Ginny probably had not even looked past the sex to think about what her future would hold. She was young. She had plenty of time to play the field, to sample the water, to experiment. And she would meet someone with her same interests, someone who she could think about building a future with and then maybe she would choose to tell Louise, who might join in her happiness eventually.

"What are you thinking?" Ginny whispered as Kara’s mouth stilled.

Kara looked into her eyes, searching for answers, but finding only desire, desire for her. Her expression softened and she drew Ginny close, touching her lips again.

"Just thinking," she murmured against her lips.

Ginny smiled. "Don’t think so much, then." She pushed Kara back boldly, fitting her body on top of hers. "Let me make love to you. You still want that, don’t you?"

Doesn’t she know? Can’t she see how it is with me? Kara clasped her face between her hands. "I want that very much."

She closed her eyes as Ginny’s lips moved softly across her face, covering each eye in turn, nipping gently at her neck, whispering into her ear and Kara lost herself completely under those softly demanding lips.

She felt Ginny’s soft hair spray out across her breasts and she put her hands there, her fingers combing it away from Ginny’s face.

Ginny’s mouth covered her breast and Kara was conscious of how very slowly Ginny was loving her tonight. There was no urgency in her touch, only the sweet certainty that she knew how to touch Kara and she knew what Kara wanted. Oh, and she did. Kara’s body responded to her gentle touches, moving against her hands, pressing into her hips.

Ginny’s mouth came back to hers, tracing Kara’s lips with her tongue, boldly sucking her lower lip into her mouth. Kara moaned, taking Ginny’s tongue inside, sucking her in deeper.

"I can’t get enough of you," Ginny whispered against her mouth. "I can’t get close enough." She pressed her body to Kara’s, their breasts smashed together, hips joined.

Kara’s hands molded Ginny to her, caressing her rounded hips, squeezing her softness. "Come inside me," Kara urged.

Ginny’s hand moved between their joined bodies and her breath stilled when she touched her. So wet. Her fingers pushed through, letting Kara surround them with her warmth. She moved deeper into her, pulling out, then back in again, harder this time, moving her hips against her hand, against Kara.

"Yes, like that," Kara whispered.

Ginny’s body shuddered as her hips rocked against Kara, her fingers moving deep inside her, touching her core. She had never felt such intimacy, such a joining of souls before. Their breath mingled and joined, as their bodies did and Ginny covered Kara’s mouth, taking her release into her mouth as Kara cried out, holding Ginny’s fingers deep inside her.

Kara’s hands trembled as she touched Ginny’s face, wiping the perspiration from her brow. She was so certain of her love for this woman that she nearly cried, knowing that she could not have her. Not yet.

"Kara," Ginny whispered, words of love crowding her brain, but she couldn’t find the courage to speak any of them, to utter them out loud. She was still afraid. She was afraid that Kara would not want to hear them. She was afraid that all Kara wanted between them was this, this wonderful lovemaking that they shared.

Their eyes met as they both struggled with their feelings. Kara shielded hers, afraid Ginny would see too much.

"Let me love you," Kara whispered.

"Yes."

Kara kissed her tenderly, lightly brushing her lips. "Lay back," she urged and Ginny moved over, her head touching the pillow, waiting for Kara’s mouth to return to hers.

Kara’s kiss turned passionate; hot and demanding when Ginny took her tongue inside. Her knee pressed between Ginny’s leg and she knelt between her parted legs, her mouth going to her breasts; her nipples hard and erect and she took one into her mouth, sucking the tip inside, drawing Ginny into her.

She wanted to wait. She wanted to go slow, to love Ginny with the same tenderness that Ginny had shown her. But she lost her resolve when her hand touched Ginny, when her fingers brushed her. She wanted her mouth there, always.

She slid between Ginny’s legs, her hands pushing her thighs apart and Kara lowered her mouth to her, sighing contentedly when her tongue moved through her wetness. Ginny surged up to meet her and Kara buried her face in her, her cheeks coated with her wetness. She felt Ginny’s legs wrap around her shoulders and she took her into her mouth, sucking hard, pushing against her with a desire so strong it shook her to her very core.

"God, Kara," Ginny murmured, stroking her head, pushing her face closer against her. "Yes…"

Ginny’s hips moved against Kara’s face, her thighs opening wider, wanting Kara inside her. Oh Lord, but what this woman did to her. If their lovemaking lasted a lifetime, she would never tire of this. She knew no one could ever make her feel this way.

Kara’s tongue moved over her, then deep inside her. She listened to Ginny’s sharp breathing, felt her hands clutch her face, felt her pleasure. When Ginny’s hips arched and stilled, Kara was not nearly ready for this to end. She brought her fingers to Ginny, joining her mouth and Ginny cried out her name, pressing Kara hard against her and her spasms shook Kara like never before. She took her into her mouth and felt her throb against her tongue, then let herself be pulled from her, to be enfolded in soft arms.

"Dear God, but you drive me crazy when you do that," Ginny said into her ear.

Yes. It nearly drove her crazy to have her mouth there, to feel Ginny pulse against her tongue. But what if? What if there were any number of women out there who could give Ginny as much pleasure? Kara had never thought of herself as an exceptional lover before. But with Ginny, she was different. She wanted to please her. She didn’t care about herself. She wanted Ginny to find the fulfillment that she had never had before.

"Kara?"

"Hmmm?"

