Thy Neighbor's Wife (28 page)

Jennifer was so close, Alex could smell her baby powder. “Jen-

nifer…” What was supposed to sound like a warning came out like

a whispered plea instead. Alex felt as though she was dangling from

the edge of common sense by her fingertips, swinging dangerously

in Jennifer’s breeze.

“I’ve made some choices, Alex.” Jennifer’s voice was as soft as

Alex’s was. She closed the remaining space between them, looked

up, and put her left hand on Alex’s waist. Alex was sure that if she

let go of the counter, she’d be swept away into oblivion, so she held

on as tightly as she could. She felt the fingertips of Jennifer’s other

hand on her wrist and then sliding teasingly up her arm.

“Choices?” Alex was barely able to choke out the word; her

body was in serious betrayal mode.

Jennifer nodded. “My marriage is over; it has been for quite

some time.” Alex looked down at the hand on her waist, surprised

to see no sign of her wedding band but a tan line. “It’s time for me

to stop doing what’s expected of me. It’s time to stop doing what

I’m supposed to do.” Her fingers grazed Alex’s shoulder, sending

goose bumps across her body despite the heat of the night. “It’s

about time I understood that it’s okay to want what I want.”

Alex wet her Sahara-dry lips with her tongue and was scarcely

able to find her own voice. “And what is it that you want, Jennifer?

Hmm? What do you want?”

“You.”

Without another word, she hooked her hand around the back

of Alex’s neck and yanked her head down roughly, kissing her with

such certainty, command and utter confidence that Alex’s knees

went weak and she nearly lost her balance. Jennifer had her pinned

against the counter; her tongue was deep in Alex’s mouth, her right

Thy Neighbor’s Wife 149

hand clutching a fistful of dark hair, and her left hand snaking

deftly up the tank top to take possession of Alex’s right breast.

There was absolutely no question in Alex’s mind who was in con-

trol of the situation.

Good Lord, a sweet little femme with a butch streak! she

thought. Who knew? It was all Alex could do to hold on for dear

life.

She felt like she was lost inside a fantasy—the kind she used to

have in college when she was just starting to understand her sexual-

ity. They were all very similar: middle of the night, moonlight pour-

ing in the windows, a beautiful woman having her way with Alex,

who was absolute putty in her hands. Somewhere deep in her head,

a little voice was trying to get Alex’s attention. She could only

make out a few words here and there…stop…regret…experi-

ment…but at that point, Jennifer’s hands were nimbly sliding Alex’s

panties down her bare thighs and the voice was completely drowned

out by the sound of her own heart hammering in her chest.

After dropping Alex’s underwear around her ankles, Jennifer

straightened and kissed Alex again. “God, your lips are so soft.”

She slipped her fingers between Alex’s legs and both women

groaned at the wetness she discovered there. “I’ve been dreaming

about this for so long,” she whispered against Alex’s mouth. “Won-

dering. Imagining. It only got worse after I’d kissed you on the

deck. I wanted so much more.” And then she dropped to her knees,

causing Alex to jump slightly at the sudden movement. Looking up

at her, Jennifer’s eyes were almost apologetic. “I have to know. I

have to know how you taste.” With something akin to desperation,

she pushed Alex’s thighs apart enough to run the flat of her tongue

along the swollen flesh.

“Oh, my God.” The words were forced from Alex’s throat and

had she not been hanging on to the counter top for all she was

worth, she was sure she would have slid to the floor, a puddle of

useless goo.

It became suddenly, astonishingly obvious to Alex that Jennifer

had indeed done this very thing before. Her mouth was like magic,

probing and teasing as she used her thumbs to separate the

drenched folds, allowing her tongue better access. She ran her

hands up the backs of Alex’s thighs to her rear end, cupping it and

pulling her tighter against her mouth. All the while, she made vari-

ous noises of pleasure; it was apparent she was thoroughly enjoying

herself. Alex managed to let go of the counter with one hand and

laid it lovingly on the top of Jennifer’s head, trying to keep her own

groans of satisfaction under control, lest she wake the entire neigh-

borhood.

She could feel her climax building. At the same time, her legs

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weakened uncontrollably. “Jennifer,” she gasped. “I don’t…I don’t

think I can stand up any more.”

Jennifer simply planted the palm of her hand against Alex’s

sweat-slicked belly under her top, holding her there. “Yes, you can.”

It was a command, gentle but firm.

Alex swallowed, knowing she’d be staying on her feet for this

one.

With her tongue, Jennifer increased both the pressure and the

pace of her movements and Alex had no more time to prepare for

her impending orgasm. Despite the fact that she knew it was com-

ing, it took her by surprise, hitting her full force before she was

ready. Her head fell back, her eyes squeezed shut. She clenched her

teeth, growling through them. She clutched at Jennifer’s head with

one hand; her other hand—and Jennifer’s on her stomach—were the

only things keeping her standing.

She managed to keep her composure as she slid to the floor

with her eyes closed, ending up in a sitting position with Jennifer

on her knees between Alex’s. When Alex finally opened her eyes,

Jennifer smiled somewhat sheepishly. For the first time that night,

Alex caught a little glimpse of the shy and naïve Jennifer she was

used to peeking through the shroud of confidence and strength. She

smiled back at her, reaching out her arms and pulling her to her.

“Hi,” Alex said as she tightly hugged Jennifer.

“Hey there.”

“That was…” Alex exhaled as her voice drifted off. “I have no

words.”

“Told you.”

“Told me what?”

“That you could stay standing.”

Alex felt herself blush in the darkness. “You were right.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She burrowed into Alex’s chest.

“No, ma’am. I won’t.”

