Chapter 6

Kara’s week was off to a great start when her motion to have a crucial piece of evidence excluded from the trial was granted. This resulted in the prosecution dismissing the felony counts they were charging her client with and offering him a plea on a misdemeanor that would result in no jail time. Her client took the offer and suddenly her workload that week got a whole lot lighter.

Unfortunately, that left her with more time to stress about seeing Madison Tuesday night. She decided that she was too much in her head about the whole thing, so she called up a couple of her buddies from law school to see if they wanted to have a beer with her that night. Brian Hanlon and Scott Trimble had been two of her close friends since first year and both had stayed close friends through her transition.

Kara was comfortable with the male friends she had had when she was living as a man, though not with men who she came to know after. It was an odd balance of them seeing her as one of the guys, since they shared common interests in TV shows, books, video games, and beer, but because they had known her as a man, there was none of the sexual tension that seemed to result whenever she was around men who didn’t know her past. Whenever she stopped to analyze her views on this, she was a little uncomfortable with her observations. She wanted people to see her and treat her as a woman, yet she was only friends with men who still had a memory of her as a man to keep them from ever expressing a romantic interest in her.

She laughed, remembering some of the early moments that had happened after she came out. One instance in particular, she and a male friend were watching a TV show and they were discussing the attractiveness of one of the actresses.

“She’s definitely hot,” Kara had said, “and I absolutely love her dress.”

Her friend had looked at her like she had sprouted a second head. He just stared at her for a moment before saying, “Oh, yeah, you’re a chick.”

She hadn’t been out with the guys in a couple of weeks and was looking forward to it that night. They always had a great time, reminiscing about old times during law school and swapping stories from their respective practices. They always drank plenty of good beer and shared a ton of laughs. And they all commiserated over women, all of them single for several years now.

Kara arrived at the bar first and ordered a pitcher of Gumball Head, a hoppy wheat beer, for the trio. She poured her glass and took a big sip, relishing the refreshing taste of the brew. She was looking over the menu when Brian joined her. He, like Kara, had come straight from the office and was wearing a suit and tie. He leaned over and gave Kara a quick hug before stripping off his suit jacket and sitting down, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his collar.

“I still say that you transitioned just so you didn’t have to wear a suit and tie in the summer,” he said, looking over Kara, who was wearing a short-sleeved silk blouse with an open collar and a light gray skirt that hit her at the knee.

“You always say that whenever we see each other from May through October. I will remind you that high heels and bras are no walk in the park either.” The two shared a laugh as Brian poured his own glass full of beer, offering to top up Kara’s.

The two continued exchanging small talk for a couple of minutes when Scott showed up. He bent over to give Kara a quick hug, then slapped Brian on the shoulder. He, too, pulled off his suit coat and loosened his tie as he sat and looked over at how Kara was dressed.

“Brian already made the comment about me transitioning just to get out of wearing suits and ties. And I’ll tell you the same thing, I may be cooler, but bras and heels make for an even trade.”

“I was just gonna say you look nice and ask you to pour me a beer, but thanks for the info. So besides that enlightening speech, what have I missed?”

“Not much,” said Brian, “I just got here a few minutes ago, myself.”

“Well, I’ve got news,” began Kara. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”

“That’s awesome, Kar!” Brian exclaimed, the sentiment echoed by Scott.

“So, tell us about her.” Scott said, shooting a quick glance at Brian, he added “By the way, does she know . . . about . . . you know?”

“Alright, first off, yes, she does know. I don’t know how things are gonna go from here, but I told her Friday night and haven’t seen her since. She called me yesterday from Florida, and no, I don’t know why she was in Florida,” she added at her friends’ puzzled expressions, “and she’s coming back today and wants to talk to me tomorrow night.

“Otherwise, she’s a history professor, 33, so a few years older. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Dark brown hair, hazel eyes, great legs, and the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen. She’s also the best kisser I’ve ever known. It’s early, but I think I could be falling for her.” She took another drink of beer and sat looking at the table for a moment, not seeing the concerned glances that her friends were exchanging.

“Wow. Kar, that’s . . . wonderful.” Scott said. “I don’t want to put a damper on what you’re feeling here, but is there a chance that she might not feel the same way?”

“Yeah, there’s definitely a chance. Maybe she wants to meet tomorrow just so she can tell me off to my face. I don’t really know. But what she said made me think there’s a chance she wants to try.”

“Well, Kara, I hope this goes well for you,” Brian said. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. You were a mess after things ended with Jess and I don’t want to ever see you go through that again.” Scott murmured his agreement while Kara finished her glass and, with the assent of her friends, emptied the last of the pitcher into her glass.

“I don’t want me to get hurt, either. But I feel like I’ve got to take a chance here. Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what was up. Now, let’s focus on less serious topics so I’m not totally freaked all night.”

With that, the conversation downshifted into a discussion of videogames, TV shows, beer, work, and the other minutiae of life. The trio ate and drank another two pitchers over the course of the evening, finally calling it a night after four hours spent catching up. Kara got home and loved on Seymour, feeling happy and less apprehensive about her meeting with Madison the next evening. As she lay down in bed, she thought of hazel eyes and soft lips as sleep finally claimed her.

***

The next day went by smoothly and Kara found ways to keep herself busy. She had cleared her schedule for the trial, but there was always a backlog of cases that she had to deal with, so it wasn’t too difficult for her to find things to keep herself occupied until eight thirty. She left work a little before seven so she could go home and freshen up and change before she went to Madison’s. She decided on a casual look that still emphasized her strong points, selecting a white ribbed tank top with lace trim at the top and bottom to go along with a pair of jeans that were snug in all the right places, but were still comfortable. She threw on a gray cardigan and a pair of ankle boots with a two inch heel and left to meet Madison.

When she got to Madison’s, she hesitated in her car, seeing that she was early. Looking up at the apartment building, she felt the fear she had been fighting down begin to creep back up, filling her with a sense of profound dread. She took several deep breaths, repeating over and over in her head, she said she’s not giving up and that everything’s going to be alright. She said she’s not giving up and that everything’s going to be alright. . .

Kara was still repeating her mantra when she pressed the button next to 'Roberts' next to the door. Madison buzzed her up and was standing in front of the elevator when it opened on her floor. She was dressed very similarly to Kara, though she was barefoot with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The two women just stood there in the fluorescent illumination of the hall light while the dusk deepened toward night outside.

