That kiss last night had been everything Olivia had expected and more. Rosie’s lips had tasted of hope, of desire, of everything Olivia truly wanted in her life, but was afraid to reach out for. When she’d dropped Rosie home, she’d so wanted to ask her to come back with her instead. But how could she? It all went to making today that little bit harder.
What’s more, she knew Rosie had questions — why wouldn’t she? Every time the subject came around to Olivia and her life, she ushered it the other way; having had a lifetime of experience, she was a pro at doing so. But this time, she didn’t want to. She wanted to be honest with Rosie, to tell her what she was feeling, the impossible situation she was in. An arranged marriage she was desperate to avoid, a future she couldn’t think about without tears springing to her eyes.
So she’d gone over to the cafe this morning with plans to tell her. To confess it all. She was leaving tomorrow anyway, so it wouldn’t be long before Rosie put two and two together and came up with four. But when she’d got to the cafe, Paige and Hilary had been there, and Rosie had been rushed off her feet, the new look and summer menu drawing in a roaring daytime trade. Olivia had eaten her bacon sandwich with a smile on her face as the Perkins family buzzed about the place, the cafe full of the aromas of ground coffee and freshly squeezed oranges. In one crazy week, they’d achieved what they’d set out to do: turn the cafe around. Now Olivia just hoped the evening menu worked as well, and their plans came to fruition.
When she’d realised Rosie was too busy to talk, Olivia had told her to come by her house tonight and given her the address: she couldn’t do this anywhere else, they needed some privacy. Rosie had been stunned when she’d seen where she was staying, but Olivia had told her she’d explain it all tonight. Just to come around at seven. The cafe wasn’t opening in the evenings till the following week, so Rosie had agreed. When she’d touched her arm as she’d left, they’d both stilled, sharing a look that said they still had unfinished business.
Olivia knew it, and Rosie did, too.
However, before anything could happen, Olivia had to tell Rosie the truth. She had to let her know who she was, why she was here and her reasons for keeping her identity under wraps.
She hoped Rosie understood.
If she didn’t, Olivia didn’t know how she was going to live with herself.
Olivia opened the door to the manor house at just gone seven; Rosie stood on the doorstep, a slight frown on her face. Her dark blonde hair was full of static, showing it’d been freshly washed, and she was dressed in jeans and a black shirt. When she tried a smile she had some lipstick on her front tooth, but somehow, Olivia didn’t think it appropriate to say.
The tension crackled between them as she stood aside for Rosie to walk past, her floral perfume filling Olivia’s lungs. She closed her eyes as she breathed it in: she had to stay focussed tonight, or she knew things might go off course.
She ushered Rosie into the kitchen where she’d prepared a plate of cold cuts: Spanish ham, olives, mozzarella, fresh figs and Manchego cheese. She’d been surprised to find it all in the local supermarket, but she guessed that was the ‘London influence’ at work. A bottle of Tempranillo was breathing, and Olivia filled up the glasses, her heart fluttering in her chest. Rosie looked so confused, but also so beautiful; Olivia was nervous, because this mattered so much. This was bigger than Jemima, bigger than her parents, bigger than everything.
In a short space of time, Rosie had come to mean so much to her.
It was Rosie who broke the brittle silence.
“So, Charlie. You’ve avoided my questions the whole time you’ve been in Otter Bay, and now I find you’re staying here.” She cocked her head, trying to read Olivia’s face. “How on earth are you staying in this place, by the way? Are you some kind of countess and you haven’t told me?”
Olivia cleared her throat before answering, plotting out every word in her head before it seeped out of her mouth. “It’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” she began, her voice sounding calm. She was anything but. “It’s kinda complicated, but let’s just say I have connections.”
Rosie smiled. “You must have. I mean, I knew you were posh — your accent is painted gold — but I didn’t think you were staying here.” She paused. “How did you even manage it? I mean, is it on Airbnb now?”