"What’s wrong?" Ginny asked gently. "Your eyes… you look sad."

Kara buried her head in Ginny’s neck, smelling the light perfume she had sprayed that morning. "Nothing," she murmured.

Ginny lifted Kara’s head and searched her eyes, trying to read them. What was it? Was it Phil? Was it something else? Was she not satisfied with Ginny? Did she need more?

"Kara, what do you feel when I make love to you?"

"What do you mean?" Kara asked.

"I mean… is it good enough? Do I satisfy you?" she asked softly.

Kara smiled and drew Ginny to her lips. "You are a beautiful lover. The best. Haven’t I told you that?"

Had she told Marsha that, too? Did she tell all her lovers that? Was Ginny just one more in a line of many? She was consumed with jealousy at the thought of other women loving Kara, touching her the way that Ginny did. Had they fallen in love with her, too? Ginny kissed her possessively, knowing she was trying to make Kara forget all her other lovers, all those that had come before her. Could she chase them from her mind?

"What?" Kara asked.

"I haven’t had nearly enough," Ginny said and she pushed Kara back, taking her breast, trying to possess her.

"You haven’t?" Kara asked with a chuckle.

"Not nearly," Ginny murmured against her breast before she moved lower, needing to love Kara with her mouth, needing to show her how much she needed her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IT WAS NEARLY dawn when she got home, exhausted. They had not slept. She hadn’t wanted to. When Kara had finally fallen asleep, Ginny left her, brushing her cheek lightly with her lips, whispering words of love to her sleeping form.

She had not been able to tell her, of course. She had been afraid of Kara’s response. Kara, who had had many lovers, had probably heard the words many times before. What would her reaction be? Would she be amused?

Ginny showered, hearing Nana in the kitchen and she thought of Nana’s reaction, should she guess that Ginny had fallen in love with a woman. She would be devastated. Nana could never understand.

"When did you finally get home?" Nana asked as she handed a cup of coffee from the espresso machine.

"Late."

"Must have been. You look tired," she said, watching her.

Ginny nodded, sipping from her coffee.

"Phil called," she said.

Ginny let out her breath slowly, wondering what in the world he could have to say. "And?"

"Ginny, I just don’t understand you. The man is heartbroken," Nana said.

"Nana, please," Ginny said, shaking her head.

"Maybe you were hasty, Ginny. Maybe you need to think about this," she said.

"I’ve thought about it for the last nine months, Nana."

"But what will you do? Living out here with me," she said, motioning to the windows. "I won’t be around for ever. Then what? What will you have? No husband, no babies," she said.

Ginny thought Nana was near tears and she went to her and hugged her. "Nana, please don’t worry about me. I know you just want me to be happy. But, right now, this is what I want."

Nana let out a great sigh. "I don’t understand women today," she said. "Kara, for instance. Thirty-four and alone. Why must you be so independent? There’s nothing wrong with having a man to take care of you," she said.

"I’m not going to get married just to have someone take care of me, Nana. I can do that myself," she said gently.

"I’m worst than a mother, aren’t I?"

Ginny smiled. "I wouldn’t know," she said.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…"

"Nana, I’ve always felt closer to you than to her. You know that."

Nana touched her cheek and smiled. "I’m sorry, child. I’ll leave you alone about Phil. You know what’s best," she said.

"Thank you."


Kara packed her few things, shoving them blindly into her bag. She didn’t have much. Most of her clothes were still at the cottage. She had already loaded her paintings, packing them carefully in the back of the Land Cruiser.

Going to see Ginny was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done. But she must, she told herself. She couldn’t stay here for the next few months and continue this affair with Ginny as if they had a future together. She had to give Ginny some time. Some time to discover herself. Some time to adjust to her new life and to figure out what she wanted from it. To figure out if this was what she wanted.

But she was hurting. She couldn’t deny that. She had fallen so deeply in love with Ginny that she felt as if she were cutting out her own heart by leaving. But better now, then two months down the road, when Ginny came to her senses and realized that Kara wasn’t the only woman out there.

And maybe later, after they had both had some time, Ginny might decide that Kara could make her happy in the long run. She might want to have a future with Kara. Kara closed her eyes, envisioning living out here with Ginny, waking up with her every morning, building a life together. Then she slowly shook her head. Did she really believe that would happen?

Ginny was only twenty-eight. She would meet someone younger, someone with her own interests, someone to make her forget about Kara and her summer of discovery.

Leave now and save face, she thought, shoving her clothes hastily into her bag. In a few hours, she would be safely back at the cottage, away from Ginny. She would have time to mend, time to heal her broken heart. Marsha’s leaving couldn’t even compare to the pain she was feeling now, she knew. Marsha, who she had spent six years with, had left her so quietly that Kara hadn’t even known she was gone.

But Ginny, she thought. Ginny would rip her heart out without even knowing it.


Ginny looked up as the bell jingled, like she always did. She smiled, surprised to see Kara at the store. But her smile faded when she saw the sadness in Kara’s blue eyes. She went to her, unmindful of Nana watching.

"What is it?" she asked, stopping a mere foot in front of her.

"I’m… leaving," Kara said. "For awhile."

"Leaving?"

"Hello, Kara," Nana said, walking up to them.

Kara pulled her eyes away from Ginny and forced a smile to her face. "Hello, Louise. I came to say goodbye," she said.

"Goodbye?"

"I’m going to Seattle. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone," she said. "So I wanted to stop by."