Beta read by my chum, Barbara Davies
A Handful of Heaven
Part 8
By Midgit
Tori Conrad awoke with a start. Her neck complained mightily at the sudden movement. There was a weight against her chest, and she looked down to find her vision filled with soft golden hair.
It would appear she'd fallen asleep, her back against the headboard, her lover curled against her chest.
Very slowly she eased the blonde sideways, arranging the sleeping woman on her side, just in case she had another bout of sickness following the evening of over indulging Eden has just enjoyed. She managed to get the towel, which was still a little damp, out from under her lover, and then covered the lightly snoring woman with the sheet.
Arching her back to get the kinks out, she walked across the room and out into the hallway. She had intended going downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. It was just before midnight, but she now felt wide awake. The depression of the last few days had been lifted from her shoulders and she felt invigorated.
She stopped as she went past the small room that held her computer.
Jodie had asked her for a picture.
She sat down in front of the 21" screen and nudged the mouse to get rid of the screen saver. Then she clicked on a folder on the desk top.
There were a number of pictures in the folder. Since she'd bought the scanner she found herself scanning just about every photo that came into her grasp. Sometimes, whilst working, she found herself going to the folder and opening the pics, smiling a dumb smile at the images she found there.
Her favourite was a picture of her and Eden taken on a sunny day in Lulworth Cove on the south coast. She and Eden had gone for one of their Sunday drives, and two hours later had found themselves at one of Eden's favourite holiday spots.
It was a small fishing cove. A shingle beach, which was home to small boats and lobster pots, and a long wooden jetty. An old man, a typical seaman, was sitting on a low stool, mending nets. His pipe hanging precariously from the corner of his mouth, his black hat worn at an odd angle.
Eden had positioned the camera on top of one upturned rowing boat as Tori leaned against the neighbouring one.
"Look at me," Eden had said, trying to focus on her lover in the fading light.
Tori had been watching the sea, which was taking on an almost golden glow in the late afternoon sun.
Tori stood with her arms crossed as Eden fiddled with the camera. Then the shorter woman tentatively took her hands away from the device, carefully pushed a button, and ran to Tori, who spun her around and pulled her close into her body.
The resulting photograph was her favourite.
Eden was smiling, one of her full all encompassing smiles. The one that made her eyes sparkle, and surely employed every muscle in her face. Tori was holding her close, her arms wrapped around the blonde's stomach, with Eden's arms covering them. Tori's chin was resting on Eden's shoulder, her eyes, with a mischievous twinkle in them, peering up through ebony hair.
Tori gazed lovingly at the screen. She decided she looked very pleased with herself on the photo. And she was. She had what she always thought she would never have, and always craved. And came very close to losing.
She shuddered, and shook herself out of what was starting to become a melancholy mood.
No, she wouldn't do that.
She clicked on the mail icon, and connected to the internet. Then she opened a new mail.
For the subject she wrote: My Eden. Then she pressed the `attach` button and added the photo to the mail.
Hi Jodie.
I've attached a pic of me and Eden. It was taken soon after we got back from London, down at Lulworth Cove on the south coast. It really is lovely down there.
Thanks for letting me bore you with the call earlier tonight. We've sorted things out and I think we're going to be ok now.
She had a little too much to drink, but that's my fault as much as hers. She's sleeping now. We'll talk more in the morning.
It's really hard for me to explain how much she means to me. I know you probably think it's not really me writing this, and it's not easy for me to do this. But maybe it'll help. I don't know.
I want to write this without it sounding too naff. But I don't think I'm going to be able to.
Eden is everything I've ever wanted. She's gorgeous, intelligent, funny, gorgeous, sexy, loving, gorgeous. Get it?
I love her, Jodie, more than anything. But it makes me crazy. I want her all to myself, and I know I shouldn't do that. I just want to sit in the evenings and hold on to her, then go to bed, make love, and hold her all through the night.
Yes, I know, and yes, it is still me writing this.
The thing with her ex was all my fault. I know she loves me. For the first time in my life, I know someone loves me. That is so weird. She wants nothing from me but my love and support. And all I give her is a stupid tantrum. How stupid is that?
Wow. I can't believe I wrote all that. This has been good. Writing this. I feel a little better now.
Did I make sense?
Anyway.
Write me when you get the time.
Be good.
T
Tori pressed the send button, and sent the mail on its way.
After sitting for another moment, staring at her favourite picture, she eased herself out of the chair and made her way back to the bedroom.
Eden had turned onto her back. There were worry lines beneath the blonde hair across her forehead, and Tori sat down on the edge of the bed and started to gently stroke the soft hair.
