It seemed to take ages for Mack to cross the few feet of sand. Kayla loved the chance to devour her with her eyes, but she was eager for the touch of her skin. She knew how Mack would feel. Solid but soft. Heated by lust and sunlight. She knew even before Mack held her that their bodies would fit into each other as though they were designed for it.
Then suddenly she was right there. Her hands were on Kayla’s skin. Her lips searched out every inch. Kayla was lying on her back in the sand, Mack hovering above her. They kissed with the same intensity they had the night before. Their tongues danced together as though connected. Mack knew just the pressure Kayla wanted. The pressure she needed. Their bodies pressed together in all the right places and Kayla quivered with anticipation.
She wasn’t likely to last long under the skilled barrage of Mack’s attentions but Mack seemed intent on teasing. She kept Kayla constantly on the edge of release. She touched and withdrew until Kayla thought she might actually scream. Before Mack could drive her to madness, Kayla took over. She rolled Mack onto her back and took control.
With Mack on her back, Kayla took particular delight in turning the tables on the teasing. She explored with her eyes but was far less invasive with her touch. She wanted to make Mack beg. Something told her that if she heard a single “please” from her, she would find herself addicted.
Kayla trailed her fingertips up Mack’s side, nearly touching her breast but not quite. She slipped her thigh between Mack’s,and she moaned into Kayla’s mouth. She wanted to make Mack beg, but she couldn’t bring herself to break their kiss long enough to let her. Instead, she explored Mack’s mouth with her tongue and pressed herself harder and harder into Mack’s center. Mingled moans echoed in her ears, and she could feel her release achingly close. As close as Mack’s perfect body.
But something was changing. The sand felt different under her overheated skin. And the way Mack said her name was changing. Closer and farther away like a badly tuned radio. One moment she was on top of Mack on the beach, kissing her neck, and the next she was twisted in bed sheets, Mack calling her name in a way that was less reverent and more confused. Her core still throbbed, but everything else was different.
Without warning, Kayla had woken fully from her dream. She had rolled on top of Mack, her hand on her breast and one thigh between hers. It took her a long moment to understand her position, and an even longer one to admit it was wildly inappropriate. She scrambled backward in horror.
“Oh, fuck, Mack. I’m so sorry.”
Mack’s voice was thick and gravelly. “S’okay.”
“I was dreaming. Oh God, I’m so sorry. That was not okay at all.”
“Calm down, LaLa. It’s not like I’m complaining over here. I just prefer to make out with you when we’re both awake.”
Kayla laughed shakily. She lifted her hand to wipe her sweating forehead and saw it was trembling. Mack must have seen it too, because she scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her.
Mack said, “Hey, are you okay?”
“Not really, no. Please don’t comfort me. It makes everything so much worse.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m embarrassed and also a jerk. It’s completely not okay to touch you without your consent. While you were asleep, for fuck’s sake.”
Mack laughed again, her voice was far steadier than Kayla’s. “It really is okay. You were asleep, too. You weren’t trying to take advantage. You didn’t know what you were doing. Besides, you know I really enjoy kissing you.”
Kayla was still a little lightheaded from the dream. Had it been a dream? It felt so real. She could still smell the lingering scent of sea salt and desire. Guilt roiled in her stomach, but it was hard to hold onto when Mack told her not to, and her body still burned from the intensity of her need. Worse, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Mack’s lips. What she wouldn’t give to be kissing her again.
She was a heartbeat away from asking if it would be okay when Mack pressed forward and captured her lips. It was just like in the dream, but so much better because it was real. Mack’s lips were really on hers. Mack’s tongue was really inside her mouth. And just like that, she was lost again in the intensity and desire from her dream. She slid her fingers into Mack’s hair, pulling her close, and Mack moaned into her mouth.
The guilt she felt from going too far earlier kept her from reaching out to touch as well as kiss, but Mack was clearly willing to take the lead on that as well. Kayla leaned back into the pillows, and Mack followed her. As much as she wanted Mack fully on top of her, she was more than happy to have her settle at her side. That allowed her hands to roam freely across Kayla’s body, just like she wanted. Her hand slipped beneath the loose hem of Kayla’s tank top, her touch sure as she slipped her palm up her side.
It was the first time Mack had touched her like this. The first time her fingertips brushed against more intimate skin. Had Kayla really craved Mack’s hugs before? As good as they were,they were nothing compared to this. Her touch was so sure. So reverent. Kayla whimpered as she caressed her ribs. She needed Mack’s touch in other places. She craved that confident caress on her breasts, between her legs.
God, was this really happening? It was Mack she was thinking about like that. Her best friend. Since when did she want her as a lover instead? That wasn’t even right. Want wasn’t a strong enough word. There were no words strong enough for her desire. If Mack didn’t touch her soon, she would burn into a pile of ash.
And then, Mack did touch her. Mack’s hand cupped her breast as she devoured Kayla’s mouth, and time stood absolutely still. Her nipple hardened in an instant, and she knew the moment Mack felt it because she groaned. The sound sent a shockwave of need through her like nothing she had ever felt. Was this what other people meant when they said they were turned on? Kayla thought she’d known what it felt like to want someone, but she had never wanted anyone like she wanted Mack in that moment. It was visceral. Carnal. A soul-deep desire.
She pulled Mack down and wrapped one leg around her waist. It was blissful to feel Mack like this, as close as she could be without being skin to skin. Just the thought of that was almost too much to bear, but she needed to feel it. Needed to feel Mack’s skin against hers. Her shirt was already bunched up to reveal her stomach. All she needed was to expose Mack’s. She fumbled with the tail of her T-shirt and almost had it free when Mack scrambled back.
“Whoa. Hang on a second,” Mack said.
All Kayla could do was whimper. The room was like ice without Mack touching her. The air was thin and worthless. Her heart roared, but it might as well have been pumping water for all the good it did for her limbs. Without Mack touching her—kissing her—the world barely existed.
Mack settled on the far corner of the bed, exactly as far away from Kayla as she could get and ran a hand through her hair. It had come down out of its usual ponytail and hung messily over one shoulder. There was absolutely nothing in the world Kayla wanted more than to be the one running her hands through that hair. Hers would probably be just as shaky as Mack’s was now.
Mack said, “Sorry. I know I started that, but let’s cool things down for a minute.”
It wasn’t until that moment that Kayla realized how close she had come to starting something she couldn’t take back. Would she have wanted to take it back if it had happened? She couldn’t really let herself think about that right now. “You’re right.”
Mack’s breathing had barely slowed, and her voice was strained. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just…”
