CHARACTER DISCLAIMER:
The characters herein are mine. Any resemblance to real or fictional people
are strictly part of your imagination. Some places in the story are real and
some are fictional.
LOVE/SEX WARNING/DISCLAIMER:
This story depicts an explicit love/sexual relationship between two consenting
adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal
in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions
of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.
Authors note: I want to take a second to thank those of you who poked and prodded me to write this sequel. I wasn't nearly done with these ladies. My list buds, who let me use their names in vain. :-) And of course, Rachel, Stacia, and Complx for making my gibberish understandable.
Chapter 25
Faith was getting antsy. She had been sitting in this room, arguing, bargaining, and bitching with the cast and crew of her show.
Without Michele, Faith was thrown into the starring role, a position she didn't want. Jayme, the new producer and writer, was gesticulating frantically. The actress had no idea what she was saying; she'd tuned them all out a while ago.
Okaaay. I have way better things to do. One of which is probably waiting for me in my favorite leather trenchcoat.
Faith sighed loudly, expelling a large gust of breath that got Jayme's attention.
"I'm sorry, Faith, are we keeping you awake?" she said sarcastically.
"Actually, yes." she grumbled.
"Look," Sandy butted in, "We have to shoot 5 more episodes for this season. Why don't we just have Mish's character on some sort of vacation, and work all this out over the break?"
"I think it's a great idea. Right now it's too stressful to get anything good done. I don't want to force Faith into a responsibility she isn't comfortable with. With Mish gone, 'Campus' is all about Faith," Jayme agreed, looking to the rest of TPTB.
"Ok, I give up." Faith threw her hands up. "I've been sitting here listening to all your suggestions, but no one's asked me!"
All eyes were on Faith.
"So, tell me what you want then." Jayme plopped down in her chair.
"Well, for starters, I don't want Judith to have an affair with the professor, that's way too 90210 for me. Besides, have you seen him? I'd rather sleep with Travis."
"Cool!" Travis high-fived Jim.
"You know what I mean, you idiots." she smirked at the guys.
"Please. I know I don't stand a ghost of a chance with that woman of yours lurking around." Travis shook his head grimly.
"Speaking of said woman, are we done yet?" Faith stood up.
"Alright, I don't see why we have to keep the actors any longer, let's call it a night and we'll just edit the scripts we already have. We'll cross the Michele bridge during break." Jayme stood up too, to the relieved looks on the actors' faces.
--------------
Outside the studio, Sandy and Ali waited with Faith for Reece.
"Yeah, so it was shaky for a while, but she finally left."
"I can't believe she's that adjusted to Reece already. She must be something." Ali nodded to herself.
"Yeah, I mean as far as mother's go, Reece isn't exactly the type they'd want their daughter to fall in love with." Sandy nodded too.
"She really surprised me there." Faith admitted.
"Isn't it awful when your mother is there? You can't have sex."
"Who says?" Faith grinned.
"Oh you lucky dog." Ali laughed.
"Wait, weren't you all cramped out last week? Cuz I know I was and we get it at the same time." Sandy wondered.
Faith just blushed. When the two women gave her curious looks, she changed the subject.
"So about what you said before, you really think Mish will be a bitch?" Faith asked Sandy.
"Well, she doesn't have to try hard, I'm just saying watch out."
"Yeah, who knew?" Ali shrugged. "Charles I can see, but her?"
"You know, Reece thinks I was a threat to her, but she's biased."
"Oh no, she's right." Sandy argued. "Since you came along, the ratings have doubled, the fan mail has tripled, and it's been all about Judith."
Faith heard the distant rumble of a Harley and her stomach tingled in anticipation. "How come I don't see any mail? I mean, not that I am eager to read it, but still?"
"Oh, they have people to read and answer them for us. If you want, you can snitch mail anytime. But be careful, I read some mail that positively terrified me," Sandy warned.
Faith's eyebrow shot up in question.
"Yeah, be prepared for some sick sexual requests." Ali agreed.
"Speaking of sick sexual requests..."
"Stop that!" Faith backhanded Sandy in the belly, watching the bike approach.
Reece cut the engine and glided to a stop in front of her lover. She took off her thick winter riding gloves slowly before lifting off her helmet and running her fingers through her hair. The show was intended for Faith, but the other women sighed as well.
"Hi, babe, miss me?" The tall woman winked at the actress, throwing a long leg over the bike and sitting sidesaddle.
"I knew you'd wear that coat." Faith narrowed her eyes seductively. "And you will be rewarded for it."
"I'm counting on it." The club owner grinned ferally.
"How's it hangin', oh tall one?" Sandy teased.
"A little to the left." Reece stood, opened her trench, and rearranged her crotch. "There, that's better." She smirked.
All three actresses gaped at the bulge.
"What? It was her idea." Reece pointed at Faith. "It goes with the trenchcoat."
"REECE!" The redhead closed her eyes as the hot blush crept up her neck.
"God, Faith, I don't think I've ever been so jealous in my life." Ali admitted.
"C'mon, Ali, lets go get drunk and play 'guess what they're doing now'."
"Oh, ha ha. Goodnight, ladies." Faith turned up her nose playfully and sauntered away.
"Well, I'd stay and chat but.." Reece gave her cockiest grin and followed her lover.
Sandy groaned.
"What are you bitching about? I'm not getting any either." Alison frowned at the couple mounting the bike.
--------------
Faith released the skin from between her teeth and poked her sweaty face out from inside the trenchcoat to look at her panting lover.
Reece immediately leaned heavily on her, blowing warm gusts of breath on her neck.
The taller woman had one leg on the handlebar, the other on the floor, and both legs were shaking from the strain she'd put on them moments before. Faith squeezed her legs tightly around her waist and twitched slightly, causing Reece to groan.
"Jesus Christ, Faith...you can't possibly want more?!"
"Welll..."
Reece tilted her head back and blue eyes stared in disbelief.
"Easy there, tiger, just kidding. I was merely attempting to get the feeling back in my legs."
Reece reached behind her and unlocked Faith's ankles. The actress's legs fell heavily on top of her still-trembling thighs. Faith grunted as she fell forward, still entirely filled.
"You know, babe, when you're on top, you can at least try and do some work." Reece scolded playfully.
"I was, but then you started moving and it felt too good."
"Cook up anymore fantasies yet?" The tall woman shifted her weight and Faith hissed through her teeth.
"Take it out, Reece. Now."
"Shit, Faith, I forgot...I didn't mean to hurt you." The tall woman babbled.
"Hurt me?" She wiggled and licked the sweat off of the glistening neck in front of her. "Hardly."
"Ohhhh." Reece understood. Her lover was trying to save her life. One more ride like that and Reece was sure she'd be crippled.
The tall woman gathered her strength and lifted the smaller woman up and off of her lap. Faith sat down again and sighed contentedly, the heat on her inner thighs from the dildo snuggled between them making her shiver.
"Cold, babe?" Reece put both feet on the ground and wrapped her trenchcoat tighter around them.
"No. It's perfect." Faith nestled her head into her lover's neck and yawned.
"Faith, you can't fall asleep like this. What will Pepe think?"
"Honestly, Reece, with the wad of money you threw at him, Pepe isn't going to be around for days."
"That, or he's laying face down on some bar. Hey, what are you complaining about? He let us fuck in the garage." Reece rubbed her cheek in Faith's hair.
"True, I'd have froze my tits off outside. God it's cold!"
"Now that you mention it, I lost feeling in my ears and my hair is starting to freeze. Wanna blow this taco stand?" The club owner reached between them to force Fatboy back in her pants, but her hand was halted by a smaller one.
"No. Stay right there."
Faith twisted around under the leather coat and faced forward. Still holding hands, she scooted up towards the handlebars, and Reece had no choice but to follow.
"Ooo, I like this." Reece leered down at her lover.
"Thought you would." Faith gave a leer of her own. Feeling their toy press up against her back, she made a happy noise.
Reece bent her head to speak into Faith's ear. "I guess I'm not done with you yet, Faith Ashford." She growled, then grinned as she felt the shudder run through the smaller frame.
Faith reached her hand behind her neck and pulled the dark head closer.
"You better never be done with me, Reece Corbett." she whispered.
"Never." Reece swore, and started the engine.
--------------
The club owner sat up in bed and sneezed. "Ow." she groaned. Everything hurt. She blew her nose as hard as she could but only managed to clog her ears. Faith had said she looked pale the night before, but Reece shrugged it off as being tired.
"Fucking great." she grumbled.
Shuffling into the bathroom, the tall woman ran the shower and prepared to step in when she noticed her reflection in the mirror.
"Ugh.." she stuck out her tongue at herself. "I look as horrible as I feel." She rummaged around in the medicine cabinet to no avail.
"Not even a goddamned aspirin! Great!" She felt miserable. Her head was pounding and she knew she had a fever.
Me and my stupid ideas. Fucking on a bike in 20 degree weather... I must be insane.
Slamming the cabinet closed she stepped into the shower. It felt like she couldn't breathe in all the steam, and she washed quickly. After drying off and wrapping herself in a warm towel, she tried to blow her nose again. This time it made a squeaky noise, and continued to make that noise every time she inhaled. After trying unsuccessfully to glare at her own nose, she stomped into the bedroom muttering.
Now cranky, Reece stood in front of her closet looking for something to wear. Hating the feel of tight clothes when she was sick, she opted for baggy jeans, a thick sweater, and big warm socks. She glanced at the bed, messy and unmade. Boy was it inviting.
"No.. you can't." She argued with herself. "Why not? It's just an order, it can wait till tomorrow." The tall woman frowned. "I sound like Fran Drescher."
The phone rang.
"Hey boss, how ya doing?"
"Fine, Cori." She snipped.
"Hair is fine, Reece. So, you're ok?"
"What the fuck?"
"The wife asked me to check on you." Getting no response, Cori tried again. "Faith said you were sick."
Reece shook her head. "Yeah well, I'm good. Just got a little cold."
"I hope you don't mind I asked Sarge to cancel the delivery." Cori asked.
"Fucking shit, Cor! I just have a cold!" Reece was getting aggravated.
"Ok, ok.. but now you can sleep in anyway."
Cori knew how completely intolerable her friend was when she was sick. The last time she slept on the couch in her office for two days before anyone found her, and unfortunately it was Cori. The dancer had to bear the brunt of Reece's crankiness when she volunteered to watch over her in her house. Of course the rewards were outstading..
"As much as I'd love to sit here and listen to you breathe..." Reece said with annoyance.
"Hey, just wanted to see if you needed anything. Nyquil is awesome."
"You still got those little round pill things you got from Chinatown?"
"Yeah, want 'em? They were a lifesaver."
"Yeah, I gotta pick up a few things and then I'll stop by."
Cori grimaced as Reece sniffed in vain. The boss was completely congested and must feel miserable.
"Reece, you should get in bed and I'll come over until Faith gets home. You know I make a great nurse." The dancer giggled.
"Oh don't remind me. You're like a warden Cor. I'll be there in a few."
---------------------
"I got it, baby. It's probably Reece."
The dancer looked through the peephole and snickered as the distorted image of her boss's face moved closer to the peephole until it was one big eye.
"Open up, Freak."
Cori opened the door and stepped aside. "Patience is a virtue, Reece."
"Eat me." The tall woman twanged nasally.
"Ewwww, you sound awful!"
"I feel awful," Reece groaned.
"But ju look maahhvelous." The glare that she recieved from bloodshot eyes sent Cori skittering into the kitchen to stand behind Violet.
"Just gimme the pills, Freak, I need to collapse somewhere soon." She followed her friend and rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Reece, Cor tells me you're not feeling so hot."
The club owner looked over the piercer's shoulder at the pot on the stove and gasped.
"Ok, I must really be sick because now I'm hallucinating"
Violet snickered. Reece rubbed her eyes roughly, and took another look.
"Why the hell are you cooking dildos in a pot?" Reece was wide-eyed with confusion and just a bit of sympathy for the poor innocent toys. She rubbed her crotch and frowned.
"Jeez, Reece, I'm boiling them to sterilize 'em. Haven't you ever done that before?"
The tall woman shook her head and got dizzy.
"Ugh. No, I just used condoms. Leave it to a piercer to sterilize a dick."
Violet fished one out with a pair of tongs and put it on a towel. The sight was amusing to the dizzy woman and so she laughed, then coughed, then moaned.
Violet winced at the sound, then frowned at her friend's flushed face. "Come here, I think you have a fever."
Reece shrugged Violet's hand off her head but it landed on the back of her neck. "Man, you've got fever!"
"Don't touch me, penis killer!" She hissed as she escaped the room.
"You're such an asshole, Reece." The piercer chuckled.
"Shut up.." Reece started at the tone of her own voice.
"Did you just whine?" The dancer asked with a look of horror.
"Cori, she's really sick, she's burning up." The worried piercer followed the club owner into the hallway where she found her leaning heavily on the wall.
The dancer was scared for the boss and fetched the strange herbal pills she was given when she had the flu. They worked wonders for her and she was well in two days.
"Reece, you gotta take a bunch of these whenever you need them. They're little tiny things, but damn do they work!"
Cori nodded her approval as Reece swallowed 4 of the little bb's and Violet placed a cool rag on her head.
"That feels good Vi. Thanks."
The dancer eyed her friend's odd ensemble and cocked her head to the side.
Poor baby.
Knowing Reece only wore that type of clothing when she was really sick, Cori wondered why she ever left the house. "Why aren't you in bed?"
"My bed is too big. It's lonely." she muttered.
The dancer and the piercer exchanged raised-eyebrowed looks.
"Well, you oughtta be laying down, Reece. Why don't you go lay in Faith's old room?" Cori took the tall woman's arm and began walking her to the room.
"Yeah, I'll leave word for Faith at the studio that you're here." Violet added.
"I don't want her to worry." Reece felt dizzy and hot. "I love her, you know." She squinted at Cor.
"I know, bosslady. You get some sleep." The dancer bundled the blankets up on her friend and winced. Reece was sure to sweat out any fever in this apartment. She pulled off the tall woman's boots and wiped the damp bangs off her forehead.
"You remember the last time I took care of you Reece?"
"Uh huh. I returned the favor quite well."
Cori blushed. Once Reece was feeling better, she showed her appreciation in the most unconventional ways.
"That you did boss. You nearly spoiled me."
"Well, you wanted it, I was horny.." Reece yawned.
"Please Reece, we practically did nothing but fuck for a week."
"I was real horny?" The sick woman chuckled, then rumbled, then coughed.
"Shhh, rest Reece. I'll wake you when Faith gets here. I promise."
Cori stroked her friends head. It made her feel strange to see Reece Corbett at the mercy of anything. She used to think the woman was made of stone, but now she knew better. Her friend surprised her so much lately. And she was sure it wasn't going to be an easy ride now that Reece finally found her own heart. For her, for Faith for anyone.
Reece's soft snoring brought the dancer back from her thoughts. Looking down at the club owners face, made her smile. She spontaneously kissed her head.
"Don't ever leave me, Faith." Reece mumbled. "I'm nothing without you."
Cori smiled warmly. God Reece, you really are human. She bent down and kissed her friend gently on the cheek, then went to find her lover.
-----------------
"Where is she?" Faith was worried to death, Reece never got so sick that she couldn't call her.
"In your old room, hon. She's cooler now, but she's had a rough go."
"What do you mean rough, Cori?" Faith was even more worried.
"Calm down, sweetheart, she had some nightmares, nothing extraordinary considering she was burning up with fever." The dancer explained.
"Nightmares?" The actress got visions of the nights she spent watching her lover twist and turn, yelling out in her sleep. Faith could do no more than watch in fear as Reece struck out violently in the clutches of terrifying nightmares.
"Oh no, she hasn't had a nightmare in ages! This is my fault." Faith sobbed.
"Faith, you don't know that she got sick that night. Stop that. She's just got the flu, she'll be ok tomorrow. Trust me." Violet tried to calm her friend.
"Oh, she got sick that night alright. She sweats when we... a lot. It was freezing out!"
Cori agreed with a nod towards her lover. A lot is an understatement.
Faith disappeared into the bedroom.
"God, could you imagine getting the flu fucking?" Cori shook her head in disbelief.
Violet laughed. "It's certainly another first isn't it?"
---------------
Reece was fretting when the actress entered the room. Faith crawled on top of her lover and kissed her forehead, and immediately she was wrapped in two strong arms. A sigh escaped Reece's lips and she smiled.
"I missed you, baby." Reece whispered groggily.
"I'm here now. You go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere."
"Good."
The tall woman turned on her side and snuggled into Faith.
"Faith?"
"Mm?"
"Don't eat the soup."
"Huh?" The actress propped herself on her elbow and discreetly felt her lover's forehead.
"Just don't."
"OK." Faith chuckled and turned around in the circle of Reece's arms. The club owner pulled her tightly against her and sighed loudly. In moments, both women were fast asleep.
Chapter 26
"You have no earthly idea how impossible that woman is, Sandy!" Faith threw her hands up in frustration.
"Come on, sweets, it can't be all that bad, can it?" Alison squeezed her friend's shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"Yes, it can and it is." Faith paused to get a plate.
"Men."
"Ali, she's stubborn, temperamental, obnoxious, cranky, whiny, nasty...oh, and if you ask her, she's none of the above. Let me tell you, I love her to death, and this playing nursemaid crap may just prove that point. She's going to kill me."
All three women stood pondering the table of food in front of them.
"Did you try threats?" Sandy wondered.
"Been there, done that. Picked noodles out of my hair for the rest of the evening. Soup should be empty. So I've been told. She should be the poster girl for flu shots."
"Ooo, sounds lovely." Ali reached for a sandwich.
"Yeah, very. She broke the lamp on the nightstand because her nose was whistling. She said it was doing it on purpose." Faith sighed and grabbed some junk food. "Yet all the while she insists that she's fine, nothing is wrong with her that a few beers wouldn't fix."
"It's logical, alcohol sterilizes, therefore killing all the mean ol' flu bugs." Ali explained.
"But honey, you really are beyond bitch today, what gives?" Sandy asked.
"Sleeping next to her all night long is becoming a slow torture. She has a leg over mine, breathing on my neck...I'm horny as all hell."
"Thanks for the visual, Faith." Sandy complained.
"I'll give you visual. Last night, instead of subjecting myself to that torture, I went to watch a movie and it would seem my mother left a tape in the VCR."
"Oh god no..." Ali's eyes went wide.
"Oh yes," Faith confirmed with a nod, "there she was, in all her sweaty naked glory, her beautiful ass...flexing and clenching..."
"ENOUGH!" Ali held up her hand.
Faith fanned her face. "Woo, yeah...and who knows when I'll get some again." The actress's foul mood returned. "You'd think they'd surprise us once and a while with something new, but no, it's always the same freaking food."
Ali and Sandy exchanged looks of amusement. The entire cast and crew were already tiptoeing around the actress, and now the craft services people were starting to look scared.
"Is there something I can get you, Ms. Ashford?" A young PA with a much-gossiped-about crush smiled sweetly. "I can run and get you anything you want. Just say the word."
Faith simmered down some upon seeing the doe-eyed young girl waiting expectantly for an answer.
"Can she be more obvious?" Ali whispered to Sandy.
"Hi, er..."
"Leslie." Sandy prompted in a low murmur.
"...Leslie. Thanks for the offer, but really, I'm fine. Just blowing off some steam." Faith smiled.
"Cool, no problem. But if you ever need anything, I'm never far away." The PA grinned.
"No kidding," Ali muttered under her breath and received an elbow to the kidney from Faith.
"You got it, Leslie. Thank you again for the offer."
The trio watched as the young girl practically skipped away. They made their way to a table to sit and eat lunch.
"Oh, Ms. Ashford, can I wipe the seat for you?" Sandy teased.
"No no, here, sit in my hands, Ms Ashford." Ali cupped her hands on the seat.
"You guys are just jealous." Faith winked.
"Yeah well, maybe so, but please girl, she's got it bad." Sandy chuckled.
"I hope she realizes that I'm spoken for." Faith said seriously.
"Oh get real, honey, everybody knows you have the biggest girlfriend on the playground." John popped up behind Faith. "Hey I see we're eating healthy today." He said, eyeing Faith's 2 packs of Twinkies.
"Yeah but she's got a diet soda." Sandy pointed out.
"So, are you holding up as well as my makeup?" John lifted Faith's chin into the light.
"Yeah, I guess. She's just impossible is all. You know she unburied her old cell phone for me to carry around now?"
"Well, so where is it?" Ali looked around for the phone.
"In my bag. It's embarrassing. It plays the entire score from "The Godfather" when it rings."
"Figures." The makeup artist laughed.
"What, is she keeping tabs on you now?" Sandy seemed concerned.
"Nah, she wants me to have it in case of an emergency. She doesn't like me going home from here at all hours alone. She worries about me too much, and now with her home sick..." Faith trailed off.
"Oh, good idea then. I'm sure you can change the ringer, can't you?" John asked.
"I'm sure it can be done, but I have no idea what to do with these things. I'm an electronic idiot." Faith smirked.
"Let me look at it, I'm sure I can do something." John offered as the buzzer rang, indicating taping would resume soon.
-------------------------
RING
Reece frowned at the phone. Why do people call when you're sick to ask you if you're resting?
"What."
"Oh, I see we're in a better mood today." Violet giggled.
"Please don't tell me you called to ask me if you woke me. I'll have to kill you then."
"What, do you think I'm that stupid?" Reece could hear the grin in her voice. "No, I actually called because I cooked some real food this time and figured with Faith gone for dinner, you could use the eats."
"What did you make?" Reece's stomach growled loudly. Solid food sounded like a brilliant idea.
"Oh, chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, corn..."
Reece's mouth watered. "Alright Vi, get your ass over here now." The club owner suddenly felt starved.
"Yes ma'am." the piercer chuckled and hung up.
"Oh yeah, some real food!" Reece rubbed her hands together in excitement. "Finally."
The tall woman shot out of bed and into the shower. She was made aware of a few things while she washed. How much better she felt today, and how a week in bed with Faith, without sex, had affected the amount of time spent washing between her legs.
"Ok, that's enough." she said as she ran her hand over her crotch just one more time.
"Ok, this is the last one." This time lingering a little longer.
"Stop that!" she told herself and found the control to rinse off.
Stepping out of the shower she looked at her reflection in the semi-fogged mirror as she dried off. This too proved difficult in some areas. "As much as I am looking forward to this dinner, it's going to be one hell of a long night." she told herself.
-------------- Meanwhile back at the set...
Judith : "I'm sorry, Travis, it can never be, I love Jim."
Travis: "How could you? He's no good for you... you deserve much better."
Judith: "Like who? You? Ha!"
Travis: "Yes me! But I guess Jim's trust fund was much more attractive than I could ever be."
Judith: "That's not true! I don't care about his money--"
The digital chirp of "Hey Big Spender" cut through the set.
"CUT!" Jayme yelled angrily. She walked over to the side, picked up a Faith's bag and stomped over to her with steam coming out of her ears.
"I do believe your handbag is singing show tunes." She handed the bag over to a red-faced Faith and stood tapping her foot.
Mortified at the various snickers and giggles, the actress retrieved the phone.
"Hello?" she said meekly.
"I'm so fucking horny. I want you so bad."
The actress turned her back to the room and blushed harder.
"Reece! Not now!" she whispered in embarrassment.
"Am I making you blush in front of your friends?"
"Yes. Are you feeling better?" Faith figured she might as well ask.
"Oh yeah, much much better."
Faith closed her eyes at the throaty purr of Reece's voice.
"God, the things you do to me! I gotta go, baby, but by all means hold that thought."
"I'd rather hold you, but the thought will do for now."
"Gotta go, really Reece. Love you."
"Me too, you."
Faith turned off the phone and cleared her throat nervously at the room.
"Umm, sorry guys...it's off now." she blushed profusely.
"Looking a little flushed there, Faith." Sandy teased. "I guess the woman's feeling better?" She winked.
"Oh yes. Much." Faith smirked.
"Come on people! I want to finish this today!" Jayme yelled and everyone fell into their places.
-----------------
Back at the Corbett/Ashford residence...
"You know, Reece, Cori's been coming home with a lot more money these days. With Roy's place closed, the Lounge is the 'it' place."
"Yeah, I'm telling you, Vi, the bucks are just flowing in. Business has never been better." Reece stuffed the last forkful of potatoes in her mouth.
"I'm glad you liked it." The piercer smiled as she put the dishes in the sink.
"Like it? That's my favorite meal. How'd you know that?" She wiped her mouth and threw the napkin on the table.
"Cori told me, Miss Mannners". Violet threw out the napkin with a distasteful look on her face. Reece rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah, you skeeve me so much that if I stuck my tongue down your throat you'd melt like an ice cube." Reece smirked.
Violet blushed, grateful her back was facing the table. "Oh please, you're so full of yourself you're bloated."
"I thought so." Reece said with a cocky grin. "Hey, so Cori tells me you guys are looking to rent a one bedroom in the city."
"Yeah, we're thinking about it." Violet started the coffee maker.
"Where you looking to go? I have connections all over the place." The club owner wiggled her eyebrows, and gestured towards the living room.
"Around here, The West Village would be Cori's dream. She's never been able to afford it before, and now with her money practically doubled, and my income, we can most likely swing it." She flopped down on the couch.
"Most likely? That's not definite." Reece looked doubtful.
"Well, it'll probably be doable, but pretty tight, ya know?"
"Well, if you want, I mean, I can maybe help?" Reece fumbled around for words.
"No thanks, no charity, Reece."
"I didn't mean to offend you Violet. I mean a loan, if that's ok." The club owner leaned back and inhaled the aroma of coffee brewing.
"A loan huh? I dunno, I'd have to ask Cori."
"That way, you could get a co-op or a condo if you want." She shrugged.
"You're so fucking nonchalant, Reece." The piercer gaped at her friend.
"What?" Reece looked confused.
"That's a hell of a lot of money you're talking about! God, Reece, what are you, a millionaire?"
"Just about." The tall woman stood, stretched and followed her nose into the kitchen. A full week of clear foods made coffee the second most desired thing on her list. Faith being the first.
"Are you serious?"
Reece nodded at the piercer, who suddenly appeared at her side. "Close your mouth, Violet. Money's not important." The club owner groaned in pleasure as the hot liquid slid down her throat.
"Does Cori know?"
"I don't advertise, Jeez, Vi, get over it." Reece took her mug onto the living room and flipped on the TV. Much to their surprise, the screen was filled with flesh. Not quite comprehending, Reece raised the volume and the sounds of sex filled the room.
"Cool!" Violet grinned, grabbing the remote away. "You get the porno channel?"
"Yeah, must be those amateur videos or something." Reece squinted at the screen, suddenly very familiar with what she was watching.
"Fuck me hard, Reece!"
"You're damn right I will, bitch."
Violet's jaw hung open in disbelief. "This is one of your tapes?!"
"Gimme the remote!" Reece jumped up.
"Nothing doing." The piercer put it in her pants.
"Don't think I won't get it there, just you wait."
Violet looked panicked at first, then laughed out loud and threw herself face down on the floor.
"Oh I know you will, but at least let me get a good look at you in motion, Reece. I heard so much about you." She teased.
"Fine, enjoy it, I did." Reece decided to play too.
"Jesus Christ, woman." Violet peered up at the screen, mesmerized by the sight. "Glorious, just glorious."
Suddenly embarrassed by the show, Reece slipped off the couch and pinned Violet to the floor.
"Ok, fun's over, gimme the remote." She sneered down at her friend.
"No way! Besides you look good in blush."
"This is your last warning, give it to me or I will have to come and get it." The tall woman flipped her over onto her back and held both the piercer's hands in one, waving her free hand in her face.
Faith stood outside the living room biting her hand so not to laugh. At first, while standing outside the house, the sounds coming from inside caused her stomach to flip. She speculated a million and one things that could be going on inside, but never did she expect to see Reece wearing a dark-red blush watching her own image on the screen. And Violet was teasing her mercilessly.
Finally catching the piercer's eye, she gestured to her to keep it up. Poor Reece, the look on her face when Violet threw herself on the floor... priceless.
Faith was about to show herself when a particularly delicious growl emanated from the TV. She felt sparks burst in her groin.
God, I'm in heat.
Noticing the look on Faith's face, Violet relented.
