Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
She wanted this.
Sam just didn’t quite know the how for this part.
Taylor looked at her then, like she knew exactly what she was thinking. “Just touch me like you’d touch yourself. I’ve got you,” she said, squeezing her hand in reassurance.
Sam bit her lip. She nodded, not that Taylor would be able to see much beyond her silhouette in the dim light.
She could do this. And holy fuck, she wanted to. She felt like she was on fire, her entire body crackling with energy. Foreplay had never, ever, ever felt this good. Or, let’s be honest—there usually wasn’t much. And not like this. She was turned on almost to the point of frenzy, and while she didn’t know precisely what to do next, she had a pretty good idea, with Taylor’s words echoing in the back of her mind.
She felt safe with Taylor, and there was no one else she’d rather be doing this with for her first time with a woman. That said, she needed Taylor on her, now . She didn’t even have time to take in the fact they were both naked. That she, Samantha Garner, was completely naked with another woman.
Taylor moved to her, swiftly positioning Sam onto her back and claiming her mouth, her thigh sliding between them. The touch made Sam cry out, “ Fuck .”
Taylor just smiled into the kiss, her hand coming up to Sam’s breast, tugging her nipple between her thumb and forefinger, each pinch shooting pulses straight between her legs. Taylor began rolling her body down at the same time, the sensations driving Sam absolutely wild.
Reacting on instinct, Sam reached up, returning the favour on Taylor’s breasts, having the advantage of two free hands. They were the perfect size—small, fitting right in her palms, just the way she liked it, apparently.
Taylor’s hand started to make its way down south, their kissing growing heavier, their tongues seeking each other out, driving her wild. Sam slid her hands around to Taylor’s arse, squeezing as she pulled Taylor down harder at their hips.
Taylor pulled back though, making space between them and moving onto her side, her thumb sliding along the crease between Sam’s hip and thigh, edging closer and closer to where Sam wanted it most. Instead, Taylor caressed the insides of her thighs, her warm fingertips moving everywhere but right between her legs.
Sam growled.
Taylor broke the kiss. “Uh-uh. Patience,” she said, grinning.
Her patience was running so thin it was basically non-existent at this point. She was panting with want, her hand mirroring Taylor’s—toying around Taylor’s thighs, her hips. All the edges.
Two could play at this game.
Ever so slightly, Taylor’s fingers started to dip into her folds.
Finally .
Sam’s hand stuttered to a stop as Taylor slid along her centre, in and out. It was so slow, so sensual, Sam couldn’t help the sounds coming out her mouth. Her hand clamped onto Taylor’s thigh, not knowing whether to pull her closer or push away. She couldn’t think, every cell in her body rushing to her core. With every stroke, Taylor began circling her clit, then repeating the process. She was not going to last at this rate.
Just as everything started to build, Taylor stopped.
Sam groaned. “ No, no, no , don’t stop. Fuck, Tay,” she muttered breathlessly, eyes closed, her heart pounding in her ears.
“Don’t stop what?” Taylor asked innocently.
She could tell she was smiling, her hand still infuriatingly still as her body vibrated right on the edge.
“Doing the thing you were doing,” Sam whined. She couldn’t believe she was whining. What was Taylor doing to her?
“This thing ?” Taylor asked, ever so slightly starting to move over her clit again.
“ Argh, yessss ,” Sam whimpered out, her hand covering Taylor’s, trying to get more friction, more speed.
Taylor stopped again. “Uh-uh, what did I say about patience?”
Fuck patience, she thought. “Please,” was all that came out, barely a whisper.
Taylor bent down to her ear. “Only because you asked so nicely,” she said, biting Sam’s earlobe and licking the edge of her ear, making her shudder. Finally— finally —Taylor began to stroke her again. Sam’s hand moved to pull Taylor in for another scorching kiss. She wanted as much physical connection as she could get.
Just when Sam thought things couldn’t get any hotter, Taylor teased a finger at her entrance. “Okay?”
Sam growled a “yes,” this time, done with the pleading. She just wanted more. More of everything.
Taylor slid a finger in, Sam’s hips lifting off the bed at the contact. She started pumping slowly, curling her finger just so. “God, you’re so wet,” Taylor uttered, only adding fuel to Sam’s fire. This woman would be the death of her. Death by amazing sex. She couldn’t handle it. She was writhing under Taylor’s touch, everything starting to tense as it… just… felt… so… good… oh… fuuuuu ? —
“Jesus Christ!” she yelled into the room, her whole body exploding as her orgasm ripped through her. At the same time the room lit up, a deafening boom erupting directly above them.
Taylor’s hand stilled as the waves subsided, and Sam let out a huge, wavering breath. “Holy. Shit.”
“You’re telling me. That was another level.”
“But I haven’t even touched you yet!” Sam said, horrified she’d completely stopped thinking about what she was meant to be doing to Taylor at the same time. She was utterly lost in Taylor’s touch.
