Claudia picked up a wrapped bar of hotel soap from the side of the tub. She tore the paper of it and tossed it into the sink. Then she pointed to the far edge of the tub.

  “Hop up on the edge there, feet in the tub. Face me.”

  Susan tried to shrink in on herself. “Why?”

  “I need to see what I’m doing.”

  “Claudia, I really think I should just go get the other suit. This is crazy—”

  “Hush. I won’t cut you. Now I’d like to get down to the beach sometime today, and this will go faster with my help, so get up there.”

  Susan reluctantly rose from the water, the drips and splashes drowned out by the thunder of her own heart beat reverberating in her ears.

  Claudia leaned over the edge of the tub and handed Susan the soap.

  “Lather up,” she said. And then Claudia winked at her. Actually winked!

  Susan swallowed hard and dipped the soap into the water holding her other hand across her breasts. The bar of soap slipped out of her hand and plunked into cloudy water. She felt around but the soap squirted away from her hand each time and she quickly realized she needed two hands to find it. She’d have to let go of both her breasts and her modesty. She considered bolting for the door and cursed herself a coward.

  Just do it, she thought. Mexico is meant to be crazy.

  Faking a bravado she didn’t feel, Susan dropped both hands into the water found the bar and lathered up the soap in her hands. From the corner of her eye she saw Claudia trying to look everywhere but at Susan’s exposed breasts.

  Susan worked the soap into the top of her pubic hair.

  This isn’t so bad, she thought.

  Claudia cleared her throat.

  Susan looked up from where her hands worked in her lap.

  “Spread ’em.” Claudia said, nodding at Susan’s tightly closed knees.

  Susan blanched. “Claudia, I can’t do this with you in here.”

  “Bullshit. It’s your first time; let me help.” She ticked her points off on her fingers. “One, you don’t know what you’re doing. Two, yours isn’t the first pussy I’ve ever seen.” She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Susan tried not to notice how that pushed them up. “Part your legs and lather up or you’re never going to finish.”

  Feeling embarrassment heat her face Susan spread her knees, feeling the lips between her legs part. And yet somehow there was a wetness down there that had nothing to do with the bath water.

  Susan worked the lather into the hair between her legs, trying to ignore both Claudia’s scrutiny and the tightening in her belly.

  “Okay, good enough,” Claudia said, watching Susan like a teacher watches a student. She lifted the razor.

  Susan drew back and instinctively closed her legs. Soap squished up between her thighs. A thrill of anticipation wormed through Susan’s belly. “Claudia, I don’t know about this.”

  For the first time Claudia looked less certain. “Would you prefer we stop? I can be a bit bullheaded sometimes. I was only trying to help.”

  Feeling torn, yet more and more curious, Susan opened her legs, but turned her head away, blushing. She heard Claudia splash the razor in the warm bath water and then felt the head of the razor touch the flesh just above the top of her pubic hair. Claudia drew the razor down, slowly.

  “See? Nothing to it.” Claudia spoke to Susan in soft tones as though talking to a frightened animal. “You’re lucky,” Claudia continued. “You don’t have much hair.”

  Susan felt the razor moving along her pubic area, stroking gently against her sensitized labia. Claudia’s touch was light, but efficient.

  “Need some more soap,” Claudia said.

  Susan lathered more soap in her hands and applied it to the remaining hair. She was surprised when her soapy fingers found long patches of bare flesh beneath the soap. She opened her eyes and looked down, fascinated.

  Claudia was concentrating, gently drawing the razor down again and again, rinsing the blade in the bath water every second or third stroke.

  Half of Susan’s pubic hair was gone. Only a triangular shape remained at the top.

  “Wow,” Susan said, looking down at herself.

  Claudia paused in her work and looked up at Susan between her parted thighs. “Like it?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I do.”

  “Do you want to keep this?” Claudia said, pointing the razor to the patch of hair remaining at the top. “I could make it into a shape for you if you want to keep it.”

