The Summer of Our Discontent (28 page)

She moved up and rested her head on Rachel’s chest. “If we do nothing else, I’m a happy woman.” She grinned when she heard and felt Rachel laugh.

Faith’s eyes flew open wide when Rachel whispered, “Sit up, baby.” She straddled Rachel’s hips and looked down at her. Rachel’s hair was wild and disheveled, her lips bruised from passionate kisses. Her eyes captivated as they swept over her body revealed by the soft light from the lamp next to the bed.

“You’re magnificent,” she said in awe as she ran her fingertips over Faith’s abdomen.

“I think I pale in comparison. You’re beautiful, Rachel. I hate that it took me this long to realize that.”

“We’ll make up for lost time,” Rachel said as her hands moved up the planes of Faith’s body and swept over her breasts.

Faith’s head fell back as the palms of Rachel’s hands grazed her nipples. She didn’t know how much she could take. Rachel’s touch caused a fire to rage beneath her skin. Slowly, her fingertips grazed back over her stomach. Faith clamped her eyes shut and swallowed convulsively, knowing where Rachel was going to touch her next. It shocked her to realize how bad she wanted it.

“Oh” came out on a shuddering breath when Rachel realized how wet she made Faith. Her fingers slipped easily through the silkiness. She watched as the muscle contracted in Faith’s stomach, the sight and the feel of her stole Rachel’s breath away. Faith gasped and shuddered as she slipped into her. “Look at me, I want to see you,” Rachel panted out.

Faith’s eyes were dark and unfocused as she slowly lowered her head. Her voice was strained when she said, “More, Rachel, you’re not going to hurt me.”

That statement sent a wave of hot desire through every inch of Rachel’s body. She wanted Faith on her back then. She wanted to be deeper and test every limit Faith had. She shook with the effort it took to restrain herself.

“No, like this,” Faith whispered when Rachel tried to push her down. “I want to see you, too.”

Rachel watched in fascination as Faith began to slowly thrust. Her eyes were half-lidded as she moved, and Rachel’s fingers slipped in and out of her so easily. “Faith,” she whispered, unable to utter anything else. Faith gritted her teeth when Rachel slipped out of her and put pressure on her clit. Faith took control then as she laid her head on Rachel’s shoulder, thrusting hard against her hand. She held on to Faith’s neck, listened to her soft cries as she inched closer. She wanted that moment to last forever and closed her eyes when Faith shuddered violently and gasped against her neck.

Faith was only down a minute before she pushed Rachel’s legs apart with her own. She grasped her hands and pinned them above her head and began to thrust again. The friction that caused between Rachel’s legs was blinding. “Let me go,” she pleaded, needing to hold Faith, wanting to hold her as she brought her to the edge again.

Faith slid so easily against Rachel. Their combined heat and wetness was pushing her higher. When she felt Rachel stiffen and heard Rachel’s release, she followed.

*******

“A Playboy bunny?”

Rachel laughed as she lay limply on top of Faith. “I wasn’t committed to getting a tattoo, so I didn’t want anything with a lot of color in case I decided to get it removed. It was either the bunny or a skull and crossbones.”

Faith laughed softly as she stroked Rachel’s hair. “Why’d you do it then?”

“Rebellion, I suppose. It was my first time really away from home. It made me feel reckless and wild, even though it was hidden.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Like a bitch. I wanted to make sure if I wore a two-piece swimsuit no one would see it. The ears still stick out, though.”

“Walking around with a rabbit sticking out of your pants, you should be ashamed.”

Rachel laughed. “I’m about to get really shameful with you.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Make me come, Rachel, please
. Faith’s words echoed in Rachel’s mind as she stared at her breakfast the following morning. The only thing Faith didn’t say was that she loved her. Faith seemed to sense that those words scared her, but Faith had shown it in every caress and kiss. That phrase had pushed at Rachel’s lips many times, but her brain proclaimed it was too soon. She wasn’t so sure.

“You look like shit this morning. Did you sleep at all?” Chance tapped her wrist, pulling her from the daze she’d been in all morning. “I’ve been meaning to ask you what that is. Did Kaycee make it for you?”

Rachel smiled. “It’s a friendship bracelet. Faith made it for me at camp.”

One of Chance’s brows rose. “And you’re still wearing it?”

“Yes,” she said as she sipped her coffee.

“Did you think about what we discussed the other day?”

Rachel set her cup down. “I did long and hard.” She smiled at Chance. “I love you for being such a good friend.”

“I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t—”

“But you’re full of shit this time. You don’t know Faith like I do, and I love her.”

Chance gagged on the sip of coffee he’d just taken and began to sputter. “Cleanup at table six,” Rachel called out as she patted him on the back. “Be happy for me, buddy. I’ve finally found the right one, and she’s been under my nose all along. I have to go.” She grabbed his face and kissed him on the cheek before she walked out.

*******

Faith walked out of the fire station and down the sidewalk to where Rachel had parked so they could have privacy. Rachel pointed to the passenger’s side, and she climbed in. “What’s wrong?” Faith asked nervously.

“Why would something be wrong?”

“Well, when I got your text and you said it was important, all sorts of scenarios went through my mind.” She glanced at Rachel. “Are you having regrets about last night?”

