More Than Friends

Chapter Twenty

Janene

Harlyn charged at me as soon as I opened the door, pushing me backward into my apartment.

“I missed you too.” I said when she finally released me.

“An entire day?” she asked.

She acted as if we hadn’t seen each other less than ten hours before and I appreciated that enthusiasm because that was exactly how I felt. Like it had been way too long since I last held her.

She was dressed in a gray pant suit because of course she’d thought to keep the work pretense up for Renee. I had been expecting to open the door and find a messy bun and lounge pants much like the outfit I was wearing. This was much better. Harlyn could make anything look hot but she was exceptionally sexy in her work clothes and she knew it.

In a slow seductive move, Harlyn removed her blazer, a crisp light turquoise shirt underneath, the top three buttons undone, black lace poking out of the top. I tried not to think of what she was hiding under her suit but there was no use. My mind jumped from one erotic hope to the next.

“We need to talk,” I managed to say.

I had expected her to recoil, to tense up, or sigh because she was putting on such a wonderful show, but she didn’t.

“I think that’s probably wise,” she said. “But first things first.”

She continued to slowly undress, one button at a time on her shirt. I didn’t move. I was too invested in what lie beneath her clothes. When the last button was relieved of its duty, she let the shirt fall to the floor.

She gave me a moment to take in the black bra with thin lace straps and sheer front panels. The cool air of the apartment stiffened her nipples, raising them in my direction. My mouth watered at the thought of taking each peak between my lips.

Harlyn reached for the side zipper on her pants and inched it down the curve of her hip. I wanted to be that zipper in that moment as it skated across smooth skin. She unhooked the button at her waste and revealed more black lace. Her pants fell to the floor with her shirt and I was sure I had died and this was my heavenly reward.

In my entryway stood a woman in a black lace garter belt. The strap around her waist so delicate I could rip it clean off her with my teeth. A barely-there triangle of the same sheer material from her bra sat between her legs doing very little to cover her glistening center. She was enjoying putting on this show for me. Connected to the highest points on her garter was a thin belt that ran down the length of her thighs stopping just above her knee where they connected to black stockings. She stepped out of her pile of clothes and my eyes found the black stilettos I had not noticed before. The entire outfit was hypnotic. She stepped toward me with more authority than any one woman should wield. I did not move.

“Do you like?” she asked.

I nodded.

“I do believe I asked you a question,” she said more forcefully.

“Yes.” I said in a raspy voice.

“Good,” she said as she placed her hands on her hips.

My eyes bounced from place to place. Her breasts, brimming at the top edge of her bra, that tiny triangle of fabric between her legs begging me to rip it away, her legs elongated by the belts running down the front of her thighs, it all caused a bolt of electricity to shoot right through me.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” I said.

“So, you keep saying,” she replied.

“I want to devour every inch of you right now and I don’t even know where to start. I want to make you come over and over again.”

“If I let you do that, what do I get in return?” The sly look on her face gave me goosebumps.

“What do you want?” I asked even though I knew exactly what she wanted.

I’d had all night to think of the position I put her in, of what I was asking of her. I wasn’t sure I’d survive if the tables were turned and she never allowed me to touch her or make her come. Her outfit was a great reminder.

“I want to feel your skin,” she said. She ran a finger down the center of her breasts. “You don’t have to undress for me. You don’t even have to come for me.” Her finger continued its path down her stomach where it stopped just below her belly button. “Just my hands against your body,” her voice went soft as she lightly caressed her stomach. She leaned into me, her lips grazing my ear. “How about I make you a deal. For every touch you give me, I give you a chance to make me come.” The heat of her breath made every hair on my body stand.

Harlyn reached for the hem of the tank top I was wearing and pulled it away from my body. She slipped her hands underneath without making any contact with my skin.

“For example,” she said.

The backs of her hands floated against my ribs like a gentle feather. Goosebumps spread all over my body and my nipples immediately hardened against my shirt. It was an unfamiliar yet welcomed sensation to have warm skin against my stomach.

“That would be one.”

I closed my eyes and took in how responsive my body was to her touch.

“I can allow that,” I said through a hard swallow.

Her hands retracted and I missed them immediately. I looked down to find that she had pulled at my shirt again. She moved around to my back where she placed her nails at my shoulders and raked them down toward the small of my back. Another long-forgotten sensation, one that stung and satisfied at the same time.

“That’s two,” she whispered.

“Keep going,” I said.

Her hands pulled away and before I could guess her next move, her palms landed against my breasts. My already hardened nipples strained to reach her touch. Her hands were soft and warm. I was having a hard time remembering why I had waited so long to feel this way again.

