Disclaimer: Shed Productions made the characters, wrote the original stories, and have full copyright to them. We are using these characters simply for non-profit, entertainment value. The same goes for any other known copyrighted character/storyline where a cross over fiction is written.

I am happy to accept feedback, including constructive comment away from the board. Please contact me privately.

First off, this is my first attempt at fanfic, so while feedback is appreciated, please go easy on me. This one takes place in the US so some of the terminology may be different than UK. If there are any questions, ask. I'll try and explain anything that may be confusing.

Also, this fic starts off pretty tame, but I assume it will get to rated R status, so if offended please do not read.

Thanks, please enjoy...

Thanks to my beta[s] for the encouragement you've given...couldn't have done it without you!

Chapter One

Nikki stretched her long lean body and rolled out of bed. After splashing her face with cold water, she began to strip the sheets off her bed. She folded and stuffed them in one of her suitcases. She was excited about her new job, but was unsure how she felt about renting her house out.

About five years ago, Nikki had to give up a job she loved. She had grown up on a ranch and had learned the trade. She never wanted to deal with the paperwork and business side of owning her own ranch, but truly enjoyed the labor intensive work. She was good at it too. But when her father fell ill, she felt obligated to get a “real” job, as deemed by society, and help with his care. She got a job managing a bookstore/café. While it wasn’t ranch life, she was able to enjoy her other passion: reading. She had fallen in love with books at a young age and reading had always helped her deal with the pressures of life.

It was true that she and her father didn’t see eye to eye on many things including her sexuality. Nikki had become comfortable with her sexuality at a young age, meaning she had always found herself attracted to women. She never really had to struggle with coming out…she just was.

She left home at the age of sixteen after her father found her with one of her many girlfriends. He couldn’t take it, so instead of dealing with the issue, they parted ways. After ten years they were back on speaking terms. Then he got the cancer and Nikki knew this was her last chance at reconciliation. She finally heard the words of love she had craved her whole life just hours before he passed away. She hadn’t had as much luck with her brother.

Ranching was also how she met Trish, and although they broke up more than six years ago, they remained true to the lesbian code and stayed close friends. Trish had been trying to get Nikki back into the business and finally found her a job she couldn’t refuse.

She sighed and gathered her things together, then made one last sweep through the house to make sure she hadn’t left anything out. Only after she was sure she had packed everything did she get ready. She pulled on a pair of loose fitting jeans, a boy beater, and a deep red pearl snap shirt. Then she sat and waited for her taxi.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Helen sat behind her desk and looked over the books again. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She loved her ranch but with these numbers, she needed a miracle to keep it. She was hoping that the increased production would be enough, and that the new hand she had hired wouldn’t be a mistake. She had always trusted Trish before, but even with all the praise that came with Nicola Wade, Helen was unsure that the new worker would be an answer to her problems.
Helen pushed the papers back into the folder and dropped it into the bottom drawer. She sighed and pulled herself up from the chair and trudged out the door locking it behind her. She had to get out, to breathe.

She saddled up her pride and joy, a black Arabian stallion named Prince. He was her horse and her horse only. Nobody else had been able to tame him, nor could they get close to him without Helen nearby. She loved the special bond she had with Prince.

She rode him out to the pasture and let him wander around with the other horses and found a seat under one of the enormous trees on the hill that overlooked the land…her land. She surveyed the beauty surrounding her and wiped a tear from her eye. The sun cascaded over the hills and glinted on the nearby stream-fed pond that the horses and workers cooled off in when the hot summer days wore on. The horses galloped around whinnying their horse songs to each other. Not far in the other direction she could see her home, the home she designed and built herself. The home she had planned on starting a family in. How was she supposed to give this up?

Chapter Two

Helen stood up and dusted herself off. The smell of the earth and wild jasmine lingered on her clothes as she walked out into the sun. She looked out at the horses and spotted Prince eating clover. She whistled for him to come over, but he had other ideas. He lifted his head, snorted, then returned to the clover patch.

Daft Horse! She let out a breath and started walking over to him. She was about 5 yards away from him when something caught her eye. About 35 feet past him was Bella. Bella was Helen’s prized breeder and she did not look good. She was lying on her side, breathing hard, and struggling. Helen yanked her radio from her belt and mashed the button. “Thomas! Grab Trish and get out to the south pasture now! Bella’s in labor and it doesn’t look good!” She ran to Bella’s side, talking gently to try to calm the beast.

Her radio crackled before Thomas answered, “Trish has gone to pick up the new hand.” It sounded like he had just taken a big bite of something and failed to realize the severity of the situation.

Was she coming today? “Well, you get out here then. Leave a note for Trish. I need help.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Damn bastard!” Helen exhaled.