They sat that way for what seemed like ages. Alex had so many

questions for her new lover, so many worries. She was simulta-

neously ecstatic and terrified. She knew she should give voice to her

thoughts, but the closeness of Jennifer’s body, the sparse amount of

clothing, the smell of her sweat and of Alex’s own arousal on Jenni-

fer’s face…the combination was too much. She tilted Jennifer’s face

up with her fingertips, and covered Jennifer’s mouth with her own.

She didn’t want to deal with the details of their lives or with how

she really felt about this woman. She only wanted to lose herself in

her. And she did.

* * *

Thy Neighbor’s Wife 151

Had it been a dream?

Jennifer was afraid to open her eyes. She was afraid that if she

did, she’d see purple sheets and familiar surroundings and she’d be

lying in her own bed alone, the wonderfully relaxed feeling in her

body simply the aftermath of a very vivid dream.

She was on her stomach and she was naked, two facts easily

ascertained. It was humid already and there was only a sheet cover-

ing her, her right leg curled around and on top of it. She inhaled

deeply, immediately aware that the sheets did not smell like her

laundry detergent and that there was definitely another distinctive

scent in the room. She smiled, her eyes still closed, and took

another deep breath.

Sex.

Could anything else smell so intoxicating?

She stretched slowly, wincing at the soreness of several mus-

cles, her arms sliding under the pillows, then around the rest of the

mattress. She realized she was alone at the same time she heard

dishes clattering in the kitchen. The sound was oddly comforting.

She rolled onto her back and finally opened her eyes. She

blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling and remembered the previous

night, her skin flushing with heat as she recalled the sounds, smells,

and touches of Alex. She couldn’t pinpoint the moment, sitting

alone in her house for the third day in a row, when she realized that

this was what she wanted. Alex was what she’d wanted all along

and the acceptance of that fact was so sudden, so unmistakably

clear. She hadn’t cared that it was after one o’clock in the morning.

She’d thrown on some clothes and marched across the yard to claim

what she’d felt was rightfully hers. It was the first truly selfish thing

she could ever remember doing and it felt fantastic.

The sun peeked through the slats of the mini blinds and Jenni-

fer realized she’d never been in Alex’s bedroom before. She hadn’t

seen much of it the previous night, so she took the opportunity to

look around.

It was very tastefully decorated in khakis and dark blues, but

an array of floral accents kept the earthy colors from seeming mas-

culine. The sheet covering Jennifer’s body was navy blue; the khaki

bedspread was bunched at the foot of the bed near the slatted foot-

board. The hardwood floor was strewn with half a dozen floral-pat-

terned toss pillows in various combinations of beiges and blues. The

head- and footboard, the two dressers, and the freestanding, full-

length mirror all matched in a rich, light oak finish. There was a

baseball cap hanging from each side of the mirror. One was from

the Hard Rock Café in Toronto and the other was embroidered with

the X-Files logo. Jennifer smiled at the thought of Alex as a fan of

the quirky show.

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To the left, mounted on the wall, was a large piece with three

shelves. All three were cluttered with knick-knacks. Surrounding

the shelves were six frames, three on each side. Jennifer got up and

crossed the floor to get a better view, noting with pleasure the ache

in her thigh muscles.

The knick-knacks varied in size, color, and worth, but they all

had the same theme. They were all about teaching or English and

were quite obviously gifts from Alex’s past students. There was a

miniature Smurf writing on a chalkboard. There was a tiny ceramic

stack of books. There was a beautiful pen in a transparent box.

There was a little, cast-iron typewriter. Each shelf was full of such

treasures. Jennifer shifted her gaze to the frames. Each one held a

certificate of some sort. Some were from students; some were from

the staff of the school where Alex taught. All were flattering and

impressive. Jennifer was not surprised by Alex’s teaching ability, or

by the fact that her students obviously adored her. That she had

kept all the gifts was a testament to how much she loved them. Jen-

nifer was suddenly filled with pride.

Smiling, she decided she was famished and wanted to see

Alex’s face again. The mingled smells of coffee and bacon wafted

into the room, making Jennifer salivate. As she moved, she caught a

glimpse of her own naked reflection in the mirror and gasped at

what she saw. She hardly recognized herself. The woman staring

back at her looked totally different than the one she was used to.

This one was grinning like an idiot. Her skin was flushed pink and

her blonde hair was tousled. Her eyes sparkled with some secret

knowledge and there were several angry red marks along her body—

one on her shoulder, one on her hip, and one on the inside of her

right thigh. She stifled a giggle and pointed at the glass.

“You got fucked, didn’t you?” she asked quietly, her voice teas-

ing. “Apparently quite well.”

Instead of an answer, her brain gave her a quick flashback—

naked, sweating bodies; tongues and fingers and lips and teeth;

sounds she hadn’t heard or made in ages. She swallowed at the

onslaught of the memories, simultaneously excited and embarrassed

by her own uncharacteristic boldness. Again, she remembered

doing the taking for the very first time in her life. The shock and

unmistakable expression of arousal on Alex’s face had been well

worth the price of admission.

She looked around for her clothes. She had the vague recollec-

tion of her shorts being somewhere in the living room and she had

no idea of the whereabouts of her tank top. Noticing Alex’s white

robe on a hook, she grabbed it and tied it around her body. It was

too big and it really was too hot for it, but Jennifer figured she

would simply borrow some other clothes later. At that moment, she

Thy Neighbor’s Wife 153

just wanted to see Alex. She needed to lay eyes on her, to know that

the previous night had been real. She made a quick stop at the bath-

room, then headed for the kitchen. She got as far as the dining area.

Alex was working busily, humming softly to herself as she

cooked. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wear-

ing red shorts and a white t-shirt with a dishtowel flung over her

shoulder. Jennifer could only see her from the back, but it was