Winter's Role, page 23
Stephanie felt her mouth go dry. Never taking her eyes off Jessie, she said quietly, “Jess…I trust you completely, Baby. I swear, if anything you do scares me I’ll tell you right away.”
“Then you’re okay with this?” She picked up the scarf and caught one of Stephanie’s hands, slowly wrapping the scarf around the wrist. “I don’t want to bring back any bad memories for you.”
“You won’t, Sweetheart. I want this,” Stephanie answered breathlessly, holding her hands out for Jessie to do with as she pleased. As she waited for Jessie to tie her hands together, she realized that she did, indeed, want this. She’d never been tied up before, but she had always wanted to try it. After Bob, well…she wasn’t so sure. Still…with Jessie, she felt safe and loved. It would be okay.
Jessie leaned in and kissed her slowly. “I love you,” she whispered reassuringly, as she carefully moved both of Steph’s arms behind her back, tying them together. Then, satisfied that she couldn’t break free too easily, she grabbed the bandana. Kissing Stephanie again, she wrapped the bandana around her eyes and tied it so that she couldn’t see. Now blindfolded and hands tied behind her back, Jessie led her into the recording booth. Shutting the door behind them, she stopped and stared at Stephanie for a moment. She marveled at the fact that Steph trusted her so much and felt an unwanted tear slip from her eye. Blinking rapidly, she wiped at her eyes and then reached over to trail her hand lightly over Steph’s belly. When Stephanie quivered at her touch, she slowly slid her hands down her hips, taking the jeans and panties with them.
“Step forward, Baby,” Jessie said, holding onto Steph’s arm as she followed her directions, stepping out of the jeans and underwear. “Now, I want you to sit down.”
Stephanie took two steps backward with Jessie’s help and sat down, expecting a cold metal chair. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to feel soft material under her. Jessie had apparently moved an upholstered chair into the small room since she’d been here last. Then, Jessie was on her knees between her legs, pushing her back to recline in the chair.
“Spread your legs,” Jessie said, pushing her legs open wide as she spoke. Turning, she ran her tongue from Steph’s left knee up the inside of her thigh and back down to her knee again. Repeating the process on the other leg, she grinned when the other woman thrust her hips forward. “Not yet, Baby. I want you wet and begging for it,” she said, looking up at Stephanie, who was biting her lower lip and panting.
Hands on her hips, Jessie leaned forward and began placing tiny kisses on Stephanie’s stomach. The truth was, Stephanie was already so wet, she was practically dripping. In order to prolong this for as long as she could, Jessie moved away from where she knew Steph wanted her. Instead, she spent copious amounts of time rubbing her own breasts against Steph’s body and sucking first one and then the other of her breasts into her mouth and swirling her tongue around her nipples until it seemed Steph would hyperventilate. Then, when it looked like Stephanie couldn’t take any more, Jessie began alternately kissing and biting her neck.
Under her hands, Stephanie was writhing in the chair, moaning and begging Jessie to just finish her. When she noticed the stomach muscles quivering, Jessie slid down onto her knees between Steph’s legs again. Again, she licked from Stephanie’s right knee up to the neatly trimmed patch of hair between her legs. Then, she repeated the process with the left leg. This time, when she reached Steph’s center, she slid a finger inside and Stephanie’s hips bucked forward.
Practically crying, and unable to take anymore, Stephanie was begging for Jessie to finish her. When she finally slid one finger inside, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Jessie, please! Please, Jess…more. More, Baby.” Jessie complied, sliding another finger into her. This time however, she added her tongue into the mix and Stephanie moaned loudly. Writhing uncontrollably as Jessie continued to thrust in and out, Stephanie felt her muscles contracting and she came hard when Jess finally clamped down on the bundle of nerves at her center with her mouth.
Jessie stayed put, loving Stephanie with every ounce of her being until she was completely worn out. When Steph finally stopped jerking spasmodically and started to breathe a little easier, Jessie reached up and pulled her forward into her arms. Holding her tight, she used one hand to untie the scarf binding her hands together. Then, she pulled Stephanie out of the chair and onto the floor so that she could hold her.
Stephanie fell into Jessie’s arms, exhausted and totally satiated. She had never experienced anything like that before. When Jessie pulled the bandana off her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her into a searing kiss. “Thank you. My God…That was…My God, that was good, Baby. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Sweetheart.” Jessie swept the long hair back behind one ear and kissed Stephanie again, holding her tight.
An hour later, they were lying on a blanket on the floor of the studio. Stephanie, completely full of Jessie’s love and pleasantly sore, was playing with her hair. When Jessie took in a deep breath and sighed, she looked directly into the blue eyes. “Are you okay, Jess?”
“I’m fine. Ecstatic, in fact. Nothing makes me happier than being with you.”
Stephanie sat up slightly and looked at the clock on the wall. Cringing slightly, she said, “Geez, we’ve been down here for a while. We should probably head upstairs, just in case Tommy wakes up.”
Jessie smiled and caressed her cheek with one hand. “Okay, but we should probably pull our clothes on first.”
Stephanie looked down at both of them, naked as the day they were born, and laughed. “You’re probably right. I don’t want to traumatize Tommy by walking through the house naked.”
