Pebbled and erect, the hard tips rolled between her fingers, and spurred on by the sound of Laura's ever-increasing gasps for air, Toni licked her lips and placed her mouth over one swollen bud.

Passion soaked through Laura's knickers in an instant. "Oh, my God," she said in a rush of breath, instinctively arching in response. Enthralled by the sensations raging through her body, Laura looked down at the sight of Toni at her breast, and her knees began to shake as her imagination soared.

Tenderly, Toni suckled the tip, slowly flicking her tongue over the hardness before gently placing it between her lips and applying just enough pressure to make a difference. Between Toni's legs, the ache of her passion increased with each taste of Laura, and Toni knew one thing...she wanted more.

Lowering her hands to the waistband of Laura's pajamas, she waited only for a breath before pushing them to the floor. The aroma of Laura's desire rose in the air, and breathing it in, Toni looked up as if to ask permission. When she saw Laura gazing back at her, her face flushed and her lips parted, Toni hooked her fingers in the elastic of the black silk knickers and drew them down.

A feral groan escaped Toni's lips as all of Laura's womanly curves came into view. Her eyes traveled past the beautifully formed breasts to a belly with just a hint of roundness. They followed hips that curved perfectly, down to legs, smooth and sculpted, but then they returned to a patch of dark, curly hair and unconsciously Toni licked her lips again.

Laura had no idea how she was still managing to stand. Between her thighs lay an urgency that took her breath away. She felt as if she was being pulled into a vortex, a swirling paradise of sensuality that she didn't know existed, so when Toni guided her to the bed, Laura went more than willingly.

Together on the edge of the bed, they kissed again. With mouths opened, tongues glided in and out as they feasted on each other, but when Laura moved her hand under Toni's T-shirt, it was quickly pushed away.

Believing that their night was about to end, sadness swept across Laura's face, but when she saw Toni reach for the light on the nightstand, the problem became all too clear. "No, Toni," Laura said, grabbing her arm. "The light stays on."

"Laura...please, you don't understand."

Cupping Toni's chin in her hand, Laura said softly, "I'm in love with you, Toni, and I've never...I've never done this before. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not a bit nervous, but this is forever for me. What you and I have tonight...what we do tonight...what we become tonight is something I don't ever want to forget. I don't want the memory of our first night together to be filled with shadows and darkness. I want to remember this until the day I die. Please don't take that away from me. Please don't take that away from us."

Toni lowered her eyes, her body going limp as she let out a long, audible breath. Laura had never tried to push her too hard. She had never presumed. She had never lied, and she had never asked too much, and because of it, Toni knew she couldn't refuse Laura's request. Taking a deep breath, Toni looked up and nodded, and a few seconds later, Laura lifted the white T-shirt from her body.

In her dreams, Laura had imagined hesitation on her part, an awkward shyness of the unknown, an almost virginal moment of stumbling, but she was wrong. Way wrong. The sight of Toni's body added more fuel to the fire raging between her legs, and almost brazenly, she ogled the woman's near-nudity in amazement. Toni's skin was slightly darker than her own and her breasts slightly fuller, and although Laura could easily see a few of the scars, her eyes were drawn to the rose-red centers now rock hard with desire. Leaning in, Laura kissed Toni lightly on the lips before traveling down her neck and across her shoulders. Her fingertips danced softly down long arms and when she reached Toni's hands, their fingers intertwined. Lowering her head, she captured a hardened peak between her lips.

"Oh, Christ," Toni said in a breath. "Oh...dear God."

Totally aroused, Laura circled the dimpled center with her tongue before sucking hard against the tip. Again and again, she flicked and tasted, moving from one breast to the other, anointing each with equal attention until Toni pushed her to the mattress.

Everything Toni thought she had lost returned in force, and she wanted to make love to Laura until the dawn. She wanted to savor every inch and explore every crevice. She wanted it all, and when she saw the look of sheer want on Laura's face, Toni knew she would have it.

Forgotten was the fear of awakening the rage she knew lived deep within her, and mindless of her scars, Toni quickly stood and pushed her pajama bottoms to the floor. Returning to the bed, she carefully placed her knee between Laura's opened thighs, and in an instant...Toni Vaughn became who she once was.

