Page 43 of Curious Hearts (The Healing Hearts #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

“I can assure you there is nothing Hallmark about what I’m about to do to you…

” Jessica offered Ali a salacious smile as she waggled her eyebrows, but before she could act upon any flirtations, Ali surged forward, her mouth finding Jessica’s with desperate intensity.

There was nothing gentle in the kiss—only raw need and the primal relief of finding something precious that had nearly slipped away.

Jessica responded instantly, hands tangling in Ali’s hair to pull her closer, her usual composure abandoned in the face of such overwhelming desire.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Ali gasped against Jessica’s mouth, her fingers already working at the buttons of Jessica’s blouse with frantic urgency. “When I walked in and heard Vikram?—”

“That’s never going to happen,” Jessica interrupted, helping Ali with the buttons before shrugging the silk from her shoulders. “It was always you, Ali. Only you.”

The admission pushed them past any remaining restraint.

Jessica backed Ali toward the bedroom, hands already slipping beneath her shirt, palms hot against bare skin.

When the backs of Ali’s knees hit the mattress, Jessica didn’t hesitate—she pushed, following Ali down onto the bed, using her weight to pin down Ali’s body the way she knew she liked it.

“I need you,” Jessica whispered, her tone bordering on desperation. “Right now.”

Ali nodded, unable to form words as Jessica’s mouth found her neck, teeth grazing sensitive skin before soothing the sting with her tongue.

Their clothes disappeared in a frenzy of pulling fabric and impatient hands, neither willing to be separated long enough to take care in undressing.

Jessica’s bra caught on her wrist, and Ali laughed—a sound that turned into a gasp as Jessica’s naked body pressed fully against hers for the first time.

“God, you feel good,” Ali breathed, hands mapping the curves of Jessica’s back, the dip of her waist, the flare of her hips. “So fucking good.”

Jessica’s response was to capture one of Ali’s nipples between her lips, sucking hard enough to make Ali cry out, her back arching off the bed. The sensation shot straight to her core, heat gathering between her thighs where she already ached for Jessica’s touch.

“Please,” Ali begged, beyond pride or patience. “I need your hands on me. In me.”

Jessica lifted her head, eyes almost black with desire. “Not yet,” she said, her voice a dangerous promise. “I want to taste you first.”

Before Ali could process the words, Jessica was moving down her body, leaving a trail of kisses and gentle bites that made her shiver.

When Jessica settled between her thighs, Ali propped herself up on her elbows, unwilling to miss a moment of the sight—Jessica’s dark curls loose around her face, the intensity of her gaze as she looked up the length of Ali’s body.

“Watch me,” Jessica murmured, maintaining eye contact as she lowered her mouth to Ali’s center.

The first touch of Jessica’s tongue was so exquisite it bordered on painful. Ali’s head fell back, a strangled cry escaping her throat as pleasure short-circuited her brain, blowing neural pathways wide open in white-hot pleasure. But Jessica’s hand on her stomach brought her back.

“I said, watch me,” Jessica repeated, the authoritative tone sending another rush of arousal through Ali’s body. “I want you to see what you do to me. How much I want you.”

Ali forced herself to look down again, meeting Jessica’s gaze as her mouth returned to its exquisite torture.

The visual combined with the physical sensation was almost too much—Jessica’s tongue circling her clit with deliberate pressure, her expression one of focused pleasure, as if there was nowhere else she’d rather be than between Ali’s thighs.

When Jessica slid two fingers inside, curling them against the spot that made Ali see stars, it took every ounce of willpower to keep her eyes open, to maintain the connection Jessica had demanded.

Her hips moved of their own accord, chasing the pressure of Jessica’s mouth, the fullness of her fingers.

“Jessica,” Ali gasped, her body tightening around Jessica’s fingers. “I’m going to?—”

“Not yet,” Jessica said, pulling back just enough to deny Ali the release she craved. “Not until I say.”

The denial sent a fresh wave of arousal flooding through Ali’s body.

This was a side of Jessica she’d glimpsed before—the controlled, commanding investment director channeling that same authority into pleasure—but never with such intensity.

It was maddening and thrilling, and she had never wanted anyone so badly.

Jessica continued the sweet ecstasy she was providing, bringing Ali to the edge repeatedly before backing off, her fingers and mouth working in concert to drive Ali toward a peak that remained just out of reach.

Sweat beaded on Ali’s skin, her breath coming in ragged gasps as pleasure built to an almost unbearable intensity.

“Please,” she begged, beyond pride, beyond thought. “Jessica, please?—”

“Tell me what you want,” Jessica demanded, her voice rough with need.

“You,” Ali gasped, her hips bucking against Jessica’s hand. “Just you. Always you.”

Something in Jessica’s expression shifted at the words, a softening amid the desire, vulnerability threading through her control. She moved up Ali’s body without removing her fingers, capturing Ali’s mouth in a kiss that tasted of her own arousal.

“Come for me,” Jessica whispered against her lips, her thumb finding Ali’s clit as her fingers curled inside her. “Now, Ali. Let go for me.”

The permission, combined with the perfect pressure of Jessica’s hand, shattered Ali completely. Her release crashed through her with an intensity that tore a cry from her throat. Wave after wave of pleasure radiated outward from her core, her body convulsing around Jessica's fingers.

“I love you, Ali Ritchie,” whispered Jessica, holding her as the final shudders her climax rippled through her.

For several minutes, neither spoke—the only sounds in the room their gradually slowing breaths and the distant hum of the city beyond the windows.

