Delayed Gratification: The Honeymoon Page 8

  It worked. Willa came off the bed suddenly, feet planted apart on the mattress, toes curled, and rode Rae’s tongue to a wet, thundering orgasm that seemed to last forever. Rae kept up the oral assault until Willa finally croaked, “Dick Cheney!”

  Beaming, Rae pulled away. “That’s how I know I’ve done my job well.” Then, per her earlier instructions, she pulled Willa open with her fingers and meticulously lapped up all the wetness she could find, only stopping when it became clear that to continue would only make things worse.

  Willa tugged weakly on her arm. “Come here and cuddle with me.”

  Rae sighed facetiously. “Always with the wanting to cuddle afterward.”

  “Shut up, my cute little snuggle puppy.” Willa yawned, her energy visibly flagging for the first time that day. “I may need a nap after that one.”

  Rae curled up within the slim arms that welcomed her home. “So I finally wore you out?” She kissed Willa’s collarbone. “Consider it an act of self-preservation. I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk straight tomorrow.”

  “That’s how I know I’ve done my job well.” Willa patted Rae’s chest, over her heart. “Ten years together and we still have sex like that?” She let out a low whistle. “Not bad for an old married couple.”

  “Bring on the next ten,” Rae mumbled sleepily. “Even if it kills me.”

  Willa hugged her tight. “I’ll be gentle,” she promised throatily.

  Rae groaned when her pussy, in defiance of the rest of her body, attempted to stir reluctantly to life. “Later,” she promised. “Or maybe…tomorrow.”

  Chuckling, Willa cradled Rae close to her chest and rocked her gently to sleep. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Seven

  Early the next morning, Willa roused from a deep, dreamless sleep, somehow wholly refreshed despite her aching muscles, dry mouth, and sore pussy. She sat up in bed beside Rae, gazing out the window at the clear blue sky—which, for the first time since they’d arrived, had stopped spewing fresh snow flurries. Crawling out from beneath the comforter without waking Rae, she visited the bathroom to freshen up, then checked outside their bedroom door to find a tray of food bearing a handwritten note.

  The storm has passed! Flights resume tonight out of Detroit and Chicago, according to the local news. You’re welcome to stay another night, if you’d like, but here’s hoping you’ll be Venice-bound very soon!

  Willa finished reading with a frown. Why didn’t that seem like better news? This was what she’d wanted. Right? To resume the honeymoon they’d originally planned? So why did she feel a little disappointed?

  Again.

  Sighing, Willa took the tray into their room and set it on the cafe table by the window. As she did, she spotted Paul and Lynn skating arm in arm around the small frozen lake located not far beyond their curtained window. Even from this distance, she could see the twin smiles on their faces and the joy they took in each other’s company. They were a wonderful inspiration, she decided, truly the perfect hosts for their unexpectedly special detour. She smiled as she watched them glide across the ice, absentmindedly popping a blackberry into her mouth while she stared out the window.

  “Planning to share those?”

  Willa startled at Rae’s sleep-roughened rasp. Sheepish, she turned and smiled at her, then at her adorably tousled hair. “That was my first one.”

  “Uh-huh.” Rae stretched her arms above her head and groaned. “Don’t panic, but I may have been hit by a truck last night.”

  Willa laughed and crossed the room to stand by the bed. “Poor thing.” She offered her hand. “Breakfast?”

  “Definitely.” Rae whimpered as she pulled herself to her feet. “Also, my clit may be broken.”

  Willa poked out her lower lip. “I could kiss it better…”

  Wincing, Rae covered her crotch with her hand. She pulled on her panties and T-shirt before taking a seat at the table. “Maybe later.”

  “Really?”

  “I am hoping to rally.” Rae helped herself to a bowl of fruit, yogurt, and granola, and a plate of potatoes and eggs. “’Cause it kills me to turn you down, like, ever.”

  Willa ate a blueberry waffle with her hands, sans syrup. Remembering the note from Paul and Lynn, she said, casually, “Apparently flights are set to resume out of Chicago and Detroit later today, so…” She paused. “At some point, I should probably call the airline and try to get us a couple seats on one.”

