Houseswap 101, p.13
Houseswap 101, page 13
“He knows it. You know, you can come out with us the next time we go. If it’s not too windy, I go every morning I don’t have to work. But we go early—usually right after dawn.”
“Isn’t that when the sharks are out?”
She shrugged. “I’ve got Angel with me. He’s my official shark guard.”
“All right, Angel, I’m impressed. I thought you were only good for barking at stray cats and squirrels.”
“He has many talents. Including helping me maintain my sanity when random women appear in my yard with Weedwackers.”
Robbie frowned. “I can’t imagine how that would happen.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Robbie held up a grapefruit. “On that note, want to split this with me?”
“Changing the subject?”
“One hundred percent.”
Devyn laughed. “I’d love some grapefruit.”
Robbie went for a knife but Devyn stopped her, holding out her hand. Robbie dipped her chin and glumly passed her the knife. As she split it in half, Robbie asked. “Any big plans for your day?”
“I was wondering if I could help you with the tiling. Since you’re down a hand—and didn’t seem all that interested in being a tourist today.”
“You want to spend your day off tiling?”
“I need to get this house sold.” She sighed. “I might get called in, but I can help as much as I can while I’m here. And, I hate to break it to you, but you’re going to be down a hand for a while.”
“It’s only my middle finger,” Robbie said. “In fact, it hardly hurts. I was going to ask you if I could take off the bandage today. I could do a lot more without the splint.”
“Why do you think I splinted it?” She gave Robbie her best stern look. “I’ll change the bandage today and take a look at the wound, but the splint stays on for three days.”
“Three days?”
“You’ll survive. I don’t want you overdoing it and opening the wound.” She offered a sympathetic smile to Robbie’s whine. “What, were you planning on a hot Saturday night out on the town?” As soon as she asked, she knew she wanted the answer more than she wanted to admit. “I bet you could still make the women swoon. Or at least have them feeling sorry for you.”
Robbie held up her hand. “This is basically the worst thing to happen to lesbian mojo.”
“Are you left-handed?”
“No, but a lot of things work better with two hands.”
Devyn swallowed, outplayed, and knowing a blush was working its way up to her cheeks. Robbie sounded more disappointed than cocky, though, and Devyn realized then how much more experience Robbie likely had when it came to sex.
“I’ll take your word for it.” She dropped the two grapefruit halves into bowls. “What else are we having? Something tells me you might not want a bagel.”
“Actually, I’d love one. I get it if you don’t, but I didn’t get blood on any of the others. I only took one bagel out and I tossed it after I failed the part where I tried cutting it in half.” Robbie made a face. “Blood got everywhere.”
“I know. I mopped last night.”
“I’m sorry. That was probably gross.”
“Don’t worry. I deal with blood all the time.” She opened the freezer and took out the bag of bagels. “Just in case, any communicable diseases I need to know about?”
“No. I got tested after my ex and I broke up.”
“Me too.” Devyn felt a flush for being so quick to mention her own status. “I’m going to make eggs too. Want some?”
“Sure.” Robbie reached for the egg pan but got out of the way when Devyn shooed her off. She leaned against the counter opposite the range looking uncomfortable.
“Not used to letting others do things for you?”
“No.” Robbie chuckled. “But I can accept help. I don’t know if this is something I should say or not, but…Matt and I talked about you last night.”
She waited for Robbie to go on, focusing on cracking an egg.
“He said you had the biggest heart of anyone. But you act like a b-word sometimes as cover.”
“It’s not only my cover.” She smiled at Robbie. “Do I want to know what else he told you about me?”
“That was basically it,” Robbie said. “I told him how you stitched me up.”
She wondered if Matt had called Robbie out on having a crush then. If so, what had she said in response?
“Matt said you won some doctor award and I probably owed you tons of money for this.” She held up her splinted middle finger.
She smiled. “We can settle at the end of the month.”
“I’m not going to touch that topic. I want our truce to last at least a day.” Robbie grinned back at her. “So you don’t mind talking about Matt? I was wondering if it’s weird because him and I are friends, and you’re well, you know.”
“Exes?” She shrugged. “Matt’s not my favorite topic. I’m sure I’m not his, either.”
“I get not wanting to talk about exes.”
“Too bad. I was about to ask for a full rundown of yours.” She waved off Robbie’s look of surprise. “I’m teasing.” In fact, she was curious but not brave enough to ask outright. She wanted to know a lot of things about Robbie but all the questions she really wanted answered felt off-limits. “Preference on cream cheese?”
“Do you have more of that strawberry kind?”
She held up the container and then closed the fridge. “Want to tell me about tiling while I make us breakfast?” Better to stick with the safe topics.
Chapter Thirteen
No daylight seeped between the blinds, but Robbie was wide awake. She lay on her back, aware she was wet, and stubbornly refused to slip her hand between her legs.
Every morning for the past week she’d found herself with the same problem—uncomfortably aroused after a dream involving Devyn. The dream was never exactly the same. This time she’d walked in on Devyn with another woman between her legs. Devyn hadn’t told her to leave so she’d stood in the doorway and watched. She’d jolted awake when the Devyn in her dreams had climaxed, arching off the mattress as she grabbed a fistful of the woman’s hair.
