Darkness Falls: A Lesbian End-of-the-World Romance Adventure Page 4

  “Going on five years now,” she said as she took the wine from the basket and stepped over to get the corkscrew. “I did the kitchen first. It was a challenge, I won’t lie.” Anna shook her head.

  “Well, it's incredible. I could not imagine a more perfect kitchen,” she said, and Lexi felt her heart skip a beat.

  Somewhere, deep in her heart of hearts, she had always hoped someday Anna would step into her kitchen and say exactly those words. For a fleeting moment, she thought of saying the truth out loud, but instead cleared her throat and worked on the wine.

  “Thank you,” she murmured again.

  “Can I get out a couple glasses for us?” Anna asked and walked toward one of the tall white-washed cupboards. Lexi watched her walk and was again overwhelmed with feelings.

  It seemed so surreal to have the woman here that she was struggling to get her mind around it. At the pause, Anna looked back to check with Lexi. “Or do you want to wait for dinner?”

  Lexi most definitely did not want to wait. She had never needed a drink more. “Now is good. The lasagna has at least another five minutes in the oven, and then it needs to rest,” she said and nodded to the cupboard to Anna's left.

  “Glasses are in that one.” Anna followed the direction and took down two large goblets while Lexi pulled the cork. As her guest stepped back to the island and set down the glasses, Lexi raised the bottle to pour and then hesitated.

  For some reason the act of pouring wine for them to share seemed incredibly significant. It was something they never did as teenagers in love but was on the list of pillow-talk things they would “do someday.” Lexi lowered the bottle and set it on the butcher block. She was making a mistake having Anna here and she realized asking the woman out to dinner was not fair to either of them. Lexi's expectations, even though she did not want to admit it to herself, were to somehow have Anna back in her life. The truth, however, was the woman was going to leave to go back to her real home in less than a week.

  “What's wrong?” she heard Anna ask. Lexi shook her head, not willing to look the woman in the eye. She took a

  deep breath and then let it out slowly to gather her courage.

  Finally, she glanced up to explain to Anna the evening plans were a mistake and she could not risk having her heart broken again. What she saw gave her pause. Tears were slipping down Anna's cheeks, and her eyes were full of regret. “You want me to go, don't you?” she asked in a whisper. Lexi felt her own eyes start to flood with tears and without thinking she opened her arms for Anna to step into.

  The woman rushed to her and buried her face in Lexi's shirt as the tears turned to quiet sobs. Even though Lexi was sure she would regret it later, she enveloped Anna in her arms and held her.

  The two of them stood together crying and clinging to each other until the alarm for the lasagna beeped. As if snapping back to reality, Anna leaned back, wiped at her eyes and let out a small laugh. “God, how embarrassing,”

  she said. “You invite me to dinner, and I fall apart.” Lexi hated the feeling of having the woman leave her arms, and before she could think herself out of it, pulled Anna to her again. She slipped her hands along the woman's hips and dipped her head until their faces were only an inch apart. It would be so easy to kiss her right now, she thought, but instead clenched her jaw and waited to see what Anna would do.

  Slowly, the woman raised her eyes to look into Lexi's while at the same time moving the arms she had around Lexi's waist up and slipped them around her neck. The invitation was clear and still Lexi hesitated. “Are you sure?”

  she breathed, and Anna answered by pulling Lexi's head down into a deep, passionate, and long-overdue kiss.

  CHAPTER 7

  hen Taylor followed Jackie into the small, out of the Wway restaurant on Seattle's eastside, she was taken by complete surprise. Of all the types of places Taylor imagined over the twenty-four hours until their “let's do dinner” date, the quaint and understated tapas bar was not one of them. Clearly, it was a favorite of Jackie's as the man behind the bar and the waitress coming from a table both greeted her by name. Jackie smiled and waved while she led Taylor to a corner booth. Looking around while she slid across the bench, Taylor was impressed. The low, strategically placed lighting complemented by candles at every table gave the space a warm and intimate flavor.

  Whatever was being brought to life in the kitchen smelled wonderful too, and Taylor's stomach gave a little growl of anticipation. She had been too wound up during the day thinking of dinner to eat much. Now that things seemed to be moving smoothly, she was starving. After they were settled in, Jackie tilted her head at Taylor and smiled.

