Your tender touch.
Caroline took off her glasses and leaned back in the chair and let out a deep sigh as she finally was done with all the papers and documents for today. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax for a moment, listening to all the sounds around her coming from the opened window ; voices from the students going home after a long day in school, someone laughing, birds singing in the trees and the distant sound of cars passing by.
A soft knock on the door woke her up from the dreaming state, and she knew right away who was behind the door and her heart skipped a beat.
" Come in", she said and ran a hand through her hair.
The door opened and Kate popped her head in, smiling as she met Caroline's eyes.
" Hi. Am I interrupting you?" she asked carefully as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.
" No no. I've just finished for today. Or well, as much as I have energy to do for today."
" Are you sure?"
" Oh yes! I'll continue tomorrow. It's not as if the documents are going anywhere so….unfortunately"
Kate smiled and chuckled at the answer and walked up to the opened window. It was late afternoon and the sun was setting, shining with a glowing light upon Kate' tanned face.
A cold breeze swept into the room and Kate pulled her cardigan closer around her. She turned around as she realized she was being watched and gave Caroline one of her dashing smiles that made Caroline's heart beat extra fast.
" My God, you're beautiful" she whispered.
Kate walked up to her and leaned forward resting her hands on the chair, putting her face really close to hers. Caroline felt her entire body quiver by the nearness and the sweet smell of this wonderful woman.
" No, YOU'RE beautiful Caroline", she said almost inaudible and brushed her soft lips against Caroline's.
That wonderful and familiar feeling filled Caroline at this moment, the combination of butterflies in her belly and tingling feeling from her toes up to her hair. She answered by pressing her lips against Kate's and enjoyed the sensation like a lightning between their lips as they kissed, a long and deep kiss that neither one of them wanted to end. Caroline cupped Kate's face in her hands as she broke the kiss and smiled with her eyes still closed as the lingering feeling of the kiss remained on her lips.
" Have dinner with me?" Kate asked as she stood up straight again.
" I'd love to. Let me just go home and change into something more comfortable and make sure that the boys are alright?" Caroline asked and took her bag from the floor.
" Sure" Kate said, nodding. " 6 o'clock sounds good?"
"Perfect."
They both stood in silence, looking into each other's eyes for a long time.
"Right", Kate broke the silence and looked down at the floor and turned around, stopping by the door one last time. " I'll see you in a bit"
Caroline smiled back at reply and watched the door closing.
As she stood up and reached for her beige coat she thought about the past weeks and past months and how everything had turned out the way they had; her mum had gotten married with a man that turned out to be her teen-love, and Caroline had in that process gained a sister in Gillian, and she had met Kate who had offered what from the beginning was a friendship when she needed someone after what her husband John had done to her, and that friendship had soon turned into very strong feelings and an attraction between the two women, and after a while they gave in to the attractions and Caroline felt more loved and precious than she had in years. Yes, precious, that's the feeling that filled her as Kate was around her and cared for her. She was always there with a sweet smile, a comforting hand on her shoulder or a warm hug when she needed it.
And even though Caroline was unsure of what to do with everything, Kate was always there waiting patiently for her with her warm eyes that made Caroline week in the knees just thinking about it.
She went inside her Jeep and started the engine to go home to her two sweet boys and see how their day had been.
All the way home, Kate ran recipes through her mind to find the perfect dinner to cook for the date with Caroline tonight. Chicken? Pasta? Something Nigerian? Maybe not too spicy? What wine would be best? The thoughts kept her occupied as she turned the key to the door and went inside her house.
The entire house was soon filled with the rich smell of food cooking and from the stereo in the living room came music and Kate sang along as she prepared the food. Looking up at the clock she realized that she ought to change clothes before Caroline arrived, lit the candles and set the table.
" So much to do, and so little time" she said as she took of the clothes she had been wearing all day in school at work.
When looking through all her clothes in her wardrobe, she promised herself to remember to buy new clothes next time she had a day off. But what should she wear tonight? She felt a bit annoyed with herself for feeling and acting like a teenager all nervous for a date as she put on a red blouse and a black skirt reaching down above her knees.
Yes, this was a date, but not their first. They met in school and after work too, in each other's homes and had even eaten out at restaurants a couple of times, even though they both agreed that they preferred to meet more private away from judging eyes and possible gossip.
Kate brushed her black hair and put on some more make-up before heading to the living room to light the candles, check on the food and setting the table and changing the music on the stereo to soft jazz.
The clock showed a quarter to six and so Kate stood by the stove and waited, drumming with her fingertips on the bench as if to make time move faster. She wanted to see Caroline now. Wanted to see her beautiful blue eyes and run her fingers through her blond locks and hold her close.
The sound of the doorbell echoed and Kate suddenly felt nervous as she double checked that everything was done for the evening as she headed for the door, heart pounding.
She saw Caroline through the glass of the door and smiled as she opened the door.
" Hi, I'm a bit early, hope it's alright?" Caroline said and put a lock of hair behind her ear.
" No, no, it's alright. Come in."
Kate helped her date with the coat and took a deep breath to slow down her breathing and calm herself down a bit.
" It smells delicious and you look stunning," Caroline said and smiled which gave Kate a tingling feeling in her chest
They helped to carry the food to the table and sat down to eat; coconut chicken with rice and a spicy salsa on the side and a bottle of red wine. The two women chatted as they ate, laughed and enjoyed an evening together away from judging looks and not having to worry about anyone seeing them.
As they finished the meal, Kate took away the plates and told Caroline to sit down in the living room.