"Ok, I give. I give." The piercer fetched the remote and threw it at Faith, who caught it and paused the tape.
"Hi, Reece, miss me?" She asked with a devilish smirk.
Chapter 27
Faith stood there holding the remote with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Violet chuckled, then wiggled out from underneath the stunned club owner, who seemed frozen to the spot with an unusual expression on her face.
No wonder I don't recognize that look. Faith thought. I don't think I've ever seen actual fear on her beautiful face. She snickered at her lover's gaping jaw.
"Faith, honey, it's not what you think!" Reece scrambled to her knees, looking frantically back and forth between Violet, the TV, and Faith.
"Yeah, she was merely straddling me, pinning me to the floor, while reaching into my pants, while watching smut." The piercer stood next to Faith with her arms folded across her chest. "All quite innocent, if you ask me."
Reece gulped loudly. A look of utter confusion replaced the fear. What the..???
Faith walked over to her befuddled lover and kissed her on the cheek to reassure her.
"So, do you know the sheer embarrassment of getting a dirty phone call in the middle of taping? Do you have any idea what those people did to me? How they tortured me for the remainder of the shoot? Oh, and lets not even mention John."
The club owner narrowed her eyes and realized this was all in fun. At her expense, but still fun. Faith cocked her head at the paused image on the screen.
"Oh, look at that, Vi, paused her in mid arch." Faith licked her lips and walked over to the TV. She pointed to a spot between Reece's shoulder blades. "See that spot? A little muscle twitches there. I've never seen it, but I feel it when I hold her."
"Faith?" Reece sat down on the couch, "So you're not mad at me?"
"Mad? No, not at all, but paybacks are a bitch."
"Don't you think I've been punished enough?" The tall woman tried to pout.
"No, Reece, the lower lip has to quiver more." Violet pointed to said lip and quickly pulled her finger back as Reece growled.
"Be nice, Reece." Faith scolded. "I wanna see this." She hit play on the remote and regretted it as soon as the image started to move.
Reece smirked at her lover's hitched breathing. Looks like your little plan is backfiring.
Violet was glued to the screen as well. "Ah! There it goes! I saw it." She looked to Faith for confirmation. The actress was too busy staring at Reece's other attributes.
So that's what her thighs look like when she's...oh, and she curls her toes too...god, those arms!
Reece nearly laughed out loud at Faith. Violet was actually watching with a critical eye, but not Faith. She was watching with lust. The club owner could picture her facial expression, the parted lips and the hooded eyes; she could see the flush creeping up the back of her neck. Reece snickered. She picked up the forgotten remote and as she did, glanced over her lover's shoulder at the action on the screen.
Odd...? She thought, at the twinges of embarrassment she felt watching herself.
I don't even recognize that woman's--no, that girl's face. Reece shrugged it off. What's done is done. Besides, Faith is loving this. She raised the volume and grinned, watching the blonde head tilt to the side.
Faith was startled out of her fog by loud grunting and moaning, and then the screaming of her lover's name in ecstasy. Her clit twitched in sympathy, and she shivered from the sensation.
Violet felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Reece nod her head in the direction of the door.
"No problem," she whispered in her friend's ear. "Have fun, Reece." She winked, then slipped quietly out of the room.
Still staring at the screen, Faith watched in anticipation as her lover rearranged herself so that the other woman was on top. She reached out and traced Reece's image on the screen.
"Why doesn't this bother me?" She wondered aloud.
"Should it?" The club owner switched off the TV.
Reece's low voice in her ear forced Faith to close her eyes. "I think so." She turned around to face the tall woman. "You're fucking someone else and it's turning me on. Isn't that twisted?"
"Maybe." The tall woman traced her fingers up Faith's arms, causing the actress to shiver. "But I love you just the same."
"Shouldn't I be jealous?" Faith covered the larger hands with her own.
"No." Reece bent her head and kissed Faith's neck. "Because it's old, it's a tape," She snaked her tongue out for a taste. "It's not real." Reece continued to kiss her way around Faith's throat. "Maybe you're just horny."
"Yeah, maybe." Faith breathed weakly as Reece's fingers tickled up her back and laced through her hair.
"Or maybe..." The club owner kissed her chin, "...it's because," another kiss, "you're envious, and," another kiss, "you wish it were you."
"Mmmmaybe.." Faith groaned. When the hot tongue traced her ear she fell to her knees.
Reece never lost contact, following her lover down on her knees, widening her long legs to surround Faith's. The actress felt the shoulder of her shirt being tugged down, her lover's mouth trailing quickly over the exposed skin.
"God, what you do to me." Faith reached up and grabbed both sides of her lover's face and pulled her up for a kiss, sucking both lips into her mouth. Reece squeezed her thighs tightly, causing the smaller woman to groan.
"I want you, Reece." she mumbled into the kiss, pulling the dark head down to her cleavage. "Now."
Reece plunged her tongue down into the warm crevice, breathing in the smell of Faith's skin. She licked as much of it as she could reach, hooking her fingers in the neck of the shirt, pulling it down more and more. When the shirt would go no further, she yanked it down hard, tearing it open and exposing Faith's breasts. With a growl of triumph, Reece stared at her prize.
Faith gasped at the action, excited by the surprise. She wrapped her hands in the soft black hair and pushed Reece's head into her chest, guiding her mouth.
Reece briefly allowed Faith to move her head back and forth, and bathed whatever area was presented to her tongue. She attempted to close her lips over a nipple but wasn't able to, her mouth wasn't in one place long enough. She reached up and covered Faith's hands with her own and pulled them off of her head, placing them on her shoulders with a growl of warning.
"Don't touch."
Reece closed her strong hands around Faith's breasts, pushing them together. She attacked both nipples at once, sucking as much into her mouth as she could, kneading the flesh roughly. Faith arched into the touch, inhaling sharply. She sensed Reece's urgency, and it cranked up her arousal threefold. She loved it when Reece acted this way.
"More," she urged. "Harder, baby."
The club owner leaned over, pushing Faith to the floor. She grunted as strong legs wrapped around her thighs and pulled her down hard, while the hands on her shoulders tightened their hold.
"Yesss." The actress moaned, feeling her lover's full weight on top of her.
Reece let go of the breasts she was feasting on and pulled Faith's leg up between her own. The contact was electric and she bit the nipple she was sucking.
Faith yelped and squirmed. "God that's good, baby."
Reece nodded from her position and pressed herself into Faith's leg. She nipped and bit at both nipples, trying desperately not to move her own body at the pace it was dictating. The sounds Faith was making were sending jolts of pleasure between her legs, making her want to stop everything and get herself off.
Faith took hold of Reece's shirt and began tugging blindly, until it was twisted up around the club owner's neck. She dug her nails into the sculpted back, drawing deep growls of pleasure from her lover.
Reece tried to slip lower, but was tangled up in her own clothing. Reluctantly, she lifted herself up and stripped from the waist up.
"All of it. I need to feel you." Faith's voice was raspy from panting. It went straight to Reece's sex.
The tall woman stood and quickly removed her clothes. She moved to the couch and sat, motioning for Faith to follow. With a seductive sneer, the actress stripped off her remaining clothes.
The club owner leered as her lover dropped onto all fours and crawled over, stopping between her knees.
"You're so wet I can see it." Faith whispered as she rubbed her cheek against Reece's inner thigh. The tall woman groaned painfully as she felt the hot breath blow across her needy sex.
"You're gonna kill me." Reece moaned.
"Funny, I said the same of you." She smirked and stuck her tongue out for a lick. "But it was an entirely.." She licked again, "..different context."
"Faith..." Reece's whole body twitched.
The actress climbed up and straddled her lover, adjusting herself so that their centers were touching.
Reece lifted one long leg and wrapped it around Faith's back to hold her in place, in turn opening herself up wider to the contact. She braced the other foot against the coffee table.
"Oh yeah, that feels so good." She groaned and pushed into the feeling.
"We never did this before." The actress closed her eyes for a moment to relish the sensation of Reece's pubic hair rubbing against her clit. "I wanted to try it," she breathed, and reached down to open herself up, jerking at the sound of Reece's whimper.
Reece gritted her teeth as Faith tried to find a good position. "You keep wiggling like that and it will be all over," she warned, trying to will her hips not to buck.
The actress reached behind her and grabbed the edge of the table for support, then began moving herself against Reece.
The club owner growled as Faith's clit rubbed over hers. Her eyes raked over the arched body riding her own, traveling from flexing thighs to pause on the taut stomach. She moaned as Faith quickened the pace, throwing her head back. Blue eyes watched the stretching and clenching movements of Faith's abs as she moved herself, and she longed to feel them. Reece felt a flood of wetness between them, slickening Faith's movements so much that the actress's nails dug into her thigh as she held on tightly.
Not able to sit back idly any longer, Reece reached up and pinched her lover's nipples. Faith groaned loudly.
"This isn't going to take long, sweetheart," Faith grunted between breaths.
"No, not long..." Reece whispered, and moved her hands to Faith's hips to guide her faster. There was a fire in her belly like never before. The sights combined with the sounds overwhelmed her. She felt the first sparks of her orgasm burst upward from her toes.
Faith whimpered and moved her hand from Reece's thigh to her bicep, squeezing hard.
Reece tore her eyes away from Faith's face for a moment and looked down between them. The sight made her mouth water.
"Oh yes!" Faith groaned. The sensation of Reece's wet silky flesh, alternating with her scratchy pubic hair and her hardening clit moving quickly against her, was too much. Faith jerked erratically for a few seconds then pushed herself frantically against Reece.
"Now...coming, Reece," she whimpered and shuddered violently.
"Right with ya.." The tall woman grabbed Faith's chin so she could watch her and she too succumbed to the pleasures.
Before there was time to recover, Faith found herself on her back, Reece leaning over her with a feral look on her face.
"What was it you said about paybacks?" She snickered evilly.
Faith swallowed dryly, still trying to catch her breath. "They're a bitch?" She smirked.
"And so am I." Reece snickered again and wrapped an arm under the smaller woman's back. She lifted and pulled her forward until only Faith's shoulders and head were touching the couch. Draping the smaller legs over her shoulders, she knelt there grinning like crazy.
"Uh, baby?" Faith asked curiously, as Reece pulled her closer against her body.
"Yes?" she cocked an eyebrow in amusement as Faith tried to wiggle around.
"I'm completely at your mercy, aren't I?" Faith smiled at the feeling of Reece's nipples brushing against her ass.
"That's correct." The tall woman nodded and licked a bit of Faith's thigh.
"Oh." she shuddered.
"You're going to watch me make love to you now."
Faith groaned in realization. She could see Reece poke out her tongue and taste her leg, how would she handle seeing her tongue poke there?
"Watch my tongue, Faith." Reece ordered in a throaty whisper.
The actress bit her lip as the wet muscle extended and slowly neared her sex. She wanted to move up to meet it, but couldn't. Reece didn't budge, just let her tongue sit there, the steel ball glistening, taunting her. It was frustrating and exciting all at once. Her lover was teasing her, hovering over where she wanted it most. A drop of saliva fell from Reece's tongue onto her clit, which twitched at the sensation.
"Please, Reece.." She begged.
The club owner dipped lower and with her tongue flat, pressed it against Faith's twitching sex.
"Oh yesss." she hissed in pleasure.
The tall woman drew the muscle up, tweaked her clit with the piercing, and then slowly brought it down.
"God that's so hot to watch," Faith gasped. She felt the wetness flow out of her and down into her ass.
Reece saw the delicious drop seep out and this time slid her tongue lower. She teased Faith's anus until the actress whimpered, then repeated the process again.
"Oh...oh..." The redhead moaned.
The club owner smirked and paused to run her fingers between her own legs. Faith moaned as Reece presented her sticky fingers to her. The actress quickly sucked the fingers clean as her lover resumed licking.
Reece pulled her fingers away and used that hand to run her short nails across Faith's stomach and up into her pubic hair. She detoured her mouth momentarily to lick her own fingers and then continued to lap the wetness that was forming at her lover's opening.
"Honey...please...I can't take it." Faith begged in short gasps. "It's too much."
"Watch me." Reece said, and slid her wet fingers onto Faith's clit.
The actress nearly screamed in pleasure. Both women watched as Reece brushed her fingers lightly in slow circles. Not quick enough to satisfy, and not nearly enough pressure. Faith groaned in frustration, receiving a raised eyebrow and a chuckle in response.
Reece could feel her clit pounding with every rotation. She wished she was able to do something about it. She was soaking wet and beyond hot. She added some pressure to her fingers. Green eyes started to roll back.
"Watch me." Reece reminded her lover and stuck out her tongue again, playing with the piercing.
"Please!" Faith sobbed.
Reece took pity on her lover. She stopped the motion of her fingers and used them to spread Faith's swollen lips. Her clit was red and hard, begging to be licked.
"Would you like me to lick it?" she purred.
Faith nodded quickly, the sound of Reece's aroused voice sent more wetness to flow into her crack.
Slowly the tongue emerged again, and just the tip made contact with the swollen bundle of nerves. It flicked back and forth. Faith cried out, watching her clit being toyed with.
Reece grunted in sympathy, wishing she had the nerve to allow someone to do this to her. Imagining what it would look and feel like to have Faith's tongue licking her in this way.
The actress felt her lover's hips moving and her breath coming in short pants. She couldn't help feeling proud that she could have this kind of effect on Reece without even laying a finger on her.
"Much better than a mirror, don't you think?" Reece's voice was impossibly low. Faith shivered.
The club owner took her teeth and captured the throbbing flesh. She ever so slightly bit down and pulled.
Faith strained to keep her eyes open as her clit was manipulated by Reece's sharp teeth. The intensity of seeing and feeling was driving her insane.
"Please...I can't..." She grasped the couch cushions for dear life and managed to force her hips up into Reece's face.
Reece wrapped her lips around Faith's clit and sucked with the rhythm she knew by heart.
Faith screamed and bucked wildly. Reece was sucking her clit and she could see every delicous movement of her lips, her cheeks, her jaw...it was almost intense enough to make her cry. Reece was groaning as she suckled, and Faith could see the muscles in Reece's mouth work, knowing in advance when she would sweep her tongue across her straining clit.
"Oh ...god...Reece...harder..."
Reece obeyed. She pulled harder at the flesh, using her tongue continuously, all the while staring into the wild green eyes of her lover. Watching Faith now, she didn't need any announcements. Faith was going to come and she could tell it was going to be huge. Wrapping her arms around her lover's body, she held on tightly as Faith's legs started to tremble.
"Yes...yes..." Faith chanted, forcing herself to watch.
The club owner's own clit throbbed incessantly, she could feel the moisture on her thighs. Faith's gonna love that, she thought.
The actress's heels dug into her lover's back and her own back arched as much as it could in her current position. Faith inhaled deeply and then with one last hard pull on her clit, fireworks exploded in her head.
"OH GOD!" She yelled, and stiffened so tightly, her shoulders came up off the couch.
Reece shivered. It was a sight to behold. She quickly laid Faith down on the couch and slowed down her attentions, wanting to draw this one out as long as possible.
Finally able to move at will, Faith wrapped her legs around Reece's head and trapped her between her legs, grabbing her ears and holding her there.
Reece, who had no intention of moving, watched as Faith shuddered and twisted around, grunting and whimpering like never before. Reece stifled the urge once again to quench her own desires, wanting to feel her lover's touch more than her own.
Faith started to relax and her grip loosened. She was breathing very heavily and Reece needed to lap up the ambrosia that was sure to have escaped during that orgasm. She pulled her mouth off of Faith's clit and winked when the spent woman lifted up her head to look at her.
"Good god Reece...I never--YAH!" The actress almost jumped out of her skin when she felt the tongue enter her.
Reece raised an eyebrow and glanced curiously at her lover.
Interesting, she thought, and tested her theory by plunging her tongue deeply inside Faith."Ooooohhh...yeah...I can't believe this, but," she slid her hand up to pinch her own nipples.
Oh no she don't...thought Reece, as she turned herself around, and Faith was now sitting on her face.
Looking down at Reece's wide open soaking-wet thighs, Faith had to laugh.
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. Did I neglect you?" She spoke the last sentence into Reece's sex and kissed it.
Reece's hips flew up into her face, and the club owner groaned into her center.
"I'll take that as a yes." She moaned breathlessly as Reece impaled her with her tongue.
Leaning down and settling herself on her elbows, Faith licked the length of Reece's lips. As she touched her clit, the club owner's whole body spasmed.
"Yes, I know, honey, I missed you too." she said as she lowered her mouth to the glistening folds.
Chapter 24
Marsha wiped her hands on the kitchen towel and hurried to answer the front door before the bell woke the girls. She opened the door and stood agape at what was on the stoop.
"Uhm, you must be Faith's mother. I'm Cori, we spoke on the phone. Pleased to meet you." The dancer stuck out her hand but the older woman still stood there immobile.
"Sooo, can I come in?"
Marsha was transfixed on the silver hoop as it moved when the girl spoke. "Oh! Yes! Certainly, come in." Mrs. Ashford sputtered in embarrassment.
She wasn't kidding when she warned me about her friends...
"Are they here?" Cori wondered at the silence of the house.
"Yes, they're still sleeping." The older woman stared as the guest removed her coat.
Cori was all too familiar with the way she was being looked at, and decided to humor Faith's mom.
"OK, let's get this over with, shall we? This," she pulled down the shoulder of her shirt, "Is one of my tattoos, it ends here." she turned around and bent her head, showing the back of her neck. "It took 3 weeks to finish and yes, the damn thing stung. I have 9 piercings, from the neck up. Yes, the tongue ring hurt," Cori stuck out the muscle, "but I still got it pierced again. Call me masochistic, but it reaps the rewards. No, my nose and lip didn't hurt, but I had a hell of a time learning not to drool when I drank."
Marsha looked on, nodding, genuinely interested.
"My hair is currently 'Pillarbox Red'. Yes, my parents know what I look like. I have a job, an apartment...let's see...oh, and I'm a dyke. My girlfriend's parking the car. Wait till you get a load of her." The dancer thought a moment. "I think that about covers it." She headed towards the fridge.
"Well then." Marsha shooed Cori away from the icebox and into a chair. "Would you like bacon? Or are you one of those vegetable lesbians?"
The dancer laughed. "I'd love some, Mrs. Ashford. I couldn't live without meat."
The two women made small talk while Marsha prepared Cori's breakfast.
"So, how long have you known my daughter?"
"It feels like forever. She's such a great person, Mrs. Ashford. You done good with her."
"I don't deserve the credit."
"Someone has to, may as well take it. I love that woman, she's my best friend."
"Do you know Reece long?"
"Very." Cori wasn't sure where the older woman was going with this line of questioning. "Why?"
"Just asking." Marsha shrugged.
"I love Reece too," she said, slightly defensively.
"I worry about my Faith, Cori, that's all."
"Look, Reece may look scary, and she may act it sometimes, but I swear, Faith is her whole life." Cori smiled.
"Yes dear, I can see that for myself. I can't help thinking she's hiding something. She has a few secrets, that woman does."
"Well, everybody does, don't they, Mrs. Ashford?"
"I suppose you're right."
"Don't you worry about Faith. She's got me as a watch dog."
The doorbell rang and Cori went to get up but Marsha stopped her, placing a plate in front of the dancer.
"You eat, dear, I'll get that."
------------
Faith rolled off of Reece's back and frowned at the clock. She really didn't want to get up yet, she had another hour left of sleep. The pain in her back and the need to go to the bathroom had awakened her and she trudged out of bed crankily.
Great, this sucks.
The club owner shivered when the warmth disappeared. Groping around blindly in the bed, she too frowned when she came up empty.
"Faith?" she grumbled.
"Umm." Came the grunt from the bathroom.
"Bed." Reece rolled over and lay with her arms open, waiting.
The toilet flushed, the water ran, and then the door closed. Reece opened one eye to look at the clock.
"What are you doing up? You have time." She stretched and yawned.
"Got my period, don't feel good." Faith mumbled around her toothbrush.
"Aww babe, come back to bed. I'll rub your back like you like."
Reece felt bad for her when she got her period. While the club owner didn't suffer at all, Faith really got it bad.
The actress appeared by the side of the bed with a very cranky expression. "Make it go away baby." she groaned and lay down next to her lover.
Reece straddled her lover and rubbed her back to take away the cramps. The actress grunted and moaned in pain and pleasure as the strong fingers kneaded away at her tight muscles. The club owner knitted her brow in annoyance.
Here we go again. First it's the cramps, then she's horny, and she don't let me near her for a whole 5 days. She stared at Faith's ass and grinned.
This time, I'm gonna get some.
"How come you don't get sick?" The actress grimaced into the mattress.
"Dunno. Maybe it's because I work out."
Faith groaned as Reece worked her magic.
"You alright? I don't like it when you're in pain."
"Oh love, that isn't pain, it feels wonderful. You have such talented hands." Faith reached behind her back and rested her hand on Reece's leg.
"Love? You never called me that before." Reece smiled at the nickname as she moved to rub the muscular legs.
"That's what you are, you're love. I can feel it when you look at me, when you touch me. Ohh, right there...now that's love."
"That's your hormones talking." The club owner couldn't believe she was blushing.
"No Reece, that's my heart talking."
"I like when your heart talks." Reece turned her over and kissed her.
The depth of Faith's adoration shone from her eyes.
"I love you so much it scares me." The tall woman whispered the confession.
"Oh honey, I know you love me." The actress sat up and hugged her fiercely. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I know it's new. Just go with it."
Reece covered Faith's lips with a long loving kiss.
"That's my heart talking." She grinned.
GROWL
"And that's my stomach talking." Faith giggled.
"Yeah," The club owner nodded. "Mom's up, I smelled it too."
"Let's go make an appearance. It's her last day and all."
"I'm right behind you, sweet cheeks."
"I'd prefer 'love'." Faith teased.
"Me too, but you won't let me." Reece teased back.
------------
"Well they were up till all hours last night." Mrs Ashford explained.
"I'll bet." Violet snickered.
"Have you seen that video collection?"
Cori gagged on her eggs.
"Hon?!" Violet ran to her side.
"I'm ok." The dancer choked.
"Well, I have to admit I'm a bit of a prude, but that stuff... I must say I'm somewhat enlightened in this lesbian sex thing."
Cori's eyes matched Violet's in her look of shock.
"Morning, Mom." Faith entered the kitchen. "Hey, when did you guys get here?" She took note of the expressions on her friends' faces.
"MOTHER! What did you say to them?!"
"God, Faith. Your mother is cool!"
"Cool!? My mother?"
"Morning, Mrs. A." Reece patted Marsha on the butt and went to the coffeepot to pour a cup.
Cori's mouth actually fell open.
"Hey, I owed her a grope." The club owner half explained.
The older woman blushed and swatted at Reece's shoulder. "Oh, you are such a card!"
"I don't think I want to know." Violet looked frightened. Cori nodded.
"God, what did I do to deserve this?" The actress looked to the heavens for an answer.
"Honey, I wish you wouldn't take the Lord's name in vain. You did enough of that last night."
"Mother..." Faith groaned. "Why don't you go and get dressed... please." She begged.
"Sure, dear, I'll get out of your hair."
Faith made a face at her mother's back, then threw herself into a chair and groaned.
"Wow, Faith! Your Mom's the shit!" Violet gushed.
"Why? What did she do to you?"
"Nothing, babe!" Cori replied. "She's just cool is all."
"My mother?" Faith was still unconvinced.
"Yeah, she told us she practically forced you guys to fuck. And did you know she watched Reece's pornos?"
"What?!" The club owner dropped her coffee. "Shit!"
"Baby, be careful!" Faith rushed to her aid.
"SHE WATCHED THEM?" Reece shouted.
"Yeah, she told us she learned something too." Cori snickered.
"Oh no." Reece looked horrified.
"Reece, why the face? So she watched some pornos.."
"I'm in some of them, Faith." The club owner looked at her feet.
The room fell quiet.
"You're in them, in them?"
"Yes."
The silence was deafening. Cori and Violet were watching Reece, who was staring at the floor.
"Well, I'm assuming this was before I came into the picture." The actress narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. Way before." Reece couldn't take the scrutiny, and started for the door.
"Don't you dare walk away, Reece!"
The club owner stopped in her tracks and turned around to face her lover.
"If you'd rather we left..."
"No, Cor, it's ok." Faith smiled.
"Reece?" Violet asked.
The tall woman shrugged and half smiled at Faith.
"So, did the women know they were being filmed?"
"Yes."
"Are you um...on the receiving end of .."
"It's all just me doing them." Reece grimaced and closed her eyes, waiting for the attack. When none came, she peeked open an eye and saw Faith standing there with a smirk.
"So, no one's touching you then?" Faith's eyebrow went up.
"Well, I didn't say that...what I mean is..." The tall woman began sweating.
"Nah ah ah.. you don't have to go there. I know what you mean."
Again, the room sat silent until Faith spoke up.
"So, you're fucking them?"
The club owner glanced at her lover. "Some."
"That I wouldn't mind too much." Faith smirked.
"Huh?" Cori, Violet and Reece questioned.
"Well, I could watch that. As long as no one was doing you." The actress grinned.
There was a collective sigh of relief.
"Can I watch too?" Violet wondered. Cori backhanded her in the stomach.
"Faith? Are you serious?" Reece was dumbstruck.
"Yeah, totally. I wanna see them." She hugged her lover and smiled. "I just gotta see that ass in motion..." Faith squeezed her lovers butt and mmm'd.
"Why don't you just put mirrors on the ceiling?" Cori asked.
"I can't keep my eyes open long enough, let alone focused." Faith grinned.
"You'd be surprised." Violet winked.
"You have mirrors?" Reece wondered.
"Yeah, and it's great. You can watch the top of Faith's head when--"
"Whoa there. I'm getting horny." Faith held up her hand.
"My girl just loves to watch." Reece teased.
"Well, you sure are something to look at." Faith licked her lips appreciatively.
"You're hormonal." The tall woman smirked.
"And horny." The actress kissed Reece's collarbone.
"Wow. You must take after your mom, because you're cool." she teased.
Faith smirked and stretched up for a proper kiss. The liplock was broken by a throat clearing.
"Sorry." Faith blushed.
"S'okay. We kinda got used to the public ravishings." Violet joked.
"Me too. Although I'll never get used to this." Marsha agreed, holding up a dildo.
Cori gasped. Reece and Violet turned red. Faith felt faint.
"It was in my nightstand. I was looking for a pen."
The older woman handed the toy to Reece and made herself a cup of tea. "By the way, that one feels so real." She added as she sat down.
"It's supposed to, Mrs. A." Reece smirked, putting Harley in her bathrobe pocket.
Faith had to sit. The thought of her mother actually knowing what a real penis felt like made her queasy. The fact that she was comparing the two made her lightheaded.
"Well, pardon me for being naive, but why? If you don't want to have sex with a man, why?"
"It's not the umm, part, Mrs. Ashford, it's the person it's attached to." Cori offered.
Marsha contemplated that for a moment. "I see." She sipped from her cup quietly. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can get one of those, would you?" She asked the tall woman.
Faith put her head between her knees when she began to hyperventilate.
"Babe? Take it easy." The club owner knelt at her lover's side.
"So, what's on the agenda today, Reece?" Cori changed the subject.
"Oh, Faith dear, I nearly forgot! A man named John called while I was on the phone with your father." She chuckled. "That's why I needed a pen."
"Welll..." The actress prompted.
"He said that they postponed shooting today due to all the latest, what was the word he used? Yes, scandal. He will call you back this afternoon."
Faith groaned. What do I do with Mother today?
"Hey, why don't you let me take your mom for the afternoon?" Cori smiled.
"Thank you. Would you?" Faith breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course. What would you like to do today, Mrs. Ashford?"
"Oh I don't know, girls. How about you show me around? And please call me Marsha."
"Cori, I want my mother in one piece." Faith teased her friend.
"No problem. Come on, Marsha. What do you say we all go get pampered today."
"We're going to have a spa day. Sound good?" Violet added.
"Oh yes! That sounds wonderful!" Marsha was visibly pleased.
"Great idea, Cori." Faith smiled. "You be careful with her."
"Will do, Faith." Violet winked as the three women filed out the door.
"If Dad could see her now.." Faith laughed.
"Let's hope he doesn't." Reece embraced her lover.