Arching her back, Toni rubbed her body against Laura's. Breast-to-breast and pelvis-to-pelvis, she moved in a calculated slowness, and with each arch of her spine, she pressed her thigh against Laura's damp entrance. The tempo she set caused whimpers of satisfaction to fall from Laura's lips, and while Toni's pace had been one of gentleness, each time her thigh met Laura's center, Laura couldn't help but push harder in return.

Never so slick with want that she could feel it drip down her legs, Laura's thighs were coated, and desperate for release, her instincts turned animal. Opening her eyes, when Toni's breasts came within reach, Laura pulled a swollen tip into her mouth and sucked hard against the rigid point.

"Oh, Jesus," Toni hissed as lust hammered between her legs, and pulling Laura from her breast, Toni captured her mouth with hungry urgency.

Laura returned in kind, feeding on Toni's flavor and sucking against her tongue, with their legs intertwined and bodies becoming one, amidst breaths and thrums of pleasure, love-filled oaths were whispered.

Finally, the need for oxygen forced them to separate, and on outstretched arms, Toni gasped for air as she looked down at Laura...and then their eyes met. Answers were given to questions not needed to be asked, and while an infinitesimal glimmer of fear still nagged at the base of her brain, Toni slid her hand between Laura's legs, and slowly ran her finger through folds thickened and wet. Never remembering feeling anything so smooth, so soft and so slick, Toni gently rubbed Laura's sex, casually drawing her finger over every crevice, and when she finally entered Laura's body for the first time...their moans became one.

Laura was warm and tight, and deliberate in her strokes Toni relished the feel of every millimeter of Laura's center. In and out her finger moved, pushing deep for a long, delirious moment before returning to the tender flesh soaked with want. Never wavering for a second, she continued to explore as Laura helplessly writhed under her.

Feeling as if the world were spinning out of control, Laura could do nothing but gulp for air while Toni took her to ecstasy. Each plunge seemed a bit quicker, each thrust a bit harder, and when Toni curled her finger, Laura grabbed fistfuls of sheet, arched her back and held her breath. It was building inside of her. Like a wave, it was rushing through her body to her core, and she wanted all of it.

"God, help me," she said as she pushed hard against Toni's hand. "Oh...God...help me."

An uncontrollable cry of satisfaction escaped as the orgasm swept over Laura, and trapping Toni's hand between her thighs, Laura rode every last wave of rapture with Toni's finger still inside her body.

Although not her intention, after a scrumptious dinner, several glasses of wine, and a climax that had rocked her senses, sleep took hold of Laura only seconds after the last wave of rapture ended. She had no idea how long she slept, but when she awoke, Toni wasn't in bed. Pushing aside the quilt, Laura quickly pulled on her pajamas and went in search of the woman she loved. Walking into the lounge, she was surprised to see a small fire blazing in the hearth and Toni sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring into the flames.

"I was wondering where you were," she said softly as she went over and knelt by Toni's side. "Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep." When Toni didn't respond, Laura touched her on the arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

Toni turned just enough to acknowledge Laura's presence, and seeing the dried track of tears on her face, Laura asked, "What's this?"

"It's nothing," Toni whispered.

Threading her fingers through Toni's, Laura said, "Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what you're thinking. Why were you crying?"

"It's...it's hard to put into words."

"Just say what's on your mind."

"Love."

"Love?"

"Yeah...love," Toni said again, staring into the flames. "Until tonight, I never understood the enormity of that word. I mean, it's just a word, right? A simple word describing how someone feels. People say it every day. They love their car or their cat, their new haircut or clothes. It's so multipurpose and common, isn't it?"

"I suppose, but there are a lot of levels of love."

"Then tell me what word I should use to describe how I feel about you?"

"I know how you feel," Laura said, giving Toni's hand a squeeze.

"No, you don't, because I'm not just talking about love."

"No?"

"I'm talking about reasons."

"What do you mean?"

