When their lips touched, her body came to
life, her senses pulsing with forgotten hunger. Emily’s hands moving over her,
the soft sounds she made in her throat, the invitation in her body when they
pressed close was nothing she hadn’t felt before, and absolutely unlike
anything she’d ever experienced. Oh yeah, there would be another kiss.
A black SUV emerged from traffic and pulled over
in front of her. She climbed in and gave her address. When she got back to the
apartment, she poured a glass of port and carried it into the bedroom. It
wasn’t that late, but she was tired and knew she’d sleep. After undressing, she
slipped into bed in the dark. Her mind was at last blessedly quiet and oddly
content. She set the glass aside, pulled up Emily’s number, and hit send.
“Hello?” Emily said softly on the second
ring.
“Did I wake you?”
“No, I was just…”
“Just?”
Emily laughed, a bright, self-conscious
laugh. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Funny,” Derian said, “I was just doing the
same thing.”
“Were you.”
“I was thinking about kissing you again.”
Emily was silent.
“Were you thinking about that too?”
“Derian? What are we do—”
“It’s safe enough. You’re there and I’m here,
right?” Derian laughed. “And really, as much as I feel like I’m in high school
right now, I’m not trying to talk you into phone sex.”
“Really? High school and phone sex?” Emily
exploded with laughter.
“Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never—”
“Absolutely not. I’m not telling you my deep,
darkest secrets.”
Derian smiled. “All right, then I’ll go
first. Janie Mankiewicz.”
“Your first girlfriend?”
“Tennis instructor,” Derian said. “Ten years
my senior, making her the older woman. Also married, and very bored.”
“How old were you?”
“Sixteen when we had the sexy phone
conversations. We never did get much beyond that.”
“All right,” Emily said, “you’ve got my
attention. Who started it?”
Derian laughed. “Well, in hindsight, I think
she might’ve flirted a little bit at first, but I was too busy thinking about
how good her breas—”
“I think I get it,” Emily said archly, a
laugh undercutting her mock criticism.
“Let’s say it was mutual.”
“Fair enough. So which one of you mutually
instigated this scintillating conversation?”
“Hmm…Yeah, that would be a good word for it.”
“Derian,” Emily said warningly, “you’re
stalling.”
“Not at all! I’m building suspense.”
“Consider me suspended.”
“You have an interesting way with words,”
Derian teased. “What are you wearing?”
“None of your business.”
“Okay, I’ll just make it up—let’s see, a
black lacy—”
“A peach tank top and…plain,
boring…underthings.”