The Muse (20 page)

In a stroke of perfect timing, the doorbell rang.

“And here she is.” Erato released her from the embrace and gave her a quick once-over. “You look absolutely adorable, by the way.
I’d
fuck you.” With a wink, she went to answer the door.

Kate couldn’t help but grin at the compliment, as she was sure Erato intended. When Olive stepped into her apartment for the second time, looking even more stunning in real life than she had in Kate’s runaway imagination, she moved forward to greet her with renewed confidence. “Hey, Olive.”

“Hey, yourself.” Having given Erato a passing, mildly appraising glance, Olive took quite a bit longer to drag her eyes away from Kate’s chest. “Congratulations on hitting your word count.”

“And then some,” Erato said lightly. She closed the door and stepped behind Olive to help remove her tailored jacket. “The prospect of inviting you over for another playdate inspired our sweet Kate to log nearly eighteen thousand words in one
week
.”

Olive’s eyebrows popped. “Even though I’ll admit I’m not sure what a typical week’s output might be, I’m impressed. At this rate, you should finish in no time, right?”

Kate struggled not to dash over to the banister so she could knock on wood. “I really hope so.”

“She will.” Erato gave her a meaningful look as she hung Olive’s jacket in the closet. “As long as she stays focused.”

Kate murmured her agreement, trying not to laugh as she recognized the irony in the fact that she was only half listening because she couldn’t stop staring at Olive’s choice of outfit. She wore a striking white dress like a second skin. The neckline plunged to a point just above where Kate thought she remembered the scar on her chest began, framing modestly covered and exquisitely proportioned breasts. Kate was transfixed by everything on display—Olive’s narrow shoulders, the kissable expanse of her neck, her kind, flawless face.

Erato’s voice snapped her out of her trance. “You’ll have to forgive her. She hasn’t had an orgasm since before we saw you at the farmers’ market last weekend, and I’m afraid it’s beginning to erode her social skills.”

Olive seemed amused at the mortified look Kate could feel crawling across her face. “Honestly?” She closed the distance between them, hesitating momentarily before trailing a finger over Kate’s clavicle. The light contact sent a pleasant shiver straight to Kate’s clit. “Five days without getting off is enough to completely unhinge you?”

Kate parted her lips to reply but didn’t trust herself to speak intelligibly with Olive still touching her.

Luckily, Erato swooped in for the rescue. “To be fair, I did tease her quite badly before imposing the no-orgasm rule. And then again a few times after that.” She didn’t attempt to conceal her delight. “Please understand, she’s been thinking about touching you almost nonstop for the past week. Despite the fact that I gave her a chance to end this madness last night, she chose to wait for you.” Erato came closer, kissing Kate on the cheek. “So I’m sure you can appreciate how she’s feeling right now.”

Thoroughly embarrassed, Kate found her voice only to shut up Erato. “I’m fine.” She scowled when Erato and Olive snickered together like a pair of obnoxious BFFs. “Whatever.”

Erato squeezed her arm and moved past her to return to the kitchen. “I’ll grab some treats I prepared. I figured we’d be casual about it and just lay out a few dishes that we can nibble on while we chat and get reacquainted.”

Silently, Kate wondered how long they would actually keep up the pretense of having a polite evening meal together. Even though her stomach had been growling mere minutes ago, her appetite for food had all but vanished at the first sight of their guest. She gave Olive a sheepish smile. “Hi. Again.”

Olive laughed. “Hi.” She gestured at the door through which Erato had disappeared. “She really is a force of nature, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.” She held out her hand, delighted when Olive laced their fingers together. “Want to go sit?”

“Sure,” Olive said, but when Kate started toward the couch, Olive swung them around and pressed Kate up against the wall. She pushed their lower bodies together, wrenching an embarrassingly loud groan from deep in Kate’s throat. Clearly pleased by the effect she was having, Olive managed to look both seductive and bashful. “You really waited for
me
?”

“Of course,” Kate replied automatically. She tilted her hips, seeking out friction against Olive’s warmth.

“With
Erato
at your beck and call?”

Kate shrugged, hoping to seem nonchalant. “You’re the one who’s been inspiring me all week. It only seemed…fitting, I guess.”

