BeautyandtheButch (6 page)

Ella released a ragged breath as Lindsey began fingering
her. In. Out. In. All the way in. She ground her closed fist against Ella’s
bottom and then withdrew again. Did she know how fucking hot she looked with
her face turned to the side, her cheek on the sheets, pinching her nipple and
reaching between her legs with her other hand to rub her own clit?

Lindsey’s pussy grew slick in anticipation. She needed her
lover’s fingers. Her mouth. But she could wait.

A second finger joined the first and Ella’s forehead furrowed.
She bit her bottom lip and rubbed her clit with furious intent.

Fuck you, Ella. Fuck you for not being mine.
The
thought shocked Lindsey. Her fingers stilled and she started to pull them out.
What was she thinking?

“Don’t stop,” Ella mewled. “Fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

Lindsey stared, stunned, and then she pumped the two fingers
hard and fast in Ella’s tight ass.

Ella’s head lifted. She pushed back against Lindsey’s hand,
taking the fingers as deep as they’d go. Ella’s hips bucked and she gave voice
to animalistic moans as she massaged her clit. “Oh, baby, you’re gonna make me
come.” Her voice rose in pitch. “I’m fucking coming, Lindsey. Oh God.”

Her chin dropped to her chest. She shook and squeezed her
nipple. Perspiration misted her body, and the muscles in her thighs quivered
while Lindsey felt the strength of her lover’s orgasm as inner tissue clamped
down in hard, relentless spasms on her fingers.

Liquid gushed from Ella’s cunt, running hot and silky all
over Lindsey’s hand and wrist.

Fuck! She’d made her squirt. Lindsey had only accomplished
that once before. Pride swelled in her breast as she eased her fingers out of
Ella’s ass then padded into the bathroom to wash her hands and get a towel.

When she returned, Ella lay on her back. A smile played on
her lush lips and the thoroughly satisfied look in her eyes caused Lindsey’s
heart to turn over. Hard.

She trembled as she unbuttoned her shorts and pushed them
and her damp panties down. Without words, she crawled onto the bed and into
Ella’s arms.

When Ella reached for her pussy, Lindsey caught her hand and
laced their fingers together.

“What about you?” Ella asked.

“I just want to
be
here with you for a little bit.”
Jeez, she sounded like a lovesick idiot.

Ella gazed into her eyes, doing nothing to alleviate
Lindsey’s recent self-assessment.

“I thought you weren’t going to ask me to come tonight,”
Ella admitted softly.

Lindsey sucked in a sharp breath. “I nearly didn’t.”

Ella’s lips opened.

“I thought you might not come,” Lindsey explained quickly.
“I mean, I know what it’s like for you, not being able to be open and all.”

Ella’s lashes swept downward. “Being with you has made that
really hard for me.”

The confession pierced Lindsey like an icy dagger to the
heart. She wasn’t ready for this—for this responsibility—for someone else. She
felt like an antelope under the golden gaze of a lioness, ready to bolt but
knowing there’d be no escape.

“You’re not my first closeted lover, you know?” Lindsey
divulged.

One of Ella’s tawny eyebrows lifted.

Lindsey rolled onto her back and clapped her hand over her
forehead. She should never have brought Reagan into this. But now that she had…
“Well, she really wasn’t my lover but not because I didn’t want her to be. She
was like you. There was no way she could have come out. We were still in school
and she got teased and bullied for being my…friend.”

“Kids can be cruel.”

Lindsey cut her gaze at Ella. “Fucking people can be cruel.”

After a poignant silence, Lindsey whispered, “It about
killed me.”

Old anger and the need to forget grabbed hold of her and
twisted into desire. She pushed herself up and straddled Ella’s face, planting
her pussy over that gorgeous, gorgeous mouth.

Lindsey rode her, unable to keep from grinding too hard,
from practically smothering her lover. Ella’s lips and tongue worked magic,
knowing just where to suck and lick, how hard and how fast—how slow. And when
Lindsey’s orgasm crashed over her like a rogue wave, the sensation dragged her
downward, gasping for breath as she swirled in an eddy of lust and emotion.

* * * * *

Ella watched Lindsey sleeping. The digital clock flashed
3:00. Ella brushed her thumb over her lover’s short hair. After sex, she should
have gone back to her room. She needed her sleep. Crowning would take place
tonight and she needed to look her best.

