Chapter 10
Winter was rapidly approaching the many boroughs of Yorkshire. Each evening the sun was disappearing below the horizon a little earlier rolling back with it the warmth of the day and leaving a distinct chill in the air. To stave off the cold that had begun to envelop the undulating hills and valleys of Ripponden Bank with the onset of night, Alan had started a fire and now lively flames flickered comfortingly in the fireplace of the recently–purchased bungalow that Celia and Alan had moved into only a matter of a few months ago after eventually tiring of all the to-ing and fro-ing between Gillian's farm at Halifax and Caroline's house in Harrogate.
The remnants of a late dinner had been cleared away by Lawrence while Alan rummaged determinedly amongst the mystery contents of various yet-to-be unpacked boxes until he was successful in locating the Trivial Pursuit which he then cheerily proceeded to set up on the dining room table. Celia had convinced Lawrence to abandon his X-box and join them in a game, not that he truly minded. He quite enjoyed the company of his Gran, even more so now that Alan was there too. Alan's presence seemed to have mellowed his sometimes brusque grandmother and, more often than not these days, she could be seen with a contented smile on her face rather than the familiar disgruntled frown of the past. The acerbic tongue that she had often unleashed indiscriminately on all members of the family was now calmed although some things would never change as Celia still liked to call things as she saw them but Alan was well up for the challenge, even getting the better of her on more than one occasion although it was all done with a playful glint in his eye and a teasing smile. The bitter bemoaning of past regrets were now replaced with lively anecdotes of what she and Alan had been up to as they always managed to find themselves firmly ensconced in some disastrous dilemma of one kind or another. Lawrence's particular favourite was their recount of the afternoon when they had managed to get themselves locked in at Southowram Hall with nobody around to alert of their whereabouts other than the resident spirits that are reputed to haunt the place. Neither Celia nor Alan are firm believers in the afterlife but they still attest to some strange and inexplicable goings-on that night. Although humorous in the retelling after the fact, at the time they had at least half of West Yorkshire police force out looking for them and Gillian, Alan's daughter, and Caroline in particular, were worried sick. All in all, Lawrence found his Gran and Alan to be very entertaining so it was no great chore for him to pass the time with them that evening in the friendly rivalry of a game of Trivial Pursuit.
Celia placed a mug of hot, sugary tea in front of both Alan and Lawrence as well as a plate of cream biscuits and then sat down at the table with her hands wrapped for warmth around her own mug of tea. Alan rolled the die enthusiastically and then advanced his token.
"Blue…Geography," he announced cheerfully, confident in his ability to answer the question and get his first wedge of 'pursuit pie'.
Lawrence took the card from the top of the deck but, before he was able to ask the question, Celia interrupted.
"Lawrence, what's this emergency your mother has had to attend to in London of all places?
Without giving it a second thought, or possibly even a first thought, Lawrence replied, "She's gone to fetch Kate…What's the term for a resident of Liverpool?" he then asked Alan.
"Kate? Who's Kate?" Celia persisted, "I don't know of any Kate."
"Mum's been seeing her," Lawrence answered nonchalantly and then added, "She's a private investigator."
"Liverpooler…no…Liverpoolee….no…Liverpudlian!" Alan finally announced jubilantly as he collected his blue wedge and dropped it in the token, all the time keeping a subtle, watchful eye on Celia to gauge her reaction to Lawrence's words, unsure of what to expect.
"Seeing her? Surely you don't mean 'seeing her' as in…"
"She's mum's partner," Lawrence explained innocently, oblivious to the turmoil his revelations would create. "Kate was hurt ….a head injury or something….while she was solving her latest case….finding a missing person….she spent a couple of days in hospital but she's okay now and mum's gone to London to bring her home….mum was worried out of her brain about her."
Looking for a distraction as he could now see the confusion and distaste on Celia's face, Alan passed the die to Lawrence so he could have his turn. As he did, he gave his wife a barely perceptible shake of his head and a slight frown that advised her to perhaps not say too much more on the topic and not to worry the lad about it anymore. However, he needn't have bothered as it was one of those rare occasions when Celia was too gobsmacked to comment further so instead she returned her attention to the game.
