The Road to Glory (21 page)

"Seems to me that you’re managing just fine." There was only a second’s hesitation before Leigh blurted out, "I love it when you hold my hand," startling herself in the process.

RJ bent down and brushed her lips across Leigh’s. "So do I, lass. So do I."

*  *  *

"Well?" There was a note of uncertainty in RJ’s voice.

"Oh, my God."

RJ fidgeted a little with her collar. "Is that good blasphemy or bad blasphemy?"

"Oh, my God!" Leigh mumbled again, her eyes going comically round.

"Leigh."

As though in a trance Leigh stepped forward, her arms outstretched in a fair imitation of Frankenstein’s monster as she approached RJ. She let her hands land first on the slightly rough linen shirt, then headed downward, skimming them over the smooth, supple leather that was stretched tightly over RJ’s muscular thighs. She licked dry lips. "Have I said, ‘Oh, my God’?"

RJ laughed, finally confident that Leigh’s reaction was a good thing. "So the prissy sales clerk was right then?"
He said this would drive you wild.

Leigh nodded furiously. "You look …" She bit her lower lip. Alan, the clerk, had taken RJ back into the dressing rooms with a few items that he insisted would be perfect. He’d insisted that the outfit would ‘work’ better as a surprise to Leigh. He was right. "You … um … you look…"
Oh. My. God. I want her right this second!
"Let’s stay here tonight," she said quickly, already in love with the idea.

"No." RJ crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, but the very corner of her mouth was already beginning to curl upward.

"Yes."

"No."

"Please," Leigh begged a little breathlessly.

RJ’s stance instantly softened. "Well, maybe."

Leigh smiled.

Green eyes narrowed. "Oh, no. That’s not going to work." RJ firmed her resolve, though the hands on her thighs were doing their best to undermine her intentions. "You bought me these lovely black leather pants and this nice shirt," RJ squared her shoulders in the pristine white, linen shirt that was cut in the style of a loose-fitting man’s dress shirt. "We should at least take them out for a test drive."

"We could stay in and I could take you for a test drive," Leigh growled, allowing her hands to drift back up RJ’s torso.

The darker woman grabbed Leigh’s hands, catching a subtle whiff of perfume. "Your perfume," RJ inhaled again, "is lovely."

"What perfume?" Leigh asked with devastating innocence.
I’m so busted.

"The perfume that you put here," RJ swooped down and kissed behind Leigh’s ear, laughing as the smaller woman began to squeal with laughter.
Ticklish? Oh, you’re mine, now
. "And here." RJ’s head shot lower and she happily buried her face in Leigh’s cleavage, licking as well as nipping, as the blonde squirmed, only half-heartedly trying to push RJ away.

Satisfied she’d made her point, RJ eventually relented. But only because she was getting so horny she started to seriously consider Leigh’s idea of staying home. "Don’t be thinking I don’t notice that delicious scent, Ms. Macho Truck Driver. I’m quite aware that it’s calculated to drive me mad. Your wicked, feminine wiles are working quite nicely, thank you very much."

Leigh looked up at RJ from behind fair lashes. "Is it really driving you mad?"

"Very." Taking Leigh’s hand, she placed it over her heart. "Feel."

A charmed smile eased its way across Leigh’s face as she pressed her hand to RJ’s chest. The tall woman’s intense body heat seeped through thin linen directly into Leigh’s hand. She long to repeat the process with her other hand, absorbing more of RJ’s sensual warmth. So she did.

RJ’s felt her heart skip a beat and she knew that Leigh felt it too.

"It’s beating awfully fast," Leigh said, a touch of wonder coloring her voice.

"It always does when you’re near."

Leigh sighed. "Keep up that sweet talk, RJ, and I won’t be letting you go when this week is over." Her face scrunched up into a happy grin. "I’ll be right back." She headed for the bedroom to pick up a light jacket. A faint drizzle had begun, and it looked like tonight was going to be a little chilly.

RJ watched her companion retreat to the bedroom and whispered quietly, "I wish it were that easy, Leigh Matthews. I wouldn’t go."

*  *  *

The women sat in one of Leigh’s favorite Seattle haunts, The Doll House, a women’s club and definitely a local hotspot. Despite the predominantly lesbian clientele, nearly a quarter of the Doll House’s patrons were straight couples, who came to enjoy the wonderful dance floor, or ‘girl’s night out’ groups, who used the club as a refuge from the intoxicated men who tended to intrude on their private gatherings.

