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“Where are we going tonight?” Raelle asked, throwing herself over Abigail’s bed to stare up at the ceiling in a stretch that made her top ride up. Abigail rolled her eyes.
“Oh sure, make yourself at home.” She tugged one of her dresses from underneath Raelle’s head and scowled at her.
“Oh please, we’ve lived together for a year already. If you’re not used to me by now-”
“I will never get used to anyone throwing themselves all over my clothes and bed.”
“Then you’re not getting laid enough.”
“Oh, I get laid plenty.”
“Yeah, we hear that through the walls, don’t we Tals?”
Tally gave them a little smirk in the mirror where she was studying the green jumpsuit she was considering for the night.
“Regularly and with no small amount of enthusiasm, generally.”
Abigail gasped in mock shock.
“Et tu, Tally?
“You did bring back those two guys that made you scream like a banshee for two hours. You couldn’t speak right for days.”
“Mmmm,” Abigail smirked. “They were good. I should call them again.”
“Give me a heads up so I can put in earphones. Or just move out. That’s probably safer.”
“Shut up,” Abigail laughed and then studied Tally’s jumpsuit. “Not that for tonight. Wear the yellow dress.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Isn’t it a bit cold for that?”
“Not where we’re going. You’re going to dance so much you’ll regret anything with pants.”
“You’re wearing pants,” Tally replied, studying the skin-tight, leather-look things that clung to Abigail in all the right places. “And so it Raelle.”
“Yeah but I’m not going to be dancing,” Raelle replied. “I’m the designated guard for any seats and definitely your bags.”
“Which translates as ‘Scylla is coming and Rae’s going to be making out with her in a booth and leave us to find suitable company for the evening.’Right?”
Raelle shrugged, smirking.
“I’m not looking for company for the evening,” Tally blushed lightly.
“No, we know,” Abigail sighed. “You’re looking for love.”
“Why do you always say that with a sigh? It’s possible to want love, not meaningless sex, you know?”
“Oh I know,” Abigail replied. “I just think that once in a while you could do with letting your hair down and letting someone hot sweep you off your feet, pin you to a wall and debauch you until you forget your own name.”
Tally’s blush crept down her neck and she scurried over to the chair where she’d put her possible outfits, reaching for the yellow dress.
“I hate to agree with Abs, Tal, but it’s been a while. Maybe a few glorious and meaningless orgasms would do you good.”
“I’ve never had a one-night stand,” Tally said as she stripped and quickly pulled on the yellow dress. “I don’t even know what the etiquette is.”
“There’s not really any etiquette,” Raelle replied, sitting up and smoothing out her jacket, checking in the mirror that it still covered her breasts since she was wearing nothing underneath. “I mean besides not being a dick. Just have a good time and leave in the morning.”
Tally scrunched up her nose as she padded to the mirror again to study the yellow dress. It was her favourite, although she rarely wore it, and had golden detailing that caught in the light and made her shine.
“That’s rude though, isn’t it? To just leave in the morning?”
“Not if that’s all it was. One night.”
Tally twisted, looking at her friends on the bed.
“I suppose it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If I found someone I really connected with.”
“Don’t do it if you don’t. Nothing is worse than going through the motions with someone you have no chemistry with.” Abigail shuddered and then stood up, grabbing her purse. “You look hot. Can we go now?”
“And where is it we’re going?” Raelle asked again, standing as Tally ran to slip on some small shorts underneath the dress. If she were going to be dancing, she’d want them. “Since you didn’t bother to answer me before.”
“Beltane, obviously.”
“Oh shit, she means business tonight Tals,” Raelle grinned.
Abigail always wanted to go to Beltane when she wanted to release some tension in the sweatiest, filthiest way. It was usually those nights that Tally and Raelle avoided their apartment at all costs, if possible. Sometimes they crashed at Scylla’s flat, although that usually ended with Tally covering her head with a pillow after waking to the sounds of Raelle and her girlfriend enjoying their own night of stress relief. She was surrounded by people having sex.
“That means we’re going to lose her in the first hour,” Tally smiled, grabbing her own bag. “And since you’ll be making out with Scylla…”
“I guess that means we need to find you someone to keep your dance card full,” Abigail smirked, giving her friend the once-over. “Which won’t be hard, given you look like sex and sunshine.”
Tally blushed again.
***
Beltane, as usual, was packed, although they had no trouble getting inside. All Abigail needed to do was smile at the bouncer with her hand on his arm and he’d allowed them access without any question. Tally followed her friends as they searched for somewhere to make their base for the night, managing to snag a standing table when a couple deserted it for the dance floor. Bodies undulated, spun and twisted together as the music played; Beltane was well-known as a dance space for people who knew how to dance and do it well. Tally had been pulled into dances with many people on their nights out, who would all find showing her how to move to be a pleasure rather than a chore. Truthfully she enjoyed the free nature of it, the way everyone seemed at ease with swapping partners, rolling hips and sliding hands over each other in a way that seemed so sensual, but rarely meant anything other than an appreciation of movement. Still, sometimes she had been pulled away from eager men by Raelle, or Abigail, and had spent the rest of the dance with them instead. They understood her, sometimes better than she understood herself, and she loved them for it.
Now, leaning over the table to shout over the music at her friends, Raelle offered to get the first round at the bar. Tally requested a cocktail to start, not picky as long as it didn’t contain vodka or tequila, and then leaned in for a picture when Abi pulled out her phone. She smiled brightly at the camera lens and blinked after the flash. Abigail studied it critically and then pronounced it suitable, before showing Tally.
Tally’s too-bright smile stared out at her and she ducked her head, embarrassed. She always looked so eager, so naive, compared to Abigail’s less-than-subtle confidence.
“What? It’s a good photo. Don’t you think?”
“It’s great,” Tally replied. “Have you seen anyone you like yet?”
Abigail pursed her lips and scanned the room.
“Not yet, but the night is still young. Besides I feel like taking it slow tonight. Sample a few before I choose what I’m in the mood for.”
“You talk about them like they’re your next meal.”
“Aren’t they?” Abigail smirked. “I am going to sink my teeth into them later.”
