29

The next morning, Olivia felt Alex creep up behind her on their balcony as the detective held the downward dog position, her iPod buds in her ears, listening to Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 & 2. Alex grabbed her hips from behind and leaned around her, Olivia opening her eyes from her intense focus and looked at the wide smile on the blonde's face. The brunette took her ear buds out and stood up, facing her fiancé before pressing pause.

"I just talked to Kathleen and…" Alex slipped her arms around Olivia, "…I just talked to my brother…" she gushed, smiling a mile wide.

Alex looked so happy. Olivia couldn't help but smile back as she reached up and moved a lock of golden hair behind her ears. "How is he?" Olivia asked, looking the attorney's face over.

"He's good. Getting better. A lot of therapy. He was allowed to make a phone call and he called me…" Alex said, her voice quavering.

"Of course he did, Baby…" Olivia smiled. "You're so many people's favorite person." Olivia leaned into the blonde, "I'd call you…" She kissed the attorney, lightly tonguing her warmth.

She had just had a wonderful yoga session and felt amazing—her body hummed, felt relaxed, and fine tuned—alive and horny. Olivia reached her hands up and cupped the blonde's firm breasts through her navy t-shirt, feeling the soft firmness, her thumbs lingering over her hardening nipples.

Alex smiled, pressing her forehead to the brunette's. "God, Liv…You know how I get when you do yoga…I'm so horny right now…"

Olivia began kissing her fiancé's neck. In between kisses and nips, the detective tried, "What time are we going to play golf with your father?"

"Um…" Alex husked, "…noonish?"

"And it's what time now?" Olivia managed, her teeth pressing against the firm flesh of her neck, her tongue lingering.

"Uhh…ten forty-five…" Olivia felt the vibrations of Alex's throat as she laughed, "Dinner is at seven…for our last night it's dressy…dressy casual…"

Olivia pulled away, "What? Dressy casual? What does that even mean? Is that Hervé Leger dresses and Manolo Blahnik heels or an Old Navy sundress?"

"Mmmmm…you in any of those outfits? Yes, please…" Alex's hands slithered underneath Olivia's loose racer back tank, cupping her sports bra underneath. "Too many clothes…I keep telling you," she smiled, unhooking the clasp from behind.

Olivia simultaneously pulled the tank over her head as the attorney freed her of the confining bra, releasing her breasts. Alex's mouth went right for her left, already pebbled nipple, her right hand to her left. Olivia threw her head back, hands cupping the blonde's head gently. "Do we have time?"
"The way you come?" Alex looked up, grinning devilishly. "Without a doubt…"

"Let's hit the shower, Babe…two birds…"

In record time, Alex had her clothing off. Olivia stripped as well and then leaned forward into the tub to get the water ready as Alex's hands felt, groped, touched, and smoothed her skin, pressing herself to the brunette. "God, Liv…you feel so good…"

Olivia smiled, stepping into the shower. Alex turned her with force to face her and pushed the detective against the tiled wall. Olivia moaned as Alex knelt in front of her, using her hands to clench her backside as her mouth went for Olivia's lower lips. Alex removed her right hand briefly to lift Olivia's leg onto the ledge of the bathtub to give Alex better access before returning her hand to the detective's backside.

As Alex suckled, kissed, probed the detective's warmth, moaning as she spoke, sending intense vibrations throughout the brunette's core. "You know…I still haven't forgotten about your story…"

"Uhhh…wh—what?" Olivia tried through an arousal-based fog.

Olivia's core was on fire, her lips swollen with longing as the intensity continued to build. She could hardly form a sentence. She reached down and stroked the attorney's damp locks, pulling her slightly closer. "Alex," she whispered. "We'll talk…I promise…" she breathed, her breath hitching as Alex's tongue flicked her clit, two fingers now slipping inside.

"Uhhhh…Baby," Olivia moaned.

"When?" Alex tried.

"Huh….Alex…not now…definitely not now…" Olivia's legs struggled to hold her up—from her yoga, her legs were too relaxed, almost spent. "Later…" she breathed.

"I'm holding you to it…" Alex slipped a third finger inside her fiancé, now thrusting deeply into her, Olivia having to stifle a loud moan.

Alex handed Olivia the washcloth that was folded over the soap holder. "Put this in your mouth."

Olivia took it mindlessly. "Alex, I'm not—Uhhh…!" Olivia's moan reverberated throughout the bathroom and she shakily placed the washcloth in her mouth, muffling her intense pleasure as her climax ripped through her with ferocity. Panting, she placed her hands on the wet tile on either side of her, as her body came down.

