The water was warm, almost too warm, and Rita noticed how it turned her skin pink as she settled down into it. Connie had her back to the taps, and she leant forward ever so slightly so as not to feel the prickle of ice from the cold tap, or the burn of the hot. She reached out slowly, her hand just below the surface of the water as it slipped across Rita's knee towards her thigh.
Rita felt it, a touch warmer than the water, though it made her shiver. She exhaled. A fortune teller in a little side street in London had once told her that when she fell in love, it would be forever, and she remembered now how she had laughed at the notion, but being here now, amongst the bubbles, facing Connie, she realised that he had been completely on target.
Before she could stop herself, she thought about desire, how it lived within you and yet was somehow separate, surfacing when it chose to, without permission, at the moment when you least expect to find it. That's what it was like with Connie. All those days ago something had switched, and now she was here, drawn to the other woman, desperate to be near her, to breathe in the smell of her skin, to touch her, and be touched by her.
She drew in a breath and watched the water lap to and fro against Connie's breasts as she moved – slowly at first, as though waiting for Connie to correct her, after all she has assumed she would be the one to take charge, she'd never expected that she herself would be the one who would slip forwards in the water, guiding the other woman away from the taps, and moving so that her body slithered across her, causing Connie to arc her body into the touch.
Rita looked down at her, the bottom of her hair was wet. Curls with sharp ink-black tips painted wet curlicues about her neck, like vines, creeping over her skin, and then, all of a sudden, the water would rush against them sending them splaying out, showing auburn against her flesh.
"You're beautiful."
She whispered, but it didn't seem enough.
"You're so, so...beautiful."
She murmured, and Connie gazed up at her, her hazel eyes wide, her lips ever so slightly parted.
The water rippled against them. Both women aware of the slight movement of their bodies against one another, just gentle movements that caused the colour to rise across Connie's chest and up her throat, to her cheeks.
Rita lowered herself further into the water, allowing her body to rest against Connie's, feeling how different in was to have another naked female body against hers, how much softer she was than any man, how every touch her fingertips made to her sides, her back, her arms was more gentle, more thoughtful, as though she instinctively knew were to touch her to bring her the utmost pleasure.
She traced the fingers of one hand up along the back of Connie's neck, up to the nape of her scalp, and then threaded her fingers into her hair, pulling just slightly so that Connie let out a short gasp, but still she allowed Rita to ease her head back against the cool of the bath tub, her eyes drifting shut, her mouth open, her throat exposed.
She leant lower still and brushed Connie's lips slightly before kissing and nipping her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone, hesitating between each kiss, wanting her to want her, and needing to taste her.
As she sucked gently on the pulse point behind Connie's ear, she listened intently for Connie's breathing, keeping track of every shallow gasp, every barely audible moan, and every twitch of her body in response to the light but persistent touches that she was delivering.
Instinctively Connie gave in. She allowed herself to be taken, she gave up her power to Rita whose body held her down beneath the water, and without thinking, she raised her knees, and curled her legs around the blonde, pulling her so close that she struggled to breathe, the warm water and the weight of the other woman threatening to smother her, but the ache between her legs and the throb of blood within her veins told her to go on.
She felt Rita's body flex against hers, hip to hip, breast to breast.
Connie squeezed her eyes shut tighter as Rita rolled her hips, pressing herself against her, making her bite down on her lip to stifle the moan she tried so hard to swallow.
She exhaled hard, and again Rita pressed her lower body against her, she wanted her to react, she wanted to make her forget herself.
Rita's kissed her again, the kisses at her throat becoming more insistent, her lips blurring with the water as she licked her skin before raising her head to look at her again. Her lips were dark and swollen, her chin and neck glittered from the water, and as Rita bent her head to kiss her lips she couldn't help but moan against her, a low breath of a moan that sent a shock of electricity from the tip of Rita's tongue to where she wanted Connie the most, between her legs, where the flesh ached so painfully.
Connie arced her body again, beyond it's natural curve, desperate for contact, feeling how hard Rita's nipples were as they pressed against her own, and how Rita tasted of wine and salt, the taste of the seaside on her lips.
She felt Rita's hands move lower, the water rippled about her and Rita's hands were on either side of her, running against her ribs, pressing against the edges of her breasts, and then lower, lower, across her hips to her thighs were her fingertips pressed into her skin, tugging her legs higher so that her calves broke the surface of the water and draped across Rita's lower back.
Her left hand paused at her waist whilst her right moved lower, inwards, between their two bodies, pausing just below between her hips, and she glanced up to Connie, who's eyes fluttered open and her head lowered to look at her.
"Gently..."
She whispered, her voice barely there, her chest rising and falling and the flicker of her pulse at her throat.
The flutter of a smile graced Rita's lips and she gave the briefest nod of her head.
"Always."
