"Easy for you to say," she grumbled, threading her finger through Laura's dark hair. She was surprised when Laura propped herself up and stole a quick kiss.

"No it's not," the writer said. "I've wanted this for so long

" The roving lips found Crystal's right ear. "I'm going to show you just how much," she said before closing her mouth over the rosy nipple, already taut with anticipation.

The swirling tongue found its mark with pleasurable accuracy, drawing sounds Crystal thought herself incapable of making. Whether they were comprehensible or not, Laura seemed to understand them, moving from one breast to the other and back, lavishing more loving attention. Lifting her right leg, Crystal planted her heel on thee.g.of the bed and pressed upward, her need burning strong and demanding relief. Laura's hands and mouth moved down, the gentle fingers hooking around the elastic waistband of the sweatpants. "Yes," she sighed, lifting her hips in answer to the question in Laura's hesitation. Goosebumps formed on the newly revealed flesh, but whether it was from the feeling of Laura's fingers on her skin or the cool air on her overheated skin, Crystal could not be sure. All she knew was that it never, absolutely never felt as good as this. She watched tolerantly as Laura folded the sweatpants before setting them with the tops. "Come here," she whispered, needing to feel Laura's body against hers. Seeking those wonderful lips, Crystal used her strength to roll their bodies over so not only was she on top but they were diagonal on the bed. Their position gave Laura limited access to anything other than Crystal's back but the writer wasted no time in exploring what she could. "That feels good," Crystal said, rocking gently against the hands rubbing her buttocks.

"Good," Laura said, giving a gentle squeeze. "All I want is for you to feel good." She started to reach lower but was stopped. "Wait." Crystal sat up, resting her hands on Laura's upper chest. "I just," she began, taking in the sight of the body she was straddling. Swallowing heavily, she slowly brought her hands down, the tips of her fingers moving over the tops of Laura's breasts, stopping just shy of the dark erect nipples. "You're beautiful," she whispered. "I don't" Her voice cracked and she had to start again. "I don't know what you like."

"You're doing fine," Laura reassured her, taking one of Crystal's hands and kissing the palm. Their eyes locked, Crystal allowed her hand to be guided back to the breast, Laura's warm hand pressing hers against the soft flesh. Nervously Crystal closed her fingers, feeling the stiff peak being tenderly squeezed between them. Laura moaned and pressed her head back. "Yes, Crystal," she sighed. "That's nice." Crystal did the same with her other hand and received another sound of pleasure from Laura's lips. Her actions also caused the hips beneath her to rise, pressing her intimate center against Laura's soft belly. Crystal could feel her own wetness and was certain that last little rise made the writer aware of it as well. Laura's hands, which had been running restlessly up and down her back now wrapped around her, holding her as their positions were reversed, Crystal now lying on her back and looking up at the woman about to make love to her.

"Laura," she whispered, touching the thighs covered in blue silk. The heat against her lower abdomen confirmed Laura's rising desire. "Please take these off." Like a voyeur, Crystal found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the sight as Laura stood and pushed the blue silk off her hips. Unlike the hair on Laura's head, which tended to have little in the way of body, the dark triangle was made of small tight curls, the ones near the folds glistening with telltale moisture. The pajama bottoms joined the other clothes on the trunk then Crystal enjoyed the feel of Laura's warmth against her, her body tingling at the renewed contact. She felt the wetness pressing against her thigh as their lips met, knew her own was making its mark against Laura's skin as their bodies moved against each other.

Crystal's breath caught when Laura shifted to the side, lips closing around her nipple while a roaming hand moved over her hip, circling closer and closer to her own golden curls. Crystal's senses were on overload trying to handle all the different sensations at once. The soft, gentle mouth moving over her breasts, the warm body pressed against her own, the fingers begging her to surrender with the promise of the ultimate of rewards. Taking a leap of faith in both herself and in Laura, Crystal parted her thighs further, granting the writer full access. And then it was there, that magical moment when one lone digit moved between her slick folds and rasped across her bundle of nerves. "Ungh, oh Laura!" she cried, jerking her hips to repeat the motion. At one point Crystal had wondered if she would even be able to achieve orgasm with another woman, now she worried that should would all too soon. It had been so long since she had allowed another person to touch her and never before had it been so gentle, so tender and caressing. Laura seemed to know just how to touch her and for how long, never staying in one place too long before moving on, the slippery fingers quickly learning all of Crystal's secrets. The gasps were now steady, mixed with throaty cries that only vaguely resembled Laura's name as the tsunami grew within her. Grabbing Laura's shoulder tightly, Crystal held on as the wave grew larger and larger, her thighs trembling helplessly. She cried out when the wave finally crashed through, washing away all sense as she clung desperately to the anchor in her storm. Laura's soft voice filled her ear, whispering nonsense words meant to comfort as the writer's thigh replaced her fingers against Crystal's center. Smaller tremors rippled through her as she sought the safety and comfort of Laura's arms.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked in a low voice after a moment, giving Crystal time to get her breathing back to something close to normal. Crystal nodded, kissing the skin so close to her lips. "I can't believe" Shaking her head, she gave a nervous laugh. "I'm usually not loud like that."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Laura said, tilting Crystal's head up long enough to kiss the embarrassment away. "I loved hearing you calling out my name." Her hand moved down Crystal's side. "I'd love to hear it again," she said, lightly gripping the outer thigh.