Getting the words out was harder than she thought. “I’m just lucky I guess, I went to the right school with the right people.”
“That old chestnut — it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Rosie eyed her. “But I guess, if you hang out with people who have it all, maybe it’s a good thing. Like you with the cafe: you didn’t see the problems, you just saw the opportunity. It takes a special person to do that.” She took a sip of her wine. “And guess what?” She sat up then, with a wide grin.
“What?”
“We had our best day ever today. Can you believe it? A lick of paint, some new menus, fresh flowers and boom! We took nearly three times the amount we did for the whole of last weekend in just one day. Whoever knew that Sunday brunch and bucks fizz was what people really wanted?”
She seemed genuinely baffled as Olivia laughed. “Mimosas, remember. Buck’s Fizz makes it sound uncool — mimosas makes it sound positively exotic.”
Rosie gave her a grin. “You see — that’s what you get when you associate with people in high places — they know about shit like that. I never even knew I’d had a mimosa.”
“You do now,” Olivia replied. She leaned forward and put a hand on Rosie’s arm. “And I’m thrilled about the takings — you deserve it all. Mark & Maude’s deserves it all.”
Rosie stared down at Olivia’s hand, before covering it with her own. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Olivia’s heart rose up and lodged in her throat as a trickle of want drizzled down her spine. She closed her eyes and when she reopened them, Rosie was staring at her like she’d hung the moon.
“I had a great time last night,” Rosie said, her gaze never leaving Olivia. “I mean, nobody’s ever done anything like that for me before. Gina’s so fired up and...” She paused. “Thank you for reminding me there’s more to life than the mundane. That things can be magical, that there’s still room for wonder, for my breath to be taken away.” She gulped, steadying her breathing before continuing. “Because last night, you took my breath away.”
When Olivia locked her gaze with Rosie’s, before letting it drift to Rosie’s lips, the next move seemed inevitable. As if there was some director off camera yelling orders, telling them what to do. As the word ‘Action!’ rang out in Olivia’s head, Rosie was on her feet, taking the starring role, reaching down and cupping Olivia’s face, her eyes full of dark desire.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” she said, before closing the distance between them and pressing her lips to Olivia’s.
Olivia let out a soft moan on contact. Her head swam in the moment, one that was rich with colour, bursting with life. As Rosie’s lips slipped over hers and her fingers worked their way into Olivia’s short hair, her plans to tell Rosie the truth were hushed. Instead, all Olivia could hear was the roar of her heart, and all she could feel was Rosie’s body sliding onto her lap as she grabbed her hips and urged her there.
Her kisses tasted of honey and molasses; they were slow, sugary, long. But after a few minutes, Rosie pulled back.
Olivia’s eyes sprang open, panicked. “You okay?”
Rosie gave a sweet smile and swung a leg, straddling her. “I just want to get closer to you.” She reached down, staring into Olivia’s eyes, her breath hot over her mouth. “And let’s remove these glasses,” she added, doing just that.
Olivia’s breathing hitched as a surge of lust enveloped her.
Rosie brought her mouth to Olivia’s neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses in her wake.
A warring duel of lust and guilt fought in Olivia’s heart, and she couldn’t tell which was winning.
But then something snapped: she had to be honest with Rosie, she had to tell her; she’d never forgive herself otherwise. “Rosie,” she said, as Rosie ran her tongue up her neck again before eventually reaching her lips, this time slipping her tongue inside, too.
A punch of desire left Olivia breathless.
“Hmmm?” Rosie mumbled into her mouth.
“I need to tell you something,” Olivia gasped, not quite believing she was doing this. Her 20-year-old self would kill her.
Rosie drew back, eyeing her with naked desire. “Now?” she asked with a dazed smile.
She gave her another kiss, leaving Olivia punch-drunk.
“It’s just… I’m leaving tomorrow.” She drew in a lungful of breath. “I just thought you should know. I have to go back to London.”
Rosie stilled in her arms, and Olivia braced herself for this to end. Her heart stalled.