Tally flushed and looked around to avoid the amusement in Abigail’s eyes. The lighting changed to red and the crowd cheered as the music slowed to something seductive. Bodies rolled against each other on the dance floor and Tally cleared her throat.
“Everyone seems to be in that kind of mood tonight.”
“It’s the full moon,” Abigail joked. “Makes everyone horny.”
“Not everyone.”
“Tally,” Abigail huffed. She stepped in behind her friend and slid her hands over Tally’s waist, pulling her back against her. Tally inhaled. Abigail’s breath tickled her neck as she husked in Tally’s ear. “I think if someone caught your eye in here and asked you to dance like that, hands all over you but not where you needed them most, hot body against yours, you’d be just as horny as the rest of us.”
Tally’s throat felt tight as she swallowed and then Abigail released her, stepping back to admire her work.
“I… uhm…”
“See? It’s been so long that even that made you a little flustered. Seriously, Tally. I know you’re not a one-night stand woman, but a fuck from someone who just wants you for tonight can be everything. Some of the best sex I’ve had has been a night where we knew we’d never see each other again. We broke the bed and it was fucking glorious. Never saw him again.”
“Don’t you want to? Even if it’s just to have another night of something that good?”
“Nope,” Abigail smirked. “It might not be as good the second time. Might ruin the first. Better left as a good memory that can help me get off on a lonely night.”
“Abs,” Tally wrinkled her nose.
“What? We all masturbate.”
“Yes but I don’t want to think about you doing it.”
Abigail just smirked, then turned her eyes on the room, scanning for someone who might catch her eye. Tally, curious, did the same. There were attractive people everywhere, of course, but no one stood out. Tally usually found that she was uninterested in the majority of people physically. Her last few relationships had only become actual relationships when she had gotten to know their personalities. The few times she had lost her mind over someone just from the way they looked, before even talking to them, she could count on one hand. Chewing her lip, she glanced over at the bar to spot Raelle. She found her, eventually, one hand in her pocket as she leaned against the bar, talking to a smirking woman with dark hair in jeans and a similar jacket. She looked as though she were flirting with Raelle. Tally nudged Abigail.
“Let’s hope Scylla doesn’t see that, or we’re going to have a murder on our hands.”
To Raelle’s credit, she didn’t seem to be flirting back. In fact, when the other woman indicated the dance floor, Raelle shook her head, saying something and then pointing at their table. The woman looked around and caught their gazes, smirking at them. Tally wrinkled her nose. The woman was altogether too confident for her liking.
“I know her,” Abigail said, as the woman seemed to recognise her. “She works with my mum. Nicte… something.”
Nicte raised her glass in their direction and Abigail nodded at her before turning to look at Tally.
“She seems…” Tally searched for a word that wasn’t ‘arrogant’ or ‘flirtatious’.
“She’s a player is what she is,” Abigail snorted. “Mum said she’s had three heartbroken women turn up at her office since she started there last year.”
“Why doesn’t your mum do something?”
“About Nicte’s extra-curricular activities? How?”
“No I mean… if people are showing up at her workplace…”
“As if mum has room to talk,” Abigail snorted. It was common knowledge in their group that Abigail wasn’t sure who her father was among the three of her mother’s long-term lovers, and none of them seemed particularly bothered about finding out either. It was like watching Mamma Mia.
“Fair point.”
Raelle was making her way back to them, drinks in hand, and Tally breathed a sigh of relief to see that Nicte was not following her.
“Drinks!” Raelle announced, sliding the glasses onto the table. “That woman, Nicte, says hi, Abs. You know her?”
Abigail repeated what she’d said to Tally, who zoned out, watching Nicte who was leaning against the bar, scanning the dance floor with a permanent smirk on her face. She looked like she was on the hunt and Tally couldn’t help but compare her expression to Abigail’s, only moments ago. Her eyes slid to them again and caught Tally’s. Her smirk grew and Tally blushed at being caught, looking away quickly and grabbing her drink.
“Cheers,” Abigail said. “To getting laid tonight.”
Tally, lips around the straw in her cocktail, almost choked. Her friends laughed.
They stayed at the table, chatting and drinking until their drinks were empty and Abigail had clocked her first dance partner.
“I’m going in,” she announced, putting her bag on the table. “See you later.”
Without another word, she was off and Tally stared after her.
“I will never get over how she just does that. And there, look, they just fall at her feet.”
“Some people just have that effect,” Raelle shrugged. Tally chewed her lip, watching her friend slip onto the dance floor with a tall, muscled man who looked like he could pick her up with ease.
“I wish I did, sometimes,” Tally sighed.
“You’re perfect just the way you are, Tals,” Raelle said, nudging her. “Don’t forget that.”
Tally smiled and nudged her back.
“Thanks Rae.”
Tally’s eyes wandered again, spotting Nicte near the bar talking to a tall woman whose back was to them. Long, dark waves flowed to a point between her shoulder blades and Nicte was quirking an eyebrow at her. Well, she’d moved on quickly from Raelle. As Tally watched, Nicte rolled her eyes and seemed to scoff, taking a drink of her beer. Perhaps not then. They seemed to know each other; perhaps this was a friend.
Arms snaked around Raelle’s waist and Scylla’s head popped over her shoulder, grinning. Tally jumped, attention pulled from Nicte.
“And what are you two up to?”
“Waiting for you,” Raelle grinned, turning in her girlfriend’s arms and kissing her. Tally rolled her eyes, turning her head away to give them a moment of privacy. “Well good evening to you too.”
Tally peeked back around and offered a smile to Scylla.
“Hi, you finally escaped?”
“Yes,” Scylla groaned. “Honestly, it’s been a hell of a day. Now I want a drink and to leave early with this one.”
“Not too early though, right?” Raelle said, glancing at Tally as she separated her lips from Scylla’s neck. “Because I don’t want to abandon Tally.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine,” Tally waved them off.
“Where’s Abigail?” Scylla asked.
“Where do you think?” Raelle chuckled, gesturing towards the dance floor where Abigail was currently grinding against the man she’d singled out earlier.
“Of course,” Scylla chuckled. “Ready for another round? My treat?”
“Sure,” Raelle said, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.
“I can get it,” Tally protested, but Scylla waved her off.
