing a knock on the door. Finally, Traci had arrived. "You should get that."
"Get what?"
"The door?" Gail laughed at Holly's obliviousness.
"Oh right." Holly stood up, flustered and not quite sure which direction she should be going in.
"Holly?"
"What?" She looked down at Gail, confused.
"Your lady boner is showing." Gail chuckled as Holly looked down there without even thinking.
"Ha! Made you look!"
"Wow! You are such a shit! And just for that, I am never putting out." Holly laughed as she walked away.
"Putting out? Really Holly?" Gail said incredulously. "I guess I will just be humping your pillow later," she called out after her.
Holly opened the front door and guided her new guest inside. "Detective Nash, would you like a glass of wine? Or anything else for that matter?"
"I wouldn't mind a glass of water, thank you and please, it's Traci. I have a feeling I am going to be seeing a lot more of you from now on, so you may as well call me by first name."
Gail eyed Traci skeptically as her friend made her way into the lounge room, "You know?"
"Good evening, Gail. About you and Dr. Stewart? Yes, I know and I think it's great."
"Here you go," Holly handed Traci the glass of water she had asked for, "and call me Holly."
"Thanks, Holly."
Holly stepped around Traci and sat back down next to Gail.
"Hey, I thought I told you had to sit down there," Gail said pointedly as Holly made herself comfortable. Or as comfortable as someone could be in this situation. Her lady boner had yet to go down.
"Gail." Holly tilted her head to the side, amused, and quite frankly, turned on by the ongoing charade.
"What?"
"Shut up."
"Okay." Gail blushed before focusing her attention back on Traci. "So does everyone know?"
"Probably," Traci confirmed with a shrug of her shoulders. "Between the hospital the other night and the goofy grin on your face yesterday, despite your friends being in the hospital-"
"Wait," Gail interrupted, "all because I hugged her in the emergency room?"
"Actually I didn't hear about any hug. I think you kissing Holly's hand and all the hand holding that followed might have done it."
"Oh, I don't remember actually doing that." Gail looked to Holly. "Do you?"
Holly nodded, a smile stretching across her face, which Gail got lost in for a moment.
"You know what, I better get going," Traci stood suddenly. She didn't want to get burned by the sparks flying around the room.
"You don't have to leave," Holly insisted. "We were just going to watch reruns of Greys and eat chocolate if you are interested." Holly felt a pinch to her shin. She glared at Gail who was already glaring right back at her. Holly noticed that Gail's hand didn't move from her shin. In fact, it slowly began moving north.
Track smirked, completely aware at was happening. "Thank you, but I have to go pick up my son Leo from his dad's house. Besides, Gail has that look on her face."
"What look? I don't have a look." Gail huffed and Traci laughed. "Tell me, Traci! What look do I have exactly?"
"It's your I-want-to-get-down-and-dirty-look."
"Traci!"
"What? You asked!"
"And how on earth do you know what that look looks like anyway? Not that I am admitting anything."
"Well, you were never really subtle at work when you would drag both Chris and Nick into whatever small space you could find that wasn't otherwise occupied." Track looked to Holly and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Holly."
Holly shrugged and laughed. "I am well aware of Gail's not so innocent ways."
"Hey!" Gail turned to Holly. "You were the one who dragged me into the interrogation room the other day."
Holly leaned toward the protesting woman and lowered her voice to speak, "Gail, I wasn't actually referring to that. We talk remember? You told me about Nick and Chris."
"Oh-"
"And I may have dragged you in there but I was not in control of anything that happened after that."
"I'll say," Gail scoffed. "Do you even remember half of the words that were coming out of your mouth?"
"No, do you?"
"I was too busy staring at your lips."
Traci's eyes widened; they had obviously forgotten she was even there. "Wow! Okay. I think this is my cue to leave."
"I'll see you out." Stealing herself, Holly moved to stand up but Traci motioned for her to sit back down.
"No, no. You two lovebirds stay put. I will happily show myself out."
"Oh, are you sure?"
"Yes, because I'm not sure if I can handle what's happening under that blanket right now."
Gail's hand stilled beneath said blanket, only half aware that she'd been stroking Holly's thigh.
"Goodbye ladies." Traci backed out of the lounge room as quickly as she could.
"Your report is by the door," Holly reminded her and she grabbed it from the console table.
"Thank you. Oh and Gail?" She called out as she opened the door and stepped half way through it.
"Yeah?"
"Be gentle with her, okay?" Traci laughed hysterically and then disappeared.
Gail turned to Holly, her mouth wide open. "Wow, can you believe her?"
"Yeah, kind of." Holly chuckled. At this point, she wasn't sure if Gail realized how far her hand had actually travelled up her thigh. It was dangerously close to discovering all new territory. She cleared her throat. "Can I have this last bit of chocolate?"
"No, that's mine." Gail reached for it, but Holly snatched it quickly from the foil and raised her arm in the air to protect it.
"But you have eaten four fifths of the block."
"Holly, you should have learned by now that I don't really like to share food. I once kneed Chris in the balls for stealing a slice of burnt toast. Burnt toast, Holly! Do you want to be kneed in the balls, Holly?" Gail asked as she went for it again but Holly was too quick for her and moved further away.
Holly teasingly placed the chocolate on her tongue before there were any more attempts to get it back, then closed her mouth and began to suck.
Gail narrowed her eyes at the evil woman, quickly shed her blanket and got onto all fours. She crawled along the sofa and then positioned herself over Holly's lap.
As Holly's hands tentatively made their way onto Gail's thighs, she wondered what Gail was going to do next. Gail's next move did take her by surprise. Actually, it stole her breath away as their lips connected in a fierce, all consuming kiss. It left her breathless and in desperate need of more oxygen.
When Gail withdrew from their kiss, Holly noticed that something was missing.
"I told you…" Gail started to say after her tongue successfully reclaimed the stolen piece of chocolate before it disintegrated in her mouth.
As it turned out, Holly did taste good. Even better than last time, Gail thought as one of her hands gravitated towards the waistband of Holly's shorts. She watched closely as the woman beneath her held her breath as she slipped her hand under the soft cotton barrier only to find another much thinner, and if anything like her own, most likely, damper one there waiting for her.
As Gail held her own breath, she allowed her hand to slide down even further, and without preamble, cupped Holly over her panties. The sound of Holly moaning as she arched her back from the contact was so captivating, so arousing, that it spurred Gail on.
Eager to hear that sound again, Gail pulled Holly's panties to one side and slipped inside, the overwhelming power she got from the direct contact went straight to her head. She smirked, quite pleased with herself, and continued on with her previous train of thought, "All. Mine."