Lily was tired of pretending. “Upstairs,” she said, barely above a whisper.
Jack grinned. “Good choice. Put your arms around my neck.”
Lily did as she was told and whooped with surprise as Jack lifted her up in her arms. “What is this, a little Rhett-and-Scarlett action?” Lily laughed. “You’d better put me down. You’re gonna break your back.”
“Nah,” Jack said. “You weigh less than that damn dog of yours.”
Jack carried Lily up the stairs and dropped her on the bed. Patsy the cat, who had been snoozing on the quilt by the footboard, leaped from the bed and stalked off, offended.
Jack laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a reason to kick ole Patsy outta bed.” She looked down at Lily as she lay on the bed, and Lily felt her eyes on her almost as if they were hands. “So beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“And I even kinda like that dress. You know, I used to have a bad crush on my Sunday school teacher.” Jack sat on the side of the bed and pulled off her cowboy boots, then leaned over Lily and kissed her.
It had been so long since Lily had felt the weight of another woman on her, another body pressing into her own. Without even thinking, she wrapped her right leg around Jack’s waist.
“Mmm,” Jack purred. “Let me help you with that dress.” Slowly, methodically, Jack undid each button from calf to waist, then from neckline to waist. When Lily’s underwear had been cast aside, Jack said “beautiful” and leaned over her.
“Wait.” Lily had become suddenly aware that Jack was still wearing her coveralls, looking more like she was about to deliver a calf than make love. “Aren’t you gonna undress?”
“Oh, I forgot.” Jack stood up and unceremoniously shucked off her coveralls. She looked self-conscious for a moment, standing there in a white tank undershirt and a pair of plain white briefs. “The shirt, too?” she asked.
“Uh-huh.”
Jack pulled off the undershirt and stood before Lily, all rippling biceps and strong thighs. Her breasts were small and high, and her stomach was tautly muscled — not from the machines at a gym, but from hard work. “Wow,” Lily sighed.
“Ah, nothin’ special.” Jack’s freckled cheeks reddened— adorably, Lily thought.
“Are you kidding, woman? If you lived in Atlanta, you’d have to beat the dykes off with a softball bat. Come here.”
Lily shuddered as Jack’s skin met her own. Jack was a strong lover, skillful yet passionate. Her hands were everywhere, on Lily’s breasts, belly, thighs, stroking so many surfaces that Lily wondered if Jack had a couple of extra pairs of hands she kept hidden from view.
When Jack entered Lily, she took her quickly to orgasm, then waited inside her a few moments, and took her again. Lily clutched the headboard and bit the pillow to stop the scream that she felt building up in her throat. After her third climax, she gasped, “We’re gonna have to take it easy a minute. I think I’m losing brain cells here.”
Jack slowly withdrew her hand. “Well, why don’t we try this instead?” Jack threw the quilt over Lily’s naked body and burrowed under it until her head was between Lily’s thighs. Lily closed her eyes and sighed. For the first time since Charlotte’s death, her mind was clear and empty, and she gave herself over to pleasure. Her orgasm was beautiful and shattering, and tension drained from her eyes in the form of tears.
As Lily lay exhausted in Jack’s arms, she said, “Your turn.”
“Huh?”
“Your turn. You did me; now I do you.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. A lotta girls, I wear ’em out so bad, they pass right out.”
Lily smiled at Jack’s cockiness and slid on top of her. “Not this girl.” She pressed her lips to Jack’s and let her hands trail down her lean, muscular body.
As they lay holding each other, Jack said, “I wish you could stay the night. I’d make you breakfast again.”
“Peaches and coffee?”
“Mm-hm.”
“I’d love to stay, but you know I can’t.”
Jack grinned. “Gosh, you don’t think your husband suspects you’re a dyke, do you?”
Lily laughed. “I’d better get dressed.” She rose and walked across the room to retrieve her underwear. “How did my panties end up all the way over here?”
“Beats me.” Jack watched her dress. “Any chance we could maybe do this again?”
Lily buttoned her dress. “Well, I’m not in a position right now to make any promises, but yeah, I think maybe we could.”
Jack pulled on her underwear. “You know, don’t you, that I don’t just do this with any girl. I used to, but I don’t do it anymore unless it means something.”
“I know.” Lily looked at Jack, vulnerable in her underwear. She felt like she should say something else, but she couldn’t find the words.
Jack zipped up her coveralls. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
Downstairs, they kissed good night in the same place where earlier kisses had begun their evening.
“Wait. Don’t go yet.” Jack disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. When she came back, she pressed something soft and round into Lily’s hand. “Eat it when you wake up in the morning, and think about me.”