Had Devyn been with a woman before? The question circled in her mind. What was her type? Someone like her or someone more femme like the woman who’d been between Devyn’s legs in the dream?
Robbie reached over and picked up her phone, checking the time. Half past five. She sighed, tossed the phone aside, and dropped back on her pillows. “Go to sleep.”
A minute passed, then another. It seemed wrong to think of Devyn when she touched herself, but the temptation was hard to resist. What would Devyn say if she knew her thoughts? Her fantasies?
Groaning, Robbie rolled on her side. If today was a repeat of yesterday, she’d spend it in a state of near constant arousal no matter what she did. Between the close quarters of the bathroom they were tiling and the sight of Devyn on her hands and knees, she’d been wet for hours on end. Fortunately, they’d made good progress on the tile and Devyn hadn’t gotten called into work. If that luck held today, they’d finish the job.
The memory of Devyn, sweaty, leaning against the bathroom counter and looking down at Robbie, came to mind. Her clit pulsed with need. She balled her fingers into fists as she imagined getting up from the tile floor and Devyn reaching for her. She imagined her hands settling on Devyn’s hips, her lips brushing Devyn’s neck. When she imagined sliding her hand between Devyn’s thighs, she had to clench her legs together.
It didn’t seem fair to Devyn to have a fantasy about her. Thinking of a past or present lover, someone imaginary or a celebrity, was one thing. But fantasizing about someone real and someone who she’d have to face in a few hours?
She flopped onto her back. No fantasies about Devyn.
Devyn had made it clear yesterday she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She’d even said marriage was an unhealthy trap and didn’t think most committed relationships were worth the stress and heartache. Then she’d said how much more fulfilling her friendships were than her other relationships and Robbie knew she was sunk. Any thought of hooking up had gone out the window when Devyn had added, “Even this right now. I like being with someone when there’s no expectations. When you can relax and just be yourself. It feels good, right?”
Classic friendzone.
As soon as she’d confirmed Devyn’s interests weren’t the same as hers, she’d had to scale back the flirty banter. Then, because her attraction wasn’t going away, she’d made herself avoid any accidental touches. She’d also tried to avert her gaze whenever she thought Devyn might have noticed her paying too much attention to what she was saying. Or doing. The problem was, she couldn’t spend the day with Devyn and not notice everything about her.
She exhaled and got out of bed, pushing herself into the shower despite the early hour. She wanted to be ready when Devyn and Angel went out paddleboarding. Even if she couldn’t admit why aloud, even if it was torture being close but not touching, she was hungry to spend every waking moment with Devyn again today.
The shower managed to yank her out of her dreamlike state, but when she went to turn off the spray, she accidentally got her bandage wet. She got out of the shower, tied a towel around her waist, and unwrapped the wet gauze. Devyn had redone the bandage only last night and now she’d have to ask her to do it all over again. Not that it was a problem having to ask Devyn to bandage her, but her libido had been out of control. Especially when Devyn had bent her head, leaning close to study the wound and giving Robbie a full whiff of the scent of her shampoo. When she’d prodded a reddened area with the lightest of touches, Robbie had pulled her hand back a fraction of an inch, her body zinging, and Devyn had worriedly asked, “Does that hurt?”
Robbie had only managed to shake her head in response, willing her hormones to behave as she forced herself to submit to the rest of the examination. And then the bandaging. Medical stuff had never been easy for her. With Devyn it was a complicated mess.
She pulled on a pair of boxers and then her cargo pants, gingerly avoiding brushing anything against her wound. Before she’d finished dressing, she heard a scratch at the door. Often Devyn let Angel out to pee and without fail he’d come right to the cottage after finishing his business. This time when she opened the door, Angel bolted right inside. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone.
Not once had Devyn come outside when she’d let Angel out to pee. But this time she’d not only come out with him but followed him to the cottage. Robbie reflexively crossed her arms and then instantly regretted the move. The pressure on her unwrapped wound sent a spasm of pain through her.
“Fuck.” She pulled her left arm away from her chest and grimaced as she looked at her hand.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” Robbie shook her head. “I got the bandage wet in the shower so I took it off because you said it couldn’t get wet and then…I squished my hand.”
Devyn held out her hand. “Let me see.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. I don’t—”
“Robbie.”
“Ugh. Fine.” She kept her right arm across her chest as she let Devyn examine the wound. Devyn in a wetsuit that outlined every bit of her gorgeous body was not what she needed to see while half-dressed herself. Devyn holding her hand, with her cute worried expression, was even harder to take.
“It looks good.” She let go of Robbie’s hand, a noticeable blush on her cheeks. “I’ll have to bandage it again, though.” She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head slightly. “I was coming to ask if you wanted to go down to the water with Angel and me. If it’s too early—”
“I want to come. Let me throw on a shirt.”
“We’ll get the paddleboard.” Devyn called to Angel and he dashed past Robbie’s leg. “Oh.” She’d started to the garage but stopped to look back at Robbie. “You might want to throw a glove on your hand, too. If you get sand in the wound, you’ll really be flinching later when I make you hold still to clean it.”