“What’s the point in working these hours if I can’t buy my friends a drink now and again?” She gave Raelle another kiss, then another, pulling her jacket to bring her close. Tally raised an eyebrow and then shook her head, chuckling under her breath. “Hey babe, come with me and help me carry them?”
“Sure, sure…” Raelle looked a little dazed. “You okay here, Tally?”
“I’ve got it,” she said, patting the pile of bags in the centre of the table. “Bring me back another one of whatever this was.”
“You got it, boss,” Raelle saluted and they both disappeared off together in the direction of the bar. Smirking, Tally rolled her eyes again and turned back to check on Abigail. She was fine, enjoying herself in the very middle of the dance floor where there was now another woman grinding on her front as she was pressed against her first partner. Typical. Tally chewed her lip, feeling the prickle of eyes on her. She turned and found Nicte watching her over her companion’s shoulder. As their eyes met, Nicte smirked and raised her beer in greeting. Tally blushed lightly, wondering if she should return the gesture with her empty glass, or whether that would encourage the woman to come over to her and-
Nicte’s companion turned her head slowly, and locked eyes with Tally.
Fuck.
Tally’s mouth went dry as startling eyes, the colour of which was lost to the club’s lighting, studied her in a way that stripped her bare. Nude lips curled slightly, a gesture that could have been simply pleasant on anyone else but on this woman seemed almost primal. She was striking; jaw and cheekbones so sharp they might cut with direct contact and suddenly all Tally could think about was running her fingers over them to check if that were possible. She swallowed, frozen in place, and then one of the woman’s eyebrows quirked and she turned her back on Tally, focusing on Nicte again.
Tally sagged, letting out a shaky breath, as though her whole body had been held hostage in a tight grip, and had finally been released. She swallowed and dragged her eyes away from the back of the woman to her empty drink, desperately sucking at the straw for any last dregs that might help her.
Holy shit. Who knew there were actual humans that looked like that? People who, without photoshop, could look as though they should grace the covers of every magazine in the country, every silver screen… Closing her eyes, Tally took some steadying breaths to calm the erratic beating of her heart.
What the fuck?
“Hey, you alright?”
Tally opened her eyes, finding a friendly-looking man standing at her elbow, a concerned frown on his face.
“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Thank you.” She could feel the heat burning at her cheeks, could practically feel her heartbeat through them, and she pressed the back of her hand against one. “Just hot in here.”
“Can I get you a drink?” He asked. “I was going to ask you to dance, but if you’re hot, that’s probably not the best idea. I mean, you’re hot enough as it is… I mean… sorry. Cheesy pickup line.”
He looked a little embarrassed, and it seemed genuine. Normally, Tally would have been charmed by that, but the aftershocks of that one moment of eye contact were still reeling through her.
“Thank you, but my friend is actually getting me one.”
“Oh really?” He looked disappointed. “Shame. Well, maybe we could have that dance, once you feel a little less warm?”
“What’s that? A dance?” Raelle slid in beside Tally, Scylla next to her, and pushed a drink across at her. Tally grasped it eagerly, raising it to her lips and taking a long sip. The cool, sweet drink was heaven. She sighed gratefully. “If you want to go, Tals, we’ll stick here with the bags no problem.”
Raelle was giving her that look that said, ‘if you don’t want to just say and I’ll send him packing’. Tally took another sip and her eyes, traitors that they were, strayed to where Nicte and her goddess of a friend were standing. The woman, positioned slightly more at an angle, was taking a sip of something that looked like whiskey, or maybe scotch. Her throat bobbed and Tally swallowed, dragging her eyes away and back to the hopeful, brown ones of the guy next to her.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
“Gregorio,” he smiled. “But everyone calls me Greg.”
“Tally,” she smiled slightly. “I’d love to dance.”
His smile lit up and she took another sip of her drink before allowing him to lead her towards the dance floor. Glancing back at Raelle and Scylla, she saw her friends both wiggling their eyebrows at her, smirks on their faces.
It turned out that Greg wasn’t a bad dancer and he certainly seemed determined to let Tally enjoy herself. She laughed as she spun under his hand, only to be pulled back to him so he could dip her slightly. She giggled.
“You’re a good dancer,” she cried over the music and he grinned.
“Not so bad yourself.” Tally spotted Abigail over his shoulder and waved at her friend, who smirked back at her, dancing with an entirely different guy from before. Tally wondered what the other one had done to lose her favour. “So do you come here often?”
“Oh.” Tally turned her attention back to Greg just before he twirled her out and then back in again. “We do, yes. Whenever my friend wants to find someone to spend the night with.”
“And you?” He asked, his hand resting warmly on her waist. “Do you come here for that too?”
“Not really,” she blushed. “I just come to dance and… well… if I see anyone I like I suppose I…”
Greg smiled at her, nodding.
“I get it. It took me two drinks to get up the courage to come over and talk to you.”
“Really?” Tally ducked her head. “I have no idea how you managed that. I don’t think I’ve ever gone up to anyone like that.”
“Not even someone you looked at and thought… damn, what a goddess?”
Tally’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Greg’s eyes widened too and he ducked his own head, embarrassed.
“Sorry I mean… that’s what I thought when I saw you. I suppose you’d think ‘God’ unless you’re into women, I don’t know, I just…”
He trailed off awkwardly, and Tally laughed lightly, patting his shoulder.
“It’s okay. You just… caught me by surprise.”
Mainly because that’s exactly what she’d been thinking before he’d come over, but about piercing eyes and flawless bone structure.
“Sorry. It’s a little cheesy, calling you a goddess and all, but I just… I mean you look… yeah.”
Tally smiled at him, a big one, to put him at ease.
“It’s okay. Cheesy is okay.”
“Great. Great.” He nodded and then his attention was caught by something over her shoulder. “Another friend of yours?”
“Hmm?”
“The woman over there?” He jutted his chin towards the bar and then turned Tally so that her back was pressed against his front. She blinked a little at the move, taken aback, and then found what he was talking about.
Nicte’s companion, now alone at the very point Tally had last seen her, had her eyes fixed on them. When Tally’s eyes met hers, she didn’t blink or look away. She didn’t seem embarrassed at being caught. Instead, she leaned forward, resting her forearms on the railing. Tally caught sight of the V of exposed skin from her throat down to between her breasts and her eyes followed it down without conscious thought. Under the jacket she was wearing, the woman had on a waistcoat and Tally could glimpse a gold button against dark fabric just between the swell of her breasts.
