Island Girl

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Island Girl - Part 4 By Mas

I woke up at 3:15am stretched across Reesa's back, my heart was drumming. I knew that somehow I woke up before one of those creepy dreams could take a hold of me. I had to leave. She was breathing deeply so I knew that she was asleep. Slowly I rolled away and began to search the room for my clothes.

When I was dressed I looked back at her. It felt wrong leaving. My reasoning even seemed to be weakening now. So what if I had a nightmare when I was with her? What's the worse that can happen?

I could scare her away with my creepy dreams. Considering that I'd moved on from my past, what did those dreams really mean? Maybe I need to see my dad...talk to him...it's been a while. Even the thought of getting a nightlight crossed my mind.

I looked at Reesa again and realized that I hadn't wanted to see him in a long time. We talked now and then, on the big days, Christmas...his birthday...but I never actively sought him out. I decided as I closed her door that I'd call him that weekend. Maybe it had to do with some childhood secret my mom and dad kept from me. Maybe I was adopted or had some disease that my body was subconsciously telling me about. Or maybe I was just a grown ass woman who had weird nightmares.

I walked by the kitchen and nearly had a heart attack when I spotted Mel in the dining room. "Sorry! Did I scare you?"

"Yes you did! Jesus!" My heartbeat slowed and I chuckled at her. "Why are you up so late anyway?"

"Well between my late night munchies and you and Terry praying all night..." I looked at her in confusion until it dawned on me what she was saying.

"You heard us?" It came out more like a squeak of words. My eyes widened and I searched for a pen with a purpose now. "Oh god, when will the embarrassment end?" Mel laughed then covered her mouth when I glared at her and motioned toward Terry's room.

"You won't be able to wake her up with a fog horn. It's raining." Once again I waited on her to explain. "I have it under good authority that she is particularly frisky when it rains."

"I see that your mission in life is to make me as embarrassed as possible." She chuckled and sat down at the island. "How do you know that anyway?" She raised an eyebrow. "Supposing that it's true that is."

"Small world we live in ya know?" I rolled my eyes and wrote a note for Terry. I wanted to head home to shower and maybe meet up with her later on that day. I also told her that I didn't want to leave but woke up. The three dots that ended the note hopefully helped explain why I left. I had a feeling that Mel was the kind of person who'd read the note as soon as I left and I didn't want her knowing all of my business.

"Well, maybe I'll be seeing you later on then?"

"Not if I can help it. I have a feeling Reesa's gonna want me to be scarce this weekend." She winked at me with a smirk on her lips.

"GoodBYE Mel." She laughed as I closed the door behind me.

As I sat in my car I studied the window that I knew Terry lie sleeping behind. Something about waking up bothered me and I finally figured it out as I pulled up to my apartment building; I woke up. Before the dream. That never happened before. Could Jamilla have been right? Did Terry help take my nightmares away?

Samson Larnet had the heart of a gypsy. He had big dreams that landed him in New York State and married with three sons that I barely knew.

This was best for everyone. The man was a bit eccentric and after one particularly heated debate about whether our mother should take all of her savings for our college education to invest in a farm, he went his separate way. The fact that my father never farmed a day of his life wasn't an issue of course.

The man was impulsive and chose to make a new family as far away from us as possible, but I still loved him. My mother still has no idea where I found the money to buy my first car. I convinced her that I saved enough from my summer work in college to pay for it. I never needed another dollar from him but I never forgot that he gave when I did need.

The phone answered on the fifth ring. The sound of kids shouting filled my ears. It was Saturday so most likely he was home with his young family. At sixty I had no idea where he found the energy to take care of toddlers but that was the life he chose.

"That wife of yours have you taking care of the pack again?"

A pause was followed by deep laughter. "Joanna Larnet." He never was one for nicknames. "Took you long enough. What's it been? Four months?" I studied the watercolor piece on the wall of my living room.

"Yeah. How are you daddy?" Like always he began to ramble off about his sons and his hardware shop and his wife. He didn't talk long about her since he knew how little Jamilla and I liked her. Our mother conditioned us well.

"You need to call me more Joanna." I heard the emotion in his voice but we both knew that I wouldn't. He had a phone on his side of our relationship too.

"Daddy, you remember after you left and mom told you about my nightmares?" Silence met my question. I heard muffled voices and then the clear sound of a door closing.

"Yeah I do. You must have been eleven right then." He sighed and I knew that he was thinking about the day he left. He and mom had a heated argument, one of the loudest and most scary ones that I remembered. One of the scariest for Jamilla too, but years later was when I found out why. It was the first and last day that he was ever physical with our mother. He grabbed her arms tight enough to leave bruises. A few hours later he was gone.

Even though my mom was angry and hurt with the rough handling I still believe that his abandonment hurt her the most.