"Whose roll is it?" she asked with an obvious lack of enthusiasm now that her mind was taken up with this other matter.
Lawrence tumbled the die across the table and moved his token. Celia, however, continued to churn Lawrence's words over in her head paying very little attention to the game at hand.
It was just over an hour later when Alan triumphantly gave the correct answer … 'Manchester United'… to his final question thus winning the game and taking the honours.
Lawrence stretched and yawned demonstrably before signalling that he was done for the night and was off to bed.
"Clean your teeth," Celia called after him as he headed towards the rooms at the end of the hall.
He responded with a "Yes, Gran," and a giant eye roll.
"When were they going to realise he wasn't a kid anymore?" he asked himself as he bypassed the bathroom totally forgetting about his teeth.
Celia distractedly collected up the empty mugs and plate and took them into the kitchen where she dropped them with a loud 'clunk' into the sink. Her jaw was squared and her mind preoccupied as she turned on the tap and waited for the sink to fill with water, her eyes staring into the suds.
Noting her pensive look, Alan asked, "Are you alright, love?"
Celia turned off the tap and hung her head dolefully but didn't answer.
Alan joined her at the sink with a tea towel in his gentle, aged hands.
"What's up?" he asked, his voice laden with concern.
"Could he truly not see it?" she wondered.
After some moments spent gathering her thoughts, Celia finally answered him.
"It's what Lawrence said….about Caroline and that woman…that Kate…Do you think he's got it right?"
Gauging the delicacy of the subject, Alan replied diplomatically, "Maybe we shouldn't jump to any conclusions until you've had a chance to talk to Caroline….the lad may have it all wrong way about."
Celia continued as though not hearing, or at least heeding, Alan's words.
"What's she doing with a woman? She's been married to that complete waste of space, John, for nigh on twenty years….Why would she choose now to jump the…."
Thinking she may have just answered her own question, Celia stopped there. With a fair degree of automation, she placed the washed mugs and plate in the drainer, dried her hands on a nearby hand towel and then shuffled her way back into the dining room where she slumped into one of the wooden chairs at the table. The weight of worry seemed to have instantly aged her as her forehead crinkled with anxious furrows, her mouth turned down and her hands fidgeted fretfully with her fingernails.
Alan seated himself on the chair beside her and placed his own hand over hers in a comforting gesture.
"He'll have got hold of wrong end of stick….best you don't worry," he tried to reassure her but she was having none of it.
"She told me….When she was 18, she told me…19…end of her first year at Oxford. She came home…I hardly recognised her…skinny as a rake and she'd cut all her lovely, long hair off," Celia began glumly.
"Told you what?"
Not wanting to say the actual words, Celia continued hoping that Alan would catch on.
"I said, 'well for God's sake don't tell your father…or anyone else for that matter…not around here'…I didn't want folk pointing…saying things…not for me, not for my sake…for hers."
"What folk?"
"Oh…folk," Celia replied determinedly holding back the tears that were building up.
"What happened? Did she have a friend?"
"There was one girl…a hockey player who I did wonder about…you know, when you hear them say a name once too often in a particular way…but it wasn't anybody she brought home….and then a few years past and she met John and it was forgotten…I imagined she got over it."
Celia rested her elbows on the table and covered her distraught face with her hands. It was the first time she had shared this particular bit of information with anyone for fear of judgement and reprisal and to hear her thoughts …her fears…spoken out loud ….brought her feelings of guilt and confusion flooding back.
To her surprise she heard Alan say, "Does it matter if she's with a woman? If this Kate's a nice person….and it sounds very much like she is….well, surely that's what matters, isn't it?
Celia was astounded. Didn't he understand the repercussions if it was all true?
"It's nowt these days…nobody bats an eyelid…I think you just need time to get used to the idea," he added.
