“Reed made me promise to pamper you,” Kara said. “But she’d only let me have you for three hours so we’ll have to get right to it.”

  Three hours? That was longer than she’d ever spent at a spa. Time was money and she didn’t want to ask how much three hours typically cost. Kara had already set off through the waiting room to a back hall and Julia hurried to catch up. She was older—likely in her late fifties and stout enough to promise a thorough massage. Her faint accent made Julia guess she wasn’t originally from the states. Maybe German? They passed a hallway of closed doors and then an atrium before stepping outside again to a back patio.

  “This is our salt water spa,” Kara said, lifting the cover on the tub. A rush of steam greeted the cool air. “But I promised Reed I’d show you the tub in our tearoom. She thought you’d like that.”

  Kara headed toward a small cabana-type building. The floor was a cool flagstone and the walls were natural cedar planks. In one corner was a shower. A bench was against the sidewall and a stretching area with a yoga mat took up the opposite wall. A large ceramic tub claimed center stage and a huge skylight took up most of the ceiling above this. The back wall was a bamboo thicket so dense there was no light through to whatever was on the other side. Julia took a deep breath, enjoying the faint scents of eucalyptus and mint. This would do.

  “We ask everyone to shower first. Then you’re free to soak as long as you want. When you’re done, come back inside and I’ll get you set up for that massage. There’s a sauna on the other side of the patio if you’d prefer that and of course the salt water spa outside…”

  “I think I’ll stay right here. This feels like a mini-vacation. In fact, I might not want to leave once I get in that tub.”

  “Well, my job is done.” Kara laughed. She went over to a cupboard and pulled out a towel and a robe. “I’ll go get your hot water and our tea selection. Oh, I almost forgot. We have a nail salon two doors over and one of my girls does facials and waxing. Before you say no, remember Reed made me promise to pamper you.” Kara smiled again. “I’ll be back with the tea and then I’ll let you soak.”

  * * *

  “The house is so quiet. Are the girls napping?”

  Reed shook her head. “They have Grandpa time every Saturday afternoon. My dad takes them for a few hours to give me a break. Today they’re going to the train museum. You just missed them.”

  “Trains? That sounds like a quintessential grandpa fieldtrip.”

  “He takes his role seriously,” Reed said. “And he’s great with them. Even Bryn listens to him. But she’s also got him wrapped around her little pinky.” Reed walked over to Julia and kissed her cheek. “How was the massage?”

  “Perfect. And I found my way back without getting lost,” Julia said. She leaned toward Reed and met her lips. “But I have to admit, I missed you.”

  Reed kissed her back, but Julia wanted her to press close and she could feel her holding back, as if she wanted some distance between them. Why did she have to be more into Reed than she was into her? Before she could worry about this, Reed went around the center island to the kitchen sink and filled two glasses of water. She took a sip of hers and handed the other to Julia.

  “I worried about what you might think with me dropping you off there. It wasn’t that I wanted a break from you. But I thought…well, I wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling done with the kids. I know how they can be.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “You’re mad at me?”

  Julia sighed. She hadn’t meant to let her tone give her away. “Frustrated. And feeling slightly ridiculous for how much I want to be around you.”

  “I’m glad you liked the spa anyway,” Reed said, skirting Julia’s comment. “Kara’s great, but I mainly go for that tearoom tub.”

  “That was the best part.” Julia paused. She didn’t want to argue. “I couldn’t have asked for a better surprise. Thank you. And now I’m feeling very relaxed.”

  Reed glanced at her watch. “And we’ve got three hours to kill…Any ideas on what we should do?”

  “Well, I do want to get started on dinner, but it’s a little early.” Julia walked around the island and met Reed in front of the sink. She ran her hand up Reed’s sleeve until she reached her shoulder. Then she followed the line of her collarbone over to the start of the buttons on her shirt. “Before I get to that, maybe we could get out that box you have in your closet.”

  “Something in there you want?”

  Julia nodded. This time, she wanted it enough to ask. “I was thinking about that strap-on…”

  “You were?”

