Ember Flowers (14 page)

“Is it
Scott?”

Jean leant back
into the comforting taller frame behind her. “Yes and no.” Jo was
listening quietly.

“Today just..I
was so worried. It brought up a lot of old memories, a few healed
wounds, it’s made me remember.”

Joanne leant
her chin on Jean’s shoulder, surprised herself that she felt
comfortable supporting her. Her arms shifted from Jean’s shoulders
to around her waist.

“Go on, I’m
listening.”

Sighing softly,
she hesitated from nuzzling into the warm embrace, worried Jo would
think she was clingy and emotional. “I suppose seeing Scott in that
hospital bed, helpless..it just made me think of Natasha. Getting
the call, Ellie crying, not knowing. He’s like family to me.”

“You two seem
close?”

“He’s like a
son to me Jo.”

Nodding against
her shoulder. “What else is bothering you?”

Jean sniffled,
but quickly wiped her eyes. Her voice sounded different, small and
quiet. “Today was hard. Dredged up a lot of old feelings. It’s
funny, thinking back. When Natasha died we were in a rough spot. I
bought that boat thinking the ocean air and love for the sea would
be something that could bring us together. Now all it reminds me of
is loss.” She took a ragged breath, struggling to keep her even
tone.

She glanced
over her shoulder at Jo’s grey eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to
drag you through all my old bullshit.”

They stood
there a moment, Jo rubbing little circles with her thumbs over the
shirt. “Why did you take me out in the yacht, if sailing upset you
so much?”

The older
woman’s breaths were becoming calmer, even. “I felt drawn to you. I
wanted to help.”
It was the truth.

Joanne sighed
softly, tilting her head to kiss Jean’s cheek. She stepped
away.

“Come with me.”
Gently requested, barely above a whisper.

She held out a
hand, a crinkle of her brow and the older woman took it, and was
led toward the bed. Joanne got in first, dropping the towel on the
nearby table, her bare abdomen and satin underwear now visible. A
long lean hourglass figure, curvy hips and a flat stomach. She
pulled back the sheets and waited for her companion to take off her
boots. Jean smiled cautiously as her knee slid over the
mattress.

Jo was watching
her, twirling her wrist as she slid down to lay on her side. “Turn
around.”

She did as she
was told, lying on her side, facing the balcony. She felt Jo’s warm
palm rubbing over her back, the taller woman lying behind her. Jean
was kissed softly behind her ear.

“This works on
my daughter when she’s upset.” Jean smiled in response, relaxing
into the pillow.

The hand rubbed
slow circles, comforting consoling touches, her long legs brushing
against Jean’s covered ones. A low melodic voice as Jo started to
hum something, singing softly. Jean closed her eyes, the voice was
lower from sleeplessness, soothing like a healing balm. She could
listen to it all night, but sensed she would succumb to sleep with
much more of the treatment. She decided Jo could be remarkably
sweet, it seemed as though she was finally starting to let her
guard down. Allowing a side of herself that was often hidden away
to be visible for a fleeting moment.

As her voice
died down Jo ran her fingertips through Jean’s short hair. “Feel
better?”

The older woman
nodded, turning toward her. Leaning forward to tentatively kiss
her. “Much. I’ll take a shower. Be right back.”

She returned to
bed in the clean white cotton shirt and her boy leg briefs. Jo was
laying on her side dozing. Grey eyes fluttered open as she got in.
The bedside lights had been turned off. The room darkened, save for
the lights of the city coming through the open balcony door.

“Sorry, did I
wake you?” Her voice gentle and quiet.

The policewoman
shook her head, her voice slow and weary. “No, was waiting for
you.”

Something about
that made her smile. “You didn’t have to Jo.”


She yawned.
“Needed to know you were OK.” It seemed for this evening at least,
their roles had reversed.

Jean made
herself comfortable, reclining on the ivory coloured sheets and
pulling up the bedding. Jo was looking at her through sleepy half
lidded eyes.

“Night Jo.
Sleep well..and thanks.”

Jo smiled,
reaching over and squeezing her shoulder affectionately. The blonde
began to roll over, with the movement, her hand was caught.

The silent
question was in the older woman’s eyes. Not sure if she was
stepping over the line. At this moment, they seemed so close, so
connected.