Celia shot him a look of doubt. She did not share his optimism or generous views.
oooOooo
Kate was adamant that she was perfectly fine and fit enough for the drive back to Harrogate the very next day but Caroline was unyielding in her insistence that with her injuries, as well as the arduous ordeal down at the police station where she had been held up for hours providing a statement, Kate needed to rest up for another day before attempting the long and often slow return trip.
It was on the Friday that they awoke early and were dressed, packed and ready to leave first thing in the morning in the hope of avoiding the chaos that was often the A1 in the lead up to the weekend. As they stood at the reception desk going through the procedure of checking out, the girl behind the counter was the only other presence about them. Every other sensible person was still tightly tucked up in bed.
Despite it being London, the only other signs of life they saw out on the grey street at this time of the day were the one or two mandatory, early morning dog walkers and the occasional jogger….even the resident pigeons considered it too ungodly an hour to be up and about.
Rugged up against the cold press of the rapidly encroaching winter, Caroline and Kate walked with brisk steps around to the reserved parking spaces where Caroline had left the Jeep. A wispy rise of vapour made their every exhaled breath visible as the warm air from their lungs mixed with the crisp morning chill.
Caroline tossed their overnight bags onto the back seat and then accompanied Kate to her passenger seat, ensuring she was comfortably secure. Finding it pointless to complain, Kate gave up trying to convince Caroline that she was alright and that she didn't need fussing over and, instead, went with the flow, deciding that Caroline would eventually work it out of her system. Besides, it had been quite some time since Kate had had someone who truly cared enough about her to fuss so she would relax and indulge herself in Caroline's pampering.
As it was still dark outside Caroline turned on the headlights then reversed out of the carpark and nosed her vehicle out onto the street. She cautiously wormed the Jeep through the London streets being careful not to brake too suddenly or unnecessarily jolt her wounded passenger until eventually they hit the A1. At this early hour, although not totally devoid of other travellers, the traffic was sparse and free-flowing.
Kate had spent much of their last day or so together either drowsily awake or sleeping as the painkillers she'd been prescribed gradually took effect so, although Caroline had a million and one questions she wanted to ask, she had refrained, preferring to wait until Kate was rested and more prepared to talk about the trauma she had been through. With a long drive ahead of them, however, now seemed as good a time as any to test the waters Caroline thought.
"Do you know how the girl….Angela… is fairing?" Caroline ventured as she slipped them into a clear lane.
"She'll be well enough in time," Kate answered thoughtfully, unsure as to whether one did ever really recover completely from an ordeal such as the one Angela had experienced. "Her parents came to visit me when I was in hospital…to thank me…Angela was in the same hospital but a different ward…I visited her before I left but she was sleeping so I didn't disturb her…Her fragile body looked as thin as a rail tucked under the hospital blankets however the nurse reassured me that she was making a good recovery."
The image of the pale figure lying peacefully now in the hospital bed conjured itself up in Kate's mind and made her ponder what might have happened to both of them if things had gone a little differently. Although it didn't seem like it at the time, Lady Luck had definitely been with them that day.
"What's going to happen with her?" Caroline asked, jogging Kate from her reflections.
"According to her mother, Angela's looking forward to returning to Harrogate with them once she's been discharged….I've no doubt she'll be more than happy to be among friends again….she certainly experienced the more seedy side of London life."
"I read in the newspaper that the fire started when two men in the house were 'cooking' some chemicals to make drugs…the cocktail and then a gas cylinder exploded which started the blaze."
"There was certainly at least one very loud explosion," Kate confirmed as she remembered the way the walls shook and the shattering of glass in the windows followed soon after by the sight of toxic curls of smoke seeping under the door and then the fierce roar of the flames.
"The report said that one man in his early twenties was killed and another seriously injured," Caroline added.
"One of those will be Angela's boyfriend, Andrew Southby, I suspect….what a 'catch' he turned out to be."
Subconsciously Kate lifted her fingers to her wound, now free of its heavy bandage, and felt the swollen lump there. She wondered which one of the men had been the one that struck her.
