He woke her up at a quarter to five in the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, and in the darkness of their bedroom he slid down beneath the sheets and parted her thighs, and woke her with long, probing licks. She grew wet almost immediately, and he moved over her, slid himself inside her. They kissed deeply, and he placed a hand between their stomachs, his thumb on her clit, so that with each thrust she felt a bolt of pleasure. He remained patient until the arch of her back, the quiver of her stomach, and the low cry in her throat let him know she had reached her climax. Then he braced himself with a hand on either side of her, and lost all restraint, driving himself into her until he came in a hot rush that spread through his entire body like a warm blanket. With a parting kiss, he rose to get ready for work, and with a dreamy smile she rolled over and fell back asleep.
* * * *
Claire woke up several hours later to see warm sunlight pouring through the bedroom windows. She glanced at the clock; it was almost noon. Jackson was at work, most likely engrossed in his files, and wouldn't even look up for lunch. Claire stretched sensually and got out of bed to take a shower and brush her teeth. She threw on a pair of jeans and a white tank top and went downstairs to make coffee and eat breakfast.
She was reading the paper while munching on a blueberry bagel when the doorbell rang. Startled, Claire glanced up, and then at her watch. It was after one. She got up and went to the front door. Upon opening it, she saw Jackson's aunt, and smiled a warm welcome.
"Come on in, Dana."
Dana was about five and a half feet tall, with very long hair the warm, golden brown color of dark amber. Her eyes were large and deep green, framed by long lashes. She was built like a dancer, lean and toned and very graceful. Her entire body seemed to always be swaying to some music no one else could hear. She smiled easily and sincerely.
Dana was actually only two years older than Jackson. Jackson's grandfather had remarried late in life to a woman much younger than him, and had Dana around the same time that Jackson's parents were getting married. So he and Dana had grown up, if not like brother and sister, at least as easy friends, close in age and often in school together. Since Claire had moved in with Jackson about six months ago, she and Dana had been slowly growing closer, getting to know each other better.
"What brings you by?" Claire asked, leading the way into the living room, where she plopped back down on the couch near her discarded paper.
Dana sat down next to her, tucking one foot beneath her and leaning her head on her hand, with her elbow on the back of the couch. "Boredom, to be honest. I don't have much to do today so I thought I'd see what you were up to. Maybe you'd like to go shopping this afternoon?"
Claire laughed. "Have I ever said no to shopping?"
They sat and talked for a while, while the sun slowly moved across the sky, until mid-afternoon shadows lengthened in the living room. They had been gossiping about friends for a while when Dana suddenly sat up straight and said, "Oh my God, have you heard about Brenda?"
Claire shook her head. "What about her?"
"She left Andrew – for a
woman
."
Claire gasped melodramatically, putting a hand to her mouth. "No!"
Laughing, Dana nodded. "Yes. Apparently he caught them together at the other woman's apartment. He came by to drop off her purse, which she left at home, and when the other woman opened the door she was wearing a sheet and breathing hard. Andrew looked past her, saw Brenda in the bedroom doorway buck naked, and totally flipped. Threw the purse at her, cussed them both out, called her a lying whore and a dyke, and then stormed out. All her stuff was on the lawn by that afternoon."
"Wow." Claire shook her head. "But you know, I kind of got that vibe from her."
"What, the lesbian vibe?"
"The bisexual vibe. I could tell she liked Andrew, but I could also tell she was checking out other women."
"Did she ever hit on you?"
"No."
"That surprises me."
"Why?"
"You're gorgeous. But I guess if you're going to hit on another woman, it makes more sense to pick one who's also bi."
Claire grinned wickedly. "How do you know I'm not?"
Dana grinned back, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "Are you then?"
Claire stopped grinning and shrugged. "I've tried it."
"Really?"
Claire studied Dana's face; she looked very, very interested. There was a sudden slow summer-saulting low in Claire's stomach. She had always found Dana very attractive, but in an admiring, neutral sort of way. Dana was Jackson's aunt, after all. But the look in her eyes touched some emotion in Claire that she had previously kept well hidden. Claire swallowed and looked away, trying to make it seem casual. "Sure, a few times in high school and college. I did threesomes with a lot of my boyfriends. It was nice. It's different than being with a guy. It's...nice." She forced herself to meet Dana's eyes with a calm expression. "What about you?"
Dana shook her head a little nervously. "No. But I've been curious..." She trailed off.
"And?" Claire prompted, unable to help herself. "Why didn't you ever try it?"
"I didn't really know how to go about it. I mean I thought about asking one of my friends, but that seemed too awkward. What if she said no, or freaked out? I wouldn't be able to take it back. And trying to find some random stranger... I wouldn't know where to start. I have no idea how to hit on a woman. Besides... how do I even know I really want to do it? How do I know I wouldn't turn and run if I ever got the opportunity?"
"The only way to know is to try."
Dana looked at Claire sharply, wondering if she'd misheard the faint note of invitation in her tone. The silence that settled over the room when their eyes met was thick and heavy. They held each other's gaze for a long time, Dana's green eyes just as wide as Claire's blue ones. The air between them suddenly seemed charged, almost as solid as a wall. Dana felt excited, nervous, hopefully, and terrified at the same time. Her pulse began to race. Claire felt the same way, except she knew that she had the upper hand here; all she had to do was make a move, say a word, and she could either act on what they were feeling, or close the door on it. They could pretend, awkwardly for a while, that this moment had never happened. Eventually, they would purposefully forget all about it.
Claire reached over gently and traced the tips of her fingers along Dana's jaw. Her thumb barely touched Dana's lips. "The best way to do it," she said quietly, "is with someone you trust. Do you trust me?"
Silently, Dana nodded. The light touch of Claire's fingers had sent a little shiver right through her, raising the hair on her arms and at the back of her neck. She stared at Claire's dark auburn hair, her full, sensual features, her athletic body with its soft, voluptuous curves. She wasn't brave enough to touch her yet, but when Claire leaned forward, Dana closed her eyes and offered her lips.
Claire kissed that full, soft mouth gently, reveling in the feel of it. She had stared at it so many times, wondering how soft and warm Dana's mouth was, what those lips felt and tasted like, what the inside of her mouth was like. A surge of desire pulsed through her, but she held back, not wanting to overwhelm Dana. She kissed her lips softly, and slowly teased them apart with the tip of her tongue. Once Dana opened her mouth, she seemed to come to life, her arms coming around Claire, her body pressing up against hers. The feel of Dana's breasts against her own was electric. Claire slid a hand over the small of Dana's back, pressing her against her a little harder, and pushed her tongue deep into Dana's mouth. Dana's tongue pushed back against hers, and they began a slow, sensual dance of lips and tongue and gentle teeth. Claire licked at the inside of her mouth, sucked at her tongue and lips, while her hands worked their way up Dana's back and into her long, thick, soft hair. She twined it around her fingers, holding Dana's head while she tried to devour her with her mouth.