Title: Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Author: Kimberly21570
Fandoms: Guiding Light / All My Children
Pairings: Olivia and Natalia / Lena and Bianca
Disclaimers and other Assorted Ramblings: The characters of Olivia, Emma, and Sam Spencer, Natalia and Rafe Rivera, Doris and Ashlee Wolfe, James Spaulding, Daisy and Frank Cooper, and Jamanda Weeks are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The characters of Lena Kundera, Bianca Montgomery, and Michael Cambias, as well as the company Chandler Enterprises belong to ABC/Disney and Prospect Park. The original characters of Jennifer, Tracy, Jacob and Dylan Jackson-Morgan and their extended family, Detective Sargent Langston Malloy, and her parents, Carrigan (Carrie) McKenna Malloy and Lorcán Malloy, Attorney Danika Kováč, and her parents Alaina (Laney) Brennan Kováč and Daněk Kováč, and Judge Bennett Thomas are the property of this author, and any resemblance to fictional characters, or real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. I will admit, though, that if you're looking for a visual of Langston and Dani, think Stana Katic (Kate Becket, Castle), and Angie Harmon (Jane Rizzoli, Rizzoli & Isles). I can totally see those two tearing up the sheets.
No copyright infringement intended with regard to Guiding Light, CBS/TeleNext, Proctor & Gamble, or any other person or entity. The dialogue, settings, and story content in these scenes are original. Written for fun, not profit. All other standard disclaimers apply.
Many thanks to my friend and favorite FFW, WickedWanda926, and my friend newfan64 for the edit on this one. I owe you both bunches! And thank you, as always, to my readers, not only for sticking this story out with me, but for graciously giving me such generous feedback. I appreciate you more than you know.
Rating: Chapter 15 is R for colorful language and sexual references.
I hope y'all continue to enjoy!
Kimberly
Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Copyright May 2009
"Lies are convenient when the truth is unfathomable."
— Courtney M. Privett, Shadows of Absolution
Chapter 15.1 – Where Truth Lies:
Saturday, June 20, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—12:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"So, is everything all right with Doris?" Natalia asked casually, as she slipped naked beneath the covers. She moved across the bed, nestling her body against Olivia's own naked form. "She didn't seem like herself tonight. Not in a bad way, but…"
Wrapping her arms around Natalia, Olivia smiled at how perfectly they fit together, even with their baby between them. "You noticed too, huh?"
"It was kind of hard not to," Natalia commented. Her arm fell loosely across Olivia's hip. "I don't need details. Just wondering if she's okay."
"She's great," Olivia answered, brushing her mouth against Natalia's temple. "She's in love."
"With the teenager?"
"Jamanda isn't a teenager," Olivia replied as if by instinct. And then she chuckled at her own response matching Doris's usual one when asked that very same question. "But no, it isn't her. Doris is… rediscovering an old love."
Natalia grinned. "Good for her," she said. "I highly recommend the discovery of love, old or new."
"Oh, you do, huh?" Olivia husked, her fingers teasing between Natalia's legs. A soft groan fell from her lips when she realized just exactly how ready Natalia was for her.
"Definitely," Natalia whispered. "It's done me a world of good," she added, meaning both Gus and Olivia, but mostly Olivia.
"Mm… Me too," Olivia quietly agreed.
Silence fell between them, and Natalia purred, as Olivia gently stroked her. She'd been hard, throbbing for hours in anticipation of being with Olivia this way. And oh, good Lord, she was ready!
Suddenly curious, Olivia shifted in their bed. Her fingertip never losing cadence, she propped up on her elbow, resting her temple against the palm of her free hand. "What's the best part?" she asked, as she gazed down at Natalia, a look of expectancy glimmering in her eyes. Where ordinarily they were sharp, tonight they were the softest jade as they searched the smooth contours of Natalia's face. Her cheeks were slightly chubbier, her chin more pronounced, those dimples growing ever deeper when she smiled. God, she was sexy. Olivia couldn't get enough.
"I suppose I shouldn't say something cheesy like, all the mind-blowing orgasms, but…" Natalia said, only partially joking. She groaned out her approval, as Olivia gently squeezed her swollen clitoris.
Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Mind-blowing orgasms?" she parroted, the upward lilt of her tone asking the question. "Why is that cheesy?"
"Isn't it?" Natalia countered wryly.
"Hell, no," Olivia declared with a grin. "I call it a compliment."
Natalia laughed and kissed her. "Sex with you is incredible, Honey," she said, lightly trailing her fingertips along the soft skin between Olivia's breasts. "You know that."
"It is for me, too," Olivia confessed, as her own fingertips slid along Natalia's thigh, coating the soft skin with Natalia's own wetness.
"Would you tell me if it wasn't?" Natalia sounded uncertain.
"Well, I would never fake it with you, if that's what you mean," Olivia grinned.
"Fake it?" Natalia queried.
"Yeah, you know, pretend to get off just to get it over with, or to protect your feelings," Olivia replied.
The expression on Natalia's face said she was clueless. "Is that really a thing?" she asked, her nose crinkled adorably; just as Olivia said, "Please tell me you've…"
"Never," Natalia answered before Olivia could even finish the question.
