Flesh and Bone Read online

  “Can I come in?” Her breath billowed out in small clouds.

  Susan blinked again and Tia leaned forward a bit. “Please?” She fanned those eyelashes, and Susan saw the crescent-shaped mark below her eye where they had collided earlier in the day.

  “Your eye, I’m so sorry.” It had been dark red earlier. Now it had deepened to a blackish purple.

  “It’s okay, really. Can I please come in?”

  Susan snapped awake from her dumbfounded trance and stepped back, swinging open the door. “Yes, please.” The words sputtered out like water from a fussy spigot. Tia didn’t seem to notice, though, sweeping a quick hand over her head to remove her knit cap. Her short dark hair framed her finely boned face in long, well-maneuvered layers. Short in the back and longer on top and on the sides, just over her ears. She unwound her scarf as Susan closed the door.

  “Here, let me take those.” Susan took the scarf and cap and waited as Tia slid out of her navy pea coat. Then she hung them next to her own on a shelf of coat hooks along the wall. When she turned back toward Tia she found her gazing around the room, one hand in her jeans pocket. Her cheeks were tinged from the cold, and she wore a tight-fitting gray thermal shirt.

  “It suits you, you know?” Tia said.

  Susan came to stand next to her. “What does?”

  “Your house. All the wood and stained glass. Very arts and crafts.”

  “Oh, yes, I guess it does. I really like it.” The truth was that she’d spent years refurbishing it. It was her haven.

  “You um, you sort of ran out on me today,” Tia said, meeting her gaze.

  Susan suddenly felt hot. “I’m sorry about that.” They’d collided and Susan had focused on Tia’s lips and then almost broken down in tears. She’d panicked and shoved everything into her satchel and then bolted from the room.

  Tia smiled once again so easy and free that if the grin had fallen off her face, it would’ve been perfectly content surviving all on its own. “I didn’t come for an apology.”

  Susan felt flustered all over again. Forcing her hands to remain at her sides, she walked into the sitting room and offered Tia a seat. Tia accepted and made a request.

  “That wine looks good,” she said, eyeing the glass. “If that’s okay with you.”

  Susan hesitated a moment but then nodded and hurried into the kitchen. As she poured, she saw Tia bend and retrieve the papers from the chair. Eyeing them, she walked into the kitchen. She had found her own paper.

  “So what did you think?”

  Susan blushed profusely and stared at the wine bottle, wishing she could jump inside and hide. How does she do this to me? She cleared her throat and forced herself to sound calm, almost lighthearted.

  “It’s good. It’s very good.”

  Tia ran her eyes over it and moved her lips in silence. Then she looked up and Susan could almost see the Caribbean sea of her eyes swell with waves. Something profound was about to come from her lips.

  “I wrote—I mean, I wrote it—”

  Oh God, she’s going to say it. She’s going to say she wrote it for me.

  But Tia faltered and let her words hang and eventually fall. Obviously rattled, she dug in her back pocket and produced a cream-colored envelope.

  “I’ve been meaning to give this to you. I was going to do it today, but you left in such a hurry.”

  She held it out for Susan, who handed over the wine. Tia sipped heartily and Susan couldn’t help but watch as it darkened the pale pink of her lips. Blushing again, she focused on the envelope and noted that it was shaped like a greeting card. She slid open the seal and pulled out a soft pastel-colored card. As she read, her breath caught and tears filled her eyes. Her hands shook as she lowered the card. Tia watched her closely, blinking her lashes very slowly.

  “Thank you,” Susan whispered.

  “I wanted you to know how sorry I am. Fitz was really special, and I know how hard it must be for you.”

  Susan wiped away spilling tears. “Yes, it hasn’t been easy.”

  “He was something,” Tia said softly, sipping more of her wine.

  Susan wiped away more tears and moved back into the sitting room. Tia followed and eased herself into the neighboring chair and watched as Susan perched on her own.

  “There’s another reason I came,” Tia said, eyes flashing in the lamplight. She held her glass carefully and Susan stared at the thick silver ring on her middle finger.

  “Oh?”

  Tia took another long sip and set her glass aside. Then she rose and crossed to the entryway to dig in her coat. She slipped her hand inside the pocket and retrieved what looked like a small book.

