"What are you looking at, Erin?"
Erin set aside the tablet as she watched Alex come around to the sofa and sink down next to her, handing her a mug of tea. Sipping from it, Erin breathed in deeply before leaning her head on the woman's shoulder. "I was looking for an appropriate gift for the baby. The shower is next week, and even though I know that the shipping will be exorbitant at this short notice, I just haven't found anything that's seemed right for them."
"Are you trying to choose a gift to show off or to be useful for the baby?" Alex asked as she started to comb her fingers through Erin's hair.
"A little of both?" she replied truthfully as she took another sip of tea before setting it on the coffee table in front of them and picking up the tablet once more. "I feel like I still have to make amends for the way I treated David after the way he broke my heart. I mean, you and I both know that I had a serious axe to grind after he broke up with me while I was recovering from the hell that John put me through. Looking back, I can see that he was hurting just as badly as I was, having just lost Carolyn the year before my attack, but in the moment?"
"In the moment, you were trying to comprehend how you survived something that by rights should have seen you dead, along with the physical side of recovery from what happened. You were left with scars on your body and on your heart, and Dave choosing to walk away when you were at your most vulnerable was a low move."
She nodded as she continued to scroll through the offerings on the website, finding nothing that caught her eye. "And I think that hurt was made worse when he started dating Penelope six weeks later. I, I've never told you this before, but it really felt like he just traded me in for the newer, prettier, model."
Alex's fingers stilled in her hair before she pulled her hand away and pushed Erin gently to sit upright. As she frowned, she watched Alex contort her body a little so that she was facing Erin before she reached out and cupped her face. "Erin, is that why you're so sad sometimes? Is that why you're so trepidatious about our relationship?"
"Yes?" she said hesitantly, once more setting aside the tablet so that she could focus entirely on her love. "I love you, so much, Alex, but there are moments when these insecurities rise up in my mind and I feel lost again. Alan left me when I was at my lowest. David left me when I was at my lowest. And, if I'm being thoroughly raw and honest with you, you also left when I was at my lowest. I deserved it, for what I did to you and John, but you still left and I had to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart while trying to pretend that everything was all right so that Alan wouldn't suspect that I had gone and fallen in love with my best friend over the course of that case."
She never saw the kiss coming, but she gave herself over to the feel of Alex's lips against hers as she pushed her back against the sofa, one hand sliding down Erin's torso so that it could skirt up her shirt and cup her breast, squeezing it softly as they continued to kiss. "We've been together for four years in this new phase of our relationship, and you just now feel comfortable telling me about your fears?" Erin nodded. "I'm sorry, I wish that I had been more trustworthy."
"No, no, don't say that! You are trustworthy, it's just that my mind and heart are so accustomed to hiding this away, because I didn't want to lose you by being too clingy. You're so independent, and while I used to be that same way, that changed when John tried to kill me. I've clawed and scraped my way to this current iteration of myself, but I still feel like an imposter. I'm sorry that I was so faithless."
Alex cupped her chin, lifting her face so that she could look into her eyes, and Erin was shocked to see tears sparkling there. That triggered fresh tears of her own, and then they were kissing once more, softer this time, more yearning, as she felt the heavy weight she had been carrying for so long slip free from her shoulders. "I'm not good at speaking, or being tender. I hope that that hasn't added to your concerns about being honest with me."
"No," she said as she shook her head quickly. "Alex, no. this is all on me. And you're tender enough for me, because I'm not good at being tender, either. I wish that I was better at expressing my feelings, too, but I think that's why we work so well together at this point in our lives." Erin encircled her arms around Alex's waist, tugging her down so that she could feel her pleasant weight on her body. "Can I tell you about the dream I had last night before I go back to trying to find the perfect baby present for Penelope and David?"
"I would love to hear your dream, Erin," Alex whispered before laying her head down on Erin's shoulder.