"Your mama was so scared but that woman was scared of her own shadow some days." His chuckling made me know that he wasn't trying to be mean.

"I still have them." Another sigh settled between us, filling the silence with regrets and whatever else we both dredged up from the past. "Do you think...am I..."

"You know you always was the one who felt things the most." He chuckled. I remained quiet knowing that this was his way of sorting through us. "Between the two of you Jamilla was the one who shook off the arguments me and your mama had. God knew how we managed to stay together as long as we did." I chuckled too but sobered quickly. No matter how mix-matched they were I still wanted him around and I was about to tell him so.

"Dad-"

"I remember calling home a week later and Dorna telling me about how you cried to sleep every night."

My eyes watered at this revelation. I had no idea he called after he left. During those months after it he left I thought that mom was the one calling him. Their separation was hardly ever discussed unless it was my mother calling his young wife a "hussy" or "home wrecker". Never mind that they met years after my dad moved away.

"I never hurt so much as I did that night Joanna. It takes a certain kind of person to come back to something so wrong knowing it can't be fixed even though they know that they're breaking their little girl's heart." My mind sorted through what he just told me and I understood.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too. I did then and I do now. I wasn't that kind of person then Joanna, I don't know if I am today but I know that it broke my heart leaving you girls that day but I don't know what I was turning into Joanna. It was bad."

"I know daddy." I didn't.

"When you use to have bad dreams we would rock you to sleep. Your mom would sing that song...what was it?" He cursed as he tried to remember. Then suddenly he did. "That ol' Otis Reddin' song! "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"."

I laughed at the thought of my mum singing the song. "I didn't know that. Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. That woman would sing that song and you'd be sleeping in a minute. No scary monsters could reach you once she start in on that Otis."

"You know, he's one of my favorite artists..." He laughed. I never had such a relaxed and real conversation with my dad before that day.

"All you need is your mama to sing you that song now when those bad dreams come along."

"I'm a bit old for that now daddy." I could feel him smiling over the phone. The background was quiet. Wanda must have taken the children.

"Hmmm." My eyes rested on something shiny on the carpet. I picked it up and smiled when I realized that it was one of Terry's cuff links. I wondered if she even realized she lost it. It was as if my dad read my mind. "Well it doesn't have to be your mama. Anyone else in your life to sing it?"

I'm sure that if I was eating something I would have choked. Not that I eat while I talk on the phone of course. Hypothetically. My dad never asked about my personal life and I'm sure that that was exactly what he was doing. Potter's Island was too small for him not to have heard that I was still single at 30. That meant one of two things; either I had a sweet heart and was the other woman or I was a dyke.

Though no one at work came right out and told me they knew, some of them did. Enough people knew for the word to spread all the way to New York State. Unlike my mother, my father never was one to play dumb, yet still we managed to avoid my sexual orientation for a long, long time.

"Umm, actually...yes." Awkwardness settled over us until I rolled my eyes. "We don't have to talk about this daddy."

"Good, good." He must have realized how it sounded and corrected himself. "For you I mean!"

"Sounds like someone's been calling you..." I imagined the gossipers on the island and tried to think of which ones were talking about me.

"Your aunty calls every now and then." My smile disappeared. Most of my extended family didn't have much to say to me so I found it interesting that I was the subject of any of their conversations.

"I'm sure." I decided to just tell him once and for all. Get it out there. I breathed in deep intent on letting him in on my open-secret. "Look, daddy, I think that-"

"When you and Jamilla come to visit tell her to bring her rug rats Joanna." He cleared his throat loudly. "And...and you bring your friend too." My heart stopped drumming in my chest.

"That would be nice daddy." His voice turned gruff so I knew it was time to say good bye.

"Okay, well you tell your mama to sing that song, I shouldn't have to remind her 'bout that."

"She doesn't know I still have the nightmares." This was as much as me saying 'I love you more daddy!". I felt his ego swell from the state of New York.

"Well, anyway, you be good and stay safe. I just read 'bout some jackass robbing a store off Turtle and Sea Drive."

I sat staring at the phone for who knows how long. He knew and he was handling it in his own way. The man still managed to surprise me at sixty.

"Amazing".

I knew that there were minor daddy issues going on inside of me. So maybe the abandonment played a role in me keeping women away. So maybe it may have fueled my dreams that created even more of a reason for me to "keep people away". Maybe an eleven year old girl who missed the stability of her not-so-happily married mother and father was still buried inside of me, but God knew that I wanted to move on. That little girl needed to grow up.

I picked up the cuff link again and my fingers warmed the cold metal.

"...and clear skies today folks. Perfect weather for a barbeque, so those of you on the beaches stay safe and don't forget your sun screen. That weather system just off the coast of Africa is still developing and we are still keeping a close eye on this system..."

