“Are you…” Larissa asked.

  “I’m close,” she said.

  “Can I touch you? Please, Harlow.”

  “Yes. Whatever you want.”

  “Roll off of me,” Larissa said, and Harlow reluctantly pulled out of her and rolled onto her back.

  She was rewarded with Larissa straddling her stomach and reaching behind her as she moved over Harlow’s skin.

  “Oh, my God,” Harlow said when Larissa’s finger met her clit, and she watched Larissa slide over her skin. “You’re still soaked.”

  “So are you,” Larissa replied and continued to move as she stroked.

  “Fuck!”

  Harlow’s clit was rock-hard and ready to come.

  Just watching Larissa do this was enough to make her come, but when Larissa leaned back more and slipped two fingers inside her, and Harlow felt a thumb press to her clit, she knew she’d come in seconds.

  “Yes! Yes!”

  She gripped Larissa’s hips and helped her move forward and back as her eyes closed and her head went back against the pillow. Then, she came hard. It didn’t take long for her to come down, but she felt Larissa move out of her grasp, so she opened her eyes and watched Larissa settle between her legs and lick her lips.

  “Your turn now?” Harlow chuckled.

  “Yes,” Larissa replied.

  Harlow saw hunger in her eyes, so she spread her legs wide for Larissa and waited. She pushed Larissa’s hair out of her face and laughed silently as she watched Larissa remove her glasses and set them aside. Then, Larissa pulled back her own hair and let it fall over her back. She licked her lips again, and Harlow swallowed. When Larissa’s tongue met her still-sensitive clit, Harlow knew it wouldn’t take long.

  “Holy shit,” she let out.

  “What?” Larissa asked and looked up in worry.

  “Nothing. That was… What the fuck were you doing? That was, like, three seconds, and I’m about to come.”

  “Rolling my tongue. I can do this thing where I roll it very fast. My pediatrician noticed it when I was around five, I think. I was sticking my tongue out at him when he was trying to give me a shot. I just wanted the sticker, not the shot. He said it was strange.”

  “Not strange. You can… Fuck, Larissa. Do that again, please.”

  Larissa lowered her head back down, and that magical tongue rolled rapidly against Harlow’s clit.

  “Fuck. It feels like you have… a vibrator attached… to your tongue. God, baby. Yes!” Harlow moved her hand to the back of Larissa’s head. “Please, go inside again.”

  Larissa moaned against her and slid her fingers inside.

  “Oh, God. Can you slow down? I don’t want to come yet. It’s too good,” she said.

  Larissa stopped rolling her tongue and began sucking gently as she curled inside her.

  “Yes! That, please. That’s so good.”

  Larissa’s free hand moved to Harlow’s right nipple, and she toyed with it in time with her curls and sucks.

  “Jesus! If you keep doing that, I’ll come.”

  “I want you to,” Larissa said and resumed her sucking.

  “Too fast,” Harlow replied. “I want… it to last.”

  “Can’t I just give you another one?” Larissa asked and licked her. “I can give you as many as you want.”

  She licked her again and twisted gently on her nipple.

  “Oh, shit. Just fuck me! Make me come.”

  Larissa smirked at her this time, lowered her mouth, and resumed that whole rolling thing with her tongue that had Harlow gripping both Larissa’s hair and the sheets.

  “Fuck! Fuck!”

  Larissa moaned again and pushed in a little deeper, curling quickly now, and Harlow came.

  “Baby, I’m coming! Oh, God!”

  Harlow’s hips jerked up and off the mattress, and Larissa let them stay there, continuing to roll her tongue and push in and out of her, not letting go of Harlow’s nipple and taking her higher and higher until finally, Harlow crashed down to the bed.

  “That…”

  Larissa shifted and moved her mouth back to Harlow’s clit. She licked it very softly and pushed inside, keeping her fingers still.

  “Your exes were right. They were wrong about everything else, but this… They were right about this.”

  Larissa didn’t say anything, but she continued to lick her slowly until Harlow finally opened her eyes to watch her do it.

  “You can stop, you know? You just gave me the best orgasm of my life. I might need a minute.”

  “Can I stay down here and keep doing this until you’re ready?”

  “Is that what you want to do?” she asked.

