" she tried again. "Earlier, when I got up and told you I was going to go to bed?"

"Yes?"

"Well" She felt Laura's thumb move over her wrist and before she knew it, her hands were the ones being held. "I was hoping that you'd well you know like a kiss goodnight?"

"I thought about it," Laura admitted, her thumb moving in lazy circles over sensitive palms and doing the most distracting things to Crystal. "I wanted to but after you pulled away I thought that maybe I'd pushed it too much. I didn't want to scare you. I wasn't sure you liked it." "I liked it," Crystal said softly. "It was" She shook her head, unable to describe all that the tender kiss had stirred in her. There was fear certainly, but not the fear of being hurt as of the unknown. Gentle, not demanding or even requesting, just offering a tactile expression of the most amazing of feelings and while almost overwhelming in its intensity, Crystal felt the loss keenly when it ended. "I'm not as good with words as you are, but if" She looked into Laura's eyes, seeing what the night shadows could not hide. "If you wanted to do it again

I'd let you." While not able to take the first step herself, she trusted Laura enough to allow the older woman to do so.

"I'd like to," Laura said softly. "Very much."

Crystal tried to think, to burn into her memory the sensations as Laura leaned forward and closed the remaining space between them but there was no thought once their lips touched, only feeling. It was not just one kiss but many little ones and she did as much searching out with her mouth as Laura. She did not resist when gentle hands pulled her closer, ignoring the harde.g.of Laura's chair against her knee. Nothing mattered to Crystal but the whirlpool she was sinking willingly into. The world narrowed to just herself and Laura, arms wrapped around each other. Needing more, Crystal moved from her chair and pressed her body against Laura, the thin layer of silk allowing her to feel the heat of the skin beneath. Crystal felt desire rising within her, her body longing for more than just an endless series of kisses. When she dared to part her lips and let the tip of her tongue touch Laura's lower lip, she was delighted to hear a soft moan. Then she felt Laura respond, the kiss deepening into something far more intense, more erotic, and more loving than anything she had felt before. Laura's tongue gently explored her mouth, drawing soft moans from Crystal as she surrendered to the feelings swirling through her. Sinking her fingers into the dark hair, she did some exploring of her own, using the tip of her tongue to gently trace the edges of Laura's teeth, to feel sensations stronger than any she had known before. When the kiss finally ended, Crystal found herself mostly on Laura's lap and was grateful for the arms holding her tight as she was certain she would sink to the deck if those warm, gentle arms were to let go. She felt the rapid rise and fall of Laura's chest despite struggling to get her own breathing slowed down. When she spoke, it was with halting breaths. "Now that was a kiss."

Laura laughed and pulled her closer. "I'm glad you liked it."

Crystal smiled against the warm chest and inhaled deeply. "I did. I've never been kissed like that before." The hoot owl cried out from his perch. "Boy, he's pretty loud tonight, isn't he?"

"Maybe he's looking for his mate," Laura offered. She tried to shift. "I guess these chairs weren't really made for two."

"Maybe," Crystal said, referring to the owl, though deep inside it sounded more like a cry of loneliness. Reluctantly she extricated herself from the tangle of arms and legs they had become and moved back to her own chair, though she made sure to keep it close enough that she was able to maintain some closeness, letting her bare feet brush against Laura's slippers. Reaching for her cigarettes, she lit one and took several drags before speaking again. "So now what?" she asked softly, half afraid of the possible answers.

"That depends on you," Laura answered. Crystal realized it was a calculated response, leaving everything, including when to take the next step, in her hands.

"What if I'm not sure?"

"Then I think the best thing is for you to wait until you are sure," Laura said, pressing her finger to Crystal's lips to silence her protest. "I told you there's no rush. I'm not going anywhere." Leaning forward, Laura replaced her finger with her lips. "Now put that thing out and get some sleep," she said when she pulled back and stood up. "I'll probably see if I can get some writing done. Always fighting those deadlines, you know."

Crystal put the cigarette out and rose as well, turning until they were face to face. "Why don't I believe you?" she asked. "You weren't writing earlier. I would have heard you typing."

"You can hear me in your room?"

"If both of us have the glass doors open, yeah." They were standing so close that it seemed only natural for Crystal to put her arms loosely around Laura's waist. "I listen to you sometimes." Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the shoulder covered by silky material. "Your chair squeaks a little, you know," she whispered as if revealing some great secret. "I can tell when you're rereading what you've written or if you're just taking a break. I can tell when you're on a tear writing like crazy and when it seems like you're struggling just to get a sentence written. But tonight, you weren't working on your story at all."

"Know what was I doing?" Laura asked, mimicking Crystal's position with her arms, pulling her closer. "I was lying in bed listening to you moving around and" She took a deep breath before continuing. "I was worried about you. You're usually not that restless."

"I had a lot on my mind," Crystal said. "I guess you did too."

"Not a lot," the writer corrected. "Just one thing." That was all she had to say. Crystal understood and wondered which of them was more surprised when she leaned forward and initiated the kiss. Certainly Laura had been startled by her brazen move but to the older woman's credit, she recovered quickly and soon it was Crystal who found herself overwhelmed by a more experienced and insistent mouth. She felt the harde.g.of the table pressed against the back of her thighs but Crystal ignored it, concentrating more on what was going on with her front. Where previous life experiences had been hard and unyielding, Laura's body was soft, accommodating, molding against her own. A mouth that gave as well as took, hands that roamed but did not conquer, touching her neck, tilting her head back, making her feel desired and reveled at the same time.