"Good. I think that you'll like this dream. So, a little backstory, bear with me. Karen has always been into Japanese culture. It started with Sailor Moon, and went from there. Anyway, there's this concept in their traditions, where soulmates are bound together by a red string and that's how they know when they've found each other, they'll be tied by the same red string. Well, last night, I dreamt that we were at a party, dressed in elegant gowns. You were dancing with James, and I was talking with Alan, and as I gazed at you, I could see the light sparkle off something around your wrist. Looking closer, I noticed that it was a string of gold, and at first, I was crestfallen, thinking that there was no way something so beautiful would connect us. And then, as you danced further away from me, I felt a tugging on my wrist. Looking down, I saw that same golden thread tied around my wrist, and I got to my feet, winding the thread loosely around my fingers until I was by your side."
"And how did the dream end?"
"With you kissing me. All my best dreams end with your kisses."
Alex chuckled a little as she pressed a quick kiss to the line of her jaw, and Erin allowed her hands to slip down from Alex's waist to press against her bum. "I think that we need to make a choice here, Erin. Do we finish finding that gift, or do we take this kissing party upstairs and let it lead to its natural conclusion?"
"Could we have it be option a and then b? As a reward of sorts for my finally choosing something that's elegant and quirky and perfect?"
Alex shook her head with a laugh as she sat up and then reached out for Erin's hand, helping her to sit up as well. "I think that you're trying too hard to please Penelope and David. Put that from your mind and focus on what calls out to you. If you can find the perfect gift in thirty minutes, I might be inclined to step out of my comfort zone a little and try something a bit more adventurous."
That thought intrigued Erin, and she picked up the tablet once more, trying to set aside her expectations as she scrolled through the options at the last boutique shop she had been browsing. And then, she found it. "You were right, Lexie. It only took you kissing some sense into me to find it."
"That was quick. What are we giving them?"
Erin scooted closer to Alex as she tapped on the purple stuffed rabbit. "It's a microwavable stuffed comfort scent bunny. Lavender is wonderful to breathe in, and even if they choose not to warm it up for the first few years of her life. I've always had an affinity for lavender and other calming scents, though I don't use essential oils."
"For which I am grateful. Though I do love the perfumes you use."
Erin shot her a quick smile before purchasing the bunny and choosing to have it giftwrapped so that she would have one less thing to worry about with the short time she had before it arrived at her house and when the party was. "Now with that out of the way, let's head upstairs and you can show me what you were thinking of when you said that you wanted to be more adventurous."
Alex arched an eyebrow as she rose to her feet, holding out her hand to Erin in clear invitation that she was supposed to follow her. Setting aside the tablet, she quickly got up and took hold of Alex's hand, allowing her to tug her upstairs to their bedroom. "Take a seat on the bed. And please, don't argue with me when I tell you that you cannot touch me or talk to me until I tell you that you may."
Erin raised her eyebrows quickly before nodding. "I can agree to that." Alex gave her a knowing smirk before nodding and lifting her hands to the buttons on her blouse, slowly slipping them from their holes and allowing the material to gape and hint at the delicious flesh it still covered up. And as Alex teasingly pulled the hem of the blouse from her jeans, Erin began to regret agreeing so hastily to the mandate that she couldn't touch Alex until she was permission. Seeming to know Erin's thoughts, Alex's smirk grew a little wider as she slipped first one sleeve and then the other off her shoulders and letting the blouse flutter to the floor while keeping her eyes on Erin's. Licking her lips, Erin lightly scratched at her chest, the desire to touch and taste already starting to overwhelm her senses. Which was probably exactly what Alex had been intending to happen.
"I know, you want to say something, to beg me to allow you to touch me, but I have faith that you can control yourself. I do have one more condition to our little tryst this afternoon." Erin cocked her head to one side, hoping that Alex would know what she was thinking. "You cannot touch yourself, either. Do I make myself clear?"
Erin nodded as she swallowed thickly, dropping her hands onto the duvet as she continued to stare at Alex, wondering what she would do next. It didn't take long for Alex to undo the fly on her jeans, pushing each button from its hole just as slowly as she had with her blouse. Since the jeans were skin tight, Erin watched as Alex pushed them down her legs, bending her body in such a way as to showcase her cleavage for Erin. Once more, she licked her lips, trying to bite back the whimper, not knowing if Alex would consider that her making a sound.