“No, none,” Rachel said with a smile.

Faith relaxed and sank lower into the seat. “I promise I’m not normally this pathetic. You’re just very special to me.”

“I know.” Rachel reached over and took her hand. “I felt it last night. I’m still feeling it right now. Every inch of my body is aching.”

“You’ve really messed me up, Rachel Chauvin. I can’t concentrate on anything today. I’m totally off-kilter. I’ve been drinking sports drinks to restore the electrolytes you zapped out of me.”

“You wanted stamina, you got it,” Rachel said cockily. “Seriously, I have to tell you something. It can’t wait twenty-four hours for you to be off shift.” Rachel squeezed her hand and stared out the windshield. “This whole thing has been mind-boggling to me. One day, we’re enemies, the next, friends…I tried to dismiss what I felt as something silly, insignificant, hormones out of control. But every minute I spent with you, it just grew stronger and refused to be denied. I think the night you gave me that stupid cow, all the tethers that held me broke, but I still couldn’t accept it.” She looked at Faith again and smiled. “You need to know that I love you, too, probably always have. As mushy and silly as it sounds, I think that’s why none of my other relationships worked. Maybe that’s why you could never fully commit to anyone else, either. We were destined to be together and were too stubborn to see it.”

Faith’s smile was brilliant. “You have just made me—”

Alvin’s face suddenly appeared next to Faith’s as he pounded on the glass. “Your
mic
is open, dumbass!” he yelled before laughing hysterically and dropping to the ground.

Faith grabbed her shoulder where the lapel
mic
should’ve been and blanched when she felt nothing but material. She reached behind her and followed the curly cord to the
mic
wedged between her ass and the seat. “Can we go back to camp right now?” she whispered.

*******

Faith shoved Alvin up against the wall of the lounge. “You could’ve told me sooner that my
mic
was keyed.”

Alvin doubled over with laughter. “I was gonna let you go on all day, but Duke made me go out there. Oh, my God,” he said with a gasp, “talk about the screw-up of the century. You just broadcast your
luuuve
all over town. We gotta…we gotta amp up our workouts. It sounds like she put it on you big-time.”

Duke walked through the lounge on his way to the office. Faith followed him. “Sir, I’m sorry about the
mic
thing.”

He waved her off and shut the door in her face. Faith had heard him chuckle but never cackle like a hen. It echoed off the walls of the station.

*******

“A cow? She gave you a cow and you lost your mind? Are we talking steaks here or a stuffed animal?” Chance asked as he leaned against his car.

“Stuffed,” Rachel replied drolly.

“Is that just a lesbian thing, or will it work on any woman? I gotta tell you, I’ve been spending a shitload at the florist. I can go to the toy store right now and stock up on enough cows to last me to our fiftieth anniversary.”

“You finished?”

“No.” Chance cuffed her on the arm. “My baby sister’s got stamina!” he said as he howled with laughter. “You had a little Faith—no, you had a
lotta
Faith.”

“So corny.”

“I wish I would’ve heard it live, but they’re playing it on a continuous loop at the station, so I got to listen a few times, which I think is better.” Chance wheezed. “I need an inhaler…I don’t have asthma.” He beat the roof of the car. “I wish I could’ve seen your face when Alvin told y’all.”

Chance was draped across the hood of his car when Rachel drove away.

Chapter Thirty-four

Bev took one look at Rachel’s face when she walked into the kitchen and sighed. “Another bad day, baby?”

“Parts of it could’ve been better. How was yours?”

“Snake-free,” Bev said with a smile. “Kaycee is over at Sophie’s.” Bev continued to wipe the counter as Rachel poured herself a glass of cold water. “I never liked
Cyn
,” she said abruptly.

Rachel nearly dropped the glass and stared at her mother’s back.

“I just didn’t think she was worthy of you.” She sighed and set the cloth to the side. “We need to talk, baby. Would you join me at the table?”

Rachel’s heart began to pound. Her father sat next to a scanner all day listening to the local frequencies. He’d no doubt heard the conversation along with everyone else and told her mother. She had no idea what Bev was about to say. Her knees knocked as she slowly lowered herself into a chair.

“Look at me,” Bev said gently. “I owe you an apology. Had I not made it so difficult for you to talk to me, I could’ve told you about all the warning signs I saw surrounding
Cyn
. I was afraid if I spoke up, you would interpret it as further disapproval.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t understand you, this is all so foreign to me. When you first told us about…how you are, I thought it was rebellion. Your father was so difficult to cope with for you kids, and I blamed him. Then I got angry because I thought you were punishing me for the way he was. But I saw you broken after
Cyn
left, and I had to accept that this was for real. That took a little while. Now there’s Faith.” Bev’s eyes watered as she smiled. “I don’t want to go back to the fringes of your life as you get more deeply involved with her. So can we start today speaking openly?”

“Yes.” Rachel wiped away the tear that streaked down her cheek. “I’d
really
like that.”

Bev took her hands and squeezed them. “Let me start off by giving you a bit of advice. Always check your
mic
before you have intimate conversations.”

Rachel laughed through her tears. “We’ve learned that lesson.”