Gerri Hill - One Summer Night

Jo’s hips jerked again, but Kelly held her, one hand moving under her, stroking her, as her other hand glided in and out of her wetness. Jo’s fists clutched at the bed sheet, her hips writhing as she tried to match Kelly’s rhythm.

But it was too much. Jo was gasping now, being carried away, and Kelly’s fingers moved faster still, harder. She couldn’t take it another second, and Jo’s body exploded.

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Behind her closed lids, she saw stars, and she screamed out, a loud, primitive scream, her clenched fists pulling the bed sheet lose as her body collapsed on the bed.

Kelly lay down beside her, her fingers still inside. She moved them once and Jo groaned.

“I can’t move,” Jo said hoarsely. “Don’t you dare.”

She heard Kelly’s low chuckle as she slowly pulled her fingers away, and Jo managed to turn onto her side.

“I see I’ve rendered you speechless,” Kelly teased.

“You’ve rendered me useless.”

Kelly laughed and kissed Jo hard on the mouth.

“I don’t think so,” Kelly whispered.

Her hand lightly nudged Jo’s shoulder, pushing her onto her back. Jo’s eyes were closed, her breathing still ragged as Kelly slid slowly down her body, her mouth kissing her urgently as she moved. Jo’s legs were still limp on the bed.

She knew she didn’t have the energy to respond. But still, she wanted to feel Kelly’s mouth on her, her tongue on her, inside of her. She couldn't wait any longer. She placed her hands on Kelly's shoulders and guided her between her legs.

"Please, I need you so much," she begged.

Her legs opened wide as Kelly settled between them and Jo gasped when Kelly’s mouth covered her. She felt Kelly’s tongue slide over her, and she was lost. She lay back, her hands gripping the sheets, pulling at them as she felt Kelly's tongue plunge inside of her.

"Oh, dear God," she breathed. Her body was spent, should be spent, but still it opened to Kelly, responded to her lovemaking. She closed her eyes tightly, letting her mind go blank, thinking of nothing except this woman and her mouth on her.

Kelly stroked her, her mouth devouring her, and Jo thought she would surely die from pleasure. Her hips arched and her heels dug into the bed as the first wave of orgasm 186

hit her. She cried out, then groaned softly as her body exploded under Kelly's mouth.

Jo pulled Kelly close to her and held her tightly as she felt tears well in her eyes. Kelly made love to her in such a way that left no doubt of her feelings. Jo stubbornly denied the feelings that were gripping at her own heart. She didn't want this woman to love her. She wanted their relationship to remain as it was: physical, sexual, but not emotional. She couldn't handle that. She would not let Kelly into her heart.

She could not.

They didn't speak, and Jo was thankful. Kelly didn't mention her tears, she simply kissed them away and held Jo beside her, brushing her hair softly until Jo fell asleep in her arms.

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Jo walked into her office and stared at the stacks of papers littering her desk. It would take days to get it cleaned off. Morning classes had been a chore and she wondered if maybe she had come back too soon. Susan had told her to take the entire week off, but she didn't know what she would do with herself, alone. She wanted to get back into the routine of her life and put the last week behind her.

Kelly had left early that morning to go to her apartment to shower and dress. They did not speak about the night before and she knew what Kelly was thinking, that Jo was going to send her away again. Jo could see it in her eyes, and she hated herself for it. She had kissed Kelly and held 188

her and told her everything was fine. It was, really. She wouldn't stop seeing Kelly. She couldn't deny herself that.

It was just too much, too soon, was all.

She was busy sorting papers on her desk when Kelly walked in later. She glanced at the clock, surprised that it was after one. Kelly held a sack up and smiled.

"Tuna on wheat, extra mustard," she said and laid the bag on top of the papers Jo was recording. "You need to eat."

Jo smiled at her. "What makes you think I haven't already had lunch?"

"You never have lunch unless I make you," she said. "I gotta run.”

She turned back at the door. "Don't forget to eat it, now."

"Thank you. I won't."

Kelly left, and Jo munched on the sandwich while she worked. She was hungry. She hadn't taken time for breakfast, and Kelly was right. She rarely ate lunch.

It was a very long day, and Jo had to force herself to keep her last class until the scheduled time. She wrapped things up with ten minutes to spare and told them to have a nice afternoon, then hurried to her office. The mounds of papers on her desk were haunting her, and she stayed until nearly six, trying to put her office in order.

Kelly had not come by. Jo found her office closed and locked. She should be thankful. She needed time alone. After the night they had spent together, she needed some time to separate herself from Kelly. Her emotions felt all tangled, as they always did when she spent a night in Kelly’s arms.

She was having a hard enough time just getting through the day with bits and pieces of their night together flashing in front of her, and at the most awkward times, too. But once at home, she was restless. She opened her refrigerator, 189

searching for something for dinner. There was nothing. She opened her pantry, grimacing at the two cans of soup that confronted her.

"Yuck," she said, closing the door. She needed to go shopping, she realized. She stood in the kitchen, indecisive.

Just last week, she would have been able to call Harry and go to his place for dinner. She closed her eyes and stopped her thoughts right there. It would do her no good to think about that.

She could always call Betsy and Janis and see what they were doing for dinner, maybe invite herself over. She'd done it before. She knew she was deliberately omitting Kelly from her choices. She could call her. She knew that Kelly would meet her anywhere for dinner. But then, afterward, she would ask if Jo wanted her to come home with her, and Jo didn't want to be in that situation. She knew if she was, she would ask Kelly to stay again and they couldn't keep doing that. She needed some time away from Kelly, away from the feelings Kelly stirred in her heart.

She walked over to the phone and punched out Betsy's number.

"Jo! We were just talking about you," Janis said.

"I hope it was good," she smiled.

"How are you?" Janis asked.

"Hungry. What are you doing for dinner?"

Janis laughed. "We were just arguing over who was going to cook and Betsy decided on ordering pizza. Do you want to come over?"

"Yes, I’d love to. Sure you don't mind?"

"Don't be silly. Come over.”

Twenty minutes later, Jo was knocking on their door.

Betsy opened it and greeted her with a hug.

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"How was it today?"

"Long," Jo said. "But okay."

"Good. Come on in.”

"Hi, Jo," Janis called from the kitchen. She brought out a beer for Johanna. "Where's Kelly?"

"I don't know," Jo said.

"Is everything okay?" Betsy asked.

"I guess."

"I thought last night that you two. . . I mean, you looked like. . . Oh, hell, you know what I mean," she finished weakly.

Jo smiled. "Yes. I know what you mean. I saw her at lunch, but we didn't really get a chance to talk. I haven't seen her since."

"She didn't stay with you last night?"

Jo blushed and looked away. "Yes," she said quietly. "She stayed with me."

"But?"

"But, nothing.”

"Oh, Jo, I know you better than that. What's wrong?"

"Betsy, I don't know," she admitted. "I like her a lot. I'm just scared, I guess."