What Devyn said shouldn’t be a turn-on. And yet Robbie instantly had the desire to build a sandcastle barehanded. “Right. Okay.”
Devyn started walking again, calling over her shoulder, “And don’t forget the shirt or I’ll have to give you a hard time about applying sunscreen to your sensitive bits.”
Robbie rolled her eyes but Devyn didn’t look back to see it. Neither did Angel, hot on his favorite person’s heels. Despite it being his fault there’d been now two half-dressed awkward interactions between her and Devyn, he did not seem the least bit apologetic. Typical terrier.
When Devyn was nearly to the garage, Robbie closed the door and dropped her right arm. Her breasts weren’t big but her nipples had always been sensitive and they weren’t happy about being smashed. She sighed and got the sports bra she’d meant to put on earlier along with the last of her clean shirts. Laundry would have to happen soon. “But first I get to try admiring Devyn in a wetsuit without it being awkward.” She grabbed a hat as well as one of her work gloves, thinking she couldn’t handle sitting still while Devyn picked sand from her wound. She only had so much self-control.
The walk down to the water was quiet. Devyn seemed introspective and Robbie was glad she didn’t have to make small talk while pretending she wasn’t still embarrassed at being caught half-naked.
Angel howled with delight the moment the paddleboard splashed into the water and there was no holding him back as Devyn pushed the board past the breakers. Robbie laughed as Angel, clad in a bright orange life vest, launched himself onto the front of the board.
Devyn looked back at her and smiled. “He thinks he’s the captain.”
“More like a little pirate,” Robbie added.
Devyn’s smile widened. “That’s what I call him when he’s naughty. You can head back to the house anytime. Don’t feel like you have to stay out the whole time with us.”
Robbie had no intention of going back. She waved as they pulled away from the shore, watching as Devyn nimbly went from a kneeling position to standing and Angel settled into his captain role. For a while she could follow their progress walking along the beach, but then Devyn turned the paddleboard west toward the open ocean.
“Damn, that’s gorgeous,” Robbie murmured, not sure if she meant the layers of blue sky merging with the deeper blue water to the west, or the sun pushing above the horizon in the east, or Devyn’s profile catching both the golden light and the glittering water.
“You sure you only want a friend, Devyn?” Robbie sighed. Devyn’s response to seeing her without a shirt made her question everything all over again. Devyn had given her a once-over that said she wanted to be more than friends. “And you flirt with me.”
Robbie shook her head. Maybe Devyn wasn’t over things with Matt. Maybe he was the reason Devyn didn’t want another relationship. She could understand needing time. After her last breakup, she’d gone a full year with no interest in any women she’d met. “Apparently I’m over that now.”
She eyed Devyn again and then pulled out her phone. As Devyn coasted over a wave, she snapped a picture, telling herself she was only doing so to share with Devyn later. Angel stood like a sentinel at the front of the board and Devyn stood behind him, her paddle held across her chest as she seemed to pause midstroke to watch the rising sun. Robbie smiled at the image and then took several more before jamming her phone back in her pocket. When it came time to go home to Seattle, she wanted to remember the view at least.
When the wind picked up, Devyn turned the paddleboard back to shore. Robbie met her at the same spot she’d pushed in at and they walked back to the house with Angel bouncing between them and Devyn gushing about the bay. She said it was her happy place, and Robbie could see it in the way her eyes shone after getting out of the water. When Robbie asked about the wildlife in the area, she got even more animated. Today had only been birds but she’d had seals try to play with her, sea lions bark at her, whales wave, and plenty of otters pop up with seashells to show off.
Then Devyn asked about the wildlife Robbie came across living on a houseboat. The conversation felt easy. Comfortable. And Robbie could almost imagine simply being friends. Almost. Then Devyn traded out her wetsuit for a spaghetti-strap tank top and shorts that showed off her legs.
The next eight hours passed with Robbie trying not to overtly stare at Devyn’s body. Fortunately, the tiling project took some concentration—especially since she only had one hand to work with—and the day slipped away with breaks for snacks and a few “recesses” outside with Angel.
They worked well together. Devyn easily took direction and seemed happy to be the pair of hands Robbie didn’t currently have. And Devyn was even chattier on day two of the project than she’d been the first day. After a while, Robbie couldn’t deny that Devyn sincerely wanted a friendship—opening up about all kinds of things friends would share. Unfortunately, the feeling of a budding friendship only brought on more guilt for her body’s response when she looked at Devyn. Or when Devyn looked at her.
By the time they’d finished sealing the edge of the tile against the tub with an outline of caulk—Devyn joking Robbie was in charge of the “cock”—she’d decided she needed a cold shower and to spend the evening alone. Otherwise there was a good chance she’d fess up to her feelings and that would ruin everything.
She wiped a bit of caulk that had oozed over the tile with a rag and then straightened up and surveyed the work. “What do you think?”
Devyn had cleared the rest of their tools and supplies and was wiping dust off the counter. She scrutinized the line of caulk Robbie had finished with a squint before nodding. “I’d hire us.”
Robbie chuckled. “I’m not sure you should give up your day job for this.”
