Games Girls Play (6 page)

There wasn’t an inch of her that didn’t hurt. Not an inch.
Rose stayed still and tried to think, tried to remember. Where was she? She
tensed, making her muscles scream harder. Was she still in the box? No, the
stench was gone, and so was the wet.

“Easy. You’re safe.”

Jane’s husky voice poured over her like warm water.

“Jane.”

“Hey, baby. Don’t wiggle. That arm will throb.”

“‘kay. You’re safe?” She was safe?

“We’re good right now. As soon as you’re mobile, we’ll be
Oscar Mike.”

Mobile. Right. She tried to think about sitting up, about
standing, but her body had forgotten how, sort of. “Man, you must have given me
the good drugs.”

“I did. You needed to sleep without waking for a bit.”

She turned her head, the muscles around her neck screaming. “How
bad are things?”

Time for a sitrep.

“Marty says you’re completely burned. Your arm is good to go
as long as we don’t have to fight our way out of here. Your feet are a mess.
They caned you, looks like.”

“Yeah, that was fun as hell. I think I’ll add it to my daily
workout.” Except not so much. Her stomach clenched, and she forced herself to
calm down, to put those moments in a box and lock it away.

“Uh-huh. Only not. We have about two days if Ben does his
job.”

“I can go now.” She was tough. She could move. It wouldn’t
kill her, right?

“No. You rest as much as you can. I’m monitoring movement.”

Rose thought about arguing, but this was going to be it for
her. Jane was going to have to make the right noises, say the right things.
Hell, she was going to have to become someone else, say goodbye, and she was
too tired for that shit right now.

Jane glanced at her, those hazel eyes shrewd. “I’m sorry,
baby.”

“Me too.” She was going to miss her life like a lost limb.
More than that, though, she was going to miss Jane. Tears threatened and she
forced them back. Fuck that shit, she was a pro. You lost people. Even the most
important people.

“You’re thinking too hard, Rosie.”

“Is that possible as good as you have me doped up?”

“It is. You’re more affected physically than mentally, and
you know it.” Jane searched her face, nothing guarded about her expression.
Just worried.

“I’ll make it.” She tried to reach up, but her arm screamed,
wrenched at her.

“I know. We’ll do this. Together.” Jane bent and pressed a
kiss to her open mouth. “I’m on this, baby. Like I promised in Spain. I’m done
with hiding away.”

“Together? Like you and me?”

“Well, who else, woman? You and the mouse in your pocket?”
Now Jane frowned at her, lips pursed.

“I. You.” She stared, eyes wide. “Really?”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Jesus Christ, Rose. Why would I want
to do this job without you to compete with?”

“I don’t know.” Her heart started racing, blood pounding in
her ears.

She couldn’t think.

“No one. Benny is a nutbag. Marty is a control now. I won’t
do it without you. I was thinking Tuscany. Or maybe the Amalfi coast.”

“The sun in Italy makes your skin glow.” Her head was going
to explode.

“It does. I know it’s not Malaga, but it’s better than the
Caribbean.” Jane gave her a sip of water.

She would have nodded, but the pain was building again and
her eyes closed.

“Open up. I have morphine drops. I don’t want to have to
give you more shots.”

“I’m trying to suck it up.” She opened, let Jane drop the
bitter medicine under her tongue.

“Right now you don’t need to, baby.”

“I can be a drama llama for twenty-four more hours, huh?”

“You so can.” The drugs made Jane’s voice buzzy like bees.

“I wished for you.” She whispered the words like they were
the biggest secret ever.

Jane stroked her hair back off her face. “It killed me, how
long it took me to find you. Marty ran it like an op, made me wait until it was
safe. I wanted to rip that place apart with my bare hands.”

She believed Jane would have done it too. Destroyed the
fucking world for her.

“Sleep a little longer, baby.” Jane kissed her cheeks, her
closed eyes. “I’ll be right here.”

“Okay. I trust you.” She trusted Jane enough to sleep, maybe
even to dream.

“I love you, Rosie. You dream about that.”

“My Jane.” Her lady.

“Yours. You know that now, right? No doubts?”

“I know. No doubts.” She reached out with her good hand,
twined their fingers together.

“Good deal.” Jane hummed for her, some weird song from Cajun
country. Something they’d learned together in NOLA a lifetime ago.

Her eyelids were so heavy, her bones dissolved into the
mattress. She would rest, and she would heal, and then she’d tear apart any
asshole who tried to come between them.

She thought Jane might like that.

The back of her neck was beginning to itch. Jane knew that
meant it was time to move on, but she hated to shove Rose in a car yet. That
arm was still causing agony every time Rosie moved, and those poor feet were
raw. Her girl was the color of milk, and there was a grayness to her, a
bone-deep exhaustion.