Taking a breath, Toni let it out slowly. "I was watching you sleep, and all of a sudden I felt my emotions getting the better of me, so I figured I'd come out here and get my head together. Let you get some rest. So, I started a fire, and as I sat here watching it grow, I realized it reminded me of you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Toni said softly. "At first you were just this flicker, this unexpected spark in my life, but just like the flames, you grew. And then I started thinking about all the times you asked me to give you a reason for something...so I asked myself the same question."

"I don't understand."

"Why do I feel so emotional tonight? Why do I feel like the world has stopped spinning so that I can finally catch up? Why do I know that I'd die for you without giving it a second thought?"

"Love?"

"No...hope," Toni said in a shaky voice. "You've given me hope, Laura. You've given me a reason to believe. You've given me a reason to want again, and to need again, and to love...for the first and last time in my life."

Covering her face with her hands, Toni began to cry, but this time the tears were those of joy, filled with the knowledge that humanity, her own humanity still existed. She was capable of love, but more importantly...she was capable of hope.

A short time later, Laura guided Toni back to the bedroom. Emotionally exhausted, before Laura had covered her with the quilt, Toni was asleep and Laura didn't mind. There would be plenty of time for love and discovery, but for tonight, Laura was content simply to hold the woman she loved. Tonight she would set aside her wants, her desires and her dreams, and take comfort in the love and the hope she had for the woman in her arms.

Chapter Thirty-Three.

Her eyes opened, and staring into the darkness, she listened to the sound of steady breathing. Inhaling, she smiled at the fragrance of her lover's cologne, and then stealthily slid out from under the sheets. Creeping from the room, she padded up the stairs.

Laura had spent the night spooned against Toni, holding her tight and relishing the feel of feminine curves hidden beneath cotton and flannel. More than once she had been jarred from her sleep by dreams filled with erotic images, and although tempted to awaken Toni with soft caresses, Laura had simply snuggled closer and waited until sleep came again.

Stripping out of her pajamas, Laura took a quick shower, and wrapped in a towel, she headed back into her bedroom to get dressed. Opening the wardrobe, she was reaching for something to wear when she stopped and muttered, "What the hell am I doing?" Letting the towel drop to the floor, a minute later Laura left the room wearing nothing but a robe...and a smile.

Tiptoeing into Toni's bedroom, Laura was surprised to find the bed empty, and just as she began to turn toward the bathroom door, it opened and light filled the bedroom.

Still dressed in her pajamas and white T-shirt, Toni padded out, and seeing Laura standing before her dressed in a very short green silk robe, her jaw hit the floor.

Amused by Toni's expression, Laura quickly looked down and then looked back up. "What?"

"I woke up alone, and I thought...I thought it was a dream," Toni said, scratching her head.

"It wasn't a dream, sweetheart," Laura said as she walked over and pulled Toni's face to hers. "And here's the proof."

Fueled by a night filled with sensual dreams, the kiss was passionate and hungry, and as Laura wrapped her arms around Toni and pulled her close, their lips parted and tongues touched. Breathing turned ragged as hands began to fondle, but when Laura felt Toni loosen the tie of her robe, she pulled away. "And what do you think you're doing?" she asked as she moved backward toward the bed.

"Come here and I'll show you," Toni said, taking a step in Laura's direction.

"I have a better idea."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"How about you come here, and I'll show you."

A jolt of desire shot through Toni's body and for a moment she couldn't move...but only for a moment. Wetting her lips, she slowly walked over, and stopping in front of Laura, she croaked, "Here I am."

Laura slipped her fingers through Toni's and led her to the bed, and within seconds, she stripped the clothes from Toni and pushed her to the sheets. Gazing into eyes darkened with passion, Laura opened her robe and revealed herself, and the room was filled with the sound of Toni's gasp as Laura straddled her hips.

"I want you," Laura whispered as her lips moved close to Toni's, and as their breath mingled, their lips touched. For only a second, the kiss was light and then the passion which had begun the night before returned in force. Mouths opened and kisses grew deep as the sensual gluttony of lovers blossomed once again.

