Veritas (13 page)

Lauren sighed.
There was an openness in Grey’s expression that told her it was the truth, but she was still not convinced that this was the smart thing to do. For as much as she enjoyed kissing Grey, and for as much as she was sure she would enjoy doing more than just kiss, she did not want to do anything that would hurt her in the end. “So what do you want to do?” she asked, leaving the ball in Grey’s court, trusting that she would make the decision that was best for her.

Grey’s smile widened as she leaned in and capture
d Lauren’s lips in a slow kiss that simmered with relief and possibilities. “Whatever we want,” she murmured as she pulled away. The sound of excited voices had her looking up toward the back deck, and she sighed as she spotted three little tow-heads bounding into the salon.

“We’re baaaaaaaack!” Peyton and Max sing-songed, swinging t-shirts over their heads excitedly an
d slashing at the air with plastic pirate swords. “We got shirts and swords!”

“Me too!” Reid echoed, jumping up and down and waving his prizes in the air.

Grey took a discreet step away from Lauren, who was running her hands through her hair to try and put herself back together, and smiled at the boys. “Lemme see ‘em!”

They both listened intently as the boys rehashed their entire trip ashore, including an animated discussion of whether or not the bearded man they saw in one of the stores was a “real life pirate!”, and
Lauren smiled when Will and Kim ushered the boys toward their rooms to get ready for bed. “Are you guys going to want a nightcap and dessert or anything?”

“If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.” Will tipped his head in thanks.
“The boys ended up hogging the sundae we got to share at the restaurant.”

“That explains their energy,” Lauren chuckled. She waved at him to go after the boys, and turned toward the fridge. The small of her back felt heavy with the weight of Grey’s eyes on her, and she sighed as she pulled the fridge door open.
“You know, I can feel you watching me.”

“Really
?” Grey smirked and glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were alone as she sidled up behind Lauren. She ran a light finger down Lauren’s spine and chuckled softly at the way Lauren twitched under the playful touch. “Can you feel that too?”

“Yes.” Lauren let out a shaky breath as she leaned back into Grey.
The chill pouring from the fridge stood in stark contrast to the heat coming off the woman behind her, and she shook her head. “And I really need you to stop that now.”

Grey’s eyes fluttered at the roughness in Lauren’s tone, and she could not resist leaning in to brush a soft kiss across her cheek. “Are you sure about that?”

“Go give your mom a kiss goodnight,” Will’s voice carried through the salon.

“
Unfortunately,” Lauren whispered. “We are not alone, and if you keep teasing me…”

A wolfish grin pulled at Grey’s lips. “What?”

Lauren shuddered as the many possibilities of what she could do flashed through her mind. “Grey,” she said, the brunette’s name a warning. “Please? I need to make this dessert for Will and Kim.”

“Fine.” Grey nodded
as she backed away. “Later?”

“I’m shakin’ my hiney!” Peyton sang at the top of his lungs. “I’m shakin’ my hiney!”

Grey and Lauren turned to find him standing in the middle of the salon in his Spiderman pajamas, wiggling his little ass and grinning like a maniac.

Lauren laughed and reached out to give Grey’s hand a gentle squeeze as Will swept the hiney-shaking boy into his arms and “flew” him into his bedroom. “
Later sounds wonderful. Maybe when we’re alone?”

“
Yeah,” Grey sighed and shook her head, not even bothering to try and hide the longing she could feel burning in her gaze. “Later.”

The sound of the sliding doors to the salon closing drew Lauren’s eyes away from the plate she was busy drying. It was impossible to keep from smiling when Grey turned toward her with a playful grin, and she took a deep breath as she forced her attention back onto her work. Although her eyes were on the plate she was drying, she was acutely aware of Grey’s presence, and her pulse picked up speed with every quiet footstep that approached her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when Grey stopped behind her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body, but just far enough away to not be physically touching. An expectant shiver rolled down her spine when Grey’s hand landed lightly on her hip, and she licked her lips as she set the plate in her hand down and turned to look at Grey.