"I'm almost certain it was the Southby lad that the papers reported as being the deceased."
Kate reflected for a moment on that news. Although she generally didn't wish people ill will or harm, she couldn't help thinking that the world and, undoubtedly, Angela's patch of it, would be a better place without Andrew Southby and the likes.
Caroline took a brief glance over at her passenger. It was obvious that Kate's strength was waning as the morning's dose of pain killers were taking effect. She decided to put off asking any further questions for now. They had a considerable drive ahead of them. Maybe Kate would be up to talking further about it later and if not, Caroline would wait.
"After all," she found herself thinking, "we have the rest of our lives together to discuss it."
The thought had simply jumped into her mind without persuasion or pondering and she admitted the truth of it….she really did want to spend the rest of her life with this woman.
The rhythm of the car and the warm air from the heater combined with the effects of her medication soon had Kate sleeping soundly as Caroline drove unhindered along the black ribbon of road leading ever closer towards Harrogate.
It was probably almost an hour before Kate awoke again. Groggy at first, she sat silently observing the passing scenery and trying to get her bearings.
"Where are we?" she asked her driver.
"About an hour from Harrogate," Caroline replied.
As the torpor lifted and her head cleared Kate realised that she hadn't really told Caroline what had happened to her in any sort of detail and that she was probably wondering but being too considerate to ask. Kate also suddenly felt the need to purge all of the insanity of what had happened from her mind and onto a friendly ear.
"Do you mind, Caroline, if I talk about what happened?" Kate asked.
"Not at all."
"But you have to promise to tell me if I'm boring you," she added.
Caroline turned and gave her a quick smile.
For the last hour of their drive Kate disclosed to Caroline most of the details of what she could remember. She told how she had met up with Angela at the café but then Angela had been chased away. She explained how she had followed and heard a scream then attempted to rescue the girl but was soundly walloped into unconsciousness. When she eventually woke up she found herself lying on a filthy mattress on the floor of a squalid room in an all-but-abandoned terrace house used by drug addicts, dealers and the generally down-and-out, her head bleeding and her body wracked with pain. Kate described the explosion, the subsequent fire and how she managed to lower Angela to safety only to blackout before saving herself but then being rescued by the timely arrival of the fire brigade. Apparently they had been met by an almost hysterical Angela who alerted them to the fact that Kate was still inside the burning house. She recalled the hot flames literally licking at her heels as she was being lifted from the floor and carried out of the window to safety and the reverberating crash of the brick wall that formed the front of the house only seconds after she'd escaped.
Caroline's stomach twisted into tight knots as she listened to Kate's story. Nausea rose through her body to the point where she thought she was going to be physically ill as she became increasingly aware of how incredibly close Kate had come to perishing in that house.
As a distraction to her imagining what might have happened and to clear the black dots forming in her vision, Caroline made an extra effort to focus on the road ahead. Her arms were rigid with tension and her hands now had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. She swallowed hard on the lump of emotion constricting her throat. Her eyes brimmed with tears which she stubbornly held back.
Noticing the strain in Caroline's body and face and her sustained silence, Kate asked, "Caroline, are you okay?"
The soothing sound of Kate's concerned voice interrupted her thoughts and reminded her that Kate was, in reality, alive and well and with her instead of on a cold, metal tray down at the morgue lying beside the charred, expired body of Andrew Southby. Her worry and 'what ifs' immediately turned to intense gratitude and heart-bursting love. A single, grateful tear managed to escape and roll down her cheek.
Sensing that she was the cause of Caroline's upset, Kate ran a consoling hand along the woman's thigh and brushed gently at the tear with her fingers.
"I'm sorry, Caroline," she said softly.
"Don't be ridiculous," Caroline scoffed lightly but with a falter in her voice, "you've nothing to be sorry for…I'm just being…I don't know…emotional."
Caroline then turned her head to give Kate a split-second smile before focussing back on her driving.
