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The problem was that Lucy didn’t have all the time in the world. Time had stopped existing. Time was only this pinpoint of a moment just right now and nothing else before or after mattered in the slightest.

“Oh,” said Cal, as Lucy pulled her underwear aside.

“Oh,” she said again as Lucy moved just slightly under her willing hands.

“Oh,” she said a third time as Lucy pushed up to her hand and her fingers finally felt the slick, wanting wetness of her.

Lucy bit her lip at the sensation of being touched, bit her lip at the sight of Cal’s cheeks reddening, at the sound of her breath coming harder. And she managed a word. Just one word. “Please.”

Then Cal was gathering her to her, an arm coming around her shoulders so that she was clasped against Cal’s chest and then Cal’s fingers were moving as expertly as Lucy’s own would, and there was no more room for thought. No room for anythingother than the waves of heat that were passing over her and through her and emanating from her.

She took a breath and inhaled the woody scent of Cal, and then her eyes slammed shut and her legs began to shake and in those sweet, precious few seconds there was nothing in the world except her and Cal.

For a long minute they stayed there, Cal kneeling on the bed, Lucy in her arms. Then Lucy started to regain her breath, started to float back to Earth.

“Jesus,” Cal whispered.

“Sorry,” said Lucy, opening her eyes. “God, I’m so sorry… I just… I don’t know what happened.”

“I do,” Cal said, eyes wide with wonder. “And it was just about the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s never been like that before,” said Lucy, wriggling so that she was sitting up. “I mean, I’m not a nymphomaniac or anything. I can have sex like a normal person rather than like some kind of starving animal.”

Cal was shaking her head, eyes still wide. “No need to apologize. And just for the record, so can I.”

“So can you what?” asked Lucy. Now that her breath was back she was noticing the way Cal’s throat moved as she spoke, how the movement naturally led her downward, over the buttons of her shirt, down further until she was thinking about just what might be on the menu for next.

“Have sex like a normal person,” Cal said. “You know, taking my time, foreplay, things like that.” She put a finger under Lucy’s chin, pulling her gaze up so that they were eye to eye. “Looking after you.”

Lucy’s heart was beating funny again. Funny at the idea of someone looking after her. Funny at the idea of looking after someone else. Funny at the idea of the afternoon stretching out long and hot before them.

Slowly, she reached across and unbuttoned the first of Cal’s shirt buttons.

Cal leaped off the bed. “I can do that,” she said, starting workon the next button.

Lucy put out a hand to stop her. “You could,” she said. “Or… Or I could do it.”

Cal’s hands dropped to her sides and she looked a little uncomfortable as Lucy shed her of her shirt.

“And I could do this,” Lucy said, reaching for Cal’s belt buckle and undoing it.

“Or I could do it,” said Cal, fingers reaching for her pants button.

Lucy stood up. “You don’t have to be that way here,” she said.

“What way?” Cal looked confused. Adorably confused. So confused that Lucy bent over her and kissed her lips slowly and tenderly.

“We’re equals in the bedroom,” she said. “I don’t know what you’ve had before, but I don’t expect you to honor me and worship me and whatever else without getting at least the same back from me.”

Cal cleared her throat. “Okay,” she breathed. “It’s just that… I’m more used to taking the lead maybe.”

Lucy considered her, looked at the heft of her standing before her, the soft solidness of her that made her breath come faster, made her want to thrust Cal’s hand back between her legs again. “If you want me to stop, I will.”

There was a long second, then Cal shook her head.

Lucy grinned. “In that case, would it be so bad to be worshiped?”

Cal didn’t have a chance to answer because Lucy was pushing her back onto the bed, grabbing a pillow and pushing it behind her head and then gently pushing her knees apart.