Desire by Starlight

Author:Radclyffe [Radclyffe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ! Yes
ISBN: 9781602821880
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2010-11-15T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Gard was pretty certain she was reading the signals right. Jenna was flirting with her. All through dinner, while they talked about Gard’s job and Jenna’s next book and Elizabeth’s paintings, the conversation drifted easily, like so many leaves on a slow-moving stream. Every now and then, she had to force herself to focus, having gotten sidetracked by the way Jenna tilted her head when she was concentrating, the way her lips parted when she was amused, the way she leaned forward intently when she was excited by an idea, her breasts peaking the cotton fabric of her short-sleeved shirt. Jenna’s eyes flashed and glowed with emotion. Her body, her voice, her movements were a beautiful symphony playing along Gard’s nerve endings, exciting her, intriguing her, enticing her. By the time they finished the meal and Gard stood up to help clear the table, she was vibrating with the urge to run, or to touch her. She backed up, out of arm’s reach.

Jenna turned, a question in her eyes. “What?”

Gard shook her head, mesmerized as Jenna carefully set the plate she’d just rinsed down on the counter and dried her hands. Behind Jenna, through the window above the sink, the moon rode on silver clouds, dark lakes swirling indolently across its surface. She’d seen a similar moon a thousand times, seen the trees shimmer and the pastures radiant with starlight, but she’d never been pierced by the beauty until all that splendor framed Jenna’s face. She should thank Jenna for the dinner, turn around, and walk out the door.

Jenna took a step closer, then another.

“Jenna,” Gard warned.

“I’m listening.” Jenna was inches away, her mouth so close their lips would meet if Gard bent her head an inch. Carefully, ever so carefully, Gard rested both hands on Jenna’s bare arms, lightly clasping her soft, warm flesh.

“Why?” Gard asked.

The corner of Jenna’s mouth tilted upward. Her pupils, black lakes rimmed by forest green, expanded and contracted. Jenna rested both hands on Gard’s chest and rubbed her palms back and forth, her fingertips tracing the arch of Gard’s collarbones through her T-shirt. “Beyond the obvious?”

Gard’s breath kicked up and she stood absolutely still, letting Jenna explore her. She shivered and thought of the way the horses shied away, knowing they were prey, fearing their defenselessness but still wanting to be close, wanting to be touched. She wasn’t nearly as brave—she’d stopped inviting touch, stopped desiring connection, knowing the deadly vulnerability that followed. Knowing the soul-crushing pain of betrayal. Against her will, she leaned into Jenna’s caresses, inviting, seeking, needing more as Jenna’s fingers traced the outer contours of her breasts, coming close to but never touching her nipples. She shuddered as her nipples tightened into hard, tingling knots.

“The obvious escapes me right now,” Gard said hoarsely.

“Number one,” Jenna murmured, bowing forward until her pelvis snugged neatly into the curve of Gard’s crotch, “you’re gorgeous.”

Gard clenched her teeth as their thighs and bellies cleaved. From Jenna’s pleased smile, it seemed she hadn’t been very successful in hiding her response.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.