Lovey tenderly stroked Royal’s back as they lay together, spent and breathless.
Chapter Twelve
Royal wasn’t sure how long she lay next to Lovey. The sun was long gone and they had not turned on a light. The only illumination in the room came from the moon through the open window. The lunar glow cast surfaces as translucent. She shifted beside Lovey, not wanting to wake her if she’d dozed off. It was hard to tell if she was sleeping. Lovey’s eyes were closed; her long, dark lashes rested on flushed cheeks. Her breathing was slow and even. Royal reached into the bedside cabinet and pulled out a glass. The movement caused Lovey to stir.
“If that’s a drink, I’ll have some.” Lovey shifted onto her side and her eyes fluttered open.
“I have two glasses, but all I have on hand is whiskey.” Royal looked over her shoulder as she retrieved the glasses.
“I’ll try a little.”
Royal poured small amounts of the brown liquor into two glasses from the bottle. She considered for a moment the raw materials that were combined to create whiskey. As separate elements, they were nothing more than produce, but combined and heated, they were intoxicating. That was the way she felt with Lovey. Intoxicated. Something existed between them, something incredibly powerful.
Royal handed a glass to Lovey, who propped herself up on a pillow against the headboard. Royal shifted to the other end of the bed, using the other pillow to lean against the footboard. She faced Lovey as she sipped the liquor. Warmth followed the liquid down her throat and to her chest. Royal had dreamed of finding a love, never dreaming that it could actually happen. Pragmatism fought against the idea of happy ever after, but after these past few encounters with Lovey, she could now visualize a faint horizon of hope. As radiant and sharp as a razor blade, paper thin, but a horizon nonetheless. If she stretched, Royal thought she might even see beyond it, her surge of hopefulness allowing her to look farther than she had before.
It was warm in the room. Each of them was only partially covered by the tousled sheet. Royal reached over and ran her palm over Lovey’s smooth, slender exposed leg.
Lovey watched Royal watching her as she took a tentative sip of the whiskey. It burned her throat, but after a couple of tiny sips she decided she rather liked its warming effect. She’d never tasted whiskey before.
In the moonlight she thought Royal was more gorgeous, if that was even possible. She felt like she was adrift in bliss. She never wanted to leave this room. She never wanted to leave this bed. But then she realized it might be later than she suspected, for she had surely lost track of time altogether the moment they’d undressed for each other.
“What time do you think it is?” Lovey asked. She felt bold and sexy in her state of undress. Her body was barely covered by the rumpled top sheet.
“Maybe eight o’clock.” Royal shifted off the bed and retrieved a pocket watch from her trousers. “That was a good guess. It’s eight fifteen.”
Lovey was glad she’d asked because it meant she got to watch Royal’s naked body move around the softly lit room. Just the sight of her slender, nude body sent shivers to private places. She couldn’t help smiling as Royal returned to her spot at the foot of the bed facing her.
“What’s funny?” asked Royal. She took another small sip of whiskey.
“I’d say it’s more of a question of who’s adorable. You.”
Royal crawled up the bed and snuggled next to Lovey and kissed her on the cheek. “Maybe I should take this from you now.” Royal reached for Lovey’s glass. “It’s clearly affecting your vision.”
“Hardly. But maybe you should take this away from me anyway. I’m not sure I should have too much. I have no tolerance for alcohol.”
“So, you have tasted whiskey before? I thought all you Baptists were teetotalers.”
“Most of us are. And no, I haven’t tasted this particular liquor before. I’m more of a champagne fan. I tried some a few times with friends in Chicago.”
“What was Chicago like?” Royal set the two glasses on the nightstand and settled farther down on the pillow so that their bare shoulders were touching. She pulled Lovey’s fingers to her lips and kissed them.
“Chicago was magical. Like your lips against my skin.” Lovey leaned over and kissed Royal softly. The taste of whiskey still on her tongue mingled with the flavor that Lovey was beginning to recognize was all Royal.
They kissed for a few minutes and snuggled closer together. Lovey slid her thigh over Royal’s and snuggled into her neck. “I should go soon,” said Lovey.
“How much time do we have?” Royal pulled Lovey closer.
“Enough.”
Chapter Thirteen
It was almost ten by the time Royal dropped Lovey back at her house. It took everything Lovey had to pull herself out of the car, away from Royal, and go inside to face her father. She’d been devising a cover story for her outing during the drive home. She knew she would not be able to exist with Royal in this private bubble forever, but she hoped to make it last as long as possible.
Her father was in his study. The door was ajar as she walked down the hall toward her room.
“Lovey? How was your evening?” He called through the open door. He was at his desk, surrounded by open books and papers.
“It was nice.” Lovey leaned on the door frame of his study for a moment. “I’m tired. I think I’ll turn in.”
“Okay, see you in the morning.”
“Good night.” She’d avoided questions for the moment, but as she settled into her nightgown in her room she knew that the questions would eventually come. Who had she been with? Where had they gone? What had they done?
What have I done? Sensations of her time