"Never?" Olivia looked surprised, though she didn't really know why. Natalia wasn't the kind to lie about anything. Ever.
"How could I, Liv?" Natalia reasoned, as she skimmed her mouth against Olivia's neck. "Before you, I hadn't a clue how an orgasm felt or sounded."
"And they still didn't know you weren't satisfied." Olivia sounded baffled. Idiots.
Natalia raked her fingers through Olivia's thick, chestnut locks. "It doesn't matter," she declared, as she pulled Olivia into a kiss. Sliding her body atop Olivia's she rolled her onto her back. "Because you know how to satisfy me like no one else ever could," she murmured against full, soft lips before deepening their kiss.
Olivia groaned from the pressure of Natalia's bare thigh riding against her center. "Ditto, Gorgeous," she murmured. "Now how about we get busy not faking it?"
A soft laugh fell from Natalia's lips. "I can't think of a better way to end this day."
Saturday, June 20, 2009… Ashlee Wolfe's Residence—12:15 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"I had a really good time tonight, Rafe," Ashlee said, as they walked through her front door. Her apartment was tiny, frugally furnished, and sparsely decorated; but it felt like home. Though she missed her mother sometimes, she loved the sense of independence she had gained after moving out of the condo. Immediately, she kicked off her shoes. "Thanks for inviting me. It was nice to see your mom and Olivia, and their friends again."
"You've met them before?" Rafe sounded surprised. He closed the door behind them, and turned toward her.
Ashlee nodded in that over-enthusiastic way of hers. "Oh, yeah," she said, almost gleefully. Sitting down on the sofa, she tucked on bare foot up beneath her. "I've known Tracy since high school. And I met Jen, Lena, and Bianca at a dinner party a few months ago. You know, before you came home."
"Oh," Rafe said, sounding somewhat ashamed of his noticeable absence, and the reason behind it. "Yeah, they seem like nice people. And their kids are pretty cool. Didn't seem like brats or anything."
"Yeah," Ashlee agreed, as she gestured for him to have a seat next to her. "They're really well-behaved. Not like most kids these days."
"I guess Ma really likes 'em," Rafe noted.
Plopping down beside her, he kicked his sneaker-clad feet up on the tattered coffee table she had picked up at a local thrift store. It wasn't that her mother wouldn't have furnished the place for her, but Ashlee wanted to do it on her own. "She texted to say the boys were spending the night. Guess she doesn't want me to wake 'em up when I get home."
"Probably," Ashlee giggled. "It's really cool of her to keep the boys. I'm sure Jen and Tracy could use a night to themselves."
"Why's that?" Rafe queried; a means of understanding the dynamics of these lesbian relationships. It was all so new to him.
"They've been through a lot this week," Ashlee answered knowingly.
"What happened?" Rafe sounded almost concerned.
"Jen's former father-in-law is trying to get custody of the boys," Ashlee reported.
"Do you think they'd be better off with him?" Rafe wondered aloud.
"Not a chance," Ashlee declared. "Jen and Tracy are great parents. Their boys are happy, healthy, and obviously well-raised." She paused for a moment, and then added, "Besides, he's on his way to prison now. Some kind of mob thing."
Rafe looked worried at the mention of mobsters, but said nothing about it. "So… you don't think it's weird then," he ventured, instead. "I mean, two women raising kids together?" He sounded curious, not critical.
"Not at all," Ashlee answered forthrightly. "Now that I know about my mom, I'm kind of sorry I missed out on having two moms."
"Really?" He sounded surprised, but in an inquisitive way.
"Well, yeah," Ashlee shrugged. "I wish that she'd felt safe enough to be herself all these years, so that she could've been happy. And having two moms would've been cool."
"Mm…" Rafe grunted. Absently, he picked at the fringe on a lone throw pillow.
Ashlee nudged him with the tip of her toe. "You sure seem different tonight," she commented. "What's up with that?"
"Why do you say that?"
"You're asking a lot of questions," Ashlee pointed out. "Usually, you don't say very much at all."
"I wasn't quiet last night," he countered. And then he felt his face flush, as he realized how that sounded.
But Ashlee was oblivious. "No, I guess you weren't," she granted without a second thought. In fact, he had been rather talkative the past few times they'd hung out. Weird for him, she thought. Usually, he was too busy brooding to talk.
Rafe shrugged. "Guess I'm still just trying to figure this thing between my mom and Olivia out." And then he glanced up, meeting her gaze. "I really want to."
"I can understand that," she empathized. Reaching out, she took his hand into her own. "You love your mom a lot."
Dropping her gaze again, Rafe nodded. His fingers toyed with the orange and yellow fringe again. "Yeah." He fell quiet for several moments, and then admitted, "She's been my best friend my whole life, Ashlee. I really miss that."
"Yeah," Ashlee commiserated. "I guess it's hard seeing her share her life with someone else."
Rafe nodded again. "It's weird, you know, because I didn't feel this way when she married my dad. I mean, sure it was strange, and I didn't exactly like sharing her, but… it didn't feel like this." A frustrated sigh shot from his chest, and he grimaced. "That sounds really dumb," he said, criticizing his own words. "Never mind."