Grey
wrapped her other hand around Lauren’s waist and stepped into her so that their hips were pressed lightly together. She dipped her head to let her lips hover tantalizingly over Lauren’s, and smiled at the sound of Lauren’s breath catching. The last two hours had been torture, forcing herself to play the attentive hostess when all she wanted to do was pin Lauren to the nearest surface and kiss her until they were both completely out of breath. “So…is it ‘later’ yet?”

The feeling of Grey’s breath against her lips kick-started Lauren’s idling libido, but she did her best to not let that show as she
gave a small, noncommittal tip of her head. “It is later, yes. And I’m quite tired.” She feigned a dramatic yawn, stretching her arms over her head and pushing her chest out toward Grey. “Was there something you needed?” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the absolutely flabbergasted look that flashed across Grey’s face when the brunette pulled back to look at her.

The small twitch
at the corners of Lauren’s lips told Grey that she was messing with her, and she smiled as she dropped a quick, friendly kiss to Lauren’s forehead. “Nah, I’m good. See you in the morning,” she said as she stepped away from her.

Should have known she’d call me on it,
Lauren thought as she reached out and wrapped her hand around Grey’s bicep, pulling her to a gentle stop.

Grey smirked and stepped back into Lauren, closer this time
, so that she was pressed flush against her. “Was there something you needed?”

Lauren shrugged playfully.
“I don’t know. I feel like there’s
somebody
I should be doing, but…” She let her voice trail off as Grey let out a bark of laughter, and grinned. “Do you have any idea who that is?”

“Hmm…
” Grey smiled and wrapped her arms around Lauren’s waist. She leaned in like she was going to kiss her, but pulled away at the last minute, laughing softly at the disappointment that flashed across Lauren’s eyes as she did. “I don’t know…”

“Goddamn it, Wells,” Lauren muttered as she locked her arms around Grey’s neck
and held her in place. “Just kiss me already.”

Despite the tension and awareness that had simmered between them all night, the kiss started slowly. Just the briefest clasping of lips that repeated over and over again, each tender connection lasting longer than the last until
their mouths opened and their tongues danced lightly together in the space between their parted lips. The passion that had flared between them earlier sparked back to life with every slow, teasing swipe of their tongues, and Lauren sighed as the hands on her hips pressed her back against the edge of the countertop.

One of Grey’s hands once again found its way into Lauren’s hair,
her long fingers threading through wild curls, and Lauren adjusted her stance so that one of Grey’s legs could slip between her own. Their kisses grew deeper as their hips rocked together in a slow grind, their hands wandering over unexplored curves and valleys, fingers gripping, stroking, teasing, and pinching as the need for more flared between them.

“My god,” Lauren mur
mured, her head falling back as Grey’s fingers closed with a delicious roughness around her nipple.

Grey smiled at the breathy exhalation, and dipped her head down to pepper Lauren’s throat with kisses as she continued to tweak and pull at the rapidly hardening nub.
She moaned softly at the feeling of Lauren’s pulse pounding beneath her lips, and sucked hungrily against the sensitive spot before soothing it with the flat of her tongue. She blew lightly over the pinked flesh, and her nipples tightened at the way Lauren gasped and shivered against her. Grey brushed her lips over the curve of Lauren’s jaw and back to her mouth. She sighed at the way Lauren’s head turned just enough for their lips to meet, and an intoxicating warmth spread through her as Lauren’s tongue stroked boldly against her own. A shiver tumbled down her spine at the feeling of Lauren’s fingers playing with the short hairs at the back of her neck when they finally broke apart, and she nuzzled Lauren’s cheek as she whispered, “Come to bed with me.”

Lauren nodded and kissed Grey softly.
“Yes.”

