Summer Heat (3 page)

I giggle nervously and question my defences. If she’s going for full-blown alcohol-induced seduction, I’ll be all hers tonight, no matter the family connections. “Have you ever had feelings for a woman before?” I can’t help but ask. 

The barkeep interrupts the moment by slamming two shot glasses and a jug of cloudy yellow liquor on our table. “First one is on the house.” He winks at Rose and disappears.

“First one?” I purse my lips together.

“Don’t worry, Fabio will have a cab waiting. This place has excellent service.” She fills both our glasses to the rim. “Bottoms up.”

“I’m fairly certain that’s not how you’re supposed to drink it.”

She bores her eyes into mine. Because of the feeble light in the bar they’re more black than green. 

“You’ve disrespected your elders enough for one day, I believe.” She knocks back the shot without losing eye contact and I do the same. “The answer is no.” She brings the empty glass back down with a thud on the wooden table. “I haven’t felt anything like this for anyone in a very long time.” With slender hands, she refills our glasses. It only takes one raised eyebrow from Rose to make me obey and reach for mine. “Perhaps I should feel foolish, but you know what?” She twirls the glass between her fingers and some liquid sloshes over the edge. “I honestly don’t.” She empties her glass and licks the stickiness off her fingers.

“Good for you.” The alcohol I’ve consumed during the course of the day pools heavily in my blood.

“The only thing I regret is spooking you out of sleeping with me.” 

Baffled by her straightforwardness, I nearly choke on my drink.

“I should have used more subtlety.” She shoots me a lopsided grin. “Would you have gone for that?” Her expression is more self-deprecating than quizzing and I realise she’s about to throw in the towel.

I scan the room and notice the familiarity of most patrons. Two men sit by the bar and three older couples huddle around a table. My options are limited but I feel like I need to make a move now, before Rose has admitted defeat completely—or before common sense catches up with her. I’m intoxicated enough to ignore certain things about her and, even more than that, I want to kiss her, trace my tongue over her blood-red lips and trap her moans of pleasure in my mouth.

“I’m going to powder my nose.” I stand up, my legs wobbly but my resolve strong. “Follow me in one minute.”

Her eyes go wide before they slit together as my proposition registers. She nods and I take that as my signal to head off. The washroom is tucked behind a narrow door next to the bar. I wash my hands and peer at my reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, the effects of the liquor hit me hard and I need to steady myself against the square white washbasin. The door creaks when Rose enters. She doesn’t say anything, just stares into my eyes while sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. In a split second, she’s beside me and she pushes me into a cubicle, locking the door behind us.

“Yes?” she asks, but her hand is already on my neck and all sense of rationality slips from me. Her body presses against me and her other hand tilts up my chin, like heroes do in romantic movies, and the next thing I know her lips are on mine. The bittersweet sting of Limoncello lingers in her mouth and I need to shove myself hard against the door to not lose my balance completely.

With the back of her fingers, she strokes my cheek as she pulls back to let her eyes rest on me. I don’t see a family friend anymore. All I see is a gorgeous woman who just kissed me straight into paradise.

“Where can we go?” My breath jerks when I speak.

She doesn’t reply—probably because she has no answer—and leans in for a kiss again. Her tongue skates along my lips before darting into my mouth and I wonder how many years of pent-up sexual energy I’m dealing with.

“We’re in no condition to drive and the house is a few miles away. We need a taxi.” She checks her watch, as if she’s timed our bathroom encounter. “And we can’t stay in here for too long.” She flashes me an apologetic smile. “This is rural Italy, after all.”

My mind is so dazed by the alcohol that I’m not perturbed by the thought of macho bartenders. I just want to undo Rose’s blouse and bury myself between her breasts. They’ve taunted me for days from underneath bikini tops. Patience is lost on me as I draw her in for another kiss, but she keeps a clear head and holds me off.

“Trust me. It’ll be all right.” She smooths some wrinkles out of her knee-length skirt and reaches for the doorknob.

I take a deep breath and try to ignore the raw lust shivering up my spine. Rose pulls the door ajar and peeks out before exiting the stall. “The coast is clear,” she whispers and I shuffle behind her. I can’t help but wonder what Jenny is doing on Corfu right now.