“That’s three,” she said as her fingers tugged at my nipples.

“Oh, god,” I moaned.

“Should I stop?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“Good, because I want you to make me come over and over again.”

The tips of her fingers pull at the waist band of my pajama pants and I stiffened. Maybe I did want her to stop. She smiled up at me as her hands landed on my ass. She squeezed hard and I bit back a yelp.

“That’s four.” Her smile deepened to a grin. “How about now, should I stop? I’d hate to set you up to fail. You know, being as you’re old and all.”

“Let’s see if you can survive four orgasms in a row before you go promising me more play time than you can handle,” I replied.

Harlyn laughed. “I always like a good challenge. Now here are the rules.”

“Rules? You didn’t say there would be rules.”

“There are always rules,” she said. “They are as follows. My choice as to when, where and how you make me come. If you do not succeed, you lose any and all remaining opportunities.”

“That’s it?” I asked. “You’re making it too easy. For one, you young people have no patience, and two, I have more experience than you can handle,” I pressed her up against the wall and kissed her. “Your challenge is accepted.”

Harlyn placed her hands on my shoulders and began to push me down.

“Kneel,” she said.

I did as she asked and found I was not at all disappointed in what stood before me. I could see so much exposed skin, little bits of lace and I was so close to her, I smelled her arousal. I was ready to run my hands all over her but Harlyn stopped me. She placed my hands on the wall on either side of her.

“No hands,” she said.

She ran her hands through my hair and then pushed my head into her center.

“Lick me,” she said. “Make me come with only your mouth.”

I opened my mouth and licked at the panel of her panties. Her sweet juices spilling through the fabric. I wanted to suck at her clit through her sheer panties but I also wanted to give Harlyn a little taste of her own torturous medicine. I pulled back just a touch and ran my tongue up her slit to the top edge of her thin lace. Goose bumps appeared along her stomach and a quiet gasp floated around the entryway. I did it a second time and watched both her skin reaction and the sound of her gasp multiply.

“Janene,” she said. “I need you to lick my clit.”

The exasperation in her voice confirmed that my plan was working. I took my time and ran my tongue along the insides of her thighs, each side twice.

“Please,” she said.

I didn’t reply. I smiled as I imagined how frustrated she was. I nudged my nose against her clit and felt her shudder. I thought she might protest that I wasn’t using my tongue but she was too far gone to worry with her silly rules. I ran my tongue up the panel of her panties again and she groaned this time. Her hands worked the lace panties down the upper part of her legs, just enough to expose herself to me. I pressed my hands harder into the wall to keep from grabbing for her.

“Please,” she pleaded again.

I knew that with the panel of her panties out of the way I could push my tongue into her and torture her further but the truth was I was ready to feast. I slipped my tongue into her slit, this time making my way all the way up and around her clit. That was a taste I never got tired of. I took her stiff clit between my lips and teased it with my tongue.

“Yes,” she said. “Fuck that feels good.”

She pulled at my hair and I continued to lap at her juices, drinking as much of her as I could. Her nails dug into my scalp and I went all in, vibrating my tongue against her clit until she came. It was invigorating. I wanted to start the process all over from the beginning. I started to lap at her again but she pushed my head away.

“No, no, no.” she said. She was out of breath, steadying herself with my shoulders, but she still tried her best to be stern as she relaxed into her post-orgasmic stupor. “I call the shots,” she added.

I moved back and gave her some room to catch her breath and straighten up her outfit. I was never a fan of fancy lingerie. It always seemed like such a waste of money when all I was going to do was take it off, but on her that garter belt was all my dreams and fantasies come true.

“Stand up,” she said.

I followed her instruction. She leaned forward and kissed me, tasting a bit of herself as she licked her lips after.

“Follow me.”

She turned and walked toward the bedroom. I almost tripped over my own feet trying to remember how to walk. There was the smallest strip of black lace across the top of her backside, highlighting her very round, very taut ass. The garter straps pulled over her bare cheeks and down the backs of her thighs to where they connected with her stockings. I wasn’t sure which view was more appealing.

Harlyn stopped at the side of the bed and faced me. She pointed to the spot in front of her but didn’t say a word. I took my place without question.

She turned away from me showing me that ridiculously lush ass again. I had seen her naked plenty of times but that sight never got old. She reached around her back and removed her bra. Without any words of warning, her hands found mine as she stepped back, pressing her body into me. She brought my hands around and cupped her own breasts. A small sound of excitement left her lips. I was getting ready to take her nipples between my fingers, when she leaned forward and braced herself on the edge of the bed. My clit pulsed harder. This was after all my favorite position. I wasn’t sure if I could make her come over and over again without a release of my own.