As Madison led the redhead toward her open door, she said, “Come on in. I made some shrimp fra diavolo for us, so I hope you like spicy food.”

Kara smiled at this, “I absolutely love spicy food, so I can’t wait to try it. By the way, I brought that bottle of wheat wine with me. I didn’t know if you wanted us to have that or . . .” Kara was nervously shifting her weight from to foot, clearly uncomfortable.

Madison studied Kara’s face for a moment, then stepped up to the taller woman, wrapping her slender arms around Kara’s neck and pulling her down for a brief kiss. All she did was press their lips together; it was simple, sweet, and chaste. Madison felt Kara’s free arm wrap around her waist and felt Kara’s hand settle on the small of her back. The older woman broke the kiss and leaned her head against Kara’s chest with a soft sigh. Both women could feel the tension level drop and held tightly to each other.

“I’m so happy that you’re here. I missed you this weekend,” Madison said, without looking up, still loving the way she felt wrapped in the tall redhead’s embrace.

“I missed you too. So much.” Kara tightened her hold on the older woman as her voice began to break and the tears began to fall from her eyes. “I thought for sure that I’d lost you.”

Madison stood on her toes, planting soft kisses all over Kara’s face, whispering soothing shushing noises to the sobbing woman. With her arm around Kara’s waist, she led her to the couch and gently urged her to sit. Madison took a seat right next to her friend, not removing the arm from her waist, their thighs pressing together. Madison urged Kara closer towards her, the redhead clinging helplessly to Madison as she cried, the tears of relief wetting Madison’s shoulder.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I had to get away to think, true, but I thought and now I’m back. It’s early, but you’re just the kind of woman I’ve always wanted to share my life with,” Madison told Kara, whose tears had stopped, but she had no desire to give up the comfort of being held by Madison.

“I feel the same way,” Kara echoed, placing a soft kiss on Madison’s shoulder.

“We have some issues that we’re going to have to work through, Kara. I care for you and the way we click . . . I’ve never felt that before.” Kara’s face was covered with a pensive expression at hearing that, but Madison could only see the top of the taller woman’s head and continued on.

“Even when I was with Michelle, I never felt as connected to her as I do to you. I’ll admit that kind of scares me. It would be scary even if you had been born genetically female. Which is the other issue. I like taking things slow. I don’t want to sleep with a woman unless I know her well.”

“I know. I feel the same way. After my last time doing that I vowed I wouldn’t sleep with a woman I wasn’t in love with,” Kara replied.

Madison kissed the top of her head. “Then you know what I mean. Plus, I have to admit that I’m clueless when it comes to male anatomy, so that’s kind of got me freaking out a little. I mean, what kinds of things do you like? Do you like to use . . . you know?”

Kara sat up, leaving her arms wrapped around Madison and making no move to dislodge the older woman’s arms from her. “It depends. I feel most natural and most comfortable pleasuring someone using my mouth or my hands. It feels kind of . . . I don’t know . . . weird . . . I guess, using my penis. Like it’s not really a part of me. But it has a ton of nerve endings and it feels good to use it, physically, at least. Psychologically, it’s less straightforward. It’s been a while since I had to deal with this. In the past, I let the women I was with set the tone for what would happen below my belt, so if you want to take that approach, I’d be perfectly okay with that.”

Madison rubbed Kara’s side through the tank top. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I just want you to know how I’m feeling. If this is going to work between us, we have to be honest every step of the way. Anyway, the smell of that shrimp is killing me, so let’s go eat.” She stood and held out her hand for Kara, pulling her up. The two women walked into the dining room side by side and sat down at the small table.

“Okay. I’m still uncertain what the implications of dating a trans woman are. You know much better than I do how this is going to different from other lesbian relationships. Care to share any insight? I don’t want to get blindsided by something later on.”

“Well, for the most part it’s absolutely the same as with any other lesbian couple. There are a couple of things that are different and that are kind of biggies. First off, I can get married. Again, that’s not something that needs to be considered so early on, but it is there. The law here isn’t clear, but odds are good that if I married a woman before getting the surgery, it’s a valid marriage, even for federal purposes. As long as I have my penis, marriage laws treat me like a man.

“The other big thing, and again, not something that we need to worry about is I can have kids that are the biological children of both mothers.” Madison looked surprised to hear this.

“Wow. I never even considered that.” She looked at her plate thoughtfully for a moment. “Would I need to go on birth control or anything? I mean, I’ve been out since I was in high school. I’ve never given being involved in ‘natural’ procreation much thought.”

Kara reached over and covered Madison’s hand with her own. “It doesn’t work that way. I’ve been on hormones for several years and I’m fairly certain I’m sterile. But before I started taking hormones, I had some sperm frozen. My ex and I were still together at the time and we thought we could make it work, so we wanted to preserve our options for having kids later. Things didn’t work out,” she said with a sad smile, “but I still have the little swimmers on ice.”

Madison gave Kara’s hand a gentle squeeze and leaned over, placing a soft kiss on Kara’s cheek. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out. But I’m glad you’re here now, with me.” This removed the sadness from Kara’s smile and the two women kissed again, savoring the feel of each other’s soft lips.

The two women finished dinner and cleared the table, Kara refusing to let Madison help, claiming that since Madison had cooked, the least she could do is clean up. After Madison had finished instructing Kara in where particular items went in the cabinets, the couple took their drinks and returned to the couch. Madison sat in the corner, leaning against the armrest and put one leg up on the couch, leaving one on the floor. She pulled Kara down to sit in front of her, wrapping her arms around the tall redhead’s waist, pulling her back against her body, sighing with pleasure at her closeness to the younger woman.

“There’s absolutely nothing better than cuddling on the couch after a great meal. Wouldn’t you agree?” Madison asked, leaning her head forward to place a kiss on Kara’s right cheek, just in front of the redhead’s ear.

“Mhm.” Kara moaned her agreement, shivering slightly from the combined sensations of Madison’s arms wrapped tightly around her, Madison’s breasts pressed into her back, and the kiss Madison had just planted in such a sensitive location. Turning slightly in Madison’s grasp, she looked at the brunette and whispered, “I couldn’t agree more,” placing a soft kiss full of desire on Madison’s supple lips.

Neither woman was in a hurry to break the kiss, and it grew in passion as lips parted to grant entrance to exploring tongues. Kara turned fully as Madison slid down the couch so that they were lying down. As Madison’s hands roamed the expanse of Kara’s back, loving the way the soft cotton was stretched across her skin, Kara’s kisses moved to Madison’s neck as her own hands slipped under the hem of Madison’s tank top, running over the silky smooth skin of Madison’s firm tummy.

