“Yes, sir.”

  “That should do it for me. I’ll be in touch if we find them.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this.”

  She walked him to the door and bid him good day, then went back up to her mother’s room. She found Sarah sitting by the window, staring out over the plantation while her mother slept.

  “I thought she was feeling better this morning,” Katie said.

  “She’s still weak. She’ll have days where she feels stronger, but I’m afraid that doesn’t mean she’s getting better.”

  Katie didn’t appreciate her negativity. “So you’ll just be here if she needs you?”

  “That’s correct. I’ll track her fever and see to it she gets nourishment and liquids. It won’t do for you to be in here where you can catch this.”

  “But you can catch it. Why do you do this?”

  “It’s what I love. I love caring for people.”

  “Surely you must have a family who worries about you spending all your time with the ill.”

  “I’m a spinster, Katie. I’ve no one waiting for me at home. This is what I do.”

  Katie’s opinion softened. “Thank you for taking care of Mama. Did y’all get acquainted while I was downstairs?”

  “We had a nice visit. She didn’t know we’ll have a new president, so we talked a little about that and about goings-on in the city.”

  “Who’s president?”

  “Abraham Lincoln. I declare, I don’t know how you hadn’t heard.”

  “We don’t get away from here much.”

  “Bless your heart. You certainly have a lot on your young shoulders, Katie. I’m quite happy to be able to share the burden of your mother’s care. At least with me here, you won’t have to wait on her hand and foot. She knows you can’t be in here, so you mustn’t feel guilty. You tend to your business and I’ll tend to her. Sound fair?”

  “I don’t know that I can stay away from her.”

  “I don’t expect you never to see her. Just not often. Trust me, it’s for the best. For now, why don’t you go take some time for yourself? You’ve earned it.”

  Katie left the room feeling like she was abandoning her mother. She went to her room and lay down, the events of the past week running through her mind.

  She rolled over and clutched her pillow to her chest, missing Corrine so much it hurt. She needed her strength to lean on and her body to enjoy. She wondered if Corrine was any closer to a plan for getting them back together. She didn’t think she could bear another minute away from her.

  It felt like the world was crumbling around her, and all she wanted was to lie in Corrine’s arms and have her tell her that everything would be fine. She didn’t want to be responsible for running the house and finding the Flanagans and caring for her mother all by herself. Sarah had instructed her to do something for herself. She could think of only one thing that was truly for her.

  She sneaked into her father’s room and helped herself to some shirts. She pulled a suitcase from under her bed and placed two pairs of riding breeches and the shirts in it. She opened her dressing table and removed the false bottom from a drawer. She found the money she’d been saving and put it in a handbag. She went downstairs and found Jacques in the kitchen talking to Maddy.

  “Jacques, go hitch the carriage. I need you to drive me into town.”

  Jacques did as he was instructed, and soon Katie was on her way to New Orleans, the first step of her journey.

  She arrived just in time and had Jacques stop the carriage on the landing by the large steamboat. She had him wait until she had her ticket purchased and had boarded the boat, then she sent him off with a wave.

  She sat quietly, suitcase on her lap, avoiding the curious stares of fellow travelers. She hadn’t considered how it would look to be traveling alone. More than once, she was approached by unsavory characters leering at her and hinting at services they hoped she provided.

  The trip seemed to last forever, and she was relieved when she finally disembarked in Baton Rouge. It was early morning, but the dock was already alive. Men were loading ships and smoking tobacco and watching her. She held her head high and marched to the closest coach for hire.

  “Do you know of the office of a Miss Corrine Staples?” she asked the driver.

  “I do. Climb in.”

  He dropped her off in front of a small house with a shingle in front announcing Staples Bookkeeping. She stood on the darkened front step and pounded on the door as hard as she could.

  *

  Corrine was tossing and turning, as was her norm of late. She’d had erotic dreams of Katie again and woke aroused and lonely. She heard the horse outside and was perplexed at the pounding on her door.