She looked over her shoulder and bit down on her lip. She knew exactly what she was doing to me. “Fuck me,” she said. “I’m so wet, I need to feel you inside of me.”

I ran my fingers over the roundness of her ass, then up and down her crack. I leaned forward and created the exact same pattern with my tongue.

Harlyn let out a low growl when my teeth dug into the soft flesh of her ass. I could spend hours torturing her this way.

“Only your fingers, no tongue allowed,” her voice was shaky.

She wanted my tongue on her. I knew just how much she loved it when I licked her and fucked her at the same time, but she was going to resist, because today she was on a mission.

“You can only fuck me with your fingers and you have to fuck me until I come,” her voice hitched as I ran my tongue over her ass one last time. It was a risky move, one that might end the game but I was certain she was enjoying herself too much to put a stop to things.

I didn’t say anything in reply. I hadn’t said anything since she began to give me instructions. This was a first for us, but I knew letting her have the reins was just as exciting for her as it was to me. With one finger I traced the thin string at the center of the lace strap down the center of her ass until I felt her wetness again. I moved the string aside and pushed the tip of my finger inside of her. Harlyn whimpered. I knew she would never stand for the slow pace I was setting but I wanted to hear her tell me to fuck her again.

I pulled out and entered her again just as slowly. She gasped but didn’t say anything. The third time I entered her with one finger she cried out. “Fuck, Janene, I need more.”

I smiled to myself. I withdrew my finger and circled her entrance with two fingers this time then plunged in deep and hard.

“Yes!” she cried out. “Like that, I need you like that.”

I continued at a slow pace giving her time to adjust to a second finger.

“Faster,” she pleaded.

I thrust a little faster to satisfy her ask but I had a plan. I withdrew my fingers and let them sit at her entrance. Patience was not her strong suit when it came to sex. I waited for her to look back at me before I pushed three fingers inside.

Her head tilted up, “Fuck, yes, that feels good,” she said.

I thrust in and out again.

“Don’t stop,” she groaned.

I wrapped my left arm around her waist for stability and then thrust in and out over and over again. The sounds that were coming from her mouth were music to my ears. In record time her pussy pulsed and tightened around my fingers. Her arms gave out and she pressed her forehead into the bed.

I slowly withdrew and then leaned forward and peppered kisses all over her back. I loved this woman. Even though I couldn’t bring myself to say those words out loud, I knew that was exactly how I felt. When I had come to feel that way was still a mystery but there was no doubt that I loved her.

Harlyn only took a moment before she started to straighten up. I stepped back and gave her space to turn around and face me. She looked just as hot as I imagined she would, completely topless but still sporting her garter belt and stockings. Her cheeks were flushed, her emerald eyes were completely blown. “You’re amazing, you know that,” she said.

“So, you’re saying not bad for an old person.”

She kissed me. Her breasts pressed against mine and that feeling sent another wave of excitement through me.

“Don’t get cocky, you’re only halfway done,” she said. “Two down, two to go.”

I raised one eye brow. “You were being serious?”

“Absolutely.”

Though I loved her enthusiasm and I wanted very much to prove that I could make her come four times in a row without the need for a rest period in between, my own need had built to its maximum capacity.

“I just need a moment,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

I turned toward the bathroom but before I could take a step, Harlyn caught my wrist. “Don’t,” she said. “I won’t touch you, I promise, but please, don’t hide from me.” The bright emerald of her eyes had dimmed. “Let me watch.”

My heart started to race again, only this time it wasn’t from the sight of Harlyn in lingerie it was because I wanted to give her this part of me but I was afraid. After all these years I wasn’t sure I could make it happen in someone else’s presence.

“Please.” She sucked in a corner of her lower lip.

That pout was my weakness. It had been from the very beginning. The day I snapped at her for not following along during orientation. She’d done the exact same thing, only then, she wasn’t looking at me like I was breaking her heart. On that day, she’d looked down at her binder and tugged at her lip while she searched for the right page. It endeared me to her then, and now it just drowned me in desire.

She intertwined our fingers and pulled me closer to her.

“You don’t even have to take off your clothes. Just lie down next to me or we can spoon. You can turn your back to me, act like I’m not even here. I don’t care how you do it but please don’t shut me out completely.”

Her words hurt. It was never my intention to make her feel like she wasn’t important to me. She undid her garter straps in a matter of seconds and removed everything including her stockings, like her life depended on it. Like she was afraid I’d run.

She slid into bed and patted the space next to her. She was an astonishing woman. Not just her body, though it was definitely nice to admire every supple curve, but her energy and her strength. She had every reason to run when I told her about my mental deficits but instead, she took the time to cater to my every want, and now my every need.