"No, Rafe, that's not dumb at all," Ashlee said supportively. "It's different with women," she explained. "We bond differently, and sometimes we share things on a deeper level than a man does with a woman." Her brow furrowed, as she turned contemplative. "It's like Daisy and me. What she has with James is deep and important, just like what I had with Coop. But our connection with each other is much deeper."
"Are you saying you wanna have sex with her?" Rafe sounded confused.
Ashlee shot him a disapproving look. "Why do guys always think everything's about sex?" she asked rhetorically.
A furry brow arched. "Because it is," Rafe replied dryly.
"That's where you're wrong, Rafe. This isn't about sex at all," Ashlee countered. "But our emotional connection is closer than anything either of us has shared with a man," she explained. "I imagine it's like that for your mom and Olivia, too. And the fact that they make love must make that bond even stronger."
Despite himself, Rafe bristled at the image of his mother making love with Olivia Spencer. "Yeah, I guess," he commented gruffly.
"Hey," Ashlee said suddenly, trying to nudge him out of the funk he had quickly fallen into. "Wanna watch a movie?"
"Nah," Rafe answered. "It's late. I should probably get home. Ma said she trusts me to make good decisions. Guess I shouldn't mess that up, huh?
Ashlee smiled at him. "Probably not."
"I'm glad you spent my birthday with me," Rafe said, as they stood from the sofa. "Thanks for being there."
"Thanks for inviting me," Ashlee said sincerely. "I like hanging out with you."
"Yeah, me too," Rafe replied. He hugged her quickly, and then beat a path toward the door. "Guess I'll see you later."
"Yeah," Ashlee said, unable to stifle the goofy grin on her lips. "Later."
She heard the door click shut then, and sank back down onto the sofa, tucking one foot up underneath her. A sense of giddiness arose within her. Rafe Rivera was an interesting character, she mused. One she hoped Daisy wouldn't mind her getting to know a little better.
Saturday, June 20, 2009… Bennett Thomas's Residence—12:15 a.m. Central Daylight Time
Slipping beneath the covers, Doris curled her body around Bennett's from behind, and nuzzled into the nape of her neck, breathing her in. She loved the feel of Bennett's naked body against her own, and lingering there, she reveled in the sensations that splayed out across her skin.
Bennett stirred, and Doris pressed a slow kiss against the center of Bennett's back. "Hi," she husked softly.
"Mm… Hi, yourself," Bennett murmured. "I'm glad you're home." She turned in Doris's arms, drawing her into a kiss that lasted a little longer than intended; though neither of them cared.
"How was your evening?" she asked when finally, she relinquished Doris's mouth.
"It was lovely," Doris answered. "But I missed having you there."
"I missed being there with you," Bennett replied.
"I told Olivia about us," Doris confessed sheepishly.
Bennett arched an eyebrow. "You did?"
Doris nodded. "I didn't mean to, but… she asked, and… I just couldn't lie to her."
"She'll keep it to herself until we're ready?"
"We're good at keeping one another's secrets," Doris assured, as she recalled their inadvertent run-in at Ladies' Night, and Olivia's subsequent confession of her feelings for Natalia. And then she smiled. "She's looking forward to meeting you," she said, thinking how strange it sounded to talk about even having real friends.
"Soon," Bennett assured. "Just let me make sure I'm completely clear of the Jackson case first." She estimated that would happen after Diane and Toni Martin were arraigned on Monday.
Doris smiled. "Deal."
"Good," Bennett declared with a naughty grin. "Now come here, and let me welcome you home properly."
Instantly, Doris's body responded, already humming with excitement. "I thought you'd never ask."
Saturday, June 20, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—12:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"Finally get her down?" Bianca whispered, as Lena tiptoed into the bedroom, trying not to wake her wife.
Closing the door behind her with a quiet click, Lena smiled at the welcomed greeting. "You're still awake," she noted, pleasure in her tone.
"Of course I'm still awake," Bianca husked. "I haven't given my beautiful wife a proper goodnight kiss yet."
"You stayed up for a kiss, huh?" Lena sounded dubious.
A roguish grin trickled slowly across Bianca's face. "Well, perhaps a little more," she granted nonchalantly. Arching an eyebrow, she added, "You might want to lock that door."
Lena laughed softly at Bianca's suggestion. "Oh, really?"
"Mm-hmm…" Bianca hummed. Sitting upright, she allowed the sheets to drop, revealing her naked torso, much to Lena's delight. She loved Bianca's breasts—the gentle swell of them, that enticing slope, and those perfectly erect nipples, always eager to be suckled. They were a bit darker now than they were the first time she'd made love with Bianca—a remnant of pregnancy—but Lena found them more beautiful than ever.
Reaching back, Lena turned the lock on the door, her gaze never leaving Bianca's. And then she unfastened the drawstring on the casual pants she had donned after coming home from the board meeting with Olivia. She slid them down, casting them aside along with her panties. The remainder of her clothing quickly followed suit, and soon she was crawling across the bed toward her wife. "I was hoping that might be the case," she purred in that sensually accented voice of hers.