RJ looked at another couple, openly kissing on the dance floor.
Good Lord!
"Interesting place you chose for us tonight." RJ held Leigh’s hand just a little tighter. The last thing she wanted to do was lose her friend in the crowd. That would be bad, she decided the moment she saw the woman dressed all in black with purple hair and things sticking out of her face that looked very painful. "You don’t intend to try to talk me into anything like that, do you?"

"Not hardly," Leigh laughed. "Dance with me?"

"But –"

"I’ll take that as a yes."

It was a relatively slow song, much to RJ’s relief. But she soon realized she didn’t need to worry about all this new music or how to dance to it. Leigh had wrapped her arms around her neck and was pressed tightly against her as they swayed to the beat of whatever played. The silk of Leigh’s rust-colored blouse felt cool against RJ’s hands.

"Not so bad, right?" Leigh whispered a few moments later, lacing her hands behind RJ’s head. She had no intention of letting RJ flounder around on the dance floor, feeling uncomfortable. "Let me guess, they don’t have clubs like these in Glory?"

RJ chuckled at the gentle tease. "No, they don’t. But after being in this place, I think that’s something we need to change."

"Good." Leigh leaned forward and kissed RJ’s cheek and growing slightly bolder, moved a bit away from RJ for the next, only slightly faster dance. She placed RJ’s hands on her swaying hips, smiling when RJ’s movements easily began to mirror her own.

It was nearly an hour later that they strolled off the dance floor, lightly perspiring and both in desperate need of drinks.

"I’m really starting to feel the need to march across the room and poke her eyes out!" Leigh fumed as she all but snarled at the tall, stacked blonde who seemed to be fixated on her dance partner. The woman had been staring at and drooling over RJ all night. Leigh had seen her in the Doll House before, and even those brief visual encounters from afar were enough to set off the warning bells in Leigh’s head tonight. The woman was a predator. Not that Leigh or RJ were shy. But this woman was different.

RJ looked up from her companion for the first time that evening, trying to see who Leigh was glaring at. "Has she done something to you?"

"No." Leigh’s jaw worked. "But she’d like to do something to you."

RJ’s eyebrows popped up. "Who would like to do what to me?"

Leigh smiled as the woman headed toward the door. "Never mind, RJ." She patted the pilot’s arm. "Thirsty?"

"In the worst way."

"Whew." She fanned herself. "Same here." Leigh pushed herself up on tiptoes and softly bussed RJ’s chin. As the evening progressed, the club had grown more and more crowded. The temperature began to rise, and Leigh felt a trickle of perspiration disappear down the center of her back. Mercifully, a slow song began and she leaned close to RJ, feeling the heat of her skin through her clothes. "I’m going for more drinks." She pointed to the throng of women, interspersed with a few men, around the bar. "Beer?" she asked, already planning her strategic route through the crowd.

"Absolutely. Never turn down beer," RJ paused and winked, "or the beautiful woman you’re with." She wiggled her brows and allowed a roguish grin to appear.

"God," Leigh laughed, rolling her eyes as she headed toward the bar. "There is no way I should find someone so obnoxious so completely attractive in every way."
But I don’t think I have a choice.

The woman near the door waited until Leigh disappeared from sight before making her way over to RJ, who was watching the writhing bodies on the dance floor with interest. "Hello."

RJ looked up at the woman and quirked a brow. "Good evening to you." She tilted her head and gave her a friendly smile before going back to watching the dancing couples.
In my day that would have gotten them arrested!

"I’m Ali." She had to raise her voice above the pulsing music. "I haven’t seen you here before."

"Never been here before." RJ tore her eyes from the dance floor and refocused on the tall, curly haired blonde, taking note for the first time of her considerable attributes.
How in the hell does a skinny woman like this get those?
"I’m RJ Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you."

"It’s nice to meet you too. May I sit down?" Not waiting for an answer, Ali slid into the chair next to RJ that was saved for Leigh. She scooted it so close to RJ that their arms touched. "I knew you hadn’t been here before," Ali admitted. "I would have remembered a beautiful woman like you."
And you would have remembered me. I promise you that.

RJ shifted her body to put as much space as possible between them, though she couldn’t manage much. "Oh, I’m not that memorable, lass." She smiled politely, then glanced over Ali’s head, trying to find Leigh in the crowd at the bar. But her much shorter companion had simply been swallowed up by the masses.

