I needed time for myself, if only a moment. After the emotional roller coaster, as much as I loathed physically letting go of Miranda. I wanted to shower. I felt sweaty after everything that had transpired throughout the day.
I wasn't sure Miranda fully understood, but I promised to be quick. She didn't recoil, exactly, but she looked at me in quiet concern. I was relieved she didn't retreat into annoyance, which could sometimes be her go to emotion when she was at a loss what to do.
Scrubbing myself fiercely in the smaller bedroom's ensuite, I let hot water rinse worries and pain away, and only belatedly did I remember the stitches. I cursed under my breath as I got out of the shower.
"Andrea?" Miranda was right outside the door. "What's going on?"
"I think I need help," I muttered, mostly exasperated at myself.
"I'm coming in." Miranda opened the door, and I yanked a towel to put around me.
She stood there, so very still, and looked fresh faced, and, oh dear God, dressed in her grey silk robe—the one she had worn in Paris. I had seen it since, but right now, when I still was a bit raw, shower or no shower, I could only stare. She tilted her head and studied me under raised eyebrows. Her cool demeanor showed she had also managed to collect herself. "Yes?"
"I was so eager to shower, and to hurry back to you, I forgot to cover the bandage. It's wet and I'm going to have to change it. I know it's soon time to remove the stitches, but I shouldn't have been so careless." I shook my head. "Can you—"
Miranda moved and peered into my large toiletry bag. "Bandages here?"
"Yes. And antiseptic pads." I shifted the towel and hoped I could show the drenched bandage but cover the rest of me. Miranda had seen me naked before, but for some reason, right now, I felt emotionally skinless. "Sit here." Miranda pointed to the small stool by the vanity. "Can you raise your arm. You might as well let go of the towel."
So much for feeling awkward. I wasn't sure she had noticed my stupid attempts at covering myself. If she had, she merely nudged my hands away and the towel fell like a ring around my hips where I sat.
Miranda deftly removed the bandage and cleaned the area around the stitches with one pad, and gently on top of them with another one. She attached the new bandage and then pressed her lips to my naked shoulder. "It looks like it's still healing fine. No redness, no sign of infection."
"Thank you." I tipped my head back and looked up at her. When she stood this close to me, and looked at me with such tenderness, I felt ridiculous for being physically shy. It wasn't a new thing. I was very comfortable in my own skin, but every now and then, I managed to paint myself into a corner and feel entirely exposed. "I'll be glad when everything regarding my skin is over."
"Me too." Miranda took a complimentary robe from behind the bathroom door and wrapped it around me. "I hope you don't plan to sleep alone as well.
I had to smile, she sounded so much like work-Miranda, so in charge, but she truly wanted to know, I could tell.
"Never," I said and kissed her lightly on the lips. "When it's possible, I will always want to sleep with you." "That's more like it. Come on. I'm going to be locked up in meetings the entire day tomorrow before we fly home. I'd rather not spend any more time standing around in this bathroom." Miranda tugged at me, but I held back. "One more thing and then I'll be there. Got to brush my teeth."
She rolled her eyes at that, but I suspected it was her putting on a show. That was all right, it was still sexy. I brushed my teeth and then accepted her outstretched hand. When we passed the bed, I reached out and tugged at the covers and bed sheets, ruffling them. Miranda nodded approvingly but didn't even slow down.
As soon as we were in the larger bedroom, I saw she had already turned down the bed. At least I surmised it was her as I hadn't heard a maid come in, and, also, the bed was turned down on both sides. I let the terrycloth robe fall off and caught it in time to put it over the back of yet another vanity chair. Slipping into bed, I made sure I was close to the center, but not crossing over to Miranda's side. She hung her silk robe and moved without haste across the floor, naked and beautiful. I could barely breathe. Her breasts were perfect, pale, and with rosy, hard nipples. Her skin glimmered in the soft light from the small lamps on the nightstands. She lifted the covers and entered the bed. "What else can I do for you, Andrea?" she asked lightly, but the deep, underlying timbre gave her away. She was ready to pounce, but she was restraining herself.
