Intentions - SF9 (19 page)

"I'd love to sleep with you, Jordan. I bet you're really cuddly," she teased, giving her a tender smile.

Jordan looked at her for a moment and shook her head as she gave her a grateful grin and agreed. "Let's stay here."

When the pair informed Jamie and Ryan of their decision, they accepted it placidly. Jamie knew that she could get on the phone and find a hotel somewhere that would take them, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of the issue since Jordan obviously felt bad enough already. "I'm happy to stay anywhere as long as I get to sleep with my Tiger," she said happily.

That did more to perk Jordan up than all the reassurances they could jointly muster. "Tiger?" she asked with a luminous grin.

"Don't start," Ryan moaned. "Don't even start!"

The room service menu was sadly lacking, but Ryan eventually settled for cereal and toast. The others decided to order a pizza, and as they waited for delivery Jordan said, "I really need a shower. Okay if I go?"

"Sure. I'll wait until you're finished," Ryan said.

"If you're a good girl, I'll wash behind your ears," Jamie teased.

"I'm a very good girl," Ryan smiled, "and you're a very good girl for coming all this way just to be with us."

Jamie had lived with Ryan long enough to know that one little two-ounce box of cereal would not hold her, so she had also ordered a fruit salad. Ryan polished off everything but wasn't tempted by the pizza that looked like little more than cardboard with ketchup and processed cheese-food slathered onto it.

Jamie was not really used to the vagaries of economy-class travel, and she had to admit that the pizza was one of the worst things she had ever had in her mouth-topping by a hair the goat's head stew she had been served in Sierra Leone.

When Jordan exited the bathroom, Ryan went in to run the water for a bath. She was staring at the complimentary lilac-scented bubble bath when Jamie came in.

"No, no, no," she said, taking the bottle from Ryan's hand "I've got something that you'll like much better." She returned a minute later with a new bottle of shower gel called Spring Rain. "This has almost no scent. It's hypo-allergenic, too."

Ryan shrugged and squirted a dollop into the running water, pleased that it created only a gentle lather. "Nice," she smiled at Jamie as the faint scent wafted up.

"I thought we'd find a place with a nice, big tub…maybe a Jacuzzi," Jamie grumbled. "This wasn't what I had in mind," she said softly, snuggling up against Ryan and giving her a gentle hug.

Ryan smiled down at her and ran her fingers through her blonde locks. "It's a hell of a lot better than I was expecting. I thought I'd have old Jordan crawling in with me, hogging the bed. You are a decided improvement."

Jamie hadn't expected to need any pajamas, so she was wearing just her panties and one of Ryan's big Tshirts. "I just couldn't stand the thought of you down here all weekend when I knew I could be with you. Are you glad we came?"

"Couldn't you see my smile when I looked up and saw you? The highlight of every day is when I get to lie in bed with your warm body next to mine. It doesn't matter how big the bed is or who's in the room with us. It only matters that we're together." She dipped her head and placed a few lazy kisses around Jamie's tender lips, then slowly made contact with her target. As usual, Jamie was more than responsive, and the meandering kisses slowly became more focused and intense. "Maybe we had better cool it," Ryan said softly as she rested her cheek against Jamie's. "I don't think this is the ideal place to make love."

Jamie sighed and started unzipping Ryan's warm-up jacket. She undressed her quickly, not taking her time as she usually did. Ryan climbed into the warm tub and let out a soft groan. "Oooh, this feels nice. I don't know why I avoided tubs for all of these years. I'm a convert."

"Have we ever bathed together?" Jamie asked, cocking her head as she tried to remember.

"Just showers," Ryan said. "I don't think we've been in the tub together. Are we going to correct that omission tonight?" Jamie was stripping out of her T-shirt, giving a fairly clear answer.

"Why the heck not?" she asked. "We won't get to do anything else fun tonight." She surveyed the standard-sized tub, which was already full of her long, lean lover. "I think I'll get in behind you," she decided, not wanting the faucet to jab her in the back.

"Why not sit on my lap?" Ryan asked.

Surveying the geometry, Jamie shook her head. "No, that won't work. If I'm in back, you can keep your knees bent. You're too long for me to sit on your legs if they're extended. I think this is the only way."

