Page 97 of Take Her On

“How are things at home now?” she asked.

Jamie let out a humourless laugh. “Dad’s doing everything to portray the perfect husband, of course. Thinks he can buy us back with his money.”

Maya thought about Jamie’s newest-edition Nike trainers. How she’d always got the latest football boots.

“I don’t know if Mum will leave him, though,” she continued. “I want her to. They still argue all the time. Seems like moving house and running away doesn’t solve all your problems.”

“I’m sorry.” Maya didn’t know what to say to make it better. She supposed there wasn’t anything. So she just held her tighter. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. It’s just so embarrassing, then the longer I left it, the worse it became. And then I got scared because…what if you believed them too? I didn’t want to lose you. Not after everything else.”

Maya rocked her as another sob wracked her body. Then she kissed her head, her temple, her cheek. “I’m here. I’m sorry. I’m here, okay.”

They stayed like that for a while before lying down on her bed. Maya wrapped her arms and legs around Jamie like a cocoon and snuggled into her neck. Her cries and tears subsided eventually, leaving their hearts coming together in a steady rhythm. Maya could finally breathe.

It felt like they’d been lost to the darkness for hours. But they were safe there. A part of Maya never wanted to leave. Then she remembered what she’d brought with her.

“Hey,” she whispered, tracing her fingers down Jamie’s arm. “I made you something.”

“What is it?” she asked, a little groggily.

Maya fought the discomfort spreading up her neck. Maybe Jamie would think she was stupid. She pushed those thoughts away. She knew Jamie wouldn’t be like that. Being so vulnerable just didn’t come easily to her.

“I, uh, made you a CD. With all the songs that make me think of you.”

“You did what?” Jamie wriggled in her grip, moving into a sitting position. “Really? You made me a CD?”

“Yeah. My favourite of the eighties ones you showed me. And some others.” It’d been her mum’s idea initially. She’d said it was something they used to do when they were younger, and Maya thought it would be right up Jamie’s alley. Maya was glad the lights were off so Jamie couldn’t see her blushing face. She’d even added the song she did her striptease to as a bonus track.

“A CD? How retro of you. That is so adorable! I want to see it.”

Jamie’s hands searched for her face, and then she kissed her, missing her lips and grazing her nose. They laughed, finding and melting into each other’s mouths. What was intended as a soft kiss of appreciation quickly intensified.

It’d felt like years since she’d had Jamie’s lips on hers. She was starving for her taste.

Jamie’s fingers curled around her jaw as she kissed her deeper. Maya leaned into the sensation, warm gooey heat pooling in her stomach, and pulled her closer. She shifted her weight, flipping Jamie onto her side and slipping her tongue into her mouth.

“Fuck,” she cursed, kissing her harder, her hands touching her everywhere. She broke the kiss, brushing her lips over Jamie’s jawline so she could kiss her favourite place behind her ear. Jamie shuddered underneath her touch, and she sucked at the delicate skin, spurred on by the whimper leaving her throat.

“I missed you,” she said, sliding her hands under Jamie’s white cotton T-shirt, her fingertips circling the soft skin of her back. She dug in her nails, and Jamie groaned into her mouth.

“Can we turn the light on now?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Maya

In the soft light from Jamie’s bedside table, Maya could tell there was only one thing on her mind. The aching between her legs agreed wholeheartedly.

Any trace of sadness had long been washed away from Jamie’s face, even when hauntingly cast in shadow. Those eyes of hers combed Maya hungrily, in a way that made her feel she was already completely naked.

She pushed herself up off the bed, standing to pull Jamie into a kiss. Jamie met her lips with force, mouth and hands bruising as they roamed her body, lighting fires with every touch. Maya gripped the waistband of her joggers, sliding her hands inside. She grunted as Jamie pushed her away and back onto the bed. She looked up at her from the mattress in confusion.

“Sit there,” Jamie commanded, towering over her.

Maya pressed her lips together, both confused and aroused by the change of pace.

Jamie removed her trousers and pulled her T-shirt over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Maya’s gaze snapped to her pink nipples. Jamie’s lips quirked at her reaction, and she bent over to rummage through her bedside drawer. She produced a box and threw it to the bottom of the bed. Maya’s eyes widened at the size of the purple toy on the picture.