Loved by Her Read online

  Chapter Eight

  Meridien

  “What? How did I not…?”

  “It’s not like I made it easy.” All the revelations from the last few minutes have me on edge and this feeling of need takes over. The way she’s staring at me has my whole-body quivering and I can’t contain myself anymore, so I close the distance between us and pull her into my arms. How could I have been so blind? Every fantasy that’s played in my head pales in comparison to actually holding her, knowing she feels the same. When our lips touch, I don’t even try to stop the moan that escapes at what is surely a holy moment that I never want to forget. Her softness mixing with my own is so...right, as is her groan that sends me to another level of ecstasy. Her tongue explores my mouth as mine does the same to hers. She tastes like heaven – chocolate, caramel, and decadence. Snaking my hand up her stomach, my fingers graze her breast and her nipple pebbles at the touch.

  “What are you doing?” She asks, breaking contact, her face reflecting desire.

  “Please,” I beg, the ache in my pussy almost too much to bear. “I need to know what it’s like to be loved by you. I don’t want to think about anything else, just be you and me. Us.” If she denies me, I’m not sure I’ll survive.

  “Fuck! Do you know how long I’ve yearned for you to say those words?” She wants to know, dropping a quick kiss on me as her fingers make quick work of my buttons. When my dress falls to the floor, I’m so thankful there was nothing holding it up other than my braless breasts as I stand there in only my lace panties.

  “You’re a vision, baby,” she whispers, making me feel beautiful, desired. “I’m trying not to lose control here.”

  “Lose it,” I urge her, stepping out of the material pooled at my feet and walking toward her tattoo room. Hopping on the area for clients, I lay down, suddenly more brazen than I’ve ever been, which seems to snap her out of her stupor and into action as she follows me.

  “Make no mistake,” she begins, continuing with, “and we aren’t leaving until I’ve had my fill of every inch of you.”

  “Stop talking and fuck me,” I demand, my body heated and wanting relief.

  “On it,” she replies, then literally gets on it, well, me as she climbs over me. When her hot mouth lands on my breast and her palm kneads the other, I whimper from the pleasure. Star sucks on my nipple, her tongue twirling around it and I run my hands through her hair, pushing her forward to take me deeper. As good as this feels, it’s not enough. I’m beyond wet and it has nothing to do with the rain outside. Her hand travels down until I feel her cup my mound, when her digit pushes through my folds, I lift up unable to control my actions. Wanting to do the same for her I caress her jean covered center, fueling my desire, and need to get into her sweet spot.

  “Patience, baby.”

  “I don’t know if I can wait,” I inform her, being honest. I undo her jean’s button, and unzip her, my hand sliding through her panties until I can feel her wetness, and she’s equally aroused as I am. Minutes pass each indulging in the first feels of each other. Our movements quicken the pace matching our urgency for more. When she flicks at my clit my back arches into her, my need to scream her name overpowering me, deafening all other sounds. I mimic her motions, causing her to shake above me with her own release, and it’s as if I’ve conquered the world in this second. Star in the throes of passion is a vision I’ll never forget.

  “That was...I have no words. But I need more.” I say between ragged breaths.

  “So eager. Let me show you just how good I can make you feel.” Next thing I know, I’m scooting toward the edge, my ass about hanging off, and she’s sitting in her chair staring at my pussy with my legs over her shoulder. Despite having dreamed of her doing this exact thing to me, I’m nervous as hell. But like always, she knows what I need, knows the right thing to say. “I’ve got you,” then she kisses my inner thigh and goosebumps cover my skin in anticipation. Soon I’m begging, each touch driving me a bit madder until I’m writhing with need.

  “Please what? Words, Mer.” She’s so close to my drenched nether lips that I can feel the warmth from her breath as it hits my clit.

  “You know what I need.” My cheeks burn from embarrassment, my earlier brazenness gone now that she’s asking out loud.

  “Say the words and I’ll make you fly,” she promises, a soft kiss making contact with my folds and I come undone, all hesitation instantly fading.

  “Fuck me. Lick me. Take me, dammit.” I’m rewarded for my bravery as she flicks my clit. Gripping the sides, I now realize when she said she’d make me fly she meant literally because I feel as if I’m about to do just that. The second I think I might be able to draw air into my lungs, her tongue dips inside and she mimics how she was fucking me with her fingers and I’m no longer able to put thoughts together. The euphoria that crashes into me is a continuous wave of pleasure that I’ll never be able to describe in accurate detail. I vaguely register her hands on my hips as she pulls me closer so I’m practically face fucking her.

  I lose count of the number of orgasms she’s given me, yet when her lips surround my now sensitive bundle of nerves an instant before she sucks on it, a guttural cry erupts from deep within me. When I try to move, unable to take more, Star growls against my heat, “No, you’re mine! That means your body and your pleasure.” That’s the last thing I remember.

  “What the hell happened?” I ask, mortified at the realization I blacked out in the middle of my first time with Star. “And how did I get here?”

  “I wrapped you in the emergency blanket you swore I'd never use and helped you to the car. You came to for a few minutes and I brought you home,” she explains, softly kissing my lips and I moan when I taste myself on her.