“I doubt you’d traumatize him. But it would certainly cause him to set the standard pretty high when it came to finding a woman for himself as beautiful as you.” She leaned over and kissed her passionately. “You’re the most gorgeous, sexy woman I’ve ever met.”
“And you’ve got to be the most silver-tongued woman I’ve ever met,” Stephanie said, rolling her eyes and returning the kiss. “But I love you for it. Before we go though, I wanted to make sure that you’re okay with this.”
“This?”
Stephanie reached over and tucked a lock of dark hair behind Jessie’s ear. “Jess, I know you don’t care for the term ‘fuck.’ I don’t know why, and I won’t ask. You don’t need to explain anything to me. I just don’t want to push you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable. Promise me that you’ll tell me if I ever ask for more than you can give?”
Jessie shook her head and kissed her tenderly. “There is nothing that you could ask for that I wouldn’t give, or die trying to, anyway. What happened between us tonight…what we did? That was beautiful. I…Thank you, for trusting me.”
“I’ve always trusted you. I know you would never do anything to hurt me.”
“Logically, I know that. But…” she was struggling to find the right words to explain how she felt. Why was it so hard? Taking a deep breath, she finally said quietly, “You let me blindfold you and tie you up. After what Bob did to you…Well…that couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Stephanie smiled. “What Bob did is in the past. To be honest, I don’t even think about that any more. Not much, anyway. And it was you that helped me through that. The way you held me and made love to me that night…” She fell silent, watching Jessie lying next to her. Chewing on her lower lip briefly, she finally asked, “You umm…you wouldn’t think less of me if I told you that I really, really enjoyed what we did tonight, would you?”
Jessie sat up and looked at her. With a slightly confused look on her face, she answered her as honestly as she could. “I could never think less of you. My God…” Her face flushing a bit in embarrassment, she went on. “I was the one who tied you up. If anything, I was kind of worried it was a little too much for you.”
Stephanie shook her head in amazement. Then she sat up and pulled Jessie to her. “Oh, Jess. Too much? While I’ll admit I’ve never been tied up or blindfolded before, I was so turned on.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Because that was the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Jessie stated. “Jesus, if you could only see how gorgeous you looked…spread wide and so wet. God, I love you.”
“Well,” Stephanie said, releasing her and standing up. Holding a hand out, she pulled Jessie off the floor. “Maybe I’ll return the favor some time? I love it when I know you’re wet and waiting just for me.”
Twenty minutes later, they had straightened up the studio, returning the blanket to the guest bedroom and blowing out the candles. Making sure they were dressed, they made their way quietly, hand in hand through the darkened house. Stopping by the living room to check on Tommy, they were reassured to see that he was still asleep. Still holding hands, they made it back to the bedroom. Changing into their usual sleeping attire, they threw back the covers and crawled into bed, falling asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter 18
They had only been back in LA for three days, when Linda called. Kate’s mother was doing better, and they were planning on arriving in LA on Friday. “Would it be okay with you, if we came by and picked Tommy up on the way home from the airport?” Linda asked.
“Sure. My place is on the way, so it would be easier for you. Unless, of course, you’d like to have some time together before you pick him up. Jessie and I wouldn’t mind if he stays another night. We could bring him home on Saturday, if you want?”
Linda thought about it for a minute, before answering. “That’s okay. Thanks anyway, but we both miss him. It’s been almost three weeks already, and we don’t want to take advantage.”
Stephanie accepted her answer easily. “Okay well, we’ll be expecting you and Kate on Friday, then. We’ll have dinner ready when you get here, so you don’t have to eat out.”
Linda sighed with relief. “Thanks, Steph. You think of everything.”
“Would you like to talk to Tommy?”
“Yeah, if he’s not too busy,” Linda answered. They’d actually talked to him every day since they’d left for Texas, but she and Kate still missed him terribly.
“I’ll get him for you. He’s out back with Jessie, having a karate lesson,” Stephanie said, heading out the back door onto the deck. When Tommy arrived to take the phone from her, she said goodbye to Linda and let him take over the phone.
Jessie had come up on the deck too, grabbing her water bottle and taking a drink. “They on their way home?”
Stephanie nodded, a little sad at the realization that her time with Tommy was almost over. “Yeah. Kate’s mom is doing better. She’s home from the hospital now, and her dad’s able to take care of her on his own. Kate managed to convince him that they could use the help of a home health care nurse to make things easier, though.”
“Good idea,” Jessie said, taking a seat in one of the padded deck chairs. “I’m glad she’s doing better.”
“Yeah,” Stephanie agreed, though it sounded only half-hearted to Jessie’s ears.
“Hey,” Jessie said, getting her attention. “He’s had a great time with us. You’ll get to see him again soon.”
“I know,” she smiled back. “I’ve just…really enjoyed this. I was almost afraid to be a mother again. And you’ve been so good with him.”
“Well, we can always have our own, you know?” Jessie said, reaching out and taking hold of her hand.