"Hey, you're right. I don't want her back here again." Faith nudged Reece's pocket with her hip. "I wanna try that one."
"Come on then, what are we standing here for?"
"Reece, I can't. Not now." Faith gestured to her lower half.
"Oh babe, I don't mind. Harley don't mind.."
"I mind."
"Please..." Reece begged as she reached down and caressed Faith's inner thigh.
"Oh god.. don't beg." The actress already felt the tingles.
"Pretty please?" The club owner slid to her knees and kissed her lover's mons.
"Reece..." Faith warned, even though she knew she was losing the fight.
The tall woman nudged between the actress's legs with her nose and breathed hot breath all over.
"Let me make love to you, Faith. I want to so badly." She groaned.
"Get up from there. Doesn't it smell funny?"
"No, not at all." Reece rubbed her cheek on her lover's pubic area.
Faith shuddered.
"Pleeease?" Reece pouted.
"Oh, you're going all out, aren't you?" The actress ran her fingers through the long black locks.
Reece nodded. "I won't use my mouth if you don't want," she bargained.
"You don't think that's gross?"
"Not you I don't." Reece nudged into the warmth again with her nose.
"Did you ever...?" Faith squatted down to look at her lover.
"Nope. But I always wanted to earn my red wings." Black eyebrows wiggled.
"You're a pig." The actress slapped her playfully on the ass.
"Oink oink." Reece leaned in and started kissing Faith's neck.
"Baby.." Green eyes closed in pleasure. Even as she protested, Faith knew she was a goner.
"Hmm?" The club owner's lips sucked in a bit of flesh behind her ear.
"Oh Reece..." Faith shivered, Reece cheered silently. "You really want this, don't you?"
The tall woman groaned her reply and nipped the skin she was sucking.
"Aahhh..." Faith fell bonelessly into her lover's arms.
"Yessss!" Reece shot up to her full height and practically threw Faith over her shoulder.
"Hey! At least let me shower!" Faith giggled.
"Absolutely, as long as I can wash you."
"Oh, I don't know why I even try to say no to you, Reece Corbett."
"Because you like to hear me beg."
"Oh yeah." The actress growled.
"So you wanna make a tape?"
Chapter 24
Marsha wiped her hands on the kitchen towel and hurried to answer the front door before the bell woke the girls. She opened the door and stood agape at what was on the stoop.
"Uhm, you must be Faith's mother. I'm Cori, we spoke on the phone. Pleased to meet you." The dancer stuck out her hand but the older woman still stood there immobile.
"Sooo, can I come in?"
Marsha was transfixed on the silver hoop as it moved when the girl spoke. "Oh! Yes! Certainly, come in." Mrs. Ashford sputtered in embarrassment.
She wasn't kidding when she warned me about her friends...
"Are they here?" Cori wondered at the silence of the house.
"Yes, they're still sleeping." The older woman stared as the guest removed her coat.
Cori was all too familiar with the way she was being looked at, and decided to humor Faith's mom.
"OK, let's get this over with, shall we? This," she pulled down the shoulder of her shirt, "Is one of my tattoos, it ends here." she turned around and bent her head, showing the back of her neck. "It took 3 weeks to finish and yes, the damn thing stung. I have 9 piercings, from the neck up. Yes, the tongue ring hurt," Cori stuck out the muscle, "but I still got it pierced again. Call me masochistic, but it reaps the rewards. No, my nose and lip didn't hurt, but I had a hell of a time learning not to drool when I drank."
Marsha looked on, nodding, genuinely interested.
"My hair is currently 'Pillarbox Red'. Yes, my parents know what I look like. I have a job, an apartment...let's see...oh, and I'm a dyke. My girlfriend's parking the car. Wait till you get a load of her." The dancer thought a moment. "I think that about covers it." She headed towards the fridge.
"Well then." Marsha shooed Cori away from the icebox and into a chair. "Would you like bacon? Or are you one of those vegetable lesbians?"
The dancer laughed. "I'd love some, Mrs. Ashford. I couldn't live without meat."
The two women made small talk while Marsha prepared Cori's breakfast.
"So, how long have you known my daughter?"
"It feels like forever. She's such a great person, Mrs. Ashford. You done good with her."
"I don't deserve the credit."
"Someone has to, may as well take it. I love that woman, she's my best friend."
"Do you know Reece long?"
"Very." Cori wasn't sure where the older woman was going with this line of questioning. "Why?"
"Just asking." Marsha shrugged.
"I love Reece too," she said, slightly defensively.
"I worry about my Faith, Cori, that's all."
"Look, Reece may look scary, and she may act it sometimes, but I swear, Faith is her whole life." Cori smiled.
"Yes dear, I can see that for myself. I can't help thinking she's hiding something. She has a few secrets, that woman does."
"Well, everybody does, don't they, Mrs. Ashford?"
"I suppose you're right."
"Don't you worry about Faith. She's got me as a watch dog."
The doorbell rang and Cori went to get up but Marsha stopped her, placing a plate in front of the dancer.
"You eat, dear, I'll get that."
------------
Faith rolled off of Reece's back and frowned at the clock. She really didn't want to get up yet, she had another hour left of sleep. The pain in her back and the need to go to the bathroom had awakened her and she trudged out of bed crankily.
Great, this sucks.
The club owner shivered when the warmth disappeared. Groping around blindly in the bed, she too frowned when she came up empty.
"Faith?" she grumbled.
"Umm." Came the grunt from the bathroom.
"Bed." Reece rolled over and lay with her arms open, waiting.
The toilet flushed, the water ran, and then the door closed. Reece opened one eye to look at the clock.
"What are you doing up? You have time." She stretched and yawned.
"Got my period, don't feel good." Faith mumbled around her toothbrush.
"Aww babe, come back to bed. I'll rub your back like you like."
Reece felt bad for her when she got her period. While the club owner didn't suffer at all, Faith really got it bad.
The actress appeared by the side of the bed with a very cranky expression. "Make it go away baby." she groaned and lay down next to her lover.
Reece straddled her lover and rubbed her back to take away the cramps. The actress grunted and moaned in pain and pleasure as the strong fingers kneaded away at her tight muscles. The club owner knitted her brow in annoyance.
Here we go again. First it's the cramps, then she's horny, and she don't let me near her for a whole 5 days. She stared at Faith's ass and grinned.
This time, I'm gonna get some.
"How come you don't get sick?" The actress grimaced into the mattress.
"Dunno. Maybe it's because I work out."
Faith groaned as Reece worked her magic.
"You alright? I don't like it when you're in pain."
"Oh love, that isn't pain, it feels wonderful. You have such talented hands." Faith reached behind her back and rested her hand on Reece's leg.
"Love? You never called me that before." Reece smiled at the nickname as she moved to rub the muscular legs.
"That's what you are, you're love. I can feel it when you look at me, when you touch me. Ohh, right there...now that's love."
"That's your hormones talking." The club owner couldn't believe she was blushing.
"No Reece, that's my heart talking."
"I like when your heart talks." Reece turned her over and kissed her.
The depth of Faith's adoration shone from her eyes.
"I love you so much it scares me." The tall woman whispered the confession.
"Oh honey, I know you love me." The actress sat up and hugged her fiercely. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I know it's new. Just go with it."
Reece covered Faith's lips with a long loving kiss.
"That's my heart talking." She grinned.
GROWL
"And that's my stomach talking." Faith giggled.
"Yeah," The club owner nodded. "Mom's up, I smelled it too."
"Let's go make an appearance. It's her last day and all."
"I'm right behind you, sweet cheeks."
"I'd prefer 'love'." Faith teased.
"Me too, but you won't let me." Reece teased back.
------------
"Well they were up till all hours last night." Mrs Ashford explained.
"I'll bet." Violet snickered.
"Have you seen that video collection?"
Cori gagged on her eggs.
"Hon?!" Violet ran to her side.
"I'm ok." The dancer choked.
"Well, I have to admit I'm a bit of a prude, but that stuff... I must say I'm somewhat enlightened in this lesbian sex thing."
Cori's eyes matched Violet's in her look of shock.
"Morning, Mom." Faith entered the kitchen. "Hey, when did you guys get here?" She took note of the expressions on her friends' faces.
"MOTHER! What did you say to them?!"
"God, Faith. Your mother is cool!"
"Cool!? My mother?"
"Morning, Mrs. A." Reece patted Marsha on the butt and went to the coffeepot to pour a cup.
Cori's mouth actually fell open.
"Hey, I owed her a grope." The club owner half explained.
The older woman blushed and swatted at Reece's shoulder. "Oh, you are such a card!"
"I don't think I want to know." Violet looked frightened. Cori nodded.
"God, what did I do to deserve this?" The actress looked to the heavens for an answer.
"Honey, I wish you wouldn't take the Lord's name in vain. You did enough of that last night."
"Mother..." Faith groaned. "Why don't you go and get dressed... please." She begged.
"Sure, dear, I'll get out of your hair."
Faith made a face at her mother's back, then threw herself into a chair and groaned.
"Wow, Faith! Your Mom's the shit!" Violet gushed.
"Why? What did she do to you?"
"Nothing, babe!" Cori replied. "She's just cool is all."
"My mother?" Faith was still unconvinced.
"Yeah, she told us she practically forced you guys to fuck. And did you know she watched Reece's pornos?"
"What?!" The club owner dropped her coffee. "Shit!"
"Baby, be careful!" Faith rushed to her aid.
"SHE WATCHED THEM?" Reece shouted.
"Yeah, she told us she learned something too." Cori snickered.
"Oh no." Reece looked horrified.
"Reece, why the face? So she watched some pornos.."
"I'm in some of them, Faith." The club owner looked at her feet.
The room fell quiet.
"You're in them, in them?"
"Yes."
The silence was deafening. Cori and Violet were watching Reece, who was staring at the floor.
"Well, I'm assuming this was before I came into the picture." The actress narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. Way before." Reece couldn't take the scrutiny, and started for the door.
"Don't you dare walk away, Reece!"
The club owner stopped in her tracks and turned around to face her lover.
"If you'd rather we left..."
"No, Cor, it's ok." Faith smiled.
"Reece?" Violet asked.
The tall woman shrugged and half smiled at Faith.
"So, did the women know they were being filmed?"
"Yes."
"Are you um...on the receiving end of .."
"It's all just me doing them." Reece grimaced and closed her eyes, waiting for the attack. When none came, she peeked open an eye and saw Faith standing there with a smirk.
"So, no one's touching you then?" Faith's eyebrow went up.
"Well, I didn't say that...what I mean is..." The tall woman began sweating.
"Nah ah ah.. you don't have to go there. I know what you mean."
Again, the room sat silent until Faith spoke up.
"So, you're fucking them?"
The club owner glanced at her lover. "Some."
"That I wouldn't mind too much." Faith smirked.
"Huh?" Cori, Violet and Reece questioned.
"Well, I could watch that. As long as no one was doing you." The actress grinned.
There was a collective sigh of relief.
"Can I watch too?" Violet wondered. Cori backhanded her in the stomach.
"Faith? Are you serious?" Reece was dumbstruck.
"Yeah, totally. I wanna see them." She hugged her lover and smiled. "I just gotta see that ass in motion..." Faith squeezed her lovers butt and mmm'd.
"Why don't you just put mirrors on the ceiling?" Cori asked.
"I can't keep my eyes open long enough, let alone focused." Faith grinned.
"You'd be surprised." Violet winked.
"You have mirrors?" Reece wondered.
"Yeah, and it's great. You can watch the top of Faith's head when--"
"Whoa there. I'm getting horny." Faith held up her hand.
"My girl just loves to watch." Reece teased.
"Well, you sure are something to look at." Faith licked her lips appreciatively.
"You're hormonal." The tall woman smirked.
"And horny." The actress kissed Reece's collarbone.
"Wow. You must take after your mom, because you're cool." she teased.
Faith smirked and stretched up for a proper kiss. The liplock was broken by a throat clearing.
"Sorry." Faith blushed.
"S'okay. We kinda got used to the public ravishings." Violet joked.
"Me too. Although I'll never get used to this." Marsha agreed, holding up a dildo.
Cori gasped. Reece and Violet turned red. Faith felt faint.
"It was in my nightstand. I was looking for a pen."
The older woman handed the toy to Reece and made herself a cup of tea. "By the way, that one feels so real." She added as she sat down.
"It's supposed to, Mrs. A." Reece smirked, putting Harley in her bathrobe pocket.
Faith had to sit. The thought of her mother actually knowing what a real penis felt like made her queasy. The fact that she was comparing the two made her lightheaded.
"Well, pardon me for being naive, but why? If you don't want to have sex with a man, why?"
"It's not the umm, part, Mrs. Ashford, it's the person it's attached to." Cori offered.
Marsha contemplated that for a moment. "I see." She sipped from her cup quietly. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can get one of those, would you?" She asked the tall woman.
Faith put her head between her knees when she began to hyperventilate.
"Babe? Take it easy." The club owner knelt at her lover's side.
"So, what's on the agenda today, Reece?" Cori changed the subject.
"Oh, Faith dear, I nearly forgot! A man named John called while I was on the phone with your father." She chuckled. "That's why I needed a pen."
"Welll..." The actress prompted.
"He said that they postponed shooting today due to all the latest, what was the word he used? Yes, scandal. He will call you back this afternoon."
Faith groaned. What do I do with Mother today?
"Hey, why don't you let me take your mom for the afternoon?" Cori smiled.
"Thank you. Would you?" Faith breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course. What would you like to do today, Mrs. Ashford?"
"Oh I don't know, girls. How about you show me around? And please call me Marsha."
"Cori, I want my mother in one piece." Faith teased her friend.
"No problem. Come on, Marsha. What do you say we all go get pampered today."
"We're going to have a spa day. Sound good?" Violet added.
"Oh yes! That sounds wonderful!" Marsha was visibly pleased.
"Great idea, Cori." Faith smiled. "You be careful with her."
"Will do, Faith." Violet winked as the three women filed out the door.
"If Dad could see her now.." Faith laughed.
"Let's hope he doesn't." Reece embraced her lover.
"Hey, you're right. I don't want her back here again." Faith nudged Reece's pocket with her hip. "I wanna try that one."
"Come on then, what are we standing here for?"
"Reece, I can't. Not now." Faith gestured to her lower half.
"Oh babe, I don't mind. Harley don't mind.."
"I mind."
"Please..." Reece begged as she reached down and caressed Faith's inner thigh.
"Oh god.. don't beg." The actress already felt the tingles.
"Pretty please?" The club owner slid to her knees and kissed her lover's mons.
"Reece..." Faith warned, even though she knew she was losing the fight.
The tall woman nudged between the actress's legs with her nose and breathed hot breath all over.
"Let me make love to you, Faith. I want to so badly." She groaned.
"Get up from there. Doesn't it smell funny?"
"No, not at all." Reece rubbed her cheek on her lover's pubic area.
Faith shuddered.
"Pleeease?" Reece pouted.
"Oh, you're going all out, aren't you?" The actress ran her fingers through the long black locks.
Reece nodded. "I won't use my mouth if you don't want," she bargained.
"You don't think that's gross?"
"Not you I don't." Reece nudged into the warmth again with her nose.
"Did you ever...?" Faith squatted down to look at her lover.
"Nope. But I always wanted to earn my red wings." Black eyebrows wiggled.
"You're a pig." The actress slapped her playfully on the ass.
"Oink oink." Reece leaned in and started kissing Faith's neck.
"Baby.." Green eyes closed in pleasure. Even as she protested, Faith knew she was a goner.
"Hmm?" The club owner's lips sucked in a bit of flesh behind her ear.
"Oh Reece..." Faith shivered, Reece cheered silently. "You really want this, don't you?"
The tall woman groaned her reply and nipped the skin she was sucking.
"Aahhh..." Faith fell bonelessly into her lover's arms.
"Yessss!" Reece shot up to her full height and practically threw Faith over her shoulder.
"Hey! At least let me shower!" Faith giggled.
"Absolutely, as long as I can wash you."
"Oh, I don't know why I even try to say no to you, Reece Corbett."
"Because you like to hear me beg."
"Oh yeah." The actress growled.
"So you wanna make a tape?"
Chapter 28
'It's been quiet too long,' thought the girl. A hard shudder ran up her spine.
'He's testing me.' Her fists clenched unconsciously at her sides. 'I hear him breathing, he's so close.' Standing tensely for so long caused her arm to twitch, jerking her chained and bloodied wrist. She whimpered out loud from the pain.
"Shit!"
The word left her lips without warning and she fretted. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her back at her audible sign of weakness. He always got her good in the dark. She closed her eyes tightly and pressed herself closely against the rusted pipe in hopes of disappearing.
"You cry like a girl, you fucking pussy!"
The blow to her head sent the girl to her already bruised knees, wrenching her chained arm hard. She grunted, nostrils flaring in anger.
"Get up, you little shit!" He hauled her to her feet by her hair. The metal handcuff scraping loudly as she was lifted upright.
She winced as his foul alcohol-laden breath blew across her face. Her heart was beating so hard with the urge to spit at him that she felt dizzy.
"How's my little soldier?" He chuckled.
"My arm hurts, Sir." she managed through her dry throat and clenched teeth.
"Good." He patted her cheek, making her sneer in disgust. "If you'd have obeyed me yesterday..."
"I won for you, didn't I?" she cut him off. "You're sleeping on fancy sheets because of me."
He stood there staring at her with a sickening smile on his face. The girl stared back, unflinching in her defiance. Her eyes appeared to glow in the darkness and he felt a twinge of uneasiness. Masking his fear, he chuckled and lifted his hand. It was intended to frighten her, but the girl stuck out her chin in a daring move.
"You're tough, I'll give you that. A good little moneymaker you are." He sneered at her cocky grin, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
The girl put her free hand in her jeans pocket and fingered the business card. 'The Lounge, huh?' She thought about what she could possibly do in a place like that. 'He's probably a fucking pimp.'
'You're not an animal'. Frankie, the well-dressed man's, words echoed in her head. She closed her fist around the already crumpled card and ground her teeth.
'But I am, aren't I?' she sighed. 'Whatever this guy has to offer, has to be better than this.'
She'd been existing like this too long. Just out of her teens, the girl was feeling rather rebellious. She tried to break away, but He found her and made sure she'd never try that again.
'Stupid. I should have waited till he was passed out. At least til he took me home.'
She yanked at the chain again in frustration. He said her attempt at freedom was a need for more discipline, and fear. But she was tired of being a trained dog. The urge to escape burned in her veins, freedom was inevitable. She'd take it any way she could, at any cost. She was just waiting for another opportunity. The girl shook loose that train of thought, it only made her heart beat faster. The more pumped she was, the more careless she became. He could always sense her anxiety and used it against her. If she wasn't careful, she'd get another beating and she needed her strength.
She carefully measured her breaths and listened to his footsteps in the dark. She was hungry and her stomach knew it was time to eat.
"Chow time," he said as he threw a metal tray on the floor at her feet.
The back of her head hit the pipe with a loud clang as the bright floodlights blinded her. Her blue eyes teared uncontrollably, the sensation making her nose run.
"You're so goddamned pathetic. I'll make a man outta you yet, soldier." He said as he laughed.
"I'm not a man...Sir." she muttered, knowing she'd be hit for it.
He grabbed her head and brought her face centimeters away from his.
"Then why do you fuck women?" He asked with amusement, tightening his grip on her head.
"Because you're to drunk to get it up," she smirked, then added, "and you like to watch me..Sir."
He growled, throwing her head back as he released it. She readied herself for the blow, but it didn't come.
"Fucking animal."
She bristled with anger.
"I'm NOT an animal!!" she yelled and pulled on her chain again, re-opening the wound she made earlier. "Look what you made me do!" She screamed in frustration, "I fucking hate you!"
But there was no answer, just a chuckle as he ascended the stairs, infuriating her more.
"I'll fucking kill you." she vowed quietly, trying to control her breathing again.
She lifted her aching shoulder and wiped her nose on her shirt. Once her eyes adjusted, she dragged her chained hand lower, squatted down and examined the food.
'Not too bad.' She thought of the meal. The good thing about being someone's trained pet was that she ate well. With her free hand, she balanced the tray on her knees. Once settled, she used that same hand to shovel the food into her mouth. No more utensils until she learned to behave herself, he said. She knew better; he was becoming afraid of her. She was tall, and muscular, and as strong as three men. She could kill him with one blow. He should fear her--he'd made her.
Lost in thought for a moment, she chuckled with the memory of how the last woman he brought home had come downstairs to her. She wasn't chained then, she was behaving. The woman was nothing special to look at, but she was damned horny. Drunk and horny. The girl snickered.
'Man was he pissed when he found us.'
The girl had to lay on her stomach to reach the water, as he loved to make her crawl. This too was in a metal cup.
'Serves him right,' she thought as she drank. 'Women have needs too.' she smirked. 'And she needed me.'
She stared distractedly at the cup for a moment, then grinned wickedly.
He must have been pretty drunk to have given her an opportunity such as this one. She took the empty cup and placed it under her booted foot.
Although she could hear the drunken sounds from him and the woman upstairs, she was careful to be quiet while she worked at it. Slowly and methodically she turned it over and over, crushing it into itself thinner and thinner. Then she wedged it in between the pipe and the handcuff. There was a slight scraping noise, and the girl had to stifle a scream of triumph.
She stood there for hours, coiled tightly. If not for the sporadic twitching of her fists, she would have been immobile. She had to count between breaths so she wouldn't hyperventilate, she was that pumped. Waiting for him to come downstairs to start the morning drills, her eyes concentrated on the highest step in her line of vision. The dark rings around her irises made her eyes appear the color of ice. She'd waited rigidly, all night, backed up against the pipe, not daring to move a muscle for fear he'd sense her freedom. Then who knew what he'd do. No, she had to be far away this time. She'd wait.
The sound of footsteps nearing the basement door caused her heart to pound faster. The door creaked open. Excited beyond words, she was taking in huge gulps of air as he approached.
"Morning, soldier. Are you ready for your combat drills?"
"Yes Sir!" She nearly shouted. The adrenaline pumped through her body so quickly she felt a sense of euphoria. Just like before a fight, she welcomed the feeling.
"Well," he chuckled. "Someone's mighty eager to get their ass kicked this fine morning."
She spoke, unable to control herself.
He slapped her across the face. Her eyes burned angrily into his, she stood up to her full height sneering menacingly.
"What did you say?" he shouted, raising a fist to her.
The girl grabbed his fist in her hand, and squeezed.
"I said fuck you, Sir!" she hollered in his face, her nostrils flaring.
"Why you insolent little.."
His words were cut short as her newly freed fist landed squarely on his mouth, knocking him to his knees. The girl never let go of his hand, crushing his fingers slowly.
"You'll pay for this, you ...ugh!"
Again her fist landed. And again and again..
"Here's your little soldier kicking your goddamned ass, you sick mother fucker!"
Kicking and punching in a rage, the girl spat as the blood shot out of his nose onto her face.
"You wanna see animal? I'll fucking kill you!" she shouted at his lifeless form.
-------------
"OW! Baby!" Faith rubbed her shoulder.
Reece jumped up, her heart pounding out of her chest. She was standing on the side of the bed, confused, soaking wet and breathing heavily. Her fists were closed so tightly that one of her palms was bleeding. Her temples ached from the tension in her clenched jaw.
"Honey? Please, come back here."
Faith's voice soothed her, cutting mercifully through her wild confusion. Reece felt her legs trembling and sat down on the bed before her knees gave way.
"That's right, sweetheart, come here, let me see what you've done to yourself this time."
The club owner felt the nightmare fade some and began to relax as Faith took her hand and guided her. She took a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly, shakily, turning to face her lover.
"Wanna talk about it, Reece?" Faith spoke calmly, stroking the long fingers she was holding. The look in those blue eyes frightened her.
Reece shook her head, not wanting to speak at all until she was sure she wasn't going to cry. The myriad of emotions overwhelmed her. She could still feel his bones breaking under her fist.
"Ok, honey, but sooner or later we're going to. I can't stand seeing you go through this." The actress took another tissue from the nightstand and wiped away the last traces of blood from her lover's palm.
The tall woman pulled her hand away and sat at the edge of the bed. She put her hands on her head and rocked back and forth, breathing deeply through her mouth. The words were right there, she wanted to share this with Faith. Maybe if she talked about it, got it in the open, it would stop torturing her. Not yet.. I can't tell her yet.
"Reece, please. I don't know what to do." Faith felt helpless and rubbed her lover's back in big comforting circles. "This is eating you up alive, and it scares me. Not to mention giving me a run for my money. You really socked me this time."
Fear twisted her guts and the club owner spun around so quickly she startled her lover, who nearly fell backwards off the bed. Reece grabbed Faith's arm and pulled her towards her, her eyes still burning with the past.
"What did you just say?" She asked so harshly, the sound of her own rage frightened her.
"Reece, you're scaring me, let go!"
The club owner blinked a few times then dropped Faith's arm like she was burned. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, and jumped up and ran out of the room.
Faith cried in sympathy for her lover, and in frustration that Reece wouldn't let her help. The actress had no idea what her lover was going through, but knew it had to be horrible for her to react this way. At first when Reece had these nightmares and withdrew into herself, Faith felt angry and left out. Now she felt hurt, and useless. Bracing herself for a long night, she followed Reece downstairs and found a faint glow from the guestroom.
Reece would have run out into the street if it weren't for the fact she was naked. She wanted to get as far away from Faith as she could. The knowledge that her own weakness, the inability to talk about these nightmares, had caused her to strike her lover was too much to bear right now. The fear in those green eyes caused her stomach to flip, but she refused to give in and swallowd the nausea. Reece was so tired of reliving the past. She just wanted to forget it all. And now she was dragging the single most important person in her life into hell. She fought the urge to throw up and stepped into the shower, trying to wash the pain away.
Standing outside the bathroom door, Faith listened. Many times after an "episode" as she called it, Reece would get sick to her stomach. And when she finally emerged from the bathroom, spent and embarrassed, Faith was there with hot tea, open arms and a head full of unasked questions. They never talked about it. Faith understood Reece's need to keep this secret. She didn't like it, but she finally understood.
Reece turned off the water and sat on the side of the tub, burying her face in the towel she was holding.
The actress listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom, and slid down the door, heartbroken. Reece wasn't sick this time, she was crying. The muffled sobs brought a sick feeling to Faith's stomach. Reece was in terrible pain.
"Baby...?" The actress called out quietly. "Reece, it's ok. Please come out and let me hold you." Faith could feel her chest tighten. This was the most horrible feeling she'd ever experienced.
Reece grew angry. Faith was crying, and that hurt the club owner even more. The tall woman stood and stared at herself in the mirror. She remembered the first time she had stared at her self in this mirror. It was right after she broke free from Him. When Frankie came and rescued her.
God...look at me.
She ran her hands over her body, examining the scars, watching her reflection do the same. The first time she was here, doing this same thing, she was thinner.
Not to mention wilder, younger. She thought as she examined her face. Untamed. An animal. She bared her teeth.
The Animal.
A powerful surge of adrenaline forced Reece to exhale loudly. The club owner felt defeated. The weight of her past winning over her strength to forget it. It was so close to the surface, she couldn't fight it. No one could supress the will of The Animal. She was unbeatable. It was a proven fact.
Reece stood taller and flexed her arms, staring in wonder at her reflection. She realized that she had no idea who she was any more. She felt confused and alone.
It was too quiet in the bathroom and Faith became worried. Reece never did this before and she was afraid of what emotional state her lover would be in when she finally came out.
"Reece, stop it now! I won't allow you to go there, I love you baby, please let me help you." The actress blurted in fear.
The tall woman froze. Faith was frantic. Reece dropped her hands to her sides and stared into her own eyes. Listening to the frightened voice of the only person who loved her shook some sense into the club owner.
Shithead. Someone loves you. Faith loves you.
"Even if I'm The Animal?" she asked the door.
"Because you are." it answered.
Reece suddenly felt relieved and took a robe off the back of the door. She couldn't help but grin at that reply.
Faith sat on the bed and watched as Reece came out of the bathroom. She waited for the tall woman to do something, give her an idea as to what was going on inside her head. The last thing she expected was to see the cock-eyed smile she loved so much.
"Hey you." The actress smiled back.
Reece bent down to her knees in front of Faith. She stared into her green eyes with wonder.