But she hadn’t been able to leave. She hadn’t wanted to give
up the warmth and comfort of Lindsey’s arms.

Ella had thought she could explore sex with a woman and go
on to live the life her family expected of her. But after these few nights, she
was beginning to realize that if she wanted happiness, she couldn’t go on
living a lie.

It frightened her to imagine Lindsey being gone from her
life. Far more than it frightened Ella to envision what it would be like to
come out.

She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. This
was silly. She hardly knew Lindsey—and yet she felt as if she’d known her all
their lives. Was a potential relationship worth risking everything?

A tear seeped out of the corner of Ella’s eye and rolled
down into her hair. This wasn’t about Lindsey.

This was about being true to herself.

After awakening to her sexuality, she couldn’t conceive of
either a life alone or marrying and having children with a man. She wanted
love. She wanted passion.

And if her family loved her, they’d just have to accept her
as she was.

Lindsey moaned in her sleep and scooted closer. Her hand
found Ella’s under the sheets and their fingers interlaced.

Ella released the breath she’d been holding, feeling years
of tension melt out of her body. After the pageant, she’d tell Lindsey. Because
even if Lindsey had no intention of exploring any sort of future relationship,
she could at least offer advice on coming out.

Relaxed, Ella finally drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

Lindsey scanned the breakfast area for Ella, noticing how a
decided hush fell over the room as she entered. Making eye contact with several
curious contestants, Lindsey walked uneasily to the coffee bar.

What the hell? Was her fly unzipped? Had she grown a third
eye?

She tipped the coffeepot and poured the aromatic liquid into
her cup.

Marquita reached across her and snagged a creamer. “Did you
see Facebook?”

“Facebook? Hell no. Why?” Lindsey asked.

Marquita’s red-glossed lips stretched into a straight line.
“There’s a picture of you that’s making the rounds.”

Lindsey’s eyebrows shot up. “Of me?” She couldn’t imagine
which picture would cause such crazy stares but already unease began gnawing at
her gut. It had to do with Ella. There was no other explanation.

“It’s of you and Ella. In the hotel hall. Kissing.”
Marquita’s statement was devoid of judgment, but still stabbed Lindsey right in
the heart.

Lindsey’s lips parted as realization shot to her toes. She
swallowed thickly. The memory of pinning Ella against the wall and kissing her
the night before plagued Lindsey. Guilt surged up hard and she would have been
sick if she’d had anything in her stomach.

Her gaze swept over the faces again. Jealous, spiteful
bitches. Damn. How could anyone be so cruel?

Poor Ella…

She’ll hate me.
Just like Reagan.

“There’s Ella. Want to head her off in the other direction?
I don’t want this bunch of harpies to see her upset,” Marquita whispered.

“Good morning, Ella!” Chelsea chirped smugly.

Lindsey’s eyes narrowed. The look on Chelsea’s face erased
any doubt as to who the culprit was.

“Take mine,” Marquita said, pushing her cup of coffee into
Lindsey’s hand.

“Uh…morning,” Ella said, obviously confused as to why
everyone was staring.

Lindsey forced her feet to move. She shot Chelsea the
stink-eye and rushed across the room to Ella.

“Come on,” Lindsey said, handing Ella one of the cups of
coffee. “I need to talk to you.”

“But—”

“It’s serious.” She swallowed the bile rising into her
throat.

Ella’s brow knitted, but Lindsey took her elbow and guided
her back out of the breakfast area.

Gut-sick terror swamped Lindsey. “I don’t know who did this,
but apparently—”

“Ah, Miss Northington,” Elizabeth said as she strode
purposefully across the hotel lobby. The look on the pageant director’s face
indicated she’d seen the photo. Her disapproving gaze flicked to Lindsey’s and
then back to Ella. “We’d like to talk to you immediately about a picture that’s
being circulated on several social media websites.”

Ella’s lips parted. “Picture?”

Lindsey’s heart plummeted to her toes. She’d wanted to be
the one to tell Ella. After all, Lindsey felt responsible.

“I don’t understand,” Ella said.

“She hasn’t seen it,” Lindsey mumbled.

Elizabeth’s lips pursed into a grim line. “There’s an image
of the two of you that has unfortunately been posted on the internet.”