I leave some bills on the table while Rose bids adieu to Fabio and arranges our ride home. Now that the lid has come off, it’ll be a challenge to sit next to her without touching her.

In the taxi, my head spins violently. Rose distracts herself by striking up a stunted conversation with the driver. I thank the many stars in the Italian night sky that the villa is only a fifteen-minute ride away and I’m doubly relieved to see that all the lights are out when we pull up in the driveway. Having to face my parents right now would put a serious damper on things.

“They’re on the other side of the hallway, anyway,” Rose states optimistically, but I’m suddenly floored by doubt. We tiptoe to Rose’s room, the one she shared with Michael—and Michael with a slew of other women before her.

“No, not in there.” I pull her away from the door and coax her towards my room. The windows are still open, allowing the night breeze to catch in the curtains. I turn to face her and desire glints in her eyes. “They’re over sixty, but hardly deaf,” I whisper. “We’ll have to be really quiet.”

“No problem.” She extends her hand and I take it. Two fingers run up the inside of my arm and my skin bursts out in goosebumps. Rose wastes no time yanking my top over my head and I soon stand in front of her with just my bra separating my breasts from her lips. My nipples poke against the fabric at the prospect and I let go of my last restraint. I pull her close and kiss her seriously this time. My tongue intrudes deep into her mouth and she seems to draw me even closer. Her hands press against the back of my head and I realise it must have been a while since Rose was kissed like this.

The silence is deafening and the sounds we make appear to amplify around us in the night. She grunts when I lose patience with her blouse and just tears it over her head. The rustle of my pants when they come off seems to produce more decibels than the crickets outside and the whole secrecy of it, the audacity of this fuck, heightens my senses.

I drag her on the bed with me until we lay side by side, peering into each other’s eyes.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” She traces a red nail along my chin and I’m suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. Her skin catches the moonlight falling through the cracks in the curtain while her curly hair frames her high cheekbones. There is no sign of doubt in her eyes, not the slightest hint of hesitation. I need to have her now. Heat pulses through my body and I can’t wait.

I kiss her gently and manoeuvre my hand to her back where I unclasp her bra. She soon follows suit and I press my breasts against hers. The touch of our nipples releases an electric current in my bones. Maybe the circumstances beg for me to take this slowly, but I couldn’t if I wanted to. I yank at her panties and she writhes her legs together until they come off. I trail a finger through her mound of hair and, even though I’ve barely touched her, she’s already moaning. Our eyes are still on the same level and she blinks once when my fingers travel down and encounter the wetness of her pussy. Foreplay lasted all afternoon and, first time with a woman or not, she’s ready.

I shrug off my underwear and, at last, we’re both completely naked. A fire brews in my belly and there is so much I want to do to her, so much I want to show her. Her hand finds my pussy and she shoots me a devilish grin as she discovers how wet I am.

I hoist myself up with my free arm until I’m on my knees. She follows me and we face each other, kneeling on the bed. I inch closer and pull her in for a kiss while my hands wander down to her breasts. Her nipples stiffen under my touch and I gently squeeze them. My tongue traces a line to her neck while my fingers slither down. I circle her engorged clit a few times and she groans loudly in my ear. I find her eyes and make a shushing sound. I fix my gaze on her while I let one finger disappear into her pussy. Her breath hitches in her throat but she doesn’t close her eyes.

Her hand is back between my legs. Our upper bodies lean against each other and she cups my neck with her other hand for support. I twirl some fingers around her hair and find my balance. While I push a finger into her she retracts hers and we find a matching rhythm. She bucks down every time I enter her and I do the same when she fucks me. Her eyes flutter and her lips grimace as I add more fingers. She does the same and I pant and groan and don’t care about the noise we’re producing anymore. 

“Oh yes, yes,” she says and the sound of her voice sets me off. My pussy clutches itself around her fingers as I bury mine inside her. The first wave grabs me and expands through my belly until it reaches my tingling limbs. I gush all over Rose’s hand and catch a glimpse of her smile. I try to recompose quickly because I’m still fucking her. I push her down onto the bed and lick my lips.