“Kara. . .” Madison moaned, “God, do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“The same thing you do to me. You make me so hot I can’t believe it. No woman has ever made me feel like this.” She placed a few more kisses on Madison’s throat, moving back towards her lips. Their lips met again in an explosion of passion and desire. Madison’s hands slipped under Kara’s tank top and she moved them slowly over the younger woman’s skin, barely touching Kara with just her fingertips. Soon Kara’s back was completely covered in goose bumps and the redhead was shaking with desire and pleasure.

“We need to slow down,” Kara whispered as she nibbled on the delicate shell of Madison’s ear.

Madison removed her lips from Kara’s sensitive neck and moaned, “You’re absolutely right, baby. We need to slow down.”

The kisses, bites, licks, and touches continued for a few more minutes. Madison wrapped her denim clad legs around the woman on top of her, pulling their hips closer together. As she began to grind against Kara’s body she stopped moving completely as she felt a bulge pressing against her through the denim. Kara sensed her friend’s sudden discomfort and knew the source. The bulge straining against the crotch of her jeans was making her quite uncomfortable as well.

Kara sat up quickly, smoothing her hair back into place after it had been thoroughly mussed by the attractive brunette. Madison pulled herself free and sat beside Kara. She placed a hand on Kara’s thigh and leaned her head against the taller woman’s shoulder. Their breaths came in ragged gasps as they both tried to regain a semblance of composure.

“Wow.” Madison was the first to speak.

“You said it,” Kara turned and pressed her lips against the top of Madison’s head. “That was something else. By the way, I’m sorry about . . .”

“No,” Madison said quickly. “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. I just wasn’t expecting to feel . . . that. By the way, I thought you said you were impotent because of the hormones.”

“Not exactly.” Kara fell back, slouching against the back of the couch, and placed her bare feet up on the coffee table. She glanced quickly at Madison, whose nod assured her it was okay to leave them there. “I said I’m sterile, not impotent. Basically, my testicles don’t work worth a damn, but my penis still works just the way it was intended. I know a lot of trans women lose the ability to get or keep an erection, but I haven’t had that side effect from the hormones. It doesn’t usually happen unless I’m really turned on though, and spontaneous erections have gone away completely.”

“Huh.” Madison leaned back against Kara, the taller woman’s arms wrapping around her as Madison rested her head against Kara’s chest, loving the way she felt in Kara’s arms, safe and warm. “Again, sorry for my reaction. Now that I know better what to expect, hopefully I won’t freak out again in the future.”

“Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for,” Kara tightened her arms around Madison. “Like I said, you get to set the agenda for how we deal with that particular piece of anatomy. If it makes you at all uncomfortable, then I just keep my panties on. Not a big deal as far as I’m concerned. Besides, it’s not like it’s gonna be here forever.”

Madison lifted her head and placed a kiss on Kara’s lips. “Thank you,” she said, returning her cheek to its resting place right above the redhead’s breasts. “You have no idea how much better that makes me feel.” Her hand was idly tracing small circles on Kara’s tummy, while Kara was running her fingers through Madison’s silky tresses, loving the way the hair felt as it slipped through her fingers.

“Do you find it weird that we’re so comfortable with each other, so soon? I mean, we haven’t even known each other for two weeks, yet here we are snuggling on your couch like we’ve been together for months.”

“You know, it is a little weird,” Madison answered, not moving from her comfortable position. “I can’t explain it. I’ve never felt this way about someone at all, let alone this quickly.”

“I have,” Kara said, her voice just above a whisper. Madison stilled her hand and sat up, looking into Kara’s eyes, silently encouraging her to continue. Kara took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

“I told you about my ex, Jessica. We met my senior year of high school. She was my first real girlfriend and we hit it off right away. We spent every afternoon together my senior year. Within a week and a half or so of our first date, I knew I was in love with her. It wasn’t much longer before I knew that she was the girl I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with. And we did marry. But you know how they say straight girls will break your heart?” Madison nodded. “She did. When I went full time, she decided she couldn’t make it work, she wasn’t attracted to me, etc., etc. We divorced and I’ve been single ever since.”

“Sounds like you cared about her a lot.”

“Oh, I did. She was my . . . everything, my raison d’áªtre. When we split up I was devastated, but I’ve made my peace with everything. She and I are still friends. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

“It doesn’t bother me, exactly, but I’ve got to admit I find it a little weird that you’re still friends.”

“I can see that, and it is. But during the whole time we were together she was always my best friend. Before considering her my lover or my wife or anything else, she was always my best friend. I couldn’t stand to lose that relationship as well as losing her as my partner. Does that make any sense?”

“I guess. How often do you two see each other?”

“A few times a month, maybe once a week or so.”

“Hmm.” Madison pondered this new bit of information about the tall woman by her side as she relaxed back into Kara’s comforting embrace.

***

Kara awoke in a strange place, feeling the soft warm body next to her. She quickly did an assessment of where she was and what was going on, taking a few moments to come to full awareness. She was lying on her side, still dressed, with her right leg thrown over the hips of the body beside her. Her right hand, she realized, was cupping a soft, firm breast. Oh my God, I’m grabbing her breast! She jerked her hand away and sat up. Madison moved toward her, seeking to reestablish the connection they had shared while asleep. Kara smiled at the sight of the brunette trying to curl herself around Kara’s back as she sat on the edge of the couch.

She looked at her watch and was surprised to see that it was already seven. Glad I keep a change of clothes at the office. She reached out to brush Madison’s hair back from her face, planting a soft kiss on the sleeping woman’s forehead. God, she’s so beautiful. Kara felt her heart clench while she gazed at her . . . what? Is she my girlfriend? My friend? Are we just dating? She sighed heavily and got up, walking softly to the kitchen. She took a Diet Coke from the fridge, pleased to see that she and Madison had the same taste in pop. Seeing a pad of paper sitting on the counter, she took a pen and quickly wrote a note for Madison.

Dear Madison,

I’m sorry I had to run, but I’ve got to get to work. I hope you have a great day and I can’t wait to see you again. I just want you to know that I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. Call me whenever you get a chance.