  Larissa nodded.

  “You don’t want to touch me while I touch you?”

  “Is that an option?”

  “I was thinking that you could come up here.” Harlow touched her lips with her index finger. “Specifically, your clit could come up here, and you could lean back and touch me how you did a minute ago with your long, amazing fingers.”

  “You like my fingers?”

  “I have thought about your fingers more times than I care to admit; how good they would feel inside me.”

  “Did they live up to all those thoughts?” Larissa asked, moving to straddle her.

  “More than,” she replied.

  Larissa smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Harlow tasted herself and Larissa at the same time, and when Larissa shifted to move over her face, she swallowed hard. She had thought she’d eventually get that this was real, that it was happening, but she now knew what the love of her life tasted like, and something about that had her wondering if she was dreaming after all. She tasted her again when Larissa lowered herself and gripped the headboard behind them with both hands at first. Then, she seemed to remember that she was supposed to be touching Harlow, too, so she let go, moved into a better position, and stroked her while Harlow sucked on her clit.

  A few minutes later, they came one after the other, with Harlow starting them off, and when they caught their breath, Larissa moved off her and was flat on her back about a foot away from her.

  “Where are my glasses?” she asked.

  Harlow laughed, grabbed them for her, and said, “Over here. And why are you so far away? Get back here so that I can hold you.”

  Larissa took them, put them back on, and turned onto her side to face Harlow.

  “I want to do more of this, but…”

  “You’re starving, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Larissa admitted, laughing a little.

  “How does a reheated grilled cheese sandwich sound?”

  “And a beer?” Larissa asked.

  “And a beer,” she replied.

  “In bed?”

  “Your bed – your rules,” Harlow replied.

  “You’re sleeping in here tonight, right?” Larissa asked and looked concerned, as if Harlow wouldn’t want to stay in this room with her forever if she could.

  “Your bed – your rules, remember?”

  “I want you to stay in here,” Larissa replied.

  “Good. So do I. Want to go out there and get the food naked?”

  “We can do that now, huh?” Larissa asked with a headshake. “I can’t believe you’ve seen me naked.”

  “Seen you? I had my head buried between your legs. Twice.”

  “I know. I really liked that, by the way.”

  Harlow pushed Larissa onto her back and climbed on top of her.

  “We’re not going to get grilled cheese and beer right now, are we?” Larissa asked with a chuckle.

  “Ten minutes,” she replied with a shrug as she lowered her mouth to Larissa’s nipple. “Okay, fifteen. Twenty tops, I swear.”

  CHAPTER 33

  Larissa rolled over in bed and saw Harlow there. She smiled and rubbed her eyes because Harlow was really there. Last night had happened. They had made love for the first time, had grilled cheese sandwiches in bed, watched an episode of their favorite show together, and made love again before they’d gone to sleep. Now, it was morning, and Harlow was still there, lying on her stomach, facing away from her. Larissa wished she could see her face, and she wanted to kiss her bare back, but what she wanted even more was to make Harlow breakfast and bring it to her in this bed before she woke up.

  Slowly, she slipped out of bed, checking on Harlow to make sure that she was still asleep, and moved quietly in the bathroom. After that, she found her shirt and sweats still on the floor from the previous night, slid into them, not worrying about underwear for now, and headed toward the kitchen, closing the bedroom door most of the way but not shutting it completely because she knew that would wake Harlow up.

  She wasn’t known for her cooking skills, and she wanted to make something Harlow would actually be able to eat, so she pulled out the waffles she could make in the toaster and grabbed the maple syrup and the strawberries she had bought when she’d last been to the store. She washed and sliced them up carefully, wishing she had any kind of knife skills to make them look fancy, and placed them around the entire plate that she’d pulled from the cabinet. She pulled coffee mugs down next and started making that while the waffles cooked. Realizing that she didn’t have anything to eat for herself, she put two more waffles into the toaster and just tossed some unsliced berries onto her plate because she wasn’t trying to impress herself. Then, she took a tray out from a bottom cabinet and set Harlow’s plate on it with some syrup in a measuring cup because she didn’t have a gravy boat and didn’t want to bring a whole bottle of syrup into the bedroom.

