Chapter Eleven

The next few weeks flew by. Colby insisted on being Elizabeth’s personal tour guide and entertainment director. They rode bicycles down from Haleakala, went snorkeling off the coast of Molokai, and window-shopped in Lahaina. The more Elizabeth thought about it, the easier it was to agree to whatever Colby suggested. She knew what was at the end of the path she was heading down, but instead of running away she was speeding forward, ignoring every warning sign.

One evening they simply walked the shoreline. As the water lapped around their ankles, Colby peppered her with questions about her childhood, her family, and her life in San Diego. When she described the freshman prank she fell for her first night in the dormitory at Columbia and other childhood stories, Colby laughed and poked fun at her. She liked Colby’s laugh—the way her eyes sparkled and the dimples in her cheeks deepened.

On their way back to her hotel they approached the cluster of trees where they’d had their first interlude. Her heartbeat quickened and she slowed their pace.

“You know, I’ve never gone with a woman as easily as I did with you that night.” She nodded in the direction of the trees.

It didn’t take Colby more than a second to follow the conversation. “Really? ”

“Yes, really. You must have been proud of yourself.” She softened her statement with a smile. She didn’t intend for it to come out sounding as tacky as it did.

Colby didn’t appear to be offended. “Pride had nothing to do with it.”

She felt the sharp pull of Colby’s eyes boring into her, daring her to divulge her innermost secrets. Desire flooded her. “Then what did? ”

Colby closed the distance between them, never taking her dark eyes off her. She felt her warm breath on her face just before Colby kissed her. “I felt you when I was in the water. I was drawn to you. I just had to have you. I had to touch you, feel you, taste you.” Colby accentuated each statement with a gentle yet searing kiss.

Tired of fighting her better judgment, Elizabeth led Colby into the familiar darkness and she was the aggressor. Her hands were quick under Colby’s T-shirt, traveling over not-quite-bare flesh. Impatient, she clawed at the obstructing fabric as she ravished Colby’s hot mouth. Tongues danced, dueled, and tangled until Colby pulled back, gasping for air, her eyes bright with desire. Elizabeth pinched her hard nipples, and Colby’s eyes clouded over with passion.

Slowly she licked her way down Colby’s neck, tossing her top onto the ground. She kneaded Colby’s breasts, paying special attention to the tight nipples until finally her mouth was on them. She felt Colby’s knees buckle and slid her thigh between them to hold her upright. As much as she wanted to lay Colby down on the soft sand and explore every inch of her hard, vibrating body, the need to have her, right there, right now, just like this overwhelmed her.

Too eager to wait, she dropped to her knees, jerked Colby’s shorts to her ankles, and made short work of the tight briefs underneath. She hardly had a chance to savor the sweet aroma of Colby’s arousal before she plunged her tongue into Colby’s warm flesh. The throbbing of her blood in her head muffled the sound of Colby’s moan. Colby had twisted her hands in her hair, urgent and trembling, and Elizabeth slid two fingers into her warm, wet center. In seconds, Colby exploded.

Pulse after pulse Colby emptied herself into Elizabeth’s mouth, coating her face. Colby had barely finished one orgasm before she found Colby’s clitoris again and sucked greedily, making her come a second, then a third time.

In no way had she ever acted so wanton, so thoroughly overcome with desire that all thoughts of propriety and decency fled. Her common sense had disappeared and she wouldn’t stop even if they had an audience like before.

“Enough. Please, Elizabeth. Enough.” Colby shuddered, hearing her own ragged voice but barely recognizing it. No one had ever taken her so quickly and with such abandon as Elizabeth just had. Not only was her body spent but her soul felt invaded, though in a good way. Her limbs were weak as noodles yet she wanted to touch Elizabeth, needed to please her as she had just been pleased. Yet she wasn’t sure she had the strength, and she certainly had no idea how she would be able to walk back to her truck.

Colby pulled Elizabeth into her arms and drew a ragged breath. “If that’s what it would’ve been like that first night, I would have picked up where we left off when those boys left.”

“Why didn’t you? ”

At this moment Colby was asking herself the same question and didn’t have an answer. Actually, she did, but she wouldn’t tell Elizabeth because it made absolutely no sense. One minute she couldn’t keep her hands off her, the next she thought the way they were practically fucking was torrid and cheap and Elizabeth deserved better. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to admit it to herself.