Xoxoxo

Kara

She walked back to the couch and placed the note on the coffee table before placing another kiss on Madison’s lips. Madison moaned softly and smiled in her sleep, but she didn’t wake. Kara left, locking the front door behind her as she went, greeting the day with a gleaming smile for the first time years.

Chapter 7

Madison woke when she heard the sound of the door closing. She sat up, surprised to see she had fallen asleep on the couch. “Kara?” She called out. “Baby, are you here?” She looked around, noticing the piece of paper Kara had left on the coffee table. She smiled as she read the note the taller woman had left for her. God, I can’t believe we slept together all night. I wish I knew where things were going though.

She stretched, trying to get out all the kinks of sleeping on the couch all night and went to her bedroom, stripping off her clothes and slipping between the crisp, cool sheets for a few more hours sleep.

She awoke and looked at the clock on the bedside table, surprised to see that it was after ten. The first thing she did was call her friend Beth.

“Flowers by Beth, how can I help you?”

“Hey Beth, it’s Maddie. I was wondering if you could put together a bouquet for me.”

“You know I can and I will. So, you’re ordering flowers twice in as many weeks. Looks like you’re finally coming out of your slump. Is this for the same girl?”

“Yeah.” Beth could hear her friend smile through the phone. “I think I’ll take them to her myself, though. Maybe see if she’s free for lunch.”

“Well, when you get here, I expect you to give me the full story on this girl. I’m old and married, so I have to live vicariously through you. It’s about time you had something to talk about.”

“We’ll see. I don’t want to jinx anything by giving away too much, too soon.”

“Alright, but don’t think I’m gonna let you off the hook about this though. I’m like a pit bull with a new chew toy. Grrrr.”

Madison laughed at her friend’s antics. “I’ll see you in a bit. Bye.”

“Alright, Maddie. See you soon.”

Madison threw her cell down on the bed and got up. She walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Once the temperature was right, she stepped under the stream of water and let the hot water finish relaxing the kink in her neck from sleeping on the couch all night. I can’t believe we slept together. It was so nice, though. Peaceful. I don’t think I’ve ever slept that well. And the making out . . . that was so amazing. Jesus, the things that woman does to me. . .

Her thoughts were headed in a very lascivious direction and she felt herself becoming warm, and not as a result of the hot water cascading over her sensitive flesh. She decided that this morning was a perfect opportunity to use her adjustable shower head to relieve the ache she felt gathering in her center. As she guided the stream of water to hit just where she needed it most, she thought about Kara. She remembered the way her soft pink lips had felt kissing and nibbling at her. She remembered the way Kara’s breasts strained against the thin material of her tank top and the way her nipples had felt pressed against her. She thought of Kara’s firm ass and muscular thighs, remembering the way the denim was stretched tightly across them.

Madison was fast approaching her peak when one more thought entered her mind, the firm flesh she had felt straining against the crotch of the redhead’s jeans the night before. As she remembered the way it felt pressing against her need, she exploded with pleasure radiating out from her core. She leaned forward heavily against the shower wall, gasping for air as she came back to earth. Deciding to not think about what had just happened, she finished showering and turned off the water.

Once she had dried off and blown her hair dry, she dressed in a casual, flowy, tan skirt that came to just below her knees, and white v-neck t-shirt. She slipped on a pair of brown leather sandals with a bit of a heel and left to go pick up the flowers for Kara.
She got to the shop to find Beth out front. Her friend looked up at the sound of the bell over the door and smiled at Madison as she stepped inside, shifting her sunglasses to the top of her head.

“Well don’t you look cute today. Hoping to impress a certain lawyer, perhaps?” Beth laughed as she went to the back to grab the flowers she had prepared for Madison to give to Kara.

“You know me all too well, Beth. Of course I’m trying to impress Kara, hence the flowers. The skirt is just an attempt to get her into my bed.”

Madison heard the laugh filter back through the room full of plants as she made her way toward the cash register, stopping to touch and smell any flowers that caught her eye along the way. She gushed over the bouquet that Beth had prepared for her, Calla lilies, Casablanca lilies and white roses were arranged together beautifully. Madison couldn’t resist leaning over and inhaling deeply of the beautiful aroma.

“So, what’s the latest with Kara? You haven’t kept me up on happenings since you got that first bouquet for her last week.”

“Things are going good, I think. We’ve got some stuff we’ve got to work out, but I think things will work out very well.” Knowing her friend wasn’t going to let her leave without getting something in the way of juicy details, but not willing to tell her about Kara’s past, she decided to tell Beth a little about the night before. “As a matter of fact, she came over to my place for dinner last night and we ended up sleeping together.”

She laughed at the shocked expression on Beth’s face. “Not like that, you perv. We made out a little after dinner and ended up talking. Next thing I knew, it was morning and I was on the couch, by myself, with a very nice note sitting on the coffee table.”

Beth smiled at Madison. “Sounds nice. You guys make any other plans yet?”

“Nope, she said to call her when I got the chance, so I’m gonna give these to her and see if I can’t get some kisses out of it. Beats the hell out of calling.” Madison picked up the vase full of flowers and threw some money down on the counter, knowing that if she waited around for a second, Beth would make her take it back. As she walked quickly to the door, she called back over her shoulder, “If anything juicy happens, I’ll be sure and call you.”

She drove carefully as she made her way downtown, being sure to keep one hand on the vase at all times to insure it didn’t fall over. She lucked out and was able to find a spot close to the building where Kara worked. She got out and fed the meter, putting in enough to cover the full two hour limit. As she leaned into the passenger side to grab the vase with the flowers, she heard a very welcome familiar voice say, “This is quite unexpected, but that is a fantastic view.”

Madison stood and turned, the flowers in her hands. “Well, I just thought I’d bring these by and surprise you. See if you wanted to have lunch with me.”

“God, Madison, these are beautiful,” she said, taking the flowers from her. “I love them, thank you so much.” Kara leaned in and gave Madison a soft, but heartfelt kiss. “Lunch sounds great. Let’s swing back by my office so I can drop these off first.”

“Sounds great,” Madison said, wrapping her arm through Kara’s.

Once inside Kara’s office, Madison stepped closer to the taller woman, thinking that she looked quite nice in her dark gray pantsuit and white button-down cotton blouse. She placed her hands on Kara’s broad shoulders and pulled her in so that their bodies were pressed together. “Someone left this morning without giving me a proper kiss,” Madison whispered with a smirk as she pressed her lips to Kara’s.

