“You’ve been sensationalized!” Hadley proclaimed, from her spot at Breakfast Club. She stared in awe at the laptop showcasing the photo of Elle kissing Gia at Swatch Pro. “You’re a real life love scandal sitting in the Cat’s Pajamas. And I know you! I’m famous by default.”
Gia sipped her coffee. “It’s definitely getting a lot of play. The photo’s on every blog, website, and sports news outlet there is. My phone won’t stop blowing up. People want to know everything.”
“Well, let’s think about it,” Isabel said, tapping the table. “Two really attractive women, who’ve been pitted against each other for years, are making out on a beach in front of thousands. Oh! And one of them is wearing a swimsuit at the time.” She shook her head as if stumped. “Nope. Can’t imagine why anyone would be interested in that.”
Her friends laughed.
“I was shocked she did it.” Gia shook her head, but a smile crept onto her face. “She’s apologized several times for the impulsive decision, but since when have I cared what the press has to say? Elle’s the one with fallout. Until now, she was the All-American girl who would likely fall in love with the All-American boy and have babies photographed by People Magazine.”
Autumn winced. “She did out herself to, well, the world in one giant gesture. That’s gotta be a lot to wrap her mind around.”
“And do we know how she’s doing with that? Does she need support?” Hadley asked. “We can go to her place and be her friends. Maybe she needs friends about now, you know? I could make brownies.” She studied the faces of her own friends for feedback.
Gia placed a hand on Hadley’s shoulder. “You’re a nice person, Hadley. But she won’t be home from San Clemente until tonight, so you’ll have to put your friendship on pause until then. She said she had a productive chat with her parents, who were surprised but supportive.”
Hadley nodded. “Cool, cool. I can wait. But let her know we’re here if she wants to talk or have coffee or eat food. It can be terrifying, coming out. And she did it on such a huge stage.”
“I can’t even imagine,” Autumn said. “I told one person at a time over the course of nearly two years, building my courage.”
Gia smiled proudly as she thought on Elle’s big gesture. “She’s pretty tough. I think she’ll be okay.”
“And you?” Isabel asked. “I know you’re bummed about your finish.”
Gia nodded, still not over how poorly she’d performed at the Swatch Pro. She didn’t understand quite what went wrong. She’d overslept, yeah, and had to race to her heat like a bat out of hell. She hoped that’s all it was. Yet something pulled at her, made her wonder why she hadn’t been able to engage the way she normally did. She had been distracted and not feeling like herself. “Just a fluke, I’m betting. Luckily, number three on the leaderboard went down early as well. Not as early as me, but still helpful.”
“And Elle?” Autumn asked.
“Held on until semis. She’ll earn some decent points off that showing. Hold on to number one easily.”
Hadley leaned in and whispered, “We still want you to take her down, right? Even though you’re surfing’s hottest new couple?”
“Definitely,” Gia whispered back.
Isabel tapped a finger on her lips. “How’s that going to work, exactly? You two are dating and also engaged in pretty heavy competition? Can both of those things exist?”
Gia squinted. “Haven’t figured that part out yet.”
“Sounds promising,” Isabel said. “Nothing can go wrong there.”
“Stop that!” Hadley told Isabel. “A minor detail. They’ll figure it out. Love finds a way.”
“Do not break into song,” Isabel deadpanned.
“No promises,” Hadley said, and reached for another croissant. She held it in the air. “I’m using these to cheer myself up. Work is not the picnic it once was.”
“What’s up?” Isabel asked.
“Trudy’s still not happy with the direction our current roster of designers is taking. We’ve pulled in some new ones to shake up the store’s image a bit. We’re shooting for contemporary, with an edge. But not too edgy. It’s a fine line, and apparently, I’m not delivering. Gotta drum up some new talent. Know anyone?”
Gia shrugged. “Fresh out of edgy-but-not-too-edgy designers.”
“Forget that woman. You’re awesome at your job,” Isabel said. “Every time I go in there it’s like I’m lost in a sea of amazing clothes I’m not good enough for.”
“Hardly,” Hadley said.
Autumn pointed at the plate in the center of the table. “And please eat all of those croissants or I’m going to blow up like a pregnant Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon. Eating for three is feeling more like feeding an army.” She placed a hand on her growing stomach.
Gia smiled. “Enjoy it. You should be pampering yourself. Eat all the baked goods.”
Autumn stared at her and helped herself to one more. “You’re a dangerous person.”