For the remainder of their journey Kate kept the conversation flowing on more light-hearted topics; their recollection of the expression on John's face when he had barged in on them in Caroline's bedroom kept them amused for miles. Caroline also recounted to Kate her conversation with Lawrence about their relationship.
"He was brilliant about it," Caroline explained, "apparently it's 'cool' to be gay at the moment….probably the first time in my life I've ever been 'cool'…but it's been worth the wait."
Kate laughed to herself at both Lawrence's take on things and Caroline's complete obliviousness to how wonderful and 'cool' she really was or, at least, she was in Kate's eyes.
"But I'm not a patch on you apparently," Caroline continued, "being a private investigator somehow makes you way cooler than a mere Head Teacher….you're super cool….he can't wait to meet you."
This time Kate laughed out loud and Caroline joined in.
"I hope he's not disappointed when he sees that I'm just your average person."
"I doubt it….and you're hardly average….you're beautiful….and he'll adore you just like I do."
oooOooo
It had been an incident-free drive and by mid-morning Caroline was turning the Jeep into the driveway of her home in Harrogate. Noticing that John's car, and hopefully John, wasn't there, she gave a mental sigh of relief. He was literally the last person she wanted to see at this time except, perhaps, for her mother.
Caroline fussed for a moment with her keys and then unlocked the front door to the house and led Kate up to her bedroom, this time Kate insisting that she was able to carry her own bag. However, Kate did admit that the trip had taken its toll on her as she was far from fully-recovered either physically or mentally from her ordeal so she thought it would be best if she simply lay down and rested for a while. Caroline made sure she had everything she needed and then offered to make them both a cup of tea but by the time she returned to the bedroom with the tea Kate was sound asleep. Unable to resist, Caroline placed a gentle kiss on the dark, smooth cheek before leaving her to her dreams and heading back downstairs, closing the bedroom door behind her.
Caroline carried her cup of tea into the living room and plonked herself down on the sofa. If she was being honest, she too was quite exhausted from all the emotional upheaval of the last few days. As she sipped her tea, she recalled how only a few days previous she had sat in the same place worried sick about Kate,not knowing where she was, unable to contact her and with an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that all was not well…an eerily accurate feeling as it turned out. Again, the idea of how close she came to losing Kate crept into her brain giving her the sudden urge to race upstairs and tell Kate how much she had missed her in the months they had been apart while she was busy sorting out her wreck of a marriage, to tell her now how much she loved her but she knew Kate would be asleep….she wouldn't disturb her. However, she did promise herself that she would voice those sentiments to Kate at the first opportunity she had.
In need of a distraction, Caroline thought about phoning William but, after looking at her watch, she decided that he would probably still be in lectures. Instead, she made herself a second cup of tea and then headed for her study where there was always work for her to do. With the school audit only a week away, there was a myriad of final checks and balances to be completed.
oooOooo
The next morning both women woke feeling rejuvenated after the benefit of a sound night's sleep. As Caroline lay on her back, awake but with her eyes closed, she sensed the light touch of Kate's fingers almost floating over her body and the sensuous press of the woman's lips on her full breasts, the caress of her breath making her nipples swell and harden. Caroline stifled a moan as she felt Kate's warm, moist mouth envelop one of them and stroke it with her velvety tongue.
"Are you well enough for this?" Caroline struggled to ask through the rising commotion of her desire.
"Absolutely," was Kate's sultry reply, "in fact, I may die if I don't do it."
Before Caroline could feign protest any further, Kate shifted her attention to Caroline's other nipple, teasing it until Caroline's back arched sharply, pushing her breast deeper into Kate's mouth.
As Kate was about to slide a hand between Caroline's thighs their activity was abruptly brought to a halt by the distinct crunch of tyres on the gravel drive followed by the slam of a car door.
"Who the hell is that?" Caroline growled indignantly at the untimely interruption.
With the moment inevitably lost, Caroline rose out of bed to investigate the perpetrators of the disruption.
"That had better not be my jerk of a husband," Caroline muttered to herself as she donned her robe that lay on the end of the bed.