The two women stood there, touching all along their lengths, enjoying the feeling of closeness they were sharing. The kiss was sweet and gentle, the raw force and unbridled passion that had defined their first few kisses was entirely absent. Now, each woman just wanted to make the other feel cared for and cherished. As their lips parted, Kara sighed happily and rested her forehead against Madison’s.

Kara closed her eyes and whispered, “I know it’s early, and you don’t have to say anything back. I just want you to know that I’m falling for you.” She ran her hand through Madison’s hair. “Hard. And fast.”

Madison held Kara’s face gently between her hands as placed soft kisses around her mouth. “Fall, I’ll be right here to catch you. You want to know a secret? I’m falling for you, too. Now come on, sweetheart, let’s go get some lunch.”

Kara smiled at Madison, unable to resist the urge to kiss her deeply. “Okay. Let’s go.”

They had lunch at a tapas place across the street that had an excellent lunch buffet. As they sat together, both women had a difficult time refraining from touching each other. Both felt that an important obstacle in their relationship had been conquered and that they were back on track.

“So,” Madison began, “want to get together tonight? Have dinner or something?”

Kara’s smile lit up her face. “Absolutely. Want to go somewhere or should I cook you that meal I promised you last week?”

“How about I come to your place? Any time in particular you want me there?”

“Actually, would you mind doing me a favor? I had to run straight to the office this morning from your place so I haven’t had a chance to go home yet. Seymour is really well behaved, but he probably needs more food and water. Would you mind going to my place once we finish with lunch and take care of him for me?”

“Not a problem. He’s such a sweetie, I’m sure he missed you last night.”

“He probably did, but I was much happier spending the night next to you.” Kara smiled and blushed. “Last night really was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. I can’t wait to do it again.”

“I thought we were taking things slow. Are you changing the rules on me, counselor?” Madison asked with a grin.

“Not at all, Dr. Roberts. I told you my rule was that I need to be in love before I sleep with someone. I also told you that I’m falling for you. And just for the record, I do want to take things slow.”

“Good. And as far as only sleeping together goes, no more couches. My old bones can’t take too much of it.”

“Well, just so you know, I think your ‘old bones’ are incredibly sexy.” She pulled Madison’s hand to her lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm. Once Kara let go of Madison’s hand, Madison caressed Kara’s cheek before cupping the younger woman’s chin and pulling her close as she leaned across the table for a short kiss.

“So, got any big plans for the rest of the day?” Kara asked as they were leaving the restaurant.

“Well, it looks like I’m gonna go by your house and look in on your dog for you. After that, my day is wide open. What time do you want to get together for dinner?”

“Well, I’ll probably get home sometime after six, so really anytime after that would be great. Or really whenever you want to be there. I’m trying to take things slow here, but honestly, I would really love it if you were already there waiting for me.” Kara looked down, her face turning a bright red as she said this.

“Good. I want you to be honest about what you want. We’re both adults, capable of telling the other what we want and need. It’s a lot easier to be upfront and honest with each other than it is to try and read minds. I may have to run a few errands, but I’ll be there this evening, probably before you get home, but if not, I’ll call you and let you know. Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” Kara answered with a big smile splitting her face.

The two women rode the elevator to Kara’s floor in a contemplative silence, both eager to see where their blossoming relationship would take them. Once they got to Kara’s office, she went around behind her desk and pulled a key from her drawer, handing it to Madison.

“Here you go. It unlocks any of the outside doors, so if you prefer to park around back rather than on the street, you can open the back door with it.”

Madison took the key, placing it in her purse, before pulling Kara in close to her and placing a heartfelt, but chaste kiss on the taller woman’s lips. As she pulled away, she said softly, “Consider that a small taste of what I’m going to do to you tonight when you get home.”

Kara felt her legs become very weak and doubted that she would be able to stand much longer. She watched as Madison turned and walked out the door, her hips swaying hypnotically under her skirt, which flowed around her legs, alternately revealing and hiding the tops of her gracefully sculpted calves. Once she was gone, Kara sank into her chair and sighed. I’m falling in love with that woman.

***

Madison arrived at Kara’s house within a few minutes of leaving her office. She parked on a concrete pad next to the garage and went into the yard through a gate in the tall privacy fence. As soon as she closed the gate, she turned around to see sixty pounds of black and brown fur running at her. Seymour skidded to a stop right in front of her, bumping into her shins and knocking her slightly off balance.

“Hi, baby,” she said in an enthusiastic tone as she bent down to scratch the smiling mutt behind the ears. “Did you miss your mommy last night, Seymour? I bet you did. But guess what? Your mommy was with me. Yes she was. I think you and I are gonna be seeing a lot more of each other, too.” His jaw dropped open in a way that looked almost like a smile, and she couldn’t help but smile back at the lopsided way his tongue was hanging out of his mouth due to a missing lower left canine tooth.

She stood and started walking toward the back door, calling to Seymour, “Come on, baby. Let’s go inside so I can give you some food.” She opened the door and found Seymour’s food and water dishes set up in a corner of the kitchen, just like Kara had told her. She saw that his water dish, while not empty, barely had anything in it, so she took it to the sink and refilled it. She found the dog food and emptied a can into the other bowl and Seymour rapidly buried his face in the brown, smelly pile of dog food.

She didn’t have anything else to do that afternoon, and was at a loss for what she should do. She was naturally curious about the woman who was capturing her heart and had a perfect opportunity to snoop around in her home. Poking around in the kitchen, she was suitably impressed by the collection of gadgets and tools that she saw. A professional grade stand mixer, a stainless steel gas stove and oven, a huge fridge full of fresh ingredients as well as an ample supply of diet coke. She smiled at that as she took one out and opened it. Another shelf had a wide variety of beers, some of them unlabeled, except for letters written on the bottle caps with sharpie. That must be her homebrew.

She took a drink of the diet coke and started looking in the cabinets, to see what she could find there. She saw a lot of containers filled with various dry goods: three different kinds of flour, sugar, baking soda, a ton of small containers filled with herbs and spices, a couple bags of chips, a package of cookies, and several bottles of hot sauce of all different types. She grinned, thinking about how Kara’s love for spicy food rivaled her own.