Crystal smiled and stilled the roaming hand. "I don't know if I could take that again. Besides," she said, gently nudging Laura onto her back. "Don't you want me to

  , you know take care of you?" She bent down and kissed the soft hollow of Laura's throat. "I want to," she whispered, kissing her way down. Closing her eyes, she felt as much as heard the sharp intake of breath as she kissed her way along the rising swell. There was some nervousness but Crystal ignored it, encouraged by the feel of Laura's hands on the back of her head. Listening to the hums of pleasure coming from Laura's lips, she concentrated her tongue along the pebbly flesh, tasting another woman's breast for the first time. Crystal bit a little too hard once in her enthusiasm but quickly learned the limits and soon was enjoying the sound of her name being repeated over and over in the most husky trill from Laura's mouth. She needed to touch everywhere, to bring Laura to that pinnacle that she herself had been at only minutes earlier, to learn the beautiful body beneath hers.

And learn Crystal did. From the ticklish spot below the left rib to the fine dusting of hairs below the navel that formed goosebumps when she ran her tongue along them, she learned it all. Laura's secrets were revealed to her in unfolding layers as she drew the writer higher and higher. She learned the right amount of pressure to use, the rhythm needed to meet her lover's body's demands. She felt awed by the emotional power of feeling Laura's intimate muscles clenching around her fingers, of feeling the tremors rippling through her lover. They made love again, sharing soft words and tender touches before falling asleep in each other's arms. There were no nightmares for Crystal, the warm body next to her protected her from the demons of sleep as the knights of old protected the fair maidens. In Laura's arms, there was no danger, only the safety and comfort that came from being loved.

Chapter Fifteenth

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Laura watched in silence as Crystal slept. The sheet hung down near the blonde woman's hips, showing the writer an unhindered view of delicate lines and soft curves, curves that she had explored in detail only hours earlier. Unable to resist, she stretched out next to Crystal and placed a series of soft kisses along the bared back. "Good morning," she whispered, feeling her lover waking. She was surprised to feel Crystal's body tense up. Suspecting her proximity was the cause, Laura shifted back to her side of the bed.

"Morning." Crystal rolled over, rubbing her eyes against the late afternoon sun. "What time is it?"

"Close to three." Laura maintained her distance, unsure if physical contact would be welcomed. "I um

I could make something to eat," she offered, giving Crystal an opening if she wanted it.

"If you want," Crystal said, looking from the rumpled white sheets to Laura and back again. "Not even a morning kiss?" she asked shyly, a touch of insecurity threading her voice.

Laura moved quickly, not about to deny the woman who had captured her heart anything. She poured her feelings into the kiss, trying her hardest to wash away any doubts or fears Crystal might have had. Cupping the young woman's cheeks in her hands, she gave once final peck before pulling back. "Let's try this again. Good morning."

"Good morning to you too," Crystal said, taking advantage of Laura's position to claim a cuddling spot. "Mmm, this is nice. Maybe I'll go back to sleep."

"I wouldn't mind," Laura said. "I like holding you." She paused. "I'm sorry if I spooked you before."

Crystal nodded, giving an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not used to waking up with someone touching me," she said, snuggling closer and burying her face in Laura's neck. "I mean, I like it when you touch me. It just took a few seconds to realize that it was you touching me." Laura rubbed her hand up and down the exposed back. "I understand. It'll just take some time." She kissed the top of Crystal's head. "And we've got plenty of time."

Crystal's head popped up. "Oh no we don't," she said, eyes wide. "It's Saturday, right?"

"Right."

"So we have to be at Patty's by six!" she exclaimed, trying to kick the sheets off. "We have to get ready."

Pulling Crystal back, Laura kissed her earlobe. "In a minute," she whispered, her right hand making small circles on the young woman's back. "I just want to hold you for a little while longer, all right?" She felt Crystal nod. It took only a few seconds to get settled into a comfortable position on the bed, Laura's back propped up with pillows while a blonde head rested against the writer's chest. "That's better," Laura said.

"Oh." Crystal's head came up, her eyes wide. "Did I do that?"

Laura looked down, seeing the oval bruises on her arm where Crystal's fingers had gripped just a little too tightly during a moment of passion last night. "I guess so," she said dismissively. "I bruise easy. Always have. Don't worry about it."

But Crystal was upset by the bruises, the sorrow evident on her face. "I didn't mean to do that," she said, kissing each discolored spot in apology. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Laura said. "They'll go away." Seeing that her words were not working, the writer tried another approach. "Crystal, you didn't hurt me, I swear. I didn't even notice they were there until you pointed them out to me."

"I won't do it again," Crystal promised, her blue eyes shining as she stared at the bruises, shame and guilt evident on her face. "It was an accident," Laura said gently but firmly, tilting the young woman's face toward hers. "I know you would never mean to hurt me." "Never," Crystal vowed adamantly.

"Just as I would never deliberately hurt you," the writer continued, letting her hand cup Crystal's cheek. "You mean too much to me." Leaning forward, she guided their mouths together, letting her kiss speak for her. Feeling Crystal's lips part, Laura delved in, ignoring the taste of stale cigarettes. She felt her own body responding to the feeling of Crystal's naked flesh pressing against her. Laura wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the softness of her lover's breasts, to hear Crystal call out her name, to simply love her. When she felt a leg pressing between her own, she knew they would not be getting out of the bed any time soon. Letting her desire come to the forefront, Laura broke off the breath stealing kiss and moved down, tasting the softness of Crystal's neck. "I want you," she whispered, pressing their hips together.