"We don't mean to interrupt," the other woman persisted, to Annelie's dismay. "But now that we already have, couldn't you make an exception? Just sign To Dolly here, on my receipt." She pushed a small piece of paper forward, holding out a pen.
Carolyn's voice was polite, but cold enough to make Annelie shiver. "Please, not now. Thank you."
The two women hesitated for a moment, but relented and left with sullen looks on their faces. Muttering between them, they stomped toward the door. Carolyn took a deep breath and then smiled toward Charlotta. "Now, where were we? Here, let me help you."
In awe, the others watched as Carolyn gently placed Charlotta's fingers in the correct position around the chopsticks, and the smile on the redhead's face broadened when she managed to grip a piece of salmon on her plate and bring it over to the soy sauce, dip it, and then pop it into her mouth. "I did it!"
Jem leaned closer to Annelie, lowering her voice. "Damn, did you see that? She just blows me away."
Annelie had yet to recover from Carolyn's reaction to the rude fans. Glancing around the table, she saw Kitty and Sam look at Carolyn with a new respect.
"Do you get that a lot?" Sam asked.
Carolyn shrugged. "Yes, unfortunately. It's a definite downside to fame. I try to always remember the fans and sign autographs whenever asked to. But I do have a rule. I want to eat in peace. Later, I'll sign any paper or photo they bring, but not now."
"I thought you handled it very well. You were more restrained than I could ever be," Jem said. "I'm impressed with how you slipped into the Carolyn-Black-the-diva role. You slipped out of it even faster."
Carolyn rolled her eyes. "The diva, huh? I guess it's second nature to me by now."
"I've never quite realized how fame can be," Charlotta remarked. "To be a household name and never enjoy complete anonymity like the rest of us."
Annelie felt a hand touch hers. Looking down, she interlaced her fingers with Carolyn's. Her first instinct when the two women approached her lover had been to protect her, but she had quickly realized Carolyn was much better equipped, and used to handling such situations. Squeezing the hand in hers, Annelie wanted to convey her empathy. The thumb rubbing the back of her hand suggested Carolyn understood.
***
"Let me undress you."
Annelie's eyes widened at the soft growl behind Carolyn's words. Her arms remained at her side as her lover began to unbutton her white cotton shirt. Slowly, but without hesitation, Carolyn unveiled bare skin covered only with a bra.
"You're exquisite." Carolyn looked at the trail of wine red lipstick marks she'd left on Annelie's pale collarbones. "Beautiful."
She nudged the shirt off Annelie's passive arms and watched it fall to the floor. Kneeling to pick it up, she changed her mind and unbuttoned the beige chinos instead. As she slid them down over voluptuous hips, she tugged at the panties underneath and removed them as well. Utterly exposed, Annelie closed her eyes, visibly trembling as she moved her feet and stepped out of her clothes.
Carolyn rose with the clothes in her hands, folding them with teasing slowness and placing them on the chair by the desk. She turned her attention back to Annelie, reached around her for the clasp, and removed her bra. Tossing it on the chair, she slowly rubbed Annelie's back, down over her bottom.
"Oh, so good…" she murmured. "And so mine…"
"Yes." Annelie's voice sounded weak.
"Come here, love." Carolyn guided her toward the bed. "Lie down and relax. I'll be back in a second."
Annelie obeyed, glad to be off her feet since her knees felt weak. She watched her lover walk into the bathroom, only to return a few minutes later, just as naked, carrying something in her hand.
"I have something for you," Carolyn murmured. "I think you're going to like it. You're so sensitive, so responsive. Yes. I definitely think you're going to like this, Annie."
Annelie looked at the item in Carolyn's hand—a white bottle of unknown origin. "What's that?"
"I used to burn badly in the sun, and this saved me. It still keeps my shoulders from burning to a crisp. Being out all afternoon in that tank top…you've burned your shoulders a bit."
"What's in it?"
"Herbs. Aloe vera mostly, but also another herb, very invigorating and…stimulating, you could say. It stings for a minute, but then it feels great. Trust me."
Carolyn opened the bottle and squeezed some of its contents into the palm of one hand, then rubbed it against the other. Moving onto the bed on her knees, she cupped Annelie's red shoulders and began to massage the cream into them.
At first it did sting, painfully so. Annelie was about to object when the pain turned into a tingling, soothing sensation. She moaned in pleasure as Carolyn spread the cream down her arms.
"There, I told you. Doesn't that feel good?"
Annelie could only nod. It felt better than good.
Carolyn took more cream into her hands, now massaging down Annelie's front, between her breasts toward her stomach.
"I'm not burned there," Annelie murmured, not really objecting.
"I know, but this'll feel good anyway."
She felt limp as Carolyn's soft hands rubbed the tingling cream into her stomach, down her hips, and along her legs. Unable to resist, she parted her legs to help Carolyn reach around them.
"Roll over. Let me do your back."
Annelie complied, moaning aloud when Carolyn's strong hands massaged more cream on her back. The sensation was everywhere, tingling, sparkling against her skin, enhancing the touch of the loving caresses.
"Roll over again." Carolyn's voice was throatier than usual, vibrating with desire.
Annelie turned onto her back, watching in anticipation how Carolyn took more cream and lowered her hands. She arched her back, striving to prolong the touch as Carolyn's hands cupped her breasts. The cream heated and chilled her nipples at the same time, making them impossibly hard. Loud whimpers broke from her throat as the intensity of the pleasure rose.
"Now, like this…" Carolyn put the bottle aside and moved on top of Annelie, placing kisses over her forehead and cheeks before hovering over her lips. "You drive me crazy, you know. Absolutely insane…" Finally a kiss, the one Annelie had been waiting for, hot and intense. She parted her legs, allowing Carolyn to settle between them. "You…only you…"
Annelie couldn't take it anymore. Needing release more than she ever had, she rolled them over on the king-size bed, lowering her head to Carolyn's breasts. She captured a nipple between her teeth, tugging at it only to soothe it with her tongue a moment later. Reaching down, she found the damp folds between Carolyn's legs and unceremoniously entered her when she felt the copious moisture there.
"Ah!" Carolyn clung to her, apparently quite willing to have them switch roles. "Yes…oh, yes…"
Rubbing her own swollen sex against Carolyn's thigh, Annelie pressed her fingers deeper, a thumb on the aching clitoris above, while lavishing open-mouth kisses from one breast to another.
"Oh, Carolyn…I need you so much…I love you." Her voice broke. "You make me want you so much."
"I'm yours. Yours to have. Yours to do anything you want to. Yours." Carolyn arched, wrapping one of her legs around Annelie. "Take me…"
The last words sent Annelie over the edge. Pressing herself hard against her lover, she flicked her thumb over Carolyn's drenched ridge of nerves. She was desperate for Carolyn to follow her into the depths of endless pleasure. Convulsing from her orgasm, she kept caressing the woman in her arms, determined to give her what she herself was feeling.