“I knew it had to happen soon,” Rosie whispered, pulling back. “In that case, we’d better make tonight count.”
Rosie bent to kiss her once more, but Olivia stiffened, easing her back and clearing her throat. “But it’s not just that… there’s something else I need to tell you, too. Something big.”
Rosie cocked her head. “Bigger than what’s happening right here, right now?” Another sexy smile as she cupped Olivia’s breast.
Olivia gulped. “It’s pretty big.”
Rosie stared at her with intent, her cheeks flushed. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait.” Desire coursed through Olivia as Rosie brought her lips back to hers in a bruising kiss. Olivia wilted at her touch.
And then, all the talk in her head ceased. She covered Rosie’s mouth with hers, her tongue coming into play, her hands on Rosie’s hips, pulling her closer. The only sound in the room was their ragged breathing and the soft meeting of lips.
And holy shit, Rosie could kiss; she was intoxicating. Olivia’s mind jumped forward to what was beyond.
Rosie’s pressure was soft at first, but the kiss soon escalated, with the two of them pulling apart after minutes had passed, staring at each other. The world shrank to this time and place.
Olivia couldn’t wait any longer: she had to feel her.
Taking a deep breath, she popped the buttons of Rosie’s black shirt, slowly, carefully; when she laid a hand on Rosie’s pale skin, her breathing stilled. With the pad of her thumb she brushed over the lace of Rosie’s black bra, feeling her nipple harden under her touch, watching as Rosie’s eyelids fluttered shut.
Her creamy skin stretched all the way up her long neck, and Olivia wanted to see it all.
She reached around and unhooked Rosie’s bra with skilled fingers that brought an arch of a delicate eyebrow from Rosie; once her breasts were on show, Olivia pushed Rosie’s shirt and bra off, before taking her breasts in her hands, sucking her nipples into her mouth, one, then the other.
Rosie ground down into her, and Olivia took note of how she wriggled when she clamped a nipple between her teeth and bit down lightly.
Rosie arched her back and her moan gained timbre.
Olivia grinned. She swept her hands up the contours of Rosie’s naked back, as Rosie pulled off Olivia’s top, then her bra, before staring down at her with a wicked grin. Just to make sure she had Olivia’s attention, Rosie rolled her right nipple between her fingers.
Olivia felt it at her very core as she moved her hips, glancing up at Rosie, her breath hot and fast. “You want to do this here or somewhere a little more comfortable?”
Rosie leaned down and licked her way up Olivia’s neck, ending with her tongue dancing on her lips. “I’ll take whatever you’re giving in any location you choose.”
Heat flared in Olivia; Rosie was turning into her ideal woman before her very eyes. Suddenly she knew — she wasn’t going to make it to the bedroom.
Olivia exhaled, before guiding Rosie off her and pushing the food and drink down the table. The last shards of evening sun cast shadows over both of them through the large kitchen windows.
Neither spoke as Olivia lifted Rosie up onto the table top, her breasts looking good enough to eat. So Olivia did, letting her tongue do the work, scraping her short nails down Rosie’s back as she did. She inhaled Rosie’s scent, before swirling her tongue around her neck, her earlobes, her.
Rosie moaned into Olivia’s ear, pushing her hips towards Olivia, letting her know what she wanted.
The sound of Rosie’s jeans being unzipped scratched the air, before Olivia worked them off. “You look incredible,” she whispered in Rosie’s ear, her fingers skating the edges of the black material covering Rosie’s butt. Olivia pressed the palm of her hand between Rosie’s legs.
Rosie threw an arm around her, her breath stalling.
Olivia pressed some more, revelling in Rosie’s whimper. She allowed her finger to caress the edge of Rosie’s knickers, then dip under them, groaning as she hit Rosie’s wetness. Emboldened, she trailed a finger through it, and as Rosie closed her eyes, Olivia got her completely naked, spreading Rosie’s legs and pulling her towards her.