  “Probably?” Rae blinked. “Definitely, Will. It’s time to get this show on the road.”

  Willa’s frown deepened as she grazed the rest of the offerings. “I thought we both agreed that this has turned out to be a wonderful trip so far.”

  “It has,” Rae said, softening. “The best. But that doesn’t mean we should abandon our plans altogether. We can’t let all your hard work go to waste, right?”

  Willa shrugged, newly zen about her formerly all-important itinerary. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “The money we’ve invested does,” Rae reminded her. “And, Will…you want to see Italy and Switzerland. I know you do.” She hesitated. “So do I, honestly.”

  Willa nodded, trying to understand the reason behind her sudden reluctance to leave. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Rae furrowed her brow. “Is something the matter?”

  Willa shook her head. “I just…love how close I feel to you right now. I’m afraid that when we leave our little bubble…Travel doesn’t exactly bring out my best self. To say the least.”

  “Hey.” Rae laid her hand over Willa’s. “We spent all day yesterday de-stressing. I fucked you mellow.” She winked. “I’m positive we can make it to Venice without fighting, and once we do, I’ll make sure to go ahead and fuck you again.”

  “To keep me calm?” Willa stuck out her tongue. “You’re so selfless. So brave.”

  Rae nodded sagely. “Yes, I am, but no…I’ll do it because I want to.” Her gaze drifted out the window, and she grinned. “Are they ice-skating?”

  “Yes. Aren’t they adorable?”

  “Completely.” Rae stood and walked to the balcony, pushing the curtain aside to get a better view. “I hope we grow up to be just like them.”

  “Minus the eight kids.”

  Rae snorted and opened her mouth to reply, then squinted and unlocked the sliding door so she could tug it open. Once she did, Willa heard the distant sound of Lynn’s cheery shout. “Good morning, girls! We have extra skates if you want to join us. That is, if you can tear yourselves apart from each other long enough.”

  Willa approached the balcony in time to see Paul elbow Lynn gently, a good-natured admonishment for her teasing. Rae shouted back, “I’ll ask Willa. We may!”

  Willa answered Rae’s questioning gaze with a subtle grimace. “I’ve never been ice-skating before. You know that.”

  Rae’s mouth dropped open. She did know that, Willa was sure, but clearly she’d forgotten. “What? How does that even happen?”

  Willa rolled her eyes. “I grew up in the desert. Ice-skating wasn’t really a thing.”

  “Then we should go. I’ll teach you.” Rae grabbed Willa’s hand excitedly, mouth twisted into a wicked little grin. “Just like last night.”

  Willa’s cheeks heated at the reminder. She really didn’t want to spend the rest of their trip in the airport or sightseeing. She wanted to play with Rae like that again. As soon and as much as possible. “Rae, about Venice…”

  If Rae was disappointed by the change in subject, she hid it well. “You know what? You’re right. We should get our new flight sorted out before we do anything else.” She moved to retrieve Willa’s phone from her nightstand, but Willa caught her by the wrist, preventing her from dialing.

  “I do want to see Venice. Badly. But we’ve basically missed Carnevale already, and I’m having such a wonderful time here with you. We haven’t even used that Jacuzzi tub yet.” Willa took a deep breath, then admitted, “You were right. I should’ve kept ou
r honeymoon simple and saved the ambitious itinerary for another time.”

  Rae turned as if unable to believe what she was hearing. “Look…sweetheart…” She sighed. “We really can’t waste all that money.”

  “Our airfare has already been refunded. The hotels…well, Venice is a loss, but I can probably still cancel most of the others without any penalty. I made sure to book everything that way, to be safe.” Granted, Willa had imagined that only death or disaster could’ve kept them from their European honeymoon, but she was grateful for her foresight, all the same. “We can always do this trip next year, for our anniversary.”

  “But…two weeks in rural Michigan? In the middle of winter?” Rae seemed dubious. “I’m not sure your enthusiasm about the idea will last.”