Kate hid an amused smile behind her hand. For some reason, unbeknown even to herself, she found 'haughty, irate Caroline' to be incredibly sexy as long, she supposed, that the ire wasn't raised at her. Caroline flung back the curtain to the bedroom window and peered out, anxious to see who had spoiled her morning.
"Bloody John….I might have known…his timing is impeccable."
Caroline then noticed another vehicle enter the drive.
"And there's someone else behind him….that had better not be bloody Judith."
Feeling entirely something else now, Caroline dressed and stomped off down the stairs to greet the focus of her fury. As John reached to put his key in the front door it was wrenched open and his stern-faced wife glared at him.
"What do you think…."
She swallowed the rest of her angry sentence as she recognised their real estate agent standing behind John and, while Caroline had been storming down the stairs, a third party had arrived.
Caroline pasted a small, embarrassed smile on her face as John did the introductions. "Caroline, I'm sure you remember Douglas, our real estate agent…."
"Of course," Caroline replied, doing her best to seem cordial, "come in."
Douglas gave Caroline a friendly smile and a nod of his head in return and then made his way inside.
"…..and Douglas has brought along Mr and Mrs Shaftsbury….they're interested in buying the house and have come to have a bit of an inspection."
With more stiffly polite smiles and greetings all around, Caroline stepped aside and allowed the Shaftsbury couple and finally John into the house.
While the agent and the perspective buyers headed immediately towards the kitchen, Douglas providing a running commentary for them on the features of the house, Caroline yanked her husband into the living room.
"Why didn't you tell me someone was coming to inspect the house?" she whispered savagely through clenched teeth.
"I did," John replied innocently, "I sent you a text yesterday afternoon. When you didn't reply, I assumed it suited you."
Caroline reeled in her anger. She had been so caught up in matters to do with Kate that she hadn't even thought to check her phone since about Thursday morning.
"The thing is, John….Kate is upstairs in the bedroom," she explained a little more mildly.
"Can't she leave….at least until this is done?"
"No….she's been hurt….she has a head injury…."
John looked puzzled for a moment. What had they been up to for the other woman to get a head injury he wondered?
"I'm not going to go into it now, John, but do they have to go into the bedroom….can't you steer them away?"
"It's the main bedroom….of course they'll want to see it. Listen, Caroline, these people are the first interested buyers we've had in months, I don't want you and your… girlfriend …screwing it up," John spat impatiently, pointing an accusing finger at her.
Caroline turned on her heels and stomped back up to the bedroom, taking a moment to calm herself down before entering.
"What's going on?" Kate asked, reading Caroline's perturbed expression.
Caroline sat down on the bed beside her and explained, "The real estate agent has brought over some clients who are interested in buying the house …. Apparently John sent me a text about it but because I haven't checked …. Anyway, they're having a look through….the thing is they'll want to come in here… Kate, I hate to ask…"
Caroline hesitated.
"What?" Kate asked.
"Do you feel well enough to go downstairs and perhaps wait in the kitchen?" Caroline began apologetically, "just until they've seen the rest of the house….they've already been in the kitchen."
Kate smiled obligingly.
"Of course," she answered much to Caroline's relief.
Her reward was a searing kiss that wreaked havoc on her every nerve ending from her toes to the top of her head. Having started what they had earlier that morning, Caroline was having great difficulty quelling the demands of desire that had been ignited, despite all the other distractions that were occurring around her.
"Unless you want your buyers to find two naked women making mad, passionate love in this bedroom, you and I need to go to the kitchen as soon as possible," Kate suggested, slightly breathless but with a teasing smile and smouldering eyes.
Kate then came under the audacious stare of Caroline's magnificent, blue eyes which clearly revealed her unmistakeable and uncensored thoughts. Not knowing how long her resistance would hold out, Kate quickly found her overnight bag, hauled out some clothes, dressed and accompanied a rather 'hot and bothered' Caroline down to the kitchen.
