Seema awoke first, her senses sleepily relaying information bit by bit to her brain. Her right leg and arm were draped possessively over something delightfully warm and her face was pushed into a cosy nook, with something soft and tickly against her face. A hand with slender digits rested lightly on her forearm.
Her eyes slowly opened and for a bizarre and sleep fogged moment it felt like her face was adorned with a dark gossamer mask. The scent triggered Seema's memories of the night before. She smiled within the soothing mask of Simran's tousled hair, breathing in the scent. Seema felt fantastic, not groggy in the slightest. She awoke fully with a pronounced zest for the rest of the day.
Seema slid her arm up, lightly brushing her fingers over Simran's breasts. Simran remained sound asleep as Seema carefully lifted her head and gently extricated herself from Simran's warm and sleepy embrace. She looked longingly at Simran's breasts as they rose and fell, before gently pulling the duvet up.
Simran had a soft and contented look on her beautiful face as she slept. Seema could have stared at her sleepy features for the rest of the morning. She lightly touched her lips to Simran's. Simran stirred, turning her head towards Seema, but her eyes remained closed. In her sleep, she whispered a barely intelligible 'Love you'.
Seema smiled, a warm flush gushing through her body. "Love you too," she mouthed.
She threw on her robe not bothering to tie it at the front, quietly made her exit and padded towards the kitchen, deciding en route to cook poached egg and toast, giving her beautiful lover breakfast in bed.
She cast a wary glance at the front door. She hesitated before deciding to check that it was still securely locked.
As she prepared breakfast, she thought of their love making the night before. She lifted her right hand to her nose. She could still just make out a faint imprint of Simran's sweet and heady scent on her fingers. She smiled and kissed her fingertips, vividly recalling the feel of Simran's sex. She had been so delicate to the touch and so hot and wet.
She ran her tongue over her top lip, feeling the thin ridge of the gash left by Jake's swinging elbow. Though she felt a chill, with a clearer head she found she was able to ask herself why Jake would have done what he did. She guessed his pride had been dented after being dumped. Seema knew how he felt. But Jake had never done anything like that before, as she had told the police. She shivered at the memory, thankful that Jake had been so drunk, and flaccid. She had been spared that horror, she thought. As far as Seema was concerned, it didn't matter that they had once had a very healthy relationship. What Jake did the morning before was horrid. She shivered again.
This particular morning though, Seema relished her happy and effervescent mood, and she almost felt sorry for Jake. But, not quite. Hopefully, by now, the police had caught up with him. They can deal with it, thought Seema.
She turned her attention back to the breakfast, and back to her love, Simran. She smiled, unconsciously running the lightly scented tips of her fingers over her tongue.
As she watched the eggs cooking in the old egg poacher her mother had given her, she pondered the day ahead. She wondered what Simran had planned. Simran had mentioned somewhere special before they had finally fallen asleep in each other's arms the night before. A meal? Theatre? Cinema? Bed, and more love making? Seema closed her eyes and smiled at that thought.
The toaster pinged, pushing up two slices of wholegrain toast. Seema pulled her attention back to the eggs. She turned the heat off and removed the poacher, silently thanking her mother for what she thought at the time a slightly unusual flat-warming present. The eggs looked perfect. She poured two glasses of orange juice and set them aside whilst she slipped the eggs on to the toast.
She carefully arranged the eggs on toast, orange juice and cutlery on a tray and padded quietly back to the bedroom.
She pushed the door shut and placed the tray on the bedside table. Simran had stirred but she was still asleep, snoring lightly. Seema smiled. Her dark hair was still tousled, fanning out in stark contrast over the white cotton of the pillow and the dark nipple of her left breast peeped out from under the duvet. Seema squeezed her thighs together as she summoned the memories of Simran's perfect breasts cupped in her palms.
There was a different fragrance to her bedroom, more apparent after the scents of cooking breakfast. It was Simran's natural sleepy aroma mixed with her own. Seema wanted it to smell like this every morning from now until the end.
Seema leant across to brush a few waves of hair from Simran's cheek and lightly put her lips to it.
Simran inhaled quickly and muttered something incomprehensible. She moaned softly and took a long sleepy sigh as her eyes slowly opened. She turned on her back and stretched her slender arms out above her, groaning as she blinked. She yawned and turned towards Seema, propping herself up on her elbow as her eyes focused. She ran a hand through her tousled hair, roughly finger combing it as a sleepy smile formed on her face.
"Morning, my sexy girl," she said.
"Hi," whispered Seema. She leant forward and kissed Simran lightly on her lips.
"I've probably got morning breath, sorry," Simran whispered.
"Hmph, so have I, probably," Seema giggled. "I've made you breakfast."
Simran sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Aww, Seem, I should be doing that for you."
"Well, I wanted to make you breakfast, so there!"