"You ok?" Faith tried to smooth the dark hair down, but it had a mind of its own.
"Yeah, I think." the club owner nodded and looked away.
"Wanna talk?" Faith tried.
"Ok." Reece blew out a shaky breath.
The actress wasn't prepared for that and had no idea what to say. She was shocked and tried to organize the jumble of questions she had whirling around in her head.
"These dreams, they're not dreams," Reece started hesitantly, clearing Faith's head immediately.
"They're real." The tall woman winced at her confession.
"What do you mean, Reece?" Faith asked as her lover got up and started to pace.
"I go back...before Frankie, when I was, uh, fighting?" she looked to Faith. "You know..?" This was more difficult than she'd imagined.
"It's ok baby, I know about that. Go on." Faith smiled reassuringly.
"Well, that man, he was mean, and sometimes I relive those things." The tall woman stopped by the dresser and leaned on it, her back to Faith.
Faith got up and wrapped her arms around Reece, laying her head on her back, upset to feel her strong lover trembling.
"Shhh, it's ok, baby, it's over now. He can't do anything to you anymore."
"I killed him." she whispered, tears falling down her face in anticipation of losing Faith forever.
Faith's eyes shot open but to her credit, she didn't flinch.
"I beat him to death."
The actress tugged at the distraught woman until they were facing each other.
"This bothers me, Reece, I won't lie. It scares me that you have the ability to kill with your hands." Her look of shock confirming her words.
"He wasn't the first. I was trained to kill... for sport. For other people's amusement." The club owner stiffened visibly. "For money." she whispered.
"You had no choice." Faith cupped her lover's face in her hands. "Reece, the idea frightens me. It frightens me to death, but you don't frighten me." The actress was shaken, but she knew Reece would never hurt her.
"How can you stand there and be so kind to a killer?" She wondered, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Because I'm positive that isn't you anymore. That Chapter of your life is gone. The Reece Corbett I'm here with now isn't a killer."
"I was just before. It was so real." she shivered.
"God, if he weren't dead, I'd kill him. What did he do to you?" Faith stroked Reece's face softly.
"He owned me. I was his pet, an attack dog." Reece sneered as she spoke.
"Did he hurt you? Did he rape you?" Faith felt her heart beat speed up in fear.
"He hurt me alright, but he never touched me sexually. He wouldn't dare." The tall woman turned and sat on the bed.
Relieved, the actress sat on her lap and lay her head on Reece's chest. She shook her head at the pounding beneath her ear.
"I'm not going to tell you I'm ok with all this, its a lot to digest right now. What you said is terrifying, and I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. To live through it, live with it, and confess it. Just know this, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Reece, and you can't scare me off so easily." Faith tightened the grip she had on the strong body.
"How can you love me?" Reece asked wide eyed, completely blown away by Faith's speech.
"How can I not?" Faith's eyes sparkled. She leaned over and kissed her lover tenderly.
"I don't understand you Faith." Reece wrapped her arms around Faith and buried her face in her neck.
"Reece, I don't care what happened in your past. No wait, I do care, but it doesn't change anything. I didn't ask to love you...hell, I have no idea how it happened, but it happened. Now I can't imagine my life without you." Faith kissed her lover's messy hair and chuckled.
"You're something else, you know that?" Reece pulled back to look at the actress and a tear fell from her eye. Faith kissed it. Reece looked away and huffed in frustration.
"Oh Honey, it's ok to cry, sometimes it's the only way. It doesn't make you any less of who you are to me."
"But I feel like a baby...weak." Reece lowered her head.
Faith took Reece's hand and pulled her up on the bed, laying the dark head down on her chest so she could do "scratchies".
"Well sometimes we all have to be babied. I'd cradle you if you weren't so goddamned big." Faith grinned.
Reece moved her head and wrapped her lips around a nipple, startling her lover.
"Reece!"
"Baby's hungry."
"Ok, I'll buy that," she laughed, "But how do you explain this?" She covered Reece's hand, which was grasping her other breast and tweaking that nipple.
The strong shoulders shrugged. "Didn't want it to feel left out?"
-------------
They awoke in the morning, in the same position. Faith smiled down at her lover's head, then kissed it.
"Mmmm." Reece slipped her arm out from under Faith's body and turned over. "Morning, babe."
"Morning yourself, sexy." Faith narrowed her eyes at the half-open robe that left one of her lover's breasts exposed.
Reece sat up took off the robe and stretched, much to Faith's delight, and then settled back down with her chin resting in her hand.
"You're the one who's sexy. Sexy."
Faith grinned. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Hungry though, those things need a refill." she poked Faith's nipples.
"I beg your pardon. They were never filled in the first place." She sat up, covered her nipples and gave Reece a haughty expression.
Reece laughed, and kissed Faith's thigh with an open mouth, letting her tongue caress the skin briefly.
"Ohh, that's not fair. I can feel my own nipples getting hard." Faith narrowed her eyes at her unusually playful lover.
"Lemme feel!" Reece grabbed at her hands, but was slapped away.
"Nope." she smirked. "I thought you were hungry?" she stood up and headed for the door.
"My point exactly." Reece smirked and flopped down on the bed, watching her lover's shapely ass sway out of sight.
Reece felt renewed, energized. She felt a new sense of peace with her lover, and her life. She got up and poked her head into the kitchen, spying on Faith as she started the coffeepot. The club owner felt proud to be in love with her.
Reece snuck up and pressed herself against Faith's back, wrapped her arms around her and lifted her off the floor, nuzzling her neck as she did.
Faith squealed and laughed.
"Animal." She giggled.
Reece growled and bit.
"Reece!"
"I'm your animal." She said as she put her lover down and headed to the bedroom.
"Every wild inch of you..." Faith called out from the kitchen.
"Hey what are you doing after work, Faith?" Reece asked from the top of the stairs.
"Nothing, what do you have in mind?" The actress followed and met her lover in the bedroom.
"I want you to come and meet Frankie."
Faith smiled at Reece's naked body as it waltzed into the bathroom.
"Just like this?" She questioned.
"Yeah, just like that." Reece answered as she filled the huge tub. Easing herself into the water she added, "He once told me that he would see to it that no one would ever own me again."
Faith slid into the tub alongside her lover and groaned with pleasure. "Well I'm glad he was there to see to it."
"No, that's just the point, I want to rub you in his face."
"Oh Reece, I don't own you." Faith got choked up.
"Yes you do, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Chapter 29
Cori sat fiddling restlessly with the sugar shaker. Faith had called her at the crack of dawn, practically foaming at the mouth she was so excited. The dancer couldn't get a word in edgewise as her friend babbled on about having to talk to her immediately. So, here she was at their favorite coffee shop, waiting not so patiently on Faith's arrival.
The waitress appeared again, and as she did the times before, Cori blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I haven't decided what I want yet."
"Maybe if you opened the menu, it'll come to you." The woman teased, refilling Cori's coffee cup with a wink.
Come on Faith...where the hell are you!?
------------------
The actress had every intention of meeting her friend on time, but as the cab stopped at the light in front of the gym, Faith's plans changed.
I'd know that ass anywhere!
"Hey, stop here...I'm getting out." The actress stuffed the fare through the little hole and practically ran towards the window.
Reece had her back to the street as she concentrated, focusing all her energy into feeling the burn as she lifted the heavy dumbbells out at her sides, then up over her head.
I've never seen flys look so hot...
Faith was drawn to the sight. She was standing in the street looking up. Quite a few people stopped to see what she was staring at, and when they would linger too long, Faith found that she actually knew how to growl, given a good enough reason.
Reece did her final rep and put the dumbbells down, bending at the waist and stretching her lower back. She had no idea that she had an audience as she twisted this way and that. The tall woman wiped her face on a towel and shook out her arms.
Faith was inside the gym now, partially hidden by some machines. She watched with an open mouth as her lover lay down on a bench and began to do leg lifts.
Oh god! she drooled. Those thighs, oh baby...what a beautiful display!
Faith watched intently as her lover's pumped legs raised and lowered the weight. Reece lifted her arms from her sides and gripped the bench behind her. Green eyes followed the movement and were now visually stroking the slick flexed biceps. The actress caught her tongue poking out and moving in conjunction with her eyes. She had to close her eyes to compose herself. She was startled at the intensity with which she was attracted to Reece's muscular form. Faith was never turned on by brawn, and while Reece wasn't huge muscularly, she was definitely built.
Perfect. Not too big, not too veiny...but simply delicious.
Faith always cringed at those women's bodybuilding shows on TV. The way those women's veins stood out made her squeamish. However, now she often had the urge to trace the veins in Reece's hands with her tongue. Green eyes focused on those hands now. Faith stuck her finger in her mouth to chew on a nail, suddenly needing something to distract her tongue.
Her eyes traced the tall sweating woman's arms, beginning at her hands and ending at her shoulders. Faith had to control herself or she'd make a scene.
Ha! Like it would be the first time some crazed woman jumped on her in the gym...couldn't really blame them. She smiled proudly, possessively.
She's all mine, she gloated.
The exertion Reece was putting out made every muscle visible and defined. Faith was breathing with effort.
How hot is it in here? she wondered as the sweat trickled down between her breasts. Yeah right, like the lycra-covered goddess you're devouring with your eyes has nothing to do with your condition. She shook her head in astonishment at just how hungrily she was staring.
Reece turned over on to her stomach to do leg curls. Faith whimpered and shifted her position at the dampness between the legs as she watched Reece's butt flex rhythmically. She immediately pictured herself underneath her drenched lover and had to bite her lip to keep from groaning. The actress had seen enough and ran out of that gym as fast as she could.
Oh boy! That was not a good thing! she hailed another cab and jumped in. I am so horny I could scream!
------------------------
Cori tried Faith's cell phone again with the same results. Faith never changed her message and although it was funny the first time, Reece crooning "Talk to me baby" a la Barry White was really annoying the dancer now.
"Easy now, what did that poor defenseless phone ever do to you?" Faith teased as her friend pounded the pay phone against the wall.
"Oh I don't know... but I'll tell you what it didn't do." Cori narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.
"Oh yeah?" Faith smiled at the waitress who seemed oddly relieved to see her.
Cori follwed her to the table. "Well, for starters, it didn't wake me out of a coma after a whopping 3 hours of quality sleep to prattle on about needing to talk to me before I opened my eyes, and then leave me here waiting for an hour while my G.G. lies naked in our bed." Cori breathed and drank some coffee. "Thanks a pantload, friend."
Faith chuckled. "G.G.?"
"Yeah. Gorgeous Girlfriend." She smirked and blushed.
Faith raised her eyebrow. Cori countered the move with her own arched eyebrow.
"Gorgeous girlfriend?" Faith giggled.
"Yeah, got a problem with that?" Cori mock threatened.
"Not at all. If it were anyone other than Reece, I'd probably come up with a few pet names myself." Faith grinned as she mentally went down a list of pet names.
"I hear ya. I bet there isn't one that's good for mixed company." The dancer teased.
"Speaking of gorgeous girlfriends.. I'm sorry I was late." Faith tried her best puppy dog face.
"You can just put that face away, woman. I wanna know what was so important that you interrupted my beauty sleep. And where is your cell phone?"
"I left it home. Aren't you sweet?" Faith thanked the waitress who placed her usual breakfast in front of her, and began to eat.
"Well?!?" asked the exasperated dancer. "Spill it, shorty."
Faith attempted an intimidating look that Cori waved away impatiently.
"Ok. So two nights ago, Reece has another nightmare." She paused to swallow some eggs. Cori rolled her eyes.
"Well this time she told me what was going on. She relives the past. That guy, the one who made her fight, well, now we know what happened to him." Faith sipped her coffee, to her friend's dismay.
"Faith! What happened to him?" Cori drummed her fingers on the table.
Faith leaned across the table and whispered. "She killed him."
Cori's eyes opened wide. "No!"
"Shhh! Yes...she told me! And what's even worse, Cori, she beat him to death!" Faith stopped eating and stared out the window.
"She just told you?" The dancer snagged a piece of Faith's toast.
"Yeah. You know, at first she scared me, she was awake, but not really...you should have seen the rage in her eyes. It was horrible."
"Did she hurt you?" Cori sat up and stopped chewing.
"No." she lied. She didn't mean to anyway. "She woke up completely panicked, and as usual ran away. She explained some of it right then, but on the way to see Frankie, she told me all sorts of..."
"Whoa! Wait a minute...she took you to see Frankie!? Holy shit!"
"Yeah." Faith smiled warmly at the memory. "She wanted him to meet me."
Cori reached over and held her friend's hand.
"That is so beautiful Faith. It's like taking you home to meet the parents. That is so sweet."
Faith nodded in agreement. "She was so nervous, like he was still alive. It's very apparent how much his opinion meant to her." The actress paused at the image of a nervous fidgety Reece at the gravesite. "I only wish I was there when he died. It must have been so devastating for her." Faith's eyes watered at the very idea of Reece's loss.
"Oh devastated is an understatement. She was horrified." Cori looked off in the distance with the picture of Reece's anguished face in her head. She had to shake the disturbing image away. "First she disappeared for days, then she went on a drinking binge, then a women binge, then a violence binge, then she went cold as ice."
"Oh god, the poor baby." Faith started crying.
"Hey, honey, she has you now. She's past all that pain."
"No, there's where you're wrong. She still has incredible pain." She was sobbing. "She's not as strong as you may think."
"Faith, I know. She bleeds blood, and cries tears." Cori leaned over the table and kissed her friend's forehead.
Faith sniffed. "I know, Cor. It's just...you should have heard how this guy treated her! I honestly wished he were alive so I could kill him! She talks about it like it's nothing. She was so detached, like it wasn't her she was referring to... but when she's having those nightmares, she's tortured!" The actress sobbed.
"Tortured? How so?" The dancer asked, eyes full of with concern.
"Oh god, he was so awful. Sometimes he chained her up, he hit her daily...she said that sometimes he would beat her till she collapsed. And if she lost a fight, he'd chain her and beat her. He was a mean, vicious drunk..."
"Did he ever, you know, do anything to her.. that way?" Cori gestured around her body.
Faith shook her head. "No. She says he didn't and I believe her. He was actually happy that she was a lesbian from the get-go. He said she would never have been allowed to sleep with men, and would have either had to learn to like women or do it herself. She figures it had to do with pregnancy or whatnot. She told me he encouraged her to get laid whenever she seemed overly tense. He even brought her girls as a present for winning sometimes."
Faith closed her eyes as she recalled what Reece told her about the women she bedded. How aggressive and uncaring she was. "..Like it was a fight too, only with a different kind of prize. Total control over your opponent, I was crazy with the need for control. I got off more on the power than the sex..."
The actress felt bad for those women, but then again, they knew who The Animal was. They gave themselves to Reece on their own accord. Faith pursed her lips as she heard Reece's words. "...They stood there watching me beat someone to near death, and I could see the lust in their eyes. They wanted me to use them as much as I wanted to. I gave them an out, they never took it..." The actress also remembered how Reece mentioned that he would watch them on occasion, and every so often she would catch him in awe.
"What ya thinking, Faith?" Cori wondered aloud at her friend's odd expression.
"He was afraid of her." Faith stated, snapping herself out of her daze.
"Ha! That's probably why he brought her the girls! Imagine a chained Reece in her late teens, sexually frustrated and pumped full of adrenaline? Her orgasms probably saved his life." She snickered at the thought.
"What? I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on a teenage sexually frustrated Reece." Faith sighed dreamily.
"So, what happened? How'd she come to kill him?"
"She was probably going through the normal rebellions, she was just about 20 or so. She had run away before, tried to get lost in the crowd after she had won a fight. That wasn't too bright, though. Too many people knew who she was and he caught up with her real quick. She was severely punished for it."
"I can only imagine." Cori shook her head in disgust.
"Well, she wouldn't talk about it. But she did say that by the time she managed to free herself from her chain, she was completely blinded by anger and hate. The only thing she had on her mind was her freedom, and she didn't care at what cost it came. Once she started, she couldn't stop." Faith shuddered.
"Hon, are you afraid she may hurt you?"
"No, well, maybe. I don't know. I know she would never deliberately hurt me. I'm frightened by the idea of her capacity to kill. She said she was trained to be a killer. It could come so naturally to her that one day I'm afraid she'll do something she'll regret."
"The only time I'd worry about something like that happening is if you were in danger. Reece isn't the same person I met years ago, she's changed, even more so since she met you. She's worked very hard to become what you see, Faith. She works hard everyday not to disappoint you."
"You think I don't know this? Cor, that night, she was shaking with rage... she couldn't breathe...if she wasn't at home, in our bed, with me...god knows what could have happened." Faith's tears started to well up again.
Cori studied her friend's face "Faith, are you worried about her hurting herself?"
"Indirectly, yes." She admitted quietly.
"Then make it known how much you need her. Tell her, show her. Prove to her that she's the air that you breathe. She's devoted to you, completely. Reece has grown so much in the time she knows you. She trusts you. Your opinion overrides even Frankie's now. Especially if she is the subject. If she has any doubts in her mind as to where you stand, or how you think of her...then she may wind up in a situation."
Chapter 30A
Faith flew through the door to their house, kicking it closed behind her. She ran up the stairs, disrobing as she went.
I hope she gets some breakfast first... please let her be hungry.
---------------
As the two friends were chatting in the coffee shop, Reece trotted by, apparently jogging home. Her pace was quite leisurely, but she wasn't far from home to begin with. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and Faith wanted to scold her when she saw that her hair was wet. But then seeing those long legs and tight butt Faith fell right back into her frazzled state.
The actress tossed some money on the table and ran directly into a cab, leaving Cori slightly bewildered, but smirking knowingly. After all, she did have a naked woman in her bed.
-----------------
Faith stood in her underwear trying to figure out what to do next. She didn't have a plan of action, but she certainly had an agenda. Reece, bed, and sex.
"...Then make it known how much you need her. Tell her, show her. Prove to her that she's the air that you breathe..."
Cori's words stopped Faith in her tracks. She sat on the bed for a moment.
"Now what? If I jump all over her, what does that say? I need you? Yeah, but for what, for sex? That'll never do." she thought for a bit, then began to smile. The actress had a very good idea, and while it was for Reece's benefit, it was also slightly self-indulgent.
------------------
A short while later, Reece jogged up the front steps, thinking of nothing but a hot shower and a nap. The door opened before she even took out her keys.
"Hey Sexy." Faith winked, leaning on the doorframe, eyeing the tall vision.
Reece took a long look at her welcoming committee. She had on a cute little tank top short enough to expose her belly, royal blue satiny looking pajama pants Probably Victoria's Secret, she thought.
Oh, and look at that... no bra. Reece grinned lecherously at the two points in Faith's tank top.
"Are you quite finished?" Faith asked of her lover's appraisal.
The club owner nodded, smiled, and took the offered hand. Faith looked good.
Good enough to eat.
Reece closed the door behind her and allowed herself to be led. After all, she did have a beautiful view. Unable to stop herself, she cupped her hand under Faith's ass cheek as it wiggled up the stairs.
"You like what you see, baby?" Faith looked over her shoulder, and didn't remove the hand.
"Absolutely." Reece was lost in the feel of the silky material slipping back and forth under her hand, and nearly tripped up the last step.
"Well there's time for that later." The actress walked Reece to the master bathroom.
The club owner stood in the doorway, head cocked in confusion. The jacuzzi was full, topped with a layer of scented bubbles, and the room was lit by a multitude of candles. Faith sat on the edge of the tub and with a sideways nod gestured for the tall woman to come over.
Reece felt warm inside, and an embarrassed smile spread across her lips. Suddenly feeling the heat of the room, she unzipped her jacket and let it fall to the floor, stepped closer to Faith and shrugged, grinning sheepishly. She had no idea what was going on.
Faith glanced up at her with a sexy smile, then untucked her lover's sweaty shirt from her jogging pants. She ran her hands under Reece's shirt, gliding them up and around the still-slick skin.
Reece shivered.
Satisfying her needs for the moment, the actress stood, taking the shirt with her. Reece lifted her arms and had to assist when it got too high for Faith to reach. Then the tall woman stood there, uncomfortable, yet curious.
"I can see by your expression that you're not sure what this is all about." Faith slid her fingers in the waistband of the nylon jogging pants, and pulled them down to Reece's knees. "Lift," she instructed.
Reece put her hands on Faith's shoulders and lifted first one leg, letting Faith pull off her sneaker, then the pant leg. Then she repeated the process with the other leg.
"Well, you see, I'm going to spoil you now." The actress fingered the waistband of the lycra shorts and as an afterthought, dragged her fingertips up and around Reece's thighs, causing the club owner to shiver again. Faith held the two tense cheeks in her hands and closed her eyes. "You won't believe how hot your ass makes me." She murmured, resting her cheek against her lover's belly. Hell, I can't believe it. She squeezed the muscular flesh a few times before realizing what she was doing.
"Try me." Reece drawled cockily.
Reluctantly, the actress drew her hands up and hooked them in the top of the shorts. "Turn around, baby." She whispered in anticipation.
Reece complied quickly and Faith pulled slowly, exposing one of her lover's most cherished assets to her eyes, bit by bit. She wanted to dive face first into the skin, rub her face all over Reece's ass, but that wasn't the plan. At least for now... Faith smirked to herself and licked her lips as the entire body Chapterwas bared.
Reece bent over to pull the shorts off of her feet, unaware of what that would do her her drooling lover.
Well, just one lick...
Reece gasped as she felt the hot wetness caress her skin. She stood up quickly to look over her shoulder and saw Faith's tongue sliding across her left cheek, a blissful expression on her face.
Didn't it used to be my tits? The club owner chuckled to herself at Faith's new obsession. She had to admit she was getting turned on, she'd never really had anyone pay so much attention to her ass before. Not that she would have let them anyway. That meant turning her back to someone, naked, and that was a much too vulnerable position for Reece. Faith's tongue running up the crack of her cheeks was a new sensation to the tall woman, it felt weird, but good. She felt her insides twitch.
Too good...
Reece felt too strange with Faith's nose up her ass and although she trusted no one more than Faith, she became uncomfortable with the situation, and scolded her body for reacting as it did. "Faith, what is this all about?" Reece turned around to face her lover.
Faith opened her eyes then quickly closed them and breathed in deeply when she was confronted with Reece's pubic hair. "Sorry...I got distracted." She blushed. "I want to pamper you, but you turn me on so..."
"Why? What did I do to deserve this? Not that I'm complaining, mind you." Reece smirked.
"You deserve this just for being you. Don't you understand you don't need a special occasion? I love you, Reece."
Blue eyes stared into green with wonder. Faith thought that Reece's expression resembled one of childlike awe. "Why? How?" The tall woman whispered.
Faith's eyes flashed as she stood up. "Christ, Reece! Is it so hard to believe? I love you! Not for one particular reason, but for many. I love you for everything that you are and were. It all made me love you, the good and the bad and the intensely aggravating! Why is it so hard for you to accept?" Reece looked like she'd been slapped, and spun away from her lover. Her jaw clenched, and her shoulders slumped.
"Fuck, Faith, I feel like I don't deserve this. How can you love me so unconditionally? You can have anyone.."
"NO! I don't want anyone, I want you! Now shut up, get your gorgeous ass over here and let me pamper you before I throw you over my knee and spank you."
The tall woman turned around in shock. Her mouth opened and closed then she shook her head. She stepped closer to her lover and threw her hands in the air. "Fine." She mumbled.
Faith nodded and reached for her lover's sports bra. It proved to be a task as it was soaking wet and hard to remove.
"You're on your own, tough guy." Reece smirked, and was nearly strangled with her own underwear as Faith twisted it around her neck.
"You'll bend over if you know what's good for you."
The club owner narrowed her eyes at her lover, then bent over, but was sure to cover her ass as she did. This caused Faith to chuckle as she pulled the wet garment over Reece's head.
"Now, get in that tub." Faith pointed and flung the bra into the corner.
"Yes ma'am." Reece saluted and stepped in. She sighed as the warm water enveloped her. Sitting down she closed her eyes and leaned back, stretching her long legs out, her toes curling in pleasure.
"Mmmm...thank you, Faith. This is just what I needed." Reece moaned throatily.
A spark of arousal ignited inside of the actress as her lover spoke with that voice.
Reece groaned in pleasure.
How am I going to get through this if she keeps doing that? Faith wondered, and reached for the washcloth.
Reece jumped when she felt the unexpected touch, then relaxed into it.
Faith lifted a long arm out of the tub and gently ran the cloth over it, then placed it back into the tub. She did the same with the other arm, worked across the tall woman's shoulders and lingered on her muscular back. By the time Faith finished with her toes, Reece had quit feeling so undeserving and sucked it all up with happy little sighs.
Faith washed the long dark hair and threw in a scalp massage as well. She passed on washing the important parts, leaving them for Reece to do herself. If she so much as looked at a nipple, or a curly hair, Faith was positive she'd lose control. Aroused as she was, it was difficult enough for her to touch Reece without jumping into the tub and ravishing her, especially while the tall woman was being so compliant. By the time she finished with her lover, she was dozing in her lukewarm bath.
The actress paused and watched Reece's face in its relaxed state. There was an adorable curve, almost a grin on her lips. Faith never realized how long Reece's lashes were until now, with the candle's glow causing them to cast shadows on her cheeks. The redhead had a sudden urge to kiss Reece's eyelids, and did. The club owner started.
"Go on, baby, get washed off and lay on the bed."
"Naked?" Reece questioned sleepily.
"But of course." Faith grinned.
---------------
"That was incredible, Faith." Reece sounded positively boneless as she stepped out of the shower, all rinsed off. "No one's ever given me a bath before. Or licked my ass for that matter." She shook her head and smirked.
"Believe me, it was all my pleasure." Faith smiled at her naked lover. "Lay down, Sexy."
"Yes ma'am." Reece fell face first onto the bed and Faith's mouth went dry.
"I like you like this." The actress straddled Reece's thighs and poured some baby oil onto her back.
The tall woman jumped. "What the hell was that?" She tried to look over her shoulder, but Faith pushed her head back down.
"Just relax, I told you I'm spoiling you. It's baby oil." The actress began rubbing her lover's back.
"It felt weird is all. Why is it so hot?" Reece mumbled into her arm, then moaned as Faith's fingers dug into her muscles.
Must she make those sounds? Faith glanced down at Reece's ass which was framed between her thighs and hoped she could finish her massage without biting it. "I warmed it. Des it feel good, baby?"
"Ooohh yeeaah." The club owner purred.
Fine. Purr. See if I care. Faith pursed her lips and tried to forget the fact that Reece was completely submissive, naked, and between her legs.
"Mmm, right there...harder." Reece grunted.
Ok... that did absolutely nothing to me. Faith kneaded her lover's body, getting more aroused by the second.
"Oh god, that's sooo good."
Dead babies...smurfs...my mother naked.. Faith worked her way back up Reece's arms and slid down her thighs, biting her lip as her need came in contact with her lover's flesh on the way down. She began rubbing Reece's calves and looked up at the relaxed body.
"Ooohh, baby... yeah." Reece groaned.
God...
Faith worked up the one leg, breathing heavily as she neared Reece's sex, then she worked down the other leg. Her eyes were glued to the black curls; she could see that her lover was aroused. Faith leaned close and breathed in slowly and deeply. She forced herself with all that she had not to fall face first into the crevice, instead taking in the scent of Reece like it was a drug. Her eyes moved to the globes of muscle that she adored and she had a sudden vision of herself and what she'd done to Reece in the bathroom. She never considered that Reece would allow her that much freedom to explore, trust her like she did. Faith couldn't imagine Reece even letting someone think of doing such things, and here she was just taking it without asking.
And she didn't stop me. This was powerful information. Faith had free run over Reece's body. It was a very good feeling, one that she never experienced before. The adrenaline moved quickly through her body and her stomach clenched almost painfully with arousal. She looked at her hands resting on the body beneath her. Faith couldn't remember when she stopped massaging.
"Jesus, Faith...that was the most incredible thing I ever felt." The tall woman made a move to turn over and Faith pushed her back down into the bed.
"I'm not done with you yet." Her voice crackled with energy.
The club owner was well aware of Faith's reactions. She could hear the sounds of her licking her lips and breathing heavily. She also felt the hot breath between her legs and tried so hard not to lift her ass up to meet the lips that were so close. Her little spitfire was feeling her oats, considering her options. Reece knew it had something to do with Faith's newfound courage, and it made her heart pound with approval.