  She peered out the window and couldn’t believe her eyes. She threw the door open and grabbed Katie in a tight hug.

  “What are you doing here?” She finally moved Katie back so she could look at her.

  Katie burst into tears. “I can’t do it by myself, Cori. I need you.”

  “Aw, sweetheart, I wish I could be there for you.” She pulled her close again. “How did you get away? What did your mother say?”

  Katie sobbed harder, so Corrine stopped asking questions and just held her while she cried.

  When Katie had calmed a bit, Corrine grabbed her suitcase and led her into her living room. They sat on the couch, and Corrine put her arm around Katie. “Now then, that’s enough with the tears.”

  Katie started crying again. “You don’t understand. I miss you and they took Spirit and Mama’s going to die.”

  Corrine set Katie an arm’s length away. “I miss you, too, Katie. More than you could know. But what’s this about Spirit, and what on earth do you mean Della’s going to die?”

  In between sobs, Katie said, “They left in the middle of the night and they took Spirit.”

  “Who did, sweetheart?”

  “The Flanagans.”

  “Good riddance, I say. Though I’m sorry to hear about Spirit. Now about your mother?”

  “Oh, Cori!” She sobbed uncontrollably again.

  Fear gripped Corrine, and she pulled Katie close again, as much for her own comfort as Katie’s.

  When Katie could speak, she pulled away from Corrine and held her hands. “Mama has consumption. Dr. Logan says she’s going to die.”

  “Then what are you doing here? Please don’t misunderstand. I’m very happy to see you. But shouldn’t you be tending to Della?”

  “Dr. Logan sent a nurse to care for her. They don’t even want me near her. It’s very contagious, and they’re worried I’ll catch my death from it.”

  “I couldn’t stand to lose you like that,” Corrine said.

  “I didn’t know what else to do,” Katie said. “I can’t do it alone. I need you with me, so I came to see you.”

  “You know I can’t go back there with you.”

  “I want you to, though.”

  “I’d love to, but it wouldn’t be right. Does anyone know you’re here?”

  “No. Maybe Jacques because he took me to the dock, but Mama doesn’t know, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Corrine tried to absorb everything, but it was all coming at her so quickly. She looked at Katie with her eyes swollen and face red. “You must be exhausted. Let’s get you some rest and then we’ll talk about you going home.”

  “I don’t want to go home! Don’t you see? I belong with you. And I can’t be with Mama anyway. I should stay here.”

  “Either way, we’ll talk about it when you wake up.”

  She kept her arms around Katie and walked her to the bedroom. Katie snuggled into Corrine’s arms and fell right to sleep while Corrine lay there, mind racing.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was early afternoon when they finally stirred. Corrine had dozed off and on as she held Katie. Katie slept hard, burrowing deep into Corrine. Corrine smiled as she watched Katie look around, disoriented, and was greeted with a brilliant smile once she remembered where she was.

  “I’m sorry,” Katie said. “I came all this way to see you and promptly fell asleep. How rude.”

  “Not rude at all. You were tired.” Corrine fingered the top of Katie’s breasts. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll make it up to me.”

  Fire seared Katie’s body at Corrine’s touch. She pulled her bodice down and allowed her breasts to fall free for Corrine’s taking.

  “Are you in a hurry then?” Corrine laughed.

  “I need you, Cori. It’s been far too long.” She took a breast in her hands and offered it to Corrine, who sucked as if she depended on its nourishment to survive. She licked the erect nipple and then the whole breast. From the base to the tip of the nipple, she licked, sending chills coursing through Katie.

  “Help me out of this dress,” Katie said.

  Corrine happily obliged, and Katie felt her clit swell as Corrine climbed between her legs. She moved her shoulders under Katie’s knees, and Katie could feel her hot breath on her. She gasped when Corrine moved her tongue along her.

  “Oh, yes. I’ve missed you so.”

