Page 29

This might be perfection. The sun setting late and red in the west. The view over river and meadows. And Geeta, lying naked on her side, the curve of her shoulders, the dip to her waist, and the sensual shape of her hips the most beautiful of all.

Faces glistening and still recovering their breath, Nicola leant closer and kissed her once more, the taste of them together.

Geeta smiled and cupped her cheek. “There,” she whispered. “I think we have the kissing thing covered.”

Nicola breathed out a quiet laugh. Then, “I like the way you taste.”

Geeta’s eyes stretched wide. Did her cheeks deepen a little?

“Same. And you’re making me blush now.” But Geeta’s mature confidence quickly recovered. “I don’t know what I expected, but I really liked that.”

Nicola believed her, hearing the hunger in the enthusiasm.

“And by the way,” Geeta teased, gently prodding Nicola’s shoulder, the challenge always a blink away, always drawing her in. “I think the headboard is just fine. Because you needed something to cling to.”

Heat hit her cheeks.

Geeta’s mouth dropped open with an exaggerated gasp. “Did I just make Nicola Albright blush?”

“No.” She tried to lift her chin. “Maybe.”

“Well, that’s an unexpected treat.”

A delighted grin lit up Geeta’s face, and she reached out and trailed a finger around Nicola’s cheek.

“You’re definitely rosy cheeked,” Geeta whispered with gentle surprise.

Nicola attempted to narrow her eyes and clap back a riposte. But that stroke over her cheek had her pacified and docile.

“I am done for,” she moaned.

Only Geeta could have done this to her. She wanted to lie here all night.

“So...?” Geeta tilted her head. “Do you like kissing women?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Me too.”

The smile softening Geeta’s face was both ecstatic and affectionate, cheeks lifting with unrestrained glee. And Nicola’s heart swelled huge. This was new and powerful for her. Perhaps for them both. And, oh my god yes, they liked women. That was clear.

Geeta’s expression waned when Nicola didn't say anything. The lightness remained on her lips, but a tiny frown deepened between her eyebrows.

“Do you want to talk about this?” Geeta asked.

“What exactly?”

“How you’re in bed with a woman? With me?”

Nicola paused, not able to speak fluently about it yet. It had been a complex journey in some ways, and so blissfully easy in others.

“How you clearly like kissing women,” Geeta added. “In every single way.”

They laughed.

Nicola’s heart tumbled when Geeta’s eyes shone in shared laughter like that. At the same time, fear skittered through at what was happening to her.

“You don't have to say, but it is unexpected,” Geeta murmured.

When Nicola still didn't answer, Geeta shrugged, as if untroubled by the pause, and carried on.

“For me,” she dropped her hand and gazed at the bed in thought, “it’s something that’s always been a question, I suppose. Or something I didn't dismiss.” She looked up again, her expression soft and mollifying.

“A little of that perhaps,” Nicola managed, succumbing to Geeta’s gaze. “Although I did dismiss it as out of bounds.”

“What changed?”

“I met...someone,” Nicola breathed out.

“A woman.”

“Yes. Changed my perspective. Because I was clearly attracted to her, very strongly in fact.”

“Were you tempted to get involved?”

Geeta asked out of pure curiosity, Nicola could tell. Ironic that she already knew the person.

“No. Nothing like that,” Nicola replied. “It wasn’t on the cards at all. We were both married. And she...” Maybe Geeta hadn’t hated her, because Geeta wasn't simplistic about people, but hated her attitude. “But I was undeniably drawn to her.”

“That must have been difficult,” Geeta said, concerned.

“It knocked me to the ground.” A vestigial chill prickled, remembering. “It was a hard slap around the face and sobering, given the way I treated some people, yes, Charlotte included. And, profoundly moving.”

The chill mellowed into melancholy, then stung with regret.

Had their first encounter become more potent and poignant in retrospect because Geeta lay here with her now? Especially looking at her with kind eyes and understanding, after a sensual experience together that made Nicola come apart?

“How long ago? Did it change you?” Geeta asked.

“A while now.”

Nicola wouldn't say it was her and put Geeta on the spot like that. There was a responsibility and load that came with that, and she didn’t want Geeta to bear it. Not with everything Geeta had going on right now.

Nicola shuffled, uncomfortable at the memories.

“Some things changed straight away,” she said. “I backed off from Charlotte and tried to be more accommodating.”

“And what about you?” Geeta asked, both concern and affection softening her voice. “Did you try to date women?”

“I avoided thinking about it.” Too much to unravel, and in no position to dwell. “Although I went on a date once. I was curious when another barrister, married, said she could be discreet and wondered if I was interested.”

But the other woman wasn't Geeta, and attraction remained absent. It felt worse because of it.

“I feel stupid now, because I used it as a test, to prove to myself whether I was attracted to women. I didn’t even last a polite drink with her. But, of course, I wasn't interested in every woman, and it said nothing.”