She finished her exploration of Kara’s kitchen and moved into the living room, sitting down on the couch. Seymour jumped up next to her and she scratched him behind the ears as she took in the room for what was, in essence, the first time, since the last time she was there she was a little distracted by the emotional scene. The room was clean and free of clutter. The furniture was sleek and modern. Kara had a large flat-screen TV below which sat what looked to be a cable box, a sound system, an Xbox, and a Playstation. She looked at the tall, narrow shelving units next to the TV stand and saw an assortment of movies and video games. She recognized several of the movies, lesbian classics like Imagine Me and You, I Can’t Think Straight, Loving Annabelle, But I’m a Cheerleader, and Bound. She also saw that Kara had the entire run of Buffy in her collection as well as Firefly and Serenity. Then she looked over the games. Many of the titles she didn’t recognize, but she saw Halos 1-3 as well as a couple without numbers. There were a lot of games that looked like shooters. Oh, boy, I’m dating a video game nerd. Hopefully she’s not too hardcore about it.

She picked up the remote and switched on the TV and cable. To continue her poking around, she pressed the DVR button to see what shows Kara liked enough to record. There were the usual sitcoms and a couple of dramas listed. Madison breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see any reality programs listed. She may be a gamer, but at least she doesn’t watch reality shows. Madison idly flipped through channels while petting Seymour. She looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost two. Three hours to kill. It’ll take me at least an hour round-trip to go home and come back here. I don’t really have anything I need to do today, so I might as well just hang out here until she gets done with work.

Failing to find anything on TV that was remotely interesting, she decided to put in a DVD to kill some time. With that decision made, she got up and grabbed the box of West Wing DVDs, pulling out a disc at random. She placed the disc in the Playstation and sat back to watch. By the time she was almost done with the fourth episode on the disc, she heard the back door open and watched as Seymour jumped down and ran to greet his mistress. She stood, and smoothed out her skirt and t-shirt before walking back to greet Kara.

“Hmmm, it’s really great having a gorgeous woman greeting me at the door when I get home from work,” Kara said as she set down her briefcase and wrapped her long arms around the woman in front of her. “I could get used to this,” she said, as she pressed her lips to Madison’s.

“You weren’t too bored waiting around for me, were you?”

“Not at all. I managed to figure out your entertainment system and watched some West Wing. Seymour and I had a good time.” Madison kissed Kara’s cheek before stepping back and saying. “Why don’t you go change and when you get back we’ll figure out what you’re gonna cook for me.”

“Sounds like a plan. Be back in a bit.” Kara pulled Madison close to her and kissed her again, teasing her with her lips and tongue. Both women lost track of time as the kiss continued. Neither woman sought to escalate it, content to enjoy the teasing, flirtatious kisses. Finally, Kara stepped back and with a smirk turned and went upstairs to change.

Madison returned to the couch and idly petted Seymour while waiting for Kara to return. When she heard the shower start running, she put in another disc so she’d have something to watch while she waited. After twenty minutes or so, Kara came back downstairs, her hair slightly damp, wearing a pair of faded jeans and a tank top. It was quite obvious to Madison that Kara wasn’t wearing a bra as her nipples were clearly outlined against the thin, white cotton. Madison’s mouth went dry and she was unable to pull her eyes away from Kara’s chest.

Kara noticed what Madison was staring at and reached out, cupping the brunette’s chin, lifting it until Madison was looking her in the eye. “I’m up here, sweetie,” Kara said with a laugh. “Have you given any thought to what you want to eat?”

A smirk took over Madison’s face, but was quickly replaced by a look of confusion. “I was about to make a bad joke about wanting to eat you, but that innuendo doesn’t exactly work for us, does it?”

“Well, I can still use that line. Doesn’t work as well for you, though. Come ‘ere,” she said, opening her arms. Madison snuggled against her, shivering as she felt Kara’s nipples against her through the thin layer of well worn cotton. “I know I don’t have the usual parts, but I want you to feel comfortable with me.”

“Then why didn’t you wear a bra? Parts of me are decidedly uncomfortable right now. Throbbingly uncomfortable in fact.”

Kara smiled and kissed Madison’s forehead. “All a part of my evil plan. But seriously, I’ve got a couple of strip steaks in the fridge, some potatoes for baking, stuff for a salad, and a good homebrew IPA that sounds pretty darn tasty.”

“That sounds really, really good. Anything I can do to help?” Madison asked as they walked into the kitchen and Kara took the steaks from the fridge and covered them with salt and pepper before setting them on the counter.

“So, it’s five forty-five right now, those steaks’ll need like an hour or so to come to room temperature, which means I shouldn’t start the potatoes for like a half hour. Can you think of something we could do to occupy ourselves for the next thirty minute?” Kara had placed her arms on Madison’s shoulders and pulled her in tight against her body as she said all this. Despite Madison’s best efforts, her gaze kept dropping to Kara’s chest. She wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist and laced her fingers together on the small of her back.

“I can think of something,” Madison said, staring at Kara’s lips.

The two women came together in a passionate kiss, their lips melting together, their bodies pressed tight. Madison’s back was pressed into the island by Kara’s body. She moaned into Kara’s mouth as she ran her fingers through Kara’s long red hair. Kara was lost in a haze of passion as she ran her hands over Madison’s yielding flesh. She ran her hands down the professor’s hips, down her tight, firm ass and onto her thighs. As she moved her kisses to Madison’s neck and shoulders, Madison’s fingers thoroughly tangled in the silky red strands, Kara bent down and with a firm grasp on the back of Madison’s thighs, lifted her to sit on the island.

“Hmmm, much better,” Madison moaned as Kara’s hands roamed over her legs, raising her skirt higher and higher. Their breaths were coming in ragged gasps as their passion escalated, spiraling higher and higher. Both women were completely lost in the moment, neither knowing where they were, riding high on a cloud of sensation, their bodies merging together into one. Madison felt Kara’s hands stroking her smooth thighs, the touch feeling like fire on her over-sensitized skin. As Kara’s hands slid higher, Madison opened her legs wider in a silent invitation.

Suddenly, Kara stopped moving. She slowly removed her hands from under Madison’s skirt, smoothing the gauzy fabric back in place before placing her hands on Madison’s waist. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she looked into hazel eyes. “Wow. Is it just me, or do we have crazy super intense chemistry together?”

“It’s not just you, baby,” Madison answered, resting her head on Kara’s shoulder, drawing deep breaths to try and cool down, her hands gripping Kara’s muscular shoulder blades. “Every time we kiss, it’s like this amazingly intense full body experience. You make me lose my mind. I was so ready for you just then.”