Simran peered at the tray, and then at Seema's cleavage peeping from between the lapels of her untied robe. "Mmmmm, my favourite! Is it still hot?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Good, because so am I!" Simran giggled. "Breakfast can wait. Get back in here. I wanna make sweet and naughty love to my babe!"
Simran slid down and lifted the duvet, exposing her naked body.
Seema wasted no time, throwing off her robe and diving in to the cosiness under the duvet, straight into Simran's warm embrace.
#
Seema felt incredibly mellow as she washed the crockery. She looked out of the kitchen window and smiled. They had made love, eaten breakfast, and made love again in a hot and steamy bath. Seema felt light-headed just thinking about it. Fingers had been gentle and less rushed, taking time to elicit the proper slow crescendo towards climax. Simran's fingers had worked exquisitely in the bath, the frothy soap bubbles giving them a Teflon touch.
In the soothing bath water, they had climaxed together. Simran had hugged Seema so tight, her lasting climax so strong that she wept as she came down from her zenith.
There had been no penetration though, no fingers exploring. Seema was not bothered by this, but wondered who would take the plunge and do that first. She closed her eyes and sighed at the thought of Simran's fingers inside her.
"Right, if it's ok then," Simran said as she strode in to the kitchen. "We'll go by my place and pick up my work clothes, a few other bits and bobs, and then we'll go for a walk in the sunshine. It'll do you good to get out, won't it honey."
She had such a big and wide smile on her face that, for a moment, Seema ceased to worry about trading the security of her apartment for the outdoors. After all, Simran would be with her.
Simran was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a chest-hugging blue t-shirt. Leather sandals adorned her delicate feet, a thin silver chain twinkled around her right ankle and a matching silver ring curled around her little toe.
"Wow, Sim, you look good," Seema whispered, running her gaze up and down Simran.
"Well, same for you, gorgeous," Simran said hugging Seema close. "I love it when you wear leggings! Our sessions at the gym, hmm, just so I could see you in leggings, sexy girl!"
Seema threw the tea towel on the kitchen table and let Simran's warm lips connect with hers.
#
As Seema unlocked the door, a sudden chill came over her, prompting some unwanted memories. She imagined Jake standing on the other side, his eyes dark with anger and his muscular body coiled and ready to strike. She tried to push the intruding recollections out of her mind, not wanting anything to spoil this day.
"Babe? You ok?" Simran squeezed her shoulder.
"Yeah...umm, yeah."
"Nothing and no-one will get past me," Simran said softly. "Not to my Seema."
Simran put her arm around Seema's waist and pulled the door open, gently coaxing her through. She took the keys, shut the door behind them and locked it before taking Seema's hand in her own. She squeezed it.
"See?" Simran pecked her on the lips. "Come on. Today belongs to you and me, my love."
Seema squinted as her eyes got used to the sunshine. They took the steps down to the car park, past the recently planted birch saplings. At some point the day before, the little park on the other side of the saplings must have been mowed. Fresh bark had been laid around the plant beds, giving the whole area a freshly tended look. Seema had been completely oblivious to any gardening activities.
Simran's little white Ford was parked nearest to Seema's flat. The nearside mirror was still at a jaunty angle, held fast with strong black duct tape. Simran's attempts at treating a few rust patches over the wheel arches were still evident, patches of grey primer paint mapping out the treated areas. Seema smiled. Like me learning how to light a wood fire, she thought. Who needs a man around, anyway?
"Beautiful day," Simran said as she thumbed her key. Her car beeped its welcome.
Seema still felt jittery, looking over her shoulder back up the steps and casting quick glances side to side. But Simran was so attentive, her presence alone was reassuring.
"It is lovely," she said as she got in the car. "It's only lovely because you're here though."
Simran closed her door. She stroked Seema's cheek. "Come, let's have a lovers' day!"
Simran fired the starter motor and the little engine spluttered into life. She slipped the car out of the car park and into the laid back Sunday traffic.
#
Simran's flat was on the fifth floor of a glass fronted and recently converted factory building. Ten years ago, this part of the city had been a particularly downbeat area, but since then it had been re-developed and cleaned up. Three other buildings had also been redeveloped and the land between and around the blocks had been meticulously transformed. Trees had been planted, concrete expanses turned into frequently tended grassy areas with stainless steel water features set in raised flower beds. Simran's building had been one of the first to undergo redevelopment.
Unfortunately, the lift was out of action, and had been for several months.
"It's a bit of a pain," Simran said. "But, good exercise!"
They were both so happy and mellow that the climb to the fifth floor was anything but a problem. Seema spent the whole journey up the wide whitewashed staircase staring at Simran's bottom.
"Next time we have to climb these stairs, you can walk in front and I'll stare at your bottom, eh!" Simran laughed merrily at Seema's embarrassment.
"Sorry, I didn't think you'd notice!"
