Page 29 of Learning Curves

So Michelle wet her fingers and pressed them against the top of the clay.

It had looked so sexual when Audrey demonstrated earlier, but beneath Michelle’s fingertips, this didn’t feel anything like touching a woman.

The clay was cold, for one thing, which actually felt quite nice against her overheated skin.

Beneath her fingers, a hole began to form at the center of the clay.

And just as quickly, Michelle’s fingers went right through the side, ruining it. “Dammit,” she murmured.

“No worries. It happens to everyone. Just start again with a fresh wedge of clay. I’ll get the air pockets out of this one and reuse it later.

” Audrey removed Michelle’s ruined clay from the wheel head and slapped a fresh piece down.

“Now try again. Every time you bring it to the center, you’ll get more familiar with the process. ”

Michelle did as Audrey said, centering the clay until she’d created another smooth cake-shaped mound on the wheel. Then she pressed her fingers against the top, beginning to hollow it out.

“Nice and gentle,” Audrey said quietly.

Michelle’s fingers sank deeper into the clay.

It felt so satisfying. The clay slipped past her fingertips, silky soft as ever.

Michelle leaned closer, and in the process, her foot pressed too hard against the pedal.

The wheel whirled so fast she lost control and punched her fingers through the side of the clay again.

Audrey laughed. “Don’t worry about it.”

But Michelle was worried. She withdrew her hands from the clay.

Kelly had often criticized the way she used her hands during sex, complaining that Michelle wasn’t able to satisfy her.

Maybe she wasn’t good with her hands here either.

“I should leave this to you before I mess up any more of your clay.”

“No. Hey.” One of Audrey’s hands landed on Michelle’s shoulder, and she could feel the warmth of Audrey’s body behind her now. “Don’t end your first session on a sour note. You can just recenter it and play for a bit if you want, but don’t end here.”

Michelle exhaled. “Fine.”

Audrey gave her another fresh wedge of clay, and Michelle repeated the process to center it.

This time, when she began to open it, she kept her touch featherlight.

A hollow formed beneath her fingers, but within seconds, she saw it starting to become lopsided.

Michelle registered warmth against her back a moment before Audrey’s arms came around her.

Her hands covered Michelle’s as she began to guide her.

Michelle inhaled, leaning back involuntarily so that Audrey’s breasts pressed against her shoulder blades. Audrey’s hands cradled Michelle’s, adjusting the angle of her fingers, and she watched in wonder as the clay lifted higher and began to push outward, forming the rough shape of a bowl.

Audrey’s fingers were so warm. It was a heady contrast to the cool slide of the clay. She watched mesmerized as the bowl solidified. Audrey removed one hand to dip her fingertips in the water before returning them to rest against Michelle’s.

Audrey’s wet fingertips glistened where they touched Michelle’s, and Michelle’s breathing picked up speed along with the wheel, indicating that her foot had pressed down involuntarily again.

“Easy does it,” Audrey said, her voice low and soft, right against Michelle’s ear.

Her whole body shuddered, and her skin flushed warm. Her knees were parted to accommodate the wheel, and suddenly that felt sexual too. Michelle felt a hundred times more drunk now than she had a few minutes ago, completely intoxicated by Audrey’s closeness.

“Like this,” Audrey murmured, her fingers skimming over Michelle’s, making her ache.

She watched in a daze as the clay molded beneath their combined touch. It looked like a bowl, but Michelle hardly noticed, because Audrey’s fingers, slick with wet clay, were stroking hers, and there was no platonic explanation for her actions.

Was there?

Michelle could hardly breathe. Every sensation in her body had been distilled to her hands, nerve endings misfiring all over the place as Audrey caressed her fingers.

For several long moments, neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved, except for the way Audrey’s fingers stroked hers.

Michelle felt like she might pass out. She sucked in a rough breath, hearing it hitch in her throat in an embarrassingly needy way.

In response, Audrey dropped her head, her breath warm against Michelle’s neck.

“Audrey,” she gasped, and it came out low and pleading.

Audrey’s fingers moved, sliding up Michelle’s wrists to her forearms. She watched, mesmerized, as Audrey’s clay-covered fingers swirled over Michelle’s skin. Hearts. She was drawing hearts on Michelle’s skin, hearts painted in clay.

Michelle’s lungs had lost their rhythm. Her breaths came out loud and raspy. Audrey’s fingers continued to doodle hearts on her arms, and every touch intensified the ache in Michelle’s core. She could hardly think through the haze of lust that had overtaken her senses. Was this really happening?

She lifted her hands from the bowl and pushed backward, colliding with Audrey.

In the next breath, they were on their feet, Michelle’s slippery hands gliding up Audrey’s arms as their lips crashed together.

Oh. God. Oh god. She gasped, eyes slamming shut as Audrey’s lips moved against hers.

She was saying something, but Michelle couldn’t hear over the frantic whoosh of her pulse in her ears.

Audrey’s hands were on Michelle’s face, in her hair, sliding down her back to grip her ass as she hauled Michelle up against her. Their hips bumped, and Michelle arched into the contact. She was on fire in a way she hadn’t been in years, too many years ...

She’d almost forgotten how it felt to want someone so desperately. Now her body was nothing but want. Desire was a primal force inside her as she clung to Audrey, kissing her like her life depended on it. Audrey nipped at her bottom lip, and Michelle’s knees nearly buckled.

She’d completely lost control, and for once in her life, she didn’t care.