Chapter 2

“More than disappoint, I think,” Brooke said.

I nodded. “Which reminds me. I was going to catch up with an old friend tonight. I need to text her my apologies.”

“You want me to take over again?”

“Sure. I’d prefer not to be responsible for your fancy car in city traffic.”

When she’d showered and rested, we took her out for lunch, and then drove to the police offices. I took the time to wander around campus while I waited for Brooke to text me after the ordeal was over.

The rain of the past couple of days had paused, but threatened to return. The sky was overcast, the distant mountains in hiding, and I carried the umbrella Cici had loaned me. Foliage in the various tended areas seemed especially verdant after the rain, but perhaps it was normal in this climate.

Taking a moment to call Cade while I was walking, I learned that she’d had a great night. She hadn’t taken anyone home, but she’d collected a couple of numbers. Phil had Ubered with her before heading home, as he regularly did for me.

“I almost wish we were both straight,” she said.

I laughed. “I’ve told him that so many times,” I agreed. “He’s gonna make some guy a fine partner.”

Again, I subdued my wayward thoughts, and concentrated on the food. Brooke had arrived, and was sitting at the table. Cici stood close beside me as I worked. It was a relief to slide bacon, eggs and toast onto her plate so that she’d move away to eat.

“What do you want to do today?” I asked her.

“Nothing,” she said. “My head is pounding, and I think the pills are making me feel sick. I want to stay here, but I don’t feel like reading.”

“The nurse said you should ease into reading anyway,” I said.

“Maybe we could go for a walk?” offered Brooke.

“Maybe,” Cici said. “I thought about watching Sam’s Cowbop show. Could we go out this afternoon?”

“Cowboy Bebop,” I said, glaring at her. I was pretty sure she was mangling the name deliberately.

“Whatever. Is it streaming?”

“Yeah, I think I can find it,” I said.

Cici took the time to change while I was figuring out apps and streaming services on her TV. When she returned, she demanded the same seating arrangement as the previous evening. Not that there was any other option without including an uncomfortable folding chair they kept, but Brooke complained that her “Designated Princess” time was over, while Cici argued that it lasted for the remainder of our visit.

We watched the first three episodes of the show. Faye didn’t make an appearance until the third episode, but Cici recognized her immediately. “Oh, hey, that’s her, isn’t it?” Cici said. “She looks like your photo. That was a good costume.”

After a fourth episode, I made a quick lunch. Cici swallowed another pain pill and the three of us left the apartment, Liz retreating into her room.

“I’d like to see the view I’ve been looking at on the webcam, but since it’s also the place where…” I hadn’t even considered that she might want to avoid the place where she’d been assaulted. I may never see her under her tree again. “I’d be okay going there alone.”

Cici shook her head. “I want to show you,” she said. “We’ve had too many shared times beneath the watchful eye of the webcam.”

Brooke was frowning at Cici contemplatively. “Cee, you don’t have to power through what happened to you, you know? Maybe you should talk to a counselor first.”

“I’ll talk to a counselor, I promise,” said Cici, “but I’ll be okay with this.”

Like the previous night’s touch, the presence of Brooke and myself seemed to help her exorcise any potential demons of fear. The rain seemed finally to have moved away, and the sun occasionally showed its face. We took several photos of each other under the tree, and watched the live feed of ourselves gesturing to the camera.

After a time, Cici’s mood seemed to be lighter than at any time since we arrived. She wanted photos of Brooke and me under her tree. We snapped all combinations, Cici’s cheeks coloring when Brooke insisted we stand with our arms around each other for another shot.

We ate at a casual Greek restaurant before heading back to the apartment.

“So, Cee, have you ever told Sam your future plans?”

“Mmm, no, I don’t think so,” Cici said. “I’ve been distracted.” She set down her gyro and patted her lips with a napkin.

“I heard you’ll be back home for grad school next year,” I said.

“Not home, I hope. I want to get my own place, if I can,” she said. “But yes, I’m coming back for my grad program. There’s a local biotech company that has partial sponsorship and flexible hours for graduate researchers. I’ll need to be accepted into grad school before applying. If I don’t make it in I might apply to work there anyway. I should be well qualified.”

“She’ll get in,” Brooke predicted. “She has a 4.0 and she already took the GRE and aced it. She really is as smart as she claims. She’s the only one who ever doubts it.”

“So if you can get hired, you’ll be able to afford your own place, right?” I asked.

“That’s the idea,” Cici agreed, and resumed eating.

“Oh? I guess she was only half conscious on Friday and still mostly out of it on Saturday. Are you saying I shouldn’t trust her judgement?”

“No, not in the slightest,” Brooke said. “I’m saying she’s a very determined Princess, and she had her sights on you before Halloween. You’re probably worried about her being fragile while she has you hooked and is reeling you in. But it’s what you want too, so it would have happened sooner than later.”

“That sounds scarily accurate,” I said. “And you’re okay with it?”

“What would be the point of not being okay?” she asked. “I wasn’t okay with Aubrey, but I don’t think I needed to worry. You, I trust, especially after the last few days. You’ll be good for her. I’ll warn you, though, her mother is her Achilles’ heel. She knows she has to get away, but, you know, family. She helped bring up her siblings, and they’re very close. If she didn’t have someone else in her life, she might postpone the inevitable confrontation ad infinitum. If she has you, I think she’ll choose you over her mother, but it isn’t a certainty. All I can say is, don’t push. Let her make the choice for herself, and you’ll see her determination win out.”