“I know, but I don’t think either of us is really ready for the next step. I know I’m not. I need to know that there’s a commitment first. But, God. You turn me on so much I have no idea where I am when we kiss. I’ve never been kissed like this. But we need to slow down. We have to slow down.”

They stayed where they were, just holding each other trying to calm down their overheated bodies. Once they were breathing normally, Kara kissed Madison’s cheek and stepped away. Madison started to hop down from the island, but Kara told her to stay put.

“I’m just gonna start the potatoes. Why don’t you tell me about your day.”

“Well, after we had lunch I came back here, gave Seymour some food and water and watched some West Wing.”

“Really? You seem to me like the curious type. Sure you didn’t snoop around?” Kara asked with a grin, seeing Madison blush.

“Fine you got me, I snooped a little, but just here in the kitchen and I looked at your DVR.”

“Any findings you want to share with me?”

“Well, I am surprised that my girlfriend is a video game nerd. You’ve got dozens of video games out there.”

Kara looked at her with a huge smile on her face. “Is that true?”

“Is what true?”

Kara looked down, her freckles disappearing under her bright red blush. “Am I really your girlfriend?”

Madison sat still for a moment, giving the question the thought it deserved. She could tell that Kara was getting nervous from her continued silence and realized that she’d known the answer for a while now. “Yes. That’s how I think of you, as my girlfriend.”

Kara’s face lit up in a thousand watt smile. She stepped up to Madison and soundly kissed her on the lips. She pulled away, still smiling. “I think of you as my girlfriend, too. Being with you makes me so happy.”

“Me, too.” Madison hopped down from the island and went to stand behind Kara, wrapping her arms around the taller woman’s waist and pressing her cheek against her girlfriend’s back. “My girlfriend,” she sighed.

Turning in Madison’s embrace, Kara kissed her forehead. “My girlfriend.” She pressed her lips against her forehead again, sighing as she smelled Madison’s hair.

“So, does it bother you that I’m a gamer?”

Madison looked up with a sparkle in her eyes. “At this point, not really. I don’t know your gaming habits though. Do you sit and play games non-stop for days on end, neglecting the people around you?”

“If it’s a good game and it’s the first time I’m playing it, I can get a little focused. But don’t worry, I never get so focused that a kiss won’t make me drop the controller in an instant.”

“Good answer. Well, Ms. Jenkins, in that case, I don’t think that we’ll have any problem with your video game playing habits. Cause I positively cannot get enough of kissing you.”

“I’m so glad to hear it,” Kara said as she dropped her head to kiss her girlfriend’s sweet pink lips.

Dinner was an exercise in patience and self-control for both women as they exchanged soft touches and flirtatious glances. They kept the conversation light while they ate, Madison praising Kara’s skill in cooking and brewing, loving the way Kara blushed every time she complimented her.

Madison insisted that she would clean up once they were finished eating. The task was made easy by the fact that Kara cleaned up after herself as she cooked, meaning that all there was for Madison to wash was a few plates and utensils. Once the kitchen was clean, Kara poured them each another bottle of homebrew, switching to a sour cherry ale.

Since it was such a nice night, they decided to go out on Kara’s back porch and enjoy the warm weather. They sat on Kara’s porch swing with Kara leaning against the cushioned armrest, Madison leaning back against her chest.

“So, Kara,” Madison began, “where do you see our relationship going?”

“I’m not in a rush or anything, so take everything I’m about to say with that in mind.” She took a deep breath and tightened her hold on Madison. “For now, I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I want to eventually know everything there is about you. I want you to learn everything there is to know about me. I want us to share our lives with each other. I know it’s early, that we haven’t known each other very long, but I think you’re the one.

“I don’t know why or how I think that, but I do.” Kara sighed deeply. Madison squeezed her arms gently to reassure the woman who was holding her. “I’m gonna go ahead and say this, in spite of everything telling me to wait. I think I’m in love with you. The only reason I’m not sure is because I’m second guessing myself. It’s only been a little more than a week. How can I fall in love so fast?”

“I don’t know, baby. But I do know this, I feel the same way. When you’re not with me, I feel like there’s a part of me missing. Whenever I see you or just hear your voice, I feel more alive than I can ever remember feeling. You’re smart, funny, kind, caring, a good cook, and an even better kisser.” Madison turned and kissed her. “I love you, Kara. I love you so much it scares me. I have for a while now. When I went to Florida, I knew I couldn’t walk away. All I wanted to do was be with you again.”

“I’ve been wondering, why did you go to Florida?”

“I needed to talk to someone about what you’d told me. I didn’t want to betray your confidence and out you to any of my close friends by talking about it with them, but I had to talk to someone. So I went to see my mom.” She turned to look Kara in her blue-gray eyes, “I hope that you can understand.”

“I do. And thank you for not outing me to your friends. Once I know someone, I’ll mention it if it comes up, but otherwise, I just leave it alone. But telling your mom is just fine. If things go well, I would have told her anyway. Just as long as she doesn’t preemptively hate me for causing you emotional turmoil.”

“No worries there. She refused to give me any advice beyond telling me to follow my heart.”

Kara tightened her hold on the brunette, feeling Madison shift to press her body more tightly against her. “I’m glad you did. And I’m so glad that your heart led you back to me.”

“Me, too.”

The couple stayed like that, reclined on Kara’s porch swing enjoying the cool evening air as it moved over their bodies. All they felt was the softness and warmth of each other as the swing swayed lazily in the breeze. Neither felt any need or desire to say anything, almost as though they were afraid to risk breaking whatever spell they found themselves under that was making them both feel so loved and wanted and comforted, glad that their searching seemed to be at an end, though their true journey was just beginning.

“It’s getting late,” Madison said, feeling chilled by the cooling air. “I should probably go home. Get some sleep.”

“Yeah, we should probably call it a night,” Kara agreed, though neither woman made any attempt to move. “You know, last night was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.”

“Mmmm. Me, too,” Madison sighed as she snuggled deeper into Kara’s warm embrace.

“I was thinking,” Kara said uncertainly, “maybe, if you wanted to, you could stay with me tonight?”

“I would love that baby. We’re just talking about sleep, right? Like you said earlier, we’re not really ready to go any further yet.”
“I know,” Kara said, kissing the top of Madison’s head. “I’m just talking about sleep. I’m not ready to let you go just yet. I want you in my arms all night long.”