"Ok then, I'm all yours, do whatever you want." Reece smirked into her pillow. She knew Faith could take that sentence a whole lot of ways and hoped she'd take it the way she craved. The club owner had never felt more relaxed or more comfortable in her life. The idea of Faith taking her right now wasn't at all as disarming as it would have been just a day ago. The very thought of Faith's tongue between her legs right now caused her to push into the mattress.
The actress gulped loudly at Reece's statement. Does she realize how loaded that was? She saw Reece's pelvis grind and her pulse sped up.
Oh god...she does know what she said..
Reece "oofed" as Faith threw herself on top or her back.
"Thank you, I love you so much, Reece" She whispered breathlessly.
The club owner turned her head to meet the lips at her ear, reached a hand up behind her to grab Faith's head, and kissed her hungrily. "I love you too. I.." The tall woman shuddered as sharp nails skittered across her shoulders.
"You what?" Faith pulled the hair off Reece's neck and licked a wet trail around to her other ear.
Reece groaned and arched her neck. "I want you, Faith." She breathed.
"God...and how I want you." the actress got up to strip her pants off as fast as humanly possible, then settled herself on her lover's thighs.
Reece lifted her torso up and leaned on her forearms, watching Faith scramble back on the bed. She groaned when she felt the heat on her skin. Faith grabbed the muscles that were taunting her and kneaded them.
"I've been thinking about this all day." She squeezed Reece's ass roughly and the tall woman stiffened slightly. "All day." Faith scooted down and leaned over, touching her lips to the flesh beneath her hands.
Reece squirmed into the mattress again, moaning when her clit received the contact she needed.
"I watched you today." She kissed the skin with an open mouth. "At the gym." She licked with her tongue flat. "God you turned me on." She nipped and Reece jumped.
"Babe?" It's just Faith... Reece looked over her shoulder at her love and relaxed instantly.
"Shh, it's ok" she soothed. When she saw the trusting blue eyes meet hers she continued. "I've been fantasizing..." She ran her nails from Reece's shoulders to the small of her back watching with approval as the welts appeared. Faith licked her lips at the hissing sound Reece made and the movements of her back muscles as she shuddered. The smaller woman grinned almost ferally, watching her lover's ass pump and flex.
The club owner arched off the bed from the waist up, groaning in pain/pleasure as Faith dragged her nails down the same path again.
Faith fell forward onto her forearms over Reece's striped back and licked her ear. "You know what I've been fantasizing about doing to you?"
"Oh god, please tell me." Reece begged, now actively humping the mattress.
Faith positioned herself and lowered her sex onto Reece's butt. She groaned as Reece reared up and met her wetness. "This." She growled and gyrated. "I want to come on your ass baby."
"God yes!" Reece lifted her hips up in anticipation. "Do it."
Faith ground herself into the hard muscle, falling onto Reece's back, moaning loudly into her ear.
"Yesss." Reece hissed in pleasure. The feel of Faith's weight on her back, her sex grinding into her body, was making Reece whimper. She thought how odd it was not to feel trapped, but it was very fleeting as Faith groaned into her ear once more.
"Then, after I come on your ass, I want you to fuck me." The actress grabbed onto the headboard and threw her head back, riding her lover with determination, smearing her wetness all over.
Reece's clit burned when she heard her lover's voice--hoarse with need--telling her such things. She grunted her approval and lay her body back on the bed. She reached up and covered Faith's hands with hers and ground her ass up, meeting her rhythm.
Faith whimpered, and began an up and down motion. Reece felt her own wetness seep out into the sheets and knew she was only seconds away from coming.
"Reece, oh god Reece.."
The tall woman squeezed Faith's fingers tightly to the headboard as the first tingles of her impending orgasm spread through her sex. "Shit." she grunted. Teeth sunk into her shoulder and she shouted Faith's name.
"Yes baby..coming.. on your ass..." The actress groaned breathlessly into her ear. Feeling the body on top of her tremble and hearing Faith talk like that, did wild things to Reece. She let go of Faith's hands for fear of crushing them and gripped the sheets with white knuckles. Faith's wetness spilled onto her ass and she groaned and tensed briefly, then shook all over.
Faith had begun to come down from her climax as she heard the noises Reece made signaling hers was about to begin. She leaned over to watch her lover's face, brushing the long strands of hair off her cheek, and slid a hand down between Reece's legs.
The club owner could only whimper as she forced herself into Faith's hand.
"Come for me, baby." She whispered, knowing how the tall woman got off when she talked dirty. She saw her blue eyes pop open, unfocused. "Oh yeah, you're so hot." she continued, waiting for Reece's lips to Chapterand the deep throaty groan to escape them.
Reece didn't disappoint. Opening her legs wider, she thrust hard, groaned loudly, and ground herself into Faith's fingers, finally settling down.
"You come so beautiful, Reece." Faith teased Reece's lips with her tongue and was impressed with her lover's recouping abilities when a strong arm pulled her head down and Reece's lips and tongue meet her own, and she was turned over. When they were lying face to face, the club owner wrapped a leg around Faith.
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" She poked Faith in the stomach and rolled on to her back.
"You, my dear, love hearing me talk like that. It gets you so hot." She crawled on top of her, craving the contact.
Reece blushed. "Yeah, so? Got a problem with it?"
"Not at all. I intend to use it again when you're fucking me senseless." Faith leaned down and captured Reece's lips. The club owner groaned into the kiss, feeling her arousal creep back up a notch. Faith pulled back slowly, taking her time in releasing Reece's lower lip from her mouth.
"You watched me at the gym?" Reece asked as she raised the tank top up to stroke Faith's breasts.
"You have no idea what it did to me." She shuddered as Reece sat up and covered her nipples with kisses.
"Oh, I think I have a clue." The tall woman chuckled and sucked a nipple into her mouth.
"Mmm...oh yeah. Does that make me a pervert?" Faith pulled Reece tighter to her chest.
The dark head nodded, and mumbled. "Love you anyway."
Reece pushed Faith to her back and spent a long time lavishing each nipple with attention. Faith threaded her fingers through the dark tresses, getting wetter and hotter by the second. She reached a hand between her legs and groaned with relief. Reece allowed this for a few strokes, and then took the hand and replaced it onto her head. She raised her eyes to look at Faith and gave her a scolding look, then bit the nipple she was sucking.
"Baby!" Faith tightened her grip. "God!"
Reece smile knowingly. She was driving Faith crazy. The hands in her hair moved under her arms, attempting to pull her up. When Reece finally did comply, her mouth was covered with a series of frantic sloppy kisses.
"Mmm...want something, Faith?" Reece whispered into the open mouth devouring hers.
Faith nodded quickly and pushed Reece's hand between her legs and moaned.
"Oh, you are so drenched, babe." Reece slid her fingers around gathering the moisture, then brought them to Faith's clit. She rubbed it hard and quick, knowing how desperate she was for release.
"For you..." the actress breathed, holding Reece's forearm with a death grip. "Faster, Reece.." she whimpered.
Reece slid her tongue up Faith's neck and stopped at her ear. "I thought you wanted me to fuck you senseless." Reece teased, knowing there was no way on earth Faith would let her stop now. The nails digging into her forearm were proof of this.
"After...please...don't stop...don't stop." she pleaded.
The club owner chuckled as Faith's face scrunched up in desperation. She dipped her head and kissed those luscious lips before moving to kiss behind her ear. "Not on your life, beautiful. I live to see you come." Reece purred, knowing that would bring Faith over.
"Ooooohhhhh.." The actress moaned loudly as she came.
Blue eyes narrowed. It was the truth; she did live to see this. Reece watched the pleasure wash over her lover's beautiful face with adoration.
Faith let go of Reece's arm and rolled on top of her with a satisfied sigh.
Reece smiled at the small orgasm, she knew it wasn't going to be long and drawn out, it was a quickie and the club owner didn't want her to come to fiercely anyway. Reece's whole body was throbbing at the moment. She was chomping at the bit to come herself, preferably while thrusting into Faith.
"Oh...that was good." Faith sat up and put her hands on the strong shoulders in front of her. She stretched her back, making a lovely sight for Reece to gawk at.
"Your turn, baby, I know you must be dying." Faith slid a hand down Reece's body and the tall woman jerked and shuddered as the fingers disappeared inside of her.
"You ok, Reece?" Faith asked with concern hearing her lover gasp.
"Yeah." She sat up and shook her head. "I just came a little." Reece looked with amazement at her lover's hand, the two fingers still inside her.
Faith chuckled. "Welcome to my world, Reece."
The club owner raised her eyebrow in a question, then groaned as the fingers slid out and then back in.
"I swear sometimes I come when you simply look at me." She watched her fingers slide in and out, covered with the abundant wetness. Reece moaned deep in her chest and closed her eyes. Faith's other hand reached down and she slid a finger from that hand inside as well.
Reece jumped in surprise. Faith acting so dominant was driving her nuts. She had a feeling the smaller woman was staking some sort of claim on her body and damn if she wasn't enjoying every minute of it. "Faith.." She panted and laid back, spreading her legs wider.
Faith continued pumping slowly and evenly until Reece started to moan with every thrust. Green eyes stared into blue ones with a look of pure lust. The blue eyes fluttered when Faith twisted one hand around and she ground the heel of her hand into Reece's clit.
"You're just taking all sorts of liberties with me today, aren't you?" The tall woman breathed between grunts, pleased that Faith was enjoying herself.
"Are you going to tell me that you don't like this?"
"God no."
Faith pulled her fingers all the way out and spread them, holding it up to her lips.
"You couldn't deny it anyway. It looks like your body speaks for itself, baby." She smeared her fingers over her mouth and licked her lips.
"I think it's screaming, Faith." Reece panted in frustration.
Chapter 30B
"I got so incredibly hot just now, watching myself fuck you." She whispered, giving the toy a tug.
"I don't think I have to tell you what it did to me." Reece gasped and closed her eyes as her lover pushed her back down on the bed. When she opened them, she found Faith crouched over her staring deeply into her eyes.
"What?" Reece asked with narrowed eyes.
"You." Faith answered vaguely, tracing Reece's features with her fingertips. At the arched eyebrow, she continued. "Reece, I don't think I can live without you. And I'm not just talking about this, the sex. You really are a Chapterof me. Please believe me when I tell you how much I need you."
"What are you talking about?" Reece asked, not quite comprehending.
"I love you so much." she repeated.
"You just say that cuz I let you hump my ass." Reece teased.
"Oh god no, Reece, it's so much more than that." Faith studied the deep blue eyes and then she saw it, "and I think you know exactly what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," admitted the club owner with a small grin. "Are they really the windows to the soul?
"You tell me." Faith lovingly trailed her fingers along Reece's eyebrows, her nose, and then traced her lips. Bending down, she kissed those lips, the nose, then each eyebrow. Sitting up again, she took Reece's hand and kissed each finger before rubbing her cheek into the palm. "What do you see in my eyes, Reece?" she whispered into the strong hand.
The club owner didn't have to think before answering, but the feel of Faith's soft lips in her hand made her pause. "My salvation." She answered quietly, swallowing the lump in her throat.
The honesty with which she spoke caused a swell of emotion in the actress. She threw herself on top of her lover and rained kisses all over her face.
Reece cupped Faith's face in both hands, relishing in the feel of her lips touching her skin.
"Do you know what that means to me?" The actress asked.
"Couldn't possibly be as much as you mean to me." Reece answered matter-of-factly.
"Oh, Reece, do you mean that?" Faith wondered tearfully.
"Faith, I'm not nearly what I would consider the poster girl for relationships...and I am a horror to deal with, I know. But you've shown me how much you love me, you prove it to me on a daily basis just by being here when I open my eyes in the morning. I have no idea how you put up with me and my shit. I know what I have, and how lucky I am to have it. I'd be a real asshole to let you go."
Faith was speechless at Reece's monologue. She didn't know what to say. After a short while of just staring at her lover, she found the words. "Thank you for giving me your trust." Faith twined her fingers with Reece's.
Reece stuck out her chin in an oddly defiant gesture, but Faith knew it was her way of showing that Reece acknowledged the admission of her own weakness, but wasn't able to deal with it yet. Faith didn't press the issue and simply took it for what she knew it was--Reece's pride covering her fear.
"I'm not going anywhere, Reece." Faith said sincerely.
"That's right, you aren't. I don't intend on letting you." Reece mock sneered.
"Oooh, I love it when you're bad." Faith half teased, really wishing Reece would be bad more often.
"Do you now." The club owner wiggled her eyebrows with a lecherous glare.
"Oh yeah." she shuddered.
Faith leaned into her lover and kissed her. The kisses changed into deep hungry ones, and soon both women were moving against each other with need. "Now, I do believe we have unfinished business," the actress said after giving Reece's body a long leer.
Faith scooted down and licked a trail from navel to throat, where she attached herself and sucked hard.
Reece squirmed and groaned.
The actress got a thrill that Reece still allowed her to take control and suddenly became aggressive, sucking and biting a path downward, leaving a line of bruises and teeth marks.
"Marking your territory, Little One?" Reece bit out through her gritted teeth.
Faith nodded and began giving the same treatment to Reece's breasts. She scratched her nails down the long arms and held strong hands down on the bed.
"Faith!" Reece's back arched off the bed when the actress bit her nipple too hard. "Go easy!" She breathed through her clenched jaw, even though her legs opened wider.
Someone's getting a little too comfortable here. The club owner thought with a smirk. Gotta fix that.
Reece's eyes widened as half her breast was sucked into Faith's mouth. Ok, so ask me again in an hour. She closed her eyes and groaned.
Faith sat on Reece's thighs, reached between them, and positioned the dildo so it was standing up in front of her. She stroked it as if Reece could feel it, and rubbed herself back and forth on her lover's slick center, which was framed by two strips of leather. "Oh yeah...I've been waiting for this..." she breathed into Reece's neck as she stroked the toy and pressed harder. She moved her other hand to squeeze Reece's breast.
What has gotten into her? wondered the club owner when one nipple was twisted and pinched quite roughly, the other one sucked hard. "Faith baby.. " She growled. The actress's sudden wild streak was driving her insane. The unpredictable behavior was so out of character. She had to keep reminding herself to calm down, that this was Faith.
Ok, this is your lover, look at her. Reece focused on the green eyes looking back at her from her breast. Then she focused on the hand between her legs.
Yeah, that's Faith alright. And she happens to be jerking you off. Reece found it hard to control herself and pumped her hips in time to Faith's stroking.
The actress began another descent, never letting go of the dildo, but dragging her free hand down, digging her nails into the Reece's skin as she did. She settled herself between the long legs and propped herself up on her elbow. She kissed the dildo and paused to look at Reece's confused face.
"Oh god...you're gonna...oh god.." Reece had to close her eyes, Faith was acting so much like the girls of her past, it was blowing her mind. She fought the urge to jump to her knees and grab a handful of hair. "JESUS!" she screamed, as her right knee was suddenly at her ribs and Faith's tongue thrust inside of her.
Reece's hands flew to the edges of the mattress, grabbing the sheets tightly. Blue eyes glanced down, rolled back and shut. It was all too much for the club owner. The blowjob would have been enough, but this..? She growled as her lover rubbed her whole face back and forth between her legs.
That tongue is pure evil.
Faith grunted an animalistic sound, her tongue delving deeply inside Reece. The hips beneath her thrust up into her nose so hard that her eyes watered. She stopped abruptly and climbed back up the writhing body, attacking Reece's mouth with the same abandon.
A long leg wrapped around Faith's back and pulled her close, two strong hands holding her head. Reece sucked the evil tongue into her mouth and thrust her pelvis blindy. Faith pulled away and began to chew on her lover's lips. The club owner moaned and her leg squeezed harder.
Reece smelled herself on the warm breath and her nostrils flared. She grabbed Faith's neck and pulled her down, pushing her tongue into her mouth.
"Your body's screaming again." Faith murmured against swollen lips. With her best seductive sneer, she reached down and positioned the dildo at her entrance. "Now, fuck me now, Reece."
The club owner lifted herself up on her elbows to watch and thrust up hard, burying the whole thing up inside her lover in one swift motion.
Faith threw her head back and groaned languidly, digging her fingers into Reece's shoulders. "You feel so good inside me." she moaned breathlessly.
Reece looked down between them, and then up at her lover's face. Then it hit her. Fuck! I know what this is about!
She remembered how Faith wanted to hear about how she used those girls, how the young Reece would take them forcefully at their own pleading. Reece also remembered how her lover reacted to the detailed descriptions she offered with slight clenching movements of her thighs and unconscious lip licking. Reece felt a powerful heat explode inside of her chest and she inhaled harshly to stifle the flames. Baring her teeth and growling, she wrapped her other leg around Faith and used the momentum to roll them over. Then she pulled out and sat back on her heels.
"Reece!" Faith protested and reached for her lover's arms. Reece swatted the hands away and grumbled deep in her chest.
"Uh-uh." she shook her head. "My turn, remember?"
The hungry gleam in her eye told Faith all she needed to know. Faith felt her heart pounding. YES! She shouted in her head.
"Turn over." Reece commanded with a light slap to the hip. Once Faith complied, she used one hand to gather both of her lover's smaller ones and pulled them up over her head, stretching Faith's body up into her chest. The other hand slid under Faith and lifted her hips, pulling her ass up into her belly.
"You want me to fuck you?" The club owner gyrated her pelvis to emphasize her words then suddenly let go of the smaller hands, and Faith fell to her elbows.
The redhead nodded and whimpered.
Reece sneered ferally. "Good, cuz that's what I'm gonna do now."
"Yes, please," the actress begged with a frantic nod.
Reece molded herself on top of Faith's back and bent her head, her lips touching the actress's right ear. She contemplated her situation, not sure if what she was about to do was really what Faith wanted. She was trembling at the idea of letting herself go. The adrenaline was making her scalp tingle, and all she needed was one more push and she was there.
Faith shivered as the long hair tickled her shoulders and neck. She waited and waited while Reece did nothing more than breath into her ear. She was so tense with anticipation of her lover's next move she whimpered.
"Is this really what you want?" Reece whispered shakily.
Faith nodded, and arched her back ever so slightly.
Reece breathed hard through her nostrils and clenched her jaw to keep from screaming from relief. Her whole body shook with excitement.
The actress moaned quietly as the heat blew onto her face. She felt Reece rear back and shudder behind her. The dark head appeared at her left ear. She shivered again from the sensation of Reece's hair spilling across her heated skin.
"I've just lost control, Faith."
The low dangerous timber of her voice sent goosebumps all over the actress. She whimpered again.
With a growl, Reece thrust her hips hard into the upturned ass, and Faith fell face first onto the bed, her elbows unable to hold the weight of her shaking body.
Reece lifted her back onto her knees roughly, slamming Faith's butt into her groin. "I hope you know what you're in for, sweetheart." The club owner said in a singsong voice as she pushed roughly against her lover again.
Faith swallowed loudly, unable to speak. She'd played with fire and now she yearned for the consequences. Her heavy lover dropped back down onto her and she struggled to hold the added weight up. Warmth blew across her cheek and Reece's hair blanketed her face once more.
"Does my strength excite you?"
Her voice was measured, calm, but Faith could see the tremors in the forearm that was braced by her lips. Reece was at the very edge of her willpower, she was about to explode. Faith worried that she had pushed her lover too far.
Reece drew her hips back further before pumping them slowly, sliding the dildo up through Faith's folds. "Tell me." she bit out through her teeth, reaching a hand under Faith's chin and turning her head.
The actress felt her heart pound at the intensity of Reece's glare. The blue eyes seemed to glow with heat. Her lover was giving her a last chance. She thought fearfully of what Reece might do if she backed out now. And to whom... with whom... The actress decided that she needed to experience this. Reece needed to do this too.
"Do.. you.. want.. this.. Faith?" she rasped.
"No, I need this." Faith swallowed loudly.
Reece's pupils expanded and her lips twisted into a sneer. She pulled Faith's chin higher and plunged her tongue into the open mouth. She was breathing loudly as she claimed every bit of the actress's mouth, their teeth scraping, Reece's tongue thrusting deeply inside.
Faith's neck was cramping in her current position, but her chin was held tightly in a strong grip. She could hardly breathe as her mouth was being invaded in such a manner. Abruptly the onslaught ended and Reece let go of her face. The actress gasped for breath. She was as turned on as she was scared. She trusted Reece with her life, but this was not Reece. The danger made her shiver, she surprised herself with her reaction. Faith turned her head and inhaled sharply. Those eyes burned right through her, she was looking at The Animal.
Reece snickered dangerously as she reached down and slapped Faith's inner thigh.
The actress quickly spread her legs and was pulled back forcefully, fingers swiping her juices and spreading them on the dildo. Her heart sped up and she swayed forward. A sharp slap to her right ass cheek made her cry out in surprise and she quickly repositioned herself.
Reece chuckled, then rubbed the head of the toy up and down over Faith's entrance.
"Fuck it." She instructed in a voice Faith had never heard before.
The actress pushed back until she was impaled. Her already shaky arms shook even harder as she tried to use her elbows for leverage. She heard a hiss of approval from her partner and backed up a little further. Dropping her chin to her forearms, she grabbed her own head tightly as she was filled deeper.
"Don't you know what fucking is?" she questioned with a snarl.
The Animal wrapped a hand around Faith's throat, and pulled her head back. She jammed the dildo home and let out a triumphant "Hah!" when the actress screamed.
Faith felt as if she might faint, her heart was beating so frantically. The strong hand around her throat caused her to arch her neck, her breath to become labored. This woman had the ability to kill her if she so desired. The knowledge caused her to shudder.
But Reece would never allow herself to hurt me.
"AH!" Faith yelled as the powerful thrust was accompanied by another slap.
"Now that's fucking." The growl was followed by a deep chuckle.
Even if she wasn't herself at the moment, her lover was in there. The actress squeezed her eyes shut tightly. The fear mixed with pleasure was making it difficult to think clearly. And she needed to think.
Does she want me to talk? Can I tell her how incredibly good this feels? Should I tell her I love her?"
Faith's neck was released and without warning her knees were pulled so that she was laying on her stomach, legs spread. She cried out from the exquisite new feelings her lover was producing in her. Two strong hands groped their way up from her ass to her shoulders, then slid up her outstretched arms. The tall woman laid her body down on top of Faith's back and breathed heavily in her ear.
"Talk to me, Faith. Tell me how good my dick feels inside you." The club owner thrust hard, leering at the way Faith's whole body moved forward with the force of each entry.
The actress was so overwhelmed she merely grunted each time her body was entered.
"Tell me how much you want to come for me." She licked the back of Faith's neck.
"So bad..for you..." The actress managed to sputter.
The Animal pulled Faith's hands over her head and turned onto her side. She held the two hands in one, pressing them behind her own neck. Fingers immediately gripped on, tangled in the long dark tresses.
"Don't move them." The tall woman ordered Faith nodded absently, arching into the long body behind her. Groaning, she pushed her ass back, begging for more.
Reece stopped thrusting and lay there panting, her chest heaving with every breath. She bit an earlobe and sucked it into her mouth, stopping when Faith's moaning became too distracting.
"You like this, don't you." she groaned and rolled her hips.
"So much..." The actress stammered, knowing Reece wanted to hear her. She wiggled her body in an attempt to feel the hard nipples rub into her shoulders.
"I know you do." She pulled back slowly and pushed in hard. A groan rumbed inside her chest when she felt the slick skin of Faith's ass sliding on her lower belly. Fingers dug into the back of the club owner's neck and Faith nodded with a whine. She tried to press herself back tighter.
"You've been thinking about this..." The tall woman paused to hiss with the feeling on her neck. "...since I told you what I did to those girls."
"God yes." Faith nodded, the breath was hot and moist in her ear. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut again. She shivered as a strong hand reappeared around her throat, one long finger hooked over her bottom lip and into her mouth.
"You crave me." she growled, and thrust in short quick motions.
"Desperately." Faith groaned, and rooted her hips for proof.
The tall woman shuddered and grunted as those lips moved against her finger. She could feel Faith's heart pounding through her own body. It invigorated her. She tightened her hand around Faith's throat and pulled the actress's head, stretching her neck, arching it back so they were cheek to cheek.
Faith felt like her body was on fire, the heat of her lover's skin was intense.
Reece wrenched a knee between Faith's and propped up her leg. She felt Faith swallow against her hand, and grinned. The actress's leg was high off the bed, draped over her long one. She was wide open and ready. The tall woman snaked her free hand where their sexes met and soaked it with Faith's wetness. She felt the fingers that were digging into the back of her neck twitch. She rubbed her wet fingers into her own heated center and moaned loudly.
Faith was whimpering almost continuously by now, knowing that her lover was so hot, that she had made her so hot that she was touching herself. Faith rocked back and forth, trying to soothe her need. Her hands clenching in Reece's hair to the rhythm she wanted between her legs.
The club owner stopped stroking herself and wrapped her wet fingers around Faith's dangling ankle, lifting it even higher, spreading her open further. She drew her hips back while pushing Faith's forward.
"GOD!" The actress rasped.
The Animal was fucking her. Hard and fast, their bodies slapping into one another's loudly. She wanted to scream encouragement, but the hand around her throat prevented it. All she emitted was a strangled moan.
The tall woman heard the sound and released Faith's neck, needing to hear what she was doing to her. Craving the words that would stroke her ego.
"How do I feel, Faith?" she twisted her hips.
"Deep..." The actress groaned. "So good..."
"Yes, so good." The tall woman agreed with a groan.
"Oh..oh.oh..oh.." Faith accented each exhale with a groan.
"I'm gonna come inside you...yeah..." Her voice was rough and shaky.
The force became exhausting to the actress, her body was being thrown forward harder with each thrust. But it didn't stop, and she was speechless to do anything about it. She was past the point of ecstasy, the pleasure was unbearable and she so badly needed to come. The frantic pace at which the dark woman was entering her had her at the very brink of pain.
"Too.. much..." she grunted hoarsely.
Unfortunately the woman behind her didn't hear as she growled loudly at the same time. She jerked and twitched then stilled, expelling a gust of air with what Faith figured was a much needed orgasm.
Maybe now she took a little edge off. She hoped. Without any time to recover, the actress found herself on her knees being fucked again, but this time with less intensity and more attention. She groaned and met the tall woman's thrusts.God, now I know where that nickname came from, she thought.
The tall woman gained momentum and picked up speed. Reece was grunting erratically into Faith's ear, apparently on her way to another climax.
"Let go of my neck." she ordered.
"Can I touch you?" Faith panted.
"No. Give me those."
The actress rested on her right cheek on the damp sheet. Her hands were brought to her own ass.
"Spread your cheeks."
Faith did what she was told and moaned deeply. It felt wonderful to be wide open like that.
"I wanna see my cock fuck you." Reece groaned. Watching as she slid in and out, she reached between her own legs to wet her hand. She smeared her juices on Faith's asshole.
"Oh god.." Faith whimpered.
"I have a thing for your ass too." she smiled wickedly as the opening puckered.
Reece slowed her thrusts, rotating her pelvis each time she filled her lover, reveling in the sensation of her clit grinding into the harness. She spent a long time teasing the entrance, watching it twitch... slipping the errant fingertip around the opening. Hearing the breathless groans, she tested the waters, she slid the tip of her thumb inside.
Faith bucked up and captured the whole digit, yelling out as it slid all the way in.
The Animal roared and her nostrils flared. She gripped Faith's hair and watched intently as she fucked her furiously, a strong orgasm building steam.
"Ah...oh...yes!" Faith was groaning incoherently, digging her nails into her own flesh. She was at that place where her climax had been denied too long. She was on overload, searching frantically for release.
But not The Animal. She was ready and pumped fast and furious. Growling and grunting, she slammed her body into Faith's.
"I wish you could see yourself. Wide open, being ass fucked and pussy fucked." The tall woman shuddered hard at her own words. "Fucked by The Animal..you love it.."
Faith simply whimpered into the mattress, far beyond words.
"So hot...so hot..."
Faith bit her lip when the hand holding her hair twisted and pulled.
Reece shouted wordlessly, and entered her lover so hard the smaller woman's body fell down on the bed with the force. She stayed buried inside as she ground her groin and her thumb blindly. She arched back with a long moan, and then rolled away.