With a tilt of
her head, she nodded, grabbing her own pillow, pulling it closer.
Her other hand sliding around Jean’s waist. Bare legs brushed,
before resting together. She pulled the older woman against
herself. Jean’s curves against Jo’s hip.

Jean relaxed
against her.
It was a nice feeling
, pondered the
policewoman, to be trusted so, to know that her comforts were
appreciated. It must have been difficult for Jean too, the older
woman had likely wanted to be alone on that balcony. She had
interrupted.
Too bad
, she thought. Warm breaths on the back
of Jean’s neck, it wasn’t long before they were both claimed by
sleep.

Chapter
22

Jo awoke to a
quiet room and an empty bed. Her grey eyes narrowed as they
adjusted to the morning light coming through the open balcony door.
With a soft grunt she rolled over, her hand searching for her phone
on the bedside table.

It had just
gone five a.m., her body slowly returned to consciousness. She
looked at the time, and the display on her phone. Four texts. Owen
wanting to know where she was, wanting to talk. An annoyed groan,
she would reply later, in her own time. A missed call too at three
a.m., thankfully her phone had been muted.

Long fingertips
tidied her blonde mane that had mussed in her sleep. Jo looked
around the room. No sign of Jean, but there was a post it on her
bedside that she’d missed. The policewoman reached out, untacking
it from the lamp and reading it in the room’s dim light.

Joanne a.k.a
Blanket Thief,

Went to get us
breakfast, won’t be long.

x J.P

Jo’s blonde
brow arched. She was surprised Jean had been able to get dressed
and organised around her without her waking. She must have really
been out of it. Usually a restless sleeper, Jo had woken once
during the night. Vaguely aware of her surroundings, the arm around
her waist had been strangely comforting. They had both rolled over
during the night, Jean’s soft even breaths beside her ear as she
went back to sleep.

Their talk last
week had laid a lot of her concerns to rest, brief as it was. They
had agreed that it was obvious that they shared a mutual
attraction. As long as things were comfortable, they would continue
to spend time together. No plans and no strings. Jean was easy to
talk to, seemed to understand where a lot of her insecurities were
coming from.

A soft click of
the door and peep of the card key going in drew her attention to
the hall. A cardboard tray and brown paper bags, carried in the
arms of the brunette as she shuffled the items around. Wearing the
white crew neck tee that she’d slept in and her cargos from
yesterday.

“Morning.”

Jo looked up at
her. “Good morning. I got your note.”

The gardener
sat on the edge of the bed by her feet, nodding. The sheet still
draped over Jo until mid way up her chest.

“Thought you
might be hungry, your stomach was growling.” Jean winked at her,
handing her a hot takeaway cardboard cup.

“How long were
you awake?”

The brunette
handed her a paper bag with a description scribbled ‘ham and salad
bagel’. “Since about four. Think it was just sleeping somewhere
different. You seemed OK though?”

Jo nodded,
looking into the bag. Grey eyes looked up. “You were watching me
sleep?”

“Only for a
little while, you were kinda adorable, I couldn’t help it.”

The blonde
groaned softly, her cheeks turning a soft rose. She quickly changed
the subject, watching Jean sip her coffee. “Traffic?”

“Non existent.
I walked, bakery around the corner was opening already. I convinced
them how badly you required breakfast and they let me in.” Her
cheeky smirk was back.

As if on cue,
Jo’s stomach gurgled softly. Jean smiled around her cup.
“Definitely adorable.”

“I’ve never
been described as adorable before Jean, probably better not to
start.”

She broke her
muffin apart in her hands. “Oh? And how do people usually describe
you?”

Jo frowned,
talking after chewing her bagel. “Depends on who you ask.”

Jean looked at
her listening. Jo sighed. “My mother calls me distant, my
colleagues would probably say that I work hard but that I’m
difficult to get to know. Owen..well.. Lately he’s been calling me
‘cold’ and ‘unreasonable’.” She shook her head, thinking.

The older woman
nodded. “You might be hard to get to know, but the rest..you’re
never cold Jo.”

The blonde
sighed, finishing off her breakfast. “I like my own space, don’t
like to rely on anyone. Sometimes people take that the wrong
way.”