I snorted at the news. The weathermen on the island were infamous for being miles off base when it came to forecasting. Everyone on the island knew that whatever they said, it would probably be wise to prepare for the opposite.

I changed the station and checked my watch. It was 11am and I hadn't call Terry before I left. I had my fingers crossed that she was still home, preferably in bed...and naked...

A horn blared from behind me and I had to hold myself back from giving the person the finger. "Impatient bastard," I grumbled.

My car rolled over gravel to stop in front of Terry's home. I sat and waited for the telltale sound of Roc's excited barking.

Silence.

I grabbed my overnight bag along with the shiny, new bag of dog treats and approached the front door. "Terry?" It took me five minutes of knocking to realize that she wasn't there. I walked around back hoping that maybe she was in the back of the house and just didn't hear me. I knew that my memory wasn't what it use to be at the ripe ole age of 30 but I remembered telling Terry that we were going to spend the weekend together.

"I told her not to go to work, dammit!" She knew I was coming back. I left the note. "I did didn't I?" I couldn't be hallucinating when I spoke to Mellisa that morning.

The doubts crept up on me. What if she read the note and left anyway? What if I was just a good time for her? I banged on the closed back door but the fact that the door was closed and Roc still hadn't made a sound said it all.

She left knowing that I'd be coming over. "Don't jump to conclusions Jo, maybe...maybe..." My lips started to tremble and I threw the bag of treats to the ground as I sat on the steps that lead into her backyard.

Suddenly I realized that I had no real experience when it came to relationships, at least healthy ones. I was like a fish on dry land that had daddy issues and abandonment issues and freaky ass nightmares.

The first sob was more like a hiccup but the rest were full out bawling. It was like there was a river waiting to pour out of me because the tears just wouldn't stop. All this time I knew that something was wrong, missing, and I had an inkling that I may have finally found it and she was gone.

The tears started to ease and my butt started to get numb from sitting on the floor so long. I was reaching for the bag of treats when I heard a familiar bark. The muffled sound had me spinning around only to meet Roc's excited body jumping against the door. Terry came around the corner saying something to him and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me standing on her porch.

"Shhhit!" I mumbled as I wiped at my tears feeling like an idiot now. Too late. The worry was already planted on her face and she was yanking the door open and rushing to me wiping at my face asking fervently that was wrong and who she had to kill.

"What is it? Jo, talk to me baby." Her attention only made me cry more because now I just felt like a bigger idiot.

"Terry, I'm-I'm..." My face crumbled and she pulled me over to the couch that we shared lemonade on afternoons ago. She kept on pulling until I was on her lap and her arms were cradling me.

"Shhh, I'm here baby. Stop crying now okay?" I nodded my head. "Whatever it is, I'm here." Her hand rubbed my arm then squeezed me tightly until my sobs finally stopped. Soon there was only sniffling. I eased my grip on her t-shirt and rubbed it until most of the wrinkles were gone.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" A shiver ran down my back when I felt her breath on my skin. She pressed her lips to my forehead. "Help me to understand what's goin' on in that head of yours." The whispered words were earnest enough to get me talking and I didn't stop until I got it all out.

"...and so I called my daddy, really to find out if something was wrong with me. I mean, every girl who ever showed a lick of interest in something serious with me in college I shrugged off and I sat right there and let Vivian tug me further into the closet. I'm so tired of hiding Terry but it's hard. I have a good feeling my boss knows and is trying to pimp me out but I'm just tired of hiding at work. So I called my dad and we talked and he told me that my mom use to sing an Otis song to me when I had bad dreams and they went away and he told me that he was sorry for leaving us but he had to. I think he was scared he was gonna hit our mom but I'm still pissed he left and Jamilla's been angry since forever at him. Then I came here and you were gone and I thought about all of it and I realized how pathetic I was and I thought you just thought I was a fling and I cried." After a deep breath I licked my dry lips and wiped at my wet eyes. "And...and then you found me."

Her hands stopped rubbing my back during my explanation. I felt it resume when I was done. I sighed. That was a good sign. Roc stood up and stretched his long body and walked off to do whatever dogs did on Saturdays. The wind rushed through the pine trees and made the sound of the ocean. Combined with the soothing feel of her hand on my body, it was simply lethargic.

"Sooooo," My eyes popped back open. When did I fall asleep? "You called your dad about your nightmares and you're still mad at him but you talked. You think that you used Vivian as a way to avoid a real relationship. You think your boss is pimping you out. You thought you were a fling to me and that made you start crying in my back yard." She gently squeezed my arm. "Did I get everything?"

I slowly nodded my head. When she said it so calmly it made me sound crazy.

"You're crazy."

Ouch. No mincing on words with her. "Hey!" She laughed and sat back in the couch.

