"I like that idea," Laura said, her hands moving to the button of Crystal's jeans.

"Me too," Crystal said, feeling the button of her jeans being undone while Laura's lips sought out her own. She moaned softly when she felt her jeans being lowered along with her underwear over her hips. Laura's hands squeezed and fondled her rear, sapping all strength from her legs. "I can't stand up any longer," she managed between the breath stealing kisses. They stayed together as Laura lowered her to the couch, the writer's warm body covering her own. Her legs pinned by the jeans still halfway up her thighs, Crystal began squirming to try and push them down.

"You're gonna knock me off the couch," Laura warned.

"I can't help it," she said, "I can't stand feeling trapped."

"Sorry," Laura said, rolling off and reaching for the waistband of the jeans. "Let me."

Crystal felt vulnerable as the last of her clothing was removed and she was left lying on the couch, naked to the daylight. Laura turned back from folding the clothes and knelt next to the couch. Looking up at her, Crystal knew now why her need to touch and be touched had been so strong. It was more than mere desire, it was the want, no, the need to connected in an intimate way with the person who held her heart. "I love you," she whispered, blinking away the sting of emotion in her eyes. Reaching up, she cupped Laura's cheek and guided her closer until their lips were only inches apart. No further urging was needed as Laura took control and closed the remaining distance.

The fear of being defenseless and exposed vanished under the loving kiss. Crystal felt the gentle touch of fingers caressing her abdomen, moving in ever growing circles while Laura's kisses continued to leave her breathless. Following the line of Laura's spine, she ran her fingers down the bare back until she reached the denim covered hips.

"Mmm," Laura hummed as she moved from Crystal's mouth to her jaw. "You're so beautiful

" Crystal could only arch into the gentle series of kisses down her throat, her body tingling with the realization of where those lips were headed. She moaned and squeezed the jean covered rear when Laura's roaming fingers found her triangle of curls. "So soft" the writer continued, touching Crystal's nipple with the tip of her tongue.

Crystal could only moan and squeeze Laura's rear harder while her other hand held her lover's mouth to her breast. "Oh God feels so good," she sighed.

"Mm hmm," Laura agreed, moving to the other breast. In the process, her own breast came within reach of Crystal's mouth and the young woman happily parted her lips to accept the gift being offered to her. Eyes closed, Crystal suckled heartily, her tongue flicking the hardened nipple between her teeth in a matching rhythm to the feelings on her own breast from Laura's mouth. Feeling Laura's hand on her thigh, Crystal parted her legs, letting her right foot rest on the floor. Raising her hips to urge Laura on, she was surprised to feel the breast she had been loving being pulled out of her mouth. Her protest died on her lips when she felt Laura's hand on her right knee, spreading her legs wider. "Oh Laura, yes," she said when Laura moved between her thighs and she realized what her lover intended. Soft kisses on her inner thighs teased her briefly before Laura's lips focused on her center. She jerked at the first touch of Laura's tongue on her outer folds, knowing she was about to be taken higher than any drug could ever hope to. It seemed that Laura was touching her everywhere; knowledgeable hands moving over her thighs, hips, and breasts, lips and tongue moving at a maddening pace over her most intimate area. Laura's tongue felt cool at first compared to her overheated center. Crystal's head lolled from side to side and she hooked her leg behind Laura's head as the writer's fingers began to tease and torment her nipples, squeezing in a matching rhythm to the strokes of the tongue brushing over her clitoris.

For endless minutes Laura took her spiraling upward until Crystal was certain she could go no higher. Laura's hand left her breast and moved down, around her hip and back over her thigh. Two fingers slipped smoothly inside, stealing Crystal's breath away as she found herself being taken higher still. When at last her world shattered away in a wave of pleasure, Crystal cried out Laura's name and clung helplessly as aftershocks throbbed through her. "Shh 's okay

I've got you," Laura murmured into her ear. There were other words but Crystal found it hard to concentrate on much more than the warmth and comfort of Laura's body against hers. It was a haven she had no interest in leaving. The first time Laura tried to pull back, she gripped tighter, silently conveying her need. Her hand moved over Laura's back, once again finding the waistband of the jeans.

"I can't believe you still have those on," she said, slowly moving out of Laura's embrace and into a sitting position.

"I was a little busy," Laura said, moving in for a quick kiss. "Oh, my knees are killing me."

"Maybe I should kiss them and make them better?" Crystal offered, putting her hands on Laura's elbows and standing up, bringing the writer with her. "Of course I can't do it through these," she said, tugging on the waistband. "They'll just have to come off." Slipping her hand between the denim and cotton, she pushed the jeans over Laura's hips.

"Oh they do, do they?" Laura asked, her hands moving restlessly over Crystal's back and shoulders. "What if I wasn't finished with you yet?" Crystal squeezed the panty covered bottom and rested her forehead on Laura's shoulder. "Damn woman," she huffed. "You're gonna kill me."

"I can't help it," Laura said, wrapping her arms around Crystal's back and squeezing their chests together. "I love touching you," she said, tipping Crystal's head down to kiss her brow.

Taking advantage of her position, Crystal began kissing Laura's throat, then down the writer's chest. "I love touching you too," she said as she lowered herself to her knees. "And right now I plan on touching you until you can't take it anymore." She pushed the jeans down to Laura's ankles, then offered her shoulders for her lover to lean on as first one leg, then the other came free. "Love the sensible white cottons but they've got to go too," she said, kissing the tuft of hair through the panties before pulling them down to join the jeans on the floor. A gentle push and Laura lying on the couch.

