This story is a work of fantasy. Any resemblance to real people is wishful thinking on my part. I am indebted to Nirvanadragones, not just for having the time and patience to edit this monster, but also for being a wonderful friend, who's always there when I need her. I'm also indebted to Abstruse for being the kind of surly bitch who fits hand in glove into the role of Byronic villain. And last but not least, Femininity, for awakening something deep inside me -- you're too beautiful and too good to give up on, and I'm not going to.
Chapter 1
The wind howled around the walls of the castle, causing the heavy velvet drapes to shudder in the window frames and the torches to flicker. In a large wrought-iron bed at the far end of the room, two women moved closer into each other's arms in an effort to stave off the cold.
"You'd think Abs would install double glazing and central heating now she's come into money and all that," observed Zade, running her fingers through her lover's honey-blonde hair.
Femininity melted under the familiar touch. She and Zade had been together many months now, but none of the early magic of their relationship had faded. More to the point, it was impossible for either of them to be this close and not feel the flames of arousal.
"I know," she replied absentmindedly. "It's all very weird."
"And why move to Switzerland, damn it? Ok, so it's right on the shores of Lake Geneva, but there are other lakes in the world -- lakes that are in warmer places, where you can actually leave the house once in a while without getting your head blown off in the process. This is worse than back home! Remember that storm in the eighties, when Sevenoaks was reduced to about three? We'll be lucky if there are any trees left standing by the end of the week. And we're at least a thousand miles away from the nearest M&S food hall. Even if she'd bought a place in the Outer Hebrides, she would have at least been able to rent a helicopter or something to --"
But what Abs might have done with that helicopter was set to remain a mystery, because Fem was already kissing Zade, turning slightly so that the weight of her body pressed into the younger woman and made her moan. Zade smiled as she ran her fingertips down Fem's spine, allowing her hands to settle on her ass, before pulling her in even closer.
There had never been any ritual or routine to their lovemaking. Since their first meeting the sex had been like a volcano that was constantly smouldering, and had a habit of erupting at any moment, in any place and in every way imaginable.
As wetness came into contact with wetness a shiver passed between the two women. A brief pause, and suddenly they were moving against each other -- slow, rocking movements that seemed to make the earth move. Zade glanced up and saw how Fem's eyes had fallen shut. She drank in the quiet ecstasy of her lover's expression, and then took advantage of the moment, rolling Fem over so that the positions were reversed.
"Let me warm you up," murmured Zade as she began kissing Fem's neck. Her lips traced a steady passage down Fem's body, teeth grazing over her neck, kissing her shoulders and then softening that kiss as her lips moved over the slow rise and fall of her lover's breasts.
Zade lost awareness of her surroundings as she felt Fem's nipple harden in her mouth.
"Babe, pull the blankets up," said Fem between ragged breaths. "It's fucking freezing in here."
Zade did as she was asked, but disappeared underneath them in an instant, leaving Fem with a smile on her face as she lay in wait for the sensation she'd been craving the past hour.
Spreading her lover's knees apart, Zade began her kisses along the inner thigh. She was moving upwards, but taking her time about it, enjoying the way that Femininity's body seemed to reach towards her tongue.
It wasn't long before the heat beneath the blankets became unbearable, and Zade was forced to fling them off. She inched forwards, lifting Fem's legs over her shoulders, and then moved closer again until her mouth was directly over her sex.
Neither of them noticed the bedroom door open, and then close quietly. Nor did they hear the footsteps of another woman, with long, blond curls, creeping across the room. Nirvana paused for a few seconds, her breathing shallow as she watched her two friends in the height of passion. Despite all the years of knowing them, it was something she'd never witnessed before, and the intensity made her head spin.
Silently, she pulled up a chair and positioned herself on it, her hand already inside her panties. She was already wet, and within seconds a slow moan escaped her lips. Femininity looked up, slightly startled, but upon seeing who it was, she smiled. She and Vana had been friends for longer than either of them could remember, and there were still times when that friendship found expression in sexual terms. Far from being off-putting, Vana's presence simply pushed Fem that much closer.
As Zade's tongue flicked over her lover's clit, Vana's fingers moved faster. Being in full view, yet knowing that one of the women was still oblivious to her presence, multiplied the excitement beyond comprehension. There was a moment when Zade looked up and saw the scene unfolding in the mirror above the bed. But for some reason, Vana's reflection didn't register. There was the chair, the antique dresser, her girlfriend writhing underneath her as shadows danced slowly across the walls -- but apart from the pair of them, not another living soul.
For a split second, Zade could have sworn she heard someone else's breathing in the background. It was fast, shallow, uneven, but barely audible... and besides, she didn't have that much time to think about it. It was taking all her strength and concentration to keep her lover still. As she worked three fingers inside her, so the moans grew louder and the movements more erratic. A final push was all it took to send Femininity crashing over the edge, and when they finally disentangled they were both left trembling.
There was a faint click as the door of the bedroom closed. Femininity looked over to the empty seat and smiled.
"What was that?" asked Zade, the blood still pounding through her ears.
"Just the wind, baby," breathed Fem, her face still flushed and her eyes shining. She leaned over and kissed Zade's cheek - "Thanks for a moment of sunshine in the middle of all never-ending fucking rain."
Zade returned the kiss to her girlfriend's lips. "I don't know how Abs and Vana put up with it."
"I should imagine they just stay indoors," observed Fem. "It would explain why they're looking so damn pale these days."
"Stay indoors? Abs and Vana? You've got to be kidding! Look --" Zade nosedived off the edge of the bed to rummage round in a small bag. She re-emerged with a little help, carrying a photo album.
"Abs and Vana -- Amsterdam!" she announced, showing a picture of the two of them, looking a little glassy-eyed as they cruised around the Red Light District.
She turned the page -- "Abs and Vana -- Berlin: the Love Parade. Abs and Vana living it up in the Candy Bar. Abs and Vana snowboarding in Klosters. Abs and Vana lost somewhere in the Australian outback..."
The pages were now turning quicker than Zade could keep up her commentary. It was the fairytale romance of a blonde South African and a brunette American, told through a series of photographs that conveyed not only their lust for each other, but an overpowering lust for life.
"Do these strike you as the kind of people who just stay indoors?"
"I dunnow," replied Fem. "But we've been here a week now, and there hasn't been any mention of taking us to see any of the local sights."
"Maybe there's nothing to see..." Another thought suddenly struck Zade and she became animated -- "And where's Vana's PDA these days? You always used to tell me how she couldn't live without it. I haven't seen it out once since we've been here."
"She's got no way of charging it, babe. This place is a technological desert. Have you seen any electric sockets since you've been here?"
"No..."
Fem raised one eyebrow, and a mischievous smile crept across her lips. "We can role play all day tomorrow if you find out..."
When it came to other people's relationships, they shared an infinite nosiness that knew no boundaries, and it was a source of constant amusement to both of them.
Zade started to laugh. "And if I don't?"
"I don't doubt you for a single second, Zade," replied Fem, and reached out for the joint that was lying ready rolled on the bedside table. "And besides -- I was the one who figured out Mat and Mindy, and Lucky and Vella at the last AH get-together. This time you can do the Nancy Drew thing."
Zade giggled, "So it's Nancy Drew now, is it? It was The Dana Scully Thing, last time we played."
"That's because I was the one doing the finding out. It's the difference between the amateur and the professional."
