Page 3 of Together at Ruby's

Nikki had nodded at the statement. “True,” she said. “Okay, I’ll help. What exactly are you asking of me?”

With a sigh, Tate drank the last of her smoothie. “Pretty much the where and how.”

“Oh, so you know the when?”

Tate thought about the question for a second. She wasn’t going to reveal everything about what was happening at work, but a hint couldn’t hurt. “Let’s just say things are going my way, so I am planning it pretty soon.”

After punching Tate playfully on the shoulder, Nikki leaned back in her chair. “That is music to my ears,” she said. “Nothing could make me happier than seeing you two get hitched at last.”

“Thanks,” Tate said with a smile that she felt to her core. “It has taken awhile, which is why I want this to be the greatest proposal ever. Liza’s been pretty patient, so she deserves that.”

“Hmm,” Nikki hummed. “Can I have a few days to think about it? This is a tough one.”

Thankful Nikki would help her, Tate had agreed.

3

“Tate, I’m home. What an incredible mess traffic was,” Liza said when she came rushing into the house from the garage. When there was no answer and Tate was nowhere in sight, she frowned. She was sure her girlfriend was home because her Ford Explorer was parked in their garage. After dropping her many shopping bags on the large sectional couch, she started across the great room for Tate’s office a moment before noticing the bouquet of flowers on the dining room table. “Tate! What are these? They are so beautiful.” She scooped up the vase and smelled the roses mixed with dahlias and other summer flowers. The yellows, oranges, and pinks looked perfect together. Clearly Tate was home, or at least had been, to leave her the thoughtful surprise.

Before Liza could take the bouquet to the kitchen to add water to the vase, Tate appeared in the doorway leading to the hall and their bedroom. “I’m glad you like them,” she said, standing in a navy-blue silk robe with a gold dragon embroidered on the shoulder. She rubbed her damp hair with a fluffy green towel.

“I don’t just like them,” Liza said, a beaming smile on her face, “I love them. You’re so sweet.” She went to Tate and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Let me put these in water and then I can show you all the stuff I bought today.”

Before Liza could turn away, Tate slung her bath towel over her shoulder and lightly caught Liza by the elbow to hold her close. “I think I need more of a thank you kiss than that,” she said, in a tone that was both playful and suggestive. Liza paused and took a moment to truly look at her partner. Tousled dark hair that set off her sharp blue eyes. Broad shoulders covered by the thin cloth of her robe. Unable to help but notice the way the fabric outlined Tate’s body, Liza had a strong suspicion there wasn’t anything on under the silk the woman wore.She is so sexy,she thought.Confident, smart, commanding… everything I love in a partner and what will make her an amazing Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

Slowly, Liza smiled as a warm tingle ran through her. “Oh really?” she said. “And what sort of kiss would that be?” Without a word, Tate let go of her arm before cupping Liza’s face in her hands. She easily but gently pulled Liza’s face closer and for a moment, Liza reveled in the woman’s strength. Then, Tate kissed her and there was no mistaking the message she was sending. As she took the kiss deeper, using her tongue to tease her, Liza sighed with pleasure. Not only was the kiss fantastic and sexy, but the entire act was a pleasant surprise. Tate was a lot of wonderful things, but rarely spontaneous. First the flowers, and then the kiss left Liza unsure what to think.

Pulling away, Tate let go of Liza’s face. “That’s better,” Tate said with a sultry half smile on her lips. She nodded toward the pile of bags on the couch across the room. “I don’t suppose there’s any new lingerie in all of those, is there?”

Tossing her head, feeling like she needed to take back some of the control between them, Liza’s eyes narrowed. “There could be,” she said, in a suggestive tone of her own. “And what if there is?”

Tate took a step backward toward the bedroom hallway. “Then that’s the outfit I want you to model for me first.”

As Tate wentinto the bedroom, she realized it had been a while since she and Liza had made love.Too long,she thought, pulling back the lightweight, white quilt on the king-sized bed.But I’m about to fix that.Her body tingled with anticipation of being naked, wrapped up with Liza under the sheets. After shrugging off her robe and draping it over a chair, Tate slid under the cool cotton fabric and relished the feel against her bare skin. Immediately her nipples hardened from the contact and the throb between her legs pulsed even harder. Expectations of what lay ahead had her extremely turned on.

Thankfully, Tate didn’t have to wait long, and when Liza appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, she had changed her clothes. In the faint, early evening light filtering in through the pulled curtains, Tate saw her new outfit was exactly what she requested—a sexy piece of lingerie. The red and black lace clung to Liza’s slender body, stretching tightly across her full breasts. Tate licked her lips as she saw how hard Liza’s nipples were under the see-through fabric. Every part of her couldn’t wait to put her mouth on one. “Do you like?” Liza asked in a sultry tone.

“I more than like it,” Tate replied. “Want to come over here and let me show you how much?”

“Maybe. And if I don’t?” Liza asked, although she started to walk toward the bed. “Would you get up and throw me over your shoulder like some sort of Neanderthal?”

A low growl of arousal rose in Tate at the image of easily picking Liza up and carrying her to bed. “I might,” she said and meant it. The vision was erotic and very tempting.Later,she thought.When she’s not expecting it.For the moment, Liza looked more than willing to come to the bed and join Tate. Before Tate could push the sheet past her hips to invite her lover into the bed, Liza was on top, straddling her. Even through the thin fabric, Tate felt the wet heat between Liza’s legs. When the woman ground her body down onto Tate’s clit, they both let out a gasp.

The sensation of not quite having skin on skin contact made Tate a little crazy and clearly affected Liza too as she continued to press down. “What do you have in mind?” Liza asked, her voice breathless. “I know you’re thinking of something. I can see it in your eyes.”

Tate ran her hands up Liza’s thighs until she grabbed her hips. “I do have an idea in mind,” she said twisting her body enough to open the drawer of the nightstand. Reaching inside she found the long vibrator that she realized they hadn’t used in forever.Unless she uses it on herself when I’m at work late into the evening all the time, Tate thought. Somehow the vision only made her more excited and changed her thinking a little. A new idea formed, and she turned back to Liza. “I want to use this.”

Clearly liking the idea, Liza looked at her through half closed eyes. “Do you?”

With a nod, Tate held it out for her. “But I want to watch you use it on yourself.”

Tate had never made sucha request before and Liza wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Although she did use the vibrator from time to time when she was missing Tate, she only did so to help herself fall asleep afterward. She never considered using it in front of Tate. Tilting her head, she looked into the woman’s eyes. The hunger she saw there helped her decide, but she had conditions too. “If I do,” Liza said. “Do you promise to wear your strap-on for me later?”

She was rewarded with a hum of pleasure from Tate’s lips. “I promise,” she answered. Without another word, Liza took the vibrator from her lover’s hand and turned it on low. Keeping her eyes locked with Tate’s, she ran the tip of the buzzing shaft over her hard nipple, sucking in a breath at the intense sensation. It was like a bolt of electricity from her breast to her clit.

She gasped. “Like this?”

In answer, Tate lifted her hips to increase the contact between them. “More,” she groaned, and with a little laugh of satisfaction at the way she made Tate react, Liza ran the vibrator down her body and over her stomach, until it was poised just above her own throbbing center. Not breaking eye contact with Tate, she lifted herself to her knees so the toy could slide between them. Liza threw her head back with a little cry of delight when the vibration ran across her swollen clit. For a second she thought she might climax from the intensity of the moment, but Tate grabbed her wrist. “Don’t come yet. I want more.”

---