Page 27 of Promises We Meant to Keep (Love in Massachusetts #1)

twenty-seven

“Elia.” Kamryn broke the kiss. “I’m not sure this is the right time.”

“The timing is never right,” Elia answered. “But I wasn’t lying in your office earlier. I don’t want this to end.”

Kamryn bent her head, pressing their foreheads together. Her mind was spinning with all the possibilities, and her body was telling her only one thing. Comfort would feel so nice right now. Comfort from someone she trusted and who trusted her. They’d shared something tonight, something far deeper than anything else that had come before.

This was their breakthrough.

Kamryn closed her eyes, trying to process each thought individually and make sense of it all.

Elia was under fire right now from the school board.

Kamryn was caught in the middle of it all.

Someone else was hiding what had happened all those years ago, and for what purpose?

Kamryn couldn’t look at this situation objectively. She hadn’t lied about that, but she was so much more tangled up in it than she’d wanted to admit to Yara.

And she trusted Elia’s story.

It made sense.

It lined up with all those news reports that she’d found.

And it lined up with everything the ethics team had conveniently left out of the conversation.

But Kamryn was Elia’s former student. And that alone could tear apart anything they did to build Elia’s career back up.

“Kam…” Elia whispered, sliding out of her grasp slightly. “We don’t have to. It’s fine.” She snagged the mug of tea off the table and started for the kitchen, leaving Kamryn still stunned and standing in the middle of the living room.

This shouldn’t be so damn hard.

Why was love always so complicated?

Kamryn watched as Elia cleaned her cup and set it into the dishwasher, saying nothing as she worked. The sounds were so normalized, so mundane, and yet the entire conversation today had been about something so extreme. What if a little normalcy was all they needed to feel like they could make it through this?

Not on a whim, Kamryn rounded the couch and walked directly up to Elia. She said nothing as she took Elia by the hand and led her directly toward the stairs. Elia followed without resisting. As soon as they reached Elia’s bedroom, Kamryn turned around and set her eyes on Elia.

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow—at least start to,” Kamryn said. “If this is what you want.”

“Yes.” Elia nodded, but she also didn’t move to initiate. “Yes, this is what I want.”

Kamryn reached upward, sliding her fingers along the edge of Elia’s blouse, the V-neck not that low, but revealing small freckles and sunspots along Elia’s chest. Kamryn touched them lightly before dropping her hand to Elia’s hip and pushing her slightly so that she was between the bed and Kamryn.

“Are you sure?” Kamryn asked. With everything that had gone on, she needed to know that they were both okay with doing this, that they were both aware of the potential consequences—perhaps for the first time fully aware of them. “Because I don’t want to do this if you’re not okay with it.”

“Kam…” Elia brushed her fingers across Kamryn’s lips. “You’re the only one I want to be with.”

A buzz filled Kamryn’s body, one that was full of something she wasn’t quite ready to name yet. She had to hope that her feelings for Elia weren’t clouding what she was doing. That she truly was hearing and seeing what had happened all those years ago with a clear and level head. Reaching for the edge of Elia’s shirt, Kamryn slid it over her head and dropped it to the floor.

“You’re so beautiful,” Kamryn murmured, tracing the curve of Elia’s body from her ribs to her waist to her hip with just the faintest of touches from her fingertips. “So strong. I never in a million years thought that this would happen when I took the job here.”

“Me either,” Elia answered.

Reaching behind Elia, Kamryn pinched the clasp of her bra and let it drop to the ground along with her shirt. Elia’s small nipples were already puckered and hard. Kamryn brushed them with the backs of her knuckles before leaving them alone. Everything she did, she did slowly, with reverence. She was going to hold every moment they had together tonight carefully.

“I didn’t want to let you leave this afternoon.” Kamryn pressed her cheek against Elia’s, speaking quietly into her ear before dropping kisses along her jawline. Elia’s skin was so warm and soft, beckoning Kamryn’s every touch and taste. “I wanted to keep you there, talk everything out with you. But you have a damn bad habit of walking away instead of sticking around sometimes.”