  “Practically the whole time that I was in that tearoom soaking, I kept thinking how nice it would be to have you there. And then I started to think about what I wanted you to be doing.”

  Reed smiled. She caught Julia’s hand, already undoing the third button of her black shirt, and guided it down the front of her chest to her jeans. Julia felt the bulge there and sucked in a breath. Oh fuck. This is happening. She’d pulled her hand back instinctively. She trusted Reed wouldn’t do anything without her being ready. But here was Reed’s open invitation, and she needed to decide what she wanted.

  When she reached forward to feel the outline of Reed’s cock, her clit responded with a twitch. This was only about sex, her body reminded her. And there was no doubt about what her body wanted.

  “Is that what you were thinking about?”

  Julia didn’t trust her voice to answer. Instead she unbuckled Reed’s belt and, when Reed didn’t stop her, undid the front of her jeans. Reed watched her, hands moving to the edge of the counter she was now leaning against. Black boxers. Julia undid the button closing the fly and then hesitated. Reed stepped forward and kissed her, turning her around so she was the one pressed up against the counter. When Reed moved against her, she could feel the cock. She imagined Reed pushing it inside and knew she was ready. She was already wet and wanting it.

  “We could go upstairs…” Reed’s voice trailed as her hands slid down Julia’s sides. She pushed the skirt Julia was wearing up a few inches and then moved up her thighs. As she moved closer to her middle, her lips distracted Julia with kisses. Warm fingers traced along the edge of Julia’s underwear.

  Reed made it easy to not worry about what was coming next. She knew what she was doing. Julia stepped out of her underwear and then felt the cock press against her skin. Reed murmured something about lube, but Julia knew she was so wet she wouldn’t need it. A moment later, Reed discovered as much. Her fingers slipped inside Julia’s folds and a little moan escaped her lips.

  “Never mind. You’re wet enough.” Reed leaned close and kissed her neck. “You smell so good.”

  Reed didn’t let up with the kisses. The desire in her body was so hot it filled Julia. When she pressed her against the counter, Julia wondered if she’d push inside, but she pulled back a moment later.

  Julia realized then that Reed was waiting for her. What was she supposed to do? She thought of reaching down to feel the cock, but she wasn’t certain she even knew what to do with it. Rub the tip? Stroke the shaft? Reed seemed to sense her hesitation.

  “Don’t think too much. We’ll do whatever you feel comfortable doing.”

  Julia reached down then and traced over the leather straps. When she reached the center, she circled the shaft. Reed pushed her hips forward a half inch. If Julia hadn’t had her finger pressed at the base of the shaft, she might not have noticed the subtle thrust. Her center pulsed and she knew that even if it hurt, she wanted it inside. That was how she wanted to play with it.

  She drew a line down the shaft, following one of the ridges until she reached the tip again. Reed’s hands had stilled. She was watching her.

  “I want it inside.”

  Reed tilted Julia’s face up to hers, kissing her lips.

  The tip pressed at her rim, but still Reed waited to push inside. Julia ran her hand through Reed’s short hair, disheveling it. Please push inside, she thought silently. Her fingers had a nervous energy she couldn’t decide what to do with. Part of her wanted to grip the dildo and push it inside herself, but then part of her was nervous she wouldn’t like it. And that Reed would notice. Julia breathed out, trying to relax. Reed was still waiting.

  Finally she arched her hips up, matching Reed’s rhythm and shifting so that the tip of the dildo barely penetrated. Reed met her eyes. When she moved her legs apart, Reed pushed forward.

  First the tip, then the shaft, slid inside, and all the while, Reed’s hands and lips were on her, massaging, caressing, and kissing. Julia’s eyes watered at Reed’s first thrust. It wasn’t the little dildo with the bullet vibe. Reed was wearing the medium-sized one and her body tightened around it, causing more pain but then more satisfaction with every inch. When she thought Reed had filled her and that she couldn’t take more length, she looked down and realized only half of the cock was inside. She gripped Reed’s elbow when she felt her thrust.

  Reed’s eyes met hers. “That’s hurting you?”