Putting her 'needs' aside for the time being, Caroline went off to track down the potential buyers. Meanwhile Kate proceeded to take advantage of being confined to the kitchen and made herself some breakfast, being careful to not to leave any mess. She also put on the kettle to brew some tea.
Caroline caught up and joined John and the rest of the troupe as they were making their way up the staircase to the upper floor where the bedrooms and bathrooms were.
As they went into each room Mrs Shaftsbury inspected every nook and cranny and gave a continuous, running commentary on the things she would need to change if they bought the place….she disliked Caroline's chosen subtle colour scheme and preferred something a bit bolder; there were some features that could be removed despite their being integral to the character of the house and she found Caroline's choice of floor covering to be, in her own words, 'horrendous'.
It was just as Caroline had come to the end of her tether and could take no more of the woman's inane criticism and tackiness and was about to tell her that they would sell the house to her and her husband only when hell freezes over, that the party made their way out of the front door and, after a few limp handshakes and promises to get back to each other, they were all reversing out the driveway, John included.
Disheartened by what she had seen and heard, Caroline strolled glumly back into the kitchen to see what Kate was doing. She knew she shouldn't be so attached to the place but she couldn't help it. She had put so much into it….worked so hard for it….it was perfect.
Not wanting to burden Kate with any of her problems, Caroline put on a brave face as she entered the kitchen but it took only one look into those revealing, blue eyes for Kate to realise that all was not well.
"They're not interested then?" Kate asked trying to get to the bottom of the problem.
Caroline shrugged.
"Who knows?" she replied without enthusiasm.
Kate moved closer and encircled Caroline in her arms.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing…I'm fine…really," Caroline replied.
Kate removed her arms from around Caroline and made to walk out of the room.
Surprised by this reaction, Caroline asked, "Where are you going?"
Kate turned and gave the woman a stern, dark-eyed glare.
"You promised me that you would share your problems with me….let me help you when you needed it rather than turn me away….allow me into that inner sanctum….Do you remember?
Caroline nodded. Had she failed her first test?
"If you can't share with me and let me help you then I'm leaving."
Caroline ran her hands through her thick, blond hair. She doubted that Kate was bluffing and even if she was, Caroline was not willing to risk calling her on it.
"I'm sorry, Kate…this is hard for me….It's not what I'm used to….Come back… I will try."
Kate's look immediately softened and she returned to her, wrapped the woman in her arms and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Do you want to tell me about it upstairs?"
Again Caroline nodded.
oooOooo
Once they were in the bedroom Kate slipped off her shoes, plumped up the pillows and lay down on the bed. Caroline chose to sit rather lie in the space beside her.
"So what's up?" Kate inquired again as she looked up at the vexed expression on Caroline's face.
"It's nothing….I shouldn't be worrying about it."
Kate shot her a warning glare.
"It's this house," Caroline finally conceded, "I know I shouldn't be so attached to it but I am….I've put so much time, effort and money into it…I don't want to sell it...but I can't afford to keep it."
"I know exactly what you mean, Caroline…. Richard and I had a beautiful house but neither of us could afford to buy the other one out so we had to sell it…split everything right down the middle…it was heart-breaking but you find a way forward…I know it doesn't seem like it now but you will move on from it…you will find a way."
Caroline looked at her doubtfully.
"…and I may have a solution," Kate added, "but I need to think about it before I put forward any ideas."
Grateful for the empathy and encouragement, Caroline leaned forward to give Kate what was intended to be a quick 'thank you' kiss but as she went to pull away Kate caught her bottom lip gently with her teeth and drew Caroline's mouth back to her. All thoughts of the house rapidly expired as the touch of the hot tip of Kate's tongue entering her mouth re-ignited the unsated desires of the morning.
Eventually Caroline did pull away and, without taking her focus from Kate's face, she stood up just long enough to remove her jeans, leaving them in a crumpled, careless heap on the floor. Kate noted, as an aside, Caroline's obvious penchant for lace lingerie; she made a mental note of it as it would, no doubt, come in useful for birthdays and other special, gift-giving occasions.
