A few weeks later, Stef dropped Brandon off at Mike's for the weekend and drove to Lena's apartment. Lena had texted earlier to say she had a parent meeting after school, so Stef let herself in when she arrived. She found a package of ground beef thawing in the refrigerator and took it out to start browning for dinner.
By the time Lena came home, the apartment smelled of simmering tomato sauce and hot garlic bread. She kicked off her shoes, dropped her work bag next to the kitchen table and walked up behind Stef, wrapping her arms around her
Stef smiled. "Hey, honey. You hungry?"
"Starved," Lena answered. She brushed Stef's hair aside and lowered her mouth to the crook of Stef's neck. Stef gasped as Lena's teeth grazed her skin, immediately followed by a soothing stroke of her tongue.
Stef clicked off the stove and turned. Her lips met Lena's with the hunger of a long week's separation. Lena maneuvered them to the side, away from the stove, and she pushed Stef up against the wall. The hard, smooth surface of cool drywall at her back contrasted sharply with the warm body pressed against her front. Every nerve in her body tingled under Lena's touch.
Stef ran her hands up under Lena's shirt, caressing the soft skin of her back as she lifted the fabric. They broke apart long enough for Lena to pull the shirt over her head. Stef unhooked the clasp of her bra and Lena shrugged out of it, letting it fall to join her shirt on the kitchen floor.
Lena reached for the buttons that ran down the front of Stef's shirt as Stef lowered her mouth to kiss along her jaw. When Stef's lips closed over the pulse point on her neck, she sucked in a quick breath through her teeth. Her pulse thudded in her ears and she abandoned the buttons with Stef's shirt only half-open, reaching up for Stef instead. She wove her fingers through Stef's hair as Stef nipped lightly at her neck.
"Do you want me to leave a mark?" Stef asked. Her lips brushed against Lena's neck as she spoke; warm breath panted against skin where moments before there had been teeth.
"Yes," Lena hissed. She had two days before she had to go back to work and plenty of scarves she could wear if a hickey was still visible by then. She twisted her hand in the long, silky hair, her fingers locking close at the base of Stef's head and holding her in place with lips tight against her neck. Stef moaned at the grip on her hair that was just this side of painful. She bit in answer, teeth scraping over Lena's heated skin.
Lena thrust her hips forward, pushing Stef firmly back into the wall. Stef fumbled to slide one hand between their bodies and undo her pants. Lena eased back enough to allow Stef to slip her pants and underwear off and then she leaned in, pushing one thigh between Stef's. Her skirt rode up her leg and Stef rocked forward, grinding against bare skin.
Lena released her hold on Stef's hair and traced her fingers down the side of her neck. Stef shuddered and pulled back to look at her. Lena knew without having to see a mirror that Stef had succeeded in marking her. She felt sore and hot, and the cool air in the apartment flowed over the patch of wet skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
Stef's eyes lingered on the dark hickey she'd created and a self-satisfied smile played across her face. Her eyes met Lena's. The undisguised want that she found in Lena's intense gaze matched her own desire. Heat pooled in her stomach and her body hummed with energy. She cupped Lena's face in her hands and kissed her, slow and tender, as their bodies pressed together.
When the kiss ended, Lena turned her face into Stef's hand and brushed her lips over the calloused mound at the base of her thumb. "Bedroom?" Stef asked.
Lena nodded and turned, taking Stef by the hand and leading her into the bedroom. Her queen-size bed took up most of the floorspace in the small room and they both managed to bump their knees against the side of the bed as they stripped off what was left of their clothes.
Stef sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Lena toward her. She wrapped her legs around Lena's thighs, drawing her closer. Lena's deft fingers traced over her arms and shoulders, following the contours of her skin with a light touch.
Lena moaned as Stef caught her nipple between her lips. She ran her hands across the smooth expanse of Stef's back and leaned her head back. She closed her eyes and her world shrunk, every thought eclipsed by the sensation of Stef's mouth on her body, Stef's tongue teasing pebbled skin, Stef's fingers caressing the soft underside of her breasts.
The breathy exhales that shuddered past her open lips could only be described as panting with desire. Her knees weakened and Stef's arms rose to wrap around her body. Stef fell backward onto the bed, guiding Lena with her so they both lay on their sides.