Green eyes fluttered open.
"Go back to sleep." Tori picked up a small hand and brushed the knuckles across her lips. Then she pulled the hand onto her lap and watched as Eden slipped slowly back onto sleep, her thumb unconsciously caressing the back of her lover's hand. As she tried to place the hand on the mattress beside the sleeping woman, Eden, in her sleep, grasped the larger hand tighter. She waited until the grip relaxed and slipped her hand out, covering the blonde again, and leaving the bedroom.
She went back into the computer room, and checked her mail.
There was a reply from Jodie.
Tori opened the mail.
Hey there, big T.
You were right, I didn't believe it was you once or twice.
Who are you? You're not the woman I used to sleep with.
You're right, she is lovely. You're lucky too.
Never thought I'd see the day.
Next thing you're gonna tell me is you're getting spliced.
Tori, tell me you're not getting spliced.
I did it, it's no big deal.
It's not what it's cut out to be.
But then, I married a man.
So take no notice.
I'm happy for you, big T.
Love you always.
Jodie.
Tori chuckled and got up from the computer.
She went down into the kitchen and got herself a glass of orange juice, sipping it as she went back up the stairs.
Eden had manoeuvred herself across the bed, and was sprawled diagonally across the centre. Tori put the glass on the bedside cabinet and carefully eased Eden back to her side.
"Hmmmpphh." The blonde managed to get an arm around Tori's neck and pulled her down into a kiss. "M'hot," she mumbled.
"It's the booze." Tori managed to shove her over enough so that she could slip between the sheets. "Are you thirsty?"
"Mmm."
Tori guessed that the answer was in the affirmative, so she reached across and grabbed the glass of juice. Pulling Eden to a sitting position, she touched the glass against her lover's lips and watched as she clumsily reached for the glass and gulped down the contents.
"Careful, we don't want to be sleeping on damp sheets." As the words came out of her mouth she knew how ridiculous a statement that was; they usually slept on damp sheets most nights.
Still holding onto the blonde, she returned the glass to the cabinet, briefly mourning the loss of her drink.
Tori eased them both down, Eden already asleep again. They found their familiar position, the blonde with her back to Tori, whose long arm surrounded the smaller woman's stomach.
Tori slept well that night.
Eden awoke with a pain behind her eyes and a rug in her mouth. She wanted to get up, really wanted to, but her head was surely sewn to the mattress.
She felt hot, and the weight of the arm on her ribs was pressing her into the bed.
"Tori," she croaked.
She turned onto her back very, very slowly. But that just made the arm land on her stomach. She turned her head to the left, and found herself face to face with the sight that she always looked forward to seeing. It wasn't often that she woke before Tori, and she always took the opportunity to just watch her lover when she did.
Usually.
However, today she just wanted to get up and to the bathroom as quickly as possible.
"Tori." This time her voice was a little louder.
"Not now," mumbled the sleeping woman, and turned away from the blonde.
But at least she was no longer pinned to the bed, and she rolled over to get out.
Tori woke slowly, wondering what it was that woke her. She reached across, to Eden's side of the bed, and found it empty. Lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, she listened for sounds of the blonde moving around the house.
She heard nothing.
Not until a small noise attracted her attention.
Looking to her right, she saw a tousled blonde head appear; two bloodshot green eyes blinked at her fuzzily.
"You fell out of bed?"
The green eyes blinked. "I rolled over; the bed must have shrunk in the night."
Tori rolled over and turned so that she was lying horizontally across the bed, bringing her nose to nose with Eden. "You want some help down there?"
Eden sighed loudly, shaking her head carefully. "Nope, I'm fine. I'll just sit here a while." She peered up at the clock. "You let me sleep in? Look at the time!"
"Don't worry, I got in touch with Tom; he's not expecting you today."
The relief in Eden's face was obvious. "Don't think I'd have sold many houses today."
Tori chuckled and got down beside her partner. "Come on, you." She extended her hand, and it was taken. She hauled Eden, grabbing for her when the blonde winced. "What? What is it?"
"I ache. We had quite a session at training last night; I took a couple of hits." She turned to show Tori a bruise on her hip. "There, and my shoulder."
"Oooh, you poor old thing," said Tori, running her fingers across the bruise. Considering how she studied her lover's body at every opportunity, she couldn't imagine how she'd missed it. "Go and have a bath. I'll make you a cup of tea and bring you some pain killers. How does that sound?"
"Like heaven." Eden stood on tiptoes and gave her a peck on the lips before disappearing into the bathroom.