"Let's give it a try," Ryan agreed, scooting forward to allow her partner as much room as possible to maneuver. Jamie climbed in and slowly lowered herself. The only way Ryan could lean back was if Jamie's legs were wrapped around her, draping over her flexed legs. It was an intricate little puzzle, but it proved to be rather comfortable. Ryan leaned back against her chest and let out another sigh when Jamie started to cup her hands full of the warm water and splash it over Ryan's chest. "Once again, your ideas are top-notch, Jamers. I'm gonna lie here and soak every bit of stress out of my poor tired body."

Jordan and Mia were sitting on the small upholstered chairs that flanked the round table near the television. The chairs were not particularly comfortable, but Mia was afraid to make the move to the bed just yet.

"Are you really okay with me being here, Jordan? I would never have come if I'd known we'd have to share a bed. I mean, I know you're not ready for that yet."

"Yeah. I'm glad that you're here, Mia. I hated to leave after last night…I hated the thought of not being able to speak to you for three days." She batted her cool blue eyes at Mia and said, "I'm really sorry for running out on you. That was so lame."

"Hey," Mia soothed, "don't worry about it. It didn't bother me."

"Come on, Mia," she scoffed. "How could it not?"

Mia smiled and leaned forward and reached out to grasp Jordan's hand. "Let's just call it payback for one of the times I left a guy in a car with…shall we say…a pain in his lap? God, I would get guys so turned on and then decide that I didn't want to go any farther. They must have been cursing my name!"

Jordan looked at her seriously, a question in her eyes then forming on her lips. "Is that what happened to you last night? Were you really turned on?"

Mia tapped at Jordan's forehead with her fingertip. "Hello? Earth to Jordan…Of course I was turned on. Weren't you?"

"Well, yeah," she blushed. "I just thought it wouldn't be as big a deal for you…You've done so much more."

Mia tossed her feet up onto the bed and gazed at Jordan for a full minute. Finally, she asked the question that had been bugging her since Jamie brought it up. "Can I ask you a really, really personal question?"

"Uhh…sure…I think."

"Have you been sexually molested, Jordan?" She asked the question with as much empathy as she could muster. Still, she didn't want to make it sound like Jordan being abused was the most horrible thing in the world, so she tried to sound a little more casual than her rapidly beating heart showed.

Jordan got up from her chair and crossed over to Mia's, folding her long legs to sit on the floor. She looked up and said, "No. No, I haven't." Her head dropped and she stared at the floor for a few seconds before she asked, "I act like I have been, don't I?"

Mia began to stroke the silky blonde hair, saying softly, "Yes, you do. You act really frightened, Jordan. What's frightened you so much?"

The tall woman rubbed at her eyes with both fists, looking very frustrated. "It's…it's not really fear, Mia." She shook her head a bit as she corrected herself, "Well, that's not true. In a way, it is fear, but not fear of sex."

"Go on," Mia urged, not having gained any insight thus far.

"I've had a decent number of guys touch me, Mia, and it's never been a big deal. I've never had actual sex with a guy, but I've done everything but with a couple of them."

"Did you like it?" Mia asked, a little surprised that Jordan had gone as far as she claimed, given her response to having her breast touched.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "It was okay. I didn't really get what the big deal was, so I kept trying to fool around with different guys, thinking maybe they were the problem."

"But they weren't, huh?" Mia asked quietly.

"No. It wasn't them," Jordan admitted. "I didn't have any spark with any of them, Mia. It felt okay, but not great, you know? Nothing like it felt when those women kissed me…that was…that was great."

"So…you do have sexual desire? Um…do you uhh…" she looked down pointedly, letting her gaze linger on the area between Jordan's legs.

The blonde flushed as she nodded. "Yeah, I know myself pretty well," she admitted. "I've known myself an awful lot…lately." She shrugged, adding, "It's those dreams I keep having."

"Tell me about your dreams," Mia urged, still running her fingers through Jordan's hair.

"Um…sometimes they're not actual dreams," she said softly. "Sometimes they're daydreams. I um…lie in bed and think about how it feels when you kiss me, and before I know it, I'm um…knowing myself," she said, an adorably embarrassed expression on her face.

