Page 79 of Broken Beyond Repair
“Don’t mind if I join you, do you?” Beatrice asked, sitting down beside her without waiting for a reply.
“Err… no.” Sydney’s words failed her about as much as the silk slip was failing to cover Beatrice’s skin. “I’ve been admiring the fashion of the time.” She blew out a quiet breath to slow her heartbeat.
“They went for authentic, so pointy bras and everything. It was a relief to take them off.”
Sydney choked out a laugh as an elbow nudged her arm.
“I mean after filming, not during.”
Their arms remained touching.
“Oh yeah. I don’t believe that for a minute.”
A shot of Beatrice’s breast came on to the screen again, followed by her co-star’s mouth as it covered it and then a close-up of her tongue on Beatrice’s nipple. Sydney hoped to see Beatrice naked at some point, but she hadn’t expected to watch it on the screen next to the woman herself. She wanted to disappear into the sofa.
“Is this when one of us points out how awkward this is?” she asked, fidgeting in her seat.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s some of my finest work. Nancy was my favourite… and most challenging role. It made me finally admit to myself who I was. Art imitates life and all that, or should it be the other way around?”
“I assume this was the co-star that Peter…”
Beatrice flattened her lips and nodded before Sydney could finish her sentence. She needed more than a nod to distract her from what was happening on the screen, where Beatrice was lying topless on a bed. A weight fell over her body as blood pumped around her, every part of her pulsing.
“How did Peter find out about you to use it against you?” Sydney asked, pretending not to pay too much attention to the television.
“I told him to hurt him in the heat of an argument. I’m sure he already suspected. When I confirmed it, he it took as permission to use it against me. Peter always had a wandering eye, and I admit I developed one too. All the times he thought I’d caught him looking at other women, I’d been looking too. Our taste in women was the only thing we ever had in common.”
Beatrice’s naked back came on to the screen, all of it, head to toe, as she lay face down on a bed. Sydney’s heart quickened again.
“Then everything changed afterNancy. He thinks it was my moment of awakening. It was bullshit of course; I’d known long before then, but I’d been good at keeping it buried. In his eyes, it confirmed everything, and in mine, it proved what a sleaze he was for thinking that when I was only doing my job. I was nothing but professional during filming; that’s not to say I hadn’t developed some feelings for my co-star. He said I was way too into it. It made me realise he didn’t think I had any acting talent. Then he…” Beatrice pointed to her co-star on the screen, her tongue teasing a nipple again.
Sydney leaned forward and retrieved her mug; it was something to hide behind at least. It was strange that Beatrice was so comfortable watching herself. Then again it was part of her job. She would have exposed her body like that knowing it would be seen.
“By that point,” Beatrice continued, “I was so exhausted pretending our marriage was something it wasn’t. I admitted it — with relief.Nancyopened my eyes to how powerful two people’s love can and should be. It made me realise that I never loved him.” Beatrice twitched her shoulders. “I was fond of him, but as he grew harder to live with, when Alex went to school, fondness turned to hatred. Deep down I don’t think I ever trusted men after Dad… and those other men.”
There were no words Sydney could offer that she hadn’t already, and Beatrice would just bat them away as she had before. She didn’t want sympathy, just someone to listen.
“Peter attacked me after that. Not physically, but verbally. Although he was the one caught cheating, he acted like I’d bashed his masculinity when it was nothing to do with him and everything to do with me. That’s what he’s like, you see, egotistical. Everything is about him and how he’s affected. I was great for his ego to begin with. He’d captured the heart of Beatrice Russell. Then I overshadowed him, and everyone soon forgot who he was. But hey. It’s done now, thanks to you.” Beatrice gave her a light tap on the leg. “I have my divorce. I can move on with my life — again.”
“Where to this time? “Sydney asked, pulling her legs up onto the sofa and turning to face Beatrice.
“I have no idea.”
“Come on, you must have some idea what you want. What do you desire most? Why not do that? You’re a free woman now.”
“What I desire most?” Beatrice inhaled and then let out a deep sigh as her hand reached for the side of Sydney’s head where her thumb caressed her cheek.
Sydney, quite unable to believe what was happening, kissed her thumb as it brushed over her lips. She held her breath as Beatrice edged closer to her until her soft, eager lips were against her own. Beatrice’s mouth opened, inviting Sydney in, where she found her warm tongue as it came searching for hers.
Sydney couldn’t remember if she’d ever been kissed so passionately or as earnestly as Beatrice was kissing her, the woman she was beginning to fall in love with. Finally, her body was getting what it desired, and this time it wasn’t a dream. Beatrice Russell was all over her.
Knowing Beatrice was unable to move easily with her boot strapped to her leg, Sydney lifted her knee to straddle her. Beatrice’s hands were immediately on her, pulling her T-shirt up. Sydney pulled it over her head and discarded it, only to find Beatrice’s hands undoing her bra. It joined the T-shirt on the floor seconds later.
Beatrice pulled Sydney towards her, taking a breast into her mouth as they met halfway. She sucked her nipple and teased it with her tongue as Sydney moaned and ran her fingers through her blonde waves. As Beatrice came up for air, Sydney dived back into her mouth, forcing her back against the sofa.
Beatrice arched back, turning her head, encouraging Sydney down to her bare neck. She was more than happy to oblige and kissed her way down, letting her lips explore every inch as her fingers slid the straps down on Beatrice’s slip. Sydney’s hands reached for the bare breasts that revealed themselves from behind it.
Her mouth was eager to be where her hands were and continued kissing its way down Beatrice’s chest. Her eyes widened as they finally saw her breasts; they were even more amazing in the flesh. She didn’t stop kissing until she felt a nipple against her lips. She teased it, claiming it for herself. Beatrice moaned as she gently applied pressure and then released it.