“Your turn.” My mouth dives straight towards her clit and the moan escaping her upon contact is loud enough to wake the nearest neighbours. She covers her mouth with her hand and buries the back of her head into the sheets. Her fingers barely muffle her cries of ecstasy as I flick my tongue around her clit while my fingers explore the depths of her pussy.

She starts to tremble underneath me, her muscles twitching under her skin.

“Good god.” I make out from under her hand. She lets it fall back onto the sheets and breathes heavily. Two short sighs announce the arrival of her orgasm and I twist my fingers deep inside her. My tongue swirls furiously over her clit and she pushes her pelvis up until her pubes tickle my nose. She covers her face with her hands when I retreat and lay beside her again, an arm slung over her ribs.

Slowly, she lowers her hands and peeks at me over her fingertips. Her eyes are watery, the remnant of a tear shattering on the pillow.

“Fuck me,” she says uncharacteristically.

“I believe I just did.” I push myself up and smile down at her. My gaze darts over her face, over the wonder and disbelief displayed in her eyes. I can’t really grasp it either but it sure felt great.

“I hope we didn’t wake them.” Her lips curl into a mischievous grin.

“They probably drank enough to knock them out for the night.” I plant a kiss on her nose. “But you did have some issues with self-control there.”

“I can’t possibly be held responsible for that.” Her hands ruffle through my hair before dipping down to my neck. “Can I stay in your room tonight?” She seems suddenly insecure, in need of a thousand embraces.

“It’s your house. You can do whatever you want.” I lower my head onto her shoulder and remember the kitchen incident that started all of this.

“Really?” I feel her lips stretch into a smile against my scalp. “Because there are a few more things I’d like to try.”

When I wake up the first thing I see is Rose’s face. Her curls riot into all directions, evidence of a night well spent. Of all the things I had expected this holiday to be—tedious, second-rate, lonely—sexually satisfying was last on my list. A dull headache throbs beneath my temples as I remember the lethal yellow shots we consumed. The sound of pans clanging against each other in the kitchen startles me and my jerky reaction wakes Rose up. First, she beams me a smile that melts my heart, then she plants a tender kiss on my forehead.

“Morning.” She shifts her body so her cheek rests on my chest and her curls tickle my nose. Wrapping my arms around her feels strangely comfortable, as if I’ve never done anything else. Despite our desire to explore each other’s body all night, the alcohol got the better of us and we didn’t make it much further than some lip-biting and breast-fondling.

Something producing a lot of noise thunders to the kitchen floor and sudden panic judders through my body. 

“I don’t like the sound of that.” I run my fingers through Rose’s curls. “I fear dad is cooking breakfast.”

The window is still open and morning sun slants through. Rose sighs heavily and I can spot the reluctance in her voice. 

“Best get up. Make myself presentable for the in-laws.” Her body shakes with laughter, causing friction around my nipples. She hoists herself up and looks at me, the fine lines around her eyes crinkling with joy. “Shall I tell them or will you do the honours?”

I playfully push her away. The thought of facing my parents half-hungover doesn’t appeal to me, but at least I’m confident their ignorance will prevent them from sussing anything out.

“Get out of my room already, you dirty cougar.” 

Rose kneels next to me, her naked body on full display, and I feel the heat rush through me again. She brushes some strands of hair out of her face and stares down at me.

“Sure, but be warned.” She trails her hands along her chest. “I believe you may have sexually awakened me.”

* * *

“Rough night, darling?” My mum pours me a cup of coffee and spoons in the exact amount of sugar I want without having to ask.

“My fault entirely, Helen.” Rose wears her poker face well. “I’m afraid I dragged young Cat to Fabio’s.”

“Ah,” dad chimes in. “No good can come of that.” If only he knew.

“Can we borrow your car this morning? We had to take a taxi back.” Rose seems to eat her eggs differently this morning, with much more lip and finger licking than I can bear.

“Very sensible.” Dad sports a neon yellow polo shirt today, making him look like an artificially enhanced lemon. “Of course. Helen and I were thinking of taking the bicycles out this afternoon.” My ears perk up at the prospect of my parents leaving the house. “Would you care to join us?”