Alex stood and placed her hands on the brunette's hips, kissing her neck lovingly. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Liv…and to watch you come…" she shook her head, smirking. "The most amazing sight in the world…" she whispered, gently pressing her lips to the brunette.

Olivia smiled through the kiss. "Such a sweet talker…I love it…" she breathed, returning the kiss with equal ardor.

… … … … … …

"Like this, Buttercup…" Mr. Cabot demonstrated the correct stance for a drive stroke. He laughed, shaking his head and smiling at his daughter, "It's almost as if you have forgotten how to play…" He continued to give her directions on the positioning.

Alex smirked at the brunette.

Olivia mouthed, What? as she leaned on her club, white golf gloves on, and smiled at the blonde, admiring the interaction between father and daughter. Alex looked absolutely adorable in a pair of mid-thigh length fitted madras shorts and a fitted white Polo shirt, her white Converse's pristine. Her hair was in a ponytail and she looked absolutely irresistible.

Alex smiled at Olivia before returning her attention to the ball and her stance.

She took her swing, the ball sailing through the air at almost warp speed.

Olivia was impressed.

"Very good, Princess…Olivia…your turn…" Bill Cabot smiled.

Olivia switched her putter with the driver Mr. Cabot was holding out to her. She smirked at Alex as she assumed the position. After a few seconds of setting up her form, she pulled the club back and swung, the ball headed in the exact direction it needed to go, just skimming the edge of the hole and tapping the pole of the flag, landing inches from the hole-in-one.

Alex's jaw dropped and Mr. Cabot looked at her as though seeing an apparition.

"Beginner's luck…" the detective said sweetly.

"That's quite impressive, Olivia…and you say you've never played?"

"Never even picked up a golf club…" she smiled.

Alex's gaze was playful as she facetiously pretended to fan herself. She licked her index finger and pressed it to her backside, Mr. Cabot now oblivious as he set up his shot, concentrating on his own game.

Olivia shook her head, smiling.

They continued on the last nine holes, walking and driving and putting, small conversations had about family, weather, projects to the house.

… … … … … …

AAA

After their eighteen holes were completed, the threesome headed to Ye Olde Pub, the oldest bar in Southampton, established in 1849. It smelled of stale smoke, vanilla pipe tobacco, beer-drenched floors, and a thick mist of Old Spice after shave, as the clientele predominantly catered to men above the age of sixty-five and the amateur senior golfers of the town.

They sat, Mr. Cabot ordering a pitcher. After half a beer had been consumed by all, the women having ordered wrap sandwiches and Mr. Cabot a double bacon cheeseburger—requesting that the blonde not tell her mother—the conversation by Mr. Cabot turned serious as they continued to enjoy their time together. "Olivia…"

"Yes, Mr. Cabot?"

"Bill, please."

"Yes, Bill?" She smiled wide.

Alex took a sip of her beer and then folded her arms on the table, eyeing Olivia's tight navy t-shirt. Her eyes drifted down to her fitted white shorts, smooth tanned thigh exposed. She wanted to grab it, squeeze it, fondle it. She couldn't help it…Olivia's sex appeal turned her on like no one else. The blonde looked back up as the detective's and her father's conversation continued.

"Now that things seem to have settled down and fallen into place…I want you to know how happy I am to know that you're a part of my daughter's life…"

Olivia smiled and took Alex's hand on the table, looking at the blonde.

Mr. Cabot continued, "I feel like I've gotten to know you over the past few months and I can see what a hard-working, dedicated, protective, loving woman you are. I think you are a wonderful match for my daughter and am proud to call you my daughter-in-law…" his voice cracked and he cleared it quickly.

"Mr.—Bill...thank you…" Olivia's eyes teared mercilessly. Alex squeezed the brunette's hand comfortingly.

"And Princess…"

Alex looked at her father, "Yes, Daddy…?"

"If ever you and Olivia need anything at all from your mother and I…it's yours…"

Alex brought her mouth inward, tears running. "I know, Daddy…"

... … … … … …

AAA

"Our last day on the beach for a while…" Olivia said lazily as she reached her hand out and fingered Alex's upper arm, caressing it with a feather-light touch as she reclined, eyes closed.

"But not our last, Baby…" the blonde said softly. Alex was almost asleep and she thought Olivia was, as well.

They had both decided, after a couple of beers and the heat of the day, they would take advantage of their time before dinner and enjoy the ocean just a tiny bit more before their return to Manhattan the following day.

"It's finally happening, Babe…" Olivia began.

Alex lifted her head and opened her eyes, looking out across the water and running her right hand through her damp locks as she lay on the lounger. She waited, smiling, enjoying the feel of the warm air as it skimmed across her body.