"Tell me how it feels when I kiss you," Mia asked, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on Jordan's exposed neck.

Turning around and entwining her fingers through Mia's hair, Jordan pulled her down a little and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Her mouth was curled into a sly grin as she released Mia, and she whispered, "It's better than my dreams. It feels like magic." She locked eyes with Mia and said, "It's not the sex that frightens me. It's how I feel inside. It feels so powerful, Mia. Like I can't control it."

Continuing to stroke Jordan's hair, Mia murmured, "I understand, Jordan. I really do. Sometimes it does feel like it's more than you can handle." Smiling down at the lovely woman who was now leaning against her leg, Mia promised, "The good news is that now you have me to talk to when it feels like too much."

"Thanks," Jordan whispered, slowly rubbing her head against Mia's warmth. "That helps…a lot."

The bath buddies could hear the muted ringing of a phone, but neither paid much attention until Mia knocked and said, "Ryan, Bryant's calling on your cell."

"Do you mind bringing it in?" Ryan asked. "We'll never get out of here."

Mia's curly head popped in, and she giggled as she took in the scene. "Nice position," she said to Jamie, then handed Ryan the phone.

"It's the only way it works, with her long legs," Jamie whispered, surprisingly calm about Mia seeing them in such an intimate clutch.

Ryan was chatting with Bryant, obviously making arrangements for their meeting. "Hey, Jamie?" she said as she hit the mute button. "Would you like to have Bryant meet you at the game tomorrow?"

"Sure. That would be fun. I'll save him a seat."

Ryan finished her conversation, then handed the phone back to Mia. "Thanks," she said. "It would have taken us ten minutes to get out of here."

"No problem. I hope to be able to use your solution to the 'bathing with a long-legged lover' dilemma one day."

"Hey, would you mind letting some water out and adding a little more hot?" Ryan asked. "If I lean forward that much it will upset our balance."

Mia smiled and did so, looking up when Jordan popped her head in. "Come on in," Ryan said, deciding it was too late to be modest now. "Wanna join us?"

"Now that would be interesting," Jordan smirked. "You two don't have room for a bar of soap in there, much less me."

"You doing all right?" Ryan asked her tall friend.

"Yeah. Fine. What's the agenda for the rest of the weekend?"

"Have a seat," Jamie offered magnanimously.

Ryan turned as much as she could and shared a smile with her partner, pleased that she seemed so much more comfortable with her body than she used to be.

Jordan sat on the floor, scooting up against the wall. Mia sat in front of her until Jordan tapped her on the shoulder and indicated that she could lean back. Mia did so, sighing with pleasure as she felt the long arms and legs wrap around her body. "Ooh, Jamie, you got the raw end of the deal," she groaned. "These big girls are very nice pillows."

"Maybe," Jamie agreed, "but I've got a very nice view." She held her wet hand up and dripped a few drops onto Ryan's breasts, immediately causing the nipples to firm up.

"Hey," Ryan said, covering her breasts with her hands. "We don't have to show everybody my rapid response time, do we?"

"Oh, my little prude," Jamie teased, kissing Ryan's ear.

A panoply of events from her past ran through Ryan's mind, any one of them enough to make Jamie's eyes pop out of her head at her lack of modesty. But she kept her musings to herself, liking this more open, playful side of her lover and deciding to let her feel that she was scandalizing Ryan a little bit. She also thought that being around a relaxed lesbian couple was good for Jordan, potentially normalizing a difficult situation. "Yeah, you're hiding back there, tough girl. I'm the only one on display here," Ryan reminded her.

"Uh-huh," Jamie scoffed. "If you had a nickel for every woman who saw you naked, you'd have more money than I do."

Ryan started to tell her she was wrong, but did a quick check of the math first, just to be accurate.

"So, what's up for tomorrow?" Jordan asked. "We've got our pre-game meal at two, a walk-through at three, and then we have to be there at 5:30 for the game, so our afternoon is shot. What do you two want to do?"

Jamie replied, "We'll go find a rental car, maybe go to one of the museums down here. Don't worry about us. We'll be there to pick you up after the game, and we can go to your dad's house then, okay?"

