A slow exhale breezed over her skin. Billie pressed her forehead to the side of Debra’s head above her cheek, a gesture that felt far more intimate than anything else that was happening.
“I seeeverythingyou are,” Billie whispered. “Every part you’ve forgotten.”
Her hands drifted lower, those delicate fingertips grazing over Debra’s hips, her stomach, and the soft lines time had made. Billie touched her as though they were precious, rather than flaws to be hidden.
The robe slipped further down Debra’s arms. Her skin prickled at the cool air, then warmed instantly under Billie’s touch. “Still feeling okay?”
“Yes,” Debra whimpered. “Please, don’t stop.”
Billie slid an arm around Debra’s waist, drawing her fully back into her body. The strength in her held Debra effortlessly, grounding her in place while her other hand explored her skin with devastating patience.
Debra’s head tipped back onto Billie’s shoulder as she lifted a hand, her fingers tracing the line of Debra’s throat with a tenderness that made her eyes burn.
“You deserve to be wanted like this,” Billie breathed. “Without apology. Without shrinking foranyone.”
Debra’s stomach clenched at the sheer certainty in Billie’s tone. “You make me feel like I haven’t disappeared.”
Billie turned her head, her nose brushing Debra’s cheek as her lips hovered impossibly close. “That’s because you haven’t.”
Debra trembled against Billie when the hand at her waist tightened, and the breath at her ear grew more ragged. The space between them had already dissolved entirely, but Debra felt how hard Billie was working to keep control.
“Debra.” Billie nipped at her earlobe. “If only you knew how you looked right now…”
Those words unravelled Debra. Her knees wobbled, but Billie caught her. She suspected this woman wouldalwayscatch her.
“Easy now.” Billie smiled as she guided her down gently onto the couch behind them. The robe pooled at Debra’s waist, her breath quickening as Billie knelt in front of her. There was nothing submissive about the moment, just the intensity of someone choosing her. Billie’s hands slid up her thighs, slow enough to drag a desperate heat all the way through Debra’s body. “This is all on your terms, you know that.”
“I-I know.”
“So, tell me what you need and where you need me.”
Debra’s lips parted, but she couldn’t form the words. So she reached for Billie’s wrist and guided her hand between her legs.
“You’re so beautiful.” Billie spread Debra’s lips and gathered her wetness. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“I-I…” Debra’s mind went blank when Billie teased her way between her lips. “I…it’s hard to feel that way.”
“I know, but you’ve got me right here,cravingevery inch of you.”
Billie’s eyes darkened as she dipped her head and tasted everything Debra had to offer. The room blurred, and Debra’s pulse pounded when Billie’s touch grew more purposeful. Still, Billie didn’t rush. Even as Debra’s breath became uneven, even as her fingers curled into the velvet beneath her, Billie moved as though she had all the time in the world. God, it felt as though something was being stitched back together inside of her.
Her hands traced up Debra’s thighs again, the warmth of her palms lingering long after they’d passed. Every glide and every gentle press made Debra feel more present in her own body than she had in years.
“Look at me.”
Debra did and immediately wished she hadn’t. God, the way Billie looked back at her…
Hunger wasn’t the word. Nor was it want, or need, or worship. It was something entirely different…something deeper, more raw, as though Billie was seeing every version of her at once.
“You don’t hide from yourself in here,” Billie said softly. “Not with me.”
Debra’s breath trembled when Billie’s thumb brushed a slow, deliberate path along the inside of her thigh, close enough to send sparks crawling up her spine, but not close enough to satisfy the ache pulsing deep within her.
“Please…” Debra’s hips lifted before she could stop herself.
Billie sat back on her knees and gazed at Debra. “If you could have anything you desire right now, what would it be?”
“A-anything?” Debra swallowed, unsure if ‘anything’ actually meantanything.