“I want that, too,” Madison said, standing up and stretching. Kara couldn’t pull her eyes away from the toned tummy that was exposed as Madison lifted her arms above her head, pulling her shirt up. Madison caught the look on Kara’s face and smiled, knowing that the tall redhead desired her. “Come on, I’ve only seen the downstairs, so I need you to give me a tour.”

“Oh, right,” Kara replied, blushing. Taking Madison’s hand, she stood and led the older woman inside. She quickly locked up the house before leading her girlfriend upstairs. She was shaking with nervousness when they got to the top.

Madison, seeing this, wrapped her arms loosely around Kara’s waist. “Shhh, baby. Don’t worry. It’s just you and me. We’re not going to do anything we don’t both want to do. Everything’s gonna be alright.” She planted a soft kiss on the redhead’s lips. “I love you. Now, show me around before we go to bed, okay?”

Kara took a deep breath to steady herself. “Okay.”

The house had three bedrooms upstairs, the first one that Kara showed her was lined with bookcases, all of them overflowing with books covering all sorts of subjects. There were law books, science fiction novels, treatises on politics and philosophy, books on history and science, a huge assortment all mixed together with no obvious pattern to the way they were shelved. In one corner was an elliptical machine facing towards Kara’s desk, which was topped with a huge computer monitor connected to Kara’s laptop.

“As you probably can tell, this is my office/library.”

“I definitely guessed the library part. You have so many books here. If I had known this was up here, my poking around this afternoon would have been a lot more fun.”

Kara led Madison down toward the other end of the hall. She turned on the light in the room to their left. The room was painted a soothing blue-gray. Madison smiled as she thought the color reminded her of Kara’s eyes. The room was simply furnished with a dresser, a couple of nightstands with lamps on top of them and a full size bed with white linens.

“Guest room, I take it?”

“You got it, and through here,” Kara said as she turned out the light and they stepped across the hall, “is my room.”

She flipped a switch, illuminating the room, decorated in whites and grays and purples. The room was dominated by a large king size bed, looking neatly made, except for the top right corner, where the light gray sheet and the thin gray and mauve quilt were turned back. The door to a large closet was opened and Madison could see a large number of shoe boxes sitting on the floor, as well as seeing that the racks were full of hanging clothes.

“Well, this is where I sleep. Um . . . I guess we should get ready for bed. You probably want some pajamas, don’t you?” Kara’s shyness was back in full force. She stepped over to her dresser and opened the second drawer. She pulled out a pair of cotton boxers and stepped back, leaving the drawer open. “I’m gonna go in the bathroom and brush my teeth. You’re welcome to anything you want to wear.”

She stepped into the master bath and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the vanity and took several deep breaths. She brushed her teeth thoroughly before changing her jeans out for the boxers she had grabbed. She did a quick look in the mirror to ensure there was no visible bulge before running a brush through her hair a few times. After she had removed her contacts and replaced them with rectangular tortoiseshell glasses, she looked at herself in the mirror. We’re just going to sleep. That’s all. She’s in love with you. This last thought banished the nervousness and placed a wide smile across her face. She loves me. And I love her.

Taking one more deep breath, she opened the door to see Madison sitting on the edge of her bed, her skirt exchanged for a pair of boxers and her hard, dark nipples clearly visible through her white t-shirt. Madison’s skirt and bra were neatly draped over the armless lilac chair in the corner of the room.

“Um . . . there’s a new toothbrush sitting by the sink for you. If you need anything and can’t find it, just let me know and I’ll tell you where it is.”

Madison stood and stepped past Kara, running her hand over the taller woman’s stomach as she did. Kara used the opportunity to turn off the hall light before switching on her bedside lamp then turning off the overhead light. Kara went around to her side of the bed and slid under the covers. She lay on her side and turned to watch the door to the bathroom.

Madison opened the door from the bathroom and was struck by the sight she saw waiting for her. Kara was backlit by the soft glow of her bedside lamp, her red hair looking like a warm blanket draped over her shoulders and framing her face. The curve of breasts made Madison’s mouth go dry as she felt the moisture begin to gather between her legs. She stepped over to the bed, smiling at Kara as she pulled back the covers on the other side.

Madison got in the bed and both women instinctually slid to the middle to hold each other close. They lay on their sides, exchanging soft touches.

“You never told me you wore glasses,” Madison’s soft voice broke the comfortable silence.

“Yeah. I always have, since second grade, I think. I usually wear contacts, though.”

“Well, I think you look quite sexy in your glasses. You should wear them more often.” She placed a soft kiss on the tip of Kara’s nose.

“I do in winter. It’s just when it’s sunny out, I’d rather be able to wear sunglasses.” Kara rolled over and set her glasses on her nightstand. She rolled back next to Madison and placed her hand on the curve of the older woman’s hip. “I love you, Madison.”

Madison softly touched her cheek, brushing Kara’s hair out of her face. She stared into the blue-gray eyes. “I love you, too, Kara. What we have together is so incredible. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I feel so safe and warm when I’m with you. And happier than I can ever remember feeling.”

“I know just what you mean, baby. You make me feel beautiful and cherished and wanted. No one’s ever made me feel that way before.”

“Not even Jessica?”

Kara shook her head emphatically. “No. I loved her and I know she loved me, but she never wanted the real me. She wanted a man and I know she wanted the male persona I put on to hide my true nature, but as soon as I started being true to who I am, she didn’t want me anymore. You want me for the woman I am, not for who I pretended to be.”

“You are beautiful, Kara. You’re so beautiful that sometimes it takes my breath away to look at you. And I do want you, so much it hurts.”

Tears began to roll down Kara’s cheeks. She had never felt such a wonderful feeling of peace and acceptance. Finally, she knew she was loved for who she was. Madison kissed the tears from Kara’s cheeks and pulled the crying woman next to her tightly. Their bodies were pressed into each other, and both women could easily feel the heat from the other through the thin cotton.

Madison knew that she needed to pull back or else they wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night. She wanted their first time to be special and memorable, not stopped by the alarm clock. “Kara, sweetie, we need to get some sleep. How do you normally sleep?”

“I usually sleep on my side, which side doesn’t ever matter. You?”

“My back. Why don’t you come over here and snuggle up to me. I’ll be your pillow tonight. Sound like a plan?”

“It sounds heavenly,” Kara whispered as she laid her head on the brunette’s shoulder and slid her left leg over Madison’s hips. The last thing she heard as she drifted off was Madison’s soft voice, saying, “Sweet dreams, baby.”