  “Fair point.” Willa considered for a moment, still incredulous to be suddenly eager to postpone the vacation she’d dreamt about for months. However, none of her fantasies about Europe had ever made her feel even half as good as she did now, with nothing to do but her beloved Rae. “We could shorten our trip by a few days, which would allow us to bank the time for next year’s attempt. I’m sure our employers wouldn’t mind.”

  Rae chewed on her lower lip, apparently still reluctant to agree. “I don’t want you to regret not going this year,” she finally said, in a quiet voice. “And I don’t want you to resent me for allowing you to give up your dream honeymoon.”

  “This is my dream honeymoon,” Willa said, matching Rae’s serious tone. She gestured between their nearly touching chests. “You and me, spending time together. No stress, no expectations, no responsibilities.” Smiling, she stepped into the circle of Rae’s arms and rested her forehead against Rae’s. “I don’t need—or even want—anything else right now. Honestly.” She waited a beat, then added, “Believe me, this shocks the hell out of me, too.”

  Rae shook with laughter. “Yeah, it’s very…unexpected, to say the least.”

  “I’ve seen the light?” Willa kissed the spot where Rae’s neck and shoulder met.

  Rae drew back with a crooked grin. “Is that what you’re calling my pussy these days?”

  Running her hands along Rae’s supple curves, Willa nodded suggestively toward the bed. “Why don’t you let me kiss you better now?”

  Rae ducked out of her arms and stepped away, toward the door. “First, I’m teaching you to skate. Then, we ask if we can bum a ride to the grocery store and/or pharmacy to pick up supplies. You know, toothpaste, razors, new panties.” She edged over to her only outfit, which she hadn’t worn in nearly a day, without turning her back to Willa. “Later, after dinner, you can teach me something new.” She tugged her T-shirt over her head gingerly and buttoned her jeans under Willa’s watchful gaze. “I’ll leave it to you to decide.”

  Willa’s mind promptly went wild. If they could pick up a bottle of lube at the store… “How am I supposed to concentrate on skating now?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be right there next to you.” Rae took Willa her clothes and helped her dress. “Propping your dead weight up.”

  Willa elbowed Rae much the way she’d seen Paul do to Lynn. “Meanie.”

  “But you love me.”

  “I really, really do.” Willa stopped and looked at Rae. Really looked at her. She had a few strands of gray hair woven in among the brunette and subtle lines that appeared around her eyes when she smiled, as she was doing now, but otherwise, she was the same girl Willa had fallen in love with a decade ago. Older, wiser, a little sharper around the edges, but more beautiful as each day passed, her perfect match in all the ways that mattered. “So much it scares me sometimes.”

  Eyes glittering, Rae took Willa by the hand and led her out of their love nest for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours. “Don’t be scared. I’ve got you.”

  They walked downstairs, where they found two warm winter coats—and two pairs of insulated boots and gloves—waiting for them along with another note.

  Feel free to borrow these if you want to venture outside today. Ice skates are near the back door. Grab a couple pairs and join us on the lake if you’d like.

  Willa showed Rae the note and they shared a smile. Then they bundled up in silence, grabbed their skates, and trudged out into the frozen morning air to meet their hosts.

  Paul greeted them with an exuberant wave. “Look who’s here!”

  Willa smiled shyly as Rae led her to a wooden bench that had been placed at the edge of the frozen lake. She and Paul hadn’t yet been formally introduced, so she offered a shy wave. “Hello, Paul. I’m Willa.” She sat at Rae’s urging, smiling at the older couple while Rae knelt and pulled off her borrowed boots, then guided her feet into intimidatingly foreign skates. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

  “It’s our pleasure, dear.” Paul let go of Lynn’s hand to execute a surprisingly deft twirl, then caught Lynn’s fingers to help her do the same. “Our little inn has never been this dead before. If you two hadn’t shown up, we’d have had nothing to do but tell each other the same old stories while we waited out the storm.”

  Willa blushed, perfectly aware that they hadn’t taken any time to interact with Paul and Lynn outside of a little impromptu marriage counseling following their rocky first morning. “Our apologies for being so reclusive yesterday.”