"Feeling a little frisky after all the high-stakes hijinks today, huh?" Bianca chuckled suggestively.
"More than a little," Lena openly admitted. "I've been thinking about getting you into bed since the moment I walked through the door tonight."
"Do tell," Bianca encouraged, her voice low and sultry.
A mischievous grin teased across Lena's lips. She had no intention of telling. Instead, she showed. Taking Bianca's mouth in a possessive kiss that both surprised and excited them in equal measure, she swiftly pushed her wife onto her back, straddling her thighs.
Bianca groaned into Lena's mouth, as Lena's tongue plundered and teased, coaxing her own to join in. She tangled her fingertips in Lena's thick, dark locks. And swept away by Lena's passion, Bianca allowed to herself to be taken.
Saturday, June 20, 2009… The Jackson-Morgan Residence—12:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"Oh, my God, I can't get your clothes off fast enough," Tracy declared, as she yanked on the snaps of Jen's jeans, trying to pull them down just far enough…
"You?" Jen responded incredulously. "What about me? You've been driving me crazy since we left the farmhouse!"
And it was true. Tracy had done everything short of actually fucking Jen during the drive home, and both of them were aroused beyond measure by the time they stumbled through their front door.
"Sorry," Tracy murmured against Jen's mouth, though neither of them believed she meant it. "I just couldn't keep my hands off of you any longer. I was tempted to make you pull over!"
Jen grinned. "You should have. I'm about ready to pop here," she confessed, as Tracy pushed her hard against the closed front door. And then she groaned in unison with Tracy's sigh of satisfaction, as Tracy finally slid three fingers deep inside.
Using her thigh for momentum, her thrusts grew increasingly deeper; a match for the thrusting of her tongue inside Jen's mouth as they kissed. As the frenzy grew, she tore away from the kiss, earning a grunt of protest from Jen. That grunt quickly turned into a groan, as she pushed Jen's t-shirt out of the way, engulfing a breast in her mouth. Her tongue swept across the tip of a hardened nipple, caressing it as she sucked in unison with the thrusting of her fingers, and the brushing of her thumb against Jen's erect clitoris. Within moments, Jen was shuddering in Tracy's arms, bathing Tracy's hand in the sweet evidence of her release, as she cried out her pleasure.
And then Tracy was on her knees, pushing Jen's jeans out of the way. Framing Jen's throbbing mound with her fingertips, she gently spread Jen open with her thumbs. And taking that gorgeously engorged clitoris deep into her wide, hungry mouth, she tasted her, reveling in the sweetness of her juices and the pulsing of arousal against her tongue. And then she began to suckle her, tongue gliding along the entire length of her, until Jen came again, this time her hips jerking with release.
Finally, her legs-muscles weakened from climax, Jen crumpled to the floor atop Tracy. "Jesus, Babe," she growled; her breathing still erratic. "We haven't fucked like that in ages."
Husking out a laugh, Tracy rolled Jen over. She made quick work of ridding Jen of her jeans completely, and then she was settling her hips between Jen's thighs. "Oh, we're not finished yet…" she warned, her dark eyes filled with hunger. And then her mouth was full of Jen's breast again, as she began to thrust against Jen's pulsating center.
Groaning out her approval, Jen felt herself grow increasingly harder as the fabric of Tracy's jeans abraded her still-sensitive clitoris. She could feel the stiffness of Tracy's own erection pressing into her own, despite the heavy barrier between them, and she knew Tracy was about to come. She wrapped her legs around Tracy's thighs, as she reached down with her hands, tugging on the belt loops of Tracy's jeans to pull her impossibly closer. And then her hips began to move, meeting Tracy thrust for thrust, until finally, they exploded in mutual release.
Saturday, June 20, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—1:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"Lord, have mercy!" Bianca exclaimed, as she slumped back down onto the bed, struggling for breath. Her lungs burned, and it couldn't have felt any better. "You should take over companies more often."
Breathless herself, Lena managed a staccato laugh. Her body glistened with sweat, much like Bianca's, and it felt glorious. They hadn't had sex like that since the day she'd taken over Chandler Enterprises two years after they were married. Not that sex was ever bad. On the contrary, it was almost always wonderful; but the buzz Lena got from pulling off a business coupe made sex downright spectacular.
"That was rather inspired, wasn't it?" she said, sounding quite proud of her accomplishments—both in bed, and out, but… mostly in bed. She was five months pregnant, after all.
Sinewy fingers curled into the locks of soft, dark hair at the base of Lena's neck, as Bianca pulled her into a slow, open-mouthed kiss. "Indeed, it was, Baby," she whispered, her breath warm and teasing against Lena's lips. "And if I thought we had a prayer of sleeping in tomorrow, I'd let you take me for another round."
"Don't tempt me," Lena warned playfully.
Bianca chuckled in response. She allowed herself to be pulled into Lena's arms where she rested her head against a full, firm breast. And there they lingered, Lena's fingertips raking through Bianca's hair in slow, tender strokes. Lightly, Bianca caressed Lena's expanding belly, as she whispered to their baby—a nightly ritual.
Finally, Lena released a slow sigh. "We should get dressed," she quietly commented.