Fuck.
Tally dragged her eyes back up, swallowing, and was met by an amused and somewhat predatory smirk.
Double fuck. She’d been caught ogling a complete stranger. A completely gorgeous and devastatingly dangerous-looking stranger, who was also currently taking a sip from her drink without breaking eye contact for a second. Tally’s mouth went dry again and she fought to swallow once more, to bring just the slightest bit of moisture to her mouth.
“So do you know her?” Greg’s voice next to her ear made her jump out of her skin because, despite the fact that he was dancing against her, she had completely forgotten he was there. She broke eye contact with the woman and turned, cheeks flushed, shaking her head. Concern danced across his face. “Are you okay? You look a little…”
“Just… really warm again.” She fanned her face with her hand. “I think I’m going to go and finish that drink. It was nice… dancing I mean. Thank you.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sure, I mean no problem.” He looked puzzled. “Did you want to do it again after you’ve had a drink?”
“I think I’m danced out for now, sorry.” She couldn’t be out there with that woman’s eyes on her. It would be all she could focus on and it wasn’t fair on him, or anyone, to be given false hope if she was completely distracted by someone else. “Seriously, it was nice. I just… don’t think I’m looking for anything more right now.”
“That’s okay,” he replied, shrugging with a smile. “Sorry if I went a bit far there.”
“No, no you didn’t. You’re great. Just… not…”
“What you’re looking for right now?” He guessed. His eyes flicked over her shoulder and he raised an eyebrow. “Or who?”
Tally flushed.
“I think I’m just going to stick with my friends for tonight.”
“Sure. Well, it was great to meet you, Tally.” He offered her a smile. “I hope you have a good night.”
“You too!”
She weaved between the dancers, making a quick beeline for the table where Raelle and Scylla were making out. Slipping up next to them, she hissed, making them jump.
“Jesus, Tal, sneak up much?”
“I didn’t sneak. You were too busy sucking each other’s faces.”
“And I want to go back to doing that as soon as possible so why do you look like you’re about to combust?”
“I just… well…”
“Greg got you all hot did he? Wouldn’t have guessed he had it in him.”
“No, god, no. He was sweet. He just…”
“Did he do something?” Raelle’s teasing smirk slipped from her face and was replaced by one of concern, rapidly approaching anger. Tally’s eyes widened.
“No, Rae, no. It’s not about him.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“There’s a woman and she keeps looking at me and… she’s so hot.”
Scylla snorted and then broke out into laughter, burying her face in Raelle’s shoulder to hide it. Raelle smirked.
“Oh yeah?” Raelle’s eyebrows waggled. “Where is she?”
Tally inhaled slowly, eyes closing, and then sneaked a peek towards where the woman had been the last time she’d seen her. She was still there, leaning against the railing, her back to them again. Tally swallowed and pointed her out, safe from the blue eyes that made her feel like she was on fire. Raelle craned her neck.
“Can’t see her face.”
“She keeps watching me.”
“Well, she’s not watching you now.”
“No but…” She watched for a few moments, almost hoping the woman would twist or turn so that Raelle and Scylla could see her face. “She’s got these really intense eyes. And she’s wearing this waistcoat with nothing underneath and…”
Tally trailed off, swallowing again, and gestured towards her own chest, tracing a V.
Raelle snorted and chuckled.
“Damn, Tals, you’ve got it bad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react like this.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, you either do what most of us do and wait for her to make a move or you get your ass over there and ask her to dance.”
Tally flushed.
“I can’t ask her to dance.”
“Why not?” Abigail slid in beside Tally, throwing her arm around her shoulders, panting and glowing; a satisfied smirk on her face. “And who are you asking to dance?”
Scylla gestured towards the woman again and Abigail craned her neck.
“She was with Nicte,” Tally said. “Do you know her?”
“No,” Abigail replied, snorting. “I try to avoid Nicte, so I don’t know any of her friends. Although all I can see is her back so…”
Tally chewed on her lip.
“So?” Abigail nudged her with her hip as she released her from the grip of her arm. She grabbed Tally’s drink and took a sip.
“What?”
“Are you going to go and ask her to dance?”
“Well, what if she says no?”
“Then you say ‘no problem, have a good night’, grab more drinks from the bar and we’ll help commiserate with you that a hot, older woman missed her chance with the most amazing ball of sunshine in the world.”
“How do you know she’s hot?”
“Well, aside from the fact that I hope you’ve got good taste, she’s looking over here again. Don’t look.”
Tally, already mid-turn of the head, froze.
“Ouch, whiplash.”
“Where there’s a blame, there’s a claim,” Scylla chuckled. She kissed Raelle’s cheek and then wrapped her arm around Tally, pulling her in close. “Listen, Rae’s right. She’s looking at you like she wants to eat you up. Go talk to her.”
“I don’t think I’ve had enough to drink for that.”
“Well it’s your round,” Raelle grinned. “Why not go and get us some?”
Tally reached over and smacked her arm.
“Because I’d have to go right past her.”
“Exactly.”
“Is she still looking?”
“Yes. And she’s got this hot smirk on her face. Damn.”
Scylla nudged Raelle, who gave her puppy eyes. Tally, heart in her throat, glanced over her shoulder.
The woman cocked an eyebrow and her smirk became a pleased smile, as though she was delighted that Tally had once again been unable to look at her without blushing. Tally swallowed and then she found herself turning back to the table, grabbing what remained of her drink and swallowing it all in two gulps. Smacking her lips and wincing at the citrus and alcohol blend, Tally inhaled sharply.
“Fine. I’m going in.”
Raelle and Scylla whooped, and Abigail smirked, as Tally turned on her heel and strode towards the woman, who looked more amused than taken aback and waited for her, never taking her startling eyes from Tally’s.
Tally stopped in front of her, opened her mouth and… nothing. Damn. She probably should have worked out what she was going to say before heading over. The woman waited, quirking an eyebrow again and Tally drew in a breath and spoke without overthinking.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
The woman’s lips curled up at the corners again in amusement, and she cocked her hip to lean against the barrier again, her forearm resting on the top rung, holding the glass with the remainder of her drink in it.