Caroline then returned to the bed and sat astride Kate's hips, Kate's face still captured in her lustful gaze. With slow, measured movements, Caroline then began to undo the buttons on her pink, linen shirt. Kate's eyes were keenly attentive as, with each button, a little more of Caroline was on display. When all the buttons were free, Caroline deliberately opened it to expose her glorious breasts clad in a matching lace bra. Kate could feel her heart thudding in her chest. The beautiful blond smiled to herself as she spied Kate lick her lips with the wet tip of her tongue. Encouraged by the gesture, Caroline removed the shirt completely and tossed it to the floor as she leaned forward and drowned her lover in a desire-drenched kiss. Somewhere, somehow in the fervour of that kiss Kate managed to reach around and undo the clasp on Caroline's bra and slide the straps from her shoulders until it too lay on the floor. She then took Caroline's breasts in her hands and caressed them, their fulsomeness and the pursed nipples causing a flash-flood between Kate's legs.
As their mouths finally drew apart, Caroline sat back a little allowing Kate to reach forward slightly and take first one firm nipple and then the other in her hot mouth, moaning softly as she felt the whirl of Kate's tongue against them.
Sensing Caroline's heightening arousal, Kate slipped a hand between her lover's thighs, the dampness there adding to her own increasing excitement. She thumbed aside the flimsy underwear and slid her fingers delicately into Caroline's slickness. For a moment she held them still, pressed firmly against the heat, until she felt Caroline start to stir against them, working herself against their touch. In response, Kate's fingers moved to match the rhythm. As she did, she looked up to see Caroline's head tossed back, her eyes closed tightly in concentration and her fabulous mouth slightly agape showing just the white edges of her teeth. Kate watched as her short, sharp breaths quickened with the pace of Kate's touch until, having reached her peak, she gave one final, exhilarated cry. Reluctantly Kate removed her hand. She wrapped her arms around a still tremulous Caroline as she drew her down into a less fervent, generous kiss.
Caroline's shudders had barely subsided when Kate felt the woman's fingers tug on the drawstring of her loose-fitting trousers and as it gave way she removed them completely. Her mouth, eager to bring Kate pleasure, then left a path of languid kisses across the taut, dark-skinned stomach, being particularly gentle around the bruises that Kate had sustained during her rescue venture. Compliantly, Kate parted her legs allowing Caroline's mouth to trail more kisses along her silken inner thigh, each kiss more delicate, more electrifying than the last until she reached the warm, soft flesh at the top of Kate's legs.
Heady, almost drunk, on the delights of this beautiful body, Caroline's mouth entered its wetness, searching and finding its pearl which her tongue stroked and swirled, feeling it swell and pulsate as she did.
At the touch of Caroline's warm and mobile mouth between her legs, Kate started to stir, pressing, nudging, straining in ever quickening motion until it became a fusion of lips, tongue, pressure and movement and, with Kate clutching Caroline's hair in her fists, finally release.
Sated and exhilarated, the two women rested silently, tangled in each other's arms as they waited for their racing hearts and rapid breathing to steady.
It was as they lay there recovering that they heard the all-too-familiar sound of a car pulling into Caroline's drive.
"What fresh hell is this?" Caroline asked of nobody in particular as she marched to the window to see who else had managed to interrupt her day.
As Caroline looked out and recognised the red Lexus her face dropped.
"Who is it?" Kate asked, wondering who could make Caroline so suddenly ill at ease.
"It's my mother," Caroline replied damply, "with Alan…they've brought Lawrence back…I suppose I should tell her about you…us…get it over and done with."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No…not yet…let me talk to her first."
Unsure of what to expect, Caroline made for the bedroom door.
"Um…Caroline," Kate called, barely able to contain her laughter.
Caroline turned to look at her with a puzzled face.
"What?"
"You might want to consider wearing a bit more than just your lace knickers if you're going down to talk to your mum….unless, of course, your family is used to seeing you in all your post-coital glory."