After Alex had stepped out of the jeans, she stalked over to Erin's side and knelt down on the floor. Before she could even think about saying something, Alex leaned in and gave her a deep kiss as her hands started to fumble with Erin's buttons. Without thinking, she reached up to stroke Alex's hair, only to feel her partner nip at her lower lip. "Sorry," she breathed out as she slipped her hands beneath her thighs so as not to touch Alex once more.
"I'll forgive you this once, Erin," she whispered in her ear before pushing the blouse off Erin's shoulders, the fabric getting caught around her wrists. As Alex kissed her once more, she slowly pulled one hand from beneath her thighs in order to tug the blouse off her arm before repeating the gesture with her other arm. Then Alex was tugging at the tie of her wrap skirt, and Erin smiled softly as Alex tugged the fabric out from beneath her to let it join the other garments on the floor. "You are so beautiful, Erin."
Erin reached up and touched her lips, and Alex nodded. "You are just as beautiful," she breathed out. "May I touch you now?"
"Not yet." Alex's face softened into an expression of such exquisite tenderness that Erin sighed as she nodded, puckering her lips in the hopes that her partner would kiss her. Instead of a kiss on her lips, though, Alex leaned in to press a soft buss to the skin above her heart. "I think that it's time to get rid of this bra," she whispered as her hands slipped behind Erin's back, nimbly unhooking her bra before tugging it off her body and dropping it onto the floor. "Rossi was a fool to give you up, even if he is so incredibly happy with Penelope. But his loss is my wonderful gain."
"I thought you said that you weren't tender?" Erin teased as she lifted her hips to allow Alex to remove the last bit of clothing that she was wearing.
"It's easier to be tender in the bedroom, since we're the only ones who use this room. I know, that probably doesn't make sense to you, but…"
"But it does. Because this is our sacred space where we can allow all the walls and masks that we have drop away." Alex nodded as she hurriedly unclipped her bra, letting it drop off her body as she leaned in and pressed a ferocious kiss to Erin's lips, the momentum of her move sending Erin tumbling back onto the mattress as they continued to kiss. There was something different about these kisses, as if their little revelations to each other had led to a deeper intimacy to grow in them, even in the span of an hour, and Erin sighed as she curled one leg around Alex's upper thigh and pulled her down closer to her body, wanting to feel everything that she could as they continued to kiss.
Finally, Alex moved on from her lips and began to pepper Erin's face with kisses, her lips soft and warm as they touched her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her cheeks. Letting out a soft sigh, Erin gave herself over to the pleasure that Alex was giving her, only to let out a mewl of frustration when Alex pulled away from her and got to her feet. Fixing her gaze on her lover, she tried to convey what she was feeling, only for Alex to chuckle a little as she went over to their dresser and pulled open the top drawer, taking out what appeared to be a short whip of some kind. Erin frowned a little as Alex came back to her side, standing over her with a wicked little smirk on her lips. "This won't hurt you, Erin. At least, not too much. I think that you'll enjoy what I have in mind."
Nodding, she allowed her body to relax as she waited for Alex to make her next move, trusting her enough to know that she wouldn't inflict any lasting damage on her, that this was an interesting way to bond them all the closer. The first swipe at her body was to her thighs, and she giggled a little at the way it tickled her skin, not really feeling any pain at the touch. The next touch was a little firmer, landing on her vulva, and Erin gasped out as her body instinctively arched upwards to meet the next touch, finding the little swats to be more erotic than she had thought possible. Her whimpers turned into a low groan when the whip flicked against her nipples in turn, and Alex chuckled a little as she nudged Erin's legs apart with her knee before running the whip up and down her labia, driving Erin crazy. Twisting her hips in order to get closer to the sensations that were pushing her closer and closer to the brink of orgasm without Alex even having to really touch her.