"Forty-seven days, Al…"

"I know…" she whispered. She turned to face Olivia—the most beautiful face she had ever seen. "I want to see your eyes, Babe…those beautiful eyes…"

Olivia smiled wider and lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head. "These eyes?" She pointed to her face.

"Yeah…those eyes…" Alex leaned her head back, looking at Olivia's face. "You have a few more freckles…" she noted. "I love them…"

"Do you?" Olivia brought Alex's hand to her mouth and kissed it softly before intertwining her fingers again and letting their arms hang in between the loungers.

Alex simply nodded.

Olivia held Alex's hand now, admiring the ring on her finger and shaking her head.

"A year ago…even three years ago…I never would have imagined…life seemed so bleak…"

Alex lifted her head again, wanting to know more. "Babe?"

Olivia kissed Alex's hand once more and sat up, letting go and reaching for her water bottle in the sand and taking a long swig.

The blonde could tell Olivia was about to share something from the slight shift in her demeanor—she knew the brunette well.

"You know all about last year…and my prowess…" Olivia smirked momentarily but then her face became serious. "You shared with me…about college, law school…what do you want to know about me that I might not have told you?"

"I know about when you were sixteen and were dating one of your mother's students and then her rage and breaking the bottle…"

Olivia nodded slowly, her face even.

"But…how about college? I know you dated both women and men…"

"College. Good old Siena College…college was interesting…I was so glad to be moving on my own, knowing that what I was doing in my life would eventually take me away from my mother and the life I was tired of living. It was finally time for me to do that—something I had been dreaming of since I was little."

Olivia smiled, remembering. "There were a few people that I got close to…My freshman and sophomore years I hung around with a couple of guys—Josh and Nathan. Josh actually went to high school with me, too. Nathan was a black guy from Atlanta. Really handsome like Tyson Beckford. Neither of them were gay. There were a couple of girls in our group, too—Amanda and Stacy. Amanda was gay, but I didn't know it at the time, and Stacy was just an experimental drunk…tequila made her flirty. We did everything together—movies, parties, bars, hung out at one of our places. I'm not gonna lie…we did a lot of partying and we would all fool around with each other, separately, of course. No one was into sharing. It was easy, it was friendly and safe, it was…convenient, I guess you could say? But after that second year and the summer, we kind of went our separate ways. Josh stayed but found a serious girlfriend. Amanda, I found out later, was attracted to women—me in particular. I didn't know it but she had a mad crush for the two years we were friends and then even more of a crush when we were closer than friends. I found that out from Josh, after the fact…

Olivia leaned back again and continued, "Junior year, I had an affair with my ethics professor…not ethical, at all, I know." She smiled "I was twenty-one and he was forty-four. I didn't know he was married. He always talked about how he could get in trouble…I knew it wouldn't last but he made me feel loved, safe, and wanted."

Olivia took a deep breath and let it out.

"Did you love him?" Alex asked softly.

Olivia nodded every so slightly. "Yeah…I know it hurt badly when he told me we couldn't see each other any more. But I knew all along that it would never work. When he finally told me he was married, I didn't care…I just knew I was in love with him. I knew he would never leave his wife, etc., etc. My first taste of real heartache."

"Did he approach you?"

Olivia nodded. "One of those…I need to talk with you about your paper, sort of things. I was a brilliant writer, so bright, such promise…the whole spiel. He spoke to me as though I was the only one in the world. Like no one else and nothing else was as important at what he was saying to me at that moment in time. He told me how beautiful I was, how my face was like a beacon in the lecture hall—all those lines. I fell for it…"

"It all sounds true to me…" Alex agreed, smiling.

"When I was a senior, I met Claire Taylor. She was from Santa Barbara. Gorgeous with long, blonde curly hair, big green eyes, slightly shorter than me, petite, studying nursing…we dated and then it became serious, and then moved in together at the end of our senior year." When we graduated, she moved back to California to take care of her grandmother who raised her and we tried to keep in touch, but…it didn't go so well. We amicably agreed that we would officially end it."

Olivia turned to face Alex. "What do you think?"

"What about the academy?"

"Oh, the academy…nothing serious, at all. Some dates here and there, some encounters, but nothing Earth-shattering."

"Was Claire Earth-shattering?" Alex asked, trying to keep her voice even.

Olivia tilted her head, studying Alex's face. "You're not jealous are you?"

Alex smiled as her fiancé read her like a book. "How do you do that?"

"You have to remember, Babe…detective. Training." Olivia kissed the back of Alex's hand.

"Then Kurt Moss…who I saw pictures of and cannot understand in the slightest," Alex smiled. "That one photo you had in that shoe box of you two kissing? It looks like you're kissing a fish."