“This has to be a more comfortable way to do it than standing in the bathroom.”

I didn’t allow the thoughts in my head to spiral because this was Harlyn. There was no one I trusted more. I nodded and climbed into bed next to her. The scene was no different than any other night. Harlyn, completely naked in my bed as I lay there fully clothed.

I leaned over and kissed her. “I’ve never done this before,” I said even though I knew that was obvious. My voice was scratchy.

“We’ll take it slow. It’s just you and me and we have all day.”

She turned on her side to face me and I did the same. If I was going to do this, I wanted to look into her eyes when I came. She kissed me and I felt it all the way to my pulsing clit. I wanted to come for her even if it was by my own fingers, I needed this. When she pulled back, I slipped my hand inside my pajama pants. She’d driven me to the edge and my slick inner thighs were proof of it.

I grazed one finger across my throbbing clit and groaned at the sensation it sent all over my body. My eyes automatically shut and I forced them back open. I slowed my pace. There was no rush, no clock to beat, no worry that someone, that Harlyn would walk in and catch me.

I drew wide circles around my clit and watched as Harlyn bit down on her lip again, only this time it was not a pout and that image was going to stay with me forever. She kept her teeth clinched hard as she watched me. Her right hand cupped her right breast. Her nipple stiffened and she let out a soft sigh. She pulled at her nipple again and I wanted to run my tongue over every ridge of her areola.

“Would you like me to make myself come too?” she asked.

“Yes,” I gasped.

She lowered her hand to her slit and I watched as her middle finger disappeared between her folds. I lost myself in the image of this gorgeous woman making herself come for me. The tension beneath my own fingers increased with ever stroke. Harlyn started to moan in delight and I knew she wasn’t far from a release again. Her body jerked and my fingers rubbed harder, a steady pace that stiffened every muscle in my legs as I let the surge of pleasure spread throughout my body.

Harlyn peppered my face with kisses. “Thank you,” she said.

She searched for the wrist still buried inside my pants and then pulled my hand out, my fingers coated in my juices. She leaned forward and took both fingers into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around them and then between them. She sucked at them over and over again until there was nothing left to taste.

“I’ve waited so long to taste you,” she said.

A shiver ran down my spine.

“Come here.” She opened her arms to me and drew me against her. “I’m going to make an exception to the rules. I think we both deserve a short break before we carry out number four.”

“I thought we were on number three,” I said.

“I’m giving you credit for making me come just now. You are so sexy when you touch yourself.”

I laid my head against her chest and played with her necklace. She’d been wearing it since her birthday. I’d taken notice of it one day in the shower and she nonchalantly confessed to never taking it off.

We were like the drawing compass. It always looked like a contraption that was made of spare parts, one that shouldn’t even be considered a tool but it created some of the most perfect art. Harlyn was the needle point: strong, reliable, and centered. I was the lead. I needed a slight adjustment from time to time, maybe I even needed a little pressure applied to move me in the right direction. That’s why together we made sense. It seemed impossible that I hadn’t seen that before.

Harlyn was nothing like the other women I’d been with. From the very first time we had sex our connection had been so much more than a physical act. I’d felt it then and I felt it now.

“I’m sorry,” I said pulling her tight against me.

“For what?”

“For everything. For keeping secrets. For lying. It was a stupid thing to do.”

“You had your reasons. I get that now,” she said. “Just promise me you’ll never do that again. Don’t hide from me.”

I chuckled. “I’m an open book for you Harlyn. No more secrets, I promise.”

“Will you tell me about her?” She didn’t have to speak her name. I knew exactly who she was talking about. “Mom doesn’t talk about her and you never have but I know she was such a big part of your lives.”

She placed her chin on my head and started to stroke my back. Now that I knew what it was like to have her hands on me, I never wanted her to stop touching me.

“I’ve heard a few stories about your high school years but…” her words trailed off.

“But you want to know what happened.”

Harlyn nodded against my head. It was understandable that she was curious about this period of time that had consumed so much of my life. Renee was pregnant with Harlyn when Coreen died, due five months later. She had a family to occupy her time and lessen the pain, I had absolutely nothing so, I wallowed in my misery. I’d decided there was nothing else to do but wait out my time.

“We were young, even younger than you are, and we were in love. I didn’t care that there was a world that existed outside of her love for me but it did and that world was cruel. If we were going to survive on our own, if I was going to give her any kind of decent life, I needed an education and a good job.”

I took a deep breath before I could continue. “I was eighteen and one day old on the day I signed the documents to join the military. My parents were poor and I didn’t have money for college. I wasn’t as studious as Renee so no one was going to give me a scholarship. I thought the military was the perfect opportunity to give back to my country and get an education.”