One hand flowed down her body, raising goosebumps on heated skin. Lena bit her lip as Stef teased her with light touches that fluttered over her ribs, side, hips and thigh. Her hand brushed over the tight curls at the juncture of Lena's thighs and Lena pressed forward, opening her legs in a less-than-subtle demand.
Stef's fingers skittered away and Lena whimpered. She gripped Stef's hip and pulled her close, wedging her knee in between Stef's. Stef trailed her hand along Lena's inner thigh, down to her knee and back up. Lena sank down against Stef's hand before she could continue teasing her. Her eyelids fluttered and she met Stef's gaze through heavy-lidded eyes as the warm, solid hand cupped her.
Stef leaned in to kiss her. Soft, open-mouthed kisses showered Lena's lips, chin, and down her neck. Stef stopped when she reached her collarbone, running her tongue along the dip to taste salty skin. Lena's fingers dug into Stef's hip, impatiently dragging her closer. She rocked her hips against Stef's hand, and her knee between Stef's thighs shifted upward with the motion.
Stef wouldn't appreciate the short, muted sound that caught in her throat being characterized as a grunt, but Lena couldn't think of any other word for it. She did it again, pressing forward into Stef's hand with her whole body and intentionally scraping her thigh along Stef's core in the process. There was no mistaking the sound this time; Stef buried her face in the crook of Lena's neck to muffle the noise.
Lena bumped Stef's shoulder with her nose, breathing in the intoxicating scent of her sweat. The movement dislodged Stef from her neck.
She set a steady rhythm, sliding against Stef as she rode her hand. The soft grunts of pleasure slipped unbidden from Stef's lips, growing longer and higher in pitch.
Lena gasped as Stef shifted her hand - touching, caressing, stroking her. Fingers slid over wet lips and the heel of Stef's hand rolled into her clit with every thrust. Her nails scraped over Stef's back and she pressed her mouth to her shoulder, tasting salty skin as she felt the firm muscles flex under her lips.
She turned her face up toward Stef, mouth open for a kiss. Their lips just barely brushed when Lena cried out, her moan mingling with Stef's in a rush of hot, gasping breaths.
Lena's head dropped onto the bed, trapping Stef's free arm under her neck. Stef curled around her, running her hand up into sweaty, tangled hair. Lena hummed in satisfaction as Stef withdrew her hand from between her legs.
Stef brought her hand up to cradle Lena's cheek; she brushed her thumb across her lips. Lena flicked her tongue over the rough pad of her thumb. Stef's eyes darkened as Lena tasted herself on her hand. She rolled them together, pulling Lena on top of her, her hand still cupping Lena's cheek.
Lena settled between her thighs and supported her weight on her elbows. Stef moaned as Lena shifted forward, rubbing against her pelvis and sending a jolt of pleasure up through her body.
Lena opened her lips and leaned down, capturing Stef's thumb between her teeth. She scraped her tongue over the sensitive fingertip and sucked. Stef's hips jumped, twitching underneath her. Lena moved her mouth down, kissing the soft inside of Stef's wrist before moving to her torso.
Stef shivered, her whole body quivering as Lena's mouth closed on her nipple. "Oh," she breathed as she ran her fingers through Lena's hair.
Lena's hands slid over her upper arms, fingers wrapping around her biceps and forcing her arms up above her head. Stef let herself be moved, her fingers sliding out of Lena's hair and falling to the bed to curl in the fabric of the pillow above her. She felt the length of Lena's forearms press solidly down on the bed along her ribs on both sides of her body. She twisted her legs around Lena's, pulling her in closer, tighter, seeking more friction, more contact, more...
Lena knew that this wasn't enough, that - as good as this felt for both of them - Stef wouldn't get there just from grinding against her. But instead of sliding her hand between them, she lowered her mouth to the dip between full breasts. "I went back to the sex shop this week," she murmured into Stef's sternum.
"Oh?" Stef tucked one arm under her head, raising up just enough so that she could see Lena's face.
"I got us something, if... if you still want to try it?" Lena said softly. Her chin rested lightly on Stef's chest and her eyes searched Stef's, tentative and questioning, waiting for her reaction.