“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” Olivia said, as she slid two fingers into her, marvelling at her warmth and how good it felt.
Rosie hissed into her ear, her hands on Olivia’s back, their groans filling the kitchen.
Olivia drowned in the sweetness of it all as she pressed her lips back to Rosie, the drumbeat of this moment loud in her ears, the heat rising in her soul. Being inside Rosie was even better than she’d imagined, her fingers writing a love letter on Rosie’s very core. She pulled her closer still, two becoming one, and they shared a momentary stare before Olivia fucked her harder.
Rosie let out a guttural moan and her eyes closed.
Olivia could feel herself gushing as she brought her thumb into play, circling Rosie’s hard clit, her lover jerking in her arms as she did. She knew the fire had been lit, and now she just had to stoke it as best she could. She was going to give Rosie everything she had.
As Olivia circled and swooped, she fought back the unfairness of her plight; that this was happening on her final night, on the day she could put off reality no more. There was nothing she wanted more than to stay here, with Rosie, with this closeness, this emotion. She could feel it building, block by block, and it both scared her and left her exhilarated. Because what was she going to do with it when the sun came up? When she had to leave?
She pushed the thoughts aside as she nibbled her way along Rosie’s collarbone, her thumb circling, her fingers exploring. Then she felt Rosie still, then arch her back.
“Don’t stop!” Rosie gasped as she began to shake in Olivia’s arms, her orgasm crashing through her.
Olivia never wanted to stop. She wanted this to go on and on forever, a never-ending stage of her and Rosie, in orgasmic bliss. She didn’t let up, just as Rosie asked, and Rosie came one more time, crushing her fingers into Olivia’s back, holding on for dear life. She squeezed and Olivia squeezed right back. The moment was bittersweet, but she couldn’t tell Rosie why. She wanted to cling to it, stay being Charlie forever, but she knew it was impossible.
Despite that, Olivia couldn’t help but smile when Rosie regained some power moments later, her face red and woozy.
Rosie kissed her hard, before reaching down and unzipping Olivia’s trousers, her eyes dark pools of want that Olivia wasn’t going to argue with.
“That was amazing,” Rosie said, her words soaked with desire. “And I look forward to doing it again. But the whole time, I wanted to do something to you.” She pushed Olivia’s trousers down, regarding her underwear with a broad smile. “Boy shorts. I knew you’d wear boy shorts.” She trailed her tongue along Olivia’s bottom lip and Olivia wobbled.
When she opened her eyes, Rosie was smiling at her. “You’ve been working hard,” she said, pushing her down into the kitchen chair. Then she pulled off her boy shorts, before sinking to her knees and spreading Olivia’s legs.
“And now I get to taste you, finally,” Rosie said, her breath hot on Olivia’s core.
Olivia shuddered, closing her eyes, waiting for the elixir from Rosie’s tongue to overtake her.
As Rosie licked her way from Olivia’s butt to her clit, Olivia’s brain duly melted, her head falling backwards, her hands gripping the chair. Rosie’s tongue on her was dizzying and disorientating, the pleasure oozing from every pore. Olivia hadn’t experienced such mesmerising skills in quite some time, and she luxuriated in them, never wanting it to stop.
When Rosie added some fingers to the mix, Olivia moaned with pleasure, sinking her fingers into Rosie’s hair, so close she could feel it.
Soon, she was toppling over the edge and freefalling to earth, a grin on her face, her heart a ball of happiness that was picking up speed with every second.
Rosie didn’t let up. She made Olivia come for a second and third time, before Olivia stilled her with hands in her hair. Rosie sat back, looking up at Olivia, panting.
Olivia wanted to frame the moment, hang it on her wall, carry it in her heart. She was spent, sated, elated.
Until the next time.
“Shall we take this to the bedroom?” Rosie asked, getting up and holding out a hand to Olivia.
Olivia nodded, wordless.
If she was falling for Rosie before, she’d just hit the ground. Hard.