Page 96 of Echoes

“It’s been a year of just talking, yes, but it’s also been a year of wanting for me, Iris. And I think you feel the same way. We can keep pretending like we mean nothing to one another, or we can admit how we feel and take advantage of the room and the precious few hours we have to finally be together. If you want to keep talking, I won’t deny you, but I’d much prefer it if I could kiss you.”

Iris had turned around then and found Daphne to be standing right there in front of her. The brown hair, still in its clip, had been too tantalizing to pass up, so she’d reached for the accessory and removed it. Daphne had smiled at her then and let the hair fall around her face.

“You like my hair down?”

“I’ve never seen it down,” Iris had replied. “I’ve always wondered what it looked like.”

“And?”

“Beautiful,” she’d confessed.

Soon after, Daphne’s lips had been pressed to hers in a soft kiss, which told Iris that she hadn’t been in this by herself how she’d assumed, and their touches that night had been equally as soft.

Daphne, Iris had discovered later, had been with women before and hadonlybeen with women. Iris had only ever been with one man, her fiancé, but that night with Daphne had confirmed for her what she’d already known: she wanted to be with women. She wanted to be withonewoman: Daphne McDonald.

So, asking Daphne now if she even wanted to be with her still, as she stared up at her, naked, above her, was the last thing Iris wanted to be doing.

“No, of course not,” Daphne replied. “I love you. I’ve loved you for four years now. I’ve been with you like this for three of those years. But, Iris, I can’t think of you being with him anymore.”

“What if I tell him that I don’t want to do that anymore untilafter we get married? I can tell him that it’s a sin and that we shouldn’t have done it before the ceremony.”

“You may do that, but, Iris, he’ll want you to stick to the wedding date this time if you do. After being able to freely touch the woman already because they’re getting married, what man wants to be told that he can no longer do that until after the ceremony? You won’t be able to put this off any longer.”

Iris swallowed, staring into the beautiful green eyes she loved, and said, “Where would we live?”

Daphne looked surprised and asked, “Where do youwantto live?”

“Not with the woman you pretend is just a roommate but who also got to touch you like this,” Iris said, placing her hands on Daphne’s thighs. “That hurts, too, you know? Knowing you lived with her when you were together and that you still do.”

“I’m making better money now. I can move out on my own into a smaller apartment. I didn’t see the point before because I only want to move out if I’m movinginwith you.”

“An apartment for the two of us?”

“Yes. Someone at work mentioned a building to me. They said their landlord just put up a vacancy sign. I can take a look.”

“It would have to be a two-bedroom, like this one,” Iris said. “For appearances.”

“You would have to call off your engagement, my love.” Daphne leaned down and pressed a kiss to Iris’s forehead.

“I’ll tell him when he returns,” she offered.

Yet again, Daphne looked surprised and said, “You can’t promise me that and then not do it, Iris. It’s not fair to me.”

“I want to be brave for you.”

Daphne smiled wide and said, “You mean it?”

“Yes, I do.” Iris smiled back.

“Then, let’s continue taking full advantage of these three days together because we’re celebrating.”

Daphne kissed her hard, and Iris kissed her back, feeling both terrified and free at the same time. She was going to tell her fiancé that the wedding was off, and she was going to move out.

She assumed she’d live here with Daphne temporarily until they found another apartment, which she didn’t really want because the woman Daphne had been with when they first met still lived here with her and wasn’t particularly nice to Iris, but she’d do this because Daphnewas the love of her life. She’d give her the world if she were able to. And Daphne had already put up with years of Iris going home with someone else.

When Daphne lowered herself back down Iris’s body, Iris spread her legs and waited, knowing what would come next.

“I’m still the only one who’s ever donethisto you,” Daphne said before she licked her.

---