I Issed a Girl

I had never been in a tornado or a hurricane or any other natural disaster. But I had watched enough of the Weather Channel to know that I had a better chance of surviving one of those than the storm called Jenna Swallow that had swept into my life one rainy night three months ago.

I didn't blame her, but Danny, my fiancé of four months at the time. He wasn't my first boyfriend, so I was used to breakups. But usually you'd think someone who had gotten down on one knee on the front stoop to my brownstone—the same place we'd had our first kiss—and professed to love me "to eternity and back" if I would be his wife, wouldn't wake up one day and change his mind.

Blame probably wasn't even the best word. I should be thanking Danny, actually. If he hadn't been such an ass, I would never have stumbled upon Maggie's Lounge and my old classmate Jenna. Or broken my hand punching Danny. Or embraced my hidden lesbian side.

I sighed and glanced to my right. Jenna slept peacefully, her head on her shoulder, a tiny pillow wedged beneath her soft cheek. Two small, white cords draped over her chest, rising and falling with her even breaths. They led to a black iPod cupped loosely in her hands on her lap.

Those hands... I groaned softly. I had come to know them quite intimately. How little I had known what her world consisted of. What five little fingers could really do.

Tease. Please. Torture. Comfort.

I moved my gaze to the left, out the oval window of the plane to the night sky. Somewhere below was the Atlantic Ocean. Behind us, Chicago. Before us, Tuscany.

I closed my eyes to dam the threatening well of emotion building inside. This was supposed to be my honeymoon. Danny had rented the villa as his present to me. Two weeks, just him and I celebrating the beginning of our lives together. Wedded bliss.

Bullshit.

Jenna moaned and I turned to her. She was smiling up at me. "Hey, beautiful."

I returned her smile, pushing away the thoughts of what should have been. "Hey, yourself."

"What time is it?" She tugged at her ear buds and started to sit up.

"No, relax." I patted her hand and she laid back again. "We're still over the ocean. Sleep."

"Yes, dear." Her smirk made me giggle.

"From what I've been told, we won't be sleeping much on this trip." I blushed when she lifted my hand to her lips.

"Your source was correct. You should get some sleep, too."

"Yes, dear."

She giggled this time. It was a low but musical sound that gave me happy goosebumps. She leaned forward a little. "How are you doing?"

I wiggled the fingers on my left hand. "A little achy, but otherwise pretty good. I hope the doc was wrong when he said I might have long-lasting side effects. In any case, I could use a massage later. They really help."

"Of course, Kat. And when you've fully recovered in a few months, I'll teach you how to do them to me. Giving them is just as pleasing as receiving."

I raised my eyebrows. I could hardly believe anything—besides sex—was better than getting one of Jenna's erotic massages. They were that good.

"There, that will give you something to dream about. Now, sleep, Kat."

I closed my eyes and let the hum of the engines, the soft hissing of the air conditioning, and the subtle rocking of the plane lull me to dreamland. It didn't hurt that Jenna laced her fingers through mine and held our hands between us, her thumb lightly stroking my skin.

###

I found myself following Jenna around like a lost puppy dog, much like I had the night I ran into her at Maggie's Lounge...and practically every day ever since. I had never been out of the country. My passport had broken her cherry on this trip. I had no idea what I was doing or where to go. Thank God Jenna did.

I knew we had landed in Paris where we needed to catch our connecting flight that would take us to Florence. From there, we had to take a train to Grosetto, where our villa was. We had an hour layover, and I spent most of it staring out the windows on either side of the terminal, wishing we had more time.

I was in Paris. Paris, France. And I was stuck in a damn airport!

"Am I going to have to tie you down?" Jenna laughed from her seat where she casually sat with her legs crossed, a magazine spread open on her lap, a cup of coffee in one hand.

I gasped and stopped pacing. We had not tried that yet, but she had hinted at it several times. Maybe...

"Kat? Are you okay?"

I stuck out my lower lip. "Couldn't we have come sooner? Maybe stayed a couple of days at least? It's Paris! If I had only known..."

She smiled and stood, the magazine plopping to the ground. She finished her drink, tossed the cup into the nearby trash can, and put her hands on my shoulders. By the firm line of her mouth, I felt like a child being chastised for my whining.

"Kat, shh." She kissed me, right on the lips.