"In a few minutes," Bianca whispered in reply. She pressed a kiss against Lena's belly, and then settled against Lena's breast again, tightening her hold around her wife. "I'm not finished just being with you yet."
Lena smiled, and tipped Bianca's chin, pressing a kiss against her lips. "Best part of my day," she murmured softly.
"Mine too," Bianca whispered, as she snuggled against Lena's chest again, simply allowing herself to be held.
Saturday, June 20, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—1:45 a.m. Central Daylight Time
"I'm pretty sure they weren't faking it," Natalia laughed, blushing, as she referred to the couple on the other side of their bedroom wall. While she and Olivia hadn't exactly been quiet, Lena and Bianca had created such a ruckus no one would have even known anyone else was having sex.
Grinning, Olivia bent down, brushing an open-mouthed kiss against Natalia's lips. "Pretty sure you weren't either," she commented, sounding rather pleased. They'd finished quite a while ago, but the memory of how aroused Natalia had been for her still amazed her. According to Natalia, it had been the sight of Olivia in her power suit that fanned the ever-present spark of desire into a white-hot flame. And it had taken mere moments to bring Natalia to explosive completion.
Scooting upward on their bed, Natalia effortlessly maneuvered Olivia onto her back. Leaning over, she kissed Olivia again. "Definitely not," she assured unnecessarily. "And obviously, neither were you," she commented, as her fingertips lightly teased at the perfectly trimmed tuft of hair between Olivia's legs. They were still wet with the evidence of her sated desire.
A soft groan fell from Olivia's lips as Natalia's fingers glided over the tip of her still-sensitive clitoris. Reaching down, she stilled the wandering hand. "Yes. Obviously," she grinned.
"Too much?" Natalia inquired, her gaze fixed on Olivia's hand atop her own. It wasn't like Olivia to stop her.
"No," Olivia denied, her tone low and sultry. "Just enough."
Natalia brushed another kiss against Olivia's swollen lips. "You always know just what to say to me."
"You always know exactly how to touch me," Olivia declared with a simple shrug.
Dimples bloomed. "I had a great teacher," she commented.
Uncharacteristically, Olivia blushed at the compliment. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Natalia murmured, as she curled up against Olivia's side. Releasing a contented sigh, she scrunched up her nose, her forehead crinkling. "Do you think they're finished yet?"
Olivia laughed heartily. "What I think is that it's a good thing the kids are asleep downstairs, and not across the hall," she joked.
Chuckling softly, Natalia couldn't help but agree. "No kidding," she said. "Rafe included."
"Oh, God, poor Rafe," Olivia commiserated. Though she had to admit he'd been far more respectful than expected throughout their dinner, she wondered how he would survive the weekend in a house full of women.
"Don't feel too sorry for him," Natalia replied, a touch of firmness in her tone as she emphasized the amount of empathy she thought necessary. "He'll be just fine."
Regarding Natalia with deep interest, Olivia noted, "You really do have a lot of faith in him, don't you." It wasn't really a question.
"I do," Natalia said resolutely. "He's made some serious mistakes," she acknowledged.
"Everyone has," Olivia normalized.
"Exactly," Natalia agreed. "But when I challenge him, he usually rises to the occasion. This time, it's just taking a little longer."
"You're challenging the beliefs you raised him with by being with me," Olivia noted.
"Not really," Natalia disagreed. "He just thinks I am."
"What do you mean?"
"I've never said anything to him about gay people," Natalia pointed out. "The Church has its position, but I've never made it mine." She paused for a moment, contemplating her words. "That's not to say the decision to be with you was easy. Falling in love with you challenged everything I knew, and I had to take a long, hard look at what I truly believed, regardless of what the Church teaches."
Reaching out, Olivia gently caressed Natalia's cheek. "I know you did, Honey," she said softly. Lightly, she brushed her fingertips along Natalia's jaw line, and tipping her chin, she gazed into mahogany eyes. "Lucky for me, you decided you believe in love above all else."
Natalia smiled in response. "Lucky for both of us," she whispered. "I wouldn't trade what we share for anything in the world, Olivia Spencer.
Olivia smiled. "Neither would I," she quietly replied, as he she leaned in, kissing Natalia tenderly. And then they fell silent, as she pulled Natalia into her arms, simply holding her, listening to her breathe.
Lightly, Natalia's fingertips traced the contoured edges of Olivia's tight abs, as she reveled in the closeness of her. "Liv?" she said quietly after several minutes.
"Hmm?" Olivia murmured softly. Her fingertips made slow circles in the center of Natalia's lower back.
"I was just wondering…"
"Wondering about what, Honey?"
"Sex that isn't polite," Natalia confessed.
Surprised, Olivia stifled her reaction. "What?"
Propping up on one elbow, Natalia scanned Olivia's profile by the sliver of moonlight that trickled through their bedroom window. "Remember that fight we had a few months ago?"
Olivia chuckled. "Which one?" she asked wryly.
Rolling her eyes, Natalia playfully swatted Olivia's shoulder. "Oh, you stop," she gently chastised. "The one we had the day I told you I slept with Frank."