  “Stop that or you’ll spend the remainder of the night sitting on my face. Neither of us will get any rest if that happens.”

  “Isn’t the saying 'no rest for the wicked’?” I barely finish my sentence, when my still naked body is above her face, my knees on either side of her head.

  “Let me have that sugar,” she demands and I obey without hesitation. Why does it feel so different in this position?

  “That’s it, ride my face. I want your sweet juice all over it. Can you do that, baby?”

  Looking down at her, seeing how fucking bad she wants me, realizing I’m in control when we’re like this, I turn into a seductress. “Beg me for it,” I tell her, rising so her mouth and tongue can no longer reach me.

  “Every fucking moment of my life just for a drop. Please, Meridien, I need it.”

  “That’s so unfair,” I scold as I drop back down, fully aware she knows what her words did to me. I writhe on her, and when she senses I’m almost there, her hands hold me in place as she eats me to orgasm. Yawning, we lay side by side, her arms holding me tightly as if she’s scared I’ll disappear, I let her know, “After this nap, I want to taste you, too.”

  “We have all the time in the world to explore each other,” she assures us both in a confident whisper against my temple.

  A couple days later, we’re opening as Shaynah’s not due for an hour and Felicity has an appointment. We’re currently in Star’s room making out like teenagers but making sure not to go too far, as we did before. We replaced the bed that following morning for sanitary reasons, though Star said it was because it had my scent and no one was getting near my sweetness. I rolled my eyes at her possessiveness, but I’d be lying if I pretended it didn’t make me happy. That bed is now in our apartment and the things we’ve done on it since makes me blush.

  “We have to set up before Shaynah gets here,” I remind her, stopping our kiss.

  “One more,” she pleads and I eagerly give in. I’m just as needy and the times we have to keep our distance are hellish until we get home. I asked her to keep us quiet for the time being, and while she wasn’t thrilled about the idea, preferring to shout it from the rooftops, she agreed. I haven’t even told my parents I left Maxwell. We’re lost in each other when I
hear Shaynah, and I jump off Star so fast I smack into the wall as I attempt to straighten my dress.

  “You good in here?” Shaynah asks, poking her head in.

  “Yep, totally, nothing happening here. Why?” I’m talking a mile a minute, aware that I’m acting guilty as hell.

  “All righty then,” she responds, then turns to Star and says, “Whatever she’s on, keep it away from me. I’m manning the phones today,” she throws out over her shoulder, mumbling, “We need a damn receptionist.”

  “That was close.” Star doesn’t respond, and when I glance at her, I don't miss the tick in her jaw as she begins checking her supplies.

  “Uh huh.” When I touch her back, she flinches so slightly I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been watching her so closely.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “You’d rather let her think you’re on drugs than know we’re a couple.”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s different.”

  Chapter Nine

  Star

  Slamming my hands on the wall, heart hurting, I inform her, “I’m done being your dirty secret. I thought I could do it; I’ve had practice hiding what I feel for you for so many years. You were the impossible dream, something I could never have, but now that I have you, I want everybody to know.”

  “You know how people will react, especially my parents, when they find out. I can’t take the way they look at me when I disappoint them.”

  “That’s just it, Mer. You stayed in a loveless relationship, hating everything about yourself to the point you were physically ill to keep them happy, and they never once saw how it made you feel. He treated you like shit for three years and you put up with it because you think they’ll love you! I do and you want to hide that! That’s not fair to me.” Needing to get away, I push through the door and stumble into Felicity.

  “What the hell?”

  “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. I just need some air.”

  “Sure you do. This have anything to do with Meridien?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  A brow raises and her hand goes to her waist, letting me know I’m in for it. “I’m not stupid. You’ve been attached at the hip as long as I’ve known you, but now there’s this tension that wasn’t there before. I have a few minutes. Let’s grab a cup and talk.” We head to the diner down the street that has the best southern comfort cooking I’ve ever had, and she doesn’t waste a second to demand, “Spill it,” after the waiter takes our order. “What’s going on? And don’t lie to me, you know I’m like a vault. Whatever is said between us stays that way.”

  The need to talk to someone wins, that and the fact I can trust her. “Meridien and I are in love,” I inform her, waiting to gauge her reaction before continuing.

  “No shit. It’s about time. Now keep going because I know that isn’t all of it.”

  “She doesn’t want to tell her parents, nor anyone for that matter, and I’m not sure I can live in the closet again. But I also don’t want to lose her.” She’s quiet as our food is delivered, thinking about my problem, so I wait, not knowing what else to do.

  Felicity grabs my hand and squeezes it. “You’ve known who you are since you were a teenager. You’ve waited for her for years. We both know Meridien has struggled with so much because of her family, yet she took a huge leap in accepting and acknowledging how she feels about you. I’m not saying your feelings aren’t valid, but I want you to look at it from her side, too. And ask yourself this – is she worth it? If the answer is yes, then you know what to do.”

  “She’s worth everything.” Felicity smiles at me, though there’s a bit of sadness reflected in it, and I wonder if it has to do with Parker. I know she loves him, but she seems to fight him the majority of the time. My mind made up, I ask for and am given a few hours to get my thoughts in order and figure out how to make things right. I head to my parents, needing my mom and walk in, calling out, “Ma, I’m home.”