“Let’s hope I’m as effective on a surfboard.” She stood. “Off to train before I fall off the leaderboard entirely.” She pointed at Hadley. “Keep your chin up.” She pointed at Isabel. “Write the hell out of that ex-CIA woman.” She pointed at Autumn. “Keep making human beings.”
Three salutes came her way.
She spent the rest of the day taking her body to task. A run on the beach, an intense ab workout, weight training, and a marathon surf session in which she put herself through the wringer, working through every skill she knew. She wasn’t willing to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Once the tournament concluded and the points were in, she’d held on to her number two ranking, but barely. She needed to buckle down and focus on not just defending her own position but moving up the board, which meant knocking Elle down. Refusing to let her personal life factor in would be key. When they were on tour, Elle had to remain just another competitor in her eyes. Away from the water was different. She could just be…Elle. Gia smiled at that version, picturing Elle, missing her. They hadn’t laid eyes on each other since Gia departed the tournament the morning after she’d lost. They’d texted, chatted on the phone into the night even, but it was the live and in person Elle that Gia craved.
She attached her board to the top of her car, gave herself a quick dust off, and hopped inside. As she started her engine, she glanced at her phone.
I’m outside your apartment, and you’re MIA.
She froze. The text was from Elle, but she wasn’t supposed to be back until that night. Energized once she realized the text came in only minutes before, she put the car in drive and quickly drove the short two blocks to Seven Shores. If she was fast enough, maybe she could…
“You’re here,” Elle said, beaming at her from one of the outdoor couches. Gia didn’t hesitate. She pulled Elle into an embrace and held on, burying her nose in Elle’s hair, taking her in.
“Why are you early?” she murmured, still not letting go.
Elle laughed. “I canceled the last round of interviews. They only wanted to talk about one thing. Can you guess which?”
Gia released her, and searched her eyes. “Did you tell them to go to hell?” she asked, feeling extra protective.
“Not exactly my style. I told them when I was ready to talk about it, they would hear from me.” She squinted. “I tend to think the kiss stands on its own, though.”
“I guess that’s true. How are you doing with it all? The attention?” She didn’t allow herself to examine what it might mean for her if Elle wasn’t doing okay. Underneath it all, she still hadn’t entirely convinced herself that Elle knew what she was getting into or felt confident in this new life decision. Maybe she’d change her mind and, after trying it on, would realize this wasn’t who she was after all. One of the reasons Gia had suggested moving slow. Self-preservation was important. Gia didn’t put herself out there easily, and she was starting to do just that.
But Elle didn’t look reluctant. In fact, she was luminous, glowing even. “I’m better now,” she said, touching Gia’s cheek softly. “I’ve just wanted to see you is all. Not saying it wasn’t a roller coaster of a week.”
“I can imagine.”
“Did you just come out of the water?” Elle asked, her eyes dipping to Gia’s bathing suit top.
Gia nodded. “Trying to keep up with you.” She glanced at the stairs to her apartment. “Coming in? I have to shower.”
The idea seemed to intrigue Elle. “Definitely. I need to see this place for myself at long last.”
Gia sighed. “Okay. Not as fluffy and put together as yours. Fair warning.”
“Bracing myself.”
Gia’s nerves hit as she led Elle to her second-floor apartment and let them inside. Her place would definitely not live up to Elle’s. She surveyed the space now, seeing it how Elle might. She quickly dashed about the living room, straightening odds and ends, grabbing the sweatshirt (damn it) she’d left on the couch and tossing it into her bedroom.
Elle smiled. “Green surfboard on the wall.”
Gia nodded. “One of my favorites from years ago. Couldn’t bear to toss it when it busted.” She was acutely aware that there was no other art, other than the surfing posters on her bedroom wall that now seemed juvenile and obnoxious. Elle didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s very you. Lots of bright colors.”
Gia glanced around. “That don’t exactly match.” Her blue couch and red-cushioned dining chairs now seemed cringe-worthy. She really should have let Hadley go to town when it came to decorating.
“They match you,” Elle said, meaning it as a compliment.
Gia nodded. “Can I get you a soda or something to eat?” She remembered that her fridge was mostly empty and hoped Elle would pass on that snack. Note to self: Buy groceries for guests. Always. Have. Groceries.
“I’m good. Go. Take your shower. I’ll wander around your bedroom and snoop.”
“Oh, that can’t yield much good, but knock yourself out. I’m boring as hell.” But she did a quick mental check anyway, realizing that there was nothing too incriminating lying around. She should be good.