Caroline sat down on the couch with her wineglass and looked around in the room with all the candles. A inner calm filled her mind and she closed her eyes and relaxed her body for a moment before she heard soft footsteps in the room and looked up to see Kate standing in front of her with the bottle of wine in one hand and her own glass in the other.
"Tired?" Kate said and put down the bottle and glass on the table and Caroline could see a worrying look in those dark eyes.
" No," she said and patted on the couch next to her for Kate to sit down.
Kate sat down and poured up more wine to them both and leaned back next to Caroline.
" I'm really glad that you're here tonight" Kate whispered and leaned her head against the other woman's shoulder.
" I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world" Caroline answered.
They both sat silent on the couch for a long time, listening to the soft music and looking at the burning candles.
A buzzing sound made them both jump up and Caroline hurried out to her coat to answer her phone.
It was her mother Celia.
" Where are you dear?" her mother's voice said in the other end.
" I'm a bit busy, mother."
" Oh, and what could be so important"
" Actually I'm at Kate's, we're having dinner"
" I'm not interrupting am I?"
Caroline could sense a sudden shyness coming from her mother.
" A little, but it's alright. Was there anything in particular you wanted?"
" Oh yes, I seem to be out of coffee for me and Alan, would you mind lending me some?"
"Of course you can. Why didn't you just knock on the door and ask the boys?"
" I did, dear, but there was no answer, I thought they'd gone to the cinema perhaps"
" No, they're probably just in their rooms studying, go on and help yourself with the coffee."
" Thank you dear, and say hello to Kate for me."
" I will, bye!"
" Oh, Alan sends hi regards as well."
" Yes, mother, thank you, and say hello to him from me too. 'Night"
Kate, having heard most of the conversation, came out to the hall.
" Is everything alright?" she asked and tilted her head bit to the side.
" Yepp it was just my mother, needing coffee, so…."
She walked up to Kate and gave her a soft smile and stood very close to her. Kate felt her heart starting to race again by the very nearness of Caroline, this wonderful woman who probably didn't realized just how much Kate felt for her and just how much she thought about her all day long.
Caroline stroke her hand on her soft cheek and let on finger follow the line of her lips and Kate shivered slightly by the touch, and the fingers ran down her neck, played with her necklace for a moment before she grabbed Kate's blouse and pulled her into a warm kiss and embrace. An electric buzz went through Kate's entire body and she put her hands in Caroline's blonde hair and allowed her fingers to play with the blonde locks as she hungrily answered the kiss.
She could feel how Caroline started to unbutton her blouse and kissed her neck softly. Kate gave a soft moan by the kisses and lifted up Caroline's head to kiss her lips. As Caroline started to kiss her way down the neck again, Kate whispered her lovers name softly and wrapped her arms tighter around her and felt her entire body burning of desire for this woman.
She felt Caroline unbuttoning the last button and pulling her shirt back over her shoulders and kissed her on the shoulders, moving the kisses to the collarbone and the lips touched a spot that made Kate gasp loud and shiver all over.
Caroline stopped for a moment as she felt and heard reaction when she kissed her at the spot by the collarbone, where the neck and shoulder meet, and looked up into those dark eyes that seemed to sparkle by the light from the candles.
"Don't stop", Kate whispered and kissed her on the lips.
" I won't" she replied and pulled off the shirt and threw it on a chair, " but wouldn't it be better if we moved to somewhere more comfortable?"
Kate smiled back at her and took her hand and led her to the bedroom where Caroline pulled her back towards her and gave her a long, hungry kiss.
" Sorry, I just couldn't wait any longer, not with you looking like that" she said, nodding to Kate's bare upper body as she wore nothing more than a black bra and the skirt.
Kate gave her one another one of her dashing yet almost shy smiles that made Caroline feel very weak in her knees. She undid her own blouse while Kate sat down on the bed, watching her with eyes full of desire, and she felt like it took an eternity to take of her blouse before she could walk up to Kate who reached out her hands and let them follow the line of her bra and down to her skirt before she wrapped her arms around Caroline's waist and pulled her closer and placed soft kisses on her belly, which made Caroline feel almost dizzy by all the burning desire building up inside of her.
" I promised the boys I'd be home by ten" she said as she stroke Kate's hair.
" I'll do my best to make sure you keep that promise" Kate said, stood up and pulled Caroline in a deep kiss and leaned back at the same time so that they landed on top of each other on the bed giggling as they did before they started kissing again and let their hands go up and down over the other woman's body, exploring and caressing and undressing the final clothes they both wore to feel as much skin of each other as possible and feeling the heat between them rising for every second.
William sat in the kitchen reading a book as Caroline came home. He looked up and smiled as she entered the room.
" Hi mum" he said and took off his glasses "how was Kate?"
" Oh she was fine" she answered and ran a hand through her hair to make sure it didn't look too ragged or messy, " Where's Laurence?"
" He went to bed for about half hour ago."
She stopped and looked at her son who looked back at her with a special look on his face. Caroline raise her eyebrows as if to ask him what was on his mind, but as he didn't say anything.
" Yes love?"
" Nothing, I'm just really happy for you mum" he said and stood up and walked up to her and gave her a hug.
She hugged him back and kissed his curly head.
" Thank you" she whispered.
" I just want you to know that I really am happy for you. I haven't seen you this happy since…I can't even remember" he chuckled and hugged her tighter.
Caroline felt all warm inside by her sons words and she thanked the gods above for having such an understanding and loving son.
" I love you mum" he said and broke the hug
" And I love you too" she said and patted his cheek. " now off to bed with you, you have school tomorrow"
William gave her one last smile before he went upstairs to his room and Caroline felt pretty tired as well after tonight's date and decided to go to bed as she too had work in the morning.