"Oh, that one," Olivia groaned. Frank was the last person she wanted to think about at the moment.
"Yes, that one," Natalia confirmed.
"What about it?"
"You said sex wasn't always polite," Natalia reminded. "I just wondered what impolite sex was like, that's all."
A roguish grin trickled across Olivia's face. "Impolite sex, huh?"
"Uh-huh," Natalia murmured, her eyes dancing with curiosity.
"And you want me to show you?"
"Uh-huh," Natalia repeated.
Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Natalia, are you asking me to…" She leaned closer, whispering something salacious in Natalia's ear.
Natalia felt her entire body flush in response. But she met Olivia's gaze squarely, as she answered, "Yes. I believe I am."
Olivia's grin turned positively devilish. Her mind swirled with all of the delicious things they could do, especially given the still-to-be-revealed contents of their toy box. "When you least expect it…"
The expression in Natalia's eyes begged the question, and Olivia chuckled softly. "That's when I'll show you."
Breath caught, and dimples bloomed. "I can't wait."
Nipping at Natalia's lower lip, Olivia husked, "Neither can I."
Saturday, June 20, 2009… Detective Sergeant Langston Malloy's Residence—2:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time
At the sound of familiar footfall, Danika Kováč glanced up from the intense study of her own casual footwear—a rather ineffective diversion from her thoughts and resultant emotions. She had come straight to Langston's apartment after leaving the farmhouse; her heart riddled with disappointment upon finding Langston gone for the evening. Patiently, she had waited outside Langston's door, hoping she would come home before dawn. The middle of the night might mean her wife had gone to bed with another woman—but it would also mean she hadn't stayed, and to Dani, that meant the world.
Hope grew inside her.
Initially, her gaze met with the source of the sound, as worn motorcycle boots came into view. And then dark eyes trailed upward, following long, toned legs clad in tight black denim, over taut abs, strong shoulders, and the hint of well-defined breasts that strained against the tight fabric of a black T-shirt, and then into the bluest eyes she had ever known.
It was the middle of June, and still, Langston sported that old worn leather jacket. And as always, she carried her helmet casually beneath the crook of her arm. An audible gasp fell from Dani's lips, and she didn't give a damn if Langston heard it. Neither did she give a damn that Langston was completely aware of the fact that she was being blatantly cruised. Even more than twenty years after their first kiss, Langston Malloy was still the most stunning creature Dani had ever set eyes upon—and she was certain that would never change.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Langston sighed wearily, upon finding Dani waiting at her door. She knew the path to eradicating Dani from conscious thought again would be a long one; but she thought, obviously erroneously, that the quick resolution of the Jackson case would mean no more unexpected run-ins with the woman. "It's the middle of the night."
"Exactly," Danika countered. "Where the hell have you been all night?" she asked in an accusatory tone, as she shoved away from Langston's doorway. And then she cursed herself silently. Acrimony wasn't the way to win her wife back.
"I don't really see where that's any of your business," Langston answered flatly.
"You're right," Dani replied with a shrug. She hadn't a single point she could argue. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."
Ignoring the apology, Langston unnecessarily pointed out, "Your client is off the hook," as she brushed past her wife. "Why the fuck are you still in Springfield?"
"I can't exactly go skipping back to Chicago after what went down last night, now can I," Dani said dryly. It wasn't a question.
Langston sighed. "No, I suppose not."
Logic knew that Dani couldn't go back to Chicago. Not now anyway. Not until they were certain nothing would come back on Langston. But Desperation argued that she wasn't exactly safe in Springfield either. Circumspect reminded her that there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no way to escape the far-reaching tentacles of the beast that sought to keep them ensnared. Langston was Dani's sole source of protection, until they were certain it was safe. "So I guess you know your father escaped custody," she said, trying to sound unconcerned, when she was anything but.
Nodding affirmation, Dani said, "I heard it on the radio on my way over here. Clearly, they didn't nail everyone on his payroll. He's still got someone in with the Feds."
"I'm not surprised," Langston sighed.
Falling silent, she shoved a hand into her pocket, as she regarded Dani with interest. She was dressed casually, in jeans and a royal blue Polo that brought out the tan in her complexion and the richness of her dark eyes. Suddenly overwhelmed by an aching need to touch, she tore her eyes away. "I didn't see your car parked outside," she said, a means of distraction.
"No, you didn't," Dani confirmed. She recognized that look in Langston's eyes, and had to force back a smile. It wouldn't be easy, but there was still a chance. "I borrowed one of the firm's SUVs for the trip down."
"The fancy black one?"
"Yes," Dani confirmed.
"And no one in the business knew you were coming to Springfield?"
"No," Dani answered. "Just Mariana."
Langston couldn't help the warm smile that flickered across her lips at the mention of Dani's childhood nanny. The two had remained close, Mariana staying on in Daněk Kováč's employ far longer than reasonably necessary. The only thing that kept her from worrying about Dani's safety with Marianna knowing her whereabouts was Marianna's fierce loyalty where Dani was concerned. When Daněk learned of Dani's involvement with Langston, Marianna had defended them, sacrificing her own well-being for Dani's. She had been fired immediately, of course, but Dani and Langston just as quickly made room for her in their own home. "How is she?" she asked softly, fondness in her tone.