Ali buried her face in the curve of Jessica's neck, breathing in the scent of her skin mingled with the evidence of their activities, feeling utterly undone.

When she finally found her voice, it emerged as little more than a whisper against Jessica's collarbone. "I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d lost this… lost you.”

Jessica's arms tightened around her. "But you didn't," she murmured, pressing a kiss to Ali's temple. "I was a fool for not ruling out London sooner. There’s no comparison to what we have.”

"Promise me," Ali said, pulling back just enough to meet Jessica's eyes, finding them soft with an emotion that still made her heart stutter, even after all they'd shared. "Promise me we'll always find our way back to each other, no matter what comes."

"I promise," Jessica replied without hesitation, the words carrying the same certainty she brought to her most important decisions. "Whatever happens, whatever challenges come, we face them together."

The promise felt more binding than any contract Jessica had ever negotiated, more healing than any therapy Ali had ever experienced.

Her fingers traced the curve of Jessica's jaw, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

Moving closer, she kissed and licked a path from collarbone to ear, biting down on the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder with enough pressure to make Jessica gasp.

“You like that?” Ali asked, her free hand sliding down to cup Jessica’s breast, thumb circling a nipple already tight with arousal. “Want me to be gentle or…?”

“I’ll take the or.” Jessica twisted to kiss her.

“And how do we ask nicely?”

“Please, Ali, can you not be gentle with me?”

The plea, so rare from Jessica’s lips, sent a fresh rush of desire through Ali’s body.

She captured Jessica’s nipple between her teeth, the gentle bite drawing a sound from Jessica’s throat that was half pain, half pleasure.

Her hand continued lower, finding Jessica wet and ready, slick heat against her fingers as she explored.

When she slid two fingers inside, Jessica’s back arched off the bed, a keening sound escaping her throat. Ali set a relentless pace, her thumb finding Jessica’s clit as her fingers curled with each thrust, watching Jessica’s face as pleasure overtook her usual control.

“More,” Jessica demanded, her tone raspy. “Another.”

Ali complied, adding a third finger, stretching Jessica in a way that made her gasp. The new fullness combined with the pressure of Ali’s thumb against her clit had Jessica clutching at the sheets, her control fracturing further with each thrust.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” Ali told her, never slowing the movement of her hand. “Falling apart for me.”

Jessica’s eyes flew open, finding Ali’s gaze. “Only for you,” she said. “Only ever for you.”

Looking straight into Ali’s eyes, Jessica came with a scream of her name, her body clenching rhythmically around Ali’s fingers as pleasure claimed her. Ali watched in awe, memorizing every detail of Jessica’s expression as she surrendered to the sensation.

But Ali wasn’t finished yet. As soon as the initial waves subsided, she moved down Jessica’s body, replacing her hand with her mouth. Jessica’s oversensitive flesh jumped at the first touch of Ali’s tongue, but Ali held her hips firmly, giving her no choice but to accept the renewed pleasure.

“Ali,” Jessica gasped, her voice rough with surprise. “Are you trying to kill me?—”

“No,” Ali said, her breath hot against Jessica’s center. “Just maybe make you come so hard you pass out.”

She redoubled her efforts, tongue tracing patterns she knew would drive Jessica wild, humming with satisfaction as she felt Jessica’s body respond despite her protests. Within minutes, Jessica was climbing toward another peak, her thighs trembling on either side of Ali’s head.

This time, when Jessica came, it was with a scream that Ali was certain the neighbors would hear. Her entire body went rigid before dissolving into helpless shudders, her hands tangled in Ali’s hair as if needing an anchor in the storm of sensation.

Ali continued until Jessica physically pulled her away, too sensitive for another touch. She moved up the bed, gathering Jessica’s still-trembling body against her own, pressing kisses to her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth.

“I love you,” Ali whispered again Jessica’s skin, the words carrying all the emotion of the past few days—the fear, the uncertainty, the overwhelming relief.

“Even the part of me that tortures you by taking days to make a decision that should have taken seconds?” Jessica laughed, the sound still unsteady as she caught her breath.

“Especially that part,” Ali confirmed, pressing another kiss to Jessica’s lips. “Because I know you didn’t choose us on a whim… Though I’d prefer if you didn’t make a habit of it.”

Jessica turned in Ali’s arms, her expression growing serious despite her disheveled state. “No more secrets,” she promised. “No more hiding things because I think I should handle them alone. If we’re doing this—really doing this—then I do it with you. Together.”

“Together,” Ali agreed, sealing the promise with a kiss.

Ali traced idle patterns on Jessica’s skin, her touch now gentle where it had been demanding moments before. The reconciliation had been sealed in the most primal way possible, their bodies communicating what words sometimes couldn’t—trust, desire, commitment.

“Stay tonight?” Ali asked, the question unnecessary given their state but still important.

Jessica smiled, pressing a kiss to Jessica’s shoulder. “Try and make me leave.”

As darkness settled more fully around them, Jessica reached for Ali again, her touch now slower, more deliberate. The desperate edge had been sated, replaced by something deeper—the luxury of time, of certainty, of knowing this was just one night of many they would share.

“Round two?” Jessica asked, her body already responding to Ali’s wandering hands.

“I was thinking more like rounds two, three, and four,” she said. “We have a lot of making up to do.”

“In that case,” Jessica said, with that rare, uninhibited smile that still made Ali’s heart stutter, “we’d better get started.”