"You aren't allowed an orgasm until I say that you can have one, Erin," Alex whispered as she bent over Erin, leaning in to nip lightly at one stiffened nipple before standing back up and running the whip across her body in a series of patterns that Erin was certain were going to drive her mad with a pleasure she wasn't allowed to satisfy. Every so often, Alex would thwack the whip hard against her flesh, making certain to strike the most erogenous spots on her body, driving pleasure surges through her system as she desperately tried not to orgasm, wanting to follow directions, not really certain what would happen if she didn't.
"Please?" she whimpered as Alex straddled her body, dragging the tip of the whip over her too sensitized nipples. "Lexie, I need…"
"What do you need, Erin?"
"I need to get off." Alex arched an eyebrow upwards, and she shuddered, knowing that she would have to use her words, even though she still had a hard time expressing herself vocally. "I need to feel your hands on my breasts, your fingers tugging and pinching my nipples. I need to feel your mouth on my vulva, eating me out, as I dig my hands into your hair to hold you in place as I finally fall over the precipice into the abyss of pleasure."
"I'm so pleased that it's getting easier for you to explain things to me, darling. You make this linguist's heart so light."
"Ah, but are you a cunning linguist?" Erin managed to squeak out, knowing that she was skirting the line between good taste and crass humor, but not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she was slightly embarrassed by speaking so frankly.
"Should I show you?" was her lover's saucy reply, and Erin nodded as she felt Alex slide down her body, her fingers tracing delicate designs over Erin's flushed skin as she pressed large, open mouthed, kisses against the soft skin of her torso. Little sighs and coos dropped from her mouth as she gave herself over to the passion that Alex was building up in her body, feeling like the air was shimmering a little as she gazed up at the ceiling. The moment Alex's mouth touched her vulva, Erin's hips canted upwards in order to get closer to Alex and her wonderful mouth. Then her tongue was delicately lapping at Erin's clitoris, the touches feather light in order to draw out the pleasure Erin was receiving, and she dug her fingers deeply into Alex's thick hair, holding her in place as she ground her hips against the bed, trying to get closer to her mouth.
Soon, all she could focus on was how loud she was breathing, how her blood pounded in her ears, as Alex continued to eat her out, to bring her so close to the pinnacle of pleasure, only to back off for a few moments, pressing sloppy kisses to Erin's thighs as her hands teased and caressed her breasts. "Are you ready, darling?" she finally asked, and Erin nodded, her head feeling so heavy on her neck. "I can't hear a nod."
"Yes, please, allow me to orgasm" she whimpered, and then Alex returned to eating her out, driving her a little faster towards that sweet precipice. Soon enough, Erin was tightening her thighs around Alex's head as her back bowed upwards, every muscle stiffening as her orgasm swept over her body. Still, Alex continued her pleasant pursuit, managing to wring two more orgasms out of Erin before she let up, allowing Erin to flop back against the mattress as she tried to catch her breath. A languid feeling spread across her body as Alex slid up along her body before curling around Erin, holding her close as they began to breathe in tandem.
"So, do you really think that there's a golden thread tying us together?" Alex panted out as she slung her arm possessively around Erin's waist, rubbing her cheek against Erin's shoulder.
"I do. Because what else would have brought us together like this, if not Fate? I can believe that it was a God thing, since I have faith, but I know that you don't share that same belief set. So, yes, it's easy for me believe that we were meant to be together, and since I think you're so beautiful, it makes sense that something beautiful would bind us together." Alex nodded as she shivered a little, burrowing closer to Erin. "We can't fall asleep yet, Lexie. We haven't even had supper."
"Perhaps a quick nap?" Alex murmured as she let go of Erin and grabbed for their quilt, tugging it over their bodies before snuggling in close once more. "Siri, set timer for thirty five minutes," she called out as she made herself comfortable around Erin, and Erin sighed as she nodded, knowing that she wasn't going to win this one. Instead, she curled herself up close to Alex, listening to her breathing deepen as she fell asleep, allowing the sound to lull her into a relaxing sleep, safe and secure knowing that she was tied to Alex with a thread that wouldn't break.