16. Chapter 16
Krystal caught herself clenching and unclenching her hands for the second or third time now, and it was ridiculous. There was practically a physical ache in her palm from wanting to reach out and hold Ceth’s hand as they walked around the grounds of the resort after dinner.
The late summer flowers and shady trees were all so lovely in the gathering dusk, and she and Ceth had just shared a wonderful evening.
Dinner had been special. They’d talked about difficult topics and shared their thoughts and feelings like they once had.
It was like they’d recaptured so much of their old ease and closeness.
Yet things were different now too. Maybe because of the undercurrent of physical tension.
Whatever it was, it made everything about this moment feel like the perfect time to hold hands as they walked.
But that’s not what they were. And Krystal couldn’t even be sure how much of all this Ceth was really feeling.
Maybe that tension wasn’t there for Ceth.
She’d been wonderful when they’d talked last night and when they’d interacted today, but there’d been no sign she wanted Krystal again.
It seemed it was a one and done thing for her.
After that initial combustion, she’d clearly gotten Krystal out of her system.
Maybe that’s how it worked with people who were casual about their sex lives.
Or was it?
Here they were at the end of a nice evening of enjoying each other’s company. Would it be so strange for two consenting adults who’d had casual fun together one night to want to do it again, if the opportunity was there?
Now, not only her hands, but every inch of Krystal’s skin began to itch with a need to know. She should just suck it up and ask Ceth if she wanted tonight to be a repeat of the night before.
But she felt shy.
And how silly was that? Last night, they’d done downright filthy things to each other—things Ceth had seemed to enjoy every bit as much as Krystal had.
Yet she was embarrassed to talk about it now?
Too embarrassed to see if she was really out of Ceth’s system, or if that desire that had burned in her dark eyes to the point of nearly scorching Krystal last night was still brewing under the surface somewhere.
The tickle in Krystal’s palm turned to sweat as she looked around, realizing they were nearing the sidewalk that led back to the Sugar Maple Lodge where their room was.
Now or never. “Hey, Ceth?”
“Hm?” Ceth paused mid-step and looked down at Krystal. She had this subtle, inviting way of smiling with only her eyes, and Krystal never could seem to get enough of it.
Shaking her head at herself, Krystal returned to the matter at hand. “I was wondering if—”
A cold curtain of water droplets blasted Krystal in the face, making her gasp. She held out her hands. “What?!”
“Whoa!” Ceth exclaimed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Sprinklers!”
Sure enough, they were both being blasted by the resort’s automatic sprinklers. The stream rained down on them for what seemed like an hour before finally sweeping past to irrigate the actual grass.
“We better get moving,” Ceth said.
Krystal nodded and sprinted for the nearby pavement, but it was already slippery and the high-heeled shoe that she’d been silly enough to wear tonight slid out from under her. She crashed face-first into the muddy ground beside the sidewalk with a breathless “Oof!”
“Oh shit!” Ceth’s shocked voice rang out behind her. “Are you okay, Angel?”
Krystal probably wasn’t completely okay, because she could have sworn Ceth had just called her angel again. She gingerly raised up on all fours, still slipping in the mud a little as she tried to steady herself.
“Hold on. I’ll help y—ah!”
There was a thud and suddenly Ceth was on her knees on the ground beside Krystal.
Krystal winced in sympathy. Ouch.
As Krystal shifted to see her better, Ceth grimaced. “On second thought, I’m not sure you need my kind of help.”
A chuckle escaped Krystal as she pushed herself to her knees and faced Ceth.
“Well, hi there,” Ceth deadpanned, making Krystal laugh even harder.
“Hey,” Krystal answered through her giggles. “Why don’t we try this together?”
There was that subtle, inviting smile again. “Okay, together.”
They clasped each other’s arms, helping one another balance as they both regained their footing with only a few more near-slips.
Once they were standing again, Krystal was a bit breathless from the exertion.
Then she realized how close they were pressed together, and her heart rate picked up even more.
The feel of Ceth’s firm body steadied and excited her all at once, and Ceth didn’t pull back immediately.