Jean’s tanned
hand stroked her calf through the sheet. “I can see that. But you
can also be sweet, and kind and brave. I’m glad you’re letting me
get to know you.”

She smiled
shyly at the unexpected compliment. “Thanks. I like getting to know
you too. You’ve been a great friend when I’ve needed one.”

Jean reached
out, tucking a strand of blonde behind Jo’s ear. There was a
sweetness, a reverence to the touch that charmed her. It had been a
long time since someone looked at her like that. It didn’t seem to
matter than the adoring eyes belonged to a woman.

“Jean?”

“Mmhm?”

Jo patted the
vacant side of the bed beside her. “Come here.”

The older woman
smiled, putting down her coffee and skirting the side of the bed.
She sat down on the vacant side, her back to Jo, and started
unlacing her boots. She felt the shift on the mattress behind her,
then the warmth of hands on her shoulders. She gasped softly as Jo
pressed kisses along her neck, her breath catching when her ear
lobe was caught in neat white teeth.

It was
difficult to retain control of her thoughts, with the soft pink
tongue and teeth on her ear and neck, but somehow she managed to
pull off her socks and boots with lightening speed.

She turned
where she was, Jo cupped her cheek, a short glance before engaging
her in a heated kiss. Her arm unconsciously sliding around the
policewoman’s bare lower back. Ever so often grey eyes would open,
watching her between kisses. The fair fingertips on Jean’s tanned
cheek had moved, trailing down her neck, down over the collar of
the crew neck tee, resting above her breast. Jean wondered if Jo
could feel her pulse, pounding fast under her hand.

A last soft
kiss on her lips. Jo ran her fingertips over the white cotton, she
bit her lip, looking up at the hazelnut eyes. “Take this off.”

Tapered brows
rose, but Jean complied. She lifted her arms, painted nails skimmed
her stomach, taking hold of the hem of the shirt and lifting it up
and over Jean’s head. Ruffling her hair. The garment deposited at
the foot of the bed.

Warm palms were
flat against her olive belly, Jo’s eyes flitted over her, Jean’s
lean stomach trim from working outdoors, her breasts covered by a
simple black bra. Nails trailed, touching the dip of her navel,
skimming over her stomach, back up to arrive on her shoulder.

Jean smiled at
her gently, her voice thick in her throat. “I’ve been trying all
morning not to look at you lying there..sleeping next to you..”

Jo kissed her
again. “I know.”

Jean brushed
her fingertips over the sensitive skin of Jo’s stomach, smiling
when she saw her shiver. “I don’t want to rush you.”

“I know. You’re
very..old fashioned. It’s sweet.”

The brunette
nipped her lip softly. “Don’t take that as disinterest. I’m
very..interested. I just want you to trust me, that’s all.” She
glanced at Jo’s darkened grey eyes. The blonde nodded, she moved
back, allowing Jean to move off the edge of the bed and into the
softer middle. The bed had been ample as the brochure
advertised.

Her long arms
pushed Jean onto her back, until she was reclined over the pillows.
Jo propped herself on her elbow, one long thigh tangling with
Jean’s covered legs. Her fingertips drew little circles over the
rise of the brunette’s cleavage, skimming over her bra and tracing
the waistband of her pants.

She noticed a
small scar on Jean’s throat. Running her fingertip over it, she
felt the older woman shiver.

Jo leant closer
to examine it. “What is this from?”

She spoke
through a held breath. “Hazard of the job, shrapnel flicked up when
I was using a mower. Lucky it didn’t kill me.”

Jo nodded,
placing a whispered kiss on the sensitive spot. She saw the flutter
of the pulse on the olive neck and smiled. “No hickeys Jo, I would
never hear the end of it.” The older woman joked.

The blonde ran
a fingertip along Jean’s bare collarbone and saw her companion
shudder. “So you would prefer that I avoided your neck huh?”

Jean’s head
suddenly felt like it was full of wood. “Uh..I didn’t say
that..”

Grey eyes
looked up at her deviously. She moved lower down the brunette’s
tanned body. A kiss over the well of her navel. The older woman
gasped softly in surprise.

Jo kissed along
little freckles on Jean’s belly, feeling the tanned hands slip into
her hair. Soft groans of approval as she moved her way up. Jo
studied the olive skin, the lean stomach, fingertips tracing,
comparing.