Faith wanted to cry. She was so frustrated, so hot for this woman, yet she couldn't come.
Kneeling at Faith's side, the club owner leaned over. Dark wet hair covered the actress's face as the tall woman engulfed her mouth with her own. Biting and sucking everything her mouth could devour.
Faith reached around Reece's neck and pulled her close. A strong hand cupped her soaking sex and squeezed. She begged to come for The Animal.
"Please...please..."
"You want to come so bad." Reece growled into Faith's mouth, then covered her lips again and quickly filled her with long fingers. Her clit twitched violently as she swallowed Faith's screams. Reece arched her back and shuddered when the actress gripped her wrist and forced contact to her clit.
"Oh god...do it.. " Faith whined. She stared first at the smug sneer and then into the glowing blue eyes of The Animal. An incredible wave of heat engulfed her from her center and spread out to every nerve ending. She cried out with relief.
Reece's eyes narrowed to slits as she watched her lover thrash around on the bed, riding her hand.
"Come." she whispered.
Faith sobbed from the intense waves of pleasure that washed over her. Her peak was long and slow. She came quietly, exhausted and drained.
The Animal slinked back a bit as blue eyes gazed at the woman she loved in such a state. Reece suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, but green eyes popped open and showed the depth of her pleasure.
Faith took the hand from between her legs and sucked the fingers clean. She kissed each one in a show of thanks and smiled sensuously when she spotted her lover's abdomen twitch.
"May I?" She asked, her eyes flicking from the sticky pubic hair to the half closed blue eyes.
Reece tried to answer but was interrupted by the throbbing in her sex as she watched Faith unhook the harness and begin licking the dildo. She grabbed her lover's hand and thrust it between her legs.
"Touch me, Faith." The tall woman's knees almost gave out at the contact.
"Oh Reece.." she crooned.
Faith was well aware that The Animal never let anyone touch her. Reece was not totally gone, and that was a safe feeling. Faith gasped at the amount of wetness her lover generated, and feeling confident she pushed Reece down onto her back.
The club owner grabbed Faith's head and forced it between her legs, lifting her hips to meet the mouth halfway. Her center was immediately covered with wet heat. She wrapped a long leg around her lover's neck and arched up off he bed.
Faith licked up all the wetness happily and rubbed her nose back and forth, covering herself in the scent and feel of Reece. The tall woman whined and Faith realized this was not the time to play.
"Inside..." she moaned, blindly groping for Faith's hand. "Arrrgh!" Reece growled and wrapped her other leg around Faith's back as the fingers moved swiftly in and out.
The actress looked up at Reece's heaving breasts and groaned, wishing she had three hands.
"Faith...suck...please." The club owner rasped breathlessly.
Faith latched her lips onto the throbbing oversensitive clit and pulled hard, batting her tongue across the swollen tip. Reece's legs trembled uncontrollably and she uttered throaty sounds, erratically jerking her sex into Faith's face. Faith doubled her efforts, her neck locked in a vise grip between her bucking lover's thighs.
"Yes!" The tall woman sat up, shoving Faith's head deeper between her legs. She gasped and wheezed, convulsing wildly. With a large exhale, her grip loosened. "Faith, oh my god," she grunted as she collapsed on the bed.
"What? Reece?" Faith asked, scrambling up the tall body.
"I can't move. You've gone and crippled me." The tall woman lifted her arm and it flopped back down heavily.
"You fuckhead! I thought I hurt you." She slapped her lover repeatedly on her shoulders.
"Hey! No beating a cripple!" Reece chuckled. "C'mere you." She held out her arms and Faith fell right into them.
"That was... interesting?" Faith sighed.
"Interesting?" Reece tried to lift her head to look at her lover but didn't have the strength.
"Mm hmm. Veeerrry interesting." Faith purred and sat up.
"Yeah?" Reece lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Aside from giving me the wildest ride of my life, I found your breaking point." She smirked cockily.
"Oh. That." Reece averted her eyes.
"Honey, look at me." Blue eyes met green. "I enjoyed that you know. Very much so." she licked her lips. "Very very much so."
"Ok, but next time just tell me you want The Animal. You don't have to push me there. I can do that on my own."
"Don't worry Reece. I'm not afraid to push you. As long as I'm there when you snap, I'm ok."
"You really ok with it? I mean, I can be pretty brutal." she looked away and frowned.
"Very ok. I trust you, baby." She yawned widely. "You'd never intentionally hurt me."
"Key word being intentional." Reece yawned back and spooned her lover. "You're gonna regret it tomorrow."
"I'll never regret anything we do, especially in bed... and I'm not afraid of you, so forget it. Now go to sleep."
"I'll never figure you out, Faith Ashford."
Chapter 31
Faith threw on her jeans and a sweatshirt, leaving her sneakers untied, and hastily exited the dressing room. She made a beeline for the older woman chatting with her friends. Standing impolitely between the women, she folded her arms over her chest.
"Faith, honey! I'm so proud of you! I was just telling these wonderful girls how ecstatic I was, seeing you acting! This place is so exciting! Sweetheart, your shoes are undone, you're going to fall and crack a tooth."
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Faith asked, rather annoyed.
"It was a surprise. I brought your Christmas presents." She held up a large shopping bag. "Some for your partner too," Marsha beamed.
"Awww. That is so sweet." Alison hugged the older woman.
"Sandy, Ali, I guess you've already met my mother," she said, rolling her eyes.
"She's great, Faith," Sandy gushed.
"Why does everybody think my mom is so cool?" Faith asked while tying her sneakers.
"I am, dear. I'm down with the queer people, now. Right sisters?"
"Oh god... why me?"
"Have you gotten anything for your woman yet?" Sandy asked.
"No, not yet, I still have some time, though." Faith looked down at her feet.
"Procrastinating gets you nowhere, babe," Sandy smiled. "Christmas is this weekend."
"Don't know what to get, huh?" Ali grinned.
"I haven't a clue," Faith sighed.
"Then it's settled. I'm taking you shopping." Mrs. Ashford turned her daughter around by her shoulders and pushed her towards the door.
"Mom! I don't have my purse! I don't even have my wallet!" the actress protested.
"For heaven's sake, why?"
"I was on my way to Cori's house, we were going to decorate her house to surprise Violet."
"Is that why you look like that then? Phew! I was worried that you were going all butch on my ass."
"Mother! What has gotten into you?!" Faith was astonished at her mom's behavior. She stepped into the black car and motioned for Marsha to follow.
"Too much? I thought so." Marsha pursed her lips. "I was only trying to fit in," she frowned. Mrs. Ashford closed the door behind her and looked around the interior.
"Mom, where have you learned to talk like that?" Faith demanded.
"I have a confession, I joined PFLAG," she smiled proudly.
The actress stared at her mother in amazement. "I can't believe you did that. What does daddy think?"
"He doesn't know," she whispered. "Let's keep it between us, okay?"
"Home, Ms. Ashford?"
"You got it, Barry, then we're going to the mall in Herald Square."
"Finally going Christmas shopping then?" he asked.
"Finally, yes. Barry, meet my mother, Marsha Ashford."
"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"My pleasure. Faith, you have your own driver?" she asked in disbelief, extending her hand to the man up front.
"Yeah. Now we have to stop home so I can grab my wallet. Hand me that phone, mom? I have to call Cori and tell her about the change in plans."
Marsha took the phone out of its holder and handed it over, open mouthed. "Do you have to pay for this?" she gestured around the limo.
"No, the studio does. Reece demanded that I have safe transportation. It makes her feel better and, who's stupid enough to argue with her?"
Barry chuckled.
Faith held up her hand to quiet her mother. "Cor? Sheee's baaaack."
-----------
The actress opened the door to her house and was about to yell for Reece when her lover's voice came growling out of the living room.
"Oooo, look good in latex. Get off... having rough sex."
"Reece?" The stunned actress turned beet red. What on earth?
"Is she alone? She's talking awfully loud." Marsha, also blushing, snuck towards the entrance of the living room, since her shocked daughter wouldn't move.
"Surprise, writhing round my bed. Restrained... while I fuck your head."
"REECE!" What is she doing?! Faith couldn't understand why her lover was shouting such things. Still, she was afraid of what she'd find if she followed Reece's voice, so she stood in the foyer blushing brightly.
"You are my fetish," the club owner sang loudly, oblivious to the other women.
Marsha retuned to her daughter's side with a playful smile on her lips. "Faith, honey? She's got those earphones on her head. I don't think she knows we're here. Should we let her know?"
"Oh no, that's not good, mom. We can't sneak up on her, it's not a good idea."
"But she'll be very upset if she finds us sneaking about... especially when she looks like that."
Faith worried. One time, Faith surprised her lover by sneaking up behind her as she entered the house and somehow wound up sprawled across the dining room floor, half under the table. Her mother would get very upset if she saw Reece in action.
"Looks like what?" Faith finally asked.
Mrs. Ashford gestured for her daughter to come to the living room. Quietly, Faith followed her mother and had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing loudly.
Her unsuspecting lover was still in her pj's, wearing big floppy slippers and a backwards baseball cap that kept her hair off her face and she was dancing around the coffee table wildly, playing 'air guitar'. "You are my fetish," she shouted.
A fake Christmas tree was listing pathetically to the left and decorations lay scattered all about the room. Faith shook her head at Reece's behavior and the two women snuck away from the room.
"Well, I think that's just darling, Faith! She's trying to surprise you too! I bet she had this all planned out with Cori," Mrs. Ashford smiled warmly at the younger woman. "Now, leave her be and hurry up and get your wallet."
Reece's voice once again echoed through the foyer, "Pain turns to pleasure fast... Relaaax while I pound your ass."
"Oh dear!" the older woman blushed. "Oh my! Maybe I should go get the handbag, this sounds way too personal."
"On the bed, upstairs in my room, mom." Reece, I am so going to get you for this.
Faith could not imagine a song like this. However, she concluded, if there were one, it would figure that Reece would know all the words. She breathed a sigh of relief to see her mother return with her pocketbook. On their way out the door, Reece's voice could be heard again. The way the club owner sang the words turned Faith's legs to jelly.
"Oh, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna watch you come."
"I bet it's never boring when you two call it a night, huh?" Marsha slapped her mortified daughter on the back and danced down the stairs singing, "You are my Fetish."
"MOM!" Oh, please kill me.
------------
Cori was guffawing again, drawing attention to the two shoppers.
"Do you mind telling me why you keep laughing?" the actress demanded, tapping her foot.
"It's that image of Reece again," she giggled. "I have a confession," the dancer sputtered between laughter.
"What, do I look like a priest today?" Faith scowled.
"I bought her that CD last Christmas."
"Thanks a pant load," Faith frowned, and then stopped to gaze fondly at some trousers in the leather shop window.
"My pleasure. She loves Joan Jett. Didn't you know that?" Cori wondered then blew bubbles into her soda.
"Yes, I know that, but I have never heard a song like that."
"The whole album is sex, sex, sex."
"Well I'm thrilled Ms. Jett is so open about her preferences. God, that was humiliating."
"Aw... lighten up. I can't believe she hadn't played that one in your presence. You'd think it would be her idea of mood music." Cori blew more bubbles.
"Hardy har." The actress lamely backhanded the dancer in the stomach. "Our musical preferences are quite opposite; her's gives me a headache." She glanced sideways at her friend and chuckled. "Must you do that every time you get a fountain soda? And tell me again why you have to get a soda every time we're in the mall?"
"Fountain sodas rock! Besides, you know I have a system. First, I get a pretzel at the pretzel place. By the time I'm finished, we're right outside the cookie place and I get a soda, then I have to pee in Macy's."
The actress wandered around the corner to get a better look at the merchandise.
"So, when does Reece get a chance to listen to all her CD's?" the dancer asked, following Faith.
"She listens to her music while she's alone and mine when we're together," Faith smirked.
"Reece is sooo whipped," the dancer said with mock sadness, drawing a genuine grin from Faith. "Say, those pants are hot! They sell other... accoutrements here too, you know." Cori wiggled her eyebrows.
The actress smiled devilishly.
Marsha wandered up to the girls with her own burden of packages. "You know, girls, I liked it much better when Theresa was here; she insisted that she hold all of the bags. She's such a gentleman."
"Yeah, she's something else isn't she," Faith agreed absently. She was definitely going to buy those pants, among other things. Now, how to ditch the old lady... she thought.
"She lets her call her Theresa? How come I can't call her Theresa," Cori pouted.
"I'm special," Marsha replied quickly.
"Because you want to live to see another day," Faith answered at the same time.
"Mom, why don't you have a seat over there on the bench for a bit. Here, watch the bags, Cori and I want to go into a store without checking everything for a change."
"Sure, I can stand a break. You girls go on," she shooed them away with her hand.
Faith and Cori winked at each other and dashed into the leather specialty store.
When they returned, each wearing very evil grins, they noticed the bench was mobbed and Marsha was sitting there, bopping her head side to side.
"Mom?" Faith wondered what her mother was doing.
"You know, I can't get that song out of my head?" Marsha hummed a few bars then sang, "You are my fet-ish."
Cori shnarfed cola through her nose and howled with laughter.
Faith sat down in the middle of the mall and pulled her sweatshirt up over her face. "Leave me alone, I wanna die," she mumbled at the tugging on her sleeve.
"Aren't you Judith?" an excited teenage voice inquired.
Faith felt her legs go numb. Oh no, not now. She peeked her eye out from her shirt and grimaced. A small crowd had appeared around her, all holding little pieces of paper and various writing implements.
"Hey, yeah! It is her! Guys, come here!" another more excited young voice hollered.
The actress stood up as gracefully as she could, while trying to hide what was in her bag. She was embarrassed enough by her mother's and Cori's antics, if they should see what she just purchased, Faith was sure to be front-page fodder again. Glancing at the two women, she noticed her mother tapping her foot to the beat in her head and Cori still laughing.
I hope she pees herself, she wished with a smirk. Turning to the small crowd, Faith smiled graciously. As much as she loved to cater to her fans, even answer fan mail personally; she wanted this to be quick. Her mother and Cori were bound to do something embarrassing. As if my mother singing about rough sex isn't horrifying enough. She glanced back over towards the bench, receiving a wave from both women. She narrowed her eyes at them, willing them to behave and continued to sign autographs for the ever-growing crowd.
-----------
Reece welcomed the hard spray of the shower massage with a deep sigh. She bent her head and let it pound into her neck.
Ahhh, this is heaven.
----------
Reece was annoyed with Frankie's tree. She had found it up in the closet one day and he told her it was a fantastic seven-footer. It wasn't; it was pathetic and kept falling to the side. The club owner tried and tried, but the stupid tree wouldn't listen and she punished it for its disobedience. Once it was totally dismembered, she walked out in her pajamas in the rain and threw it into the trashcans in the alley.
"Now what?" she stood there letting the cold rain cool her temper.
She looked around her. As luck would have it, there was a small forest of Christmas trees for sale set up on the corner. The deciding process was quick and the wet dark haired woman dragged the drenched tree through the house. When it became firmly wedged between the two rooms, Reece pitched a fit, cussing and carrying on until she got it to bend around the corner and threw it into the living room.
The club owner was, for once, grateful for Cori's bright ideas and was happy that Faith wasn't due home all day. If she had any thought about leaving, Cori's eggnog was sure to keep her a bit longer. The dancer had promised.
Reece finally fit the soaking-wet tree into the stand. This being her first experience with a live tree, the wet pine needles in her underwear was a new and unwelcome sensation. Once she was able to get it standing straight, the frustrated woman couldn't wait and had dried the tree with towels and put up what lights and decorations she had.
Reece stood back to survey the tree. Her shoulders slumped in defeat when she realized only half the thing was covered. So, aggravated and full of needles and sap, she had to go out into the rain again and buy a sufficient amount of balls and ornaments to cover the twice-as-large tree. The salesman had even talked her into personalized stockings, which was good, because she had forgotten about those.
Hours later, when finished with the tree, Reece hung the stockings and stepped back to admire the finished product. "Hey, not half bad," the filthy and exhausted woman smiled, watching the lights twinkle and flicker. "You did good."
Taking a quick look at the damage inflicted on the rest of the house, the club owner groaned and got to work cleaning the mess.
------------
Reece bent over and let the steaming water massage her lower back.
I hope she likes it, she worried. I'll just have to kill Cori if she doesn't.
Cori and Faith were discussing Christmas and Faith mentioned how special it was for her to have a family holiday, a decorated tree and listen to carols and Christmas songs. It was a tradition in her home and this would be the first year she'd go without it. Cori figured that since Reece simply hated the holiday season, she could have Faith help her decorate her house and had relayed the message to Reece. The club owner took the dancer's suggestion and ran with it. She'd do anything to make Faith happy, even pick pine needles out of the strangest places.
Reece really hated Christmas. Even growing up with nuns, she despised the holiday. Once she started working at The Lounge, she hated it even more -- the commercials, the inane songs on the radio, the shopping. Christmas and the weeks prior, meant the streets of Manhattan were crawling with thousands of tourists, all stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to gawk at window displays or knocking her around with their big clumsy bags full of stupid gifts. The whole month of December meant various office parties spilling over into The Lounge, the men rude and disrespectful to her girls and it had been Reece's job to protect those girls. The drunken idiots snorting at her when she would tell them to behave, challenging her, laughing in her face, finding it very amusing that a 'girl' was telling them what to do. Yeah, she hated Christmas. After only two years at the Lounge, she made it a point to take off on her bike and escape New York City in the winter. Frankie understood, and besides, he was tired of bailing her out of jail for assault.
The relaxed club owner sat in her bathrobe on the couch and stared at the tree. Something's definitely missing, she thought.
"Oh shit. Presents." she groaned and shuffled upstairs to get dressed.
--------------
"Honey? Where are you?" Faith yelled from the doorway. The actress knew that Reece would probably go ballistic if she wasn't there to present her surprise.
Faith and her mom waited patiently by the front door, making all sorts of unnecessary noise.
"Faith, I don't think she's home."
"That's weird," Faith worried.
Marsha glanced around and saw the tall woman's wet coat draped over the kitchen chair and the wet boots on a towel.
"Sweetheart?" she pointed to the wet clothes and then pointed upstairs.
"Oh, the poor baby, she's probably wiped out. I'll take care of it, mom. Stay here," Faith ordered.
"Actually, dear, I thought I'd go down to the corner and maybe order us some dinner. I'm sure she's starved and we're all pretty tired to start cooking."
"Mom, it's pouring!" Faith protested.
"Oh never you mind, I'm wet already," the older woman waved her hand. "I'm sure you can use some privacy, anyway," Marsha winked and slipped out the door.
"Maybe she is kinda cool," Faith wondered.
The actress found her lover laying on the bed snoring. She smiled at the sight and brushed the dark hair away from Reece's face.
"Reece, love, I'm home," she whispered, ending the sentence with a soft kiss.
"Hmmm," the tall woman grinned sleepily and opened one eye.
"Wake up, sleepyhead. We have company."
"What kinda kiss was that?" Reece complained.
Faith slid on top of her lover and kissed her properly. Reece wrapped her arms around Faith and deepened the kiss briefly before jumping up with a panicked look on her face, dropping Faith in the process.
The actress frowned from her position on the floor and reached out a hand for some help.
"Reece! What's the matter with you?" she scolded.
"You didn't go into the living room did you?" she asked quickly.
"Why would I go there?" Faith played it cool; glad she was a professional.
"Oh, no reason," Reece breathed easy. "Company?"
"Mom's here. She went to get dinner." "Hey, cool! She's not so bad, Faith." Reece smiled, then the panicked look returned. "She didn't go in the living room did she?"
Faith slid her arms around Reece's waist and looked up at her face. She was trying so hard to hide her secret; it was cute. "What do you have in there Reece? Are you hiding a woman from me?" Faith teased.
"Faith! How could you even say something like that?" the cub owner pulled away. "I can't believe you would..."
"Oh Reece, baby, calm down. I'm just kidding. I would never accuse you of that." The actress kissed her tall lover on the neck, nuzzling into the sleep-warmed skin.
"Hey, cut that out. I thought you were still sore," Reece furrowed her brow.
"Oh yeah, I'm sore; it still hurts to pee, but you smell so good."
"I'm sorry I hurt you," the club owner said with sadness.
"Oh no you don't. I loved every hot, wild, sweaty second. Don't you forget that," Faith kissed the neck again.
"Mmm, okay. But I'm still sorry." The club owner moved her head so Faith could access it easier. "Baby, you better stop that now," Reece warned.
"Why? You're not sore," Faith breathed into the inviting cleavage.
"No, but your mother is about to enter the room."
"Ooo, she's on my last nerve today."
Reece chuckled and opened the door before Mrs. Ashford could knock.
"Theresa!"
"Mom!"
Faith pretended to gag as the women walked down the stairs arm in arm.
---------------
Faith walked with Reece's hand covering her eyes. The club owner suggested a blindfold, but mom had enough dirt already.
"What is it, Reece? I'm so excited!" the actress honed her craft.
"Wait 'til I tell you to open your eyes." The club owner let go of her lover and turned out the lights. "Okay, look now."
Faith opened her eyes and was astounded. The tree was not what she expected at all. She was genuinely surprised. As was her mother, who stood with the same look on her face.
"You like?" Reece asked nervously.
"Like? Reece it's wonderful! How did you... but it wasn't so... I love it!" she sputtered. The actress threw herself into Reece's arms and squeezed her tight.
"Merry Christmas, Faith." Reece whispered and kissed her lover.
"Theresa dear, this is wonderful. It surpasses any Ashford Family tree," Marsha gazed fondly at the embraced couple.
Faith could feel Reece's heartbeat return to normal. She knew Reece was really worried about what Faith would think and it made her smile. "Reece, it's beautiful. How did you do this?" she asked.
"Cori helped," Reece shrugged.
"Nope, nuh uh. She was with us all day, tall one. You get all the credit. Thank you, this is very special. Our first Christmas together and I will remember it forever." Faith embraced Reece tightly again, motioning for her teary mother to join in a group hug.
"That better be you, Faith," Reece teased.
"Oops, silly me. What ever was I thinking?" Marsha replied with a wink.
Chapter 32
Reece awoke to the delicious smells wafting into their bedroom. Turning over to cuddle, she met cool sheets and an even colder pillow. Frowning slightly, she turned back over and stretched. Not really wanting to wake up yet, she opened an eye a little bit and peeked at the clock. It was 10:30. Huh? Why did I sleep so long? Sitting up, the thudding in her temples reminded Reece just how much alcohol she had consumed last night. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and rubbed her face. Yawning loudly, she made a face at the condition of her mouth. "Blech. I drank too much."
Last night had started out wonderfully and then got even better when Cori and Violet popped in with a batch of Cori's famous Eggnog. After that, most of it was a blur up until Faith had brought her up to bed.
Oh yeaaah... now that I remember... that was goood, the tall woman thought with a smirk.
While Faith was still recovering from their aggressive coupling two nights prior, Reece was not. She was drunk, horny and a bit loud about it. Faith was having a hard time controlling her determined lover in front of their company and was eternally grateful when her two friends decided to call it a night on her behalf. Too drunk to drive, they had stayed in the guest room while Mom slept on the couch.
Thrilled with the opportunity to devote all of her attentions to her amorous lover, Faith couldn't wait to get her in bed. Reece, slightly uncoordinated and unable to reciprocate, found herself completely at Faith's mercy. Repeatedly. Finally, she had to beg Faith to stop. The tall woman had never been so thoroughly ravished before and, even though she protested, she loved every minute of it.
Oh, baby. Just wait 'til I get my hands on you, Faith Ashford, she grinned at her naked self, chuckling at the hickey on her inner thigh.
A loud clanging of pots startled Reece (definitely not a familiar sound to be coming from her kitchen) and then muffled voices drifted through her half-opened door.
What is going on down there? The tall woman stood up and stretched again. She stumbled into the bathroom to wash up. Again she chuckled, this time at the weakened condition of her leg muscles. "She really got me good," she mused as she brushed the sandpaper out of her mouth.
Throwing on a robe and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, the tall woman drifted downstairs to see what was going on.
"See? I told you we had a bigger pot!" Faith harrumphed playfully.
"These things are so dusty, I don't think she ever used them," Violet snickered.
"Shut up you and just peel these," the actress said as she tossed a bunch of carrots at her friend.
"Girls... shush now, you're going to wake Theresa and after how much she drank last night, she can't be in a pleasant mood."
"Please, Mrs. Ashford, if we heard her, you had to hear her. She sounded pretty pleased to me. Besides, Reece isn't coming down any time soon. I don't think she could possibly move after what your daughter did to her," Violet pointed at Faith.
"Me?" the actress blushed. "How do you know I did all the work?"
"Because, dear, we didn't hear one peep out of you. The way that poor child begged for mercy..." Marsha tsk'ed and shook her head.
"Mom! Stop it right now." Faith's face turned darker. "I don't think I'll ever get used to my mother knowing what I do in bed... and teasing me about it," she mumbled.
"Well you should have gagged her or something," the piercer teased.
"Please, Vi, like you were quiet as mice. The whole neighborhood knows how hard you like it now." Faith snickered.
Reece decided against entering the chicken coop and detoured into the guest room. Cori was lying on her stomach with her eyes wide open; she pulled the covers up over her butt.
"You heard them?" the tall woman whispered.
Cori nodded. "Eavesdropped too, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah. Scoot over."
"Come on in." Cori lifted the blankets and Reece slid inside. "You made the right choice. I actually went in the kitchen. Marsha hit me in the back of the head for making Violet wait so long to come."
"Good grief. I'd certainly be eating soap for the things I said." Reece turned onto her back and folded her arms behind her head.
"I agree."
Reece looked sideways at her friend.
"Please, Reece, the whole block heard you. You must have been pretty drunk to be that fucking loud about it," The dancer stated bluntly.
"She was wild last night," was the club owner's reply.
"Reece, you certainly have changed. When we were together, you never even let me touch you and with the way you were carrying on last night..."
"Enough about last night, Cor," Reece started to get uncomfortable.
"I'm only teasing, Reece. It's all in fun. We're friends, remember? I find it fascinating what Faith has done to you."
"What do you mean, done to me?"
"You've become more human."
The two women lay there listening to the conversation in the kitchen. The club owner sighed heavily.
"What?" the dancer wondered why Reece suddenly seemed sad.
"Cori, ever think about life?"
"Elaborate, Reece," she laughed, getting up on one elbow to look at her friend.
"Well, I mean choices that you made, regrets."
"Yeah, I do."
Reece rolled her eyes impatiently. "Well?"
"If you're asking me if I think I made all the right choices, yes. I'm glad all my choices brought me to where I am today. I'd make all he same stupid mistakes all over again just to be here now."
"I just wonder what I may have become if my past was different..."
"No," the dancer sat up cross-legged, "don't you go and wonder about that. All the paths you walked, good and bad, brought you to Faith or her to you. I think it was meant to be."
"She could have any one in this world! She's beautiful, all over."
"Aren't you happy?" Cori asked with concern.
"Well... yeah, but I'm always wondering what's going to happen tomorrow. Someone with more to offer her could come along and..."
"Reece, you got to stop thinking like that. It's gonna tear you both up. You don't want to be the cause of you two separating, do you?"
"No, but..."
"Right. Hey, Faith loves you for you. Who knows if she would have liked a different Reece?"
"A different Reece would be less... unstable." The tall woman became sullen.
"She likes everything about you."
"You sound so sure." Reece wondered how her friend could know.
"She told me," Cori admitted. "She told me how unpredictable you are... and how it excites her. She likes it, Reece." Cori saw her friend's forehead scrunch up. "Yes, even The Animal. She trusts you."
"Yeah, with all her heart. No one ever believed in me like she does. Not even Frankie. I'm afraid I may do something stupid."
"Reece, everyone does stupid things, love itself is goofy. Come on, go easy on yourself."
"I don't think I can live without her, Cori," Reece whispered.
"And you're scared."
Reece nodded.
"Scared that you actually need someone so much, depend on her, scared that you may hurt her, scared she may tire of you... yeah we all been there, Reece."
"I haven't, Cori. What if I wake up and she's gone? What would I do without her?"
"Oh, Reece," Cori reached over and touched her friends cheek, "I don't think that's ever going to happen. Faith was named very appropriately, if you ask me. But why don't you ask her, just to confirm."