I ran my hand over Harlyn’s arm, remembering just how young and na?ve I was. We both were. Coreen stood right there beside me when we were sworn in. We were going to do it all together. Forge a life out of nothing.

She was also there when a year later we got notice that we were being shipped out to war. I was scared for her. I had been raised by a military family, I knew what to expect, Coreen didn’t. Our paperwork showed that we were going to be stationed in the same place and I saw that as a blessing. An opportunity to take care of her, to protect her, to keep her safe until our tour was done.

“The night before—” I had to take another deep breath. “Before the incident, we got into an argument. Coreen thought I was smothering her. She said she wanted the opportunity to make friends and meet new people. It was a stupid, petty argument because it wasn’t as if Coreen wanted space from our relationship. She was a rebel in that sense. Don’t ask, don’t tell didn’t exist yet. So, tell she did. She said she wasn’t afraid that someone would report her or try to get her discharged for being openly gay. She said the military needed her more than she needed them. Anyone who made a move on her, anyone that asked about her relationship status, anyone who wanted to get to know her at all, they were all informed of our relationship. She just wanted to socialize, to make the best of a bad situation and I didn’t understand that. We were in a war zone, I wanted us to stick together, to do our time and get back home.

“When I went to the mess hall for breakfast the next morning, she was off with a group of girls she’d met when we arrived. She waved me over but I gave her the cold shoulder. I turned my back on her and intentionally took a seat clear across the tent. The mess was attacked and her side took the majority of the damage. By the time I got to her, she was gone. I should have insisted that she stay with me. At the very least, I should have been there, next to her but I was too stubborn.”

“You were nineteen,” Harlyn said.

I shook my head. “I knew the risks. I knew the danger because my father had warned me to always be on the lookout, to always be alert, but I let my guard down. I was sulking. I was mad at her for wanting a life outside of our partnership and I didn’t protect her.”

Harlyn tightened her hold. She ran her fingers through my hair. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “You can’t blame yourself for something you had absolutely no control over.”

What no one understood was that I could blame myself, and I did. Every therapist I had ever seen gave me the same line and never did those words feel right. I lost the woman I loved, and my last actions toward her were spiteful and angry. I could never change that. I could never apologize or make it right. That was the real reason why I didn’t allow anyone else to touch me. It was my punishment for failing to do my job. I didn’t deserve that kindness in return.

Harlyn had gone quiet. I looked up and realized she’d drifted off to sleep. Three orgasms in a row would do that to a person. My phone buzzed on my nightstand. I hadn’t moved it since I texted Harlyn the night before to play hooky with me. I hadn’t needed it. Everything I cared about was in my arms.

I pulled the sheet up over Harlyn’s body and reached for my phone because, even though I’d told Madeline I was taking the day off, I was always on call.

The text was from Renee.

There was a video attachment. I didn’t have to click on it to know what it was. The still frame was Harlyn with her hands in my hair, her lips on mine. We were standing in Denver International Airport waiting on our luggage. My phone buzzed with another text.

My house in 20 min. or I share this with Madeline

All the blood drained from my face.

I’m stuck working until lunch, can we meet later?

I was hoping for a moment to gather my thoughts.

A picture came through. It was Renee sitting in my office chair. She didn’t say anything else. I knew I could try telling her that I was at a client’s office but Renee wasn’t a fool. She probably asked Misty where I was and Misty would have told her I took the day off.

“What’s going on?” Harlyn asked.

I hadn’t even heard her stir.

“Nothing,” I said out of habit. “Well, not nothing exactly.”

I thought about the conversation we’d just had and how I had promised not to lie anymore but this was Renee. A woman who would ruin our lives to get her way. If I had a moment with her, a chance to explain everything away before she did something crazy, I could fix things.

“There’s an emergency at the office, I have to go in,” I said.

“What? Are they looking for me too? Is it the Mount Sinai project?”

“No, it has nothing to do with you.” There was a bitter taste in my mouth from that lie. “I’m just going to run over there for a minute. You stay. Take a shower or a soak if you want. I’ll be back soon.”

I kissed her on the top of her head and jumped out of bed.

“Give me a minute and I’ll come with you.”

“No,” I said, my voice a little too loud. I had already put on a pair of jeans. I didn’t change my top. I just threw a sweatshirt on over it. “Sorry, it’s just that I don’t want to raise suspicion that I get a text and we both show up. Relax. Take a long bath, help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen.”

“Okay,” she said.

I could tell that she was questioning my actions so I grabbed my socks and sneakers as fast as I could and ran out the door before she could say anything else.