Chewing on her lower lip like she wasn’t sure
what
to think, Olive looked so sexy Kate felt a sharp, throbbing twinge between her legs. Only the desire to stay cool kept her from humping Olive’s thigh like a hormonal dog. Seemingly aware of how badly Kate was struggling, Olive offered a sympathetic smile before indulging in a deep, passionate kiss that nearly made her orgasm. She tasted vaguely of mouthwash, and her tongue danced expertly with Kate’s as though they’d been kissing each other for years. Kate groaned and clutched at her back, delighted to touch so much exposed skin.

“Do you want to wait until after we eat?” Olive whispered roughly, breath hot against her ear.

It took Kate a few seconds to realize she wasn’t certain what Olive was asking. That kiss had short-circuited her brain. “Huh?”

A warm puff of air blew against her neck, evidence of Olive’s amusement at her lust-induced brain death. “To relax, Kate. Do you want to wait, or should I put my hand down the front of those sexy-ass jeans and get you off right now?”

She forced herself not to glance toward the kitchen, nor to wonder what Erato would want her to do. Already it seemed odd to have what felt a lot like a second date with Olive with her muse in attendance. She didn’t want to give the impression that she honestly allowed Erato to make rules for her life or punish her for disobedience. That would be…too weird. Right? That sort of strange and twisted dynamic could easily chase a nice girl like Olive away. And right now, especially, the
last
place she wanted Olive to be was away.

Kate nodded almost frantically. “Now, please.” In her head, she added,
Before Erato comes back!

For all her talk of not wanting to lose focus on her art, it was amazing how quickly and thoroughly her entire existence had been reduced to the simple, fierce desire to be with Olive—just the two of them, together. Swallowing her worries about being interrupted, Kate tipped her head back and exhaled through her nose as Olive skillfully unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans with one hand. She prepared for what promised to be a searing first touch by thinking about baseball, and strawberry-rhubarb muffins, and how exactly she was going to write the pivotal upcoming scene where Rose’s mother catches her with Molly. Whatever it took to prevent herself from coming too quickly. She’d waited far too long—and fantasized far too explicitly—for this encounter to end with a single stroke of Olive’s clever fingers.

“Kate.”

It dawned on her that Olive’s hand had come to rest over the waistband of her panties, frustratingly far from where she was supposed to be. Confused by the lack of urgency, Kate sought out her eyes and pleaded without words. “Yeah?”

“Look at me while I’m touching you.”

The command sent a shiver through Kate’s whole body. This was a more confident version of Olive than she’d realized existed. Clearly, being the object of someone’s unapologetic desire had infused her with a new sense of power, and Kate had to admit—she wielded it very well. Nodding, Kate murmured, “All right.”

Without allowing her gaze to waver, Olive slipped her hand down the front of Kate’s panties, deftly parted her already-slick labia, and rubbed gentle but firm circles around her swollen, sensitized clit. The caress sent ripple after ripple of ever-escalating pleasure through Kate’s tense body, immediately sapping the strength from her legs so that she sagged perilously against the wall. Olive kept her upright with surprising ease, insistently holding their eye contact. She wore a sexy smirk as Kate’s breathing devolved into gasps and moans.

“There.
Those
are the sexy little noises that have been keeping me awake every night this week.” Olive snaked a finger down to tease Kate’s opening, barely venturing inside. “The memory of them, and of how you
felt
…and tasted…” Blinking slowly as though emerging from a trance, she grinned and returned her attentions to Kate’s clit. “But I have all night to reminisce, right? There’s no need to draw
this
out any longer.” She gave Kate a firm stroke to emphasize her meaning.

Afraid that they were mere seconds away from having Erato burst in and ruin the moment, Kate nodded in feverish agreement. “
Please
.” She whimpered as the circles over her clit increased in speed, bringing her to the very edge without sending her over. Through it all, she maintained eye contact, enjoying the feeling of connection. “Please, so I can
breathe
.”

Olive chuckled, her face softening in sympathy. “I’ll take care of you, baby. Don’t you worry.” She curled her fingers, which made Kate feel like she was being touched everywhere at once. With a knowing grin, Olive kissed the tip of her nose. “Let go and come for me.
Just
for me.”