  “Oh, heat it up,” she said to herself and put the measuring cup into the microwave to warm the syrup. “Shit. Butter.”

  “Butter?”

  Larissa looked up then and saw Harlow standing there, naked, wiping her eyes.

  “What? No. Go back to bed. Get out of here.”

  “Um… Good morning to you, too. Nice way to treat the best friend you had sex with for the first time last night,” Harlow teased.

  “I was making you breakfast in bed. I have syrup in the microwave and strawberries. There’s coffee. Oh, juice!” Larissa turned around and opened the fridge. “We don’t have any. We have milk. Want milk?”

  “No, babe. Just you.”

  Larissa closed the door, turned, and Harlow was there, wrapping her arms around her waist.

  “Good morning,” Larissa said.

  “Morning,” Harlow replied and kissed her sweetly. “You really didn’t have to do this, you know?”

  “You’re always cooking for me, and I can’t really cook, so I did the best I could do. I wanted to arrange the strawberries better, but they ended up looking a little silly.”

  “They look great,” Harlow said and took a whole berry that Larissa had set on her own plate. She bit into it, chewed, and added, “Taste great, too.”

  She held out the other half for Larissa.

  “That’s my plate. Yours looks a little better than mine, at least.”

  She took the remaining bite of the berry from Harlow.

  “Babe, I don’t care how the plate looks. You made me breakfast. That’s sweet. I’m going to eat it, but I woke up and was supposed to find you next to me, and you’re out here.”

  “I know. Sorry. I just thought I’d bring this to you in bed. I am wearing your favorite outfit on me, though.”

  “I see that. And it does mostly make up for not finding you naked next to me when I woke up.”

  “Only mostly?”

  “Well, you know what we can do to make it up to me all the way?”

  “No. What?” she asked.

  Harlow just lifted an eyebrow at her like Larissa really should know the answer to that.

  “Oh, that,” she said.

  “Yes, that,” Harlow stated and turned Larissa until she was backed against the counter.

  The microwave beeped, reminding them that the syrup was warm.

  “Don’t you dare move,” Harlow whispered and moved in to kiss her.

  “I could get used to waking up like this,” Larissa said before she deepened the kiss.

  “Me too,” Harlow replied while her hand moved into Larissa’s pants. Then, Harlow stopped and looked up at her. “Um… You’re not… wearing underwear.”

  “No, I’m not. I didn’t want to put on the ones from last night, and if I had opened a drawer, it might have woken–”

  “Don’t care,” Harlow said and kissed her harder while her fingers moved to find Larissa’s clit. “Never wear underwear again.”

  Larissa laughed as Harlow moved her lips to her neck and kissed her there, and she spread her legs and let Harlow stroke her until she couldn’t stand it anymore.

  “Inside. God, please,” she requested, wrapping her arms around Harlow’s neck.

  Harlow pushed inside her with two fingers and reached deep before pulling almost all the way out and doing it again.

  “Faster,” Larissa said, finding her own voice and what she wanted and needed at the same time. “Please, fuck me, Harlow.”

  “God, you’re perfect.”

  Larissa knew she was far from, but hearing Harlow say that to her made her feel a little bit closer to her.

  Harlow shoved at her pants with her free hand until they were at her knees. They fell to Larissa’s ankles on their own, and she stood there in only a T-shirt, her sweats at her feet and legs spread while Harlow thrust inside her over and over again. Larissa held on to her, kissed her when she could, and when Harlow lifted her shirt, Larissa was the one to cup her own breast and hold it to Harlow’s waiting lips.

  “God, yes! Almost! Almost!”

  Harlow moaned at that, and Larissa came while in her own kitchen, yelling Harlow’s name into the quiet until she finally started coming down. Harlow slowed down and then stopped her thrusts, but she stayed inside her and kissed her softly over and over again.

  “I really don’t want to go to work today,” Harlow said eventually and pulled out of Larissa slowly.

  “I don’t either.”

  “I didn’t think you were at the bookstore today.”

  “Dissertation stuff,” she said.

  “You’re going to work on it today?”

  “I am. I’m putting the book aside and buckling down, as they say.” She looked down at Harlow’s naked body before she turned them around until Harlow’s back was against the counter. “What are your plans for tonight, though?”