  Susan drank more wine as she waited.

  Tia approached cautiously, her eyes intense and almost…shy.

  “What is it?” Susan asked, wondering what could’ve come over her so suddenly. But then her gaze fell on the book in Tia’s hand.

  Susan stood, alarmed. Her heart sank to her feet and then went wild like a jackhammer behind her ribs.

  “It must’ve fallen out of your bag,” Tia said softly.

  Susan stepped backward, her feet searching for safe ground. Tia kept coming, book held out, eyes penetrating Susan’s soul.

  “You left and it was lying open just under the desk. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, so I—I read.” She stopped her forward motion and stared. Her delicate face had fallen a bit and her neck was patched with red as if she were nervous. She licked her lips quickly. “I’m sorry. Had I known what it was, I wouldn’t have…”

  Susan braced herself with a hand against the wall. Her sitting room spun. Tia placed the journal on the end table and wiped her palms on her jeans. For the first time since Susan had laid eyes on her, the young woman seemed embarrassed and unsure. She stood looking at Susan in an uncertain way. Staring into her eyes and then looking away quickly.

  Susan wanted to run, to retreat to her bedroom and close the world out. Her haven no longer was the keeper of her most intimate thoughts. The outside had crept in. How could this have happened? She swore never to let it happen. And yet it had. In the haste and confusion of morning madness, she must’ve put the journal into her satchel along with a stack of graded papers. She inwardly cursed herself for her carelessness.

  Susan’s breath hitched again as the panic and reality of the situation crawled over her body like a hungry vine. She covered her mouth with her hand and fought off sobbing. She couldn’t speak; she had no idea what to say or if she was even able to form words at all. Embarrassment, shame, grief, and the horrible feeling of being exposed, it all bombarded her mind.

  Tia held her gaze. Then she ran a nervous hand through her hair and took a couple of steps forward. But then she stopped, took another step, and then retracted. Taking a long, deep breath, she stepped forward again, and in a rush of fluid movement she said, “I’ll go, but first I have to do this.”

  And then she was reaching to cup Susan’s jaw with her right hand. Susan saw the velvet petal lips, the clear intensity of her eyes, the delicate shutter of her lashes. And then, like a soft breath, she felt her.

  There was a slight heat, clement like, a gentle, tender giving of wet, thick silk. Susan fell into it at once, her knees nearly crumbling. A sound like a sigh to God escaped from her, and Tia pressed further, giving more of her lips, offering Susan a gift beyond her wildest imagination.

  And suddenly, it hit her.

  Tia knew.

  The journal was full of Susan’s thoughts and feelings regarding Tia’s words and her mind and her body. Oh God, she knows. Oh God, she can kiss. Susan’s world was spinning faster and unraveling even quicker.

  “Wait, no, I—”

  Tia stopped and pulled away. She searched Susan’s eyes.

  “This. Can’t. Happen,” Susan said, hating every word.

  “Why not?” Tia asked softly, kissing her lightly and then pulling away again.

  Susan pushed on her shoulders in a helpless attempt to hold her at bay.
“Because you’re my student.”

  Tia wasn’t fazed. “For two more weeks.” She grazed her thumb along Susan’s cheek. “And I already have a ninety-eight percent and my final paper finished.”

  Susan struggled to find more reasons. There had to be more. “You’re so young, I couldn’t possibly—”

  “I’m twenty-four.”

  “Oh? I thought you were much younger—”

  “You’re running out of reasons.”

  Susan closed her mouth and came up with one more.

  “I swore I would never get involved with a student.” There, that would do it. Her career-long declaration.

  But Tia only grinned. “Never say never.”

  Susan stared in disbelief. The jackhammering of her heart started again. Tia moved in closer, her eyes fastened to Susan’s mouth.

  “I’m going to kiss you again,” she whispered.

  Susan let out a soft cry, a whimper of desperation.

  “Hurry.” The word came out on a hush, shocking them both. Tia responded by pushing into her and breathing along her neck. Susan’s skin came alive and she could imagine millions of tiny hands reaching out, desperate for Tia’s touch. Tia moved slowly, breathing upon her shoulder, up to her neck, over to Susan’s jawline. When she reached her lips, Susan watched as Tia’s eyes fell shut and her head tilted. Susan then closed her own eyes and welcomed the kiss.