Instead, she ran her thumbs up and down Krystal’s bare arms as she studied her. “Are you hurt?”
Krystal shook her head. Pain wasn’t among the many sensations coursing through her body at the moment. “Are you?”
“I don’t think so. But we should probably get inside now.” Ceth slowly dropped her hands from Krystal’s arms, leaving her skin cool and exposed.
Krystal sighed. “Right.”
Then she looked down at her mud-covered dress, legs, and even feet. “Ugh! I’m a mess. I hate the idea of traipsing through the lodge hall to our room like this.”
Ceth’s face brightened. “I have an idea. Come on.”
Then Ceth was the one taking Krystal’s hand as she pulled her away. Krystal had no idea where they were going, but if it meant keeping the contact longer, she didn’t care.
After a few minutes of walking and dodging more sprinklers, Ceth led her through an enclosed pool area that wasn’t in use—maybe because of the renovations—and into the cabana behind the pool.
Inside were a few benches and several large open shower stalls. Although there didn’t seem to be any lights, open-air windows all along the top of the space allowed enough of the dwindling sunlight in for visibility.
Ceth released Krystal’s hand. “Let’s see if they’ve kept them on.” She twisted one of the shower knobs, and water came pouring out. “They have!”
Krystal grinned at Ceth. “This is brilliant! Thanks!”
“My pleasure.” Ceth stepped aside and swept an arm toward the stall. “Your shower awaits, my lady.”
The spray was cold as Krystal stepped under it, maybe even colder than the sprinkler, but it was worth it to wash off some of the mud that had caked all over her clothes and skin. She scrubbed off her arms first then began wiping her hands down her dress.
It was then that she noticed Ceth was watching her. Those dark eyes were fixed on the bodice of her dress. Krystal looked down and noticed how the cold water had made her nipples harden until they showed beneath the fabric clinging to her wet body.
The look on Ceth’s face was hungry, needy even, and it sent an answering shock of desire all through Krystal.
Slowly, she ran her hands up her body to her breasts and began circling her nipples through the dress.
Her own touch made her gasp lightly, but she knew it was nothing compared to how Ceth’s hands felt.
“You know…” Krystal’s voice sounded strange to her own ears. Low and sultry and wanting. “You don’t just have to look. You can touch if you want.”
Ceth’s gaze snapped to hers, and she stared for a few seconds. Krystal held her breath and finally released it in a whoosh when a feral grin swept over Ceth’s face, and she slinked forward into the shower.
With no other preamble, Ceth’s hands were all over Krystal. Stroking her bare arms and shoulders before coming together on each of Krystal’s breasts and squeezing. Krystal sucked in a breath, reveling in the way her skin began to grow hot despite the cool water streaming over both of them.
With expert dexterity, Ceth pulled down the straps of Krystal’s dress and tugged on the fabric until one breast was almost completely exposed. Then she slipped a hand inside and stroked her fingertips over the nipple.
Krystal cried out, her voice echoing off the cabana walls, so Ceth leaned in and covered Krystal’s mouth with her own in a heated kiss. Ceth’s tongue pushed inside and swirled with Krystal’s, even as her fingers continued their erotic massage of Krystal’s nipple.
When Krystal moaned into Ceth’s mouth, Ceth pulled her hand from Krystal’s neckline.
But before she even had a chance to register the loss of contact, Ceth was pushing her against the tiled shower wall.
Ceth broke the kiss. Her eyes were fiery as she grasped for the bottom hem of Krystal’s dress and peeled it up.
One firm hand held Krystal’s shoulder while the other slid under the dress to caress Krystal’s inner thigh all the way up to her panties.
“Ceth,” Krystal whimpered as Ceth’s fingers scooted the fabric of her panties aside. “Ceth, we’re in a public shower.”
Ceth paused and leaned forward, brushing her lips over Krystal’s forehead, then her cheek, then her jaw and her neck. “Do you want me to stop?”