She left Elle on her own and, moments later, stood under the hot water in utter surrender as the heat worked her aching muscles. She closed her eyes and dropped her head back, letting the pressure of the water massage her scalp, reaching blindly for the shampoo when Elle’s voice from her bedroom interrupted.
“Are you singing in there?”
She straightened, horrified. She had been singing, hadn’t she? It was her ritual, and so second nature, she hadn’t even realized she was doing it—with company present no less. Not even company, Elle. “Oh, sorry!” she called back.
A chuckle. “Don’t stop on my account.”
But of course she would, and how long had she been going before Elle said anything? Didn’t matter. Her singing was atrocious, which was why she only ever sang when alone in the shower, and now her singing was out there in the world, and someone she was interested in, and whose opinion mattered to her, had heard. She sighed, finished up, and stepped out of the shower, closing her eyes at a brand-new revelation. She’d left her clothes in her bedroom. That’s right. When you lived alone and rarely had company, there was no reason not to walk naked from the bathroom to the bedroom and dress there. It was official, she was a bonehead. A very naked bonehead, with a newly minted lesbian (perhaps not ready for naked parades) on the other side of the door from her. Only one choice. Gia wrapped herself in a towel and casually walked to the bedroom, where she would quickly find appropriate attire and return to the bathroom to dress. That could work. With a solid plan in mind, she went for it.
As Gia entered the bedroom, Elle turned, mouth open, ready to speak. When she saw Gia clad in only a towel, however, the words died on her lips and she went still. “Oh,” she said instead. She looked away to be polite, but only briefly. When her gaze returned to Gia, it moved unabashedly across every inch of exposed skin, sending a powerful shiver right through Gia. She was being objectified, and in this case, she didn’t mind at all.
“Sorry. I just need clothes.”
“Don’t go out of your way on my account,” Elle said, with a small smile, half joking, half not.
“You can’t flirt with me right now.”
“Yes, I can,” Elle said boldly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She had always been a go-getter, and apparently, that trait transferred to her personal life. Gia liked that about her. No game playing. No reading between the lines. With Elle, what you saw was what you got. Still, Gia wasn’t ready to drop the towel just yet. Wasn’t how she imagined that particular moment, and she did imagine it. A lot.
“Be right back,” she said, dashing into the bathroom and throwing on her clothes.
Elle looked thoughtful when she returned. “That was Britney Spears, wasn’t it? You were singing Britney Spears in your shower for me.”
Gia held up a finger as she walked to the living room, Elle hot on her heels. “Technically, it wasn’t for you. Britney and I go back years. And I wouldn’t subject anyone to my singing.”
“It’s unique.”
“C’mon, it’s awful.”
“I wasn’t going to use that word. I prefer endearing with artistic license.”
Gia winced. “You’re kind.”
“All my mother’s work. You would like her.”
“Would she like me?” The question had more to do with Elle’s recent outing to her parents (and everyone else) than it did about Gia and her mother actually meeting.
“I think she would. She’s going to need time to adjust to the idea of…a woman. Don’t think she saw that one coming, but hey, neither did I. She’s an open-minded person, though, and she loves her kids a lot.”
“She sounds like good people.” She pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and tossed one to Elle. “Are you doing okay?”
Elle nodded. “Um, surprisingly, yes. Did I hyperventilate in my hotel room when I realized what I’d done without even realizing it? I did. That happened. Would I take it back?” A small pause. “Uh-uh.”
Gia exhaled in relief, doing her best to mask the reaction and play it casual. “I was worried…about you.” She put her hand on her hip and then dropped it, not sure how to stand. Why did she suck so hard at sentimentality?
“Then come sit by me.” The look in Elle’s eye sent a flutter traveling through Gia’s system. She really had missed her. She took a seat next to Elle and pulled Elle’s legs across her lap. They couldn’t seem to sit in close proximity without touching. It seemed to be an Elle and Gia rule.
“Hi,” Elle said quietly.
Gia smiled. “Hi.”
“There are no designers in LA,” Hadley announced, breezing into the apartment in her upscale work clothes. “You would think I’m exaggerating. I’m not, I just—hey, there,” she said, her eyes landing on Elle. A pause as a smile blossomed. “You’re here.”
“Hi,” Elle said, standing. She certainly did know how to turn on the high-wattage smile, which seemed to make Hadley happy. Had liked friendly. She embodied it. “I’m Elle Britton, we haven’t officially met.”
