Part 4 (1/2)
”You're no pushover yourself, honey,” Cath said. ”You can be strong for both of you until Reese heals.”
”What if I can't? What if I can't give her what she's always given me?”
Cath squeezed Tory's hand again. ”You will.”
Tory held her sister's hand and ached for the touch of her lover.
* 39 *
* 40 *
Winds of Fortune
CHAPTER FOUR.
How about some pizza?” Deo clasped Allie's hand as they strolled along a sandy walkway between two buildings that led up from the beach to Commercial Street. When the party at Reese and Tory's had broken up, Deo offered to drive Allie home, but instead of saying good night, Allie suggested they head into town. Even more so than most weekend nights during the season, tourists and summer residents packed every available B&B and condo for the Fourth of July.
For another hour or so, the streets would be fi lled with mostly same-s.e.x couples celebrating the freedom to be visible and among community.
Deo hadn't been anxious to return alone to her condo at the end of Bradford Street, and Allie was fun-easy to talk to and easy on the eyes. And she seemed okay with a relations.h.i.+p that was just as easy.
A little mutual company, a few hours of shared pleasure, an encounter with no expectations. In Deo's experience, a lot of girls said they were okay with that, but after a couple of dates, things changed. Now, she was careful not to see anyone more than a time or two, and she didn't sleep with half the women everyone gave her credit for. It didn't seem worth disavowing everyone of their notion that she scored more than most guys, and her reputation kept the women she saw from expecting much more than a casual night out.
”Pizza. Hmm. I sort of thought you had an appet.i.te for something else,” Allie said suggestively.
”Oh, I do.” Deo laughed. ”But certain activities burn a lot of calories, so it's always good to stock up when you can.”
”Is that right?” Allie slowed within the slanting shadows of the overhanging eaves and kissed Deo, squeezing her a.s.s with both hands while rolling her pelvis against Deo's crotch. ”Then I suggest you have two slices.”
”Much more of that and it won't be pizza I need,” Deo muttered breathlessly, surprised not only by Allie's aggression but by her own * 41 *
RADCLY fFE swift response. Her stomach tightened with urgency, and she felt herself grow hard and tense. She skimmed her fi ngertips over the outer curve of Allie's breast and smiled to herself when Allie moaned. Good to know she wasn't the only one with a hair trigger tonight. ”I'm a little past groping girls in dark alleys, but Jesus, you feel good.”
”Baby, you have my permission to grope.” Allie hooked her calf around Deo's thigh and rocked into her crotch again, digging her fi ngers into the fi rm muscles of Deo's backside for balance. She ran her tongue around the edge of Deo's ear and nibbled on her earlobe. ”I can't believe how hot I am. I'm ready for you to f.u.c.k me right here.”
”You've really got me stoked too,” Deo gasped, tilting her head back as Allie sucked on her neck. When she pinched Allie's nipple and Allie whimpered, her vision went hazy and all she could think about was being inside her and making her scream. ”Time out. Oh man...
Allie, time out.” She grabbed Allie's hips and put some air between them. ”I'm about two seconds from forgetting where we are, and I'm not going to do this up against a building.”
”I know, I know.” Allie s.h.i.+vered. ”But I want you to.”
”You're making me a little bit crazy.”
”Bad crazy?”
Allie sounded genuinely worried, and Deo experienced an unexpected rush of grat.i.tude. Usually her companions fi gured she didn't care about anything except the s.e.x, and it was nice to have someone actually ask what she felt. Deo circled Allie's waist and started walking again. ”Feels pretty good to me. You?”
”Better than good.” Allie stroked Deo's stomach before sliding her fi ngers an inch or two underneath the waistband of her pants. She purred when Deo groaned. ”You tripped all my switches and there's no off b.u.t.ton. I'm so wired my whole body's buzzing.”
”Still want pizza?”
”Sure. Just don't fi ll up on it.”
Laughing, Deo led her through a horde of men spilling out onto Commercial in front of Spiritus Pizza. ”Grab us a seat and I'll get the food. What's your pleasure?”
Allie grinned. ”For now, cheese. I'll tell you the rest later.”
Deo kissed her. ”Coming up.”
”Hurry.” Allie staked out a spot on the low brick wall edging the * 42 *
Winds of Fortune sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
Deo grinned. ”Count on it.”
y ”Hey,” Carre shouted above the din, tugging on Bri's arm as they edged through the crowd. ”There's Allie.”
”Huh? Where?” Bri slowed and followed Carre's gaze. She stiffened when she saw Deo Camara settle down behind Allie and slide a leg on either side of Allie's smaller frame. Allie snugged her a.s.s back into Deo's crotch while Deo dangled a piece of pizza in front of Allie's mouth. Bri grunted when Allie chased it with her tongue. ”Cute.”
Carre gave Bri a look. ”What's with you? Jealous?”
Bri stared. ”Jeez, babe. No. Come on.” She saw the fi re in Carre's eyes and knew better than to blow her off. Allie had always been a sore spot between them, ever since Bri had been a jerk the year before and almost slept with her. Almost. Well, she'd been in bed with her, and she'd been naked, and she'd let Allie touch...
”f.u.c.k,” Bri breathed, not blaming Carre for being sensitive about it. And just what was she feeling right now anyhow that made her want to punch Deo for licking the sauce off the corner of Allie's mouth like she was doing at the moment? ”I like Allie. She's my friend, and besides, she's my partner.”
”I know that,” Carre said, pulling Bri closer to the building across the narrow twisty street from where Allie sat wrapped up in Deo's arms.
”What I don't know is why you're getting twitchy about her and Deo.”
She stuck her hand under the bottom of Bri's T-s.h.i.+rt and rubbed her back. ”What's that about?”
”Allie has a crazy streak, you know?” Bri said, working it out in her head while she watched Allie run her fi ngernails up and down the inside of Deo's leg. ”Sometimes I think she does stuff so she doesn't have to think about how she's feeling.”
”Baby,” Carre said reasonably. ”Maybe she just wants to get laid.”
Bri grinned and kissed Carre nice and slow and deep. ”Could be.
I'd say she's gonna get her wish.”
”And you're okay with that?”
”Not my department.” Bri turned Carre until her back was against * 43 *
RADCLY fFE the building and kissed her again, teasing her with her tongue until Carre rubbed against her and moaned. ”That's my department.”
”Yeah,” Carre said breathlessly. ”And you should maybe take care of it. Soon.”