Without conscious thought, her hips started to move rhythmically, and her clit glided over Lena’s mound, again and again and again. The delicious friction stoked a fire that melted her inside. Jess moaned and fell forward, resting her weight on shaking hands on both sides of Lena’s head.
Lena’s right hand left her breast, but before Jess could protest, she had worked it between them and teased Jess’s opening with the tip of her finger.
“I love you.” There wasn’t anything else to say. Jess searched Lena’s eyes, almost green with desire.
Their gazes locked, and Jess drowned in the love shining in Lena’s eyes. Her world narrowed to the movement that connected their bodies and hearts. Lena’s hands, Jess’s hips, Lena’s mouth on her nipple. Every movement was in perfect synchronicity until her orgasm threatened to rip her apart.
Shaking from head to toe, Jess clung to her self-control like a climber to the last bit of fraying robe.
But Lena was here to catch her, to hold her.
Jess let herself fall.
Jess sat at the breakfast bar while her mom cut the carrots with a knife that belonged in a slasher movie. When she was growing up, she’d watched her mom cook on thousands of evenings from this same spot while she did her homework. But as a kid, she’d never been interested in the techniques. “If I tried anything like that, I’d lose my fingers.”
“And we wouldn’t want that,” Lena whispered from behind, too low for her mom to hear. Her breath caressed the sensitive skin of Jess’s neck.
Jess shivered as her earlobe seemed to melt. Recently, Lena seemed to have this effect on every part of her. She swiveled on the barstool to smile at her. Just the person she’d been waiting for. “Finished for today?”
Lena nodded. An adorable smudge of blue ink painted one corner of Lena’s mouth.
That spot asked to be kissed, and Jess gave in to the impulse.
When the kiss ended, Lena leaned against Jess to look over her shoulder. “Hi, Maggie. Do you need any help?”
“No, I’m almost done. Take a seat.” She swooped up the carrot slices and threw them into a big pot where even more vegetables had been simmering for some time, then closed the lid. After washing her hands, she joined them at the breakfast bar. “Jess, you remember Belinda, my friend from Santa Fe?” Her mom’s tone changed, and the lines around her eyes deepened.
Jess sat up straighter. “Sure. Why?” How could she forget the eccentric artist who would give her homemade stuffed animals every time she visited? They had been creepy and looked like something Dr. Frankenstein would have done if he had used fabric scraps in clashing colors. She had never been able to sleep with them in the same room. But as they’d come with tons of chocolate and fun stories, she’d still liked it when Belinda visited.
“She called earlier. Her sister died, and she’s devastated. They were close, lived together for the last ten years. I want to fly to her tomorrow for at least a week. Do you think it’s possible?”
“Yes, absolutely.” Of course it was possible. Why was her mom even asking? But then it dawned on her. Ella. “Oh.” She quickly ran through her options. Most of the week she’d be at home, but tomorrow and next Tuesday and Wednesday she had work. Where could she find a trustworthy babysitter on short notice? Or would Lena…? But after their last discussion, she didn’t want to use Lena as a crutch the first time she encountered a childcare obstacle. Maybe Diana had a day off?
“I’m so sorry for her.” Lena hastened around the other side of the breakfast bar to Maggie’s side and hugged her. “Don’t worry about a thing at home. Jess and I will take care of everything.”
Jess shook herself out of her thoughts and went to hug her mom too.
For a moment, all three of them huddled close together, then her mom stepped back and took Jess’s and Lena’s hands in each of hers.
“Lena is right.” Jess kissed her mom’s cheek. “We’ll manage. You concentrate on Belinda. Please tell her I’m thinking of her.”
“Thank you.” Her mom’s eyes were full of tears, and she squeezed both their hands. “I’ll call her and book a flight. Lena, can you keep an eye on the stew?” She wiped her eyes and hurried off.
Should she follow? Jess rubbed her neck.
“Let’s give her some time.” Lena opened the lid and stirred the stew, then closed it again. “I know what you’re thinking.” Her tone was light and playful without a hint of accusation. She sat at the breakfast bar.
“Do you?” Jess pulled the stool closer so their knees were touching when she sat. “You think you know me.”
“Yup.” Lena placed her hand above Jess’s knee. “You realized you have a problem with Ella’s daycare, then thought about asking me and discarded the idea at once, and now you’re running through a list of options that are all less than perfect.”
“Huh, that’s frighteningly accurate.” Warmth spread from the hand at her leg throughout her body—not the sexual spark of arousal but something deeper, more substantial. Lena saw through her, and Jess didn’t mind at all. In fact, she loved it. “Do you have an idea what I can do?”
“Sure. Let me take care of her.” Lena held her gaze, and her eyes never wavered. “I would love to do it.”
Jess never doubted her love for Ella, but she didn’t want Lena to think she was taking advantage of those feelings. “I don’t want you to feel as if you are her babysitter because you’re not. You’re…more.” Jess bit her lip. She couldn’t find the perfect term to
