Page 6 of The Sirin Sisterhood (The Sons of Echidna #2)
Lucy didn’t take offense. She couldn’t smell anything past herself; blood and smoke overpowered even freshly brewed coffee and whatever air freshener was wafting through the apartment.
She headed into Xim’s room, taking off her shirt and tossing it into the hamper, when something caught her eye.
Along one of the walls was a web of red strings, photos, and a map.
She stepped closer to examine the arrangement, letting out a small gasp when she realized what it was.
Xim had left no stone unturned. Accounts from the taxi driver who dropped Lucy off that day, the local Realtor who swore they knew every house in that area, and a stack of newspapers, the one that had the ad in it.
A grainy black-and-white photo of Klein in the office of the newspaper business surprised her and made her a little bit sad.
She didn’t have any pictures of him. She was almost tempted to take it.
Xim must have worked nonstop to find this information. Lucy took a deep breath and stepped into the hallway, watching Xim froma distance. Her friend had lost some weight. The bags under her eyes andhow she leanedagainst the counter reminded Lucy of Atlas, holding the world on his shoulders.
“Hey,” Lucy called softly, walking up to her, wrapping an arm around the other girl’s waist, and reaching over to turn off the coffee machine. “That can wait for a second.”
Xim took a deep breath, lingeringfor a moment, her body losing its tension in Lucy’s embrace. Lucy had been terrified she’d never get to experience that warmth again. Xim was always the one to offer a comforting hug when Lucy needed it. This time, it was her turn to soothe her best friend.
“You should know better than to get between me and the coffee, but just this once. I think I can forgive you,” Xim whispered.
“Come join me. I get the feeling you haven’t had much time for yourself since I disappeared,” Lucy offered, looking up at Xim’s eyes. “When we get out, I’ll make you a drink, and then we can watch true crime until we fall asleep to the soothing sound of murder.”
Xim snorted. “Having you go missing really put a damper on my true crime obsession. Not the same when you have to go through it.”
“You’llbe back to your old self in no time. I’m here now. No way I’m leaving you again.” Lucy tugged the other woman towards the shower. “I do admit. I have been having trouble sleeping without my podcasts.”
“I’ll make sure you sleep like a rock,” Xim grinned, taking off her jacket and flinging it into the corner of the room.
Lucy laughed nervously. “I’m in danger, huh?”
“Hmmm, it depends. Are you planning on running?” Xim teased, closing and locking the bathroom door.
“Maybe. Might make things more interesting.”
“Babe, you get out of breath walking upstairs.” Xim laughed, turning on the water in the spacious walk-in shower. “You can’t run from me.”
“Maybe that’s the point, I know I’ll be caught.
” She grinned and peeled the leather pants off of her ass.
She was grateful to them; theydid their job of protectingher from most scrapes and cuts, but it was time to ditch the armor for somethingmore normal.
Perhaps adventures were only fun in books.
Lucy wasn’t keen on living through anything like that again in a hurry.
“Nice pants, by the way. Didn’t take you for a leather girl.” Xim removed her clothes and jumped under the warm rain shower, beckoning Lucy to join her.
She wasn’t made to wait. Lucy quickly took off the rest of her clothes and stepped under the stream, the hot water burning her aching muscles, washing away the remnants of the day, a day Lucy would sooner forget. “I wanted to be taken more seriously. They helped.”
“Oh, I bet.” Xim pulled Lucy close, kissing her. Not the gentle kiss of a reluctant lover, continuing the demanding, hungry kiss from the elevator. Xim was re-marking her territory.
Lucy kissed back, trying to convey how much she missed the other woman, but it wasn’t enough, not nearly enough, and the kiss shifted from lips to tongues and breathless moans of longing.
Xim followed Lucy’s lead, breaking the embrace and ignoring Lucy’s whine of protest as she pushed her against the warm tiled wall and knelt before her, elegant hands tracing soft thighs.
Lucy sucked in an excited breath and placed her hands on Xim’s shoulders.
“Missed me?” Xim parted Lucy’s legs and shifted forward between them, pressing a languid kiss to her sensitive clit, flicking it lazily with her tongue.
“Yes,” Lucy hissed, unashamed of how wet she was already.
Xim held Lucy’s hips with both hands, kissing upwards, just teasing at first. “Your knees are shaking. Need to sit down?” She smirked, laying on the shower floor as an invitation. “I’ve saved you the best seat in the house.”
Lucy grinned at the cheesy flirting and knelt down to where Xim was waiting, lowering herself over the woman’s eager mouth. Xim moaned, sucking hungrily, her tongue exploring every inch. She grabbed Lucy’s hips, forcing her closer for a deeper taste.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” Lucy panted, one hand on the wall of the shower, the other teasing her own bare breast, plucking at a nipple as it hardened.
Xim was far too invested to reply, lost in hercarnalsearch for pleasure. The warmth, the taste, the little moans drove her wild, and Lucy rewarded her richly as her friend focused all of her efforts on her clit.
It didn’t take Lucy long to cum. She caught herself as she fell forward and rolled to the side, gasping desperately for breath, swearing and shivering under the steady heat of the shower.
“Aww, you are cute when you tremble.” Xim laughed lazily, playing with herself.
“Shut up and let me take care of you.”