"Oh." Gasping, she barely had time to register that Laura's mouth had left hers before she felt the electric sensation of those lips caressing her throat.

" so much," was all she could understand mumbled against her skin. Her own fingers found themselves buried in the dark hair, holding Laura close. She felt Laura's hand make a slow path down her side, stopping at the gap where her sweatshirt had ridden up slightly. There the fingers stopped, rubbing the exposed skin gently but making no attempt to go further. When she reached for Laura's shoulders, the lips that were burning over her skin stopped and she felt the loss of the warm weight against her upper body. "Crystal"

Crystal did not need experience with women to understand the timbre of Laura's voice. The meaning was clear. Anticipation, desire and even the jitters coursed through her. Nights of wondering what it would be like were about to be answered. Only now realizing she was sitting on the table, Crystal stood up and moved into Laura's waiting arms. Taking a deep breath, she reached down and entwined their fingers. "Yes," she whispered, searching out Laura's lips again. She began backing up, trusting that Laura would not let her bump into any of the furniture or walls. There was a pause as Laura reached out and Crystal heard the sound of the screen door sliding open, then it was a careful step backward over the threshold and into the immaculately kept bedroom.

There were no dirty clothes to trip over and within seconds Crystal felt the softness of the bed against the back of her legs. There she caught her breath as Laura stepped back and turned on the low wattage lamp next to the bed. After being out in the darkness of night for so long, Crystal had to blink for several seconds before the light no longer seemed so bright. "Hey

" Crystal's vision was filled with the most tender of looks from Laura. "I want this to be right," the writer whispered. "You tell me if you need to stop, all right?"

Crystal nodded, then felt a shudder run through her when Laura's hands cupped her cheeks. She allowed herself to be pulled into the kiss, letting her own hands move over the blue silk top to feel the warmth permeating through from Laura's shoulders. For unknown minutes they stood there next to the bed, kissing and holding each other but not making any attempts to further things along. Suspecting that it was she who had to take the next step, Crystal lazily ended the kiss and took a step back, locking her eyes with Laura's. "I'm scared," she admitted quietly, reaching down and hooking her fingers under thee.g.of the sweatshirt. "You'd think it wouldn't matter to me," she said, giving a short laugh. "After all, look at what I was doing six months ago."

"I know," Laura said, stepping forward and running her hands up and down Crystal's shoulders reassuringly. "But that was then and this is now. This isn't some stage with dozens of people looking at you. It's just you and me making love. We'll take it slow, and we won't do anything you're uncomfortable with, all right?"

Taking a deep breath, Crystal nodded and nervously pulled her sweatshirt up, closing her eyes as the gray material passed over her head. Letting the shirt drop to the floor, she moved forward, feeling the silky softness of Laura's top against her breasts as their lips met. She gasped when Laura's hands slid across her bare back, the feather light touch causing a powerful reaction in her body. "That feels good," she murmured.

"Not as good as it does to me," Laura answered in an equally low tone, her lips nipping Crystal's ear. Twin points jabbed against the blue silk, giving proof to the writer's words.

Crystal reached between them, her fingers closing around the top button of Laura's pajama top. "So I see," she said, releasing the first button. Before she realized it, she had all the buttons undone, the blue silk hanging open and showing the thinnest glimpse of bared flesh. She reached up to push it off Laura's shoulders but the hands that had been wreaking havoc with her senses moved to intercept her. "I'll get it," Laura said, shrugging her shoulders, sliding the top off and catching it with her left hand. Crystal released her hold and stepped back, watching Laura fold not only the blue top but her sweatshirt as well. When the writer bent over to set them on the trunk, Crystal came up from behind and ran her fingers lightly in small circles up and down Laura's back.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, making the circles larger and using both hands now.

"Probably just as much as you are," Laura said, still making no attempt to move, except to press harder into Crystal's roaming fingers.

"I'm glad it's not just me," Crystal said, moving forward and wrapping her arms around the writer's waist. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips to Laura's back, feeling the muscle covered bones against her breasts, silk covered hips against her belly. Wrapping her arms around Laura's waist, Crystal splayed her hands out, her thumbs coming dangerously close to the firm swells.

Laura inhaled sharply and straightened up. "No, it's not just you, trust me," she said, turning in Crystal's arms until they were face to face. Crystal tightened her hold, enjoying the feel for the first time of soft breasts pressing against her own. As they kissed, the hands had been gently stroking Crystal's shoulders were now moving purposefully up and down her arms. "Do you trust me, Crystal?" the warm voice whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she answered. It took only a slight nudge for her to understand Laura's intent and recline against the bed, her lower legs dangling off the side. The comforter against her back might as well have been made of burlap when compared to the warm softness of Laura's body nestling her from the front.

"Hmm," Laura sighed between kisses. "I wish I could stay like this forever." Crystal gave a moan of agreement, her eyelids shuttering closed when she felt moist lips kissing a trail down her breastbone. Her body arched of its own volition, pressing her right breast against Laura's approaching mouth. "Easy," Laura said softly. "We have all the time in the world."