"She's well, thanks," Dani answered warmly.
"Good," Langston said quietly. And just as quickly, the moment dissipated.
Satisfied that Dani couldn't be tracked, Langston nodded. Reaching into the front pocket of her tight black jeans, she fished out her keys. "Come inside," she said resignedly.
Dani offered a slight smile in response. "Thanks."
"This doesn't mean you can stay," Langston warned, not meaning a word of it. Just the sight of the woman was enough to threaten her resolve.
"No. Of course not," Danika agreed, though she already knew better.
The heavy wooden door creaked as Langston pushed it open. She stepped aside to allow Dani entrance. By rote movement, she pushed it closed behind them. The deadbolt latched with a heavy thump.
Turning from the door, Langston reached for her remote, clicking on the stereo. Noise would drown out the heavy thudding of her heart. Yes, it would, she convinced herself. And then she tossed the controller aside, allowing it to fall carelessly to the sofa. The opening strains of Richard Marx' Right Here Waiting filled the room too quickly for her to reverse the action. She cursed beneath her breath at her mistake. Dani would know.
Ignoring the inner scrimmage, Langston shrugged out of the heavy jacket, folding the worn leather, and gently laying it across the arm of a nearby chair. Despite the way Dani had hurt her, that jacket was still a reminder of the warmth they had shared in their relationship.
Dani watched her intently, the precision movements so familiar as she set her jacket aside, that her heart ached from the intimacy of it. "You've been thinking about me," she murmured softly, as the music began. It wasn't a question.
A gentle hand brushed against Langston's back as she passed her, moving further into the room. Slowly, dark eyes scanned the room, taking in its ambiance—or lack thereof. Functional, yet sparse, clearly, it was inhabited; but it had not been truly lived in. Dani's heart ached once again for her wife. She may have moved away, but she had not moved on.
Simultaneously, Langston bristled and blushed at the light caress. Her skin burned beneath her t-shirt where Dani's fingers had touched. "I see the years haven't dulled your narcissism," she remarked, an attempt at avoiding the truth.
"And I see the years haven't cured you of your incessant need for control," Dani countered without missing a beat. The woman was a study in contrasts—disciplined, organized, controlled when it came to her reactions and duty, except when it came to Dani. Only after Dani had betrayed her, had she been able to control her responses toward her wife—at least that was how it appeared to Dani. "Can't you just let go long enough to listen to me?"
Langston's blue eyes flashed with danger, as she turned to face her wife. "Why did you have to come here, anyway?" she asked accusingly. Why did you have to turn my whole world upside down again? Why, Dani?
Beneath the anger, Dani saw Langston's pain, heard the unspoken question. Anger warred with Compassion. "I didn't exactly expect to see you, Langston," she finally said. "I had no idea where you'd gone. You left me without a word, goddamn you!"
"You're a royal pain in my ass," Langston accused, a means of avoidance. Her striking blue eyes flashed with fury.
"You wouldn't have me any other way," Danika asserted, deciding it was better to try to defuse Langston's anger, rather than feed it.
"I don't intend to have you any way," Langston countered.
We'll see about that, Danika thought. "I've heard that line before."
"Different time. Different place. Two very different people," Langston retorted.
"You are still my wife," Dani reminded unnecessarily.
"Semantics," Langston scoffed in return. The only reason she hadn't divorced Dani after her betrayal was that she didn't live in Massachusetts—the only place she could get a divorce at the time. Fuck the laws that required that one of them be a resident for at least a year before they could legally file for divorce. They sure as hell hadn't had to live there for a year before being granted a marriage license!
"Our marriage isn't just semantics to me, Lang," Dani said, her voice so quiet, so shattered, it nearly broke Langston's heart to hear it. Gently, she touched Langston's arm. "Please? I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm just ask—"
"Forgive you?" Langston snorted incredulously. She yanked her arm away, and moved across the room. Stationing herself like a human blockade, she crossed her arms defensively. "It's a damned good thing you're not asking!"
"Langston, please," Dani begged. "I'm just asking you to listen."
"Fuck listening, Danika!" Langston snapped. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say about that. You made your choice. You made it for both of us."
"I made the only choice I could, Lang," Dani defended. Her eyes pleaded with Langston to see beneath the cloudy surface to the truth of why she had chosen her course.
"You defended her murderer, and got him off scot-free!" Langston shrieked. The pain in her eyes was as palpable as the day she'd lost everything. "How could I ever forgi—"
"To save your life, you stubborn ass!" Danika finally exclaimed in frustration. She emphasized the "ass" part, cutting Langston off mid-sentence, as the tears streamed down her face. She hadn't meant it to come out so harshly, but therein lay the truth.
Stopped cold, Langston's breath caught, her heart clenching in her chest. Glancing up, she met Danika's tearstained gaze. "What?"
"I did it to protect you," Dani quietly confessed through her tears, as she slowly closed the distance between them. Gently, she placed her hands on Langston's biceps, feeling their instinctive ripple beneath her touch. "Mi Familia," she said; her accented voice thick with biting sarcasm.