“Not officially,” Hadley said, beaming. “But I know all about you. I’m Hadley.”
“I’ve heard of you, too,” Elle said. “Want to sit?”
“Definitely,” Hadley said, planting herself on the chair across from them. “I hear you did well at the tournament.”
“Not the finals, but I’ll take it. What were you saying about the designers in LA?”
“Oh, that they’re ruining my life pretty much. I need new ones. Lesser-knowns to bring into the boutique I work at, and they’re just not out there. At least the caliber I need.”
“Hadley’s looking for high end but edgy.”
“Still classy,” Hadley filled in.
“I have a friend,” Elle offered, looking thoughtful. “She’s really quite good. I should have her look you up. She’s gone viral on social media and looks to be the next big thing.”
“Oh, my goodness, I would welcome that. I’m at Silhouette on Rodeo Drive. Tell her to ask for Hadley Cooper. I’d love to take a look.”
Elle laughed at the sincerity of emotion. “Done. Her name is Spencer Adair, and I know she’s got a lot on her plate. But I’ll let her know you’re looking.”
“Spencer, okay. Great!” Hadley pointed at Elle. “I like her.”
“I like her, too,” Elle said, pointing back at Hadley. The two of them laughed and continued chatting away on a myriad of topics.
“I love your shoes.”
“Tell me the best part about surfing.”
“How many years have you and Gia been friends?”
It went on, and on.
There was never a lull, a gap, where one of them had to force conversation. Gia watched in awe. It was like two long-lost best friends sitting on her couch. They practically forgot she was in the room, and she wondered distantly if she should figure out something else to do.
“So, and stop me if I’m getting all up your business, but the kiss photo?” Hadley asked.
“Right. Not my most-thought-out moment, but sometimes you just have to follow your heart.” Elle’s cheeks colored and Gia felt warm all over hearing that it was Elle’s heart that had compelled her to kiss Gia that day.
Hadley clearly liked that answer as well. “Yes! You completely have to.” She furrowed her brow. “How are you handling it? Do you need anything? Baked goods?”
“You’re so awesome to offer, but I’m actually hanging in there.” She glanced over at Gia and smiled. “While it’s scary to announce something so publicly without even thinking, this has been a really happy time in my life, and that beats all the side effects.”
“So, no brownies, then?” Hadley asked.
“Unless you just want to be nice.”
“Brownies it is!” Hadley’s eyes lit up with a new project. She stood, energized now. “I’ll let you two get back to making out or whatever it was you were doing on that couch when I barged in.” She bowed. “As you were.”
“Wait. Had, you okay?” Gia asked, wanting to make sure her friend didn’t need her. “The work thing had you bothered when you walked in.”
“Much better now,” Hadley said, hand on her heart, and dashed out of the apartment.
Gia stared at Elle. “Did you just find a new best friend?”
She blinked back happily. “You know, I think I did. You come with a lot of perks. Britney Spears serenades and people like Hadley.”
“I’m pleased and afraid.”
“You should be both of those. What are our plans tonight?”
“Let’s go to dinner,” Gia said.
“Perfect. And then my place after?”
The implication was clear. Elle was inviting her to stay the night, and she wasn’t sure she had the fortitude to resist any longer. “Are you sure about the after?”
“We could come back to yours. I’m open.”
Gia shook her head, wanting to make sure this was truly what Elle wanted. “You know what I mean.”
“Are you asking if I’m sure that I want you to take me home after dinner and have your way with me?” Elle nodded solemnly. “Very.”
Gia inhaled at the potency of that word. She wanted Elle so badly, but her desire had just tripled with its utterance. “Your place it is.”
* * *
Elle wasn’t generally a nervous person. In fact, she’d been told on multiple occasions that she had nerves of steel. She’d taken those words as a compliment and wore them like a badge of honor. Her courage had served her well in every aspect of her life, but as she got ready for dinner, she had a confession to make to the person looking back at her in the mirror. She was nervous for tonight. Deeply nervous.