"Just kidding Jo." Terry pushed me away to smile crookedly at me. "I'm glad you spoke to your dad Jo." I licked my lips again and felt her thumb follow my tongue. "I'm serious about you Jo. I just went to the park for Roc to play around a bit. I was hoping that you'd came back today. In fact I was gonna call if you didn't." Her eyes lost all humor. If anything the lightness in them all but disappeared. I sniffled and she smiled.

Her hand dug between us and my stomach clenched in anticipation. When she yanked up the end of her t-shirt and held it in front of me I couldn't hide my disappointment. "Blow your nose Sniffy."

"I'm not blowing my nose on your t-shirt."

"No?" She covered my nose with the material and my hand fell to her stomach. The hard muscles clenched beneath my touch so I moved my fingers north only to have her grab them as she laughed. "Uh uh, not until you blow your nose Jo."

"I'll just get a tissue."

"But then you'll be to far away. I'd prefer if you do it now." She rubbed the tip of my nose softly. "Then I'll let you touch wherever you like."

I blew my brains out then wanted off of her lap so that she could wash her t-shirt. I even volunteered to wash it for her.

"That machine is too far Jo. I like you right here." I wiggled and wiggled but she just laughed as she kept me captive on her lap. Soon I was laughing too.

"You're sitting in a t-shirt with my snot on it Terry." She just shrugged. "SNOT Terry."

"And I feel so much closer to you already baby." Her fingers found their way beneath my shirt and began a tickle fest.

"Stop Terry! Terry!" I crawled away enough to make it to the end of the couch but she just followed me and grabbed my ankles.

"Where do you think you're going?" Her smile was sneaky.

"I'll pee on your couch Terry. I SWEAR!" I threatened with palms held out.

"Not exactly the kind of bodily fluid I wanted here." She said as we both wiggled around squealing like ten year olds. A thigh wedged its way between hers and her eyes turned to slits. She bit her bottom lip. I tugged, trying to get my arms free, and she lifted her body enough for me to move them. My hands moved to frame her face as her eyes studied me. They drifted close when I began to run my hands through her hair.

Her hair was a mess but she looked sexy to me. When her eyes opened again I felt something inside of me slide right in place. "Oh God. Terry, I'm falling so hard for you." Tears welled up in my eyes threatening to fall. Her smile dimmed but didn't disappear and instead her face softened all over. Her arms tightened around me and I wondered if she had any idea how expressive her face was sometimes?

"So your mama sang Otis to you?" She was falling too, I knew it.

"Yeah. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay."

"She had good taste in music," she murmured as her lips neared mine. They met softly then parted. Her tongue swiped slowly over her lips, pulling in the kiss. My lips rushed to kiss her again and I felt the warm, wet organ and moaned. The kiss deepened and lightened just as quickly, and then I heard her humming. A heartbeat later I heard singing.

"Sitting in the morning sun...I'll be sitting when the evening comes..." She smiled against my mouth as her low, alto voice wrapped around us. "Watching the ships roll in...And I watch 'em roll away again..."

Her hips began to grind into me and I gasped as my arms wrapped around her shoulders. Her mouth pressed against my neck then moved against my ear. "Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away, I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay..." My hands grabbed her ass as we grinded into each other. It was impressive the way she controlled her voice. "Wasting tiiiiiiiiiime..."

I buried my face in her neck squeezing her closer to my body. Her hips stilled. Terry pulled away and looked down at me, searching my face. Her hand cradled my cheek. "Let me sing to you Jo. Let me sing your nightmares away."

Those tears that were threatening to fall had nothing to hold them back after that. The woman had a way with words. "Okay," I said. The smile on her face was bright enough to light up the island for days.

It had to be all we were waiting on because all at once we were at each other trying to get our clothes off. "You first," I mumbled trying to still her hands and unclasp her shorts.

"No, you, I need to feel you baby." Still I managed to push her hands away and get one of my own down her shorts. She sighed and our lips met over and over until I had my tongue in her mouth. Her folds were wet and hot, the seat of her briefs soaked, so I knew she was ready for me. "Shit Jo, you feel so good. Don't stop baby..."

"I won't..." I rubbed her clit between two fingers and tugged. Her body bucked.

"Oh baby...Jo..." My arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her closer. I felt my pussy twitching in sympathy, my body readying itself for her touch; then I heard a gasp and watched Terry's her jerk up. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Mama!" I wiggled around and I'm sure that my eyes were just as wide while Gina Lawrence simply looked down at us ready to burst with laughter.

"I only came by to give you a plate of food since Mel said you wasn't coming down to the resort today. Timothy made all that food..." She looked from the plate to us. "I see now that I should have brought enough for two."

I covered my eyes and tried to disappear. We wouldn't get through the summer until every member of her family caught us having sex.