“The two of—” Realization seized Ella’s features.

“I want you to know that the representatives of Miss Georgia
National are not making a decision based on the fact of your…ahem…sexual
preferences. We would have decided this had the photo been of you and a male in
a sexually comprising position, or any other behavior deemed inappropriate.”

No…

Lindsey began to shake.

“I don’t understand,” Ella said. “What are you telling me?
Am I…am I dis-disqualified?”

Elizabeth’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. “Why
don’t we step into the meeting room and discuss this…”

“No,” Ella said adamantly. “Am I or am I not disqualified?”

“The code of conduct that you signed affirms that you
wouldn’t engage in any sort of behavior which might cast the pageant in a
disparaging light. I’m sorry, Ella.” Elizabeth looked at Lindsey. “And like I
said, this has nothing to do with the fact that you’re…lesbians.”

Tears streamed down Ella’s cheeks. Lindsey ached to take her
hand, to put her arm around her lover’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth said. “But rules are rules.”

Ella stood frozen and trembled for several seconds before
she ran toward the bank of elevators.

“Ella, wait,” Lindsey called.

“No!” Ella cried and raced into an opening elevator. She
whirled and punched the button so that the door closed before Lindsey could get
to it.

Lindsey raked her fingers through her cropped hair. “Damn.”

Her phone buzzed at her side. She pulled it off the clip and
looked down to discover the executive producer Nigel Simmons’ name flashing on
the screen. Bracing herself, she thumbed the answer button. “Hi, Nigel.”

“Lindsey! This is fantastic!” He sounded ecstatic. “The
footage you sent us yesterday is a perfect complement to this scandal. Ratings
are going to soar!”

“What do you mean?” The footage Maurice had sent in to be
pre-edited was bland, run-of-the-mill stuff. Nothing worth even a sound bite
yet.

“Don’t play coy, Lindz.” His British accent made him sound
positively diabolical. “The kiss.”

Her mind raced. What kiss?

“Bravo, darling. Well done!” he bragged. “That kiss in the
back of the van during the home visit was brilliant.”

Kiss in the back of the van…
But already yesterday’s
events replayed themselves in vibrant Technicolor in Lindsey’s head. Ella had
kissed her just after she’d loaded the van.

Insight struck. Lindsey felt her stomach twisting. Had she
forgotten to turn off the camera? Had that kiss been caught on film and sent to
the editing room?

“Oh, Nigel, no,” Lindsey said. Heat flamed up her spine. Her
palms grew damp. “No. That wasn’t supposed to have been filmed. You can’t put
that in the show.”

“Can’t?” he asked. “Darling, are you mad? This is the clip
that’s going to make you a top producer in the industry. Don’t accept any
offers yet. I’m negotiating with the top brass to get you a substantial raise
at TLN. But between you and me, I don’t think we can match what
Global Now
can pay.”

These were the words she’d longed to hear. But not like
this. Not at Ella’s expense.

Oh God. Ella
.

If that kiss aired, Ella would think Lindsey had betrayed
her.

“Nigel, I don’t care what
Global Now
says. You can’t
air that clip.”

“Can and shall,” he said.

“I’m not part of the show. I don’t want to be on it.”

A stunned silence stretched. Lindsey refused to speak. She
couldn’t have if she’d wanted to. Her breath seemed trapped in her throat.

“Do you mean to tell me that you caught that kiss on camera
by accident?” Nigel asked. His voice echoed a mix of shock and disappointment.

Lindsey knew her career hung on what she said next. But she
couldn’t betray Ella. Not for anything. “Completely by accident.”

She heard Nigel huff a deep breath. “You signed a waiver
when you took this show. I’m afraid TLN has every legal right to include the
clip.”

She blinked back hot tears. “You don’t understand…”

“Oh but I do. And I’m sorry if you’ve developed
feelings
for the girl, but because she’s a congressman’s daughter, this is certain to
make a ton of money for the network. There’ll be a firestorm,” he said frankly.
“And Lindz, as your friend, I’d be remiss if I didn’t reiterate that it would
behoove you to behave as if you intended this if you expect to climb the ladder
in this business.
Global Now
isn’t going to want a producer without
balls.”

Lindsey grappled for the words to refuse him while at the
same time every part of her being longed for that position with
Global Now
.