“I could ask you the same question.”
“I wasn’t staring.”
“You were.” She smirked and raised an eyebrow. Oh, she was teasing. Worse still, Tally’s whole body felt like she was responding, as though there were something innate and primal inside her that was finally stirring in her presence.. Swallowing, she tried to meet that smirk with a confidence that she definitely didn’t feel. It only seemed to please the other woman more. “Especially when you were dancing with that boy.”
“Greg,” Tally supplied, although she wasn’t sure why she had. “And I wasn’t staring. He told me that you were and I turned around and he was right. You were.”
“And then,” she purred, shifting a little so that she was standing at her full height, almost a head above Tally. She lifted her hand and traced the edge of her waistcoat, following it down until Tally’s eyes jerked back to meet her gaze, her cheeks burning. “You couldn’t keep your eyes from dipping down, from looking at me like you wanted me to be the one pressed against you. I would consider that to be… staring.”
Well fuck. Tally’s whole body was on fire and she felt an ache, deep in her stomach, that pulled deliciously.
“If that’s your way of asking me to dance, you’ll have to try harder.”
The woman’s eyes flashed and she took a step forward too, right into Tally’s space.
“You’re adorable. But if you want me to take you on the dance floor, you should at least tell me your name.”
“Tally.” She said it so quickly that she blushed, losing some of that bravado instantly. “Tally Craven.”
“Mmmm.” The woman hummed and then lifted her hand, stroking some of Tally’s hair from her face with the tip of one finger, while another trailed slightly across her skin, sending sparks shooting through her nerves and down her spine. “Nice to meet you, Tally Craven.”
Tally’s brain faltered, and then stalled. Just the faintest touch had been enough to make her react, but the way the woman said her name, her full name…
“I… Nice to ah… meet you too?”
“Sarah. Sarah Alder.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement again and it dawned on Tally that they were blue. Blue. Four letters, one word; such a disservice to whatever magic had created that colour, that gleam. The way that her eyes seemed to shine with something altogether otherworldly, like stardust or the ethereal gleam around a full moon in the darkest night sky.
“Hi.”
“Hello.” Sarah’s eyes flicked down to Tally’s lips, and Tally realised that she was biting her bottom lip. She released it with an inhale. “Would you like to dance, Tally?”
Tally could only nod helplessly, and Sarah leaned her head back, finishing her drink with one smooth gulp. Her throat bobbed and Tally’s mouth watered. The glass landed on the table and then… oh and then. Sarah slid elegantly out of the jacket she’d been wearing, dropping it on the table too, leaving her arms bare. Strong, muscled arms. Slim, but with such strength running along the shape of them that Tally found her brain stalling again. God, those arms… She felt a tremble in her chest when Sarah reached out her hand, inviting her to take it. Tally eyed long fingers before sliding her hand hesitantly into hers. Sarah’s hand was cool, a stark contrast to Tally’s overheated one, and she blushed at the idea that she might be noticeably sweaty. But Sarah didn’t withdraw her hand, only used it to tug Tally down onto the dance floor.
Immediately, amongst other bodies pressed tight together, rolling and grinding to the music, Tally felt out of place. She hadn’t with Greg, but with Sarah she felt as though her limbs couldn’t move properly. She stood, glancing around them nervously, avoiding eye contact with the woman in front of her. The woman who, with an elegance that was inhuman, slid into her space and pulled her close, and somehow made it feel reassuring, rather than crowding.
“Do I make you nervous?”
She murmured it into Tally’s ear, her palm pressed flat against the small of Tally’s back.
“Why?” Tally was distracted by how close she was, how wisps of her hair were tickling Tally’s nose, and how good she smelled. She didn’t know what to do with her arms and they suddenly felt like something foreign to her.
“I saw you dancing with that boy. You enjoyed it. Now you look like a frightened rabbit, caught in headlights.”
“Yes.” Tally admitted. “You make me nervous.”
“Mmm.” Sarah began to sway lightly, turning her head so that her breath tickled Tally’s ear and then lips brushed against it. Tally’s knees trembled. “Don’t be nervous. I don’t bite.”
Tally smiled, shaking her head as a little chuckle escaped her.
“Unless I ask, right?”
“No.” Sarah’s hands slid onto her hips and she turned Tally quickly, pulling her back against her with such ease that Tally barely realised what had happened before Sarah’s lips were back at her ear, her hands firmly on her hips. This was completely different to having Greg pressed to her earlier, where she had barely registered him under the intensity of Sarah’s eyes. With Sarah, she was aware of every inch where their bodies met, of every breath the older woman took and of the thud of her own heart as it sped up. She felt, rather than heard, the next words Sarah husked into her ear. “Unless you beg.”
The whimper that escaped Tally’s lips, unexpected but not unwarranted, should have been embarrassing enough, but it paled in comparison with how compliant she became; she melted back into Sarah’s touch and her head rolled back to her shoulder, leaving her neck exposed. But Tally was too distracted by the way that Sarah was now nuzzling her nose into Tally’s neck and the way that her fingers were digging possessively into her hips as she swayed them more to be embarrassed for long.
“Fuck…”
“I thought you would like that.” Sarah sounded pleased. “Do you enjoy begging, Tally? Are you a good girl?”
“Oh god…” Tally groaned, turning her head with heavy eyes to look at Sarah. Her lips were so inviting and Tally was so close to them. She’d never had her head turned so quickly like this, let alone been this turned on in public, in a club of all places, when they’d barely touched. Barely even spoken. Sarah’s eyes looked down at her lips and she sighed. Her fingers twitched, gathering some of the material of Tally’s dress and then releasing it.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sarah’s eyes burned into her again, and then she licked her lips. Tally’s eyes tracked the movement, wondering what it would feel like to have Sarah’s tongue tracing her body. “If you don’t stop looking at me like that I’m going to have to do something about it.”
“How?”
Sarah’s lips twitched and Tally’s head spun as she was turned swiftly and pulled against Sarah’s torso. For a split second, Tally thought how nice it was that Sarah was so strong that she could move her without a hint of exertion. What a useful skill…
“How would I do something about it?”
Tally shook her head.