  Heavy, slick lips connected with hers, opening and closing. Susan kissed her back tentatively at first, tugging slightly. Tia moaned and her tongue reached out, hot and slick, begging for permission to enter. The feel of it sent shock waves of lust down her spine and she stiffened, clutching Tia’s short hair.

  “Wait,” she breathed. She still wasn’t sure. Wait, yes, she was.

  Tia held Susan’s face. She stared hard into her eyes, her breathing rapid. She swallowed, licked her lips hurriedly, and said, “If you’re going to tell me no, then tell me now. Because if you don’t and we continue, I’m telling you right now, I might not be able to stop.”

  Susan inhaled a shaky breath, lost in her eyes.

  “It would kill me,” Tia whispered.

  “Okay,” she breathed.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Tia pressed into her again and this time Susan wrapped her arms around her shoulders and held tight. Her hot tongue came, and Susan took it eagerly, sucking it into her mouth and then using her own to explore in return. Over and over they kissed, Tia’s mouth so sultry and sugary.

  Soon that sweet mouth was on Susan’s neck and Susan held on to her tightly, gasping in sheer surprise and pleasure each time Tia bit and sucked.

  “Take me to your bedroom,” Tia said, breathing into her ear. Gooseflesh erupted all over Susan’s body and she dug her nails into Tia’s back.

  Getting a brief control over herself she said, “This way,” and took her hand. She led them down the short hallway and into her room. She stood before the bed in the gray light. Tia looked around at the queen-sized bed and dresser. Then she went to the wall and flipped on the light. Susan hugged herself as if it had caressed her.

  “I want to be able to see you.”

  Susan swallowed. I want to see you too.

  Tia stripped off her shirt and flexed her jaw. Her small breasts contracted, the rouge nipples thick and firm. Susan caught her breath at the sight.

  Tia ran her hands over her own body, exciting her crinkled breasts even more.

  “I’ve thought of you, Susan. So many times. The words I’ve written, they were written for you. About you. Did you know that? Yes, I think you knew.” She drew her hand down to her jeans and unbuttoned all the way down the fly. She wore no panties. “Here.” She took Susan’s hand and pushed it into her pants. “I want you to feel what you do to me.”

  Susan gasped first, feeling Tia’s bare skin beneath her hand. When she reached the slick gathering of flesh, she gasped again and Tia jerked and narrowed her eyes with desire.

  “Yes,” she hissed. “Feel me.”

  “I feel you,” Susan whispered.

  “You feel how wet I am.”

  Susan dipped her fingers in the slick arousal and stroked her. “Yes.”

  “Do you know that’s because of you?” Her eyes were nearly closed, her pulse jumping in her neck.

  “Yes.”

  “Ssst, ah, ah, yes. What you do to me, Susan. I want to feel you.” Hurriedly, she slipped Susan’s sweater off over her head. Then she ran her palms over the front of her bra and unhooked the clasp between her breasts. Her eyes grew wide as the bra slid from Susan’s shoulders.

  The night air and light caressed Susan for real this time, and her breasts responded by tightening. Tia dipped her head and took one in her mouth. Susan arched into her, massaging Tia’s breasts in return. Then Tia moved her hands lower and straightened. She undid Susan’s jeans, allowing her flattened hand to glide inside.

  A short cry came from Susan as the long fingers hit her flesh. She clung to Tia for support and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Ah, yes, so wet.” Tia leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I have dreamt of this moment. And I know you have too.”

  Susan moaned and returned her hand to Tia’s bare flesh and they rubbed and slid over each other together, hands down one another’s pants.

  Tia kissed her and flicked and teased with her tongue. Susan did the same and their tongues played just as their fingers did, to the point where they could no longer stand.

  Tia kicked off her shoes and they shed their jeans. Susan stripped off her panties and they both removed their socks. They stood looking at one another in the lamplight. Their eyes burning trails all over their bare skin.