Taylor laughed. “Trust me,”—she placed a soft kiss on her lips—“that was very,”—another kiss—“ very hot for me too. And such a turn-on.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. And that thunder at the same time? Incredible. Even my heart is pounding.” Taylor grabbed Sam’s hand, moving it over her chest.
“Wow.” She felt Taylor’s heartbeat for a moment as their breathing calmed. Her head started to clear as she felt herself coming back down to earth. She slid her hand a little lower, cupping Taylor’s breast and pinching her nipple.
“Well, I think it’s your turn, don’t you?”
“Pick up, pick up, pick up?—”
“Hello?” Alex answered, a little groggy.
“Hey! Sorry if I woke you.”
“Nope, all good. What’s up? You sound very chipper for… 9:30 am. Oh, I guess it’s not that early…” Alex muttered to herself.
“I have some news, but I thought it’d be easier over the phone.”
Alex shuffled around at the other end, coming back to the phone sounding more alert. “Is everything okay? Did you talk to your dad?”
Her stomach lurched. Nope, hadn’t dealt with that yet .
“Yes and no.” She scrubbed her face with her hand. “I meant to say it’s good news but, uh, it’s actually about Taylor.”
“You two get together?” She could picture Alex’s suggestive eyebrow aimed right at her.
“Huh? Did you talk to her?”
“No. Will and I just happen to have two sets of eyes and can see real clearly.”
“I’m so confused right now.”
“Oh, Sam-I-am. I don’t think you’re confused, I think you like them cute girls and — what rhymes with ham?— wham! I can’t wink over the phone, but you get my drift. So did you sleep with Taylor or not?”
Alex chuckled down the line. Sam pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to smile. Her best friend was incorrigible sometimes.
“Alex, this is a big deal and not a joke…” She twisted her fingers around in her shirt. “But you’re right, I think I do like cute girls-and- wham . A lot. Well, Taylor specifically, it turns out.”
“There we have it everybody. Applause for my little baby gay,” Alex squealed and clapped on the other end as Sam held the phone away from her ear.
“Oh shit, can I call you that? I don’t know what the protocol is,” Alex continued.
Sam chuckled. “Well neither do I. Baby gay remember? You’re the first person I’ve told, aside from Taylor, of course. I’m still figuring things out, but I’m happy.”
“Good. Well, I’m happy for you.”
God, it felt good to tell someone. It felt real. Like this wasn’t some crazy dream she’d wake from again.
Thinking back to last night sure made her wonder how something that epic could even happen. And why had she waited thirty-two years to experience, hands down, the best sex of her life?
“Turns out I also have some news,” Alex was saying as she tuned back in.
“Let me guess, you slept with Will?”
“That obvious too?”
“Comes with the perks of being your bestie. We know too much without saying.”
“This is true. Ugh, Sam, he’s such a nerd and so not someone I saw myself with, and yet, here we are.”
“Here we are. For the record, that makes two of us.”
“Speaking of, tell me more. I want all the details.”
Sam felt like she was floating for the rest of the morning, on some plane between dream and reality. She was never going to forget last night. As she sat on her couch, sipping her second coffee of the day, she revelled in all the places she was sore. If this was a regular occurrence, she wouldn’t need the gym. And she really wanted it to be a regular occurrence.
Last night had been… everything.
It turns out Taylor was extremely attentive as a partner. They hadn’t fallen asleep until the early hours, and Sam had no idea where all that energy had come from. Being with a woman was so different. That was no one-and-done quickie last night, it was like they had all the time in the world. Fast and slow, and everything in between.
Then came the cuddling.
Sam enjoyed it almost as much as the sex. It was pure comfort, especially waking up in Taylor’s arms, her lips pressing softly into Sam’s shoulder blades. She hadn’t wanted it to end, but after a quick coffee together downstairs, Taylor had left for a pre-planned brunch date with Jess. She could already picture Taylor’s bestie absolutely grilling her this morning, and she smiled at the thought as she downed the last of her coffee. She’d need a lot of caffeine to get through today. She was so tired.
A knock at the door had her scrambling to her feet. She’d barely set down her mug in time, almost tipping it over in her rush. “Shit.” She’d completely forgotten about her dad coming over this morning and hadn’t thought at all about what to say. Fuck.
“Morning, Dad,” she said breathlessly, opening the door for him.
“Hey Sammy.” The same folder was tucked under his arm as he came inside. He walked to the dining table, popping it down right where Taylor had been leaning against it the night before. She flushed at the memory and cleared her throat.
“Coffee?” she asked, walking over to the kettle. She started making one anyway—her dad was a multiple-coffees-a-day kinda guy. He never said no.
She placed the mugs down, sitting opposite him as he flicked through some papers. It was only now that she noticed his usual messy hair was more unkempt than usual, and he looked tired.