She’d had sex for the first time at nineteen with a boy she’d gone to high school with, Grayson Trotter, who was dark haired, blue-eyed, and the captain of the tennis team. She’d thought he was the most good-looking boy she’d ever seen, and when his attention turned to her that summer after their senior year, she thought she was the luckiest girl ever. They had a good time together, went to movies, the beach. She’d even taught him to surf—with mediocre results. One night, when Grayson had his parents’ house to himself, she’d come over. Marathon kissing on the cramped couch had turned into sex. Very, very disappointing sex. She’d always romanticized making love, had looked forward to it, waited for the right moment to take that leap. Grayson had seemed like the one to take it with. The end result had been fast, uncomfortable, and without pleasure. Thinking it had been a symptom of it being her first time, she’d not rushed to any conclusions. But her continued sexual relationship with Grayson, and the handful of men who’d come after him, had resulted in one lackluster sexual experience after another. It hadn’t been a fluke.
While her experience thus far with Gia had been markedly different than with the men she had dated (and her lust meter was reading way off the charts), she still carried fear that sex would once again leave her on the outside looking in, wondering why the rest of the world found such power in an act she found relatively forgettable. On the other hand, where she and Gia were concerned, how could that be possible? The sex dream alone had been better than anything she’d experienced in real life. Still…as much as she looked forward to the night ahead, the fear shoved at her uncomfortably.
Selecting a casual white dress, Elle blew out her hair, opting to leave it down with a slight curl. She found her bag just as the doorbell rang. “You got this,” she said to herself, and took a deep, fortifying breath.
Gia looked gorgeous, of course, and Elle’s heart clenched pleasantly as she followed her out to the car. She wore black pants, heels, and a form-fitting blue top. But it was the way her gaze moved across Elle’s dress, her body, that sent sparks racing across every nerve ending Elle possessed.
“I think white might be your color,” Gia said once they were in the car. Elle kissed her, not caring if she ruined her lip gloss.
“If it always makes you look at me like this, then I may have to add to my wardrobe. Where’s dinner?”
“Probably not somewhere you’ve heard of before. Is that okay?”
“I love new places. Take me there.”
“I love how automatically adventurous you are.”
Elle shrugged. “That’s one of the best parts of life, discovering new things.”
“I’m beginning to agree with that statement.”
Gia was right. Elle had never heard of the small, out-of-the-way restaurant she had selected for them. The Orchard Inn, just beyond the outskirts of the city, was just as it sounded. The winding road up to the house was reminiscent of a fairy tale and the interior just as quaint. A small inn, complete with a downstairs dining room on the grounds of an apple orchard. Dark wooden floors and dark walls were accentuated with small candles on each table that gave the room an intimate, romantic feel. Dinner was served at 7:30 in one sitting to the various guests of the inn. Apparently, Gia pulled some strings to get them included.
“I don’t know the owner or anything,” Gia said, referencing Elle’s outgoing disposition and the fact that she knew everyone. “Just a place I really like.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Elle said, feeling special. Gia had put some thought into this. “It’s perfect for tonight.”
The menu was set and included a hearty green salad, likely from ingredients grown fresh on the property, filet mignon, vegetables, and a side of the most decadent potatoes, the likes of which Elle had never tasted. Dessert came in the form of a slice of lemon cake with a miniature chocolate milkshake on the side, a tiny red and white straw included. While the food was amazing, expertly prepared, it wasn’t the star of the show. Gia was. The way she looked at Elle across the candlelight, listened to her with those big, brown luminous eyes like everything Elle said held the utmost importance for her. Their conversation came easily, too. Elle had never dated anyone who shared her affinity for surfing, and with Gia, she could lose herself on the subject for hours.
“Yeah, but the waves in Australia—I mean, no comparison. Bells Beach is insane. When I’m there, I never want to leave.”
“We should go sometime,” Gia said, seeming to latch onto an idea. “Outside of competition and just eat, drink, and surf.”
Elle rested her chin on her palm dreamily. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve taken a surfing trip that didn’t require me to compete?”
“Which is why we should do it. Just think how romantic those beach sunsets are. I’ve never really gotten the chance to share them with someone I care about.”
“I would love to watch a beach sunset with you, Gia. Your arms around me.”
Gia smiled at her plate before raising her gaze to Elle’s. “I can’t come up with anything better than how that would feel.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm. I’m in. I’ll even let you drop in on my waves.” She winked and took a final bite of lemon cake and pointed at Gia with her fork. “That’s a big testament to what I’m feeling for you.”
Gia sat back appearing struck. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. And I could watch you eat cake for hours, if we’re being honest. The way you take your time, pull the fork slowly from your mouth…it’s really something. I think you should do it again.”
Elle obliged, only slowing down the process further.
They stared at each other as heat flickered between them. Elle set the fork down slowly. “Wanna get out of here?”