“Yeah, I do.” Elia’s voice was so breathy.

Kamryn scraped her teeth along the thick cord of muscle down Elia’s neck. She didn’t bite or make it hurt. With her tongue, she followed the line of Elia’s collarbone to her shoulder, placing a gentle nip there. Elia gasped, and she plunged her fingers into Kamryn’s hair, tugging on the strands and scraping her nails along Kamryn’s scalp.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that with me.” Kamryn pressed a kiss to the center of Elia’s chest. “I want you to stay and talk to me, not be afraid of my reaction.”

Elia let out a small noise in the back of her throat. She tilted her head back as she guided Kamryn’s mouth down her chest to her breast.

“I don’t want to half the time,” Elia admitted. “But old habits are hard to change, no matter how hard I try.” Pulling Kamryn upward, Elia melded their mouths together, taking control of the kiss.

Kamryn melted into her, holding on tightly to Elia’s back as she kept their bodies locked together. She skimmed her fingers down Elia’s back, across her hips, onto her ass, and she tugged Elia into her harder, increasing the energy of the moment into something they were far more used to.

“Don’t shut me out,” Kamryn begged, finding the zipper on the back of Elia’s skirt and pulling it down. “I don’t want you to shut me out.”

Elia pulled Kamryn back in, their tongues tangling as Elia took control of the kiss. Kamryn continued to slowly undress Elia, making all her clothes disappear to somewhere she didn’t care about. Kamryn was just about to push Elia back onto the bed when Elia’s fingers tugged at the fabric of her dress.

“Take it off,” Kamryn said. “I want to feel you against me.”

Elia pulled her hands upward, taking more and more fabric with her until she reached the edge. She didn’t wait as she pushed the dress up and over Kamryn’s head. Kamryn’s breath caught when she saw Elia’s gaze cascade down her body, from her lips to her chest to her hips and to right between her legs.

She’d always been a little self-conscious of her body, especially in the last ten years when she’d gained more weight than she thought she would during one of her breakups with Lauren. They’d never gotten back to sex like it had been before, and something in the back of Kamryn’s mind always told her it was because of that.

But something about the way Elia looked at her—hungrily—had made those thoughts vanish in an instant every time, and tonight was no different. Elia reached up, palming Kamryn’s breast and massaging before she followed the fabric of her bra to her back and pulled the material away from Kamryn’s body.

“Against me,” Elia murmured, as if in a trance.

That’s what Kamryn felt like anyway. Completely focused on Elia, her body, pleasure that they would create for each other, and nothing else. All the worries and fears vanished into the ether where they couldn’t be seen or heard anymore. And that was exactly where Kamryn wanted them to stay for now.

Kamryn stepped in closer, sliding one knee between Elia’s legs and pulling her in closer. She pressed their mouths together before stepping back. This wasn’t how she wanted this. Not yet anyway.

“Get on the bed.” Kamryn stepped away and bent down, using the edge of the mattress to hold herself up as she slid her finger into her heels and tugged them off. Unlike Elia, she hadn’t taken her shoes off as soon as she’d entered the house. While Elia sat on the bed and then moved into the center of it, Kamryn pulled off her underwear and then put her hands on her hips, looking Elia over.

This was how she wanted it. Face to face—intimate—raw. Climbing onto the bed, Kamryn knelt over Elia on all fours. She bent down, connecting their lips in yet another kiss before she dropped her weight down into the cradle of Elia’s body.

“Touch me,” Kamryn said. “Same way I’m touching you.”

Moving just enough to get her hand between them, Kamryn slid her fingers firmly across Elia’s chest again. Her nipples were still hard, and she palmed Elia’s breast tightly. Elia gasped, but she finally lifted her hand to touch Kamryn in the exact same way, mirroring Kamryn’s touches.