Tori returned to the bathroom some time later with a cup of tea for her lover. "You look like you're enjoying that."
Eden was reclining in the large sunken tub, her hair floating around her shoulders. "I am, but just shut up, get your clothes off and get in here."
Tori shrugged. "Ok," she said amiably, and was in the bath and easing her lover forward in a couple of seconds. She settled behind the blonde, and pulled her back against her chest. "Mmm, this is bliss."
"Where's me cuppa?" Eden strained her neck to see the shelf behind her, trying to see where her favourite mug was.
"Here." Tori reached a long arm out and carefully handed the mug to Eden, handle first.
"Can't beat this. A warm bath, my favourite girl, and a cup of tea. Who needs champagne?"
"Who indeed?" said Tori and pulled her lover a little closer.
Later, Tori was drying Eden's back with a soft towel.
"You know, that really is sore," said the blonde, rotating her shoulder.
"What, here?" asked Tori, pushing her fingers into the muscle.
"Yow! Yeah right there." Eden took a step forward, away from the taller woman, and reached across with her left arm to massage the tender area.
"Eden, if this is what you're like after a training session, what are you going to look like after a match?" Tori was running her fingers across the bruises that she was finding on Eden's body.
Eden turned back towards Tori, suddenly aware that her lover really was concerned for her. "Tori, if you really don't want me to play, I won't."
Tori pulled her into a hug. "It's not for me to tell you what to do. I just worry. Rugby is a rough game. I worry you'll get hurt."
"It's just something I want to try. If I get hurt I'll stop. Is that a good deal?"
"I'd just rather you didn't get hurt." Tori stuck her bottom lip out, and Eden caught it between her teeth, causing the taller woman to break the pout and giggle uncontrollably. "Stop that. Now, turn around, I'll put some deep heat on that shoulder." She reached past Eden to the bathroom cabinet, finding a can of Deep Heat spray in there.
Eden turned her back on Tori and allowed her to spray a generous amount of the painkilling muscle relaxant onto the smaller woman's right shoulder. Though the can said it didn't need to be massaged in, the erotic noises of pleasure coming from her lover caused her to carry the massage onto the other shoulder as well.
"There," said Tori patting the now warm shoulder.
"Be sure to wash your hands before you put them anywhere important," said Eden, running some warm water into the basin.
Tori cupped her hands and Eden squirted some handwash onto the large hands.
After Tori had thoroughly scrubbed her hands, with a blonde limpit attached to her back, she turned in the circle of those arms and took that same blonde into her arms. "Feel ok?" she asked.
Eden rested her head on Tori's chest. "I feel great. I shouldn't feel great. I should feel like I've been run over by a bus. But right now, at this very moment, I feel wonderful." She looked up and found blue. "You make me feel like this, you know."
Tori ducked and kissed the top of the damp head. Her hands found Eden's hips and then lowered, cupping her perfectly formed behind. "I love you," Tori whispered. "I love the way you feel. The way you smell." She took a deep breath, accentuating the statement. "And I love the way your bum fits so neatly into my hands." She squeezed the body part to make her point.
They were still for a moment. Both naked as the day they were born, their bath-heated skin melding one against the other.
"Tori, I'm hot."
Tori found her lover's mouth. "I know, I've been telling you that for months."
"No." Eden was disengaging from Tori's embrace. "I'm burning."
"What?" Tori's brow creased into a frown.
"My back, it's burning."
Tori turned her around and inspected her back. The skin was an angry red, giving the appearance that she had been out in the sun a little too long. "Bloody Norah! You must be having a reaction to the Deep Heat."
Eden was moving around the bathroom now, looking as though the moment anything touched her she'd shrivel up and die.
"Come here," said Tori reaching in and turning the shower on. She let it run over her hand, waiting until the water was lukewarm. "Let's wash it off quickly."
"Ow ow ow." Eden was hopping around the bathroom trying hard not to flex the skin of her burning back.
"Oh my God!"
"What, what is it?" Eden turned to find her lover with both hands clapped over her mouth, and the appearance that she was straining not to laugh.
"It's not bloody funny, Tori."
Tori shook her head, the hands still in place. Then the blue eyes widened and she removed her hands from her face and stared at them, then at her own reflection in the mirror.
Tears were now falling from Tori's eyes, the struggle to hold in her laughter getting the better of her.
"Will you tell me what is so funny?"
Tori shook her head and pushed the bright red blonde towards the shower. She used the gentle handwash and a natural sponge to wash away the Deep Heat from the reddened skin.
And she took special care to wash the two perfectly formed hand prints on each of Eden's buttocks.