"No one knocks anymore! That door was locked..." she grumbled as her mother waved away our embarrassment and stepped back into the kitchen.

"Nothin' I haven't seen before honey." I rubbed my face and finally peeked through my fingers. Yep, Terry's mother was still there.

"Sorry Jo. I'll get rid of her," she said with enough seriousness to make me smile. "I will!"

"No! No Terry. She's your mother and wants to see you. If anything you should be getting rid of me." Her shoulders slumped.

"But...but we were just...you know..." I ignored her raised eyebrow as we stood outside her backdoors. "We were gonna get down Jo." She began to pout and looked too cute to ignore and I felt myself gravitating to her. A quick glance into the kitchen had me reining in my arousal.

Gina Lawrence was beaming at us as if we just told her she won the lottery. "Terry? Why is your mom smiling at us like that?"

"Because she's CRAZY."

"I heard that," the tiny woman said. I hadn't seen her since the day she set me up to meet her little "Karianna", but the woman was too cute to stay mad at.

"Hello Mrs. Lawrence."

"That's miss to you. I divorced that man quite a while ago honey. And you are Joanna Larnet. I guess you found my Karianna after all." Terry rolled her eyes and hugged her mother.

"Mama, just because I gave you a key doesn't mean you aren't suppose to knock. As you can see, I could have company over."

"Oh I know, I'm sorry. You didn't answer and you know how worried I can get." The mischievous smile on her lips belied her worry though. I think that she saw my car and Terry's car and came to investigate. I watched as she fussed over Terry, checking every cupboard and declaring Terry a starving woman who needed a trip to the grocery store.

When she did enough fussing over her daughter she turned her attention on me. "And you, Joanna, are looking pretty as ever."

"Thank you. It's good to see you again Ms. Larnet."

"Oh you're just being polite but not to worry, I won't be staying long. Timothy made this food and I wanted to make sure my baby had some food. Have you met Timothy yet?"

Terry draped her arm around Gina's shoulders and began to steer her toward the door. I followed. "No, she hasn't mom because I haven't taken her to the resort yet but I WAS going to take her today. However, since I know you are going to go back bearing the good news that Terry isn't a lonely, old woman anymore I know that Tim is just gonna tease me to pieces. So we'll be visiting another time mama."

Gina laughed and pushed Terry aside gently motioning for me to come closer. She hugged me and kissed both on my cheeks. "I knew that she was right about you."

"Umm, who?" My question was ignored as she hugged her daughter tightly and promised to knock from then on. We both knew that she wouldn't. My mom made the same promise every month.

We stood side-by-side on her front porch having no idea how domesticated we looked with my hand resting on her stomach and her arm flung over my shoulders.

"See you girls. Oh! And keep an eye out for that system Terry." Terry's brows furrowed.

"System? You think that idiot got the forecast right this time mama?"

"You behave! I know Mr. Hanna's mother." We laughed as the bubbly woman drove off in her Subaru.

"Ahhh, Terry, I'm afraid to tell you this but," Terry looked at me curiously. "Your mother is crazy." She laughed and pulled me closer.

"Tell me something I don't know."

I woke up feeling like I slept for days. Sunlight streamed into the room and just managed to not reach the bed. The cobwebs finally cleared leaving the feeling of being wrapped in a warm cocoon, and then the memories resurfaced.

We didn't end up making love that night, or having sex for that matter even though the both of us lie tangled and half naked all night. I would have settled for any or both scenarios but I'm not complaining. All of the things I learnt about her were worth one sex-less night. A full night together.

She loved bright colors and couldn't pick a favorite. She preferred when people called her Terry but secretly hated when strangers did and loved when I called her Reesa when we made love. She loved to cook and particularly loved to eat Italian food. She loved dogs but had a fear of cats that was a running joke at family get-togethers. She had a landscaping and painting company, this I knew, but she had been ignoring the painting side of things since her latest job but loved to paint. When I teased her about my apartment needing a new coat she immediately promised to get to it that week. Five minutes ticked by before I was convinced that she was kidding.

Terry loved her family more than life itself and would do anything for them. Mel going off to university in the new year scared the crap out of her, especially since she remembered the shenanigans that she got into when she left the island for school. She and Mel debated long and hard about the "wisdom" of her leaving the island. Mel won since she almost always did. Some days she felt old at 37 but Roc kept her young.

She was afraid of being hurt. I told her that I was too.

After I laid my own insecurities and idiosyncrasies in front of her we finally passed out on her couch only to wake up and find our way to her bedroom.

Now, what felt like a bare thigh was flung over me like a second skin. I held onto her forearms in sleep and found that I liked holding them when I was awake too.

A cloud covered the sun. Terry jerked awake when it began to shine again.

"Mmmmm." The low moan stirred something deep inside of me. I pushed back into her and felt her arms tighten in reflex only to relax. Her face moved against my neck until I felt her warm mouth there, nibbling happily. "You smell good in the morning."