  “There’s my baby!” She exclaims, kissing my cheeks and giving me a big hug. I’ve missed her so much, even though it’s only been a few weeks since I was last here. “Where’s Meridien? You two are usually together.”

  “Not this time. She’s actually why I wanted to talk to you.”

  Worry crosses her features, and she immediately wants to know, “Is she okay? Did that douche do something to her? I don’t know when that girl will realize she needs to dump his ass.”

  “She did, but I’m not sure if who she’s dating now is any better.”

  “She’s already dating someone else? She was here less than a month ago, how much could I have missed? Next you’re going to tell me you have a girl.”

  “I do.” Her mouth drops open and she acts hurt. I simply roll my eyes at her and let her pull me into the kitchen where she grabs us coffee and one of her famous desserts. I’m full from lunch, but I don’t dare refuse. I make a mental note to take some home for Mer, I might need the brownie points. “Well, Mer is dating a stubborn ass that won’t let her come out on her own terms because she’s too focused on wanting everyone to know Mer is hers.”

  Mom is in mid-gulp and sprays it on the table in shock. “She finally came out?” Should’ve known nothing gets past this woman. “Whoever this is, I’m going to kick her ass. Hell, why haven’t you? No one can tell you when or how to come out. I’m not a proud PFLAG member for nothing.” I love that she’s so into the community that she became a member of the local chapter that helps parents come to terms with their kid’s sexuality.

  “Because I can’t kick my own ass,” I admit, waiting for her to catch on.

  “What? Thank fuck! Otherwise, I was going to be disappointed you weren’t the woman she’d fallen for. Oh god, the Covingtons will have a fit. I’ll have to warn your dad they might come over and cause trouble. I’ll set them straight if they try…” then she stops mid-sentence and smacks the back of my head. “Are you stupid?”

  “Ouch!”

  “I can’t believe you tried to rush Meridien. I hope she breaks up with you to teach you a lesson. Scratch that, I need you two together or I’ll lose her. Most days I like her more than I do you. Hashtag sorry not sorry.”

  “Did you really just do that?” I ask, mortified.

  “Why are you still here?” She wants to know, ignoring my question. “Find her and grovel.” Then she starts muttering under her breath, “You’re as clueless as your dad.”

  “Hey, I came to talk to you, didn’t I?”

  “You came, you saw, you conquered, now get the fuck out of here. If you don’t hurry, you’ll never come again, if you get what I mean,” she states, wagging her eyebrows in glee.

  “Ewwwww! What the fuck, ma? You’ve been hanging around the kids at the youth shelter a little too much. Not cool.”

  “Oh please, I’m the most popular volunteer there. And be warned, there will be others ready to replace you if you don’t fix this with my future daughter-in-law.” Her calling Mer that warms my heart. I’m truly blessed to have such supportive parents.

  “Thanks for being so wonderful. Those kids are lucky to have you. I know I am.” She kisses my cheek and I head back to my car, intent on making things right.

  Chapter Ten

  Meridien

  Watching her walk away for the first time in all the years we’ve known each other hurt like a bitch. Making my way to the front, I hope we find a receptionist that’s a good fit soon because I know Shaynah hates manning the desk. When the door opens, I hope it’s Star because my heart is breaking with every moment we’re apart, but it’s Felicity’s friend.

  “Hey, Vanessa. What can I do for you?” Shaynah asks as the phone rings.

  “I’ll take care of her,” I offer a relieved Shaynah who is thankful for the help.

  “Is Felicity here?”

  “She should be soon. Would you like something to drink while you wait?”

  “Water, please.” After getting it for her, she glances at me and asks, “Are y
ou okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”

  “That time of the month, so my emotions are crazy,” I lie. She’s a sweetheart, but I don’t know her like that and I’m ready to meet my brother for lunch. When I called him earlier, bawling, he invited me to lunch, knowing I needed him.

  “If you say so, but just know we girls gotta stick together. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I can tell when someone is in distress.”

  “Thank you. That’s very nice of you. My brother should be here any minute though, and I think only he can help me right now.” The sound of the door opening again gets my hopes up once more, though they instantly deflate when Felicity comes through. She and Vanessa stride toward her room, but not before she throws a glance at me.

  “You two are stubborn. Your brother is here, but you and I will be talking later.”

  “Hello to you, too,” he greets as I give him a tight hug. “Everything okay, kiddo?”

  “Can we go somewhere private? I don’t want you to freak out when I tell you.”

  “You’re worrying me. Are you sick?” I assure him I’m not. “Let’s go to my clinic. No one will bother us there. We’ll pick up some sandwiches on the way.” He keeps glancing at me during the drive, like I’m about to break some horrible news to him, and I hope he doesn’t view it as such when I tell him. He’s always been very open and gets along with Star, but accepting someone as gay and learning your sister is are two different things. Once inside, I sit on the swivel chair I love so much wondering if this is the last time I’ll be able to. “What’s going on? You know I won’t be able to eat anything until you tell me.”