Krystal shuddered when Ceth’s tongue darted out to lick a sensitive spot on her neck after asking the question.
“No!” she gasped. “No, no. I was just making an observation.”
Ceth’s low chuckle vibrated against Krystal’s neck before she went back to work.
This time, she reached both hands up under Krystal’s skirt and yanked the panties down around her legs just far enough to gain access.
Then one hand was on Krystal’s neck, guiding her into a heated kiss as the fingers of her other hand delved through the wetness soaking Krystal’s core and began pumping into her in a desperate rhythm.
Krystal clenched around Ceth, feeling herself fall to pieces faster than she ever could have thought possible.
She clutched at Ceth’s shoulders and broke the kiss to pant for breath.
When Ceth thrust even harder, Krystal’s high-pitched moans came out in tandem.
Even if this part of the resort was closed for renovation, she was probably being too loud.
But at this point, she didn’t care if every staff member and guest on the premises heard her cries.
Because Ceth O’Malley was here with her, tasting and sucking the skin of her neck, claiming her, and pleasuring her for all she was worth. And Krystal’s body was trembling in ecstasy. With one more keening shout, Krystal came apart completely until her limp body slumped against the wall.
Ceth held her securely until she slowly came back to earth to regain her footing. She pressed another gentle kiss to Krystal’s forehead, and Krystal’s eyelids fluttered shut. “We should get you dried off.”
Krystal’s eyes popped open. “But what about you? You didn’t—I mean—not yet. You haven’t…”
An amused smirk played across Ceth’s lips. Clearly she found Krystal’s post-orgasmic rambling funny. “Maybe after we get back, Angel. Right now, I think we should leave before someone finds us out here.”
She backed away slowly, leaving Krystal to close her eyes again for a moment and catch her breath. Wow.
When she opened her eyes, Ceth was approaching with a large guest towel she’d found somewhere.
She reached forward and wrapped it around Krystal, before rubbing her arms dry with the material.
Something caught in Krystal’s throat at the surprising sweetness of the gesture.
For a wild moment, she wondered what it would be like to be cared for by Ceth all the time.
She’d gotten glimpses back when they lived together, but this was a whole different level.
Furthermore, what would it be like to care for Ceth?
Krystal bit her lip and held back a wistful sigh. She’d never get to find out, would she?
Ceth lay prone on the bed panting to catch her breath and wiped sweat from her eyes. Wow.
As soon as they’d gotten back to their room, Krystal had pounced, stripping off Ceth’s clothes and pushing her onto the bed so she could get her hands and mouth all over Ceth. It had been so damn hot.
They’d explored each other until they were both exhausted, even going for an extra round after they’d both gotten cleaned up. And now Krystal was curled up into Ceth’s side, absently running her short nails down Ceth’s rib cage.
“I still can’t believe we had sex in a public shower,” Krystal mumbled.
Ceth chuckled and slid her arm around Krystal, pressing her even closer. “I take it that was a first for you.”
Krystal hummed a sleepy affirmative.
Ceth brushed her hand down Krystal’s arm. “Is there anything else new you’d like to try? You know. While we’re here having casual fun and all.”
She nearly choked saying that last part. It felt wrong, but it was the truth, wasn’t it? It’s all Krystal had asked for, and she knew better than almost anyone why Ceth was ill-equipped for anything more.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Krystal answered with a yawn. Her eyelids looked heavy as she murmured. “I guess I’ve been curious about wearing a strap, but the chance never came up. The videos I’ve seen always have a skinnier girl wearing one, but I don’t guess that has to defer…no, deter me.”
Ceth’s throat went dry thinking about Krystal watching videos, but she continued stroking her arm. “Yeah? You think that’s something you might be into?”
Krystal’s only response was a light, rhythmic snore. Ceth shifted to see her better. She was down for the count, her face resting in a half-smile as she slept.
Ceth shook her head as she considered what Krystal had just said. So, her past partners had never been open to letting Krystal explore wearing a strap, if she wanted?
Lying here and watching her sleep like this, Ceth couldn’t fathom denying this woman anything.