  Susan considered for a moment. She felt rebellion well up in her. “Shave it all,” she said, finally.

  Claudia quirked one perfect eyebrow at Susan. “Feeling brave, are we?”

  Her roommate stroked the razor down the remaining patch of hair. This time Susan did not look away. She watched Claudia work, her breath coming quickly now. It felt strange to have another woman between her thighs, and she was nearly giddy with the naughtiness of being bare down there.

  Susan was horrified when she felt her vaginal walls clench.

  Claudia paused and Susan knew she had seen the movement. That close there was no way she could not see it.

  Embarrassment flooded Susan and suddenly she just wanted this over and to never ever, ever talk about it again. Hopefully she would just think it was tenseness, not the beginnings of arousal.

  She’d talk to one of the other girls tonight and see if she could switch rooms. Claudia wasn’t stupid. She’d know Susan was avoiding her, but Susan didn’t care as long as she didn’t have to look at her again.

  One final stroke of the razor and Claudia patted Susan’s thigh. She jumped at Claudia’s touch.

  “Time to rinse off,” she said. Susan thought her roommate’s voice sounded a little funny. Thicker somehow.

  Claudia reached up and detached the shower head from its cradle. She turned on the water and opened the drain. Claudia held the shower head out to Susan.”Rinse off.”

  Susan took the shower head and did as Claudia saidShe watched the flow of water rinse away the remains of the soap. Susan looked down at herself fascinated.

  All of her pubic hair was gone. The flow of water parted Susan’s labia, and struck the pink nub of flesh. She bit her lip holding back a groan of pleasure.

  Susan felt a hand stroking her hair and jumped. She’d been so engrossed in watching the water flow over her body that she’d forgotten Claudia for a moment.

  Susan looked up. Claudia was watching her with an intensity that she had never seen on another person’s face when focused on her.

  “Do you even know how incredible you look right now?” When there was no answer, she added, “No, I suspect you don’t.”

  Susan dipped her head, shy despite the position she was in. Looking at Claudia while the water poured down over her lower body made it hard to breathe.

  She could not find words. She could only shake her head. The movement made her breasts jiggle slightly, the nipples hard little rocks. The water coursed over her and if she moved just right—Susan shifted beneath the stream—the water entered her vagina giving her the filling sensation she so badly craved right now.

  Claudia leaned in over the edge of the tub, her breasts surging against the black fabric of her swim suit, her lips touching Susan’s lightly before her tongue slipped between Susan’s parted lips.

  Susan felt Claudia’s tongue, warm and soft in her mouth, and gasped. She tentatively touched her tongue against Claudia’s, shifting to get more of the kiss as the water struck her clitoris again.

  Susan felt torn in half. Between the water pouring over her body, thumping into her opening, and the soft touch of Claudia’s tongue against her own, she was almost drowned with unexpected feeling.

  An involuntary groan tore from her lips as the sensations built, and she broke the kiss, eyes closed, breathing hard.

  Susan felt a warm wet mouth close over one erect nipple and cried out softly.

  Claudia released her nipple and Susan opened her eyes long enough to see her roommate lean further into the tub and part her lips over her other breast. When Claudia took the other nipple into her mouth and suckled it, her hips jerked upward, and she wished the water would come down harder, exert more pressure.

  “I can’t hold myself up anymore,” Susan said, gasping. Her arms were shaking uncontrollably. She felt a deep pang of regret when Claudia released her nipple, sitting back.

  “Come here then,” her roommate said, standing. She turned off the water and extended a hand to Susan.

  Susan stood and took her hand, following her into the bedroom, her arms still trembling.

  Claudia stopped at the edge of her bed and turned towards her. She took the blonde’s face between her hands, gently kissing her lips. Susan froze, not knowing what to do with her hands. She settled for running them tentatively up Claudia’s side, then back. Her fingers encountered the string holding her bikini tied up and began to pull it.