  Lynn grinned toothily. “You were busy making up. We understood.”

  “Lynn…” Paul chided his wife good-naturedly when Willa struggled to formulate a response. “Don’t embarrass the poor kids too badly, or they won’t venture out of their room again until they’re ready to leave for the airport.”

  “About that,” Willa said. “I was wondering, is our room available for the next week? Maybe…eight more nights?”

  Paul and Lynn exchanged a surprised look. “It is,” Lynn said, tentatively. “But don’t you have a honeymoon to get off to?”

  Rae stood after tying Willa’s skates, then took the seat next to hers. She started to work on her own laces. “As it turns out, our honeymoon started yesterday, and neither of us is all that eager to end it just yet.”

  Lynn clapped in excitement. “Oh, that’s so wonderful!”

  “We’ll pay for the rest of the week, of course.” When Paul opened his mouth, eyes twinkling, Willa hurriedly added, “We insist.”

  Paul relaxed into an amiable smile. “That sounds fine. Luckily, you’re here during the off-season, so the room is heavily discounted.”

  Rae lifted her gaze while continuing to lace her second skate. “We appreciate the stroke of good timing. Thank you.”

  “And if you happen to be making a trip to a general store pretty soon…” Willa suddenly worried that she might be asking a lot. “We’d love to pick up a few changes of clothing and some supplies.”

  Lynn did a silly little twirl of her own, while Paul looked on with an admiring gaze. “We’ll go this evening. I could use a few things from the store, myself.”

  “Perfect.” Fully laced, Rae stood up and balanced on the thin blades as though it was the easiest thing in the world. “And now to teach my wife how to skate.”

  Lynn and Paul both looked suitably flummoxed. “You’ve never been ice-skating before?”

  Allowing Rae to pull her onto unsteady feet, Willa shook her head as she struggled to find her center of gravity. “We didn’t really do that where I grew up.”

  “Poor thing.” Lynn watched sympathetically as Willa skittered around like a baby deer, feet sliding this way and that. “One of the first lessons we taught our kids was the proper way to fall so they didn’t hurt themselves.”

  Willa clung to Rae, unable to imagine letting go. “I’ll probably need that lesson, too.”

  Rae steered Willa onto the ice while Paul explained how to bend her knees, land as delicately as possible, then recover her footing by pushing herself up with both hands. Willa listened carefully, certain that she’d soon wind up flat on her ass, no doubt the second Rae let go. As soon as she thought it, Rae did exactly that. Leaving Willa w
ith her arms outstretched, Rae skated away and promptly demonstrated a perfectly executed fall.

  “See?” Rae pushed herself up onto one knee, hands planted on the ice. “Just like that.”

  Alarm swept through Willa at the realization that she was on her own. Her steadfast source of comfort and stability stood just beyond her reach, still clambering to her feet, which left Willa—who’d been reared in the hottest, flattest part of rural Oklahoma—with nothing to cling to. Her left foot slipped forward, then her right buckled outward, in a different direction, and she flailed her arms as she lost control of her legs altogether. Every nuance of how to perform a controlled fall immediately vanished from her memory, forcing her to windmill her arms to stay upright, clumsily and with no small amount of cursing.

  Rae skated over and caught her just as she fell. “Whoa!” She nearly toppled over herself but managed to keep them both on their feet. “I’ve got you.”

  Willa threw her arms around Rae’s neck while she regained her footing. “I wasn’t ready yet!”

  “Can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?” Rae teased her quietly, and tightened her embrace. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve warned you. I was excited to show you how to fall.”

  Willa breathed against a spot below Rae’s ear, into the curtain of her hair, enjoying the warmth on her frigid nose. “How the heck do you balance on these things?”

  “It just takes a little practice.” Rae slid backward, carefully, while holding on to Willa’s hands. She stopped after she’d put some distance between their bodies, so their linked fingers were all that connected them. Rae grinned at her, cheeks and nose pink from the cold, eyes shining, and despite her lingering anxiety, Willa couldn’t help but grin back. “See? You’re getting it.”