Page 9 of The Holiday

“Unlike them, I know how to pee standing up. I win.”

“I’m sure at least one of them could figure it out. Probably Etta Coleman.”There were rumors that she identified as non-binary like Ira, but Kathleen’s partner was the first to tell her that one shouldn’t make assumptions based on how a womanstyled and carried herself.“Or maybe Helen would surprise us. Oh, never mind. I’m not interested in finding out.”

“Weird. I kinda am.”

Kathleen snorted into a fork full of roasted carrots. A few people glanced at her, but their end of the table mostly kept to themselves. Etta and Helen were talking about an article inThe New Yorker,God help them all.

Chills went down Kathleen’s spine as Ira slipped her hand beneath the tablecloth and caressed her knee.

“Excuse you, Mathison.”

“Forgive me, Ms. Allen. I find myself unable to keep my hands off you. Your beauty is so exquisite that I’ve fantasized about fucking you ever since we got here. Because I thought I would get to. Right away. Good Lord, I’ve missed you.”

Kathleen was trapped between wanting to smile and roll her eyes. Ira’s brand of flirtation could be silly.

“To be fair, I assumed I was going to spend this weekend riding your face.”

“Oh ho ho! Tell me more about my face!”

“It’s the most beautiful one in the room, I’m sure, my prince.”

She had to wait for Ira to gather her bearings and reply, hand squeezing Kathleen’s knee even harder.“You flatter me, my queen.”

Kathleen glanced around the table, making sure nobody was watching her blush with naughty thoughts. Her nipples tingled beneath her shirt. As for the rest of her? It ached for Ira to touch her, with any part of her body. Fingers, mouth, tongue…

“What else would I say to the only one allowed to dominate me?”

“I’m glad you’ve missed that as well.”

“I’ve thought about it at least once a day since we last played like that.”

“Only once a day?”

“I’ve been a busy woman.”

“As long as busy means thinking about me as you touch yourself.”

“Who else is there to think about?”

With a devil-may-care grin tugging at her face, Kathleen slipped her hand over Ira’s knee… and pushed it higher.

Since reuniting two days ago, they had sex twice. Two quickies that were supposed to help them get by until that weekend. No role-playing. Not even a hint of kink. Just quick, vanilla sex that was at least as rough as they were horny.We had video chat sex twice while we were separated. Not the same.Kathleen would take a quick make-out session overonlywatching Ira touch herself any day of the week.What’s the point of having that glorious prosthetic if I can’t feel it?

Oh, she was feeling it now. Letting her fingers tease Ira’s zipper and feel her tremble beneath layers of clothing.

Ira was a master of control. She continued to eat, paying Kathleen no mind as her girlfriend massaged her beneath the table. At first, Kathleen was content to merely feel the warmth of Ira’s body heat. Then she ached to touch skin, and within seconds, she had her hand slipping beneath the waistband of Ira’s pants.

Then the silky hair below her navel. Never mind what she was packing beneaththat.

Holy shit, I need this now.

Kathleen got up and excused herself, citing a need to use the restroom. But instead of the washroom, she found the butler in the hallway and asked him for a comfortable place to make a phone call. He directed her into the office.

The cold, dark office.

She turned on a lamp by the couch before grabbing her phone from her pocket.“Get your ass in the office across the hall. Now.”

“What should I tell them?”

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