“So, uhh.” He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “I’ve been thinking a lot since our chat on the boat. And firstly, I want to say I’m sorry how I handled it at the time. You really threw me for a loop.”
“ I’m sorry for putting all of that on you at once.”
He waved her off. “You’re young Samantha. You have your entire life ahead of you. Selfish me would’ve loved you to stay, to take over the shop and cook me pancakes every other weekend.” He winked, giving her a lopsided smile.
“But,” he continued, holding up a finger, “that would all be for my benefit. What I want. Full of my assumptions. It’s a dream world—one I made up in my head and continued to play out without checking in with you along the way to see if we still matched up. So,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve been talking to an agent and I’m going to sell the business.”
“Wait, Dad, no! You can’t?—”
“I can Sammy. It’s time. I’m ready to be free of this responsibility, and there’s no use either of us having ties here if we both want to set sail.” A small grin started to show as he looked Sam right in the eye.
“Wait, wait, wait… what?! You’re leaving too?”
He nodded as his grin widened, his eyes lighting up. “You got me thinking. Contemplating so many things. Hearing the joy in your voice talking about the work you’re doing on Manny and your plans… Well, turns out you’ve inspired me . Reignited the want for me to see the world beyond Karkalla Beach.”
“Wow.” Sam sat back in her chair, shocked. “Well. Of all the ways I thought this conversation would go, this was not one of them.” She was speechless.
Her dad laughed. “Me too. If you’d said this to me a couple of months ago, I’d say you were crazy.”
Thinking of Taylor, she knew too well how quickly and dramatically things could change—to have your whole world view turned on its head, your identity as a person changed forever. She still wasn’t ready to share this fresh discovery of herself with her dad just yet. One big thing at a time.
“Not crazy at all. Obviously, a huge shock. I weirdly hadn’t thought of you selling. I was thinking about hiring people to run the business for us, maybe I’d help… but you’re right, it’d still tie us both here. The more I sit here, the more selling does make sense.”
Her dad looked relieved, like he expected Sam to put up a fight—which, hey, at another time she might have. But in this moment, it felt right. Maybe now she was more ready to let go as well?
He slid around the paperwork to face her, her eyes almost bugging out of her head. She looked back up at him, floored for the third time in as many minutes.
“You’ve already got an offer?!”
He couldn’t nod fast enough. “They put it in on Friday.”
The penny dropped and she snapped her fingers. “ That’s why you dropped in to see me Friday. I’m so sorry I didn’t talk to you then.”
“It’s fine, really. You had your friend over, and we have until Monday before we need to get back to them with our initial thoughts. It worked out better anyway, as it gave me extra time to think on it before talking with you. So what do you think?”
She looked back down at the substantial sum. It was more than enough for her dad to retire on, and then some.
Then she saw her place was included in the sale.
“Oh, it includes the townhouse?” She felt a mix of sadness and elation at the thought of actually leaving her home. Then she thought of Manny. A familiar mop of brown hair sitting at the front, her arms wrapped around Belle. She almost snorted at the daydream. Since when had she thought about anyone else living on the boat aside from her? She snapped back to the present.
“…so the terms are thirty days,” her dad was saying. “Obviously, that’s very soon, and I know we haven’t been talking properly lately, so I don’t know where you’re at with your plans or when you’d even be ready to leave.”
“I’ve got my charts and logbooks, and I’ve started plotting out a rough course. I’ve also organised what food and water amounts I’ll need between ports, and…” She drummed her hands on the paper. “Yeah, that’s pretty much where I’m at. Everything should be up to scratch on Manny himself now. I just have a couple more tools to buy from Taylor’s recommendation.” She smiled at the memory.
Her dad was looking at her with complete adoration. “When did you grow up into such a smart woman? It sounds like you’ve got a handle on it. Make sure you corner Larry or Dave next time they’re in, though. They’ve both circumnavigated Australia and I know they have some good tips on where to position yourself for the best routes near the coast, avoiding those currents that’d work against you.”
“Noted. But yeah, I mean there’s nothing else holding me back here right now.” It felt like a lie as soon as she said it. A guilty feeling tugging at her insides as she thought of Taylor, of what they’d only just started. Why did it feel like every time she solved one big problem in her life, it opened up another one?
“So you think I should accept?” There was hope and still a little hesitation behind his eyes.
“Do it, Dad. You deserve this, more than anyone I know. Go be free. Release those ropes on Carol. Go take her on the adventure she always wanted,” Sam replied with a watery smile. She wished her mum really was here in this moment with them.
He let out a shaky breath. “I’m so nervous… but I’m glad we talked. While I’ve missed this between us lately, I do think the space actually helped me really think about what I wanted to do too, even if it wasn’t necessarily the best way to go about it.”
Sam waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. It’s done now. We’re here, we’re talking and we’ve got a clearer path ahead for both of us. Now, tell me about your travel plans. I want to know everything!”