Gia nodded, her darkened eyes giving Elle serious heart palpitations. Gia gave the best looks, always clear in their meaning and unapologetic. The biggest turn-on, really. She felt that look all over.
Their intertwined hands rested in Gia’s lap on the car ride home as soft music played from the radio. The city had never looked more alive or more beautiful than it did as they traveled its winding roads. The hillside and all of its twinkling lights looked down on them. As they neared Elle’s neighborhood, the anticipation of what was to come was nearly all encompassing. Looking forward to finally capitalizing on all things she’d imagined doing to Gia rivaled the fear she had of not being able to engage the way she hoped. It was a mixed bag. What if sex was an utter failure for her yet again? What if she was broken?
As they crossed the threshold of her home, Gia gave Elle’s arm a tug. She turned to face her, and Gia took both of her hands, intertwining their fingers. “You still sure?” The simple question, and the intention behind it, was all Elle needed. The nerves, her fear, disappeared in that moment, replaced by the warmth and strength radiating through to her from Gia’s touch.
Elle took Gia slowly by the hand and led her through the darkened living room, down the short hallway, and into her bedroom. She turned on her small bedside lamp, because these were moments she needed to see. In fact, she wanted to keep every detail for herself.
Before Gia could even ask, Elle met her eyes and nodded, granting final permission. She unzipped the white dress and it fell from her shoulders and caught around her elbows, exposing her light pink bra. She’d worn the one that dipped steeply in front, because it made her feel sexy. She didn’t need it, though, she realized. Gia made her feel sexier than she ever had in her entire life.
Gia took over at that point. Moving slowly, she cradled Elle’s face in her hands, her gaze moving from her eyes, to her mouth, to her nearly exposed breasts. She didn’t say a word, just kissed Elle with measured precision. But when she came up for air, her breathing was ragged, and that did things to Elle. She dropped her arms, allowing the dress to fall to the floor. She stepped out of her heels, which gave Gia the height advantage. With Gia’s rapt attention, she unclasped her bra and watched as Gia took in her full breasts.
“Oh my God,” Gia breathed, crushing her mouth to Elle’s. She wrapped her arms around Elle’s waist and hauled her close. She kissed down the column of Elle’s neck, to her chest. Her hands moved up Elle’s body, between them, to cup her breasts. She gasped as Gia increased pressure before dipping her head and lifting a nipple into her mouth. Elle threw her head back. She’d never experienced anything so physically powerful, and felt the acute results between her legs.
“Wow,” she whispered, her own breaths came in fast little spurts. Elle’s hands moved to Gia’s shirt. She pulled it over Gia’s head and quickly unfastened her pants. Gia obliged and slid out of them, and the skin on display to Elle now increased her desire exponentially. That body. God. Help. Her.
Gia lowered her onto the bed and lay down alongside her. Elle reached for Gia, needing more of the delicious sensations, craving something she didn’t have a name for. But that was wrong, because she knew. She was on fire, and throbbing, and wanted Gia inside her, desperately. Now.
But Gia had other ideas and seemed to be taking her time. She looked down the bed at Elle’s body, partially illuminated by the dim light from the lamp, and ran a finger from the waistband of her thong up to her breast, which she circled slowly. She kissed Elle and slid on top of her, placing a thigh between Elle’s legs. Elle closed her eyes at the jolt that sent right to her center, and pushed her hips against Gia’s thigh, once and then again. Gia, sensing her urgency, took the cue. “It’s okay,” she whispered, and slid her hand down the front of Elle’s underwear. Elle squirmed and whimpered at the intimate touch. At last. She closed her eyes and rolled her hips against Gia’s hand, amazed at the ever-building pressure and how fast it had all happened. She was that turned on. “Not yet,” Gia told her, and returned to sucking her breast.
“Oh, God,” Elle managed.
Before she knew it, her thong was off her body, which was good. So very good. Gia slid down the bed. The first sensation was Gia’s warm breath, which was almost Elle’s undoing. That was, until she felt her tongue. So many sounds came from her now. Sounds she’d never made before. With Gia’s arms wrapped around Elle’s legs, she held her in place and kissed her intimately, torturously so, before tracing patterns with her tongue.
That did it.