Kamryn held herself up with one hand as she fluttered her fingers down Elia’s side to her hip, across the front of her abdomen and then back again. Elia’s hand wasn’t much behind hers as they moved. Kamryn smiled down at Elia, settling into the pacing and the touching.

“I’m here for you, you know that, right?” Kamryn kissed Elia’s cheek, closing her eyes and listening to the change in Elia’s breathing. “Don’t shut me out.”

Elia put her hand behind Kamryn’s head and pulled her down, kissing her feverishly. She said nothing in response, but Kamryn hoped that with that kind of reaction, Elia had at least heard and felt the sentiment that Kamryn was trying to give her.

“Are you ready?” Kamryn asked.

Elia nodded.

Moving her hand farther down, Kamryn pressed her fingers between Elia’s legs. Elia did the same to her. Together they touched each other, first running two fingers across their swollen lips, then inside. Kamryn dipped her fingers into Elia’s juices, always amazed that Elia would have this reaction to her. That someone this amazing would be interested in her.

“Don’t stop touching me,” Kamryn whispered into Elia’s ear. “No matter what.”

Elia nodded, biting her lip as she mimicked Kamryn’s touches. Kamryn’s fingers slid up to Elia’s clit. Elia’s cheeks tightened for a brief moment before they relaxed.

“Sensitive tonight?” Kamryn asked.

“Yesssss,” Elia hissed back. That was probably a good thing. Kamryn was going to use it to her advantage at least. Especially because she wasn’t as obviously sensitive as Elia was. “Yes,” Elia said again, this time the word floating off into the air between them.

“Elia…” Kamryn breathed her name, wanting it to become the only thing she said tonight. Her name felt so good rolling off her tongue, the natural tone to it, the rhythm of the word as her tongue rolled on the ‘l’. “Elia,” she said again.

“Kam,” Elia responded.

Kamryn couldn’t stop the grin that lit up her face. They were absolutely lost in one another. Sliding two fingers inside Elia, Kamryn held her close. Seconds later, Elia mimicked Kamryn’s touch. This was going to go perfectly—it had to. Kamryn bent her fingers, pulsing gently against Elia.

The groan Kamryn received in response was exactly what she’d been looking for. And when Elia got her brain together enough to do it on Kamryn, she didn’t disappoint. Dropping her head onto Elia’s shoulder, Kamryn used what was left of her concentration to keep herself somewhat upright and in the right position for this to happen.

She pumped her fingers—once, twice, three times. Kamryn pressed a kiss into Elia’s shoulder before parting her lips and sucking at the skin at the base of Elia’s neck, swirling her tongue in response. Elia lifted her hips up, straining to keep her body still.

“Let go if you’re ready,” Kamryn said against Elia’s skin before she went back to sucking and teasing.

“So close, Kam.”

“Then hold on a little longer.” Kamryn wasn’t anywhere near ready, but having Elia’s hand between her legs still felt amazing. She focused her energy on what she was doing, on the way that Elia was struggling to follow the rhythm now, on the fact that Elia’s body was twitching and jerking and moving out of her control.

“Kam!”

“I’ve got you,” Kamryn said, holding tightly to Elia. She kept the movement going, even as Elia pulsed around her, as her breathing increased and then slowed, as her body tightened and then relaxed. Kamryn stayed right where she was, making sure that they were together through every part of this from beginning to end.

“Turn over,” Elia said, her senses coming back to her.

Kamryn did as she was told, moving to lie on her back with her knees spread. Elia slid down her body, kissing her way in an aimless direction from Kamryn’s mouth, across her breasts, and over her stomach. Her hair tickled as it followed the path of Elia’s kisses. Smiling to herself, Kamryn brushed Elia’s hair to the side so she could see her face and the intense look that Elia gave her in response.

“What are you going to do next?” Kamryn asked, a tease in her tone that she hadn’t known she was capable of that night, but she was glad to hear it. She was far more at ease now than she had been earlier. This had been exactly what they both needed. Time where it was just the two of them and no one else to ruin it for them.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Elia moved to the side, scraping her teeth along the top of Kamryn’s hip and toward her belly button.