  “What are you doing for lunch?” Harlow asked instead. “I have this work meeting near your campus around then. I could swing by, and we could eat together.”

  “That sounds nice. I’d like that.”

  “And I’m free tonight, too,” Harlow added.

  “I’d like that as well,” she said and moved down to her knees.

  “Babe, the floor is tile. You’ll kill your knees.”

  “There’s a rug. I’ll be fine. I want you.”

  Larissa tapped Harlow’s thighs, and Harlow spread her legs for her without further protest. Larissa greedily licked her lips, spread her, leaned in, and licked her.

  “You’re wet,” she noted between licks.

  “Yes. I woke up this way. And I was going to touch you in bed, but you were out here.”

  “I’m going to finish making that up to you now. Then, we’ll have breakfast.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Harlow said on a gasp.

  Hearing Harlow’s sounds above her made Larissa wish that they could both stay home and do this all day. It felt like she hadn’t known that she’d been missing this. How hadn’t she known? Now that they were doing this, it seemed so obvious. Her tongue was made to stroke Harlow this way, making her come in her kitchen while toaster waffles grew cold and inedible and hot syrup sat cooling off in a microwave.

  “God, babe. That’s…”

  Harlow’s hand wasn’t shy. She pressed it to the back of Larissa’s head, moving Larissa in against her even more.

  Larissa didn’t mind at all and started sucking, spreading Harlow a little more to push inside her with two fingers.

  “Oh, fuck,” Harlow let out. “I am so going to be late for work today.”

  Larissa chuckled against her.

  “Totally worth it,” Harlow added.

  She came seconds later, and when she tapped the back of Larissa’s head, Larissa ceased her movements, wiped her mouth, and stood up.

  “Can you call in sick?” she asked, hopeful.

  “I really wish I could, but I have a meeting at ten that I can’t miss. I’m already cutting it close. I probably won’t get there until nine at this rate.”

  “But the meeting is at ten,” Larissa said and wrapped her arms around Harlow’s neck.

  “I know. I still have to prep for it.”

  “And I have to go to the library to work myself…”

  “Yes, you do. I want to be dating a doctor soon,” Harlow said with a wink and kissed her.

  “Is that a demand? Do you date only doctors now?”

  “Nope. I only date you. But I know how much you want this, so I’m not letting amazingly perfect sex get in the way, even though it’s a huge sacrifice for me.”

  Larissa laughed and asked, “Just for you?”

  “Well, I hope not,” Harlow replied as her hands cupped Larissa’s ass. “Can I eat while I’m getting ready for work?”

  “Sure. I can try breakfast in bed another time,” she said. “Even though you’re moving out, I have a feeling that you’ll be staying over a lot, so I’ll get my chance.”

  “About that…” Harlow said.

  “About what?”

  “I hope it doesn’t make you too upset, but I kind of lied to you yesterday.”

  Larissa pulled back a bit, lowered her arms from around Harlow’s neck to her collarbones, and asked, “About what, exactly?”

  “I didn’t go to the apartment to turn in the money for my new place.”

  “You didn’t?”

  Harlow shook her head.

  “Why not?”

  “So, here’s the thing… While I wanted my own place mostly because I didn’t want to keep being a burden on my best friend, I was also starting to feel like I was never going to tell you that I wanted more than friendship, and it was getting harder to be here and not be more. So, I found that place, and it’s great. It’s right by the office, has all the amenities, but the guy pissed me off yesterday. It’s their system’s fault, but he needs me to run over there by six to give him the money, or he’s going to give the apartment to someone who can do that. I just sat at my desk thinking about how I didn’t like that because the system could be fixed the next day, and I would not have to drop by on a timeline he set. And if there’s an issue on rent days, and that’s their approach to things, am I now expected to skip work once a month to deliver them a check myself? Then, I started to think about how we are dating now, and how it might not seem like a big deal, but an hour one way on a good traffic day can get tiring. I know; I’ve been doing it since I started staying here. On bad days, when there are accidents, it’s much worse, and once you’re teaching again, your schedule is going to be different from what it is now. It’ll be harder for you to get to me, and I want to see you, Larissa. I want to see you all the time.”