“I know…” Stephanie trailed off, chewing at her lower lip. “I just…well, I don’t think now would be a good time.” She really didn’t feel like getting into a discussion about the two completely different lives they were leading. Everything was great right now, but after the holidays, they’d both go back to work and they wouldn’t see much of each other again. She loved Jessie, but as long as they were living apart, there was no way she could think about having kids together.
“Mmm,” Jessie said noncommittally, nodding. “Because of our schedules.” She knew what Steph meant. She also knew that it was her fault that Stephanie felt that way but she couldn’t do anything about it right this moment. Shaking off her mood before it got too dark, she stood up. “Come on. Let’s go inside and get started on dinner.”
* * * *
The next two weeks were spent in a dizzying flurry of activity for both women. Between Stephanie’s co-stars and friends, they had been invited to no less than four different parties over the next two weeks. There was also the matter of celebrating the holiday with JD. He had insisted on seeing them before Christmas, and they’d made sure to fit him in, as well. There was one party in particular that Stephanie wanted to get to, and they made sure to make that one a priority. One of the first movies she’d been in had been produced by David Metcalf and they had become good friends over the years. So when he sent an invitation to his Christmas party, she couldn’t think of any reason why she would miss it. She’d actually been thinking of him a lot in the past few months, and couldn’t wait to see him.
They pulled up to the producers’ house in the Hollywood foothills and Jessie left the keys to Stephanie’s Lexus with the valet attendant parking the cars. Stephanie took her hand then and led her into the party. She was nervous, though she wasn’t sure why, and she knew Jessie could feel her hand shaking as they walked through the door. Relieved when she spotted the open bar, she led Jessie over.
Jessie placed their drink order with the bartender and watched Stephanie as they waited. She heard someone call Steph’s name, and turned to see David Metcalf walking towards them, his arms outstretched. She noticed that Stephanie seemed to relax immediately when David pulled her into a hug when he was close enough and kissed her on each cheek for good measure. “Stephanie! I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Merry Christmas, David!” she replied, returning the greeting. “It’s been a while.”
“It has,” he agreed. “So, how are things? I’ve been hearing a lot about you, recently.”
She caught Jessie’s hand and pulled her close. “Things are great. I’m sure you’ve heard the news?”
“That you’re gay and dating…Jessie, isn’t it?” he said, stretching a hand out in greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Metcalf,” Jessie said, shaking his hand firmly.
“It’s David. And I’m very glad to meet you. Stephanie and I go way back and I’m glad to see she’s finally decided to be herself. And, she’s found someone who makes her happy.”
“Well, thanks,” Jessie said in reply. “I’m glad I make her happy, too. She’s the best thing to ever come into my life, that’s for sure. I wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your work, by the way. Your last movie was fantastic!”
“Thanks! Hey, why don’t you two come on out to the patio and we can talk. Stephanie…I might have some work lined up for you, if you’re interested?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “I want to hear all about it,” she said, catching Jessie’s hand and following him toward the patio.
The patio was crowded too, but it wasn’t quite as loud as inside the house, making it easier for them to hear each other. Grabbing some chairs, David waited until both women were seated before taking his own seat. “So, you finally came out to the world? I never thought you would.”
Stephanie shrugged. “I got tired of living behind lies. Well…that, and the fact that I wasn’t about to ask Jessie to live in the closet with me.”
He nodded sagely. “A wise decision. It’s tiring, pretending all the time.”
Jessie looked at him a little more closely as she listened to their conversation. She hadn’t realized that he was gay. Truth be told, she’d never thought about it before. “You sound like you know,” she said to him, taking a drink of her Vodka.
“It was a long time before I finally quit trying to hide who I am. As a matter of fact,” he took a drink from his own glass. “I tried to encourage Stephanie years ago to come out. She just wouldn’t be convinced.” He smiled at both of them.
“It wasn’t the right time, David. You know Joanie would have killed me if I’d done that,” Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. This was an old conversation for them.
“I know. But she never appreciated how hard it is to live a lie. But, it looks like she finally gave in…or did you finally fire her?” He had never cared for the overbearing woman, but he did agree that she was good at her job.
“She’s still around. We just…came to an understanding,” Stephanie said mysteriously.
“I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation,” he said, setting his drink down.
“So…you said something about some work?” Stephanie said, changing the subject as smoothly as possible. She really didn’t feel like talking about Joanie tonight.
“I did. Actually, it’s a lead part…An indie film.”
Stephanie’s brow rose a little. “Really?”
“Yeah, like I said, it’s a lead role. Nothing that will win you an Oscar or anything, but I think you’ll like it.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. She had never expected to win any big awards, so it didn’t really matter. She just wanted to work. “What’s the part?” she asked, curious.
“A musician. Up and coming rock singer… troubled background…unknowingly gets involved with her stalker.” He stopped and waited for her reaction.
Stephanie didn’t need to think too long, about the offer. She’d never portrayed a musician before. But she could certainly understand the character. She looked over at Jessie, who was still sitting next to her, silently watching them and drinking her Vodka. A slight tilt of Jessie’s head was all she needed to see, and a slow smile spread across her face. “I’d love to do it, David. Thanks for thinking of me.”
“My pleasure.” He looked at Jessie. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re a musician, Jessie. Is that true?”
“It is.”