“Good.”
Grey flicked the tip of her tongue over Lauren’s lips, and she chuckled at the way Lauren groaned in response. “Come on, Murphy,” she murmured playfully as she took Lauren’s hand into her own and led her toward the stairs.

Lauren was painfully aroused just from kissing Grey, and her pulse throbbed between her legs as she followed Grey down the steps. It had been far too long since she gone to bed with another woman, and she managed to make it to the small landing between their cabins before
the urge to touch, taste, and consume overwhelmed her. She used the hold she had on Grey’s hand to pull her to a stop, and she smiled when Grey turned toward her.

“Yes?” Grey asked softly, her voice ringing with amusement.

Words were unnecessary as Lauren swept forward, claiming Grey’s lips in a kiss that was instantly deep and wet and probing. She did not miss the low growl that rumbled in Grey’s throat when she used her body to pin her to the cabinets against the outer wall, nor did she miss the way Grey yielded to her, sinking back against the cabinets as she let Lauren control the kiss. Lauren smiled as she rubbed herself against Grey, letting their hips slide sensuously together as she ran her hands over Grey’s torso until she was cradling two perfect breasts in her hands. Her thumbs had no problems seeking out the straining nipples beneath Grey’s shirt, and she swallowed thickly at the way Grey arched into her hands.

“Fuck,” Lauren
rasped as Grey’s hands latched onto her ass and pulled her forward roughly, the brunette’s hips rotating in a slow, circular grind against her own as their kisses grew sloppier and more desperate.

Grey’s eyes rolled back in her head as she felt Lauren’s hand drop to her waist,
tickling the flat of her stomach, and her grip on Lauren’s ass tightened as she felt the button on her slacks pop open.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” Lauren murmured against Grey’s lips as she
began to slowly unzip her slacks.

“Don’t stop,” Grey whispered
as Lauren’s fingers dipped inside the open V of her fly and began rubbing her lightly over her underwear. She rolled her hips into the touch and groaned when it disappeared. “Wha—” Her question broke off as Lauren’s hands began working at the buttons of her shirt.

“Want to see you.
” Lauren sucked on Grey’s lower lip as she worked at the buttons on her shirt, her fingers flying from one button to the next until the shirt was hanging limply from Grey’s shoulders. Her eyes swept over tanned, defined abs and settled on Grey’s breasts, and she smiled as she noticed the front clasp on Grey’s bra, which she wasted no time popping it open. “Gorgeous,” she breathed as she dipped her head to take Grey’s left nipple into her mouth.

“Shit,” Grey hissed, biting her lip to keep from making any other noise as Lauren sucked hard on her nipple. The electric pull tugged at her clit, sending another wave of desire crashing wetly between her thighs, and she groaned as she threaded her fingers into Laure
n’s hair, holding her in place. She clapped her free hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds she was making as Lauren pulled back to blow gently over her nipple, the cool air coaxing the already rock-hard point even tighter, and even the hand over her mouth did little to dampen the sound of her moan when Lauren’s right hand slipped back down her stomach.

Pleased by the effect she was having on Grey, Lauren eased her hand into the brunette’s underwear, and
hummed approvingly at the moisture she found waiting for her. She lifted her head to brush a quick kiss over Grey’s lips as she began rubbing her fingers in quick, light circles. She covered Grey’s right breast with her free hand, her fingers wasting no time pulling, twisting, and tweaking the previously neglected nipple. “You are so goddamn sexy,” she murmured, using her chin to nudge Grey’s hand away from her mouth so that she could kiss her.

Grey melted into the kiss, her hips rocking in time with the hand between her legs, grateful for the cabinetry at her back because that was pretty much the only thing keeping her upright at this point.
She whimpered when the kiss eventually broke, and her eyes rolled back in her head at the feeling of Lauren’s fingers sliding over her. “Oh my god.”

“Hmm?” Lauren murmured, smiling against Grey’s lips
as she angled her hand lower to push inside her.