I jerked back involuntarily and glanced around. Then I blushed and hung my head. Nope, not a child now. More like a teenager who'd been caught fooling around.

Her grip tightened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I don't think you're ready for displays of affection in public. But you need to settle down. I have everything taken care of."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Paris is on the way home, too. I wouldn't let you miss it, sweetie. There was no time beforehand with the villa's reservations and our work schedules."

I kissed her then. Soundly. Her cheeks were warm beneath my palms when I cupped her face, holding her to me. When I started to jump up and down, though, she wrapped her arms around me and grounded me with a deep sigh.

"Now, be a good girl and sit your butt down before you drive everyone insane. We should be boarding soon."

I stilled, two of her words echoing in my head. A knot tightened deliciously in my stomach, and I obeyed. This was going to be one hell of a trip!

And as if we'd never had the conversation, Jenna casually picked up the magazine, sat back down, and flipped to the next page.

###

The Amerigo Vespucci International Airport was tiny. I half wondered if it was a legitimate airport with its single runway. Jenna approached an information desk and spoke in fluent Italian to the petite woman sitting on the other side of the glass. Their exchange was quick, and then I was chasing after Jenna to collect our baggage. We were in a taxi on the way to the train station before I was able to catch my breath.

"You speak Italian?" I tore my eyes away from the view outside my window for only a second to glance at her.

"And French. I studied abroad for a year in college."

"Of course you did." I shook my head and returned to sightseeing in rapid motion. There were old buildings mixed in with the new ones. It looked very modern for such an old city. Then again, society had to advance some if we were flying in planes and traveling by automobiles and trains now.

After another small whirlwind, we boarded the train, stowed our luggage, and took our seats for the next hour.

"I need the world to stop spinning. I'm not even drinking." I closed my eyes. My head hurt, and not just from the time changes. I kind of felt like crying. I got that way when I was overly frustrated...or exhausted, as was the case right now.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I forgot how hectic traveling overseas can be. We'll just have to spend the next two weeks relaxing. In our villa." She giggled and gripped my hands.

I cracked an eye open. "Wait, are you getting excited? You've been Ms. Calm & Collected this whole trip so far."

"Yeah, maybe a little."

Huh. I would never have known.

It was my intent to stay awake. It wasn't every day you took a train through Florence, Italy. But the next thing I knew, Jenna was shaking me from my slumber.

"Come on, sleepyhead. We're in Grosetto."

"Already? Didn't we just get on the train?" I sat up and saw people shuffling down the aisle in both directions.

"Yes, an hour ago. And if you don't get up, they'll leave with us still on board." Jenna scooted into the aisle herself, saying "Mi scusi" as she bumped into other passengers. Then she yelled over her shoulder, "Kat, move it!"

I jumped up and grabbed my shoulder bag. Then I was being pushed down the aisle like a slow moving tidal wave. Somehow, I remembered to collect my luggage at the front of the car before I stumbled down the stairs where I met up with more chaos.

Jenna was a few feet ahead of me, pushing through the crowd with ease. I was less graceful. I think I ran over at least a dozen feet with my rolling suitcase. The most I could do was mumble "Mi scusi" and tell myself I'd never see these people again in my lifetime.

We were in the backseat of a taxi heading away from the train station when I realized our situation. We were in Tuscany...without our own transportation. I had no idea how far away the villa was from the rest of civilization. We would be isolated. What if...

"Jenna?" My hand shook as I laid it on her arm.

"Un momento," Jenna said to me and continued talking to the driver in Italian.

I assumed she was giving him directions, but I was a bit perturbed that she had silenced me. In another language. Once more, I felt like a chastised child.

I sat back in a huff, crossed my arms, and stared out the window. The scene slowly morphed from city buildings, to residential homes, and then to lush countryside. It seemed idyllic. Exactly what my life was not right now.

"I'm sorry, Kat. I just wanted to make sure he knew where we were going." Jenna gently took my recovering hand and set it in her lap, massaging it starting at the fingertips. "You have my undivided attention for the next ninety minutes."

I blew out my breath, causing wisps of hair to float around my face before settling back down again in my eyes. I used my free hand to brush them away and glanced at her. "We're going to be stranded, aren't we? No car?"

"Sweetie," she whispered, leaning over to brush her lips against mine, "you won't want to leave the villa. Trust me. I'll make sure you don't."

Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was jetlag. Maybe it was the reality of the end of one relationship and the possibility of another crashing down on me. Whatever it was, it unleashed the tears I had been holding back. They trickled at first until they became a hot torrent of emotion soaking my already burning cheeks.

"Oh, Kat." Jenna didn't need to say anything more. She pulled my head to her shoulder and wrapped her arms around me.

I could hear Jenna's heart beating against my ear. The thought of her supple breast right below my cheek sent warm shivers up my spine. My breath caught, and I nuzzled against her. I was turning to face her, tempted to suck at her nipple right through her top, when she tilted my chin up.

"No, Kat." Her gaze was knowing. Understanding. And adamant.

Shudders rippled across my belly. How well she had come to know me.

"We will have plenty of time to enjoy each other at the villa. Now sit up." She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped at my eyes and cheeks. "Enjoy the view. It's not every day you're in Tuscany."

I could only nod and obey. I turned to the outside view again. Rolling hills of green went on forever into the horizon, broken by the occasional grouping of trees or a vineyard or a villa.

Jenna continued to massage my left hand. But although it was relaxing, that was the last thing I wanted to feel right now. I was anxious. Curious. Horny. We couldn't get to that villa fast enough.

###

Danny had planned to surprise me with the honeymoon trip, but I had found a folded-up paper with all of the details in his jacket one night. So I did what any other person would have done in my shoes: I didn't tell him.

Instead, I waited until he had left for work the next day before going online to view the website he had listed. The pictures alone were gorgeous. I couldn't believe I would actually be there. With him.

I had spent the entire day dreaming about the two of us. What we would do in each of the rooms. How we would spend two weeks...fourteen days...three-hundred and thirty-six hours together. Hopefully, half of that time would be in each other's arms saying how much we loved the other, mostly without words.

When he left me, I used my knowledge of the trip as leverage. If he gave me the tickets, I wouldn't foot him with the emergency room bill from the night I had decked him for walking out on me. I think it was more than a fair deal. He didn't need to know that my insurance had covered the hospital visit.

So here I was, on my way to the villa, with Jenna, my new BFF. Currently, I considered her a friend-with-benefits kind of girl. I wasn't really sure what she considered me, but I was willing to bet it was something more than just a friend. She was so patient with me, but I knew she wanted more.

I remembered the first time we were together. She went down on me, and I was in pure heaven. I had tried—and failed miserably—to reciprocate the next day. She'd spent several hours demonstrating on my own body how she liked to be touched and letting me try it on her. That had been fun. I had almost forgotten about Danny...until he'd called to ask how my hand was. Jenna had picked up the phone and told him to go to hell, but not in such nice words.

I laughed now, thinking about how mad she had been. I had calmed her down with a long kiss, trying to perfect that method on her. I was much better at that than giving her oral sex.

"What's so funny, Kat?" Jenna handed the driver a wad of bills and then opened her door.

"Just thinking of our first real night together. How you told Danny off."

"Do NOT say the D-word on this trip!" There was fire in her eyes as she leaned toward me, gripping my chin. "I'm warning you right now."

I gulped. "Sorry."

"Good girl. Now get out so we can go explore our villa together."

I blinked and then stared out the open door after her. It was like looking through a doorway to another world. I scooted forward and slowly stepped out, testing the ground as if entering a pool for the first time to gauge the temperature.

My shoe touched gravel. Italian gravel. My lungs breathed in crisp, clean air. My eyes jumped around, trying to take everything in at once. From the wildflowers in clay pots, to the stone house with a covered portico open to the elements, to the shade trees surrounding the driveway. We were in a real Italian villa! No, wait, 'Scuderia Apartment' as the brochure called it. It wasn't just any villa. Like Jenna said, it was 'our' villa. I must have been dreaming.

"Kat, get your ass out of that taxi, or you're going back to America alone."

I grinned at Jenna and got out, closing the door behind me. "Yes, Ma'am."

The driver waved at us and turned the car around. As soon as he was out of sight, Jenna grabbed my arms and pulled me to her.

I moaned, the feeling of her soft lips crushed against mine sending all kinds of signals down between my legs.

"You know you only get to call me that in the bedroom." Her tongue lashed against mine, her hands roughly holding my face to hers now.