"Oh yeah?" I giggled when she brushed a ticklish spot.

"You taste good too. I wonder if you taste this good everywhere in the morning?" I rolled over and tried to pull the sheet up to cover my mouth but she tugged it away.

"Morning breath Terry," I warned.

"Umm hmm," she mumbled as she licked her way down my neck. "Smell good."

"You're crazy."

"About you." My hands stilled and so did her lips. She released the flesh she was sucking on and looked up at me. "Don't look so surprised."

"You're cute." Her sleepy eyes looked annoyed as she pouted back at me. "You are. Look at you, all sleepy and frisky." She snorted and leaned into a palm.

"I don't think that being "cute" is something to be proud of."

"But you are Terry. Your hair's all messy and you're wearing your little boxer briefs..." When she made to get up I wrapped my legs around her and rolled us over. "What? Should I have called you sexy instead? A stud?"

"Well, yeah! For starters. Don't need any of my employees hearing you call me cute ya know." I kissed her pouty lips then I kissed her cheeks.

"Well I'm sorry." I kissed her nose and her eyes as I wiggled lower so that I could get to her neck. She gasped when I squeezed her breasts. They were a full C-cup that fit my hands perfectly. "You're sexy Reesa, so sexy...my sexy stud muffin" I smiled into her skin feeling her deep chuckles on my lips. I quickly unhooked her bra and she shrugged out of it moaning when my mouth latched onto a dark chocolate nipple.

"That's it baby, suck on me Jo." Her voice was deeper now, throaty with need. I knew that she needed to get off after her mother interrupted us the day before.

"You need to come don't you?" My hand trailed down her stomach until hard muscle turned into coarse curls then hot, slippery flesh. I bit my lip when the lewd sound of my fingers sliding through her met my ears. "Mmmm, you're so ready for me too." If possible she got even wetter. "You like it when I talk like this don't you?" My fingers teased her opening. Her pussy clenched. I moved over her until I had a clear view of her face, open and aroused.

The power I felt knowing that this strong, confident, independent woman would let me take her in her bed, in her house, had me high as a kite. I dipped my fingers into her and felt her body start to hum. "You like it when I fuck you don't you baby? When I touch you like this?" She yanked me up and her lips were fused to mine. Our kiss was intense; clashing teeth and searching tongues. My fingers were sliding easily inside of her, when her hips moved faster so did I, then she wrenched her mouth away.

"Ohhh, oh God baby, don't stop, go harder. HARDER!" I straddled her thigh as she began to buck against me.

"The first time I saw you I wanted you to fuck me so bad Reesa." She moaned as if in pain as my thumb rubbed incessantly at her clit. "My pussy got so wet..." I squeezed her breast as her pretty eyes began to lose focus. "I just imagined you eating me out that night and I felt aaaaall better." She came cussing and shouting out my name. Her walls tightened around my fingers like a vise as I kissed her face.

"You...have...one...dirty mouth." My sly smile was only met with her hands tugging me up her body.

"What?"

"I'm not done with you yet." She tugged until I was holding onto her headboard with my pussy hovering over her face. "Get comfortable baby." When I only looked down at her she lifted her head leading with her tongue and made contact.

"Ahh shit." I felt my eyes rolling to the back of my head. She knew how to give head. The woman was thorough, slow when I needed her to be. Her tongue was like a snake. It seemed to wiggle every and anywhere. My moans grew louder.

Her hands grabbed my hips and that was when the real head began. She began sucking on every inch of me like I was her last meal. "Reesa..." my voice was shaky. A hand slipped into her hair. I pressed her closer and my hips began to rock against her. "I'll...I'll suffocate you." My thighs were shaking, then every part of me.

"Ummno baby." She sucked greedily at my clit. The flat of her tongue swiped over the length of me; over, and over, and over, and over...

My body stilled and the hand that held her head was now behind me pressing into the bed where I felt the back of her fingers between her own legs moving furiously. My back arched as I pumped my hips into her face. I began to orgasm. That warm, focused feeling of pleasure started coming in waves and still her mouth persisted. I felt myself coming again; my hand gripped the headboard as the second one slammed into me. The cum didn't stop until her arm eased its grip on my thighs. I felt her tremble, then her moist fingers soothing the muscles of my back.

Her mouth was pressing soothing kisses to my thighs as I tried to not pass out. I moaned as she rubbed me. "Joanna," she whispered. I slid down her body and slumped on top of her. She rolled us over and started a slow, easy kiss that made my toes curl.

"Like Sunday mornin'," I mumbled. I smelled myself on her face. It was erotic knowing that I was painted on her. I imagined myself to be some kind of Picasso, Terry's body my canvas. All soft brown skin, hills and valleys...