“That’s a lot,” I said. “Mamá sounds like a piece of work.”

“What kind of woman tosses her own son onto the streets at seventeen?” Brooke asked. “Cici knows she’ll do the same, and then she loses her other brother and her sister. When that happens, she’ll need support. She’ll need you. After the last few days, I know she’ll be in good hands. So yeah, I’m okay with it.”

“Oh, no pressure, Samara,” I said, sarcastically. “Everything will be just peachy, Samara. Enjoy having a new girlfriend, Samara.”

“I guess we need to wait until you’re home to figure out when you can avoid your mom,” I said. “You didn’t turn twenty-one yet, did you?”

“I didn’t,” came her voice, sounding disappointed. “I do have an idea, but we’d be spending time outside. Are you okay for warm clothes and gloves?”

“You’re taking me on an outdoor date in Christmas weather?” I tried to make my tone sound incredulous.

“I am. Oh, and could you do anything to fix my bald spot?”

“I can,” I said. “Are the stitches gone?”

“They’re gone,” she said. “You’ll get to see what’s left.”

She did, letting it slide down my arms, then tossing it to the bed.

I saw Cici’s throat work, then her fingers opened the top button of my jeans’ fly. Mine weren’t skinny jeans, and they had traditional buttons, which she worked her way down, hampered by the fact that I’d cupped the back of her head and was devouring her tongue. She groaned and fumbled her work, but I finally felt the denim sliding down my thighs.

After I’d stepped out of my jeans, I pushed Cici back to the bed, her back falling to the mattress as I lifted her hips and thighs to toss her to the center. I pushed my clothes onto the floor and lay beside her. She was still laughing at me manhandling her when I drew her onto her left side to face me, then kissed her soundly.

I felt her hand slide up to touch my breast. I gently moved it away. “Not yet,” I whispered. “I promise you can touch me there, but let me focus on you first. I don’t want to get distracted.”

She frowned briefly, then shrugged and parted her lips. A moment later she was showing me how much she was learning about passionate kissing. I felt my arousal climbing. I ran my hand up her side, then over her arm to her shoulder. I don’t know if she even felt me slip her bra strap down. I don’t think so, because she jumped when my hand covered her bare breast, then panted into the kiss.

Her breast was as firm and as smooth as I’d remembered, rounded and supple. Her nipple, still firm from my attentions earlier, pressed into my palm. I felt it roll against my skin. Her hand moved to the back of my neck as she kissed me harder, her legs wrapping around mine.

Reluctantly ending the kiss, I slid her higher on the bed, then lowered my face to her breast.

“Your skin is so smooth,” I murmured into her. “And your boobs are a delight, so lovely to touch.” I licked around the edge of her right breast, then followed the path with my lips.

Cici was breathing heavily. She threaded her fingers into my hair as I kissed. “I think… I feel your lip piercing against my skin.” She huffed out a breath. “When we kiss, too.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Nooo…” she replied. “It reminds me that it’s you.” Her belly quivered as I tongued the edge of her breast against my teeth. “That’s comforting, and exciting. And…” She broke off for a moment, then continued, “you’re making me tingle everywhere, doing that.”

I let my tongue spiral in to stroke her nipple. Then I parted my lips, closed my mouth around the tip of her breast, and rubbed my tongue against it, pressing firmly. Cici’s hips pressed hard against me.

“¡Ay, Dios mio!” she groaned.

She squirmed as I kept kissing her nipple. I thought it had still been hard when I peeled her bra cup down, but it felt like stone within her soft skin, now.

After a while, I lifted my head, squeezing her breast with my hand while my mouth wasn’t on it. “Much as I love the bra you and Brooke chose, I think it’s time it came off, don’t you?”

Cici nodded. I reached behind to unclasp her bra, then peeled it off, rolling her onto her back to gain access to her left breast. I closed my mouth around her nipple and sucked. Her hips rose, and she panted.

“Oh, Sam! ¡Me vuelves loca! ¡Te amo!“

I had no idea what she’d just said, but her tone told me she was excited. So was I. “Your breasts are caramel with chocolate centers,” I said. “But I prefer to have them in my mouth than the most expensive candy I can imagine.”

“I like them to be in your mouth, too, cariño. They are yours.”

Grinning, I returned to her nipple, while sliding my fingers down her body, then explored the front of her sex with my middle finger. Her panties were wet, and I could feel soft fur within. With my right hand I flattened the tip of her breast between finger and thumb, then lapped at the squashed areola and sucked at the nipple, my left fingers pressed to her hood. Her hips rolled side to side as she groaned.

Closing my lips around her nipple, I bit down on it, using the grip to stretch and tweak the firm center. As I did, I firmly rubbed her sex.

“¡Ay, Samara!” she cried out. “¡Dios! My God! I don’t think a good Catholic girl is supposed to feel this way.”

“Then let’s be naughty together,” I mumbled around her breast. “Kiss me.”

Cici didn’t even wait for me to raise my face to hers. She grabbed my arms, tugging me higher, then seared my lips with her kiss.