Elle raced toward orgasm, amazed by the power, the ferocity of the ever-growing tension. She’d never experienced anything like it, not even close. She twisted beneath Gia’s touch, her mouth, desperate, searching for release, moaning quietly without even meaning to. She was not in control of her own body, an entirely new experience. Quite the opposite, in fact, and it thrilled her. When she finally came, she did so quietly, shaking, lost in pleasure, like an exploding star. The experience stunned her. Nothing she could have done would have prepared her for the mental or physical impact of that moment. “Oh my God,” she whispered, as her hips thrust and Gia’s tongue continued to dance across her delicately. When the pleasure ebbed, Gia held her legs, and kissed the insides of her thighs as Elle’s body recovered, as she struggled to make sense of the very new experience.
She tried to find the words to explain how good it felt for Gia to touch her, to be inside her, but nothing she came up with seemed adequate.
“You’re not saying anything,” Gia said, after several extended moments passed. She’d joined Elle on the pillow, wrapping her arms around her protectively.
Elle turned in them and kissed Gia’s cheeks, her nose, and sank into the warmth of her lips, kissing them extra thoroughly. “What am I to say about that unmatched experience?”
“That’s a start.”
She looked up, still searching for descriptors though her mind was at 50 percent. “It was dismantling.”
“Dismantling,” Gia repeated. “Is that good?”
Elle nodded, not quite finished. “And surprising. And torturous, until it wasn’t.”
“Okay.” Gia smiled, picking up on the trend.
“Then it was simply…decadent.” As they talked, Gia continued to touch Elle, who loved every second of it. Her stomach, her breasts, her collarbone, and more intimately along the insides of her thighs. “It still is, what you’re doing to me. I’m still humming over here, because you’re pulling new urges.”
“That’s a good report card,” Gia said, and dipped her head to nibble on Elle’s neck.
“Which should be rewarded, I would say.”
Gia studied her briefly before going back to the tingle-inducing nibbling, probably unsure what to make of that sentence.
It was clear Gia hadn’t come into tonight with any expectations, but Elle certainly had a few that had yet to be explored. “Which means it’s time for you to stop that.” She gently pulled Gia’s face back to hers and kissed her hard and fast. Pulling her lips from the dizzying kiss, she sat up and pulled Gia with her. “You might have to be patient with me.”
Gia nodded, her eyes dark once again.
Wordlessly, Elle unclasped the blue bra, freeing the breasts she’d been thinking about for weeks on end, anxious to get her hands on them at last. She looked up at Gia and smiled, her stomach dipping noticeably in appreciation of what she could only describe as simply beautiful breasts. Not large, but definitely not small. Perfectly round. She ran a finger from the top of each breast to the bottom before lifting one and taking the nipple into her mouth. The move pulled a groan from Gia, sending a bolt of arousal to Elle’s center. She was lost again in a haze of lust, longing to do so many things at once, like a kid who had been long denied the candy store. She spent a lot of time on those breasts, bathing them, running her tongue across each nipple, sucking one, then the other firmly. Maybe even too much time, but the quiet sounds Gia made told her the attention was not wasted. Somehow, they ended up lying down, Elle’s naked body on top of Gia’s. Elle wasn’t quite sure which of them had made that move, but she liked the feel of being on top, their breasts pushed together with delicious friction while her hips moved instinctively against Gia’s. She gave her head a small shake, attempting to clear it from the rush of sensations it juggled. But maybe it was better this way. Unable to think, she was unable to second-guess her actions. She had zero experience in what she was about to do, and in her present condition, that didn’t seem like a problem at all. She followed her instincts, her desire, and kissed a path down Gia’s stomach, taking her time and savoring each response she pulled, memorizing it.
She kissed the insides of Gia’s thighs, licked them, heady with power and longing to take Gia to the places she’d just taken Elle. She slowly parted Gia’s thighs and delicately touched her on the outside of her underwear with one finger and first and then her entire palm. Gia hissed in a breath. Full of anticipation, Elle looped her thumbs through the black bikini briefs and pulled them down Gia’s legs. She took a moment to just stare, now wet again herself. She leaned down and tasted Gia for the first time. Lightly with her tongue at first, and then more deliberately with her mouth, her lips. Just as Gia had done, she made small, gentle circles with her tongue. Gia moaned and bucked her hips, looking for more. Elle matched that rhythm with her tongue. She watched for signals, Gia’s breathing, the increased movement of her hips, the intoxicating sounds she made. When she seemed close, Elle pushed her fingers inside, steadying herself from the overwhelming feeling of connection that hit all at once. Gia was no longer quiet, tossing her head on the pillow as Elle moved in and out, loving the sensation of Gia enveloping her. She didn’t want this to end, but to her surprise, Gia grabbed a fistful of the blanket beneath her and cried out, her hips going wild and then still.