She would give them one more day, a day to stuff Rose with
juice and vitamins. If they had to resort to speed they would, but not until
they were Oscar Mike.

“We need to go, don’t we?” Rose looked at her. “I can do it.”

“Tomorrow.” Jane knew that would cut it close, but Marty
would call if they had to clear out sooner.

“Bossy old broad.”

“I am.” Jane bent to kiss Rose on the forehead. “I have to
be, to keep up with you.”

“I’ve never stayed in bed so long.” Rose lifted her face,
kissed Jane’s chin. “Never.”

“Not even that weekend in St. Maarten?” That had been epic.

Rose chuckled, and that small sound grew into an honest
laugh. “Okay, okay. I’ve never stayed in bed so long without orgasms.”

“Now, that I can believe.”

She grabbed a brush and started working on Rose’s hair,
carefully untangling the bright red curls. Her girl needed another bath, but
that would take energy she didn’t want Rose to waste. It was enough to focus on
not pulling, not tugging at all. No hurting.

Rose hummed and closed her eyes, the noise one of pleasure.

Oh, there. There, that sound warmed her, deep in her gut.
She hadn’t heard that in far too long, and she craved it. She spent an hour,
just smoothing and combing, Rose calm and heavy against her.

Then she curled up with her girl, knowing the electronic
sensors she’d set up a few days back would ping her cellphone if someone was
coming.

Rose kissed her shoulder, the touch featherlight and so
soft.

“What do you think about a convertible when we get to Italy?”

Oh, look at that smile. “A red one?”

“Well, that would clash with your hair, but if you insist.”

“I’ll wear it up in a babushka.”

“I think a pretty scarf would do. They sell a lot of silk
ones in Italy.”

Rose rested against her, lips brushing her jaw, the touch a
butterfly kiss. She seemed content to let Jane talk, so Jane nattered about
leather shoes and trips to Capri. She made promises too, hidden ones, about
forever and about love.

Once she let herself, she turned into a sap in a damn hurry.

Rose’s fingers stayed curled in hers, holding on and petting
her. She ran her thumb over the back of Rose’s hand, slipping over the bruises,
which were fading there.

“Mmm. I’m healing, I think.”

“I think so too.” She just needed to keep it that way.

“I keep processing the whole thing—it’s still weird.” Rose’s
lips twisted. “Burned. Me. I’m the good one, right?”

Jane got a wink.

“You are. I’m the one who’s gone rogue twice and it took
until now to hit me. And Ben. Jesus, he’s like chaotic neutral in that geek
game.”

“Like you didn’t play it in high school.” Oh, her Rosie knew
her.

She let an evil grin curve her lips. “I shot a lot of cans
too.”

“I bet you did. Little cowgirl in jeans with a BB gun.”

“You know it. I had pink boots and blonde pigtails.” She’d
been the cowboy her father had prayed for, and Dad had loved her, to the bone,
up to the day he’d been thrown. She was glad, now, that he hadn’t lived to get
Alzheimer’s or heart failure or some shit. He’d gone quick and hard, just like
he’d lived.

“I bet you were adorable. I was the geeky girl, glasses and
long dresses and cardigans.”

“Did you shave your legs?”

“I didn’t have to until I was almost grown.”

“No kidding?” Jane peeked at Rose’s legs. Not bad for so
many days in a box.

“I’m a natural redhead.”

“I know. I was looking at your hairy legs, baby.”

“Hey!” Rose’s laugh made Jane smile, almost as much as the
flick of the sheets back over her legs.

“You look beautiful to me, no matter what.”

“Flatterer.” Rose’s eyes flashed up to her, though, and she
knew the words had hit home.

“I keep hoping it will get me somewhere.” She stroked Rose’s
skin, right there at the collarbone.

Oh, look at her girl, nipples going tight and a sweet, dark
pink. They couldn’t tear each other up, but Jane needed to believe that Rose
still wanted her, still wanted them. Together.

She could do gentle. She hoped.

They’d just have to see.

At first, Jane just touched, petting the fine curve of Rose’s
chest, the hollow of her throat. She needed to feel that skin, make sure there
was nothing else she needed to fix. The low-grade fever seemed to be gone, the
bruises… Well, okay, those were hideous, still. None of them produced a
terrible noise when touched, though.

In fact, Rose’s face was relaxed, lips parted. She was so
pretty that Jane had to kiss her, lightly, not pushing. Rose’s tongue touched
her bottom lip, stroking gently.

That was it. They kissed, long, leisurely touches that went
on and on.

Rose’s good hand touched her belly, fingers sprawling out
and feeling her. She sucked in a breath, the contact almost painful it was so
necessary. The touch moved slowly, the creeping heat nearly unbearable.

Jane squeezed her legs together, needing the friction.