  Claudia stopped her, breaking the kiss. “Mmmm…tempting. But not this time. We’ve still got to get to the beach, remember?” Claudia pushed her toward the bed. “Lie down. Let’s make your first time shaving memorable.”

  Susan couldn’t help but notice that Claudia was breathing a little heavier than normal. The deep breaths made her breasts rise and fall in an utterly pleasing way.

  She fell back on the bed and asked, “But what about you?”

  “Later,” Claudia said. “Or we’ll never leave the room.” She grabbed Susan’s ankles.

  Susan cried out, surprised.

  “I think you can be louder than that,” Claudia teased, coaxing Susan’s legs apart and climbing onto the bed to lie between her thighs.

  Claudia placed her lips over Susan’s clitoris, kissing lightly. Then Susan felt her tongue, a warm wetness, caress her swollen nub. Her head fell back against the pillow, eyes closed, lips parted.

  “I want to hear you, Susan,” Claudia said, murmuring the words against Susan’s inner thigh. “I want everyone to hear you.”

  Claudia flicked her tongue rapidly against Susan’s clitoris and slipped a long finger into her wet vagina.

  Susan groaned and threaded her fingers into her roommate’s (now lover’s?) long dark hair, thrusting her hips upward, wanting more, feeling an undeniable pressure build within her.

  “Make some noise, Susan. Make me believe you want this.”

  Susan cried out and lifted her head to watch the other woman work between her legs. Claudia smiled at her, encouraging.

  “That’s better,” she said. Claudia bent back down, running her tongue into Susan’s wet opening.

  Susan cried out again, louder this time.

  Claudia sucked her clitoris and flicked it with her nimble tongue. She worked a finger in and out of her body and Susan’s world seemed to concentrate down to region between her legs. She could think of nothing but the movements of Claudia’s lips and tongue and fingers.

  “Louder,” Claudia said. “I want the neighbors to hear you.” She slipped another finger into Susan, worked them in and out.

  Susan heard the wetness in the movement. She felt a tightening in her body and surrendered herself to it. She lifted her hips, jerking them up, tightening her hands in her lover’s hair, pressing Claudia’s face hard between her thighs. The tension built and Claudia sucked on her clitoris relentlessly until something within her seemed to break.

  Susan cried out sharply, her whole body clenching into a fist.

  “Yes,” Claudia said, against her clitoris. “That’s it.”

  To Susan, Claudia sounded very far away. Claudia worked her fingers faster within her and she came again, harder this time, her hips lifting off the bedspread, her orgasm seeming to last an eternity.

  Susan was aware of nothing but the tension in her body, of Claudia between her legs, of the pleasure rolling through her in giant waves.

  When she collapsed back onto the bed, Susan was covered in a fine sweat, and exhausted.

  Claudia sat back on the bed and slapped an open hand playfully against Susan’s thigh. “Come on,” she said, grinning. “The cool of the beach is calling me. I suddenly feel so very hot.”

  Claudia disappeared into the bathroom and came out with the bathing suit dangling from her hand.

  “Let’s try this again,” she said. “I’ll even tie your strings.”

  Copyright © 2018 by Kate Capulet.

  New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of sixty books. A five-time RITA nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Silver Bullet. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.6 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

  .

  BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT

  by Brenda Novak

  A BULLETPROOF SHORT STORY

  (Bulletproof book 1.5)

  Saturday Afternoon

  As he sat in the rundown bar, brooding over a glass of whiskey, Rex McCready decided that his life was a series of battles in a war that would never end, and he wasn’t on the winning side very often.

  “Hey, thought I’d find you here.” Virgil Skinner, his best friend, former cellmate and current business partner in Bodyguards R Us, slid onto the barstool next to him. “What happened this time?”

