Page 106 of Spindrift

“Hah.”Morgan buried her face in her hands. “My mother is a force of nature. Nature isinherently cruel.”

“Thenwe have that in common.”

Shepeered out at Emilia through her fingers.

“Mymother is one, too,” Emilia finished.

“Idon’t want her steamrolling you. Don’t feel like you have to come to dinner.”

“Actually,I’d really like to.” Emilia avoided her eyes and drew a line through thecondensation on the table.

Morganpictured the four of them sitting around her parents’ kitchen table. Her motherwould pick up on Morgan’s feelings for Emilia faster than a bloodhound in acharnel house, especially given the tip-off Stevie had supplied her earlierthat summer. Armed with that knowledge, she was bound to corner Morgan andinterrogate her later. Not for the first time, she wished she had a sibling todistract her mother from her only daughter. As for her father, he’d be hisusual affable self, but he reported to his wife. They’d be sure to comparenotes. Morgan wasn’t prepared to face that jury.

Shetook a steadying breath and said, “Okay then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Youmet my sister. I suppose it is only fair.” Emilia still hadn’t met her eye. “Doyour parents . . .”

“Ihaven’t told them that we’re . . . whatever we’re doing.”

“Ifyou don’t want me to meet them, that’s okay.”

“No!That’s not it.” She floundered and cast around for words, feeling five yearsold again and caught making mischief in Miss Peters’s classroom. “I just don’twant you to feel uncomfortable.”

“Really,don’t worry about that. And if they knew my dad, I’d like to talk to them.”

Ofcourse, shethought, feeling even worse. This was about Ray, not her.

“Thenwear something with an elastic waistband so my mom can shove you full of food.”

“Doesthis mean you want to have a food baby with me?” said Emilia.

Morgan’slaugh burst out of her, catching her by surprise and dispelling the black moodthat had threatened to settle. “Yes. I totally do.”

Theyspent the rest of the afternoon on the water instead of Morgan’s bed. Emiliahad invited her to come for a sail. It was the first time she’d offered, and itdidn’t take much guesswork on Morgan’s part to surmise that it was hard forEmilia to sail with someone besides her father. She watched Emilia handle thelines of the sailboat with a confidence she’d seen in her only in the bedroom,and she was surprised to find she was more than content to make herselfcomfortable on a cushion as Emilia took them out of the harbor—though she eyedthe currents and the hidden rocks with distrust. Sunlight teased red highlightsout of Emilia’s hair, and her skin glowed under the blue sky. The sight piercedMorgan with a fierce longing, and she tried to fix this moment in her memoryforever.

Neitherof them spoke much as they sailed. The creak of the boat and the snap of thewind in the sails each time they came about filled the air with enoughconversation, and the distant shrieking of gulls harassing the lobster boatsfor discarded bait echoed Morgan’s thoughts:I want, I want, I want.Emilia kept one hand on the tiller and the other on the lines, searching outthe wind. Morgan let her own hand skim along the waves. Sailing wasn’t like drivingher boat. It was quieter. Slower. A different sort of exhilaration.

Emilia’sshorts exposed her lean and muscled thighs. Not wanting to disrespect Ray’smemory, she did not run her fingers over the smooth skin, but her eyes strayedthe longer they sailed. The buttons of Emilia’s white shirt had come partiallyundone in the wind to reveal a curve of breast and the black cloth of herbikini top beneath. Reflections from the water played across the shadow of hercleavage, and Morgan’s mouth went a little dry as she shifted. The heat betweenher own thighs was growing uncomfortable. Determined to behave, however, shestretched out on the bottom of the boat and propped her feet on the bow withher head resting on a life jacket near Emilia’s calf. She studied the sway ofthe boom and the tight swell of the sail above her until Emilia leaned her legagainst Morgan’s head.

Unableto stop herself any longer, she stroked the arch of Emilia’s bare foot and upher calf, thrilling at the feel of warm skin against her palm. Emilia didn’tmove away, and she continued the lazy caress, chewing on the inside of her lipto keep herself in check. Whenever the urge to slip her fingers under the hemof Emilia’s shorts became too strong, she pictured Ray sitting across from her.