"Yeah, I'll do that," Reece agreed. "Thanks, Cor."
"You're welcome. Now, care to explain that mark?" she pointed to Reece's cleavage.
The tall woman opened her robe further and looked down at her chest. "I don't know?" she shrugged.
"If you ask me, it looks like an "F". I think you've been branded," the dancer smirked.
Reece snorted. "You know, lately she's just been psychotic about certain body parts."
"Do tell," Cori grinned like the Cheshire cat.
"She has this ass fetish and she can't seem to stay away from my tits."
"My innocent, little Faith," Cori laughed out loud.
"Innocent? Cute little blondish redhead in the kitchen? That Faith?" the club owner teased.
"Do you know she was so frightened by her feelings for you in the beginning that she nearly puked every time I brought up your name, never mind your tits."
"I know she was hot for me, but now you just lie."
"Honest! She was drawn to your tits from day one."
"Yeah, she certainly likes them. I can't complain but they're nothing special." Reece inspected her breasts then compared them to her friends exposed chest. "Yours are a hell of a lot more attractive than mine."
"I'd be afraid if you got off on your own boobs, Reece, but I have to side with Faith here, I think you've got great tits," Cori said seriously.
"Yeah, whatever." The tall woman covered herself back up. "It's my ass that seems to be in the spotlight lately. God, she's obsessed."
"Its a hot ass, Reece... especially when you wear that leather," Cori shivered.
"Should I be worried to be in the same bed as you?"
"Nah. I'm in complete control now. But ask me again later when I'm in the middle of a fantasy."
"Ugh. Here I used to be flattered. Now I'm just disgusted."
Cori looked up at her friends face to find her smirking playfully. "You shit, you scared me." The dancer pushed Reece down on the bed and straddled her, holding her hands over her head. She sniffed dramatically. "Boss lady, you reek like sex."
"Yeah, I know," Reece replied with a devilish grin.
The door opened before Cori had a chance to move.
"Oooo... now that's a nice picture," Faith giggled.
"Hey baby? Isn't that one of your fantasies?" Violet asked her lover.
"Oh please," Cori blushed. "I'm just..."
"Pinning Reece down to the bed naked?" Faith teased while jumping onto the mattress, making them bounce.
"Help, Faith, she's a brute," Reece pursed her lips in a very poor version of a pout.
Violet climbed on top of Reece behind her lover and peered over her shoulder.
"Say, now I see your point, Cor. I like this view too."
"This is not my fantasy!" Cori whined. "Reece, believe me, they're playing with you."
Faith looked at the three of them and threw her hands up. "What the hell," she laughed as she climbed up on top of Reece's chest, facing Cori.
"Oh yeah, I like this very much," Reece said and wiggled a bit. "I agree, Vi, I like the view too," she leered at Faith's ass.
"You are all assholes," Cori pouted."
Fess up, Cor, you know you want me." The club owner stretched her arms and legs out to the corners of the bed. "You want me like this. Spread eagled, with my hands and feet tied, teasing me 'til I beg, and then fucking me 'til I scream," Reece purred.
Three groans filled the room. Faith scrambled off of Reece, pulling bodies with her.
"OK, everyone out. I have some stuff to discuss with my woman," Faith ordered in a slightly husky voice.
"Oh, baby," Reece wiggled her eyebrows. Faith pulled Reece up into a sitting position and kissed her like crazy. When she finally let up, the club owner was still sitting there with her mouth open and her eyes closed.
"You are so lucky my mom is out there," Faith warned when the others left the room.
"Yeah, lucky me." Reece groaned in frustration. "Why'd you stop?"
"If you haven't noticed, we're cooking," Faith said sarcastically.
Who's coming for dinner? And why do you let her call me Theresa?"
"Hey, she likes to call you Theresa, it makes her feel special. Cori, Vi and Dad will be eating here." The actress winced in preperation for Reece's reacton.
"YOUR DAD?! Oh please, Faith, not him." The club owner flopped back down on the bed in protest.
"Yes, him. I refused to go home with Mom for the holidays, so he's coming here. They have a hotel as of tonight so you can calm down. Okay?"
"Well, okay... but if he so much as looks at me funny, I'm going to have to hurt him."
"Okay, I can't stop you anyway. Now, if I may ask, what was Cori doing on top of you?"
"We were talking about my many attributes."
"Were you, now?" Faiths eyebrow shot up.
"Aw, come on, we were only playing," Reece assured.
"Oh, I know that. I'm just disappointed I missed all the fun. I could talk about your attributes for days. I can write a book about each ass cheek."
"You are something else, you know that?" Reece smiled. "So you wanna play too?"
"Definitely. However, what I have in mind involves you, me and the recliner. It's sure to give Mother a heart attack. Never mind what it may do to Cori and Violet," Faith ran her hand between her legs and sighed.
Reece sat up so fast she got a head rush. "You feel better?" she asked excitedly.
"Ohhh, much," Faith rubbed herself against Reece's bare leg and the tall woman groaned at the heat. "Come on, I want to show you where Mom hung the mistletoe." Faith stood up and took her lover by the hand, trying to pull her out of bed.
"Oh, all right, but don't expect me to behave if you stand under it," she grumbled. "Mother or no mother, I get my kiss."
"Deal. Tonight may be very amusing. Cori told me all about the little tradition you have at the club and how you have to kiss whoever's under the mistletoe."
"Yeah, but that's the club and my office. Anyway, I don't want to kiss anyone but you."
Faith laughed. "Your tradition, pig."
"Even your father?"
Faith laughed louder at her lover's pinched up face. "Yup. Come on now, put some clothes on before I drop to my knees this very minute."
"Oh, and that's a scary thought?" Reece chuckled as Faith exited the room.
--------------------
The women were having a blast in the kitchen; Reece shuddered when she looked at the mess. Glad she leaving for work, she slipped on her coat. Bending over to adjust her pant leg, she grunted as she was goosed.
"Hey, you better be careful, I have a very jealous girlfriend."
"What she don't know won't hurt her," Faith whispered.
"Well, okay," Reece spun around and pinned Faith against the wall.
"I hope you don't kiss all your girlfriends like that," the actress breathed between kisses.
Reece chuckled as she put her lover down.
"Hurry home, Dad will be here soon."
"Oh yeah, wouldn't want to miss the grand entrance," the tall woman muttered.
"Reece, behave." "Yeah yeah." Reece turned to leave.
Marsha stopped the club owner in her tracks. "Theresa, dear," she reached up on her tiptoes to fix the lopsided mistletoe, "would you help me?" she asked, straining to reach.
Reece looked at Faith and shrugged at her horrified face before taking Marsha in an exaggerated dip and kissing her.
"Oh, my word!" Mrs. Ashford was completely flustered.
"Well?" Reece smirked at Faith's gaping jaw and then fixed the mistletoe. She turned and attempted to leave again when she heard a collective "ahem". Looking over her shoulder, Reece grinned at the sight. All four women were crammed underneath the small green and white plant, puckered and ready.
"Later, guys," she laughed as she closed the door. Still got it, kiddo.
Chapter 33
The club owner gasped when she opened her office door; the room had been decorated from top to bottom, tree and all. Blinking a few times in confusion, she took it all in. She wondered when Faith had the time to do all this and why. Settling herself in her chair, the only un-decorated item in the room, Reece clicked on the radio with her remote. "Jingle Bell Rock" filled the air. When that song ended, the DJ came on to inform her that she was in the middle of an '18 hour, nothing but Christmas tunes' marathon. Sighing, she picked up the Santa hat off her desk and couldn't help but smile at the note underneath, in Cori's handwriting.
Put this on your head and be festive, you fucking Scrooge.
I see you had some help, Faith, you sneaky little thing.
The club owner put the hat on, for Faith. She made a deal with herself that she'd only wear it in the office and started to do her dreaded paperwork. She stopped to make the radio louder in order to drown out the incessant bass from the club sound system. She wasn't aware that she had started to tap her foot to the holiday music filling her office. Despite her usual grumpiness, Reece found herself actually humming along as Bing Crosby crooned on about a white Christmas. She studied the tree for a while, smiling she pictured how excited Faith must have been while putting this room together. Reece began singing out loud to "Feliz Navidad". For some reason, she was feeling happy and that felt good to her. Standing, she turned up the volume again and began singing out loud while dancing around her office.
"I wanna wish you a merry Christmas..." Reece belted out with the radio,"from the bottom of my heaaart!"
Sam couldn't help but hear her, since the club owner left her door open a crack. Even though it was important, she didn't want to interrupt her boss's unusually festive mood.
"Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad..." Reece shook her butt for all it was worth. Faith really has changed me... this is unheard of. A knock at the door startled the club owner. "Enter!"
"Nice hat, boss."
"Yeah well... what do you want, Sarge?" Reece stifled an uncharacteristic blush, too embarrassed to take off the hat now.
"We got a problem out front," Sam said as she shifted nervously; the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt Reece's good mood.
Immediately thinking it was a drunken businessman who wandered in from an office party, Reece waved her hand in boredom, "Just toss 'em out and close the door," she chuckled. Not hearing any response, she asked, "Why aren't you laughing, Sam?"
"Uhhmmm... it's not that kind of problem," she grimaced.
"What kind of problem is it then?" the club owner sucked in her cheeks, annoyed at Sam's squirming.
"You should come out here," Sam said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.
Reece raised an eyebrow at the bouncer's behavior and threw her pen down on the desk. What now?
Sam led her boss through the club, towards the front door and then she held it open for Reece to look outside. Blue eyes opened wide at the sight. A crowd had formed on the sidewalk, chanting and carrying signs reading "Demeaning", "Degrading" and other references to her club. She also saw a few of her girls out there arguing with the protesters.
"What the fuck is that?" she asked, angrily pointing at the crowd.
"Rumor has it that some chick named Michele started it."
Reece frowned so hard her eyebrows met. "Ooo, that stupid little shit! I knew I shoulda took care of her. But nooo, Faith told me to leave her alone."
Sam raised a curious eyebrow at her boss as she ranted to herself, as did some of the onlookers. There was a tiny crowd of dancers and patrons at the front door of the club; they couldn't resist following the tall woman with the Santa hat.
"Oh great!" she shouted. "Channel 2 just arrived. Fan-fucking-tastic!
"Uhm, Reece? Do you want me to get rid of them?" Sam asked her tense boss, who now had the door to the club open.
"No, it's okay. If you go out there, it'll be chaos. Just stay in here."
"If you say so..."
"I say so. I used to be you, remember? I have experience with this. Once our girls see you out there, they'll get rowdy, knowing you'll back them up."
"I guess you're right, boss, but they look pretty riled up already."
"Trust me, Sarge, these people are pretty much telling them that they're trash. They're only fighting with words now, but if they have security behind them, they'll really let loose." Reece's eyes burned with anger as Channel 4 pulled up. "I need this now? Jesus Christ!" she said to no one in particular. She then opened the door wide and shouted, "Hey Michele! You idiot! All you're doing is giving me publicity!" and then laughed loudly.
"There she is," Michele pointed, "and not only is she responsible for this degrading hell-hole, but she's a lesbian to boot. Could you imagine a lesbian exploiting women?" she sneered evilly at Reece.
"She just had to play the exploitation card didn't she?" Reece pushed Sarge out of the way. "Fuck you, Michele, crawl back home. No one cares about who I sleep with. Maybe they should ask you!" Reece hollered and slammed the door.
Knowing what she just did was beyond immature and exactly what Michele wanted, Reece cursed and kicked the door. The tall angry woman turned to meet the stares of a dozen or so onlookers. "You," she pointed at the dancers, "get back to work. You others better be tipping those women well or you'll be thrown out there to the TV camera," she growled.
"Uh boss?"
Sam's voice sounded very strange and Reece had a bad feeling. "Do I want to know?" The tall woman turned to face the bouncer.
"Probably not," Sam was wincing something awful.
"Should I know?" Reece closed her eyes and steeled herself.
"Yeah," she smiled nervously.
"Okay, hit me."
"Faith, Cori, Violet and some woman are fighting their way through that mob."
"God, no," Reece grimaced.
"Oooo," Sam shook her hand out at her side, "that old woman packs a mean right!" she whistled.
Marsha. Fabulous. "There is a God after all," the club owner slid down the wall.
"Why would you say something like that now?" Sam puzzled.
"This is retribution," the tall woman groaned.
The door flew open and Violet came barreling in with Mrs. Ashford hot on her heels.
"Reece! I think you better go and get Faith!" she panted.
Reece shot up to her feet.
"Relax dear, she's ok." Marsha patted Reece's shoulder. "I'm afraid Violet's worried about those other people's safety."
"Where's Mr. A?"
"He's at your house watching television. He's way too easy to please. Oh, and Theresa, dear, we must talk about the sleeping arrangements."
Sam's face became a ball of confusion. "Theresa?!"
As fast as she could blink, Reece's hand was around Sarge's throat. "Not a fucking word," she growled. "Understand?"
"Yep, not one," Sam squeaked.
"THERESA! Put that woman down this instant!" Reece growled in frustration and dropped Sam like a sack of potatoes. "Mrs. A, please don't call me..."
"I'll call you whatever I want. Now go out there see to my daughter, will you?"
"You're Faith's Mom???"
Reece spun around and pointed a finger of warning at the bouncer."You heard me, not a word," she threatened and grasped the door handle.
Once the door opened, they could hear Faith's voice, "You're just a jealous little bitch because that gorgeous hunk of woman wouldn't give you a second fucking look."
Reece stormed outside. The women waited til Cori flew in and the door closed again before crowding their faces into the little window.
"Woo Hoo! You go Faith!" the piercer cheered.
"Oh that's terrible, Violet, Faith is behaving so unladylike."
"Oh, Mrs. A, this is war, it's not supposed to be dainty." Cori patted her on the back.
"Well that hand gesture certainly wasn't. Oh my!" the older woman blinked and backed away from the door.
"Now, do you mind telling me what's going on out there?" Mrs. Ashford asked the very pale bouncer.
"Protest."
"We can see that, Sarge. What started it?" the dancer rolled her eyes.
"All's I know is some girl named Michele, who Reece thinks she should have taken care of earlier, started it. Possibly out of jealousy 'cuz Reece turned her down."
"That and Faith got her fired from the show," Cori added.
"THAT Michele?" Mrs. Ashford rolled up her sleeves.
"Down, killer, Reece will take care of her," Violet chuckled.
"How'd you guys know anyway?" Sam wondered.
"Live news coverage." Violet shook her head.
"So, Faith is out there jeopardizing her career for nothing?" Sam was amazed.
"Not for nothing, Sarge, for Reece," Cori smiled.
"Wow, now that's fucking love. Oh, pardon my French, Mrs. Ashford."
"You have no idea how easily that word comes from my daughter's mouth."
Sam raised her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Mrs. A's been sleeping there," Cori explained.
"No I haven't. I haven't got one decent night's sleep with the way those two carry on in bed. Cori, dear, remind me to talk to Theresa about her filthy mouth will you?"
Sarge blushed.
---------------------
Reece escorted all the girls inside, in between trying to coax Faith to come too. "Faith, come on now, let's go inside," she said quietly.
"Reece! They're calling you terrible names!" the actress was visibly upset.
"Hon, they don't know me. Let's go."
"But, how can you let them say these things?" Faith was livid.
"The guilty have no argument," a protester answered.
"OK, I've had just about enough! I force no one to work here. These women make their own choices and if taking off their clothes is what they choose to do, so be it!" Reece defended her girls. "This is a non-alcoholic, gentleman's entertainment club. There's no sleazy back rooms, there's no lap dancing, there's no touching. Period! Who the hell are you to judge anyone? Go home, the show's over."
"Ms. Ashford, is it true you and the owner of this establishment are romantically involved?
Reece shoved the camera aside and guided her lover to the steps.
"Ms. Corbett! Are you involved with Ms. Ashford?"
"Get off my steps. I'll ask you once nicely to leave my property."
"Are you threatening me? I have it on film."
Reece took a deep breath to calm down. She knew she couldn't do anything to these people. She needed to relax. "I'm not threatening you, I'm telling you to leave now or I'll let the dancers at you. Then its out of my hands," she smiled sweetly."
If you'll just answer my question... or are you afraid to ruin Ms. Ashford's career..." The man's words were cut off as his body was suddenly backed against the door by a redheaded ball of fury.
Faith covered the camera before continuing. "If you know what's good for you," she whispered in his ear, "you'll go away now. That sir, is a threat I fully intent to own up to should you choose to stay."
"Faith, let's go!" Reece demanded.
Once inside the door, Reece turned to her lover and threw up her hands in frustration. She tore the Santa hat off her head and threw it on the floor.
"What were you thinking?!" Reece yelled with the pent up anger. "How could you jeopardize the one thing you always wanted? What possessed you to do that?" she shouted.
"Reece, lay off a bit," Cori requested.
"No!" the tall woman punched the wall. "That was stupid!"
"Theresa! I insist you lower your voice and step back!" Marsha threatened the fuming woman.
Reece did step back, far enough to notice that Faith was in tears, sobbing. Immediately regretting her tirade, she kicked the door and turned on her heel with a loud frustrated growl. "See Cori! I told you!"
They watched Reece storm away, Mrs. Ashford right behind her waving her finger in the air.
"Told you what?" Violet asked as she embraced her friend. "Shh, Faith, it's alright. Reece is feeling threatened."
"She thinks that she's only going to hurt Faith, that Faith is too good for her."
"Oh, that old song and dance. I had no idea she was so insecure."
"Think about it Vi, when did she ever have security?"
"OOOO! She pisses me off!" Faith yelled, scaring both women.
"What?" Cori asked, still holding her chest in fright.
Sam looked everywhere but at the women talking. She couldn't leave her post and really didn't want to hear this.
"When will she get it through her thick freaking skull that I love her?! I'm not going anywhere! SHIT!" Faith sniffed hard and began pacing.
"I take it you've had this conversation."
"Plenty, Vi. I knew what I was getting into from day one! If I was going to up and leave, doesn't she think I would have done it already? She's next to impossible!" Faith made another loud frustrated sound and picked up the Santa hat.
"Well, it seems to me that she needs constant reassuring."
"Vi, what Faith just did out there should be reassuring enough."
"If I may," Sam but in, "Reece did not see Faith protecting her just now, she saw Faith being attacked, because of her."
The dancer and the piercer exchanged looks of surprise at the truth in Sam's words.
"Oohhh," Violet looked thoughtful, "she's scared shitless that because of her, Faith will now be dragged through the ringer and blame her in the process."
"Fuck me!" the actress yelled. "I gotta go fix this."
"I don't believe it," Sarge pointed towards the darkened hallway.
"I have a feeling your mom may have already fixed it," Cori nodded at the two figures approaching.
"Baby, I'm so..." Faith started, but was shocked speechless when Reece was shoved forward like a kid going to the dentist.
"Faith, I'm sorry I acted like that. Forgive me?" the club owner glanced sideways at Faith's mother who nodded her approval.
"Mom? Who is this and what have you done with Reece?" Faith playfully started taking inventory of her embarrassed lover.
"Faith?" Reece whispered from the side of her mouth, rolling her eyes in Marsha's direction.
"Oh! Of course I forgive you, but let me explain..."
Reece cut her off with a kiss. "Not here, come with me and give me my hat," the tall woman smirked as she donned the hat and led Faith to her office.
Three jaws hung open and six eyes stared at Mrs. Ashford.
"What? You just have to know how to talk to her," she sniffed.
"Whoa," Cori said with amazement.
"Oh girls, she's not that scary. Did you know she's afraid of nuns?"
"I'm not touching that one," Violet shook the thought loose.
-----------------
Reece closed the door behind her, Christmas tunes still blaring from the radio. "Did I thank you for the surprise?" she grinned, sitting Faith down on he couch.
"No," Faith made a cute pout.
"Well, thank you. It actually made me festive with Christmas cheer," the tall woman knelt and kissed the actress.
Faith drew back from the kiss and leaned back. She furrowed her brows, studying Reece."What did Mom do? Drug you?"
Reece chuckled loudly, "No, she just told me in no uncertain terms to stop fuckin' around."
"Excuse me?" Faith was baffled.
"She said I better stop that bullshit and act like my half of the couple. She told me, that if I ever worried about losing you, that was the way to do it." the club owner looked away.
"And..."
"That she'd personally make my life a living hell if I didn't tell you what was going on in my head."
"So," Faith kissed Reece's head, "what's going on in there?"
"It's kinda crowded, so bear with me, okay?"
Faith nodded, concerned about what her lover was going to say.
"Okay, do you love me?"
"Of course I do, Reece," Faith was getting worried.
"Are you sure you made the right choice? I mean with me?"
"Reece Corbett, I did not choose you any more than I chose what color eyes I was born with."
"What?" Reece asked in confusion.
"I did not pick you, Reece, just like you didn't pick me. I didn't have a long line of people to choose from and decided to start my first foray into unconditional love with the most frustrating and impossible woman."
"I had a choice," the club owner argued.
"You did not. Think about it, Reece. Did you have any control over how you felt about me? Could you have just walked away and never seen me again?"
The tall woman stared off in the distance, then closed her eyes and grinned, "No, I had no choice, I was in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you."
"See? Only it took you long enough to admit it," Faith smirked.
"So, you're not going to decide that there's something else out there? You're not going to just one day think you're missing out and leave?"
"Me? Need more than you?! Hardly. I can barely keep up with you on a good day."
"Come on, I'm serious here. Are you happy with me?" Reece asked sincerely.
"Yes, of course! Very happy," Faith smiled at the loud, relieved gust of air Reece blew out. "Love, I can't imagine not waking up next to you or at least in our bed. I am addicted to the smell of your skin. I need to see your face everyday like I need air."
Reece heard her unspoken thoughts and feelings coming out of Faith's mouth. It gave her the strangest feelings. "Doesn't it frighten you to be that dependent, Faith?"
Does it frighten you?"
"A little." Reece mumbled.
"That's okay, Reece. I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, babe."
"Thank you, Faith." the club owner fell forward between her lover's legs and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Don't thank me. I had no idea what love really was all about until you."
"Oh boy, do I know what you mean." Reece lifted her head and kissed Faith with as much feeling as she could.
"Wow," the actress breathed.
"Hon, what are you going to do about your job now?" she lifted her hand and let her fingers brush the underside of Faith's chin.
Faith closed her eyes and made a contented sound, "Reece, don't you worry about that. I made my bed..." The actress slipped her hand into long silky black hair.
"I coulda took care of it You didn't have to go and do that." Reece closed her eyes too as Faith's nails gently scratched her scalp.
"Michele twists my panties. She pissed me off. Who does she think she is?"
"This could cost you your job... your career," Reece said sadly.
"Hey, look at Ellen," Faith joked.
"Yeah, look at Ellen," Reece turned to face her lover. "Faith, this could be very bad for you. If it gets to be too much, please tell me. I'll fix it. It's my fault."
"No, it's my fault, really, but let's worry about that another time okay? It's Christmas Eve."
"Like I could forget," the club owner gestured at her office.
Faith got up and stood by the tree. "You liked it?"
"I was surprised."
"Good surprised?" Faith smiled.
"Very good. I especially like my hat," Reece opened her desk drawer and pulled out a disposable camera and began taking pictures of her office.
"You look very cute, Reece," Faith said as she posed by the twinkling tree.
"Say cheese," Reece teased.
"Eat me," Faith laughed.
Reece snapped the picture and laughed. "Eat me?"
Faith shrugged. "The same amount of teeth as 'cheese', only more fun to say." She pulled out a box from under the tree and held it out to her lover.
"Those are real?" Reece asked, taking the present from Faith.
"Yes, these are real. They're private gifts," she smirked.
"Ohhh, you should have told me. Mine are under our tree," she wiggled her eyebrow. "Hey, this is heavy."
"Open it, already," Faith practically jumped up and down.
Reece unwrapped the box and opened the lid. Her eyes went wide at the contents. "You dirty girl, Faith." Reece held up the leather items. An elaborate harness, some wrist cuffs and straps.
"You like?" Faith purred.
"Oh yeah, I really, really like. I was wondering when this discussion might come up."
"Kinda nips that conversation in the bud, doesn't it?" Faith leaned into her lover.
"It certainly does," Reece leaned into Faith, her breathing a little labored. She kissed the actress, teasing her lips with her tongue.
"Thinking about what to do with your toys, Reece?" the actress whispered.
"Oh yeah," Reece whispered throatily back.
"Try on those pants for me?"
Reece leaned away and held up the leather pants. She examined the buckles and ties at the crotch, "Kinky," she grinned.
"The ties open up and..."
"Oh I see that, Faith." Reece leaned back into her lover and caught Faith's bottom lip in between her teeth before sucking it into her mouth. She nipped suddenly and Faith shuddered.
"Animal."
"Grrrr."
"Ooo, I like when you growl," Faith shivered.
"I think these are gonna fit perfectly. How'd you guess?"
"Reece, I'm practically sleeping with your leathers like a teddy bear. I think I know what size they are. Put 'em on already!"
Reece chuckled at Faith's excitement. She unbuttoned her jeans and kicked off her boots. Faith took the pants from her lover and held them open or her to step into.
"I can get dressed on my own, babe," Reece smiled.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"
---------------
"Mrs. A, they've been in there long enough for us to figure out that they're finished talking."
"Violet, humor an old woman, please go check on them."
"Please don't make me go in there," she whined.
"Vi, if it'll make you feel better I'll go," Sam offered.
"Uh, no thanks, Sarge, if anyone's gonna barge in on them, it should be me," the dancer laughed.
"Okay, you go," Mrs. Ashford pointed to the door.
"Fine. I'll go." Cori stood there.
"Go on," Violet urged.
Cori knocked on the door, then again... and again. She opened it slightly and stuck her eye in the crack. What the? Closing the door behind her, she shooed away the rest of the others.
"What's happening?" Sam asked.
"They're fine. Typical kiss and make up stuff," she lied. Yeah, if you call slow dancing to Christmas tunes typical of Reece.
"You sure? You look kinda funny, Cor," Violet cornered her lover.
"They're dancing, Vi. Reece is wearing those scrumptious pants and they're dancing," Cori said dazed.
"Wow," the piercer mirrored the dancer's expression.
"I never would have dreamed I'd see a civilized Reece. That Faith was a miracle."
"Amen." The music changed in the club to a rocking version of "Feliz Navidad" and Violet grabbed her lover by the hand. "Come on baby, let,s party!" she dragged her off towards the bar.
-----------------
"Reece! What are you doing?!" Faith squealed as her tall lover picked her up and headed out of the office, dancing and singing."
I happen to like this song."
"I like you like this, it should be Christmas all the time."
"Let's not get carried away," Reece laughed at her own joke and swatted Faith on the ass.
"Ha ha. Put me down. I can walk out there myself."
"Nah, I like you up here," she replied while walking through the club.
"Hey Reece! Come over here!" Cori yelled above the music.
The two women put their heads together and sang loudly to the music as Faith squirmed out of Reece's grasp.
"Faith, sweetheart, is everything okay?"
"Perfect Mom. Just perfect."
Mrs. Ashford watched her daughter's smile widen as she watched Reece dance and sing with the others.
"This really isn't what I thought it would be, Faith. It's really not a dark and dirty place at all."
"See? I told you, Mom. Now you stay with Violet, I'm going to get us something to drink."
"Woo hoo! Hey little one, go on and give us a show like the last time, will ya?"
Faith paled at the man's suggestion.
"Excuse me?" Marsha folded her arms over her chest.
"You should have seen her. Oh and with that freaky one over there... she can really turn up the heat, you know what I mean?" he winked and laughed.
Reece... help!
"Are you saying that my daughter takes off her clothes for money?" Marsha was aghast.
"Your daughter? Cool! Yep, all of them. Damn, can she get the blood flowin'! She's got a one helluva set of... ack!"
"Good lord!" Marsha sat on the stool heavily as she witnessed Reece carrying the man out by his throat.
"Mom... I can explain... just let me..."
"Is it true? Do you do this?"
"I did. Twice. But I don't anymore."
Marsha sat there deep in thought while Faith fought the urge to throw up.
"Mom? Please say something."
"Is that how you met her?"
"Yes... no... well sort of," Faith stuttered.
"Mrs. A, I'm so sorry you had to hear that asshole spout such crap," Reece gathered Faith in her arms and the actress buried her face in her lover's chest.
