Chapter 23 #2
“I think I know just the one.” Elise’s eyes dropped to her lips.
The moment she saw them curving into a knowing smile, Elise kissed her.
Layla was hesitant at first, her lips soft and slow on Elise’s.
But as Elise started to move away, worried, she was pulled back in.
Layla’s hand curved over the back of her head, deepening the kiss.
The moment her tongue swept into Elise’s mouth, Elise groaned.
She dropped her hand to Layla’s waist and felt bare skin.
The shirt had ridden up in their frenzy.
Elise smoothed her hand over Layla’s waist, feeling the soft warmth of her.
She drew her fingers upward and tensed as Layla shuddered.
“Is this okay?” Elise asked, breathless from their kiss.
“Yes.” Layla nodded. Her eyes traveled over Elise’s body, slowing where the hem of her nightgown had ridden up on her thighs. The dazed look in her eyes turned ravenous at once. “Lise…if we keep going, I’m not going to want to stop.”
Elise laughed softly. “I don’t want to stop.”
“Good.” Layla could barely get the word out before they were kissing again.
This time Elise’s hands strayed to other parts of her.
One curved over her waist, while the other cupped her jaw.
Layla kissed her harder, and Elise moaned into her mouth.
Heat built up in her core as Layla moved her hand down to her thigh.
Her fingers slipped beneath the hem of her nightgown, stroking up the tender skin on her inner thigh.
Elise arched against the pillows, fisting Layla’s shirt.
Layla dropped several kisses along her throat while it was still bared to her.
She kissed the pulse points in her neck, seemingly savoring the proximity to Elise’s most precious arsenal.
Elise dragged a hand down her spine and exhaled. “You’ve done this before.”
Layla paused in her kisses so she could look at Elise. “Does that bother you?” she asked.
“Not at all. I just noticed…you know what you’re doing,” Elise said, smiling.
A breathy laugh escaped Layla. “So do you.” Her eyes glowed. “Can I touch you?”
Elise nodded. “Please.” Tension knotted her core, and her lips parted as Layla slipped her hand between her thighs. Her thoughts vanished into a haze of immediate pleasure. Elise’s spine curved, her head pressing into the pillows as Layla continued her precise movements.
Layla kissed her throat. Her fangs emerged to scrape against the heated skin, drawing a burning pleasure from Elise.
“Does that feel good?” Layla asked. Her lips closed over the soft skin just above Elise’s chest.
Elise let out a breathy moan. “Yes. Keep going.” With her stomach tightening and her chest heating, Elise tried to keep a steady hand on Layla’s cheek. But every stroke of Layla’s fingers had her self-control withering away bit by bit.
“You’re so beautiful,” Layla murmured. She kissed her again, swallowing every sound Elise made for her. “I missed you so much, Elise.”
Just as she was picking up the pace, the door to the bedroom flew open. Layla pulled the blanket over a gasping Elise, and they both looked over to see Jamie standing in the doorway.
“Sterling has another brilliant idea—” He froze, eyeing their close positioning. “What are you two doing?”
“Nothing.” Layla pulled away from Elise, glaring at the gangster.
Heat flushed Elise’s cheeks, and despite the blanket covering her completely, she still crossed her legs, the pressure between her thighs a persistent and distracting variable.
Jamie frowned at them. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Yes,” Layla said. At the same time, Elise shook her head and said, “No.”
Silence stilled the room, neither girl moving nor breathing while Jamie stared down at them. Eventually, he shook his head, sighing, as he left the room. “You get blood on my sheets, you’re out. Both of you.”
The second he shut the door behind him, Elise covered her face with her hands. “How embarrassing,” she groaned.
Layla only laughed. “He’s seen much worse.” Her smile fell away as realization crossed her expression. “Maybe you should go back to bed.”
Elise blinked. “What? Why?” She touched Layla’s arm before the reaper could withdraw again. “Is it your nightmares?”
“Worse,” Layla whispered. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. Sometimes when I wake up, I struggle to remember…but there’s so much blood. I’m not safe to be around.”
Elise sat up. The blanket fell back, revealing the sloping front of her nightgown while the straps hung down her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of you, Layla. If anything, you make me feel safe,” she insisted.
Layla’s face went slack with shock. Her hand settled on Elise’s leg, and she nodded slowly, though her eyes remained dazed. “Really?”
“Layla. You are not a monster. I’m sorry for saying you were that day—I didn’t mean it.
” Elise shuddered. A gentle smile lifted her lips, her hand coming up to tuck a strand of hair behind Layla’s ear.
“We can just sleep. If you have a nightmare, I’ll be right here.
Squeeze me if you need to. One day I will get to taste you like you always taste me. ”
Layla lifted a hand to stroke the side of Elise’s face. She grinned as Elise kissed her palm and leaned into her touch. “One day.”