"Hmm?"

"You're easy like Sunday mornin'," I said. She chuckled and nodded her head.

"I won't be leaving you anytime soon though. More like Etta James Sunday Kinda Love."

I chuckled too but soon even that required too much energy. I watched Terry move through hooded eyes. My hands lazily rubbing over her body, trying to commit every scar to memory. I closed my eyes as my fingers traced over her skin, squeezing the muscle where I found it. "Your body is so sexy. I love how thick you are, strong, soft."

"I'm glad that you approve Ms. Larnet but you don't have anything to be modest about. That ass can stop traffic." She opened a draw and dug around then rolled off of me. I protested feebly. "I'll be right back baby." I hummed and was about to drift off to sleep when I felt her hand moving over my stomach.

Her touch was soft and feather-like. "I don't want you to forget about this morning all week." Her quiet words made me open my eyes. She caressed my cheek softly. "Turn over baby."

My heartbeat started to drum in my ear. My body felt flushed and despite the tenderness between my thighs I felt the flesh there swelling in readiness. "Do you trust me?" She asked. I nodded my head and rolled over.

Her lips were peppering kisses all over my skin. I felt her kisses moving down my spine. Her hands were rubbing into my skin. Every touch was getting me more worked up. My hips pushed into the bed and she pushed into me. I needed her again. "I can take care of that itch Jo."

I moaned and shook my head trying to keep the arousal at bay. The woman was gonna be the death of me. "You're gonna need to hold on tight Jo." Her hands slid from my back down my sides then back up to grasp my breasts. The slow massage had my nipples aching in need. One of her hands moved between my body and the bed until she covered my pussy. A light squeeze was followed by slow rubbing.

"Get up on your knees baby, but keep your chest down on the bed." I felt exposed. Soon even that feeling drifted away.

Her hands moved from my back to my ass and she moaned. "I can't believe I have you. All mine." Her hand began to move through me. The wet sound making me even wetter. Then I felt her move behind me and the smoothness of a dildo.

Terry felt my body tense and continued caressing wherever her hands could reach. "Relax baby, I won't hurt you." The smooth rubber slid over my flesh. I gasped and couldn't hold back the moan.

"Ohh Reesa..."

"You want this baby?" Her hands moved up my arms to grasp my hands and wrapped them tightly around two iron rails of her bed frame. The strap was replaced by her finger and without warning I felt her finger inside of me, teasing me.

"Reesa, I need more," I growled.

Her fingers guided the tip of the dildo to my entrance and dipped the tip of the strap inside of me. I moaned and pushed back into her. Terry pushed into me and paused, rubbing my lower back. "Reesa..."

"I know baby. I know..." With one smooth stroke she was completely inside of me. Soon she had a rhythm going that had me grabbing onto her neck to keep her close. She kept me on the edge for longer than I needed to be and made me feel heavenly and hellish every second of it.

I knew that every time she slid into me it jarred her clit to attention. "Fuck me Reesa." She growled and pushed every bit of her power into every stroke. I felt my body growing warm. My hands tightened to a death grip on her bed frame.

She began moving inside of me differently, just as fluidly but with one roll of her hips something inside of me began to throb. "Oh God...oh God", I mumbled. She was waking up a sleeping giant. I rarely ever had someone hit my G-spot. I got excited at the very thought of it. The spot was elusive throughout college, through the years of sporadic dating and dabbling in relationships I could count on one hand when it happened.

Every part of my body zeroed in on the point where we met, then burned, then erupted. Her fingers rubbed my clit once, twice then it was like a damn broke inside of me. I called out to heaven, the angels, any spiritual being that would listen as I felt a gush of wetness squirt from my body.

Naturally, my orgasm wasn't a memo for Terry to stop. She continued to stroke me as I whimpered into her sheets. My mind told me to rest but my body wanted more of her. She came loudly. My body shook beneath hers as she spoke muttered gibberish I held on to her neck as she calmed down.

"Joanna...Jo..." She said between pants.

I mumbled into the bed, pulling her arms around me. "Don't let go Reesa."

"Never." We were oblivious to the morning slipping into afternoon. I don't think that I've ever been so lost in another person before in my life.

I sat at my desk preparing an account for approval when the phone rang. I checked my watch before I answered it. I had one hour until I could get out of there and find Terry. I wondered if she'd be at home or still at work. I had yet to visit her office though I was pretty sure I knew where it was located.

Thoughts of her hard at work filled my head as I absently answered the phone.

"Good afternoon, this is Joanna Larnet speaking."

"You sound very sexy with your work voice." The smile was immediate. The happiness growing inside of me was gradual until I was beaming at my computer screen.

"Why thank you. I was just thinking about you."