Stef didn't have to ask what she was referring to. Her cheeks flushed and her thighs clenched around Lena's hips as a thrum of desire flowed through her. "Yes," she whispered, her voice low and ragged. She wet her suddenly-dry lips with a flick of her tongue. "I want you to..." Fuck me, she almost said. She stopped herself; the words sounded too wanton even in her own mind.
But the smile that played on Lena's lips told her that her girlfriend had heard the unspoken words. Lena rose onto her hands and knees and stretched forward to kiss her before getting up and moving to the closet. Stef propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Lena pull out a small box hidden behind a stack of folded pants.
"Is this good?" Lena asked, nervous that she had picked the wrong one.
Stef dragged her eyes up to Lena's face. She nodded.
Lena tore open the packaging.
It should have looked absurd. Unnaturally red, with bumpy ridges down the length of the shaft; a flat, wide base designed to fit into the harness; and a thin wire that snaked out to a small remote... at the store, Stef had thought the dildos looked almost silly: like cartoon caricatures of penises, which, to be perfectly honest, look a bit strange to start with. But now, in Lena's hand as she loaded it with batteries, snapped the bottom shut, and slid it into her harness, it didn't seem ridiculous at all.
Her eyes followed Lena as she buckled the harness around her waist and thighs.
"Come here." Stef opened her arms as Lena came back to bed. She pulled Lena down on top of her. She kissed her roughly, her mouth seeking Lena's with hunger and want. The tip nudged against her and Stef squirmed, trying to get the angle right. Lena lifted up her hips to reach one hand between them, and they slid together.
Stef moaned and rolled her hips into Lena. She squeezed her muscles, pulling Lena in deeper. She flung one arm up and placed her hand flat on Lena's lower back, pressing down. Her other arm wove under Lena's and wrapped across her shoulders. Her teeth sought Lena's collarbone as she writhed on the mattress, her strong arms holding them together from chest to pelvis.
Lena moved against her, thrusting forward so she rubbed over Stef's clit and pelvis with every movement. Stef hissed a breath in through her teeth. She braced her feet on the bed behind Lena's knees, holding Lena from slipping against the mattress.
Stef pushed back, demanding, driving the pace harder and faster. She panted, her breath hot and wet against Lena's neck as she clung to her, their bodies crushed together and moving with one mind.
When Stef finally screamed out her release, her arms clamped down around Lena, squeezing so hard Lena could barely breathe. Lena continued to pump her hips, her strokes growing slower and gentler as Stef's cry of pleasure eased into a long, low moan and then dropped into a series of contented sighs.
Lena could feel the tension rush out of Stef's body as her arms fell away and she slumped boneless into the mattress. Lena collapsed on top of her, cheek resting on her breasts. She could feel Stef still twitching as she gasped in air; the phallus pulled against her as Stef's muscles contracted and released.
She looked up at Stef; her eyes were closed and a wide, unencumbered smile spread across her face. Even though Stef couldn't see, Lena smiled in answer.
They lay together and breathed. When they finally peeled apart, moving slowly as the sticky remnants of their arousal and sweat glued them together, they both felt too tired and lead-limbed to get up. One pillow had gotten wedged down in the crack between the bed and the wall, but neither of them reached for it.
"I cooked dinner," Stef mentioned when Lena's stomach rumbled. Lena grunted in response, but made no effort to move.
They sprawled across the sheets - the covers had fallen to the floor long ago - and stretched out under the fan that rotated lazily overhead. Heads pressed together on the single remaining pillow and sweaty hair clung to their faces and necks.
"Come stay with me and B this week?"
Lena stilled at Stef's question. "Are you sure?" she asked. Brandon knew they were dating. Lena sometimes came over for dinner at Stef's when he was there and more than once the three of them had gone out for ice cream, dinner, or a family-friendly movie. But she had never stayed over at Stef's townhouse when he was there and Stef never spent the night at her apartment except when he was at Mike's.
Stef nodded. "I want to see you more," she said. She toyed with Lena's fingers where their hands met on the bed. "I miss you during the weeks," she confessed. Between their work schedules and Stef needing to put Brandon to bed every night by eight, they didn't often see each other outside of the weekends. "Come stay with us," she repeated.