Chapter 8

As Blake poured them some wine, Doris sat on the couch thinking about what a great time she'd had that evening and how good she was feeling - refreshed and energized in a way she hadn't felt in years. Suddenly, that warm summer day that she'd led her team to the state softball championships didn't seem so long ago. Her time with Blake at the carnival was ripe with the same kind of energy. Walking up the steps to Blake's porch, she couldn't help but notice the air around them was thick with the smell of honeysuckle and the skies above bursting with stars. A world of possibility lay down at her feet and all she had to do was keep moving forward in order to claim it.

Looking over at Blake, Doris realized that the redhead was lost in thought too.

For Blake, the sight of her home – the sanctuary where she'd raised her children – brought what had been a magical evening back to crushing reality. There on the sidewalk marked the spot where Kevin and Jason had carved their initials in wet cement, oh so many years ago. And there, where the porch railing had been mended after Jason tipped backwards over the railing, breaking his arm. Ross had been in the middle of an important case at the time and couldn't get away, so Blake had to take all three kids to the emergency room on her own. She'd never been so scared…until now.

"Hey," Doris pulled on Blake's hand, bringing her back to reality.

Blake looked around. Suddenly, they were next to each other on the couch, but the redhead, overwhelmed by her thoughts, couldn't remember how they'd gotten there.

"I'm sorry, Doris…my mind has been wandering." She squeezed the mayor's hand in return.

"Mine too." Doris smiled. "Good thoughts, I hope?" She brought Blake's hand to her mouth, kissing the backs of the redhead's knuckles.

Blake nodded, shaking away the worrisome thoughts that had consumed her mind during their ride back to the house. She wanted to enjoy her time with Doris. She was enjoying their time together. But every minute that ticked by in silence, every opportunity she failed to take – to confess to Doris what was really going on – signaled the doom of their relationship, even before it began. Plus, the situation with Jason was still unresolved. Chief Wolfe was keeping him a prisoner and now Blake felt trapped too.

Doris Wolfe, being one of the greatest prosecutor's that Springfield had ever known, could easily read the turmoil hiding behind Blake's forced smile, even if she didn't let on that she knew something was amiss. She felt compelled to comfort the redhead, to reassure her that everything they were experiencing was good and real…even if it wasn't to be permanent.

"Listen, Blake," Doris smiled warmly, resisting the urge to pull the redhead into her arms. "I just want to say that I had a great time tonight. The best time in a long time. And I will always be grateful to you for that… regardless of whatever happens." She leaned forward to kiss Blake on the cheek. "But I do hope we can do it again sometime."

"Are you going somewhere?" Blake set their glasses down on the coffee table and reached out, snagging Doris by the belt loop to pull her closer.

"I didn't want to be presumptuous," Doris let out a held breath as Blake's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. "In case you were just teasing before about me getting lucky," she added, almost bashfully.

"Mmm…" Blake hummed, leaning forward to kiss the mayor's collarbone through the opening of her shirt. "Don't get me wrong. The chivalry thing is hot, but I meant what I said before. It's time for you to claim your prize."

Blake quickly straddled the mayor's lap, kissing Doris passionately in an effort to drown out the anxiety she was feeling. In spite of the ache in her heart every time she thought about Jason, Blake couldn't deny the way her body responded every time Doris touched her. Even through their clothes, Blake could feel Doris's toned body pressing against her center, starting the slow burn that would eventually consume them both.

Doris, for her part, had never been so ravenous for a woman in her life. She suckled Blake's neck hungrily, while her hands gripped the redhead's ass, pulling her closer. Without waiting for permission, she quickly pulled Blake's top off over her head, relishing in the creamy skin she found underneath.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered as Blake unhooked her own bra.

"You make me feel beautiful," Blake smiled, dropping the garment to the floor. She moaned, holding the mayor's head in hands as Doris took turns lavishing each breast with kisses, thrusting wantonly against the mayor's stomach.

Suddenly, Blake caught site of one of the family photos resting on her mantelpiece and her whole body tensed. Pushing away those feelings, she quickly rose from the couch, pulling Doris with her.

"Take off your clothes," Blake commanded roughly, as she stripped out of her own jeans and panties. Doris wasn't moving with enough urgency for Blake, so she quickly undid the mayor's pants while Doris pulled her shirt up and over her head, instead of fighting with the buttons. Blake pushed Doris back down on the couch and climbed on top of her, crying out as their naked bodies pressed together.

"Oh my god," Blake moaned. "You feel so good." Her movements were suddenly frantic as she roughly kissed every part of Doris's body within reach. Wasting no time, she grabbed the mayor's hand, thrusting it between her legs. "Just fuck me…" she begged, desperate for the physical connection she knew that Doris could provide.

As much as Doris was enjoying Blake's obvious enthusiasm for the task at hand, she knew that, mentally, the redhead was a million miles away. Something was going on… something that Blake wouldn't, or couldn't, discuss. Having already tried to draw her out several times that evening, Doris acknowledged the fact that Blake might not trust her enough to confess whatever issue was taking up so much space in her mind. But that didn't mean she had to accept it.

Blake let out a yelp as Doris quickly flipped them over, so that Blake was sitting upright on the couch with the mayor between her legs. Doris knelt on the floor in front of her, leaning down to press a kiss into Blake's abdomen which was still heaving from the redhead's labored breathing.

"You don't have to tell me what's going on," Doris mumbled against the redhead's soft skin. "Not until you're ready." If she had looked up at that moment, she would have seen the tears forming in the corners of Blake's eyes. "Just let me take care of you, like you took care of me on the Ferris Wheel. Don't think. Just feel."