  “Well?” she asked. Taylor chuckled.

  “I have to admit, it is not what I was expecting,” she answered. Jackie nodded.

  “Let me guess. You were thinking more of a trendy, noisy, crowded place. All chic and sassy?” she said. Taylor paused.

  What she said was true. After getting the nerve to ask Jackie to dinner, she had immediately regretted it. She had assumed there was no way Jackie and her tastes aligned when it came to a dinner out. Plus, there was the issue of what she would wear, and frankly, Taylor almost canceled.

  Thankfully, she managed to not chicken out and now sat

  across the table from the most classy and sensual woman she had the pleasure of knowing, even if it was strictly as friends. The friends part had been addressed the minute Taylor slid into Jackie's Audi. While Taylor was buckling in and trying to tear her eyes away from the short, sexy red dress Jackie was wearing, Jackie took control of the situation immediately. “So,” she started as she put the car in gear and eased them away from the curb. “We should get this out in the open.” Taylor had raised an eyebrow at the businesslike tone but did not interrupt. “I am going to make a guess you like women,” Jackie continued. At this, Taylor could not help but bark a laugh.

  “Good guess,” she said and knew what the next bit of news was going to be so jumped the gun. “Now it’s my turn.

  You’re going to say you don’t?” Jackie at least had the decency to blush as she shook her head.

  “Not that way,” she said. “The flirting thing in front of Danson? Just an escape tactic and I’m sorry if it led you on.”

  Taylor was quiet while she thought about what Jackie said.

  She was pretty confident Jackie liked her more than she was willing to admit, but she also knew it was not worth it to argue. No doubt sensing the hesitation, Jackie glanced over at Taylor as they waited at a stoplight. “Hey, I hope I haven’t pissed you off,” she said. “I never meant to upset you.”

  Taylor sighed.

  “Well I won’t say I’m not a little disappointed,” Taylor said and then decided to fight a little fire with fire. “Your smart and sexy as hell and anyone would be lucky to have you as her woman.” Seeing Jackie pause, Taylor was pleased to see her comment had the desired impact. They had ridden in silence the rest of the way to the restaurant and only just now was Jackie talkative again.

  “Well?” Jackie asked. “Was I wrong?” Taylor had to think hard to recall the original comment but then nodded. Did I think the place was going to be pretentious and loud? she thought. Absolutely.

  “No, you weren't wrong. I admit, I misread you a bit,” she answered, and Jackie smiled smugly as the waitress came to the table with two menus and a flyer.

  “Hi, Jackie,” she said. “Need these?” Jackie shook her head.

  “Just send over a little of everything,” she said. “You know what I like. And do you have any of the pinot left?”

  The waitress nodded. “Good. We will take a bottle,” she said and looked at Taylor. “Are you okay with that?” Taylor nodded.

  “You're in charge tonight,” she said, and the statement was rewarded with a pleased slightly flirtatious glint in Jackie's eyes. Not attracted to me, my ass, Taylor thought but kept it to herself.

  IN FACT, JACKIE'S EMOTIONS were all over the map, and she was not sure what to do about it. She had done precisely as she rehearsed and set clear boundaries with Taylor right out of the gate. The woman had taken it well but then rattled her with the compliment about her being smart and sexy.

  Although Jackie was a confident woman and knew she was wickedly good at business, it never hurt to hear someone say beautiful things. For some reason, having it come from Taylor carried extra meaning, which made no sense at all and only added to Jackie's frustration. I do not like women, she thought. So, whatever this crush is I seem to have on Taylor needs to move along. The whole idea was ridiculous, and Jackie was not going to let it mess up her evening.

  Thankfully, Taylor was clearly happy with the restaurant Jackie picked. She had worried much more than she let on.

  Other than knowing Taylor was retired military and had traveled a lot, Jackie realized she knew almost nothing about the woman. For some reason, Jackie wanted to please

  Taylor above and beyond the norm, hence the unusual level of anxiety about picking the restaurant. In the end, Jackie had gone with her instincts and hoped Taylor enjoyed cozy.