  “And I you.” Corrine rested her cheek in Katie’s wetness and sucked her inner thigh. She was leaving a mark, branding Katie as hers.

  Katie craned her neck to watch Corrine. “That feels divine. Please don’t stop.”

  Corrine moved higher on her thigh as she sucked her again. Her mouth so close to Katie had Katie’s twat twitching. “Suck my cunt like that,” Katie pleaded.

  Corrine pulled hard on Katie’s lips with her mouth, sucking them deep. She ran her tongue along them, and Katie was lost in the sensations. She wanted more, needed more. She reached down and lightly rubbed her clit while Corrine buried her tongue inside her.

  Corrine playfully moved Katie’s hand away. “That’s mine.” She took it in her mouth. She held the swollen clit between her teeth and flicked the tip of it with her tongue.

  “Oh, yes, Cori. Oh, dear Lord, how you make me feel.”

  She was so excited, she was confused. She wanted Cori to keep her mouth on her. She wanted to roll Cori over and fuck her. She wanted Cori in her. Her whole body was alive with desire, and she forced herself to lay back and experience the pleasure.

  She felt Cori spread her opening and run a finger along it.

  “Please. Fill me. I need to feel you inside me.”

  She watched as Corrine opened a dresser drawer and withdrew a long cylindrical leather object. It was two inches in diameter and eight inches long. “What’s that?”

  “It’s called a dildo.” Corrine used the toy to slap Katie’s inner thighs. Katie responded by opening them wider. She felt the tip of the dildo on her cunt, and her throbbing renewed as she watched Corrine watch the object slide inside her.

  She felt the tip of it pressing against her deeper than anyone had ever been. She arched her hips to take more and rotated them to feel it against every inch inside.

  “You like that?” Corrine pressed it as deep as she dared.

  “It feels heavenly.”

  Corrine lay next to her and bit her nipple as she pulled the dildo out of Katie.

  Katie whimpered at her sudden emptiness and was rewarded when Corrine drove the tool back in.

  “I love it when you fuck me hard.”

  “I love to fuck you hard.” She withdrew the toy again before slipping it deep.

  Katie was a jumble of nerves, and Corrine continued to bite her tit and fuck her with the toy. Her head spun at the onslaught of sensations. She reached down again and felt her engorged clit.

  Corrine let loose of the nipple and moved to watch Katie diddle herself. The sight made her cunt throb, and she fought to keep her focus on Katie. She watched as Katie’s skilled fingers rubbed circles on her clit as her cunt swallowed more and more of the dildo.

  She moved the dildo in and out as fast as she could, matching Katie’s bucking hips. She heard Katie scream and let go of the toy, watching her cunt suck it in and release it with each orgasmic contraction.

  When Katie could finally speak, she asked, “May I keep that inside me forever, please?”

  Corrine laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  She withdrew the dildo and held it pointing up on her mound where her legs met. “Climb up on it.”

  Katie stared in disbelief.

  “Come on. It’ll feel even better this way.”

  She helped Katie straddle the toy and watched as she lowered her cunt onto it.

  “Oh, my God. This fills me even more!” She leaned forward and placed her hands on either side of Corrine’s head as she allowed part of the dildo to slide out. She lowered her hips and filled herself again.

  She kissed Corrine hard, frantically devouring her mouth as her cunt devoured the tool.

  “Sit up and bounce on it,” Corrine instructed, and Katie did as she was told. She bobbed up and down, impaling herself over and over. She moved her hands to her breasts and squeezed and pinched her nipples as she rode, finally burying the tool inside her as she climaxed again and again.

  She climbed off the toy and lay on her side next to Corrine. She kissed Corrine again and took the dildo from her. She deftly slid it inside Corrine and drilled her, loving the feel of it entering so easily.

  Corrine opened her legs wider, and Katie climbed between them, sucking on her turgid clit while she fucked her with the tool.