Doris kissed a path down Blake's torso. Reaching down, she pulled up on the redhead's legs until they rested on top her shoulders. Wrapping her arms around Blake's thighs in order to ground the redhead into the couch, she set about the task of releasing Blake from whatever was troubling her.

Doris carefully licked Blake's inner thighs, which were coated with the redhead's arousal. Taking her time, she wanted Blake to feel every stroke of her tongue – soft and hard, fast and slow. Her plan was working, judging by the way Blake was twisting against the couch, pulling on the mayor's head in an effort to move her mouth where she needed it.

"I love tasting you," Doris purred, looking up at Blake's face which was contorted with pleasure. "I could do this all night long. Is that what you want?"

Blake moaned in frustration, trying pull Doris's mouth a little higher…

"Tell me…" Doris commanded.

"Please…" Blake begged.

"Please what? Say it."

"Oh god," Blake moaned. She looked down at Doris, her eyes intense. "Lick me."

As she spoke the words, Doris rewarded her with one long swipe of her tongue, from the bottom to the top of her clit.

"Oh fuck!" Blake cried out, digging her fingernails into the mayor's shoulders. "Don't stop!"

"Say it," Doris commanded again.

"Lick me… oh, lick me… yes, higher… oh god, right there… please don't stop…"

Whatever Blake asked for, Doris generously gave, swirling her tongue through the redhead's folds, spreading her arousal around and around, however and wherever she needed it.

"That's it…soften your tongue…oh my god…nice and light…all around…you're going to make me come in your mouth…" Her body was electric with pleasure, delirious from the tonguing Doris was giving her.

Doris struggled briefly to breathe through her nose as Blake's arousal coated her cheeks, mouth and neck, but she persisted as the redhead's body quickly became putty in her hands.

"Oh god… go inside me… put your tongue inside me…" Blake's heels dug into the edge of the course as she spread her legs wider, arching her back to take Doris's tongue as far inside as possible. "That's it… oh, fuck me… fuck me with your tongue," she exclaimed, bouncing against the mayor's mouth.

Doris reached under, squeezing Blake's ass, pulling her hips higher so that she could thrust her tongue deeper and deeper. Blake's hips thrust against her face as the redhead buried her hands in the mayor's hair.

"Lower…" Blake begged, crying out when she felt the mayor's tongue slide lower, stroking the tender flesh between her sex and her ass. "Oh my god…it's so good…" Her head thrashed back and forth against the back of the couch as tears of pleasure filled her eyes. "Go inside… oh god!" she screamed when Doris's tongue rimmed her ass.

Blake could barely breath, she was so overwhelmed by what she was feeling. No one had ever touched her this way. No one had ever given her so much… like this. Worried she might pass out, Blake decided it was time to come. She pushed the mayor's head away just long enough to settle back down on the couch, before pulling Doris back to her clit. "Now lick my clit," Blake demanded, with renewed confidence. "Up at the top… that's it… faster… don't you dare stop… don't you dare stop licking me… oh god, I'm going to come right in your mouth… all over your face… and I want you to lap up every drop…oh god, do you hear me?"

Doris couldn't actually hear Blake at that point because the redhead's thighs were clamped around her head, but she knew enough about women to give Blake what she needed. Sliding two fingers inside the redhead, she thrust urgently with the same pace that her tongue was flicking back and forth across Blake's clit. It wasn't long before the redhead cried out, coming in her arms.

Doris kept licking, eager to consume every last remnant of Blake's pleasure. The redhead twisted and jerked with every flick of the mayor's tongue against her highly sensitized sex. With her gentle but experienced touch, Doris had wiped always all of Blake's cares… for the moment at least. Before Blake could even think about reciprocating, Doris joined her on the couch, pulling the redhead into her arms.

"I want to make you feel good…" she protested weakly against Doris's chest as the mayor pulled a blanket from the back of the couch over their naked bodies.

"Sh," Doris hushed her. "I've got you… I've got you…" she purred over and over until Blake relaxed into sleep against her.

+++

It was just before dawn the next morning when Blake felt Doris's warm lips against her forehead. She opened her eyes to see the mayor kneeling at her side.

"Hey," she smiled, reaching up to stroke the mayor's cheek.

"Hey." Doris looked down, flushing a little. She wasn't sure if Blake could tell, but her heart was pounding. "Unfortunately, I have to go."

"Oh," Blake sighed, disappointed. She'd felt so… nourished and supported by the mayor's presence. Without her there, she wasn't sure how she'd be able to cope with the looming reality she'd been putting off for the last 48 hours. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought.

"Let me help you," Doris insisted, reading Blake's mood. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I could help. I'm the mayor for christ's sake," she teased.

"I'm sorry, Doris." Blake wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm not trying to shut you out… it's just… Jason. He's having some problems. I just… can't talk to you about this right now. Please… just… let it be."

Blake's rebuke, however gently worded, stung the mayor's heart. "I understand," she lied, rising to leave. "I should get going."

"Doris!" Blake called out, grabbing the mayor's hand. "It isn't what you think." It's worse, the redhead thought miserably to herself. "Last night… was amazing," she wiped her eyes. "How you took care of me…I just need time, but whatever happens… I don't want to involve you or bring you pain. I really can't say more right now, so please don't ask…"

"You don't need to explain," Doris sighed wearily. "When you lo… care for someone," she amended, "sometimes you have to give them space. God knows it took me long enough to learn that with Ashlee, but I did. So just know that I'm here for you. If I can do anything…" she left the statement open.

"I know." Blake squeezed her hand, before letting her go. "I'll call you."

As Doris closed the door behind her, Blake felt the weight of the world come crashing down around her shoulders. I need help, she thought desperately. If I can't ask Doris, then who? The answer presented itself when Blake caught site of another photo on her mantelpiece.

TBC…