  Not to mention romantic, Jackie thought noticing for the first time how private and charming the setting was around them although she had dinner at the same exact spot with a few male friends in the past and the idea of romantic never entered her mind. So why now? she thought. What the hell is it about this woman?

  Before she had time to analyze the question, the waitress returned with the wine and a basket of warm bread with butter. Jackie glanced at the label and nodded when she saw it was the one she wanted. The waitress gave both Taylor and Jackie a long pour and then set the bottle on the table next to the flyer she brought earlier. Tapping it with a finger, the waitress called their attention to the headline about the upcoming Northern Lights
party. “I hope you will join us,”

  the waitress said. “Once in a lifetime, you know.” Jackie laughed and picked up her wine.

  “So I've been told,” she said. “The weathermen are so often wrong, I'll believe it when I see it. Assuming it's not overcast, of course.” The waitress laughed too.

  “Well for once, I hope they have it right,” the waitress said and stepped away to help another table.

  “So, you’re not eager to see the show?” Taylor asked, picking up her own wine and tasting it. Jackie was happy to see the pleased expression on her face.

  “Good?” Jackie asked about the wine, not interested in discussing lights in the sky. Taylor nodded.

  “Very,” she said. “I love it.” Jackie smiled with a hint of relief. Again, she had worried she was guessing wrong when it came to what Taylor might like. And why in the world does it matter so much? she thought. Since when was pleasing Taylor, or anyone, so important? Jackie was an ass-kicking CEO and worrying about how other people felt was not in her job description. So why do I care now? Determined to

  move past her new and, she had to admit, really quite confusing feelings, Jackie decided tonight she would get to know Taylor better. She thought perhaps taking the mysteriousness out of their relationship would help matters.

  But where to start? Maybe ask if she has someone special in her life? The thought gave Jackie pause. It seemed unlikely considering Taylor's clear interest in her, but still, a person could never be sure. Suddenly, Jackie wanted to know. “So, Taylor,” Jackie started and then paused not quite sure how to ask the question without sounding like she cared about the answer. Taylor raised an eyebrow at the hesitation.

  “Yes, Jackie?” she asked. Jackie suddenly felt nervous and had no idea why. So what if she has a partner or girlfriend or whatever? We’re just friends, she reminded herself.

  “Just wondering if you have someone special in your life, is all,” Jackie said and took a long sip of wine but kept her eyes on the woman's face to see her reaction. She watched Taylor smile slowly, and there was mischief in her eyes.

  Jackie was not sure what to make of it. “What?” she asked.

  Taylor shrugged.

  “Other than you, you mean?” Taylor asked. Jackie hesitated while she considered the comment. Boundaries, she thought and set down her glass to lean in toward Taylor.

  “We talked about this,” she said, but as hard as she tried, she could not keep the pleasure from her voice. Either it was the wine or the constant compliments, but regardless, Jackie felt good. Something about Taylor's company made her feel warm, safe and, frankly, cherished. Suddenly it occurred to her there was no place she would rather be, and it only seemed fair to let Taylor know it. “Thank you for the dinner invite though,” she added. “This is...” She searched for a safe word. “It's nice.”

  Jackie watched Taylor take a sip before looking Jackie in the eye. The same power was there, but the hint of desire was fading. Jackie felt a pang of disappointment. She had grown used to seeing the hunger in Taylor's eyes. “Yes,

  nice,” Taylor said with a half-smile and raised her glass in a toast. Jackie picked up hers, and they clinked glasses. “To

  ‘nice,’” Taylor said again, but Jackie could tell ‘nice' was not exactly what Taylor was hoping for however clearly it would have to suffice. Suddenly, feeling conflicted, Jackie hesitated. A part of her wanted to agree with Taylor, but another part felt a strange sense of loss. Finally, Jackie raised her glass.

  “To ‘nice,’” she murmured, but deep-down Jackie was not sure if she wanted things to just be ‘nice' and she took another sip of wine.

  CHAPTER 8

  tanding there in the kitchen, their kiss was electric.

  SCaught in the moment, not thinking of anything, but the feeling of Lexi's lips on hers, Anna's heart raced, and her whole body felt like liquid fire. Lexi's mouth was so perfect on hers, and she could not get enough of it. Anna pressed her body tighter against Lexi's and felt the woman shift with excitement from the friction between them. The need for more radiated off of Lexi like a wave of heat and the realization the woman wanted her so much made Anna's heart ache. It had been so long since she felt desired.