"Yes, Ma'am." I swallowed her moan and gripped the back of her shoulders. Technically, this whole place was going to be our bedroom, if I had anything to say about it. But I was still anxious to see the rest of our rendezvous, so I gently pushed her away.

"Kat?" Jenna was so cute when she scrunched up her eyes and nose like that in confusion.

"I've been waiting my whole life to get to Tuscany, we can make out later." I grabbed the handle on my suitcase and headed toward the portico.

The floor was red-dyed concrete, the ceiling overhead rough-hewn beams. A wooden table and two chairs sat facing the lush countryside. A light breeze drifted through the three open sides, giving me goosebumps. I inhaled the scent of wildflowers and closed my eyes.

It would be lovely to sit out here and watch the sunrise. Drink some wine at midday. Fuck my girlfriend under the stars. Oh yeah, I could see all of that.

I smacked my hand over my mouth. Had I just thought of Jenna as my girlfriend? Was it my true feelings, my subconscious coming through? Or just the thrill of the moment?

"The door should be unlocked. The realtor said the key would be on the kitchen table along with a folder of paperwork," Jenna said, breaking through my daydream.

Together, we turned the knob, and slowly the door swung open. For a moment, we just stared. Then we turned to each other and grinned. Which led to us jumping up and down, giggling. We tumbled inside, dragging our baggage with us. Then we slowly turned around, taking in the open-floor plan before we screeched like little girls.

It was gorgeous! Small, like a loft apartment, but still plenty big enough for the two of us. We were standing in what I guess was the kitchen-slash-dining area. There was a small sink and stove off to the left in an alcove. Directly to the left of that past an arched wall that spanned the width of the building was a sitting area. It looked very cozy with a couch, chair, and long low table arranged in front of a fireplace. A short set of stairs led up, but I wasn't sure where to since it was a one-story building. I made a mental note to explore that later.

On our right through another arch was a bed and a single dresser. On either side of the bed was a closed door. I hoped one of them led to a bathroom. After our long trip, I could really use a shower. Or maybe just a dip in the in-ground pool out back that the brochure had also touted.

"Did you know it was going to look like this?" Jenna grabbed my hand and pulled me against her.

I couldn't answer because her mouth covered mine. I moaned, nodding.

"I'm so excited, I could take you right here on this table."

I gulped, my body suddenly on fire. "Then take me."

Jenna growled and backed me up against the hunk of wood situated in the middle of the main room. A flowerpot centerpiece wobbled noisily behind me as I gripped the edge of the table and hopped up to rest my butt on top. Jenna grabbed the pot and set it on the floor. Good idea. We didn't want to break anything within the first ten minutes of being here.

"We are going to christen Scuderia." Her breath was hot against my cheek as she exhaled. Then her tongue thrust between my lips to play with my tongue. She parted my knees, her hands cool against my skin below the hem of my shorts.

I could only nod again. I was panting, gripping at her arms, trying to hold her against me. She shoved my hands away and broke our kiss long enough to tug my T-shirt out of my shorts and pull it up over my head. She tossed the shirt aside and locked lips with me again, her hands cupping my breasts through my bra.

The woman was a conundrum. So relaxed and in control the entire trip from America. But once we were in private, she was uncontrollably horny. I was not complaining, just stating a fact.

I groaned against her mouth, arching my back so my breasts pressed harder into her hands. I never got tired of how she squeezed and twisted them in the same motion. But I wanted her hands—her mouth—on my flesh.

"Jenna," I managed to gasp before she bit my lower lip and sucked on it.

"Shh, I know." Her fingers trailed up my arms to my shoulders. They slid down my shoulderblades until they reached the strap of my bra and released the hooks so it fell slack between us.

Then I was falling, laying flat on my back on the table. I almost complained as my head thumped against the wood, but her hands cupped my bared breasts and her thumbs stroked my nipples. They hardened immediately. I clenched my thighs around her hips.

"Oh, God, Jenna." I reached up to caress her arms. I cried out when her mouth dropped to my right breast and bit my nipple. Hard. I struggled to breathe and think at the same time.

She moaned against my skin, her tongue lapping like a kitten drinking milk. I wiggled beneath her, moving my hands down to undo my button and zipper on my shorts. But she brushed my hands away and did the deed herself.