"For me? Or to me? Anything you want. Anything at all." I pulled her into my arms, aligned our bodies, and kissed her. Moaning, Miranda parted her lips beneath mine, and let me in. She was all over me, her hands roaming all over my body, as if mapping it, or even claiming it. As before, she didn't touch the area around my bandage, but her hands and lips created small embers everywhere else.
"Is this what you want?" I had to clear my voice twice before my vocal cords cooperated. "I want much more than this. You have no idea." Miranda hovered above me. "I know I can't get all that I want in one single night." She sounded slightly exasperated at the limited hours before dawn.
"Same." I smiled. "I would give anything to have you to myself for much longer than a few hours at a time."
"Then what would you do to me, sweet Andrea?" Miranda licked up my neck and kissed me again. This delayed my answer for a while, as she tasted so good, so fresh. When she let go of my mouth, she looked down at me, expectantly. "Yes?"
"Right." I framed her face with my hands. "I would map your skin like you just did with me. Then I would make you tell me what to do, in detail, and I would do it, for as long as you wanted."
Miranda's eyes gleamed in the muted light, and her lips were parted as she drew breath in small, unsteady gasps. "Anything?"
"Yes." I knew I trusted Miranda more than enough to make that promise. "I know you would only ask wonderfully sexy things of me. What we both want."
"And you? If the roles were reversed?" Miranda undulated her hips against me, and moisture began to seep between my legs. I whimpered and arched into her. "Damn, Miranda. I can't think."
"Yes, you can. Anything on your wish list for me to do to you, darling?" She pulled her lips back into a broad smile, bordering on feral.
I thought about it. I always enjoyed sex, but the extra dimension of making love with Miranda, turned sex and pleasure into something much more. I only had to look at her, dressed or undressed, and I wanted to touch her, smell her, and taste her.
Miranda gave a muted growl and thankfully my brain kicked into gear. I remembered something she told me early on, when we shared likes and potential dislikes in bed. Digging for courage, I rolled us on our sides and held her close. "I have a suggestion, but you must tell me if you're not comfortable with it."
Clearly intrigued, Miranda cupped my right breast and fondled my nipple as she regarded me with rapt attention. "Tell me more."
"It's something I like, but it is also something you're apprehensive about." I didn't take my eyes off her as I needed to see every little micro expression. I had to be sure.
"Why would you…?" Miranda didn't pull back, but her hand grew still against my breast. She didn't let go, but the caresses stopped. That was okay, since it meant she was listening. If she balked completely at the idea, I would dial it back, but the way I saw it, if she didn't, it was yet another way I could show her how much I loved her, how much I cared. She had to know I would never hurt her. She spoke again. "Keep talking." I could feel her wall go up, at least to a degree, but I understood. "Remember that you told me that you weren't fond of being taken from behind?" I caressed her face and tried to ignore her widening eyes. "Yes. Of course. Yes." She moved her hand to my shoulder and for a moment, I thought she might actually push me away. "Why would you even ask that of me?" Her tone wasn't accusatory. Instead she sounded stunned rather than offended or shocked "Not of you. I want to know if you can see yourself making love like that to me." I hoped I managed to sound light-hearted about it. Of course, I was already shivering at the idea of having Miranda behind me, making me hers in a, for us, new way. I also had the hope that it would show her how gentle and even romantic it could be. Whoever had scared or repelled her, and I was pretty sure that was the case, should be shot at dawn. All I wanted was for her to feel free and safe in bed with me.
"Ah. I see." She relaxed and so did I. She raised her eyebrows. "Uh…now?" Her huge eyes proved she was more rattled than she would ever admit. "Only if you want to." I wrap my arm around her waist. "Surely you know that no matter how you touch me, it's going to drive me crazy. I want you and this is only a suggestion." I trembled and I could tell she noticed.
Miranda studied me for a good twenty seconds, and then she gave a faint smile. "By all means," she said gently. "Get on all four."