“I’ve got you, love.” Rose’s fingers cupped her mound,
tickling and teasing through her curls, beginning to open her folds. She was
already damp and was heading for slick.

“Don’t overdo it.” She meant it. She didn’t want Rose tiring
herself out.

“I promise. I just need to touch you, know you still want
me.”

“Oh, I do. Feel.” She rocked back and forth on Rose’s
fingers.

Rose teased her, fingers slipping on her lips, spreading her
wetness and making her shiver, a ball of passion forming at the pit of her stomach.

Jane plucked at Rose’s nipples, then slid her hand down over
Rose’s belly, watching her girl open up for her. She thought about telling Rose
to say if she needed to stop, but Rose knew that. Rose was strong, sure. They
had this.

She pushed two fingers down to Rose’s cunt, using her
fingertips to spread her, opening her up for more touch. The heat pouring off
her lady was welcome, wonderful, and she dipped in to roll Rose’s clit, nudge
it gently, the tiny bundle of nerves swelling for her.

“Jane…” Rose nodded, fingers sliding along either side of Jane’s
clit, teasing her, tempting her to roll her hips, get more of the delicious
tingling pleasure.

“Uh-huh. Gonna make you feel good, baby. Just like you do
for me.”

“Want to.” Rose moaned and shifted, and Jane got a pillow to
protect that poor broken arm. Once she got them settled, she worked her way
back to Rose’s side, kissing that sweet mouth.

It was harder for Rose to touch her like this, the angle
awkward, but Jane wasn’t worried. This was about her girl, about remembering
pleasure. They could get to the gymnastics later, when Rose was healed. She
bent, licking at one hard little nipple.

It drew up, pretty as you please, and begged for more
attention. She gave it, leaning in and wrapping her lips around the pink areola
and tugging hard, eyes closing as she sucked. Rose tasted more like herself
now, less like soap and antiseptic. Jane craved the flavor of that tender skin.

It took a few minutes of suction before the tiny cries
started, the moans shaped like the sound of her name. She switched to the other
breast, then, determined to get more.

“Jane. Jane, love.” Rose arched, pushing deeper into her
lips.

“Mmm.” She wasn’t about to stop to talk.

Her fingers stroked over Rose’s clit, touching it with a featherlight
stroke, building the need inside her lady. She circled, then pressed, then
circled again, varying the speed and pressure.

Rose’s moans started soft, then grew and grew, getting
stronger, more hungry. The prickle of tears in Jane’s eyes surprised her. She
might have lost this. No, she hadn’t, though, and she wasn’t going to now. She’d
keep Rose healthy and happy.

And well fucked.

Jane groaned and pulled firmly, two fingers pressing deep
into Rose as her thumb kept working, pressing that tiny bundle of nerves.

Rose undulated, a slow roll of muscle and skin that left
Jane’s mouth dry.

“Please, Jane.”

“I want to taste you, baby, make you come for me.”

Rose sobbed her agreement, and Jane licked her way down,
kissing the soft curve of Rose’s amazing belly, the indentation of her navel.
Her chin touched the springy curls, and she rubbed her cheek on Rose’s thigh.
Like she’d nudged a button, Rose opened up to her, spread, and the scent of
pure need made Jane groan. She ducked her head, tongue sliding, teasing the
very top of Rose’s slit.

She licked, exploring a little, the taste of her girl on her
tongue. Sweet lady.

Rose’s clit was swollen, begging for attention, and she
dragged her tongue around it, teasing, loving the sounds that drew. Jane began
to work her fingers in time with her mouth, slipping two of them into Rose’s
cunt.

Her girl was wet and slick, folds slippery against her
fingers, and when Jane wrapped her lips around that needy clit, Rose’s body
clenched. God, yes. Rosie tasted so feminine, so earthy.

She held that sensitive nub between her lips, flicking it
gently with her tongue, looking to make Rose moan.

“Jane.” Rose tugged at her short hair. “Please, lover.”

That was what she wanted, that need, that passion. She
wanted Rose to come, to release all those happy endorphins.

She fucked Rose, steady and slow, two fingers finding a
rhythm that had her girl shaking, shuddering against her. Soon. It had to be
soon. It took two hard pulls of her lips on that needy clit, and her Rose lost
it, bucking and crying out, stiff as she humped against Jane’s face.

Perfect. So damn good to hear that sound, feel that shaking,

Jane kept going until Rose slumped down, breathing hard,
moaning her name.

Then she petted those sweet curls, loving on her.

“Oh. Oh better.” Rose offered her a goofy, dazed grin. “Wow.”

“I thought that might help, honey.” All that feel-good in
the parasympathetic nervous system…

“So much better.”

Jane nodded, kissed the curve of Rose’s belly. She was
addicted to making Rose feel good. This was going to be her new full-time job.

The pay wasn’t great, but the benefits rocked.