“How am I looking at you?”
Sarah smirked.
“As though you’ve never wanted anything as much as you want me, right now.”
“I…” Tally bit back a denial, because it was true. But she couldn’t admit that. She shouldn’t admit that. Sarah’s eyes, however, darkened knowingly.
“You don’t know me at all, Tally Craven,” she purred. “But trust me when I tell you that I am rarely at risk of ruining my self-control and yet all it has taken is a few glances and half a dance with you to make me sorely tempted.”
“Why?”
Tally couldn’t fathom why she would have such an effect on the woman, given that she was the one throwing her usual reservations to the wind.
“I have no idea.”
Sarah’s eyebrows furrowed, as though the mere thought of not knowing vexed her. Frustrated her. Tally had a sudden urge to distract her. To soothe the furrow and see this woman smirk again. Confidence seemed like a second skin to Sarah and seeing it falter was disconcerting, even though they had only just met.
She slid her arms up and over the woman’s shoulders, curling them until she could bury one hand in soft waves. She sighed, happily, and played with it. Sarah’s furrow did disappear and she slid her hands slowly over Tally’s hips, mapping her out.
“There’s that bravery I saw when you marched over to me.”
She tugged her closer and Tally inhaled sharply as she found her nose brushing against Sarah’s. She had no doubt that her friends were somewhere to her right, watching them and cheering at the sight. Or snickering. That was more likely. After all, they’d told her to let her hair down, maybe get laid and…
“Tally…”
Even with the music pulsing the way it was, Tally heard that whisper. Felt it, might be more accurate. It tickled her lips, sending a shiver through her as her eyelids drooped heavily and she arched into Sarah even further. She could feel the press of her hips, the curve of her breasts and she found herself letting out a little sigh of delight. Sarah’s lips curved into a smirk and her arms tightened around Tally’s waist. Tally realised that she’d melted further into the woman without even acknowledging that she’d spoken to her.
“Mmm?”
“I’m not going to kiss you just yet.” Sarah’s nose nuzzled against hers and Tally tilted her chin, almost expectantly, despite the words. “No matter how tempting you make it.”
“Why not?” Tally wasn’t sure why she was questioning the woman’s decision. If anything, she should be extracting herself from their embrace, because she didn’t do this kind of thing and it was completely inappropriate to be longing for it so soon after meeting. Tally’s mother’s voice floated to the surface, warning her about immoral behaviour being rife in the city and not to lose herself to everyone who so much as gave her a little attention. But this wasn’t just attention. This was… seduction. This was desire. Want. Need.
“Because I don’t want you to have a single reservation when I do kiss you,” Sarah purred, shifting her lips to Tally’s ear, which sent another shiver through the younger woman. “I want you to want me with every fibre of your being.”
If Sarah’s arms hadn’t been wrapped around her waist, Tally might have dropped there and then. She could have melted into a puddle on the floor and she’d have been happy to do so, because everything about the woman currently holding her upright was doing things to Tally’s body and soul that she’d been previously unaware were possible. Sure, she’d read about it, but she’d never seen it. Never experienced it.
“You are… seriously intense.”
“Is that a bad thing?” The music shifted and Sarah swayed them along with it, her hips rocking against Tally.
“No.”
“Good.” Sarah’s breath was soft against Tally’s ear and she felt her nose brushing the curve of it. “Because I’m only just getting started.”
“Oh god.”
Lips brushed lightly against Tally’s earlobe, then down the side of her jaw. They couldn’t be described as kisses; they felt more like a test run to discover all her weak spots before the final approach. Tally inhaled sharply as the faintest touch of Sarah’s tongue alighted on her pulse point and then the older woman was pulling away with a smug grin.
“Now, what do you say I dance with you properly?”
“Uhm… what would that entail?”
Sarah’s eyes flashed with amusement and as one of the flashing lights hit them, Tally could have sworn they glowed with delight before she felt Sarah’s hand taking hers. Blinking, Tally opened her mouth and then found herself spinning outward. She paused, dazed, her hand still in Sarah’s, before she was pulled back. Sarah chuckled, low in her throat and Tally felt it from where she was pressed against her chest.
“I can dip you too, if you would like. Really sweep you off your feet.”
“Oh, don’t lift me!” Tally squeaked.
“I didn’t say I’d lift you.” Sarah’s amusement was palpable. “Why? Scared of heights?”
“Scared of being dropped.” Tally rolled her eyes, nudging the woman before laughing. “And since you’re a tree, it would be from a height.”
“Did you just make a pun about my name, Tally Craven?”
“Perhaps.”
Sarah’s lips curled; no smirk or teasing this time, just genuine amusement.
“I’ve heard so many and yet coming from you, I don’t find it the least bit tedious.”
“Well, I’m glad I’m not tedious.”
“Not at all.” Sarah’s hand lifted, and she stroked another strand of Tally’s hair from her face as she had earlier. This time though, her hand lingered, cupping her face and running her thumb across her cheek. Tally felt heat rising. “Would you like to go somewhere a little quieter? To talk?”
Tally opened her mouth to decline, to say that she was here with her friends and that she really should get back to them soon… but the words died on her tongue. Raelle and Scylla would be wrapped in each other until the early hours, and Abigail was intent on finding someone to go home with. She glanced around and, sure enough, found Raelle and Scylla quite obviously on the verge of abandoning ship or becoming indecent. She couldn’t see Abigail, but she imagined that she was somewhere in the crowd, dancing with the next person that had caught her eye. When her eyes returned to Sarah’s, they were patient and still intense.
“Yes. I’d like that. Just… let me get my bag?”
“Of course.” Sarah’s hand, having fallen away when Tally looked around, came up to tuck under her chin, lifting her head. “Hurry back, Tally.”
Tally licked her lips and Sarah’s eyes tracked downward again before she released her.
“Back… here?”
Sarah shook her head.
“I’ll grab my jacket and wait at the bar. Would you like a drink?”
“Yes but…” Tally hesitated. Sarah smiled.
“I won’t do anything to your drink, but I’ll wait until you join me to order, if you’d prefer?”
“Thank you. I don’t think… but…”
“You can never be too careful. Smart girl.”
Tally blushed all the way back to their table.
“Get a room!”