Her sudden, but very low, command thrilled and startled me at the same time. I shifted and rolled into her, and she gave me space to get on my stomach, and then push myself up on my hands and knees. I gripped the pillow and felt her move and then slide her body along my back, her legs between mine. Sheltering me, with her arms around me, her hands found my breasts. I began to hum when she rolled my nipples into even harder peaks.
"Like this?" she asked, her voice half an octave lower than usual. "You like it like this?"
"Yes. I love how you feel against me. Hot." I tried to find the words, but she moved one hand along my stomach and in between my legs, which stole the last of my voice. She dipped her fingers in between my slick folds, humming as she created small circles with her fingertips. I pressed back against her, and now air left her lungs in a rush, and she moaned. So, this turned her on, holding me like this, having access in a new way.
After a while, my arms started to tremble too much, and I lowered my head onto the pillow, which meant my ass was even more on display. I thought I heard Miranda say "oh, God" under her breath, and then she began massaging me firmly, occasionally dipping in between my folds from behind. "This, damn it, Andrea…this…"
"I can't wait any longer," I said quickly, hoping to get my words out before all I could do was moan. "Please. Go inside. Take me?"
Miranda actually growled. She spread the wetness before she entered me with several fingers. I cried out, and she lowered herself until she was fully aligned with my back, resting her weight on her left lower arm next to my head. Panting against my ear, she thrusted in and out, and she wasn't particularly gentle. It didn't hurt. It turned out to be just what I needed, another cleansing, another way to rid myself of today's fear and trepidation. Miranda rolled her hips against my ass, which pushed her hand into me in a way I couldn't even have imagined. This made me cry out again and I began to tremble.
"Reach between your legs," Miranda said between gasps. "Touch yourself. Make yourself come."
I couldn't believe her words. Hearing Miranda talk about sex, and especially while she was busy making me hers once and for all, had to be the most wonderful, surrealistic experience of my life. "Andrea?" She urged me on by nipping at my neck with sharp teeth. "You are burning up."
She was right. I felt as if I was on fire. I shoved my hand down and pinched my clit between my fingers. Sliding back and forth, faster and faster, I heard myself make a keening sound into the pillow. And then I came. I stopped moving as if someone shot me, and then convulsions hit from deep within and brought me to tears as the orgasm tore through my system in wave after wave. When my knees gave in and I ended up flat on my stomach, I felt Miranda slowly withdraw her hand. She pressed herself against my side, restless, and no wonder, as she hadn't come yet. "Give…a minute," I said and tried to get my breathing under control.
"Shh." Miranda stroked my slick back up and down. "That was some orgasm." She sounded impressed.
"Mm-hm."
"Beautiful." She pressed her lips to my temple. "Now you," I managed to say, and turned my head further to the left, to be able to see her properly. She was flushed and her eyes were glittering where they reflected the ambiance light in the room.
I recovered quicker than expected despite having come harder than ever before. My focus shifted from my own trembling body to Miranda's. "Tell me how to love you," I said quietly and ran my hand down her arm. "I thought…you said it was my turn…" She blinked rapidly, a rare sign of an onset of nerves. "I…it's not that I don't trust you, Andrea." She plucked at my hair, pushing it behind my ears. "Hey," I said, and kissed her gently. "Us making love is not a quid pro quo thing. You have nothing to prove. Don't you know how absolutely amazing it is for me to be here with you at all? Let me make love to you the way you want, the way that gives you the most pleasure." I smiled.
"I thought...never mind." Miranda hid her face against my neck. "Seems we had this conversation just before, but about another sort of trust." She rolled onto her back and took me with her, making me end up on top. "I do love when you pin me down, like this." She bit into her lower lip, which is normally my thing.
"Then hold on, Miranda." I pulled her left leg up over my hip. "This has potential." I winked at her.
Miranda managed to glare and whimper at the same time. My smile widened and I knew just what she needed from me.

_
Continued in part 17.