Theimage wavered, however, as Emilia opened her legs wider. Morgan chanced aglance up. Emilia’s cheeks were flushed, and her lips were parted as shebreathed more rapidly than normal. Still, Morgan hesitated. This boat clearlymeant a great deal to Emilia, and she did not want to dishonor the memory ofRay Russo by going down on his daughter as she clutched the tiller, Morgan’sname on her lips . . .fuck. She swallowed.Be good.But Emilia’sthigh was pressed against her cheek, and she turned her face, dragging herpalms down the underside of Emilia’s calf as she kissed the salt stained skin.Emilia gasped. The sound undid the last of Morgan’s dwindling restraint, andshe licked the sea spray from Emilia’s thigh as her teeth and tongue workedtheir way up to the hem of Emilia’s white shorts. Morgan could hardly be heldaccountable for the fact that those shorts covered so little. She ran hertongue along the border of the cloth and paused whenever Emilia whimpered,savoring the way her body quivered as Morgan moved closer and closer to theplace they both wanted her to be.

“Oh,God,” Emilia said when Morgan nipped at the warm fabric over her clit. Shepinned Morgan there with one leg while the other braced herself against theside of the boat. Morgan eased the hem up further, grateful for the scantmaterial. Emilia shuddered as Morgan slid her hand along the line of her bikinibottoms, but Morgan didn’t want to touch her with her fingers. She elicited amoan of protest as she withdrew and propped herself on her elbow to undo thetop button of Emilia’s shorts, then slowly eased the zipper down. It didn’tgive her enough access, but she kissed the skin of Emilia’s stomach as Emilialifted her hips to allow Morgan to slip off her shorts. She knew she should beon the lookout for other boats, but she was beyond caution. She teased Emiliathrough the fabric of her suit. Emilia’s clit hardened as Morgan took it in hermouth through the cloth.

Emiliakept the boat on course—or if not on course, she at least prevented them fromturning into the wind. Morgan gently pulled the fabric aside. Emilia bucked herhips toward her, begging her with her body, but Morgan had been teased too manytimes by Emilia. She wasn’t ready to give in just yet. She cupped one handbeneath Emilia’s ass and ran her tongue along the crease of her thigh, the heatfrom Emilia’s center burning against her cheek.

“Fuckyou, Morgan.”

Morgandipped lower and tasted her. Her tongue traced her opening in slow circles, nowand then entering her in long strokes. Emilia’s heel dug into her back. She intensifiedthe thrusts of her tongue as she felt Emilia’s body begin to shake. When she atlast dragged her tongue out and up along the length of Emilia and over herclit, Emilia cried out. Morgan was gratified to see her knuckles whiten on thetiller. She repeated the measured strokes, beginning inside and moving up totake her in her mouth before returning to the beginning. Emilia was almostsobbing as she repeated Morgan’s name. Morgan gave her ass a hard squeeze asshe entered her again. Emilia jerked the tiller to the left and swore as shecorrected. The curse broke into another moan when Morgan drew a lazy circlearound her clit, closing in and just brushing it before working her way backout, reveling in the way Emilia tasted.

“I’llcome right now if you don’t fuck me.”

“Don’tcome.” Morgan let her words vibrate against Emilia. As much as she loved itwhen Emilia was in control, right now she wanted to be the one calling theshots—while Emilia captained the boat. She’d unpack that one later. Emilia’shead flew back. Her hair caught the wind and Morgan’s breath. God, she wasbeautiful. Despite her command, Morgan could feel the beginnings of orgasm inthe way Emilia’s body shuddered. She closed her lips and tongue over her clitand drew Emilia into her mouth.

“Holyfuck,” moaned Emilia. Morgan slid two fingers inside her to press against her,feeling her g-spot harden beneath her touch. She licked her clit with the tipof her tongue, moving her fingers in and out, then intensified the motion asEmilia’s trembling turned into whole body shudders. She felt her open, acceptingmore and more, and her own body shook as she came with her.

“Ohmy God,” Emilia said as she softened around Morgan’s hand. “Oh my God, Morgan.”

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