The knowledge that Olive wanted them to share this moment alone as much as she did nudged her over the edge. But instead of the explosive orgasm she’d expected—generated by the inherent violence of a week of celibacy broken—Olive’s hand coaxed from her the sweetest, most delicious symphony of pleasure her body had ever orchestrated. Toe-curling sensation rolled over her in gentle chords, building to a dizzying crescendo that seemed to last forever. She tried to keep staring into Olive’s eyes as she rode out her climax, but it was too much. Something had to give, and vision was her only choice.

The instant her eyes closed, Olive’s mouth covered hers in a deeply felt kiss. Kate grabbed her shoulders and tried pulling her closer, though they were already sharing the same space. Refusing to yield her position, Olive kept her fingers pressed atop Kate’s clit, subtly pulsing them in time with the contractions of her inner muscles. Kate wasn’t exactly sure how Olive managed to so precisely read and respond to her body, but the result was pure delight. She moaned into Olive’s hot mouth, turned on by all the dirty thoughts running through her head, the various ways she planned to repay Olive for the gift she’d just been given.

Olive ended their kiss as soon as her climax subsided. “You are
so
sexy.” She wore a cocky grin like a badge of honor, clearly proud of her feat. As well she should be.

Kate curled her hand around the back of Olive’s neck and pulled her into another kiss. “
You
.”

In a stroke of timing that made Kate suspect she’d been waiting for the right moment, Erato came out of the kitchen carrying a tray full of food. She wore a cheery smile reminiscent of the stereotypical middle-American 1950s sitcom wife. Kate had no way to gauge its sincerity. “Kate, will you take this for me? I have another tray in the kitchen to bring out.” She stood patiently as Olive backed away from Kate and straightened her dress with an embarrassed cough.

Kate zipped up her jeans with as much nonchalance as she could manage, then took the tray with a ridiculous little bow. “Of course.”

“Olive, why don’t you go ahead and wash your hands before we eat? The restroom is to your right.” Erato winked, then looked at Kate as though gazing upon a beloved child. “Thank you for taking care of Kate’s little problem. We appreciate it.”

It’s just casual sex
, Kate reminded herself.
I nearly talked myself out of inviting Olive over just yesterday.
All true, but that didn’t make her any less annoyed with Erato’s possessive, condescending tone. Especially when she saw the subtle shift in Olive’s expression that hinted at mild discomfort, even embarrassment. Kate glared at Erato, silently warning her that she’d just crossed a line. To her credit, Erato appeared to receive the unspoken message. After a wordless battle that lasted only a couple of seconds, Erato’s expression softened and she exhaled.

“Rather,
I
appreciate it. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the fire you’ve lit in Kate has provided her with a lot of motivation, which is something she had in short supply before I took her on as a client.” Erato regarded her with the fondness of a mentor who sees genuine promise in a favorite student, her gaze so earnest it set Kate’s heart alight with deep respect and love while effortlessly sweeping away any lingering frustration. “These past few weeks have revived her as an author, and it would be dishonest not to acknowledge your role in that, Olive. You are truly an erotic inspiration. A veritable
muse,
if you will.” She waited a beat, clearly enjoying her brief foray into humor, then waved Kate toward the living room. “Now go, set out the food. I’ll be right back with the rest.”

Blushing, Kate waited until Erato had once again disappeared into the kitchen to speak. “I’m so sorry, she—”

Olive cut her off with an amused snort. “Don’t be. I’m not saying I necessarily want her to tag along on a
third
date, if it comes to that, but I like Erato. I especially like hearing about how much I
inspire
you.” She brought the hand she’d used to touch Kate to her nose, inhaling with a quiet hum of approval. “You’ve inspired me, too, Kate. Not to write, obviously, but to read. All of your novels, I think, except the sci-fi one. I plan to start that one this weekend. The one about the call girl, though? I’ve read that twice.”

As she always did when someone she knew in real life brought up her writing, Kate blushed. “Oh.”

Olive’s mouth curved into a sexy little grin. “Your stories, Kate…” She chewed her lower lip. Her nostrils flared—and Kate couldn’t help but wonder which scene she was remembering. “Well, they inspired me to touch myself. More than a few times.”

“So while I’ve spent the last week sexless and chained to my laptop, you’ve been reading my books and making yourself come over and over?” Kate wished she wasn’t standing with a tray in her hands. Hearing that her words had gotten Olive off was a powerful aphrodisiac, one that made her want to eschew the idea of food and conversation altogether.