  “But I like it,” Julia said. She loved it, actually. Loved feeling the connection between Reed’s groin and her center, loved the way Reed had thrust inside her. It was almost too much.

  “Let’s go to the couch,” Reed said, inching back slowly. “I don’t want this to hurt.”

  Although she was clearly trying to pull out gently, Julia gasped when the bulb at the end of the shaft caught her rim as Reed stepped back. Still, the moment Reed was out of her, she wanted her back inside. “I want you back.”

  “And I want you to enjoy this,” Reed returned. She caught Julia’s hand and tugged her toward the couch, shaking her head at the argument on Julia’s lips. Reed tossed the throw pillows off and then turned back to Julia. “Lie down.”

  Julia hesitated, feeling a twinge of her old nerves. But her body wanted to feel that cock inside again. Finally she sat down on the edge of the cushions and then when Reed only waited, she stretched across the length of the couch.

  “Comfortable?”

  “I could be better…” Julia parted her legs and Reed licked her lips in response.

  Reed had snagged a bottle of lube off the counter and was squeezing some onto the tip of the cock, making the dark purple glisten. “You’re wet but this will make it slide in even easier.”

  The anticipation of letting Reed fuck her had her palms sweaty and the look of desire on Reed’s face was intoxicating. Reed’s hand stroked up the shaft, coating the lube over the length of it.

  Julia let her legs slack further open and Reed groaned. This was her own power play and she loved the effect it had on Reed. But still Reed took her time settling on top of Julia, first stroking a hand slowly up from Julia’s hip to her breast and then dragging a finger over her clit. Reed seemed to want to torture herself a little, drawing this out.

  When she finally settled between Julia’s legs, and angled the tip of her cock, Julia was practically panting with need. Reed pressed inside in one smooth stroke and Julia pulled up her knees and let out a moan. Reed pulled back and repositioned before dropping her hips against Julia’s and sinking all the way in.

  “Oh, God…”

  “Is that okay?”

  Julia managed a nod. She reached down to feel Reed, her short hair rough against Julia’s waxed skin and then touched the cock tying them together. When Reed began to pump, Julia closed her eyes, matching the rhythm.

  Reed’s breath was coming faster, hot against her neck, and Julia realized she wasn’t going to take long coming. She wanted Reed to come like this, wanted it so much that she lost track of her own body as she matched Reed’s thrusts. She wasn’t paying attention to Reed’s hands until she felt one finger stroke up the inside of her thigh. Reed’s thumb found Julia’s swollen clit. She was going to come too. How’d she get this close and not realize it?

  Another few thrusts, and she couldn’t hold it back. She came in a shudder, her body gripping the dildo as her thighs tightened around Reed. She’d wanted to wait for Reed, hadn’t even thought she was going to come at all with the thrusting, but then when Reed found her clit, she couldn’t help it.

  Before she could murmur an apology, Reed’s arms wrapped around her back, lifting Julia’s butt up off the sofa and changing the angle of the dildo. When Reed thrust again, Julia felt the deeper penetration. With a few more fast thrusts, Reed climaxed hard, collapsing down on Julia’s body and moaning with clear satisfaction.

  Julia held Reed then. Her eyes had closed and her lips were parted. Julia didn’t think she’d seen anything quite as beautiful as Reed in that moment. Reed didn’t pull the dildo out. She stayed inside Julia, her arms slack but still holding them together. Julia reached down to touch the cock again, most of the length inside her and what she could feel slick with cum. She wanted to keep Reed inside her longer, but she could feel her already stirring.

  “Please…stay…” She wrapped her arms around Reed and then felt Reed’s lips brush her neck. She knew Reed would pull out soon and she wouldn’t stop her, but she wanted to savor the connection they had in that moment.

  When Reed slid out finally, Julia shuddered again. She was going to be sore later, but she wouldn’t regret it. Reed kissed her lips, softly this time, and then got off the sofa. She turned the shaft of the cock in the O-ring, pointing it downward, and stuffed it back in her boxers as Julia pulled her skirt back into place. When Reed did up her jeans, it was as if nothing at all had happened.