"Let me see your hand."

RJ looked blankly at Ali. "My hand? Why do you want to see my hand?"

"Your hand," Ali repeated impatiently, holding hers out so she could take RJ’s. "I’m not going to hurt you." She made a show of assuring RJ her hand was empty.

RJ offered the woman her hand slowly, palm up. Her eyes glinted with curiosity. "Are you gonna tell my fortune?"
I can see it now. ‘You’re already dead!’ And my gypsy has a heart attack on the spot.

"Not at all." Ali carefully turned over RJ’s hand, gently trailing her fingertips over RJ’s third finger. "No gold band in sight. So you really don’t need to feel guilty and can stop looking toward the bar for the short blonde." Ali’s voice was filled with confidence. "Would you like to dance?"

The pilot pulled her hand back. "I’m flattered. I really am. But you see, I’m here with someone very special and I wouldn’t want to be doing something that might upset her." RJ held her left hand in front of Ali’s face and wiggled her fingers. "Golden band or no, makes no difference."

Ali gently ran her palm over the butter-soft leather of RJ’s pants. "I don’t think that’s true." She gestured lightly with her chin toward the dance floor. "When you look out there that’s lust I see on your face. Not domestic bliss." She leaned close, catching a whiff of RJ’s perspiration and shampoo despite the cloud of thick cloud of smoke that hovered in the room like a heavy fog. "Dance with me. You won’t be sorry."

RJ felt an increase in her heart rate. She really wished Leigh would come back. She briefly considered going to look for her, but quickly dismissed that thought, knowing she’d just get lost and then they’d be separated for even longer. "Like I said, lass, I’m flattered but I’m here tonight with someone I’m very fond of."

"I heard you the first time, RJ Fitzgerald." Ali placed her other hand on RJ’s leg, alongside her first. "You’re beautiful." She looked genuinely curious. "But you don’t find me attractive?"

"Now I never said that," RJ corrected gently, again wishing that Leigh was back. "You’re very attractive. And I can see that you know it. You could have nearly any woman in here; you don’t need me." She grinned tentatively, hoping that the woman would take the hint.

"You’re right." Ali leaned forward, her long, curly blonde hair brushing across RJ’s forearm like a whisper. "It’s not a point of needing. It’s a point of wanting. I want you," she said bluntly, her blood red fingernails tracing a swirling pattern on RJ’s leg. "And I think you want me." Ever so slowly her hands inched upward, pausing when she heard RJ’s sharp intake of breath.

RJ jumped a bit, quickly grasping the wandering hands. "Now play nice. I don’t remember inviting you to touch me like that." She cleared her throat and let out a long slow breath.
You’re outclassed tonight. Move on, girl.
"I’m pretty sure that my friend wouldn’t find this conversation we’re having the least bit amusing. I have a feeling she’s a bit overprotective."

Ali didn’t move a muscle.

RJ was beginning to wonder if this Ali person understood what the word ‘no’ meant. The club was too crowded and with Ali’s close presence she felt like the place was closing in on her, growing louder and louder with each moment. "You’re a very attractive woman. And if I weren’t with someone I’d be more than happy to spend some time with you, but I don’t play games with the feelings of the person I’m with."

"But with games there’s always a winner." Ali shamelessly thrust her best assets forward. "Think of all you could win, RJ," she purred.

Licking her lips, RJ tried hard not to notice the spectacular cleavage being presented for her inspection. "Actually, I’m thinking about what I might lose and that’s far more important than what I might win. My answer once again has to be no."

"Good answer, RJ." Leigh slammed two sweating mugs of beer on the table, causing the foamy contents to slosh over the sides and onto the floor. Blue eyes flashed angrily, boring into Ali’s hands, which were once again resting comfortably, intimately, on RJ’s leg. Had she herself not heard her lover trying to ditch Ali, the woman’s current positioning so close to RJ, and her hands moving sensually over the lanky RJ’s form would have convinced her they were lovers. As it was, she was an annoyance. "Who the hell are you and how many times does someone have to say ‘no’ before you catch a clue?" Leigh reached down and unceremoniously yanked Ali’s hands off RJ’s leg.

"This is Ali," RJ said, answering for Ali who was wearing a smug grin that she could tell Leigh was about ready to wipe away. Forcefully.