"Sounds good," Jordan agreed. "He lives about halfway up Malibu. It's about an hour's drive from here."

"You sure that's what you want, Jordan?" Mia asked.

"Yeah. It's a nice place and we can relax a little. Seems like a shame to waste a day at the beach, doesn't it?"

"I'm up for it," Ryan agreed. "Will you call and see if we can change our tickets, Jordan?"

"Okay. Last flight back okay with everyone?"

Jamie shook her head and said, "Don't include me. I've got to fly to Portland Sunday evening. I've already made my arrangements."

"Two-sport family," Jordan said, shaking her head. "Bummer."

After another refill of the hot water, Jordan and Mia left the bathroom, with Jamie calling after them, "Hey, why don't you guys turn on the radio or the TV…loud."

"Gee, Jamie, why would we want to do that?" Mia asked, intentionally obtuse.

Jordan yanked her out of the room, and seconds later the sounds of MTV reached the bathroom. "Good girl," Jamie said, pleased to have her commands obeyed.

"Got something in mind?" Ryan asked softly, her deep voice echoing off the walls.

"You're starting to prune," Jamie said, holding up one of Ryan's hands for inspection, ignoring her partner's question.

"It's not permanent," Ryan murmured, very pleased with their position and the temperature of the water.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Jamie asked, dipping her head to capture a damp earlobe. "I like being able to cuddle you like this."

"I like being cuddled this way," Ryan said. "It's nice…makes me feel small. I don't feel that way often."

"Why don't you sit up just a bit, Love, and let me wash your back."

"Okay," Ryan sighed, not in the mood to argue about anything at the moment.

As she leaned forward, Jamie spent a moment just running the tips of her index fingers over the firm muscles in front of her. She didn't see Ryan from this position very often, and she found that she was crazy for the view. Ryan's upper body was draped over her bent legs, her broad back sweeping up in a neat V from her trim waist. Her skin was perfectly smooth, not one visible imperfection marring the view.

"God, I love your back," Jamie sighed, cupping her hands and dipping them into the water. She let the water trail down the sculpted surface, watching as it made dozens of independent tributaries, skimming off in many directions at once.

"Thank you," Ryan murmured. "We aim to please."

"Oh, you please, all right. If I was any more pleased, I'd burst."

Ryan chuckled mildly, her back muscles moving from the effort.

"Lean back now," Jamie said as Ryan detected the nice, light scent of the gel.

She leaned back and smiled as she felt a pair of soapy breasts start to glide against her back. "Like the soap delivery system?" Jamie asked, her taut nipples skimming across the slick surface.

"Mmm-hmm," Ryan murmured. "Feels great."

Jamie lathered up her hands and started to work on Ryan's breasts, and the larger woman sighed softly. "You know," she murmured, "I'm very grateful for the new appreciation you've given me for my breasts."

"Pardon?" Jamie's hands stilled even though she kept them right where they were, gently cupping the firm flesh.

Ryan laughed softly and repeated herself. "I didn't get that much pleasure from them before," she admitted. "I liked 'em, and I liked having them touched, but they weren't a prime pleasure zone for me. You've changed that," she said simply.

"But how…?"

"You get such pleasure out of touching me," Ryan said, reaching up to place her hands over Jamie's and squeeze gently. "Your pleasure is contagious."

"Really?" Jamie asked, delighted that she could unintentionally perform this feat.

"Really. I see how your eyes sparkle when you touch me, and it makes me throb a little." Ryan started to stroke her partner from her elbows to her hands, musing, "Sometimes I'll be lying back, and you'll have one of my breasts in your mouth and your hand on the other one, and you look so indescribably content that I can feel my pulse pick up. Every once in a while you'll look up at me, and you honestly look like a kid caught with her hands in the cookie jar." She chuckled softly and said, "It's so adorable, Jamie. It makes me see the little kid that hides just under your typically mature self. I love that little kid," she mused, shaking her head slowly.

Jamie laughed, the sound floating past Ryan's ear and sending tingles down her body. "Sometimes I feel like I've been caught doing something naughty," she admitted. "Not so much if I'm just concentrating-only if you look at me while I'm doing it. I get so much pleasure out of touching you…I guess it feels like it must be kinda wrong."