"The clothes," Laura said, reaching for the pile near Crystal's knees.

"Leave them," Crystal said, nudging Laura's knees apart.

"But"

"But nothing. In a minute you're not going to give a damn about where the clothes are," Crystal said. Bound and determined to win this little battle, she began running her fingertips up the inside of Laura's thighs. "For once, don't worry about it. Just lie back and feel." Then Crystal set out to give Laura plenty to feel, using her fingers, lips, everything at her disposal to send her lover to pinnacle once and then again, the crumpled clothes forgotten.

"Hey Doc," Crystal said when she opened the door. "Come on in. Laura's in the kitchen." She stepped back to let Jenny in. "Could it get any colder out there?"

"I hope this doesn't mean we're in for a brutal winter," Jenny said, shrugging off her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack next to the door. "You're going to have to trade in that denim jacket of yours for something warmer."

"You know how much a new jacket costs?" Crystal said, moving closer. "Do me a favor, okay?" she whispered. "Don't say anything about it to Laura."

"And just how long do you think she's going to let you get out the door in that thin thing?" Jenny asked in an equally low tone. "Hopefully at least two more weeks. I'm not going to have any extra money until then."

"Hey what are you two talking about in there?" Laura called from the kitchen.

"Don't worry, I'm not telling her all your secrets," Jenny said. "Besides, I'm sure she knows all your bad habits by now."

"Just about," Laura said, moving into the doorway between the kitchen and living room. "Who knows, she might just break me of one or two. Miracles are known to happen."

"You mean someday I'll stop in and find a dust bunny under the couch?" Jenny asked.

"Well let's not push it," Laura said, wiping her hands on her apron. "But I've been convinced it's not a crime to let the clothes go unfolded after I've taken them off."

Jenny looked from Laura to Crystal. "You're kidding."

"Nope," Crystal interjected proudly.

"She caught me at a weak moment," Laura added in her own defense.

"Must have been some moment," Jenny said, patting Crystal on the shoulder. "Now try getting her to go to bed and leave a dish in the sink." "Never happen," Laura said confidently.

"Ah ah ah," Jenny wagged her forefinger. "You forget, don't you?"

Laura gave her a confused look for a few seconds before the memory surfaced. "Oh."

"As I recall you got up in the middle of the night and washed them but I still count it as a victory," Jenny said, her posture relaxed and comfortable, not at all the body swirling with emotions that Crystal had seen at the end of her last session with the therapist. She had asked but Laura said little about the conversation with Jenny, only that she thought it went well. If Jenny's turnabout was any indication, their meeting was a total success as far as Crystal could see. Still there were questions that she needed answered before she would be totally convinced things were completely all right between the three of them.

"Hey Doc, I'm going to have a smoke before the guys get here. Come out and keep me company?" Crystal said, moving toward the sliding glass door without waiting for an answer. As she had expected, Jenny followed her out to the deck, sliding the door closed behind her. "Yes?" Jenny asked expectantly.

Crystal pulled her cigarettes from her pocket and lit one. "So," she said, moving so the smoke blew away from where Jenny was standing. "We still on for our regular sessions?"

"Of course," Jenny said.

"Good." Crystal turned away and concentrated on the blue smoke trailing from the end of the cigarette. "I was worried, you know." "About?" Jenny prodded.

"I was worried you wouldn't want to help me anymore because I'm involved with Laura," Crystal said, shaking her head. "Hell, for a while there I was even worried that you'd try and get her back."

"I would never do that," Jenny said, leaning against the rail and staring out at the leafless trees mixed with pines. "Laura and I just had some unresolved issues, that's all."

"Uh huh," Crystal said. "And they're completely resolved now, right?"

"For the most part," Jenny said.

"You're the one who's always telling me that change doesn't happen overnight," Crystal said, taking another drag off her cigarette.

Jenny turned and gave her a knowing smile. "You know I hate it when my own words are used against me." She paused. "But it's true. Laura and I have a significant history together and it's hard for me to see her with someone else." She moved closer to Crystal. "But I also want her to be happy and she's made it clear that to her, that means being with you."

"Do you think we have a chance?" Crystal asked, nervously flicking her ashes into the wind.

"It doesn't matter what I think," Jenny said.

"It does to me," Crystal said firmly, walking over to the table and extinguishing the cigarette in the ashtray.

"Do I think you two have a chance to make this relationship work? Absolutely," Jenny said. "Do I think it's going to be easy? No. It's going to take a lot of sacrifices and compromises to make it work but if you love each other enough, it'll be worth it. Now can we go inside? It's freezing out here."

"Yeah," Crystal said. She took a step toward the door, then stopped. "Hey Doc?"

"Yes?"

"You know

I thought I was so messed up that no one would ever want to be with me much less that I would fall in love." Crystal looked down at the deck, pausing to find the right words. "But

I see things differently than I did four months ago. I've

I've"

"Grown?" Jenny offered.

Crystal shrugged. "I guess so. What I'm trying to say is this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you."

Jenny moved closer. "It was all you, my friend," she said, poking Crystal with her forefinger. "I'm not the reason for your change, I'm just the one who helped you to see that change was possible. Remember, you're the one that came to me looking for help. You took that first step. Now" She put her hands on Crystal's shoulders. "Let's go before I freeze to death out here."