Gerri Hill - One Summer Night

Their bodies damp with perspiration, they lay together in the glow of the fire, and Jo soothed Kelly’s back with gentle hands.

“Okay?”

“Mmm.”

Kelly rolled off her, resting on her side as her leg still pinned Jo to the rug. Her mouth went to Jo’s breast as her hand slipped between Jo’s thighs.

“Oh, you’re so wet,” she murmured.

Kelly cradled Jo’s head on her arm, her lips moving back to Jo’s mouth. Her thigh nudged Jo’s legs farther apart. Her tongue was hot inside Jo’s mouth, and Kelly’s fingers moved through Jo’s wetness, slipping inside her, letting Jo set the rhythm as her hips rose and fell, pulsing against Kelly’s fingers.

“Yes,” Jo breathed. “Harder.”

Kelly moved over her, her fingers diving deep inside Jo, thrusting into her wetness. Then she moved down, her mouth joining her fingers, sucking Jo hotly into her mouth as her fingers delved deeper still.

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“Kelly!” Jo cried, and her hands in Kelly’s hair forced her mouth down hard. She cried Kelly’s name again and again as her orgasm ripped through her, and she screamed with pleasure.

“Dear God,” she gasped. “Come here.”

She pulled Kelly on top of her and held her. She was trembling but she couldn’t help it. Each time, she felt like she would explode from the feelings surging through her.

They lay quietly until Jo's breathing finally slowed. She brushed Kelly's hair softly, again and again, her eyes closed.

"Okay, honey?" Kelly finally asked, and Jo smiled at her endearment.

"Very much okay."

They rolled over, and this time, Jo pinned Kelly with her leg. She kissed Kelly’s cheek lightly and smiled. It was very much okay, indeed.

"My turn," she sighed into Kelly’s ear as her tongue slipped inside. She was always filled with such a need to please Kelly, and Jo let her body slide over her. Lovemaking had never been this way before. It had always seemed hurried and rushed. With Kelly, it was anything but that. Jo took her time as her lips touched Kelly’s face, her eyes, her nose before finding her waiting lips. Their kiss was hot and wet, and their tongues danced together.

Jo pressed her thigh hard between Kelly's legs, feeling Kelly’s wetness and rubbing against it. Kelly's legs opened wider, and she arched into Jo's leg, her hips rising and falling in rhythm. Jo's mouth found Kelly’s breast, the nipple hard and swollen, and she took first one, then the other into her mouth. Kelly held her tight, her hands pressing Jo closer.

Jo’s mouth opened, and her tongue teased the taut peak before sucking the nipple into her mouth again, and Kelly moaned with pleasure, her hands on Jo's face.

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Jo's hand moved down Kelly’s body, and she quickly slid her fingers deep inside her.

"Oh, God, yes," Kelly breathed, and her hips pushed up hard, shoving Jo deeper inside. Jo moved quickly in and out, plunging her fingers deep into Kelly’s wetness and Kelly stilled, already near orgasm.

But Jo wasn’t nearly through and she quickly pulled away and again pressed her thigh between Kelly’s legs, her mouth still at her breast.

"Jo, please," Kelly begged her.

“I want to taste you.”

Jo moved down slowly, her mouth open as she pushed Kelly’s legs apart. Kelly was so wet, and Jo's tongue moved into her, over her, and her lips took Kelly into her mouth.

Jo’s arms wrapped under Kelly’s legs, holding her tightly as her tongue stroked Kelly to orgasm. Kelly cried out loudly, and Jo pressed her face down into her, her cheeks wet with her.

Kelly's legs fell limply to the rug. She reached for Jo and slowly pulled her up. "I love you," she whispered.

Jo lay still, her heart hammering in her chest at Kelly’s words. She had known it, of course. She just didn't want to hear it. As the light of the fire danced over them, Jo shook her head slowly and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Jo, I can't keep pretending that I don't," she insisted.

"I'm not sure I want you to love me.”

"But I do. I'm very much in love with you. It's never been like this with anyone before," she whispered.

She held Jo tightly to her.

"Please don't say that."

"It's true, honey."

"Kelly, I can't let myself love you," she said. "Everyone I've ever loved is gone. Everyone who's ever loved me is gone.”

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"I'm not going anywhere," Kelly promised and brushed at the tears that escaped Jo's eyes.

Jo said nothing. What could she say? She desired Kelly, yes. She enjoyed being with her. She admitted that she needed her, but love? No, she couldn't let herself love Kelly.

She wouldn't.

"Should we stop seeing each other?" Kelly asked.

"No. I don't want that," Jo said quickly.

"Maybe this is too much, too soon. Maybe we need to spend more time alone or with other people," Kelly said quietly.

"God," Jo whispered. "I don't want that. I'm sorry. I know I'm being difficult, Kelly. I want to be with you."

"Deb has shown an interest in you. Maybe you need to pursue that," Kelly continued.

"And Lucy has shown an interest in you."

"Honey, I don't want Lucy."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"I think you need to ask yourself why you're with me.

Is this all you want? A physical relationship with no strings attached?"

"I don't know what I want," Jo admitted.

Kelly let out a weary sigh. "Then I certainly don't know either.”

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

They got home before noon on Sunday. It had been a busy weekend. Thursday, they had joined other tourists at a local beer joint to watch football games and then went to the nicest restaurant they could find for turkey dinner.

Friday and Saturday, Jo dragged Kelly with her through the shops and completed her Christmas shopping. They finished early enough Saturday to take a quick trip to Enchanted Rock, where they hiked the giant granite mound and crawled through the caves at the top. Kelly had been there camping the summer before, but Jo had not been there since her high school days.

Home, Kelly helped Jo unload her things and put all her packages on the sofa.

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"Did you buy me anything?" Kelly asked.

"Now, you're not supposed to ask that. Besides, when would I have had a chance? You were with me the whole time."

"Yeah, well, I bought you something," Kelly teased.

"You did? What?"

"It's a present. You'll have to wait," she said with a grin.

Jo looked at her for a moment, then went into her arms.

"Thank you for taking me. I had a wonderful time."

Kelly kissed her gently on the forehead. "I enjoyed our time together."

"I'm sorry about. . . ."

"Don't. We agreed not to talk about it. So let's not,"

Kelly said. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Jo watched her go and stood staring at the road a long time after her truck had disappeared. They had agreed not to talk about it, but it was there between them. Their lovemaking had become more guarded. The love Jo had seen in Kelly's eyes was hidden now. Is this how Jo wanted it?

Just a physical relationship? That's all it had become the last few days. There were no touches, other than in bed. During the days, they had been merely friends, no intimate looks passed between them.

Kelly had suggested they spend some time apart, and judging by the way she had left today, that's what was going to happen. Jo felt miserable. Her heart ached, and she didn't know why.

There were only three more weeks of classes, the last four days of that being finals. It had been a long semester, and Jo would be thankful when it finally ended.

She was behind in all of her classes, and she stayed at the college most evenings until seven. It was to catch up and get her finals organized, at least that’s what she told herself, but she knew it was to keep her mind off Kelly. She had 213