Chapter 8 #3
She gasped, her body stiffening, then relaxing, then anticipating what Sette could truly do to her. Sette’s fingers rubbed against her flesh. This woman demanded something new for their time away from the Manoir, and by hell, June was inclined to give it to her.
“She hasn’t.” The thought of Miquela going at her ass was enough to make her clench. I’d have to charge her double with that thing. “You better beat her to it.”
Although June could consider about anything sexy, she never thought a woman fucking her in the ass could be romantic.
Yet when Sette completely consumed her, her delicate touch turning merciless once she had the purchase she pursued, all June could do was submit herself to her will and ride out the thrill awaiting her.
With one hand holding herself up and the other reaching beneath her stomach to stroke her clit, Sette fucked her until June officially saw nothing but the white, hot light of oblivion.
Breath was hard to come by for a long time afterward.
June remained looped around Sette’s body, living in her scent and determined to commit every inch of skin to memory.
She threaded fingers through her hair, lightly touched her hairline, and tugged on Sette’s earlobes until she was too tired to lift her arm.
The townhouse was so quiet that June almost missed the padded footsteps of servants in the hallway and laughter echoing in the hallowed halls of the Manoir.
There’s no such thing as complete silence there.
A question burned on her lips.
“You had never paid for sex before me, right?”
Sette’s arm stiffened around her. “No. Before you, I never even thought to.” She sighed. “Guess I’m a bore, huh?”
“Not at all.” June drew a finger across Sette’s abdomen, feeling her taut muscles topped in sweaty skin.
I wouldn’t be shocked to find out she does yoga and the like.
Hey, a doctor would understand the benefits better than anyone.
I wonder if she takes a class or does it here.
“Most women don’t, I guess. Then again, most can’t afford to let alone my numbers. ”
“Yeah, I would fall for one of the most expensive women in the country.”
Fall for me? That was it. That was what was bugging June deep in her heart. “You’re a romantic woman, Sette. I don’t know how you’re not married.”
“Simple. I never fell in love.” She shrugged against the back of June’s head.
“I’m not the type to get married for the sake of it.
I don’t have glorious visions of having kids, although I wouldn’t say no.
I’m okay with dying a spinster if that’s what the world has in store for me.
I’m okay with being alone. I’m such an introvert that my parents knew I was gay before I did. ”
“Wait, how does that work?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m not the bigot.”
June pushed herself up, hovering over Sette as hair fell between them. Sette pushed it out of the way and let her fingers linger on June’s forehead. I hate how much I love it when she touches me. Every touch of hers was so delicate. So… loving.
This woman loves me. If she hasn’t fallen in love with me already, she will soon. June could barely meet that tender gaze.
“June,” Sette began, tipping June’s chin in her direction. “Am I the kind of woman you would date if you didn’t live that life?”
She chose to ignore the way she said that. “I don’t know. It’s been a long, long time since I made those kinds of decisions. Tonight was one of the first times since I became an adult that I… I have felt the way that I do.”
Whatever it was that made Sette sit up and try to hug her almost made June regret saying a thing. “I feel things too, you know.”
“I can tell.”
“Do you feel things for me? Like that?”
“You’re asking me if I love you.”
“Don’t answer if you don’t want to.” Sette lay back down, bringing June with her. “I do love you, I’m pretty sure. I don’t care if you charge me for the privilege or not.”
She probably thought that sounded altruistic, but all it did was make June shiver – and not in a good way.
Instead of facing those words, she buried her face in Sette’s chest, determined to stay there until she eventually fell asleep. Thankfully, there were no dreams.
In the morning, while June bathed in the double-jetted shower, Sette made breakfast. A humble omelet to get the day started, but neither she nor June claimed to be hungry.
Sette, at least, was in a good mood. As soon as June emerged from her room wearing a light blue sundress, she whistled in her direction and put a ham and cheese omelet on the dining table. “How about some salsa?” she asked. June declined. Too early for salsa.
It was also too early for Sette’s delusions.
“You don’t have to go back to the countryside until two. What would you like to do until then? We could catch a matinee. Or we could stay here.” Her tone implied she liked that idea.
“Either one is fine with me.” June barely touched her omelet. Since the night before, she had had a stomachache. Not because of what Sette had done physically to her… but emotionally.
She loves me. Like, really, genuinely loves me. The way she took care of June, talked to her, asked about her life… made that hideously wonderful love to her… she treated her like a goddess. June felt nauseous looking at her omelet.
How to count the ways… that it would never work?
The worst thing was for a client, let alone a patron, to love her.
The love they exhibited to one another was supposed to be tenuous.
A mutual understanding that this could never be “real.” Already, June was thinking about the party she had to work that night.
There would be multiple horny clients, all ready to spend money on her services.
On a good night with that many people, she could easily clear $25,000…
See? She was already thinking about that!
Yet it felt wrong to do in Sette’s presence.
This woman, who had casually declared her love the night before, would ruin herself.
Maybe not financially… but June was doomed to break her heart.
She’s never seen me with another. She never smelled another client in June’s room.
Never seen her mussed from being with another.
Never even knew the names of the others, not including those she no longer saw.
June had a lot of thinking to do, and she couldn’t do it around her. Sette’s feelings on the matter weren’t even relevant.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with me, my love.” June was ready to hate that term of endearment now, but Sette said it so gently that she couldn’t help but smile at her. A genuine smile. She was done for. “I hope we can do it again soon. Perhaps when I am your patron?”
June hadn’t wanted to hear that tone in her voice. Too hopeful. She probably didn’t even mean to put machinations in motion, yet here she was, implying that this all needed to end now. In her favor, of course.
What about Miquela?
Miquela was the safer choice. She claimed to love her, but June knew it was a fleeting love.
Miquela would be over her. Maybe she was already over it after going back to Europe.
Besides, she had way more money and wasn’t even in the country half the time.
That meant she would take up less of June’s valuable money-making time she could be using with other paying clients.
That was the downside to a patron. They brought a steady income, but didn’t leave much room for additional profit.
Sette, on the other hand, was a real relationship. Something June had never experienced before… and something she was not in a huge hurry to discover. I don’t want those strings attached to my business. That’s so dangerous.
“June?”
She glanced at her, dressed in her plain jeans and dark green flannel shirt. She was far from rugged, what with that smooth face and freshly buffed nails, but she was strong, reliable, creative, gentle (outside of the bedroom) and… and…
Way, way too much!
“I’m glad you want me this much, Sette.” She tried to use her plastic smile, but it kept slipping off her face. “You’d be a good patron.”
Sette sighed, fork dropping onto her plate. “I was hoping that I could prove to you these past two days that you should pick me… is the other woman that good?” Her countenance implied she found that hard to believe.
“That’s not the point.” June decided to lie. “Besides, I don’t get the executive decision. That’s up to my boss.”
“Surely, you get some say. I’m already well above the starting bid.”
“Yes, and she’ll take whoever offers the most in the silent auction.”
Sette furrowed her brows. Neither of them was eating breakfast now. “Come on…”
“What do you want me to say, Sette? That you want me to go to my boss and grovel for her to pick you to be my patron, no matter how much the other woman offers? That’s what you want, yeah?”
“Well…”
“Let me guess. You want me to tell her that I love you. That I’m quitting to run away with you and get married and have babies with you.” She stood up from the table, angrier than she ever thought she would be.
“I never said that.”
“You never said it, but I can sense it in you. I’m intuitive. It’s a part of my job. Or did you forget that all of this is my career?”
“Trust me,” Sette muttered, throwing some anger right back at her. “I never forgot for one moment what it is that you do for a living and what my role in your life is.”