The Taste of Lavender by Emma Shane Read Free Book Online Page B

figure-eights on her leg
with my pinkie finger.
    Maribel chuckled, which was a good sign.
“I supposed we would need a plan.”
    I silently rolled my eyes. “That’s what
I mean, what’s the plan? We tell my husband, your husband and then what? It’s
possible we both might end up homeless you know.”
    My tone was light and joking, but the
reality of what I’d said struck a chord. What was to stop Paul from kicking me
out the moment I told him? I could work from anywhere, but I’d still need my
laptop and files. Not to mention all of my clothes and stuff. Then there was
the money thing... I made a decent living, but Maribel didn’t work at all and I
knew that I couldn’t carry us both for very long. For such a base emotion,
there sure was a bucket-load of things to consider where love was involved. If
only the act of being in love were as simple, as instinctual as the act of
falling in love.
    “Lucas would not do that. He adores me.”
Maribel said, a note of regret in her voice.
    I knew what she meant, but that didn’t
keep the jealousy at bay. Were they still sleeping together? Did she still love
him? Was there any chance that she didn’t love me enough? My stomach rolled and
it was clear that I couldn’t think about any of that at the moment. Truthfully,
I didn’t want to know the answers because I couldn’t bear the thought of
anything that took Maribel away from me.
    “So, they love us... that won’t stop them
from being angry and hurt.” I countered.
    Maribel frowned and lapsed into silence.
I didn’t really want to be having this discussion anyway, so I was content to
wait for her to speak again. I reclined on the sofa and pulled Maribel into my
lap. She pouted, but didn’t resist, allowing me to spoon her from behind. We
laid like that for well over an hour, each thinking  and worrying about
separate, but identical things. I played out every scenario I could think of,
and none of them felt real. None felt like they were possible, like a path I’d
end up taking. I thought so much my head began to throb. I had to stop. I just
couldn’t think about it any more.
    I decided to distract myself by
distracting Mirabel. I nuzzled into her mass of curls and my lips found their
way to the creamy skin of her neck. She didn’t react, so I upped my game by
sliding my hand down over her hip and down to her knee. Her skin was cool and
soft under my fingertips and I felt goosebumps raise under the warmth of my
hand. She wiggled slightly and I took that as my cue to continue. I worked my
fingertips higher, circling with barely-there pressure, until I grazed the apex
of her sex. I laughed under my breath— Maribel wasn’t wearing any underwear.
    As I brushed lightly all around her
thighs and lips, Maribel twitched and shifted under my touch. She wanted to beg
me to touch her there, I just knew it. But I wasn’t ready to give
in just yet. She bucked harder as my finger skimmed her delicate folds,
dragging the wetness across her skin.
    “Please,” she whispered.
    I ignored her and kept up my slow,
delicious torture. Maribel moaned and pulled away.
    Before I could protest, she rolled to
face me, kissed me with urgency and popped open the snap on my jeans. She shoved
her hand down my pants and found me just as wet and willing as she was. Our
kissing grew more frantic, so did the rhythm with which we ground against each
other. My fingers circled her clit for several beats, then slipped inside of
her, only for me to withdraw and circle her entrance again. She pumped her hand
into me greedily, trying to fill me up completely. I quivered and stretched
around her hand.
    It was primal, this mating of souls.
    As we neared the climax, everything else
fell away. Sounds, sights, smells— all that was left was a swirling tide of
toe-tingling pleasure. We crested together and collapsed onto each other. The
room was silent for several minutes, with the exception of our labored
breathing.
    Then, the spell was broken as