  “Oh, Katie, yes. That’s the way.” Corrine moaned, her body burning with the passion Katie evoked. She closed her eyes and felt. Thought left her. She could do nothing but experience the marvel of Katie’s lovemaking. At last, she shuddered, convulsing on the dildo, giving herself over to the orgasm crashing through her.

  Famished, they finally got out of bed and made themselves a snack. When their energy was restored, they fell back into bed where Corrine moved once again between Katie’s legs. She slipped her tongue deep inside her, then dragged it over her slick clit.

  “You taste so wonderful,” she murmured. “I want always to feast on you like this.”

  “Please do.” Katie rested her hand on Corrine’s head and held her in place while she moved her hips against her.

  Her mouth still on Katie’s clit, Corrine moved four fingers inside her and hammered away at her dripping cunt. She stroked them back and forth along her soft walls and was rewarded when they began to spasm, finally contorting painfully around her.

  Not to be outdone, Katie sucked and bit Corrine’s hard nipples while she fucked her with three fingers. Corrine’s cunt was wet and ready for her, and she easily slid another finger inside.

  “Your hand, baby,” Corrine said. “I want your whole hand inside me.”

  Katie was between Corrine’s legs then, gaze focused on Corrine as she took her whole hand inside her. “It’s so tight in there. It’s hard to move.”

  “Don’t hold back. You can move, and I want you to. Fuck me hard, Katie. Make a fist and punch my cunt.”

  Katie did as she was instructed and almost came at the sensation of Corrine’s walls pressing her knuckles.

  “Twist it around now. Oh, yes, that’s it.” Corrine met each of Katie’s thrusts.

  Katie lowered her mouth to Corrine’s clit, and that was all it took for Corrine to explode in an orgasm more intense than any she’d experienced.

  “Oh, God. That was amazing.” She fought to catch her breath.

  Katie withdrew her hand and lay against Corrine, resting her head on her chest.

  “I love you, Katie,” Corrine said.

  “And I you,” Katie whispered before they fell asleep.

  *

  Katie and Corrine awoke the next morning and made love slowly and gently, both ginger from the previous day’s activities. Tongues pleased rather than dildos. Mouths worked instead of fists. They took each other repeatedly until they were completely spent.

  “We should get dressed so I can take you out to eat,” Corrine said.

  Katie ran her hand over Corrine’s folds. “I have all I want to eat right here.”

  Corrine laughed. “I love how much you enjoy making love.”

  “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do.”

  “I’m in complete agreement with that.”

  Corrine propped herself up on an elbow and grew serious. “You know your mother is worried sick about you. I fear I must insist you get back to her.”

  “But what about us? What about this?”

  “I’ve decided to accompany you back home.”

  “You have? Oh, Cori, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much.”

  “Perhaps they limit your time with her, but you should still be there. She needs you.”

  “And I need you.”

  “And I shall be there for you.”

  “What will you say to my mother?”

  “I’ll think of something. But I can’t stand to be away from you again. We’ll get through this together.”

  A tear spilled out of Katie’s eye. “I’m so happy I’ll not have to leave you.”

  Corrine kissed away the tear. “I hope you shall never have to again. Now let’s get dressed and eat something and head to the boat. One should be leaving within the hour.”

  The ride on the boat was tense for Corrine. She knew she was doing the right thing, going home with Katie, but she dreaded confronting Della. Especially since she was on her deathbed. But the idea of being away from Katie any longer made her heart hurt and she knew she had to stand up to Della and fight for the right to spend eternity with Katie.

  *

  It was early morning again when Katie let them into the house. They went directly to her room and washed up, then climbed into bed, exhausted.

  Katie awoke later and immediately went to her mother’s room.

  “Where have you been, young lady? I’ve been worried sick about you.”

  Sarah joined in. “It doesn’t do your mother well at all to be as upset as she’s been. You should have said something before disappearing like you did.”

  “You told me to do something for me.”

  “I didn’t mean run off and not say anything.”

  “Where were you?” her mother asked again.

 

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