Minutes passed by until, hungry for more than just kisses, Laura sat back on Toni's thighs and looked at the woman beneath her. The green in her eyes morphed into the darkest of emeralds as she drank in the sight of Toni's breasts heaving below her, and with no hesitation, Laura cupped them in her hands. They were so full and supple, and Laura's mouth watered at the feel. Her eyes found Toni's as she tweaked, groped and squeezed, and urged on by the sound of Toni's breathing as it grew quick and shallow, Laura massaged until the tips of Toni's nipples had become rock-hard points.

Unlike the night before when Laura had ignored the flaws left by belts, in the faint orange-red hues of early morning sun, she allowed herself to look...and to touch. Lightly, she traced a thick scar under one breast with her finger, and leaning down she ran her tongue over the welt. Another, thin and faint, was tasted with tenderness, and then she slowly bestowed butterfly kisses over Toni's shoulders, arms and chest before continuing her journey downward. Hearing Toni's breath catch in her throat, Laura secretly smiled.

Laura had awoken with a need to love. To give and to feel, to explore and to taste, and fueled by the sounds of Toni's sighs and her own desire building within her, Laura wanted to take the woman she loved to ecstasy. Things primitive meshed with things new and nerves disappeared as she moved lower, for the smell of Toni's desire was sweet, and the need to taste had become overpowering.

Already grasping the sheets in anticipation, when Toni felt Laura's hands on her thighs, she filled her lungs with air and opened her legs.

For a moment, Laura gazed at what lay before her. Glistening in the shadows of the room, passion-soaked folds beckoned her, and breathing deep the fragrance of Toni's desire, Laura tasted her lover for the very first time.

"Oh...sweet...Jesus," Toni cried out as her body arched off the bed. "Oh, my God."

Toni's flavor was dizzying. An enticing nectar of salty and sweet, Laura couldn't help but taste again and again, and placing her hand on Toni's belly to still her movement...Laura did just that. Drawing her tongue through the furrows, she lapped at the ambrosia that flowed from Toni's core. Drunk on the delicacy of the woman's flavor, Laura became bold, and spreading Toni's lower lips, she touched her entrance with her tongue.

"Oh...Christ. Laura...I'm...I'm...I need you. I need you now," Toni begged as her inner walls began to tremble. "Oh, please...oh, please now!"

Smiling at what she created, Laura wasted no time as she pushed a finger deep inside, but then suddenly she froze. She was inside the woman she loved, feeling for the first time Toni's slick, heated center and it took her breath away. For a few seconds, Laura relished the moment...and then she began to stroke.

Toni moved against Laura's finger with an urgency that even a novice could understand, and as she continued to plunder Toni with quick, even thrusts, Laura leaned down and flicked her tongue across Toni's aroused clit. In an instant, Toni's moans turned guttural and untamed, and as her bucks grew frantic, Laura sat back, and burying her finger again and again into Toni, she watched in amazement as she brought her to orgasm.

Laura felt every contraction as Toni was claimed by her climax, and as Toni rocked and groaned, Laura stared in awe. It was a pure and wondrous thing to watch another experience the sweetness of release, and squeezing her own legs together to squelch her need, Laura stayed still until Toni's movements quieted.

After Toni's breathing had slowed and her legs relaxed, Laura removed her hand and crept back up the bed. Unsure of how to ask or what to do, she lay there quietly until Toni opened her eyes.

When Toni saw the look on Laura's face, she slid her way down Laura's body and took her to orgasm...with her tongue.

The morning came and went with neither feeling the need to venture farther than the kitchen or the loo. Awakening each other's passion with a look or a touch, they snuggled, and they loved...and then they loved again, until, in a room filled with the brightness of afternoon, they fell asleep. A few hours later, Laura woke up to find Toni propped up on her elbow, staring back at her.

"Hiya," Laura said sleepily.

"Hi, yourself."

"What time is it?"

"Almost three."

"You okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you're staring at me."

"Is that a problem?"

"Depends on why you're staring," Laura said through a grin.

Toni brushed a strand of hair from Laura's forehead. "You're amazing."

"So are you," Laura said, her cheeks darkening slightly as she remembered the exquisite things Toni could do with just her tongue.

For a moment, they simply smiled at each other, each studying the other's features as if to memorize, but when Laura noticed a small scar on Toni's shoulder, she said quietly, "Turn over."