"It's alright, Theresa. I'm not as shocked as I should be. I guess if that is how it was supposed to be, then how can I get upset?"
Huh? Reece was definitely confused. Mrs. Ashford was actually condoning Faith's dancing?
"Mom, thank you. This is how it's supposed to be, I'm where I should be."
Reece hugged her lover tighter. This was all going to work out fine.
"Let's go home. We still have your father to deal with," the club owner suggested.
"Ugh, don't remind me."
Faith laughed at her mother's outburst and they left the club and went home.
Chapter 34
"Oh girls, that was one of the most unusual days I've had in my life!" Marsha laughed, while Reece tried to extricate her from the tiny sports car with as much grace as possible.
Of course, the strong club owner could have simply leaned in and threw the woman over her shoulder, but she strongly doubted it would go over big, especially with her husband peering disgustedly through the front window.
Faith knelt on the driver's seat and pushed her mother's backside with her shoulder as her lover pulled her by the arms.
"Come... on... mom," the actress grunted.
Violet sat between Cori's legs on the hood of the car sharing a bag of chips, looking for all the world as if they watching a Marx Brother's movie. They had no problem sitting on top of each other in the back seat with Faith or climbing over everyone to get out. However, Mrs. Ashford was having quite the time unfolding herself from the bucket seat.
"Freak, what did you do to my car? This seat used to go back much farther."
"I, um, well..." Cori stammered while Violet blushed.
"Never mind. I probably wouldn't want my mother sitting there if I knew," Faith said as she poked her head over the roof of the car.
Finally, the older woman flew out of the car and into Reece's arms with a shriek. "Faith Beulah Ashford!" Marsha yelled. "That was a horrible thing to do to your mother."
"It got you out didn't it?" the actress smiled proudly.
"Beulah???!!" Reece dropped Mrs. Ashford and fell into hysterics. "Buh... Bu... Beulah??!! Oh, god..." she then snorted so loudly she began to choke. Cori and Violet rushed to her aid, both biting back their own laughter.
"Serves you right," the actress huffed. "I have you know that was my great-grandmother's name," Faith tried to sound haughty but failed to cover her embarrassment.
"Theresa, honey," Marsha patted Reece on the back, "hands up, reach for the clouds," she sang.
"Let's go, Mother."
"But she's choking," Mrs. Ashford worried.
"She'll live," Faith narrowed her eyes at her gasping lover. "Look, she's breathing already."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Reece choked, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"You are sooo punished," Faith whispered as she passed Reece.
"Punished? Hey! Wait! I was caught off guard!" the tall woman protested.
"Tsk, tsk, guess you've been cut off for the first time, eh Reece?" Violet jumped off the car.
"Looks like you'll be sleeping alone tonight, boss," Cori teased. "Man, and you got such nice Christmas gifts, too," she shook her head with disappointment.
"Drop. Dead. Freak." The tall woman started for the door, paying no attention to the woman writhing around on the sidewalk in a dramatic death scene.
"Definitely Oscar worthy, hon," Violet applauded after the dancer twitched for the last time.
"Ya think?" Cori began to get up. "See? There's more than one actress in the bunch," she snickered.
Quinn Ashford stood tapping his foot while the women poured through the door. Marsha stopped taking off her coat long enough to put her hands on her hips and stare him down. Reece stood behind the older woman displaying one of her most menacing stares.
"Quinn, you just keep whatever comment you may have to yourself. The girls have been through enough already without having to hear your narrow-minded gibberish," she stood there challenging him to say something.
Quinn so desperately wanted to say something, he had seen everything on the news. Glancing back and forth between the two women, his confidence faltered. That icy cold stare and his wife's unwavering stance made him think twice.
How can she stand there and defend that place, and that... woman? What has happened to my wife? My whole family has gone mad! What am I going to say to the guys at the country club? 'My daughter's in love with a homicidal dyke?' Jesus! I'll be blacklisted! It was killing him. He took a deep breath and saw the figure behind his wife shift her stance. He made eye contact with every intention to cow that woman into backing off. However, the look in those blue eyes caused his throat to go dry. After swallowing several times and then looking back at his wife, Quinn threw his hands up in the air, defeated.Marsha harrumphed. Reece turned on her heel and sprinted up the stairs. Satisfied that the man would cause no problems for the mean time, she had to see about this "being punished" business.
---------------
"Sweetie?" Reece knocked on the closed bedroom door.
Faith smirked. Sweetie? Okay, that's a good start.
"Can I come in?"
"No," the actress sat on the bed, smiling. I'll only make her beg for a little while. Its so cute.
"Faith? It slipped out... Beulah is really a pretty name."
"I can hear you gagging from here, Reece."
"I just want to tell you something."
Faith bit her lip. Reece sounded like a little child. "What, Theresa," she tried to sound really annoyed, but giggled quietly as she heard her lover groan and bang a body Chapteron the wall with a thud.
"I wasn't laughing at you baby, I swear it. Can I come in?"
"Gee, Reece, it sounded like laughter to me," the pout was evident in her voice.
Shit, she's really upset... The club owner knocked her head on the wall again. Well, it's a funny name. I'm sure I'm not the first to laugh. Mine's kinda funky, but that's a nun for ya. She wondered what to do when Cori wandered by and snickered. Reece glared at her and Cori waved it away with a flick of her hand.
Rolling her eyes, she gestured for the tall woman to bend down to her. "You really want to be forgiven?" she whispered into Reece's ear.
The tall woman nodded furiously.
Cori pointed to the floor. Reece shook her head back and forth furiously.
The dancer pointed and glared.
The club owner reluctantly knelt in front of the door. "I'm on my knees here, baby," Reece pled with Cori's coaching.
"I'm not convinced."
Cori handed her a pad and pen, but Reece had no idea why.
The dancer shook her head in mock disgust and snatched the items away, drawing a heart and shoving it back at the club owner.
"Faith? Look at the floor," Reece shoved the paper under the door. "I'm begging out here."
The actress picked up the paper and smiled. "I can hear that. What else you got for me?"
Sensing headway, Reece shooed the dancer away. "Here," she slipped another paper under the door.
Faith picked up the smiley face and chuckled.
"I heard that, Faith. Let me in."
"I'm still not convinced," the actress fixed her hair in the mirror.
"Now look," Reece smirked.
Faith looked down to see the next paper, followed by another paper. She picked them up and began reading about how much Reece loved her and what she intended to do to show her. Whew! She sure knows how to describe that particular activity. "Now that's more like it," she said as she threw open the door.
Reece fell into the room on her hands.
"You really were on your knees," Faith laughed.
"Apparently," Reece said as she crawled into the room, knowing how Faith would react.
Faith regretted opening the door as she became instantly aroused at the sight of her tall lover on all fours. "You're forgiven," she said rather breathlessly and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her.
"Is this where we kiss and make up?" Reece jumped into her spot and pushed her lover down playfully.
"No, this is where we kiss. Making up comes later."
Reece climbed on top of her and slowly slid her knees down until she was covering Faith's whole body, then laid down cradling Faith's head with her forearms, her hair falling onto the actress's ears, tickling them.
Faith sucked in her bottom lip as she felt the weight of her lover slowly envelop her. "You feel so good on top of me, Reece."
Reece kissed Faith gently at first, but both became carried away quickly. Faith, once she slid her hands down to her lover's backside, and Reece, when Faith grabbed said area and pulled her down even harder. The tall woman groaned and began a slow grind into the smaller body.
"Reece, baby... wait..."
"Shh... kiss... mmmm"
Maybe making up won't be such a bad idea, thought the actress as she wrapped a leg around her lover's thighs.
----------------
Quinn sat back down in the recliner and flipped on the TV. He stopped at the live report from the club. They were rehashing the earlier scenes, cutting bits and pieces together randomly. They began by showing the tape of when Faith exited the club with Reece, the two strange girls and his wife.
While he had to admit he was impressed with the way the tall woman protected his little girl, easily parting the crowd and keeping the protesters away from her, he felt Faith still had no business being there. If it wasn't for that crazy woman corrupting her, she'd have been home right now and not displaying these antics to the entire Tri-state area. In addition, home not only for the holidays... and for good. He made a disgusted sound and raised the volume on the TV.
"Ms. Ashford? Are you involved with Ms. Corbett romantically?"
"*Bleep* you, you *bleep*hole!"
My daughter, the truck driver. Jesus, Faith!
"Have you any idea of her criminal past?"
Criminal?
Reece turned to the reporter with a venomous glare, then the image of her face was replaced by one of the sidewalk. When the camera righted itself, the two strange girls were wiggling their tongues at the camera while just sliding into the car.
"Freaks, the whole lot of them," he muttered, shutting off the TV.
"Funny you should say that, dear," Mrs. Ashford chuckled, ushering the girls into the room.
"What the hell is that?" Quinn pointed at Cori with disbelief.
"Cori and Violet. They're Faith's very good friends. They'll be having Christmas dinner with us tonight."
"Like hell they are! FAITH! Get down here this instant!" he yelled, deliberately knocking into Violet on his way to the stairs.
-------------------
"Son of a bitch!" Faith jumped off the bed, slamming Reece's head into the headboard.
"OW! Oof." the club owner fell onto the pillow, blinked away the stars and turned over.
"Why is it when ever that man is in my house, I come up injured?" she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead, pulled down her shirt and ran out after Faith.
---------------
"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Faith asked her father.
"That's what's wrong with me," he hollered, pointing at Cori. "I will not eat Christmas dinner with that."
"Cori," the dancer provided.
"Shhh," Marsha patted Cori on the shoulder.
"You know, I could say something profound about how one shouldn't 'judge a book' and all that rot, but in your case, Dad, it'll just get lost between your ears. I don't know why I thought you could be civilized long enough to have dinner. I can't believe you're my father."
"You watch your mouth, little girl!" he pointed his finger at Faith.
"Honestly, Quinn, she's hardly a little girl and I think you're the one who should watch your mouth. This isn't your castle, have some respect. If not for Cori then for Theresa's home."
Reece took her place at Marsha's side and folded her arms.
"Respect?!" he waved his finger at Reece.
The club owner widened her stance, her upper lip curling.
"Her!? A common criminal? Why, she's nothing but a worthless thug..."
Faith covered her father's mouth with one hand and put the other on Reece's chest to hold her back. The feel of Reece's heart hammering wildly against her hand frightened her.
Quinn grabbed his daughter's hand and yanked it away.
"I am still your father, Faith! How dare you..." he held her hand up in the air and, to the dismay of everyone in the room, Faith grimaced in pain.
Reece reached around her lover and covered Quinn's face with her hand and squeezed. Her teeth ground together audibly.
"Reece, no!" Faith cried.
"Don't... you... ever... touch... her... again," she spoke slowly in a very deep voice. "Ever. Do you hear me?"
Marsha gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Cori and Violet froze. It appeared to the piercer that Reece actually became larger. Violet had only heard about the Reece of the past and the stories were scary enough. Witnessing what she feared was The Animal was downright chilling. This wasn't her friend.
Reece squeezed harder, the man started bending at the waist.
"REECE! PLEASE!" Faith yelled in a panic, holding on to Reece's shirt.
"Apologize, worm," the tall woman let go of his face as she shoved him backwards and balled her fists at her sides.
"Faith, let go of me," the tall woman growled.
"No. You're scaring me. Please calm down, please! I'll make him leave, I promise!" she begged.
Reece stood there, leaning against Faith's hand, her chest heaving erratically into her palm.
Faith stared into Reece's narrowed eyes, she noticed her jaw clenching spasmodically, her nostrils flaring. God, she is just like an animal.
Reece was fuming and Faith had never actually felt her lover's body this tense with anger. The actress hadn't ever been in body contact with Reece when she'd lost control; the energy pouring into her body through her hand was intense. She let go of her shirt and started rubbing her hand in small circles on Reece's chest, not really knowing what to do.
"Quinn, come in here this instant!" Marsha was petrified for her husband.
Quinn stood there shocked. That woman was stronger than any man he had ever met. With just her hand, she had sent him sprawling on his ass. And Faith is holding her back. He shivered with the thought of his little girl on the receiving end of such strength and again at the thought of his daughter denying her anything. Oh god! His mind filled with images of the maniacal club owner controlling his daughter, abusing her, taking what she wanted forcefully and he became furious again.
Seeing her father open his mouth, Faith turned her head towards him and warned, "Don't you even think about it. If I was so inclined, I could have just let her at you and maybe you would have learned your lesson. However, I'm not so inclined and I really don't want to clean up the blood on Christmas Eve." Faith's calm tone was the best acting job she'd done yet.
Reece's body started to become more pliant and her heart had slowed down some, but Faith knew that she was still enraged. The actress felt trapped. She looked at her mother who nodded worriedly, tiling her head in the direction of her soothing motions.
"Baby, it's okay, I'm going to take care of it and then we're going to eat. Please trust me," she glanced at Cori who was just as scared as she was. Faith tried to convey confidence to her friend. She was going to let go of Reece and send her off with Cori. "Mother, take Reece into the kitchen. Cori and Violet, you go and see to it that they stay there. I have something to discuss with my father."
Reece stepped forward naturally when Faith let go of her and Quinn flinched. The club owner sneered at him.
"C'mon, Bosslady, let's go play with the turkey," she tugged on Reece's rigid arm and managed to pull her away.
Faith shoved her hand into her hair so hard she practically threw herself backwards. "I want you out of here. Do you hear me? Never, ever step foot into this house again. I'm ashamed of you," the actress said through her tears.
"Faith, how can you let that monster..."
"Monster? You're calling her a monster? God, Daddy, did you ever listen to yourself? Did you ever think before you spoke? How does Mom even stand to breathe the same air as you?"
"I'm scared for you. Baby, listen to me..."
"Baby?" she laughed. "No, you listen to me. Like it or not, Reece is my lover, my heart and soul. She loves me, she holds me and she makes me feel whole. I'm incredibly happy with her. If she's only gone for an hour, I miss her terribly. Speaking her name makes me smile. I feel like a thousand little sparks run through my body every time she touches me. Most of all she respects me. She'd never hurt me knowingly and she'd never ever raise her hand to me in anger. Simply looking at her sometimes makes me giddy. Reece is my whole world and that's perfectly fine with me. Most fathers would do anything to have that for their little girl. You... you just insult her, hurt me and disrespect me in our home. How dare you? I want you to go away and don't ever come back. I'd give you an ultimatum like, 'When you think you can accept Reece,' but since I don't see that happening any time soon, just go."
Quinn sat heavily on the couch. He leaned his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. He began to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Faith, please don't make me go," he sobbed.
Faith looked at her father and felt a twinge of guilt. "This is my house, you're not welcome here anymore."
The actress broke down. It was harder than she thought to say what she did. It hurt her to tell him that she didn't want to see him any more and her father was crying for the first time in her life.
"I'm so sorry..." he blubbered.
She was hurt, guilty, confused and needed to feel her lover's strong comforting arms around her right that second. Which is exactly what she felt when she turned to leave the room. "Oh, Reece," she sobbed into the tall woman's chest.
"Shhh, it's okay, Faith, it's all going to be okay," Reece cooed and scooped her lover up into her arms. The tall woman stared at the broken man for a moment before glancing over towards the kitchen where three worried faces eagerly awaited the outcome. Reece nodded at them and kissed her lover's head. "I got ya, baby," she whispered into the red hair as Faith burrowed deeper into her chest.
----------------
The tall woman laid Faith down on the bed and held her until she cried herself to sleep. She wondered as she gazed at her lover, what it must feel like to have a father, and to have him turn on her like Faith's did. God, that must suck. Reece thought about how it must hurt Faith; what it must feel like to be torn between your lover and your parent. She couldn't get a good grip on the emotion, but if it made Faith this upset, it must be horrible. Who is he to come in here and make her feel this way? He's her father! He should be holding her hand, making her laugh, embarrassing her by singing off-key. This is no way to treat a child.
Faith turned over into her usual fetal position and Reece knew she was out for the count. She kissed her lips and closed the door behind her. Coming down the stairs, she heard Marsha begging Quinn to stay for dinner.
"My daughter doesn't want me here Marsh, she hates me. I really made a mess, didn't I?" he sighed heavily. "My daughter hates me."
"See, here's the good thing in all this, sir, I don't think Faith can hate anybody. Even you."
Quinn looked up to see Reece halfway down the stairs, leaning over the banister.
"Your daughter cried herself to sleep just now and I couldn't do anything about it. That just makes me feel bad. She was crying over you. That sickens me," she said as she came down the stairs.
Quinn backed up as she got closer. Reece stopped moving and lifted her hands.
Cori shot her a pleading look.
"Its alright, Cori, I'm not going to hurt him. Faith did that better than I could. I think he's learned not to fuck with me... or Faith, for that matter. Haven't you, sir?"
Quinn backed up another step; Reece cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. When the man didn't answer, she sat down on the coffee table a good distance away. "Take off your coat, Mr. Ashford, you're staying for dinner."
Violet came out of the kitchen with that comment.
"You want me to stay?" he asked dazed.
"Shit no, I can't stand to look at you and I know the feeling's mutual," she chuckled, "but Faith does."
"She doesn't want to look at me either," he hung his head down. Marsha came over and hugged him.
"Sir, you have a terrific wife and a fantastic daughter. How you turned out to be such a flaming asshole, I'll never know. But," she sighed deeply. "Faith loves you, god only knows why, so I have to play Suzy fucking homemaker."
Quinn looked to his wife as if to say, 'Does she always talk like that?' Marsha just shrugged.
Reece bowed her head and blew out a breath, ruffling her hair. She didn't want to do this, but for Faith, she'd walk through Hell and back. Leaning forward on her elbows she continued, "Faith doesn't want you to leave as much as I don't want you to stay. So, you have options here. You either go upstairs and apologize, tell her how much you love her and make this a great Christmas for everyone -- and personally, I really hated Christmas until Faith walked into my life -- or you can leave and probably never see her again."
Quinn's lip quivered.
"Of course, that would break her heart, in turn make my life a little more difficult, in which case you'd be at the very top of my shit list," Reece couldn't hide the smirk as the man grimaced.
"Thank you," Marsha cried.
"Go on, the choice is yours, but I suggest you go up and be Faith's father. I would have given anything to know what that's like, sir." Reece got up and started to walk into the kitchen. She felt very sad -- for Faith and her father. How can you make a miracle, produce a life and be so careless with it?
"Reece?"
The tall woman started at her name coming out of his mouth. She turned to see his hand outstretched. "Don't patronize me sir. You can hate me, I don't care," Reece sneered.
"Reece, please. I mean it," Mr. Ashford held his shaking hand out and tried again. "What you said about not having a father..."
"Is none of your concern. Go up and make sure Faith knows hers still loves her no matter what. That's what fathers do, isn't it?"
Quinn wouldn't take no for an answer. He clasped Reece's forearm and turned her around. "Okay, so I'm an asshole."
Reece snorted and looked at his hand.
A flaming asshole."
Reece exhaled a laugh through her nose.
"I was afraid for Faith. All I heard were stories about you... I saw you arrested, lose your cool plenty of times; I was scared. You have to admit, you're pretty intimidating when you want to be." Reece nodded so he continued, "Then I saw what happened today..." he sighed heavily, "I'm ashamed to admit that I was worried about what others may say about Faith; how it would make me look."
"Fuck 'em," Reece shrugged.
"Have you seen some of those people? Not with someone else's..."
"Quinn!"
"Well, you get the point," he grinned. "I was afraid that you were hurting her, I mean the way you hurt me didn't convince me that... Anyway, then Faith told me how much you mean to her, how incredibly happy she is... and she's right you know, every father wants his little girl to be that happy for the rest of her life. I shouldn't care that you're a woman or what other people think."
"She said she's happy? How happy did she say she was? She told you I make her that happy?" Reece blurted out.
"You're such an asshole, Reece," Cori laughed.
"Food's almost ready, everyone," Violet announced.
Reece shook Mr. Ashford's hand loose. "Well, time to make merry," she turned to go upstairs.
"Reece? I thought I was going to go up?" Quinn asked hopefully.
"I think she'd love that," Reece smiled and took his hand this time.
"Thank you so much for the chance, Reece."
"Don't fuck it up. I still don't like you very much."
Reece shook his hand a bit longer before going to the couch. A hundred emotions swirled around in her head, making it throb. She leaned back and covered her eyes with her arm.
"Shit I hope I did the right thing."
Someone sat down very close and suddenly Reece was enveloped in a warm soft embrace.
"Hey!" she jumped up uncomfortably.
"Oh stop being so butch and let a mother hug you for once."
"Fine," she said tensely although she had to admit, it felt really good. She relaxed into her lover's mother's arms and sighed contentedly. It felt safe.
"You did really well, Theresa. I'm so proud of you."
To her utter embarrassment, tears sprang to Reece's eyes.
"Shhh, it's alright. Just you let me hold you." Mrs. Ashford had a feeling that the fearless strong woman needed to cry. These last few days had been an emotional roller coaster. She had often wondered about this woman, what made her the way she is? It was apparent that she was hurt, troubled, but she was curious to know why. Cori barely contained her laughter when the older woman asked her if the club owner ever really cried or if she ever talked about her mother. The dancer briefly explained to Faith's mom the hell that was her friend's childhood and this made the older woman weep herself.
Marsha was determined to let the dark woman know she had someplace to go if she just needed to be held. Everyone deserved that much out of life... to be hugged, noncommittally, no questions asked. What a shame, she thought, that Theresa never knew a mother's unconditional love. She never knew what it felt like to have someone tell her she was special, or important, looked at her through a mother's eyes.
The older woman felt her daughter's lover clasp her tightly and try to pull away. Knowing that the usually controlled woman was probably mortified by her actions, she had to reassure her. Marsha pulled back and held Reece's face in her hands. She tried to convey as much understanding with her eyes as she could. She wiped the tears away with her thumbs. "You're such a beautiful girl Theresa. I'm so sorry you never had a mother's love." Mrs. Ashford pushed long black strands behind Reece's ears gently. "It's a terrible shame," she leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"Stop it, Mrs. A., I don't deser... need this, alright?" Reece was terribly ashamed to be crying like this.
"No, you stop it. You're worthy of a little TLC too, you know. No one's too big to need a mommy."
"Jesus!" Reece breathed as her tears renewed themselves. She allowed the older woman to hold her, rock her. She felt like a baby, and for once, it was okay with her. She rubbed her face into the older woman's shoulder, finding her humming reassuring.
"Why don't you think you're deserving of love, sweetheart? How did you get this way? Who hurt you so badly? Hmm?"
"No one. Everyone."
The older woman cradled the tall club owner as she wept. "You're only human, Theresa, and human's need to feel safe; they crave contact. When it's denied too long, they become wild. Is that what happened to you?"
"Yes," Reece shook her head.
"Well, I'll tell you something, never be ashamed to be human."
Reece nodded.
"Faith makes you feel safe, doesn't she?" Mrs. Ashford peered down at the contradiction in her arms. All power and strength, yet she's as frail as a butterfly.
Another nod followed by a loud sniff.
"Well, we'll keep this our little secret, won't we? No one has to know anything, okay?"
"Okay," Reece sniffled, feeling much better that she did a minute ago.
"Faith is going to come down those stairs and faint dead away when she sees this," Violet whispered to her lover.
"Nonsense. She's gonna crawl up on her momma's lap too," Cori whispered back. "This is so sweet I think I'm gonna cry."
"You think she's ever been hugged like that before?"
"No, never. I can hardly imagine a nun doing motherly... and that bastard who beat her... But Faith is Marsha's daughter, so I think Reece got pretty lucky."
"Oh god, Reece! What's wrong?" Faith ran over to the embracing women in a panic.
Reece sniffed a few times before pulling away from the embrace. "Your mom was feeling me up again."
Faith raised an eyebrow at her lover and watched her carefully as she stood up.
"Sir," she acknowledged Mr. Ashford as she passed him by.
"She does give good hugs, huh?" Quinn whispered with a wink.
Red faced, the club owner swiped at her eyes one last time. "Are we gonna eat or what?" she asked, standing behind her lover and wrapping her arms around her middle.
"I'm starved!"
"Yeah, where's the food!?"
"Come on!"
After everyone crowded into the kitchen, the tall woman squeezed Faith harder. She drifted them under the mistletoe and kissed Faith's head. "Are you okay?" she leaned over and kissed an ear, then some neck.
"Perfect. I was going to ask you the same thing," Faith said suspiciously.
"Never been better," she said as she lifted then twirled the actress around.
"Mom does strange things to you, hon. I'm worried about this," Faith chuckled.
"What happened with your father?"
"He surprised me. I woke up and he was sitting on the bed. I had no idea what was going on. Then he told me he loved me," she shook her head. "Coulda knocked me over with a feather," Faith smiled as Reece caressed her belly and showered her neck with tiny kisses. "As if you had nothing to do with it," Faith narrowed her eyes accusingly.
"Me?" Reece pointed at herself and blinked rapidly.
"Oh, right. The picture of innocence. Yeah, you," the actress turned in her lover's embrace and hugged her tightly.
"I only did it 'cuz I thought it would make you happy," the club owner pointed to the mistletoe and Faith leaned up for her kiss.
"And I love you dearly for it," she returned to her position and kissed Reece's bicep.
"He impressed me."
Faith drew back eye's wide and stared at her lover.
"In his own asinine way, he was being as protective of you as I am. I don't think I can really blame him, Faith."
"What do you mean? Whom was he protecting me from?"
"Me," She put her fingers on Faith's lips to hush her, and grinned at the pout she found. "Faith, look at it this way, if you were in his shoes and the only time you met me, I was dressed entirely in leather, groping your wife, beating you up, getting arrested for assault... What would you think? I'm not sayin' he's right for the way he acted, god knows he's an asshole, but really, what would you do?"
"You really took the time to think from his point of view?" Faith asked with wonder.
"Honestly? No," she grinned sheepishly. "But it hit me when I heard how badly he hurt when he said that you hate him. It all flooded in my head," she shrugged.
"You are something else." Faith skimmed down Reece's arm with her fingertips.
"See, I know I'm overprotective, but I know what I'm protecting you from. He didn't. He was assuming I was doing all sorts of terrible things to you. All he had to do was ask."
Faith's hand drifted to Reece's face and she traced her features.
"Faith there's a downside to the two of us being so mutually inclined to protecting you."
Faith stopped moving her hand and rested them on her lover's lips. "What's the downside?" she asked distractedly.
"With the two of us both feeling like we have something to prove to the other, it could go two ways. It could either become a brawl or a cock measuring contest."
"God help me," Faith shuddered with horror. "I don't think I'd be long for the free world if you and Dad started measuring your penises. They'd have to put me away," she winced hard.
Reece chuckled, "Is everything okay between you guys now?"
"With Dad? Yeah, we talked, I talked mostly, but he promised to see things from your point of view. Ironic, huh?" the actress smiled.
"Like rain on your wedding day," Reece bent down and kissed Faith's nose.
"Like a black fly in your chardonnay," the actress responded in kind.
"You guys coming or what?" Cori slapped herself in the forehead immediately after asking.
"Nah, that was way too easy, Freak," Reece chuckled.
"Bless you. Marsha would have killed me if I provoked you into saying another bad word," the dancer's head disappeared around the bend.
"C'mon, baby, let's eat."
"Okay, but wait a sec." Reece ran over and put on the stereo. "All Christmas tunes, all day," she remarked as she took Faith's hand.
"I really have to talk to my mother about what she's been feeding you."
"Ooo, I like this song," Reece snapped her fingers a few times before singing with the radio. "Walkin' in women's underwear. Ow! Who hit me?"
"Theresa, what did I say about being fresh?" Mrs. Ashford tapped her foot.
"Sorry, Mrs. A.," Reece sat down with a pout.
"Mom, we really have to talk," Faith said, her eyes never leaving her lover.
"Later, dear. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can open our gifts."
"We're opening them tonight?" Faith asked, disappointed. She was looking forward to Christmas morning.
"Only the ones we got for you and Theresa."
"Ooo, you got me a present?" Reece lit up.
"Yeah, we're staying in a hotel tonight," Quinn piped in.
"God bless us all... everyone," Reece lifted her hands to the ceiling.
"Smartass."
"See how your mother talks to me, Faith?"
"Shut up and eat," Faith shoved potatoes in her lover's mouth, "smartass."