The language wasn't that of her family's native land, but it was the most prominent identification for anyone who had grown up in the organization. "You're either for them or against them. There is no middle ground. You know what their world is like. To refuse my father's request was tantamount to admitting that I chose you over the family. You're a cop, Langston. Their ways don't change just because you're his daughter," she said, referencing Langston's own father—a man who had once been Daněk Kováč's best friend and business partner, and who was now his sworn enemy. "You know that, as well as I do. And you know that such a choice would've signed your death warrant—and probably mine, as well."
Langston felt the weight of the world crash down on her chest. Stumbling backward, she leaned against the back of her sofa, her hand pressed firmly against her pounding heart. Why hadn't she seen it? How could she not have known that Dani would do exactly as she had done when it was Dani's life at stake?
In that moment of realization, Langston was once again thrown into the past…
Sunday, May 15, 1994… the Cabana, Langston Malloy's Childhood Home—12:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Lang?"
Carrigan Malloy brushed thick, dark curls from a flawless face, revealing her perfectly chiseled Irish features. And then she propped her chin up on one upturned palm, as she settled in at the breakfast bar in the cabana. Stormy blue eyes that matched Langston's own held a hint of curiosity, and she regarded her only daughter with rapt interest, as she watched her scoop freshly-ground coffee into the filter, and then drop it into the silver basket on her Black & Decker coffeemaker.
Lifting the stainless steel carafe from the warmer, Langston flipped on the filtered tap, and began filling it with fresh water. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I dropped in to visit with you last evening, and you were… otherwise occupied."
Langston nearly dropped the carafe. Last night had been the night she had come home to find a very naked and extremely aroused Danika waiting for her in her bed. Fuck!
"Oh—," Langston said, her mouth holding the "O" shape. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest as she searched her mother's gaze for reaction.
"I assume it was Dani here with you," Carrie said with curiosity rather than judgment.
Langston flushed.
"I wasn't snooping, I promise," Carrie assured. "When I got out here, the lights were off. I thought you were out, and I just wanted to leave you a little surprise."
"Guess you were the one who was surprised, huh?" Langston sheepishly ventured. Pouring the water into the reservoir on the coffeemaker, she set the carafe on the warmer, and pressed the "Brew" switch.
Carrie considered the question for a moment, trying to decide how best to respond. "Not really," she finally admitted. She reached across the bar, brushing a gentle hand across Langston's before squeezing it lightly. "I've watched the two of you your whole lives, Honey. I'd have to be blind not to see how you feel about one another."
Langston gulped, feeling exposed. "And how do you feel about that?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. She hadn't anticipated this conversation, though she knew it would happen eventually. Their relationship had been a secret for more than eight years. Or so she thought.
A faint smile on her lips, Carrie gave her daughter's hand another gentle squeeze. "Your happiness is the only thing that matters to me, Langston," she said sincerely. "And I know that Laney would agree when it comes to Dani," she added, making reference to Dani's mother.
"How could you possibly know that?" Langston asked, hopefulness warring with skepticism.
"Come sit with me," Carrie invited, as she tugged on Langston's hand. "Let me tell you a story."
Smiling, Langston willingly followed her mother to the sofa.
Curling up beside her, she allowed her mother to pull her close; her head nestled against Carrie's shoulder, the way she had done when she was just a small child. "So what kind of story is this?" she asked, sounding uncharacteristically like a little girl again.
"It's a love story," Carrie answered, as she stroked Langston's wavy hair, and kissed the top of her head.
"About you and Father?" Langston inquired. She sounded a little dubious, but she'd never heard of her mother dating any other man.
Carrie bit back a bitter laugh. "Oh, no, my darling," she replied. "It's a story about the love of my life…" There was a pause for effect, and then she supplied, "Laney Brennan."
Jerking her head back, Langston met her mother's gaze, her own eyes filled with surprise. "Aunt Laney?"
A bittersweet smile graced Carrie's lips. "Yes," she said softly, the pain of loss still evident in her tone. She shared with Langston then, the story of their nearly lifelong love affair. What she didn't share, at least at that moment, was the fact that Daněk had murdered Laney for the unforgivable sin of loving Carrie McKenna, and thus shaming him and his family name.
"I don't understand, Mom," Langston said once Carrie finished her story. "Why would you marry my Father, if you were in love with Aunt Laney?"
"Things were different back in my day, Sweetheart," Carrie replied. "Women didn't always get to marry someone they loved. Especially women from certain cultures. Aunt Laney's father arranged her marriage to Daněk Kováč as a means of joining their two families in the business."
"Yeah, I get that," Langston acknowledged. "But it still doesn't explain how you ended up married to a man."
"I married your father because he was Daněk's best friend and business partner," Carrie said. "It was my way of ensuring I could always be near Laney."
"You didn't feel betrayed by her choice to marry him?" Langston asked.
"There was no choice to be made, Langston," Carrie answered forthrightly. "You know how things are in your father's world."
"Yes," Langston acknowledged grudgingly. Unfortunately, she thought, I do. There was really nothing else to say.
TBC in Chapter 15.2…