Elle exhaled in awe of the sight. Looking down at Gia’s naked body, spent and glistening, was perhaps the most beautiful image she’d ever seen. She made a point to memorize it for all time. “Are you sure it has to be over?” Elle asked, kissing the insides of Gia’s thighs, nibbling her way back to where she had been most effective just moments before.
“Not sure I can withstand much more of that,” Gia said, with a laugh, and gently pulled Elle up the bed toward her.
“That was so different from what I expected it to be,” Elle said, still processing.
Gia nodded, allowing her to do so. “Can you tell me how?”
“So much more,” Elle said, staring out the ceiling. She flung her arm over her forehead and exhaled. “All this time, this was here, and I had no idea.” She shook her head and looked over at Gia. “I’ve just been doing it wrong.”
“I don’t know if wrong is the word,” Gia said, turning onto her side and smoothing Elle’s hair.
“I do.”
“So, are you okay?” Gia asked with a smile. Though it already looked like she knew the answer to that question.
“I’m more than okay.” Elle sat up, not knowing what to do with herself. “I’m excited, and inquisitive, and also a little mystified. Did I say relieved? Because I’m that as well. So many battling emotions, but they’re all good, and powerful. Did I mention powerful? God.”
Gia laughed. “You’re talking really fast.”
“Am I? That would make sense.”
Gia held out an arm. “Here. Why don’t you lie back down and take a deep breath.”
Because Gia looked more than a little inviting, Elle returned to the pillow next to her and slid her hand onto Gia’s chest. “Yeah, this is better.”
“Hi,” Gia said, quietly.
Elle smiled. “Hi.”
Maybe it was the proximity, or the few minutes it had been since they’d touched each other, but like a magnet they came back together. She wasn’t sure who’d made the first move, but that was all it took to ignite their passion all over again. Kissing, touching, and so much more.
When they were happy and spent and barely able to move, they lay side by side facing each other, on the same pillow once again, in the very late—make that very early—hours. Neither one of them seemed to want to sleep. Elle, for one, needed to hang on to this night for as long as possible. It felt like her world had shifted dramatically, and she didn’t want to miss a single minute.
“Why aren’t people having sex all the time?” she finally asked.
Gia laughed quietly. “I mean…I think they are.”
“They should. And like that. Exactly what we just did.” She shook her head. “That was the longest sex I’ve ever had.” She ran her fingers across Gia’s collarbone, still marveling at how soft her skin was, and that she had free rein to explore it.
Gia grinned. “Really? I mean, I think we can beat that. You were…very much ready. It didn’t take much.”
“No, it certainly didn’t,” Elle said, remembering with a smile.
Gia’s suggestion alone had Elle wondering about another go-round. “I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to…enjoy someone so much.” She met Gia’s eyes, relieved—no, ecstatic—at how the evening had turned out. Sex with Gia had far surpassed her expectations, obliterated them, and had certainly put her fears to rest. She was not broken. “You’re beautiful,” Elle said. “And tonight was mind blowing. And I think it’s going to be hard to be a regular person out in the world when we could stay right here forever and just keep doing this. Forget everyone else.”
Gia pulled Elle in and kissed the top of her head. “Then how will I conquer the surf world?”
Elle slid on top and rested on the backs of her forearms. “Well, you won’t have to worry about that, because I’ve already done it.”
Gia’s mouth fell open. “Temporarily.”
Elle shook her head and found those lips again, the ones she would never tire of. “You can be number one at kissing.”
Gia considered this. “I accept. And while we’re on such a roll, we should maybe try our hand at sleeping. Don’t you have an early Trainers shoot?”
Elle sighed. “Yes. Damn it. Why do I always get the early slots?”
“Because you wake up looking beautiful.”
She paused. She’d been complimented on her appearance before. But the words hit her in a whole new way, making her feel special. Maybe because Gia wasn’t someone, like so many people she knew, who handed out compliments hand over fist. She was sincere and honest, and when she turned that attention on you, it felt like you were a hundred feet tall. “You’re sweet to say that.”
“It’s true.”
They shared a kiss and eventually drifted off, tangled up in each other in the most perfect way. Elle’s heart felt as if it might burst, and she was pretty sure she fell asleep with a smile on her face. She was right earlier. The world would never look the same again, and that was beyond okay with her.