“Says you,” Raelle smirked as she released Scylla’s face, and lips, and raised an eyebrow at Tally. “So, who is she? You two seemed pretty cosy…”
“Her name is Sarah Alder and since you two are on the verge of fucking right here and Abs is doing her usual, I’m going to go and get a drink with her somewhere quieter.”
“Wait, seriously?” Raelle’s eyes bugged and then a lecherous smirk filled her face. “At her place?”
“No!” Tally slapped her arm and then reached for her bag. “We’re getting another drink here so I think she meant in the back.”
“Good. Well, you know what to do if she’s a creep,” Scylla leant around Raelle to have her input.
“She’s not.” Tally said and then relented. “Yes, yes, send a pineapple emoji.”
“We’ll be on you like she was on that dance floor.”
“I hope not.”
“Did you kiss? Was she good?”
“Are you all melty?”
“I… no kissing, not yet. She told me she’s not going to kiss me until I’m absolutely sure I want to be kissed.”
“AND ARE YOU?”
“I mean… I’ve never wanted to be kissed this much in my life?”
“Then get in there, damn!” Raelle laughed. “Wait, we have to tell Abs, she’s going to lose her mind-”
“She’s waiting for me.” Tally protested, glancing over to where Sarah was. The woman was smirking at her, leaning against the bar, as cool as anything. Fuck, she looked good. She’d tucked her jacket over one of her arms, and Tally could still make out the strength in her bicep.
“Oooooh,” Scylla teased. “Tally’s got a crush.”
“Yeah, Tals, can’t wait a few minutes before being back in her arms?” Raelle waggled her eyebrows.
“Have you seen her arms?”
Both of them looked over and after a few seconds, and another smirk from Sarah, they both turned back to Tally.
“Well fuck.”
“Damn Tally.”
“I know.” She leaned in, trying to hide her glee from Sarah. “I wonder if all of her is like that?”
“OH GOD,” Raelle flung her hands over her ears. “I don’t wanna know, because I don’t want to think about how you’re going to find that out nope no.”
“Raelle, behave!” Scylla swatted her. “Go have fun Tally. We’ll go and talk to Abigail and head off. We’ll make sure she checks on you to see if you want company home, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Yeah, sure, because Tally’s totally going to want to go home with Abs and whoever she pulls instead of that Amazon.”
Tally flushed, hard.
Escaping her friends with a hug and her bag over her shoulder, Tally headed towards the bar. Sarah’s eyes trailed down her on purpose as she approached, and white teeth bit into her bottom lip before she quirked her eyebrow and smirked.
“Welcome back.”
“Sorry I took so long.”
“Miss me?” She teased. Tally’s instinct was to duck her head, but she licked her lips and simply raised an eyebrow, smirking back. It only spurred Sarah on, as she hoped it would. “Oh Tally Craven, how can one woman look like an angel one moment, and a mischievous sprite the next?”
“Practice.”
A laugh burst prettily from Sarah’s lips, and even muted by the music around them, Tally found it made her heart shiver.
“What’s your poison, little sprite?”
Tally slid next to her, leaning on the bar to look at what was on offer.
“I should stick with gin. When I mix drinks, things tend to get a little out of hand.”
Sarah cocked her head with a curl of her lips and then leaned in to Tally’s ear.
“While I’d be delighted to know what that means, I’d rather you were lucid and able to make informed decisions tonight, Ms Craven.”
Tally shivered. Fuck.
“Uhm…”
“Oh, you like that. How interesting.”
“It’s actually… I’m a teacher, so I hear that a lot but it never sounds like that. The way you make it sound I mean, all silky and… I’m going to shut up now.”
“Don’t.” Sarah replied, stroking some of Tally’s hair behind the ear that she’d just been talking into. “You’re adorable when you ramble.”
“I-” Tally stuttered. “Are you doing that on purpose?”
“Making you… panic? Yes.”
“I’m not panicking!”
“Aren’t you?” Sarah’s fingers traced down the side of Tally’s neck. Tally shivered again. “Forgive me. I thought that’s what you were doing.”
“Nope.” Tally couldn’t say much more without her voice wavering. She spied the bar tender approaching and flagged him down gratefully. Sarah chuckled and removed her fingers from where they’d been teasing the fine hairs on Tally’s skin. Tally ordered, as did Sarah, and Tally reached for her wallet. “My treat.”
Sarah simply raised her card, tapped it on the card machine that the bar tender was holding, and slipped it back into her pocket. The bar tender disappeared to get their drinks.
“So, your friends didn’t want to come over and vet me?”
“They might have if you didn’t look like, and I quote, ‘an Amazon’.”
Sarah’s eyes sparkled with amusement again.
“An Amazon? How… apt.”
“Why apt? Other than you actually looking like one.” Tally gestured up and down Sarah and then smirked. “Obviously.”
“Tally Craven,” Sarah tutted with a smirk. “Are you flirting with me?”
“I think I’ve been doing that since I saw you.”
“Not quite as confidently as that.” Their drinks arrived and Sarah took hers, gesturing towards the corridor that led to the quieter part of Beltane. “Shall we continue this somewhere I don’t have to shout for you to hear me?”
Tally nodded and followed the woman through the crowds. She walked like a cat, lithe and graceful, but powerful too. Tally’s eyes roamed freely and she swallowed. Every inch of that woman was just… wow.
The corridor was dimly lit and the further away from the music they got, the more Tally’s heartbeat sounded oddly loud and fast in her ears. Sarah threw a smirk back at her before she emerged into the other room. Tally was familiar with it, but she suddenly realised how intimate the low lighting was. LED panels lined the walls and made sections in the centre; pinks and purples creating an ambiance for each seating area. Sarah led her between them towards a spare sofa, sliding onto it with ease and placing her drink on the little table before crossing her leg towards Tally as she sat too. She played nervously with the stem of her glass before taking a sip and setting it down too. She turned to look at Sarah slowly, who slid her arm over the back of the sofa and left it there. It was close to Tally, but not touching and she was grateful. She needed a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings.
“So…” Tally patted her hands on her thighs. She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and released it. “You were going to tell me about why you’re an Amazon?”
