Chapter 6

Zoe

"Between us there can be no secrets." I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Well, of course, total honesty is what everybody, or at least everybody who isn't a crook, wants. I don't think I'm a crook, liar or cheater, at least I very much hope I'm not, so I'm no exception to this rule. But total honesty requires total trust. It also requires to be comfortable enough with one's own feelings to talk openly about them.

As for being able to talk and be open about my own feelings and yearnings: That has never been my strong suit. I have never learned doing that, have never been comfortable with opening up to others. My parents, as good parents as they had been, never had set a good example themselves. Feelings and emotions weren't discussed much in our family. I think I can safely say that the only person I really confide in is Karin, but then again I know her since we were toddlers and we've spent thousands of hours together and neither of us has ever let down the other.

And my trust in others, especially when it comes to relationships, had been blown to smithereens half a year ago. I hadn't even begun to pick up the pieces, let alone started to put them together. But maybe now was the time to do that. No, that was wrong. Now was definitely the time. If I wasn't ready to start building trust again I could just as well get up, get dressed and go home. And that was the last thing I wanted to do.

I must have been lost in thoughts for quite some time. However, when my eyes finally focused on Ann's again I still didn't know what to say. What I knew was that I felt good about what she had said concerning her work. It didn't sound like something I wouldn't be able to cope with, but I guessed she was right, probably I needed to see for myself.

"Thank you, Ann," I finally said. Her eyebrows went up and I quickly went on before she could ask. "Thank you for your honest answer." I smiled at her, my fingers hot beneath hers, thinking that maybe right now was the perfect time to start opening up.

And so I told her about Eric and how it had ended, told her that I didn't easily open up and that I needed time but would do my best, all the time looking in her eyes, seeing understanding and love. Ann didn't say a word for the whole time, was smart enough not to give me some empty phrase about the breakup with my ex-fiancÄ for I didn't need a clichÄ, what I needed was to finally leave him behind and get on with my own life. But all the time her hands held mine reassuringly just like her eyes were fixed on mine.

At last I got up, bent over the table, was painfully reminded of the fact that the rib wasn't yet healed but I couldn't have cared less. "I think ... no, I know I love you, Ann."

I'll never forget the look on her face as she lifted her head, eyes blazing, lips open, inviting, promising so much, a new life, maybe? A whole love, for sure, and that was more than enough.

"I love..." I repeated just as Ann started to say the same. However, our lips met before we could finish but those were only words anyway, what really counted was that our lips touched, tongues danced, hands held and felt each other after she had got up too and slid around the table to stand close to me, bodies touching, hard nipples boring into soft flesh, our kiss never broken. I felt tears run down my cheeks and hoped she would know that they were tears of joy and wouldn't break that kiss.

She didn't. Quite to the contrary. After a while, when tenderness was turning into passion, she put one hand on the back of my head, buried it in my hair, holding me tight, the other reached between my legs, parting my lips, teasing me, a finger sliding in, gently pulling me after her as she stepped back, all the way to the bedroom, her finger taking possession of my pussy, letting me already know that in the following hours I would be completely hers.

My mind wasn't working at its best, what with all the sensations and feelings it had to process, but a thought popped up out of my unconscious nevertheless as I followed her down onto the bed, eager to make sure the finger remained inside me. "Zoe," the thought went, "Zoe, this woman isn't only in charge when she's at work."

That was probably a pretty safe assumption, but I couldn't have cared less. Not then, for Ann had taken a firmer hold on my hair, pulled my head back and was busy kissing my exposed throat while her finger did some magic in my pussy. And kissing my throat and neck while having a finger do magic inside me is a very good way to make sure that I don't think of or care about anything else at all.

As wonderful as the day had been, the night was not a good one, even when I had been exhausted, satisfied and very happy when I had fallen asleep. I woke up several times because the stupid rib hurt. Remnants of my dreams flashed through my mind, images of Ann with others in scenes like I had seen in those pictures I hadn't liked, me standing aside, wanting to tell her that this was wrong, this wasn't how it was supposed to be done but being unable to move or speak, or to at least close my eyes.

As I lay in the dark beside Ann, her breath caressing my neck, her arm loose across my flank, the very first light of dawn visible through the big window, I knew it had just been a stupid nightmare. I hoped, no, actually I was pretty sure that Ann did better than what I had seen in my dream. But I needed to know for sure and I needed to know soon. With that thought I closed my fingers around the emerald locket on my chest and carefully slid back on the satin sheets until our bodies touched. Ann's hand moved, found my breast and gently cupped it while she pressed herself against me in her sleep, unconsciously doing exactly what I had longed for. Or maybe she was awake and had felt what was up with me.