  Suddenly all she could think about was having Lexi's hands and mouth all over her. Just like so many years ago, she remembered. As she was about to whisper what she wanted, the oven alarm beeped again. She heard Lexi growl and then she broke the kiss. Anna noticed they were both breathless and she laughed with the thrill of it all. Lexi raised an eyebrow at her and Anna waved a hand at the oven. “Take care of whatever needs it and then make love to me,” she said, suddenly feeling bold and loving the look of at first surprise and then desire which crossed Lexi's face. In a second, the woman had the oven off and was back pulling Anna to her again. “Wait,” Anna said looking into Lexi's eyes which were filled with anticipation. She reached over and grabbed the wine and both glasses. “Now I'm ready,” she said, and Lexi grinned as she led the way to the master bedroom.

  Even in the heat of the moment, Anna paused at the doorway and took in the room. A king-sized four-poster canopy bed stood in the middle of the generous, beautifully

  remodeled space. The walls were painted a faint light blue and edged with the warm white molding, while all the linens were of different shades of soft grays. The combination made for a blend of cool, but welcoming color. “Oh Lexi,”

  Anna said as she took in the perfectness of the room.

  “You're so gifted. I can't believe you did all of this.” Lexi turned to look into Anna's eyes.

  “I always hoped, somehow, you would see it,” she admitted. “As crazy as this sounds, I thought of you with every part.” She shook her head and gave a little laugh. “It was supposed to be a diversion, but I ended up trying to make it all something you would like.” Anna’s breath caught at the confession. So many nights, as she laid awake unable to sleep, Anna had let her mind wander to thoughts of Lexi.

  Questions of where she might live or who she might be with would linger, but then Anna would push them away. What was the past had to stay the past. But not now, she thought.

  Now, just maybe, I can have both the past and the future.

  Anna set the wine and glasses on the nightstand beside the bed and then took Lexi's face in her hands. The tenderness mixed with the passion she saw in the woman's eyes made her heart happy. Here was her Lexi. At last.

  “It is all I would ever want,” Anna said and pulled the woman into another kiss.

  LEXI'S WHOLE BODY WAS on fire. Long put away sensations roared through her and when she let the reality of the moment cross her mind, she could hardly bear it. Anna. With her at last in the bedroom Lexi built for her. It was almost too much, and surely could not last, but Lexi intended to make the most of it. Using her tongue, she dove deeper into the kiss, and when she was rewarded with a moan from Anna, Lexi felt a burn start low in her belly. Never had she

  wanted anyone as much as she wanted Anna in that moment. Moving with nothing but primal instinct now, Lexi grabbed Anna around the waist and lifted her up into her arms. Anna gasped with surprise and pleasure as Lexi laid her back against the duvet covering the bed before slowly sliding her hands down along the woman's hips until she was at the hem of Anna's skirt. Every part of Lexi wanted to push the fabric aside and keep going, but taking a slow breath, she closed her eyes and paused. “Are you sure?” she forced herself to ask again while praying Anna would not stop her. Lexi knew something inside her would break if things ended now.

  “I'm sure,” she heard Anna whisper, and with a shudder of anticipation, Lexi did not hesitate. Pushing the skirt out of the way, Lexi ran her hands up along the smooth skin of Anna's thighs, and when she reached the lacy panties the woman was wearing, slipped a finger up under the edge and yanked them down. The move was rough, but Anna cried out excitedly, and then Lexi was no longer able to control herself. Once all the barriers were out of the way, Lexi dropped down against the side of the bed and tasted Anna for the first time in forever.

  THE FORCEFUL, HUNGRY touch of Lexi's tongue hot against her clit nearly made Anna come instantly. Only by grabbing the duvet in her fists was she able to wait. She was not ready to let herself climax and wanted to make it last. There was no way to know what the future held for them and if this was the one and only time she could be with Lexi again, she wanted to cherish it. Lexi, however, was not making it easy. As the woman pressed her mouth tight against Anna's lips and sucked her quivering clit in fast, hard pulls, Anna's whole body shivered from the exquisite sensation. As the