Page 2 of Bonds of Shame, Bonds of Lust

Janice laughed softly. "Details, Lacey?"

I scrunched my eyes in frustration. "Yes, dammit, you know I want the details."

"I told her to kiss my feet. Then work her way up. Slow. She did. Mouth on my ankles, my calves, the backs of my knees, all the way up the insides of my thighs until she was right at the edge of my panties. I reached down between her legs and slid my fingers under the lace. She was soaked. Absolutely dripping. I kept her there, rubbing just enough to make her shake, pulling back every time she got close. Edged her until she was whimpering. Then I let her take my panties off with her teeth and put her mouth on me."

Janice tilted her head slightly, still watching my face. I don't know what she saw but I was practically vibrating inside.

"I kept her on the edge the whole time. Made her drink every drop when I came. Only after that did I finally let her finish.” Her voice dropped even lower. "God, Lacey. The sounds she made when I finally let her come."

I reached for my latte with a slightly unsteady hand.

Then, very gently, she asked, "You okay?"

I looked at the table. "Fine," I said.

"Anyway," she said, leaning back, "you could come sometime. Just to observe."

"I would die of embarrassment before we got through the door," I said. "I'd be terrified."

She burst out laughing, bright and genuine. "It's not a Roman orgy. Nobody's going to drag you anywhere. You could sit at the bar with me, have a drink, and observe the whole evening."

"Brad would hate it," I said instead.

"Oh, I know he would. Mr. Sex-on-Saturdays. Mr. Please-don't-make-a-mess." She shook her head slowly. "I bet he folds his socks before he fucks you."

I laughed. "Janice!"

"What? I'm not wrong. It's just—you have all of this." A gesture that managed to take in my body and my face and whatever else she was imagining. "And you're spending it on someone who won't even look at you properly."

She reached forward across the small table and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"You deserve to feel good, Lacey," she said. "Really good. With someone who actually notices what they're holding."

"Well, Brad never seems to."

"Who said anything about Brad?" she added, pleasantly, to her latte glass.

I laughed it off.

"Just looking out for my best friend," Janice said, and the smile returned, easy and bright. "Purely platonic advice from someone who knows how to have fun." She winked. "Kidding. Mostly."

I shook my head. But a feeling lingered. Not just the warmth from her fingers.

Maybe I loved that she was attracted to me.

I had thought it before. Probably for years.

I took another sip.

"Civilized, though," Janice said, after a moment, the performing register gone. "That's the thing people don't expect about it. Sexy, but civilized. Nobody's getting hurt who doesn't want to. Nobody's going anywhere they didn't agree to go."

I let the pitch happen because I always let the pitch happen.

The images she'd planted were still there.

"I'll stick to hearing about your adventures," I said. "I'm safer that way."

"You know what you really need, Lacey? You need to finally go on the professional development cruise with me this year!"