Whether she was awake or not didn't matter in the least, though, since what she did made me feel perfectly save and comforted.

Ann

I awoke to the scent of Zoe. Our bodies spooned together, my arm wrapped around her, hand cupping her breast, filling my hand with firm rounded warmth. For a long time I just lay there, unmoving, luxuriating in the feel of her body, her warmth. Auburn hair fanned out across the pillow, the morning sunlight awakening the natural highlights, spilling down to her shoulders. I lay there watching the shadows dissolving, thinking of yesterday, of last night, smiling to myself as I recalled her words, "I think ... no, I know I love you, Ann."

Reluctantly I finally moved, slowly easing myself away so as not to awaken my auburn haired beauty. Bathroom first, then the kitchen, my body demanding tea. Carrying the two mugs back to the bedroom I pushed the door open carefully, then stepping through I paused, transfixed by the vision before me. Not the fashionable beauty of the catwalk model, fragile and manufactured, before my eyes lay the natural beauty of the athlete, toned and firm, smooth and sleek, a simple natural healthy beauty. Oh how I longed for my camera...

I placed my tea mug on the bedside table, then sat down on the edge of the bed, bending, one arm on the headboard for balance as I kissed Zoe's forehead whilst holding the mug of fresh coffee as close to her nose as possible. My duel assault worked perfectly, too perfectly, those emerald eyes opened, and I fell into them.

Never underestimate the power of coffee. The aroma proved too greater temptation and Zoe surrendered to it, scooting up the bed to sit, laying back on the pillows, still favouring her injured arm, one eager hand reaching out for coffee. I watched as her lips parted, the mug held, tilted, the first sip, the aroma filling her senses, the smile that overflowed to dance in her eyes. Far away a single satisfied thought, I was right, my girl preferred coffee.

We sipped in silence, both content to enjoy the moment, needing no words, just the exchange of smiles and the caress of each others eyes. The perfect start to a perfect day...

A perfect day, the thought set me thinking, imagination seeking out an answer. I knew there who be more questions, more answers, but not yet, I decided, first Zoe needed time to think, and I needed, well, I needed Zoe.

The idea formed, grew, seemingly perfect, so unwilling to waste a second more, I took Zoe's hand and led her into the bathroom, "be quick, or I'll wash you myself," the admonition delivered with a smile and a laugh. Zoe looked quizzical, but accepted my sudden urgency, responding with a smile of her own and a salacious wink. I grinned and left her to it whilst I went in search of an outfit.

Whilst the studio held a wide range of outfits, mostly fetish wear, I also had quite a collection of clothing, bought for scenes that started 'vanilla' before developing, some of these items I kept in the third bedroom, mostly those I bought for upcoming commissions, preferring not to take them to the studio until I had sourced everything needed to complete the necessary outfits.

Sorting through the clothes I found what I needed and carried the small pile back to the bedroom, placing them on the bed before slipping into the bathroom to join Zoe in the shower. I found her scrubbed and clean, hair hidden by a mass of creamy bubbles. A brief embrace then I took her wrists and guided them to my breasts, whilst I took over the job of washing her hair, a task that delighted us both, judging by the tingling between my legs and the way her fingers moulded and kneaded my tits.

We could so easily have moved to the bed to finish what we started in the shower, but I had a plan, and intended to keep focused, so despite the invitation in her eyes, I dragged Zoe from the shower, wrapping her in a big fluffy towel as I silenced any questions with a kiss, a deep kiss, maybe bed is ... no, the plan, stick to the plan.

Washed and dried, we returned to the bedroom, "no questions, just let me play dress-up, ok?" Another quizzical look, another smile of acceptance. First the simple white tank-top, a little small, so it hugged her curves and drew attention to the roundness for those small firm breasts, whilst revealing nothing, white socks for her feet, then the white tracksuit, not the thin nylon kind, this was a heavier cotton, just big enough not to stretch to fit, but not loose or baggy, finally a pair of white training shoes.

I adjusted the hood of the tracksuit, gathering her hair and using a plain white scrunchie to gather and hold it. Stepping back I studied her, smiled, stepped forward and kissed her with passion and haste, before turning to the wardrobe, pulling out a few things and dressing quickly, my customary utility choice, black jeans, white blouse, black leather jacket, knee length black boots, done.

A quick stop in the kitchen for a second cup of coffee for Zoe, tea for myself, whilst I grabbed my camera bag and keys, purse and phone, then I hustled my still bemused beauty out of the door, heading for the river where it flowed through the park. The autumn day perfect, the air crisp, the sun warm, only the faintest hint of a breeze. Walking hand in hand we talked little and smiled a lot, sharing the pleasure of being together. Not once had Zoe questioned my actions, seemingly content to let my plan unfold.