Page 65 of Love and Cherish

“We’ve already done this.”

Cherish sucked in a sharp breath and held back her groan of frustration. That wasn’t what they were talking about, and she had to make this clear. Haylee had to understand. “No, not that. I mean…” Cherish’s heart raced, that sense of shame stealing through her chest to consume her. “I suck at this.”

“You don’t suck at anything, Cherry. You literally conquer anything you put your mind to. I see you do that every day.”

Cherish was about to give up. That’s what she normally did. She wasn’t even sure why she was still trying. She would just fake it, and Haylee would be done, and they could move on from here. But the words slipped through her lips before she could stop them. “I suck at sex.”

“Like hell you do.” Haylee laughed lightly, her brow furrowed.

“No, not like that.” Cherish bit her lip again, noting how raw it felt and the pang of hurt that sliced through her. “I don’t…it’s not easy for me to get off.”

“Oh.” Haylee’s smile vanished, but she didn’t pull away. Not like Cherish’s other lovers had. “So do you not want to—”

“I want to.” Cherish wanted to make that abundantly clear. “I want to. It’s just not easy. So don’t expect anything.”

“I never have expectations.” Haylee leaned in and kissed her swiftly. “And don’t worry, Cherry. Because if I get to put my mouth on you, I’m going to be the happiest girl in Portland tonight. I don’t care if you come or not. Well, I do care, I just… I’m fucking this up. I’ll still enjoy it whether you get off or not. I promise.”

“Okay.” Cherish held a breath high in her chest, waiting for the next shoe to drop, for Haylee to back away, for her to leave. It wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened. It probably wouldn’t be the last either.

“Are you sure you want to continue?” Haylee ran her fingers over Cherish’s collar bone, down her arm, and across her chin. “I won’t unless you want to.”

“Yeah. I do. I’ve dreamed about this.” Cherish had no idea what to do with her hands. She wanted to touch, but now everything was awkward, and she wasn’t sure where they stood together.

“Good.” Haylee moved in, pressing their mouths together.

Haylee held still, holding the kiss until Cherish relaxed and parted her lips. Then Haylee teasingly ran her tongue across Cherish’s lower lip before nipping and pulling back. “Just tell me if something doesn’t feel good. If it does feel good, use whatever magic you have to make sure I don’t stop doing it.”

“All right.” Cherish found herself smiling. She wasn’t sure why, but she was. She was happy. No one had ever—Cherish groaned.

Haylee’s mouth covered her breast, her tongue flicking rapidly back and forth against her hard nipple. Cherish grabbed hold of Haylee’s hair, the short buzz on the underside just above Haylee’s ear rough against her palm. She never wanted Haylee to stop, even if this was all they did for the night, Cherish wanted Haylee against her, she wanted Haylee to be on top of her, touching her, loving her, doing everything that she could to her.

Even if that was all she got tonight, Cherish would be satisfied. They had been building up to this for months now. She closed her eyes, focusing on sensations, on the memories of their first kiss in the street, the cold water that splashed all over them. Their second kiss against the printer. Cherish’s heart raced rapidly, her mouth dry. She wiggled under Haylee’s body, wanting her to be between her legs already.

“Patience, Cherry.” Haylee chuckled before she attended to Cherish’s other breast, giving it the same attention, the same touches and teases.

Cherish refused to open her eyes. She didn’t even know what she needed, so she just accepted whatever Haylee was going to give her. Cherish moved her hands through Haylee’s hair, along her back, over her shoulders.

Finally, Haylee popped up with a light laugh. “Keep doing that and I’m going to tie your hands over your head.”

A thrill ran through Cherish, a shiver of pleasure that raced from her head down to her toes and then back up, stopping right between her legs. What on earth was that? She’d never been tied up before. She’d never allowed anyone that kind of control. Her heart thundered.

“Oh, you’re intrigued by that idea, aren’t you?” Haylee’s mouth was against her ear.

Cherish wished she could force herself to open her eyes, to look into Haylee’s dark brown eyes and know exactly what she was thinking and feeling, but to open her eyes would break the spell, and it would bring reality crumbling down around her.

“I can blindfold you, too.”

Another shiver. That was arousal. Pure and simple.

“Yes…” Cherish hissed, turning her cheek to blindly capture Haylee’s mouth. The kiss was brief, but when Cherish pulled away, she knew exactly what she wanted. “Blindfold me. There’s a scarf in my closet, left hand side, fourth hanger.”

“Oddly specific, but okay.”

The mattress shifted as Haylee moved. A cold wake was left by her absence, but Cherish trusted that Haylee would be back soon. Cherish kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to lose anything that she’d gained so far, and she really did trust that Haylee would take care of her, that Haylee had her best interest in mind.

The silk against her skin was so soft. Goosebumps ran along Cherish’s arm where Haylee dragged the fabric over her. It tickled her breast before Haylee’s warm breath was against her cheek again.

“Lift your head.”

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