  “You are beyond beautiful,” Susan said. She could’ve never accurately imagined Tia like this. The creamy flawlessness of her skin, the curve of her hips, the tight, deep pink of her areolas. When she moved, the muscles in her legs showed, and Susan couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away. “You’re like a dancer,” she whispered.

  “I am a dancer,” she said, coming in for another kiss. Carefully, she eased Susan back onto the bed. They slid up and stripped back the covers. Tia lay on top of her and maneuvered the sheet around her waist. She straddled Susan’s thigh and moved back and forth.

  Susan watched in amazement as Tia’s upper body moved in the low light. She could feel the slick heat of her flesh on her leg.

  “This feels so good,” Tia said. “Feeling you beneath me.” She bent for a kiss and seared her tongue into Susan’s mouth. Then she sat back up and eased her hand along Susan’s thigh to her center. She teased her flesh with her fingers and then shot inside her.

  Susan strained upward and groaned, the fingers pushing through every cell in her body. “Tia,” she said.

  “I’m right here.”

  “Tia,” she said again, and Tia bent and kissed her, pressing her back against the bed.

  “I feel you,” she said between passionate, long, pulling kisses. “Feel me inside you.” She began to pump her fingers. “Come with me inside you.” She fastened to her neck, surging into her. “Come, Susan. Come for me.”

  Susan groaned in ecstasy and her body flexed and tightened. She ran her nails down Tia’s back.

  Tia devoured her with her mouth, rubbing her nude body all over Susan’s. She smelled of plumeria and rich shampoo. And she was there in her bed and in her body. Loving her, taking her, giving to her.

  “Ah God, you feel so good,” Tia said.

  Susan held her tight and closed her eyes as the pleasure mounted. Tia seemed to sense it and she pressed into her harder.

  “Come, baby, that’s it. Come.”

  It came and it came, closer and closer as if responding to every word. Susan clung tighter, closed her eyes, and then it hit her, and she strained and cried out and Tia bit her neck and twirled her tongue in her ear and said that she loved her. She loved her and she was beautiful and she was everything and, yes, baby, take it, take all of me.
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br />   And then it was gone, just as quickly as it had come. It left Susan lying there, hands still pressed into Tia’s back. She held her close and inhaled her neck and hair. She felt her heartbeat and heard every breath.

  Tia laughed softly in her ear and sat up. She started to move again.

  “Give me your hands,” she said gently.

  Susan did and Tia clung to them as she rode against her thigh. Susan locked her arms and watched as she quickened her hips and slid over her own arousal. Her eyes gleamed like tinder and she moaned in delight.

  “I’m coming now, Susan. Oh, Susan, here I come. Oh, oh God.” Faster and faster she moved, her hips on autopilot, whipping and jerking back and forth. Hot, slick wetness ran down Susan’s thigh, and Tia pushed harder and then she said, “Here I—” and she cried out and arched her back and shouted to the ceiling. She rocked and rocked and she said I love you again and Susan told her the same and watched in sheer wonder as she slowed and then stopped and then collapsed upon her once again.

  “I love you,” Susan whispered, knowing she’d never seen anyone so thoroughly beautiful, inside and out.

  “I know,” Tia said softly. “I read every word.”

  Susan warmed and blushed. She tugged her closer. “I did too.”

  D is for Daring

  “Name?”

  My face flushed with heat. She wanted my name, my credit card, my identity. I wished for the hundredth time that I could do this from the privacy and safety of my office. But it was too risky. The computer wanted everything the flower girl currently did. The only difference was that the flower girl accepted my anonymity just as readily as she accepted my cold hard cash.

  She had probably seen dozens like me. Nervous, fidgety, anonymous. Many of us probably adulterers, playing Russian roulette with our intimate lives.

  “The receiver’s name is Cartwright,” I finally managed, the guilt starting to eat away at me like hundreds of tiny morally starved piranhas. “Emily Cartwright.”

  I’m not an adulterer. I’m not married…but Emily is.

  The name burned through me and caused my cool hidden blood to heat and pound with a purpose, showing itself just beneath my skin. I glanced around anxiously, half expecting bloodthirsty husbands to come crawling out from the walls, dying to puncture my veins and suck the life from me. Fuck.