Sarah chuckled, and Tally realised that it was a far more beautiful sound than she’d been able to give it credit for in the pulsing music and crowds of the dance floor. Here, where the music was quieter and people around them were talking, Sarah’s laugh was disarming.
“Yes, I was.” She lifted her forearm from the back of the sofa and rested her head on it and Tally let out a breath before shifting further back and twisting more to the side, mirroring Sarah’s position. Sarah’s eyes sparked again. “Well, it is my area of expertise. I’m a Professor of Classical Studies at the university. Greek mythology, particularly women in mythology, are my specialities.”
“Oh. Oh.” Tally grinned, ducking her head to hide how wide it was. She was all teeth and dimples when she smiled and she was very conscious that it added to her ‘sunshine’ personality. Not exactly sexy. Sarah, when she looked back up at her, had raised an eyebrow but hadn’t said anything. “That’s cool. Really cool. So you’re into goddesses?”
Sarah’s lips twitched and then she was chuckling again. Tally bit her lip, unsure whether she should be flattered or embarrassed.
“Well,” Sarah replied, finally, her arm falling back to the sofa again and her fingers playing softly with Tally’s hair. “I suppose that would make you a sun goddess.”
Tally blushed.
“No, I… I didn’t mean to imply…”
“Relax. I know that is not what you meant, but I cannot deny that the idea suits you. You are quite the goddess, Tally.”
“I’m really not.”
“And yet, I do feel the urge to worship you.” Tally felt the flush of her blood travel down her body and she swallowed hard. Before she could think of how to reply, Sarah continued. “Do you mind this?”
She gestured to where she was playing with Tally’s red hair, stroking it through and curling strands around her fingers.
“Oh… no? No. I don’t mind.”
“I should have asked first,” Sarah admitted. “But I seem to be having trouble keeping my hands away from you.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I’m pleased to hear it. Your hair is so soft, so beautiful. It suits you.”
“You know, could you give me time to stop blushing between compliments?”
“No,” Sarah chuckled. “You look beautiful when you blush, even if the lighting in here is disguising the colour in your cheeks admirably.”
“It’s also hiding the colour of your eyes.” Tally was determined to ellicit some reaction from Sarah, given that the woman seemed to be so intent on getting them from her regularly. “Which is a crime.”
“You like my eyes?” Sarah’s smile softened.
“I do.” Tally shifted closer. “I really do.”
Sarah’s head tilted to the side and she smiled widely. Perfection. Tally distracted herself with reaching for her drink and taking a sip, trying to ignore the butterflies in her chest.
“You were named wrong,” Sarah commented as Tally turned back to her. Tally furrowed her brows in confusion.
“I… what?”
“Craven. It means lacking in courage. Cowardly. But you are nothing like that, are you?”
“I try not to be.”
Sarah’s fingers toyed with her hair, stroking it behind her ear. Tally melted into the touch.
“Marching over to me without a thought for what you were going to say. That was brave. Or foolish.” Sarah’s teasing grin was back and Tally bit her lip, ducking her head.
“Probably more foolish.”
“You’re sweet, Tally Craven.”
Tally looked up into blue eyes.
“I’m not entirely sweet.”
“No?” Sarah’s fake ignorance was ruined as she let her foot brush against Tally’s calf. Tally licked her bottom lip.
“No.” She leaned in and brushed her nose against Sarah’s jaw, tracing up to her ear. She felt a little foolish, like she was a pale copy of the woman, following her moves. But Sarah’s breath caught as she whispered in her ear, and Tally glowed with pride. “And I’m not that innocent, either.”
Sarah’s head turned, her breath tickling Tally’s ear; her fingers sliding into the hair at the base of Tally’s neck, nails scratching her scalp as she gathered some hair in her fist. Tally inhaled sharply as Sarah gave it a little tug.
“Are you implying that you’re a naughty girl, Tally?”
Tally clenched as the words dripped from Sarah’s lips and she found her eyes closing as she fought back the moan that threatened to escape her mouth. Sarah’s fingernails scratched at her scalp and Tally whined.
“Yes. Sometimes.”
Sarah’s breath came staggered, as though she were trying to control herself, but couldn’t help but be affected.
“When you’re naughty…” Sarah’s tongue flicked out, wetting Tally’s earlobe. Tally’s hand shot out to support herself and she found it gripping a strong thigh. Sarah chuckled and then tugged her earlobe between her teeth, before releasing it to speak. Tally’s eyes felt hot and heavy and she gripped Sarah’s thigh tighter. “Do you like to be punished?”
“God, fuck.” Tally groaned, turning her head to rest her forehead against Sarah’s cheek, her eyes closed. Her heart was beating so hard against her chest that she thought Sarah would be able to hear it clear as day. “Yes.”
“Do you have any idea what I could do to you?” Sarah tugged on her hair and Tally gasped, eyes opening, finding dark ones staring back. “What I want to do to you?”
“Tell me?” It came out as a longing whisper
Sarah’s tongue flicked out and licked her lips and then she was leaning in, close enough for their noses to graze softly, close enough that Tally could almost taste her. She trembled, aching and waited for their lips to touch.
“I wonder what you would taste like,” Sarah murmured, her breath huffing softly against Tally’s lips. “If I teased you for hours until you came the moment my tongue finally slid against you.”
Tally’s brain went blank and she sucked in a trembling breath. Her brain throbbed.
“Sarah…”
“Goddess, don’t moan my name like that,” Sarah groaned, resting her forehead against Tally’s. “You’re far too tempting to resist.”
“Why are you trying?”
Sarah hummed against her, stroking her fingers through Tally’s hair.
“Because the best part is in the wanting.”
Tally breathed in slowly, filling her lungs and holding it for a moment before slowly releasing it. She could feel, from the way Sarah’s fingers were lazily scratching at her scalp and her breaths were coming very controlled, that she was trying to resist the urge to tilt her head and kiss Tally. She could tell that the woman loved control.
Tally liked making her partners lose control.
“What if what I want, right now, is for you to feel how wet I am for you?”
Sarah inhaled slowly, sucking in the breath as though she were a panther, readying herself to pounce. Tally waited, her nerves thrumming with anticipation, until Sarah’s low voice, steady and determined, filled the space between them.
“How would you like to spend the night in my bed, Tally Craven?”