Before she had a chance to answer, Elizabeth started rubbing herself on Colby’s thigh. “It doesn’t matter because you’re here now and I want you just like this.” She tightened her grip around Elizabeth’s waist and whispered encouragement in her ear. “That’s it. Take what you want, ” she said. Elizabeth quickened her pace and Colby’s clit hardened again. “God, you feel good. Your clit, on my leg, it’s hard.”

“Touch me.” Elizabeth’s voice was barely a whisper.

Colby didn’t have to be told twice. As soon as she slid her hand between Elizabeth’s legs, Elizabeth shuddered. Colby didn’t move. Elizabeth took what she needed and, in less than a minute, came on Colby’s fingers. Before Elizabeth had a chance to catch her breath, Colby slipped deep inside. Elizabeth cried out and came again.

When she wasn’t with Colby, Elizabeth was busy researching for her book and even managed to write a few thousand words every day. The manuscript still needed at least another thirty thousand words and was due to her publisher in October. As much as she hated to, she forced herself to stay away from the beach. The last time she was there she got a raging sunburn because she lost track of time. She had been so absorbed in watching Colby she forgot to apply and reapply her sunscreen. Colby couldn’t touch her for three days. It was agony for both of them, but Colby insisted she stay just in case Elizabeth needed something.

Last night, however, Elizabeth had recovered enough from her sunburn to accompany Colby into Lahaina. Front Street was already bristling with tired shoppers and the early dinner crowd, and Colby was forced to park at the south end of the busy street.

They strolled by the shops lining both sides until she pulled Colby into one particular one. It had caught her attention and her curiosity the first time she saw it, and with Colby next to her, she felt bold enough to venture inside the Painted Lady.

When the door closed behind her, she realized its name was appropriate. Three women were sitting in barber chairs with their back, leg, and, in one case, ass being tattooed.

“Have you ever thought about getting one of these? ” she asked over the buzz of the electric needles. She was positive Colby didn’t have one.

“Not really. Have you? ”

Elizabeth looked at the walls covered with examples of various designs, lettering, and the obligatory Mother tattoos. Another woman entered and started thumbing through one of the books on the front counter. “I’ve never thought about it. I don’t have anything against them. I’ve seen some beautiful ones and some downright ugly ones, but I guess body art is just that, art.”

“That’s one way to put it, I suppose.” Colby pressed up behind her and looked over her shoulder. Colby’s warm breath on her neck made her lose all interest in the book in front of her, especially when Colby reached around her to touch the laminated page. “That one’s interesting, ” she said, pointing to a drawing of two turtles swimming in a coral reef. Colby smelled like salt and sea and the scent she had learned was only Colby’s. It had just been three days, but it felt like weeks since they had touched.

Colby must have felt it too because the nipples pressed against her back were hard. Her knees began to shake and the blood pounded in her ears.

“Unless you’re prepared for me to take you right here, in front of all these people, I’d suggest you step back an inch or two.” She hoped Colby would pay attention to her warning because she was quickly losing control.

“Only if you promise to do just that when we get back to your place.” Colby ended her statement by outlining the rim of her ear with her tongue, and she grabbed the end of the counter for support. When Colby didn’t move, she turned around, the lower half of their bodies touching.

“Cross my heart, ” she said, tracing the pattern she’d just verbalized across Colby’s chest. Desire flared in Colby’s eyes when Elizabeth stroked her breast. Her stomach leaped and her panties became drenched.

“Let’s get out of here, ” Colby said through clenched teeth. “I’m starving.”

She seemed to mean more than just hunger for food.

From the minute they left the shop Elizabeth could hardly keep her hands off Colby. She managed to restrain herself until they got into Colby’s truck, but when the locks engaged, she did too. By the time they got back to her villa they were both a stroke away from climax and literally ran down the hall to her door. She slid the card key into the lock while Colby awkwardly unbuttoned her shirt from behind.

They threw their clothes in all directions, and she didn’t wait for Colby to be naked before she plunged her fingers into her. She had Colby pressed against the counter, one foot on the bar stool, giving her unimpeded access to Colby’s warm, very wet center. It took only one bite on Colby’s neck and three strokes for her to come. She held her so tight when her orgasm hit, Elizabeth could hardly breathe. Pulse after pulse squeezed her fingers while Colby’s arms tightened around her neck. Colby gave no sign of letting go, and she didn’t want her to.