Kamryn cried out, her hips jerking instantly from the touch. She hadn’t expected that move, not at all. She curled her fingers into the sheets, gripping onto them to hold herself right where she needed to be so that Elia could do anything she wanted.

“Did you like that?” Elia asked, looking directly up into Kamryn’s gaze.

“Yes. A lot.”

Elia just smiled in response before she did it again on the other side. “Can’t go without equal treatment, can we?”

“No.” Kamryn wasn’t sure what she’d signed herself up for yet, but she was pretty sure it was going to involve a slow rise toward an orgasm that she wasn’t going to be prepared to be hit by.

Elia licked a circle around Kamryn’s belly button before moving her way back up Kamryn’s body. She took Kamryn’s left nipple into her mouth, sucking and using the flat of her tongue to pulse against her. Kamryn tightened her grip on the sheets, arching her back up. She really hadn’t prepared herself properly for this. She should have, but she hadn’t. Everything with Elia always seemed to happen so unexpectedly fast and slow at the same time.

Kamryn grunted when Elia flicked her nipple with the tip of her tongue. Elia moved one hand back down between Kamryn’s legs and put her fingers right back where they were before. Kamryn’s knees parted a little more to give Elia better access.

She raised a hand over her head, gripping onto the edge of the pillow that her head rested on. She was going to hold still. She was going to let Elia do whatever she wanted tonight. And she was going to absolutely enjoy every single moment of it.

Elia pulsed her fingers against Kamryn. Then she flipped from Kamryn’s left breast to her right, giving it exactly the same treatment as the other one. Kamryn should have guessed that would happen based on Elia’s earlier comment, but she hadn’t figured it out soon enough. It caught her off guard and she cried out as pleasure hit her quickly.

“Fuck, Elia.”

Elia hummed against her, but if she was trying to say something, it was lost on Kamryn. She felt a surge of wetness between her legs, and the prickles of her orgasm begin to work their way throughout her body. Kamryn focused on Elia’s fingers. She listened to her body tell her everything about the way Elia touched her.

“Keep going,” Kamryn moaned around the words. “I’m getting there.”

Elia moved back down Kamryn’s body, pressing kisses against her stomach, against the top of her mound, and then against her clit. Kamryn’s hips reared upward as she hissed. Elia flicked her tongue out just like she’d done to Kamryn’s nipples. Then she covered Kamryn’s clit with her mouth and sucked in that same way.

Kamryn did everything in her power to keep herself still and in place. She wanted to feel everything and more. She was so lost in the sensations that she wasn’t sure if she was speaking, moaning, or just writhing under Elia’s touch.

Taking one last breath, Kamryn held it tightly as she crashed through her orgasm. Her body rocked. Her heart raced, threatening to pound its way out of her chest. Her cheeks and chest were so hot that she worried she’d succumb to heatstroke if she didn’t catch a breath of cold, fresh air. Elia stayed right between her legs, easing her through the orgasm, one lick at a time.

Finally, Kamryn pushed Elia away from her and shook her head. “Enough for now.”

Elia said nothing as she moved back up Kamryn’s body with sweet kisses that weren’t meant to incite. Kamryn waited until Elia was close enough and then captured her in a kiss and a hug, the cool damp on Elia’s lips and cheeks a reminder of what they’d just done. Kamryn sank into it.

This was pure. This was just for them.

She pulled Elia into her embrace, spooning her from behind and using her feet to pull the blanket up and over their bodies as they cooled. Kamryn had no idea what to say now, so she just held Elia close to her. She soothed the goose bumped skin when it became too cool for them, and she kissed the back of Elia’s neck and shoulder as Elia fell into a slumber.

Kamryn stayed where she was, awake long after Elia had finally fallen asleep. Her mind already spinning with what tomorrow was going to bring.

If only their little oasis could last a little longer.

Then maybe they wouldn’t have to hurt each other.