  “The same thing that happens every time,” he grumbled. He and Laurel Hodges, Virgil’s sister, just couldn’t get along. They loved each other, but they were both too damaged to make the relationship work, and the stress of having recently entered WITSEC—the witness protection program—together with Virgil and his wife, Peyton, only made matters worse. They all had different identities, his own name one he’d chosen himself but no longer liked. Even after almost two years, whenever someone called him Perry, he looked behind him to see who the hell they were talking to.

  It didn’t help that they’d been relocated clear across the country, to Washington DC. They’d had to get used to a new place, new names, new backgrounds, all while watching their backs for fear that the people who wanted them dead would find them. Add to that the whiplash effect of his on-again, off-again relationship with Laurel, and it wasn’t easy to build a stable life.

  Virgil sighed as he pulled a bowl of peanuts toward him. “How bad was it?”

  Rex had never struck her. He never would. But her husband, ex-husband now, hadn’t hesitated to cross that line, and that was part of her problem. She didn’t want to trust the wrong man. And by most people’s standards, Rex was definitely “the wrong man.” Seeing as how his problems were too numerous to list, beginning with the loveless childhood that’d led him into gang life and an eight-year prison term, he couldn’t really recommend himself. He’d probably still be a member of The Crew, his conscience conveniently anesthetized by drugs, if not for Virgil. Rex had recruited Virgil while they were serving time in Arizona. It wasn’t until Virgil was exonerated for the murder of his stepfather that having joined a violent prison gang became such a problem.

  Until then, it was the only way to survive.

  After that, it was almost a sure way to die.

  Blood in, blood out—or in laymen’s terms, “Once a member, always a member—or else.” In order to save Laurel, Rex had had had to kill two of the men he’d once called brothers. Kill two and seriously injure a third….

  The Crew would never forget what had gone down in Colorado, which meant he, Laurel and Virgil might never be safe.

  “We argued. I walked out. That’s it.” He drained his glass and asked the bartender, a cute blonde with a Southern accent, for another shot.

  “Betty,” according to her nametag, glanced at Virgil to see if he wanted one, too, and Virgil nodded. “Laurel will cool off,” he said when Betty moved away.

  Their anger never lasted long. Already Rex wanted to go back. But he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. If they weren’t having hot, sweaty, full-throttle sex, they were arguing with equal ferocity. There was no middle ground where Laurel was concerned, and if he couldn’t have a positive impact on her life he had no business being part of it at all. She had her children—Jake, seven, and Mia, five—to take care of. They didn’t need the stress, the disruptions.

  “No, man, I’m done. We’re just torturing each other. I have to stay away.”

  Virgil’s gaze jerked to his face. “You mean that?”

  Rex didn’t bother waiting for his second drink. He didn’t want to talk about Laurel, didn’t want to deal with their problems, not anymore. “Yeah. I mean it,” he said and got up and walked out.

  He was so upset he almost didn’t see the man lingering in the shadow of the building. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of movement, but when he turned, no one was there.

  It’s nothing. They’d been living in DC for nearly two years, and yet he was still seeing faces he thought he recognized, still feeling as if The Crew was only one step behind him.

  Quit being so fucking paranoid.

  Despite telling himself that, he tensed, listening closely. He wanted to figure out where the man had gone, get a better look at him. But when Virgil emerged from the bar, Rex took off down the street. He loved Virgil as much as he loved Laurel, but he’d already said all he had to say.

  “I found ’em.”

  It was Mose, the man Horse had sent to Washington DC. Holding his cell phone to his ear, he stared out at the balmy Los Angeles afternoon visible beyond the window of his illegal club and felt a smile stretch across his face. At last! Horse had been waiting to hear those words for twenty-two months, ever since Virgil had emerged from prison and run out on them. Together with the other Crew leaders, he’d been determined to find and stop Virgil, or Skin as they called him, before he could rat anyone out to the cops. But when Rex, formerly known as Pretty Boy, turned on them, too, this became a personal challenge, something that went far deeper than regular gang business. It was partially thanks to Virgil and Rex that Horse held the power he now did inside The Crew, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to avenge those who’d been killed. “Who, exactly?”