She promised, and with her eyes still on Connie's, she let her hand move lower, until she touched her between her legs, and she felt the flinch of her stomach against her, and she saw the bite of her lip, the roll of her eyes as she closed them again and her chest rose, her body so beautiful, a silver-gold in the half-light, held above the water like a mermaid one moment, collapsing back into it the next as Rita's fingers ran long slow strokes against the warm wet flesh.
Nothing had prepared her for it to feel like this. Rita's body against hers, the heat of her breath, and the steady rhythm of her fingers that perfectly matched every strain and buck of her hips. Her head felt light and her lips throbbed so that she had to bite down against them.
Without thinking she reached for Rita with her own hands, she touched her waist, and the curve of her hips, and she felt the flex of her arm.
Beneath the water she pushed her hand along side Rita's, turning her palm to run across the blonde hair between the other woman's legs, and as Rita faltered slightly, she pushed against her, matching the rhythm that the other woman had set, and hitching her legs up higher against her waist so she could push Rita's legs further apart, loving how hot her skin was, and how the water made everything smoother, like ice slipping across velvet.
Together they moved, writhing against one another in perfect unison, their breath catching and expelling in gasps that left them struggling for the next, and whilst their fingers slipped against one another, the backs of their hands touched, their fingers moved lower, pushing inside each other where it was hotter, wetter and tighter than either had expected, and they kissed each other as they came, pressing their bodies so hard against one another that the bones in their wrists grated and the world about them disappeared as they fell beneath the water, struggling for a single breath.
Connie was the first to recover. She drew in a gulp of air that made her throat dry and she coughed, raising a hand to cover her mouth, and Rita raised her head, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.
"Too much for you?"
She panted as Connie's legs slithered from her hips back into the water, and Rita shifted so that she could carefully remove her hand, taking a moment to intertwine her fingers with Connie's and holding them there between them.
"At my age...probably."
Connie laughed and raised an eyebrow. The water had cooled and she could feel the skin of her chest begin to rise with goosebumps.
Rita ran the index finger of her free hand from the bridge of Connie's nose to the tip, where she paused, then let it fall to her lips where Connie placed a kiss, and turned her head to face her.
"You know I never did get to say how beautiful you are in return..."
Connie whispered, touching the other woman's cheek, feeling the warmth of her blush as she smiled.
"Shall we find somewhere more comfortable to lay?"
She asked, noticing how goosebumps spread across Rita's skin, as though they were catching.
"Somewhere warmer?"
Rita asked, biting her lip against a grin, and Connie couldn't help but lean to kiss the corner of her mouth in response, making the other woman shiver again.
With great effort they disentangled themselves from one another and stood up, taking a moment to steady themselves against the wobble of their legs before stepping out onto the cold tiled floor.
Connie reached up for the towels that hung on the back of the door, handing one to Rita before drying herself off, rubbing down every bit of herself, marvelling at how sensitive her skin still was before wrapping it about herself and leading the way into the bedroom.
The bedside lamp made the whole room glow, and they blinked as they entered from the dimness of the bathroom.
Connie let the towel fall from her body and hung it on the door handle of the bathroom, watching Rita copy her before she turned back the duvet cover and slipped beneath the sheets, her toes curling and her whole body shivering at how cold it was against the mattress.
Rita crept in next to her, glancing at Connie as she pushed her legs beneath the covers and pulled them up to her chin.
"All the money you must have and you don't have an electric blanket?!"
She muttered, her teeth chattering, and she laughed again as she felt Connie's hand reach out for her, but instead of punishing her for her comment, she merely pulled her closer so that Rita could curl herself against her to get warm, one leg thrown over Connie's thighs.
Rita's head was tucked perfectly beneath the other woman's chin, her blonde hair against the damp dark curls. Connie ran her fingers through her hair, her nails just scraping her scalp and with her other arm she held her closer, rubbing her hand up and down the soft, smooth flesh of her arm, over and over until the skin felt warm again. She could feel Rita's breathing slow, her chest rising and falling against her and with her lips just touching Connie's collar bone, she drifted off to sleep.
Connie continued to stroke her hair, her fingers running over the soft, blonde strands over and over until her own breathing slowed, and she found herself thinking about how love could move you in ways you wouldn't have imagined, one foot in front of the other, even when you thought you had nothing left inside...
Real love was dangerous, it got you from inside and held on tight, and if you didn't let go fast enough you might be willing to do anything for its sake. Had she fallen in love the moment she had chosen to save Rita that night? Had it been the moment in the bar when Rita had pressed her hand to Connie's back, or had it been the very moment they had met? She didn't know. But right now, with Rita's sleeping body pressed firmly against her own, she knew it would be forever.
Oh! A long day! Thank you for the reviews, and to all of you who have only just discovered this story who have commented! I'm so glad it's being enjoyed, and I hope this chapter lives up to expectations :) xxx