  “You look almost presentable,” Julia said, sitting up gingerly and buttoning one of Reed’s shirt buttons that she’d undone earlier. Would she sound crazy asking for more?

  “So do you,” Reed said. “That went a little faster than I’d planned. Sorry. I got distracted and kind of skipped the foreplay.”

  “You weren’t the only one who got distracted.” Julia touched the bulge in Reed’s jeans. Her mouth was dry with want. “I liked that. A lot.”

  Reed met her eyes. “Want to go upstairs?”

  Julia nodded, thankful that Reed didn’t seem to think she was crazy for wanting her again. She already knew what she wanted next: Reed on her back. But she wasn’t going to let her take off that strap-on.

  Chapter Sixteen

  How could it be morning? Julia rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and glanced at the clock. Late morning. She blinked, trying to get her bearings. She was alone in the bed and the sheets were a tangled mess around her legs. The strap-on was gone —Reed must have put it away before she’d gone to sleep—as was the vanilla lube that tasted more like mint.

  She heard the shower shut off and then a minute later Reed stepped out of the bathroom. A towel was wrapped around her waist, but she was naked above the white terry cloth.

  Julia smiled but didn’t say anything. Reed was as handsome as ever in the morning light. Her dark hair was slicked back and still wet. She was wearing her glasses again. Sometimes she wore contacts, but Julia loved it when she wore the glasses instead.

  Her last memory had been fighting sleep with Reed still on top of her. The dreams that followed had gone past what they’d done to a strange land of kink. She wanted to ask Reed to repeat everything, but she wanted to be tied up when they did it again. When they did it again…she wondered how long she’d have to wait.

  “You missed breakfast. Can I bring you something?”

  “The kids are quiet.”

  “I’m letting them watch cartoons,” Reed said. “Sometimes I don’t have the energy to parent.”

  “That’s possibly my fault,” Julia said. “Did you see what time it was when we finally went to sleep?”

  “Four o’clock. And it’s completely your fault, but I’m not complaining.” Reed came over to the bed. She sat down on the edge nearest Julia. “You okay with everything we did last night?”

  “Better than okay.” Julia shifted off the pillow to rest her cheek on Reed’s thigh. “If the kids weren’t awake, I’d convince you to go get that pirate chest out again. I think I’m up for that cock that vibrates on its own.”

  Reed ran her fingers through Julia’s hair. “I love how much you like me inside.”

  “Is it weird that I feel guilty about that?”

  Reed shrugged. “We’re not supposed to like sex.” She moved to massage Julia’s scalp, her fingers pressing and releasing points of tension that Julia didn’t even realize were there.

  “I also love a good head massage,” Julia murmured.

  “You’re in luck. I’m a pro.”

  In fact Reed was making it hard for Julia not to moan. “What aren’t you good at?”

  “Cooking.”

  “Oh, right. That’s too bad. I’d love an omelet.”

  “I have eggs and some fancy cheese someone at the co-op convinced me to try. And I bought a bell pepper and a tomato even though I knew I probably wouldn’t eat them…I might even have an onion.”

  Julia sighed. “Sounds perfect. Unfortunately I can’t move at the moment because someone’s giving me the world’s best head massage.”

  Reed’s fingers stopped. “I’ll chop if you’ll cook.”

  Reed had made a perfect sous chef last night. They’d managed to get out of bed and chop most of the veggies before Reed’s dad dropped off the kids.

  Reed’s dad reminded Julia of a quintessential absent minded professor. He had a cane, although he didn’t seem to use it, a trim gray beard that added to his distinguished look, and he’d even worn a button-up sweater with leather elbow patches. On first impression, Julia thought he seemed sweet, if not a little clueless. He didn’t bat an eye when Reed wrapped her arm around Julia as he was leaving, but then he did ramble on way too long about the train museum. Of course Julia had been more than a little distracted by how close Reed was to her. She couldn’t wait for him to stop talking. Somehow they’d gotten through dinner and the kids’ bedtime before their clothes were off again.

  “Now that I know that you give head massages, I think we might need to have a little competition,” Julia said.