Geeta frowned, but nodded.

“What about you?” Nicola prompted, wanting to move on from the subject.

“Me?” Geeta relaxed as she thought, her arm resting along the curving line of her body. “I suppose I found all kinds of people, including women, sexy over the years. But it was never an option so,” she shrugged, “I didn’t look too closely.”

“Real people? Or celebrities?”

Geeta grinned at something that must have sprung to mind. “Do you remember that film version of Much Ado About Nothing ? Must have been mid-nineties? The one where Keanu and Denzel looked to die for.”

Geeta covered her heart, ready to drool.

Nicola laughed. “Yes, I remember. And yes, they did.”

“But...” Geeta paused. “I noticed Emma Thompson did too. Like she glowed. The three of them looked edible, and it surprised me. Then...” She grinned, even more amused. “I watched Pride and Prejudice in the nineties as well. The one where everyone went gaga over Darcy.”

“But not you?”

“No. Hooked on the sparkle in Elizabeth’s eyes.” She smiled in wonder. “You know,” she waved her arm, in the relaxed way Geeta did, always with a sway or an effusive gesture. “I genuinely thought I was in a period-drama phase.”

“But, in fact, you were there for Jennifer Ehle’s bosom?”

Geeta laughed out loud and lay on her back giggling for a few moments. “God, I wonder if anyone saw through me.”

Oh, she liked making Geeta laugh. Not at her. Nothing cynical. No bickering. But beaming more beautiful than ever before. Nicola had laughed with others. But not Geeta, and not like this, so close that she felt her warmth. It made her heart the size of a planet.

Geeta propped herself up again. “Then there’s all the gorgeous women of Bollywood. I always thought it weird, women saying how handsome the men were when Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi were right there.”

Geeta shook her head before carrying on. “Why couldn’t a woman say another looked gorgeous, or men admit they’re handsome? Maybe it was different for me than others.” She peered up at Nicola. “I don’t know where the line is though. Did I obsessively watch tapes of Madhur Jaffery cooking in the eighties because of the food, or was she a role model, or pretty?”

“Or Nigella now?”

“No, I simply have a big fat crush on Nigella.”

Nicola grinned.

“So,” Geeta shrugged, “when Olivia looked interested in women, it seemed natural to me. My friend Jerry used to stay in touch and spotted it too. He said, ‘your daughter is a girl-girl'. So, I talked about gay people, encouraged her reading, and films, took her to watch the pride march. I'm not sure we ever directly discussed it. She started having girlfriends and she was as mortified about me talking to them as any boy.”

They laughed. And they fell quiet.

“Then?” Nicola asked. “What made you start to look?”

Geeta hesitated. “Actually, this is a little embarrassing, but you.” She lifted those deep brown eyes. “I realised I was,” she breathed in, “sexually attracted to you these last few months.”

Nicola had felt it, those sparks scintillating brighter, the more they clashed and rubbed up against each other, in the moments they’d laughed together as well as the times they bickered. Yes, it had clearly been there, now she looked back.

“I’ve been having inappropriate thoughts about you, Nicola Albright.”

That made Nicola grin. “Well, given we’re naked in bed, I think them highly appropriate.”

“Good.” Geeta bit her lip. “Because I like this.” She paused. “And yes, I’ve found people and women attractive before. And I've wondered whether I wasn’t straight. But with you...”

Geeta shuffled closer and pressed a soft fingertip to her chest, naked this time, with Geeta’s breath tickling her breasts.

“...You definitely cross a line. You simply live in the sexy zone. The, I want to,” Geeta took a deep breath, “eat your pussy kind of space.”

Nicola snorted through her nose. Oh god, she might have hysterics. And nothing usually tickled her that much.

“You can’t say pussy!”

“What?” Geeta drew herself up indignant. “Oh, so I can eat your pussy, but not say it.”

She couldn’t stop laughing now.

“Stop it,” Geeta chastised. “You’re looking at me like I’m a wholesome mother again.”

“Are you telling me off?”

And Nicola had to lie back, hand to her stomach. She hadn't laughed like that in years. She almost said, “I love you.” Because this was lovely.

She wiped her eyes and leant up again. “I’ve loved this,” she said more soberly.

“Me too,” Geeta murmured.

And they gazed at each other with warm cheeks and happy eyes.

“Should I...?” Nicola started, not wanting to leave.

“Stay a bit longer.” Geeta reached for her hand and curled round fingers. “I’m happy here. Don't stop yet. I like talking to you.”

“Good.”

“I haven't really talked about this with anyone else.”

“Same.”

“And I enjoy chatting with you, strangely,” Geeta said, looking deep into her eyes. “Actually, not strangely. Because I like talking to you about everything.”

And Geeta gazed at her with the generous expression she gave others, fond of humankind always, but with a delirious mellowness after their sex. A look that could cast a spell over anyone. And Nicola was in freefall.