"Alex!" Olivia playfully pinched the blonde's bare side. "But you're right. He was a horrible kisser…stiff and dry…no sensuality to it, at all…" Olivia zoned out for a moment, slight disgust on her face. Snapping herself out of it, the brunette swung her legs in between the loungers and stood, adjusting her bikini bottom and bikini bra before sitting on Alex's lounger with her. "Unlike you…" Olivia leaned in, her mouth millimeters from the blonde's, Alex's eyes dipping to the beautiful globes in front of her before returning her gaze to those chocolate orbs. "You, my love, are the best kisser I have ever kissed." Olivia pressed her silky lips to the blonde and parted them, her soft tongue sweeping across Alex's bottom lip before the blonde slowly granted access and parted her mouth, the detective entering slowly but assuredly. The kiss turned into hands on backs, hands on shoulders and biceps, hands on waists, tousling hair, until the women pulled away slowly, eyes closed.

Alex opened her eyes first. "And now we're back to when we entered each other's lives again—the best part to this whole fairytale." Alex kissed Olivia softly once more.

"The very best part, Babe…for the rest of our lives…" Olivia smiled and planted another kiss on the attorney before they collected their belongings and walked back on the dock to the house to get ready from their last dinner in Southampton.

… … … … … …

"So…we'll be there tomorrow around noon again, OK?"

Alex held her cell to her right ear, already having gotten ready, and smiled as Olivia finished blow-drying her hair.

"OK, Kath…OK, see you tomorrow. Bye…" Alex disconnected the call and tossed her cell phone on the bed, smoothing out her light blue shirt dress, hair in a high, tousled bun.

She walked up to Olivia, who was leaned over, putting eyeliner on, her backside calling to be squeezed in the teal, cap-sleeved linen dress she was wearing—the fabric tight across her bottom.

Alex hands went right to the firm softness, clenching it thoroughly.

Olivia looked at Alex to her left in the mirror, smiling slightly, continuing to put her eye make-up on. "Alex…if you mess up my art…I will mess up yours…"

"Hmmm. Now who's threatening whom?" Alex's hands slithered to Olivia's waist and then traveled upward, cupping her breasts, light fingertips on her now-hardening nipples.

"Al-ex…" she warned.

Alex pressed her hips to the brunette's ass, the blonde's hands now moving to hips and squeezing as she rested her chin on Olivia's left shoulder, looking at their reflection. "You don't need make-up, Liv…" She took the brunette's ear lobe in her teeth, flicking it with her tongue.

Olivia's eyes rolled as she gripped the sink counter in front of her. "Please, Baby…let me finish…"

"You never have a problem finishing…" Alex chided.

"Except for that one time your brother set us up…" Olivia added, turning the tube of mauve lipstick and applying it to her full lips. She capped the tube and put it down on the sink with the other make-up, before placing her hands on top of Alex's on her hips. "I didn't get to finish for two days, if I recall…"

"And I hope I've more than made up for it…" Alex kissed Olivia's neck.

"Uhhh…you have, Babe…no question about it. Olivia reached her hands up and smoothed her hair before turning in the blonde's arms and placing her hands on her jaw, kissing gently so as not to mess up Alex's own red lipstick.

"Last night here, Babe. Tomorrow…sweet freedom…I can't wait to get you home and resume our normal lives."

"You and me both, Baby…" Olivia kissed Alex once more. "You and me both…"

… … … … … …

Dinner was pleasant and tolerable with only a few minor hiccups coming from Aunt Margo. Otherwise, it was a delicious dinner cooked by Katie of beef Wellington (seitan and veggie stuffed Wellington for Mrs. Cabot), braised brussel sprouts, and sweet potato mash.

Mrs. Cabot defended Alex and Olivia at every turn. No matter how inane the comment from Aunt Margo's mouth, Cathy Cabot had a quick, calming response, showing Alex and Olivia how far she had come.

Alex was grateful for the turn around in her mother. Although Mrs. Cabot had lost a couple of friends from her daughter's decision—including Mrs. Catwell—Mrs. Cabot was firm in her defense of her daughter and her daughter's choice to love whomever she wanted.

… … … … … …

That night as the ocean lulled Alex and Olivia into a peaceful sleep in each other's arms, the waves rolled against the shore, ebbing and flowing.

All felt right with the world. They were going back home—and that was the best place to be.

A/N: I have been tired this week. I am an elementary school teacher and, for some reason, have been exhausted every evening. I have the intention to write but can't get much out.

So, the ladies are going back home. I know, for some of you, it's your favorite part. Them in the city in their own place…

I would love to hear what you think of this chapter. Please read and review.

Patricia