Page 59 of Saving Graces
When Rosalie awoke it was early morning, a small hint of light filtering in through the heavy curtains. For a second she felt disorientated, but she knew exactly whose arms she was in. The air in the room was cold but the bed was warm; Kinsey silky soft and smelling like sex. Rosalie wanted to kiss her skin until she awoke, sleepy and beautiful, so they could press back into each other’s bodies all over again.
It was mid-winter though, so for there to be light coming in it wasn’t really early morning anymore. If she was going to sneak back to her own room without anyone seeing her, the time was now. Reluctantly she gently disentangled herself, Kinsey making a small murmur of protest that almost stopped her, until she realized the other woman was still asleep. She found her robe in the dim room, and, with a throb of desire, the tie that held it, then crept down the corridor. She fought the urge to giggle out loud at herself as she did; it had been a while since she’d snuck home in the early hours with her underwear in her hand.
She stood under the shower, shuddering with desire as she washed her body, remembering and reliving Kinsey’s touch. Last night had been beyond words; the best sex of her life. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. She’d already known what explosive chemistry they had, but now, the knowledge of how complementary their desires were… Rosalie found herself whimpering, alone in her shower, just remembering.
What was this? It was only the third time they’d slept together and yet Kinsey seemed to have her worked out to the letter, undoing her with such ease it was like she held the roadmap to every one of Rosalie’s secret desires. And Kinsey, too, felt so deliciously easy to unravel; she was so turned on by Rosalie that her every move felt right. Making Kinsey come undone, over and over again felt like a drug. Suddenly the day ahead seemed like something to get through so that night could return, counting the hours until they could be together again.
When she made it down to breakfast she was showered and neatly dressed with plain sensible underwear under her jeans. Still, she felt marked somehow, as if last night’s sex had changed her and anyone who looked at her would be able to tell what she’d done. No one paid her any more attention though, especially not Kinsey when she finally walked into the dining room.
She looked so good Rosalie couldn’t stand it, her mind instantly comparing the poised woman in front of her with the one who’d tied her to the bed, her fingers furiously touching herself as she stared at Rosalie’s bound body. Rosalie swallowed another whimper. Kinsey, though, gave her no more than a faintly friendly flicker of eye contact as she greeted the whole room, then proceeded to chat casually with Cassidy as if Rosalie didn’t exist.
Rosalie had no idea whether Kinsey was just an expert at compartmentalizing or if she had the best poker face she’d ever seen, but it made her feel slightly crazy. She knew she’d asked her to keep it all on the down low, but it seemed beyond wild that last night they’d been so desperate for each other and this morning Kinsey was calmly pouring an orange juice with not even a hint in her eyes that she’d ever thought twice of Rosalie. Rosalie was not sure that she was going to pull off that level of cool.
When Kinsey left the breakfast table, Rosalie followed. She knew she was about to lose Kinsey to songwriting and she didn’t think she could make it until nightfall without something more than coolness from her, not after last night. Kinsey turned slightly on the stairs when she realized she wasn’t alone, but her step didn’t falter.
Rosalie checked there was no one else in sight as they hit the top stair together and then she grabbed Kinsey’s hand and tugged her through the first open door she found. It was the library; a perfectly innocent place for the two of them to happen to be found, except that Rosalie pulled the door shut behind them. Kinsey stared at her, clearly startled, and Rosalie kissed her. Within seconds Kinsey was gasping into her mouth, kissing her back. Rosalie’s hands slipped under her shirt to mold around her bare hips, dying for warm skin and the heat of her kiss.
It was only seconds though, before Kinsey pulled back.
“Rosalie,” she said with a sharp breath. “What are you doing?”
“I didn’t get to kiss you goodbye this morning,” Rosalie said, “and I couldn’t let you go all day without kissing you first.”.
“You can’t do this to me,” Kinsey said softly, her tone accusing. “It’s hard enough that I have to pretend to barely know you without you pulling me away to make out with you during the day as well.”
Rosalie looked down. She was being selfish and she knew it.
“I’m sorry,” she said, tucking a lock of Kinsey’s hair behind her ear, making her blink at the soft touch. “You’re right. I’ll stop. Just,” she reached out again, this time running her thumb over her hipbone, “last night was… ”
Rosalie ran out of words as she met Kinsey’s eyes, her need reflected there, and swallowed.
“Yeah, it was,” Kinsey said quietly. Silence echoed between them. Kinsey sighed. “Rosalie,” she bit her lip. “If you want us to keep doing this, you’re going to have to give me a little space here. I can do no strings, but not if you start blurring the lines on me.”
“You’re right,” Rosalie said again. “I’m sorry.”
Kinsey kissed her. A quick, soft brush of her lips.
“Get the fuck out of here,” she said, her voice light again. “And don’t touch me or even look at me until it’s night and we’re in a bedroom together.”
Rosalie smiled.
“I’ll respect that. You should know though,” she paused, “that all you have to do right now is walk in the room and it makes me wet.” Kinsey’s eyes went dark and her lips parted. Rosalie pulled open the door and threw a quick smirk over her shoulder. “Have a great day.”
“So,” said Savannah as she and Rosalie went out on their morning walk together. “Exactly how much sex are you having with our young guest right now?”
Rosalie groaned.
“So much,” she admitted and Savannah smiled widely. “Why do you always know?”
“Because I know you,” Savannah said, smirking as they trudged their way through the snowy forest path. “And because you look approximately eight years younger this morning and I presume it’s not from all the sleep you’re getting.”
“It’s really not,” she winced. “God, I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t seem to make sensible decisions around her.”
“Or maybe you’re finally making healthy decisions for a change?” Savannah raised her eyebrows. Rosalie looked sideways at her.
“I’m sorry?”
“Honey, you’ve been isolating long enough, don’t you think?”