"You were? Good thoughts I hope." I laughed and asked her where she was, what she was doing and who she was doing it with. "I sense a bit of possessiveness there." I refrained from responding to her teasing since it was very close to the truth. She was on the road on the way back to the office for a meeting.

"It's kinda late for meetings." It was only 4:30 but I didn't like the thought of her working hard if it wasn't for the benefit of me seeing her sweaty body half naked.

"No rest for the weary. But that's not why I called. I'd like to take you out and wanted to know if you wanted to-"

"I want to."

"Well good." I heard the smile in her voice. A car horn blared. She asked me where I wanted to go.

The only place I thought of was Jimmy's but I didn't know if she wanted something casual or formal. "You choose."

"Okay then." After a few moment's of silence she said, "Dress casually. See you at 8."

"Okay." She told me goodbye but before she could hang up I heard myself calling out her name.

"Yeah." She waited. It felt natural to want to let the words out, I love you. The silence stretched into an awkward one quickly.

"Ummm, just wanted to say that I'm excited." She chuckled and told me that she was too.

"See you tonight Jo."

It was a great night. She took me to a rib place that I heard of but for some reason never visited. Its name was literally "The Rib Place". The beef slid off of the bone easily and I couldn't get enough of the sauce. When a plate of cornbread was placed in front of me I wanted to cry.

"Why did you bring me here Terry! I'll never leave now!" She laughed as she nodded her head to the country music coming over the stereo.

"It's a secret among people on the eastern side of the island. There's a place over on Pearl Island that has the best lobster in the country. I'll take you there one day."

"You're trying to get me fat." Her eyes twinkled. "What'll you think then huh? I'll be 300 pounds by next year this time if it's up to you."

"More of you to love baby." She sipped on her glass of soda. Her light eyes had an openness to them that made me realize that she was telling the truth.

"How did I end up with you Reesa?" She laughed.

"Funny, I ask myself that just about every day now." She chuckled and reached over. "You got a bit of sauce right..." My heart began to drum as she intimately wiped at the corner of my lips. Our eyes locked as we both realized how intimate her touch was. I didn't move away though. Her smile was slow. I didn't care who was looking. I was too busy watching her slip that finger tip into her mouth and suck it dry. "Got it."

"Ahhh...thanks." I licked my lips as my appetite for ribs vanished. I needed to get her home. I knew that my apartment was the closest.

"Can we leave?" She licked her lips and looked up for the waitress.

"Check please."

Sometimes life was weird. Of all the nights and places to run into an ex I managed to avoid for years I ran into Vivian that night, leaving The Rib Place holding onto Terry's arm as she told me a funny story about work.

"Joanna?" I spun around and came face-to-face with my ex.

"Vivian." My hands slid from Terry's arm subconsciously. I felt her become tense and distant next to me. I was starting to get attuned to subtle changes she went through. Vivian looked from Terry to me and the shame and confusion I felt years before as she and I hid our love away came back. I was tired of it. I hated the way our relationship made me feel. I hated the person it turned me into.

I reached for Terry's hand and moved closer as I felt her eyes moving from me to Vivian.

Vivian looked as good as ever. Her hair was in a short style that complimented her heart shaped face. Her olive skin glowed, even under the harsh lights from the restaurant. She was about my height and had a shapely figure that my hands spent many a night roaming. From a glance she appeared to be a sexy femme in her slim jeans and pointy heels, but Vivian was a femme on the streets and butch in the sheets.

Only after our mutual eyeing of each other did I see the man standing next to her. He was an average looking guy a little on the tall side and completely on the homophobic side by the way he was looking at our joined hands. I dismissed him immediately.

"It's good to see you Vivian. How have you been?"

"Fine. And you? You're looking good Anna." The familiar pleasure I felt when she called me her little nickname was back. Our gazes connected and what I saw in them surprised the hell out of me. There was wistfulness and clear desire in her eyes.

I squeezed Terry's hand and looked up at her with a shaky smile. "Vivian, this is Tereesa Lawrence. Terry this is Vivian." She smiled and tore her gaze away to shake Vivian's hands. We learned that the guy next to her was Gregory.

"I'm on the island for a few months for work. You know that I moved to Crystal Harbour right? The firm relocated."

"That's great, right off the Florida Keys right?" We stood in uncomfortable silence before I cleared my throat and pointed behind us.

"Well, we're gonna be off then." I turned to Gregory who had yet to say another word during the entire exchange. "It was great meeting you Gregory. I'll be seeing you Vivian."

Terry held the door for me then slipped into the driver's seat of her car. "She seems nice," she murmured as she maneuvered out of the tight parking lot.

"She was." I felt the uncertainty hovering between us and decided that I had enough. "My apartment is closer." She laughed and released a deep sigh.

"Yes it is." I reached for the music dial determined to place Vivian just where she was supposed to be, in the past.