She leaned down and began to stroke Bella’s mane. The mare resisted at first, but after a few more minutes of coaxing she began to relax. Helen went around to check Bella’s progress. It looked like it was going to be a difficult labor and probably Bella’s last foal. This was expected as Bella was getting toward the end of her breeding years, but Helen wanted to give it one last try before retiring her.

Where the bloody hell is he? Helen grabbed her radio again, “Where are you?”

“I’m on my way.”

A few minutes later she saw the truck rattle over the pasture and come down by her and Bella. A man with dark hair and dark eyes to match stepped out of the vehicle.

“We’ve got to get her upright. Thomas, give me a hand.”

“Alright Hels.”

Thomas slipped a bit in Bella’s mouth and a bridle around her head. He and Helen worked for 20 minutes before Bella was finally on her feet.

“We’ve got to get her back to the barn,” Helen urged, “I’ll ride in the bed with her.”

The flat bed was low enough for Bella to step up on it. Thomas and Helen settled her on her side and Helen sat with Bella’s head in her lap. Thomas drove slowly back to the barn. Then they unloaded the horse and led her to an open and ready stall.

Helen began leading Bella in a circle around the stall and Thomas went for his supplies. He had studied veterinary science in school and used his knowledge while working on the ranch.

“Helen go and wash up. I’ve got her,” Thomas quipped as he returned.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Nikki awoke on the train to two beautiful brown eyes peering at her over the seat in front of her. Nikki smiled at the youngster. The brown eyes lifted a round face with freckles splashed across the cheeks and nose. A smile revealed a toothless grin.

“Ashley! Stop staring at the nice woman,” came a voice from the chair next to the toothless cherub.

“Mom! She’s nice.” Her dark hair was pulled back with a thin purple ribbon.

The mother stood up and turned to address Nikki, “I’m sorry for my daughter.”

“Oh not at all. She’s a delight.” Nikki turned her attention to the child. “Hello Ashley. My name is Nikki.”

“Hi,” a small voice replied with an extended hand. Nikki took the fragile hand in her own and gave it a gentle shake. Her heart trembled in her chest. She had always loved children and wanted a family full of them, but her life had led in a different direction.

“What are ya doing up there?”

“Coloring in my princess coloring book, see?” She held up a Disney coloring book with a picture of Snow White on it.

“Oooh! How pretty! Do you want to come back here and color with me for a bit?”

“Really?”

“If it’s okay with your mom.”

“Mom?”

“Okay, but you be on your best behavior. Do you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am.”

With that Ashley crawled out of her seat and stumbled towards Nikki with her book in one hand and a big box of crayons under the other arm.

“Wow! That’s a lot of colors you got there.”

“I just got them for my birthday. My Uncle John gave them to me.”

“And how old are you now?”

“Six,” she whistled.

“Wow! So which one is your favorite?”

“This one, “Ashley said and pointed to a picture of Sleeping Beauty.

“That’s mine too,” Nikki said and Ashley giggled.

“Will you color me a picture?”

“Ok, sure. You color this one and I’ll do this one.” Ashley ripped out two pages. “You can use my colors too.”

“Thank you. That’s so nice of you to share.”

The next half hour sailed by with giggles, games, and two finished pictures. The two were quieted by a voice coming over the speakers, “We’ll be pulling into our final destination in about ten minutes. Thanks for riding with us.”

“We better get you back up there with your mom.”

“Aww…but we were having fun.”

“Yep, but it’s almost time to go. So you gotta get ready with your mom.”

“Okay.”

Nikki walked Ashley back to her seat and introduced herself to Ashley’s mother. She was a nice woman who looked tired and worn out. She thanked Nikki and gave Ashley a hug.

“You’ve got a wonderful little lady there. You be a good girl, okay?” Nikki tickled the girl’s ribs.

“Okay,” Ashley giggled.

“Thank you again,” Ashley’s mom said.

Nikki winked and went back to her seat. She gathered her bags together and waited for the train to pull into the station. Nikki took a deep breath, let it out, and exited the train. She immediately spotted Trish and made her way in that direction.

“Need some help,” Trish asked surveying Nikki’s arms full of bags.

“Here, take this one. I can handle the rest.”

Trish took the indicated bag. “Damn! What’s in here? The kitchen sink?”

“You know I can’t go anywhere without my books.”

“Right.”

The two reached the pickup and loaded Nikki’s things in the back. The ride started off in silence before Trish asked, “How was the train?”

“It was fine. There was this darling little girl. She colored me a picture.” Nikki fished the sheet of paper out of her bag. “See?”

“Aww…how sweet!” Trish felt bittersweet. She and Nikki were supposed to have children. They had been trying when Nikki’s father got sick. The whole process had put a strain on the relationship and the added stress with Nikki needing to leave the job she had shared with Trish was more than they could handle. They parted ways, but cared too much about each other to stop contact completely. In fact, their friendship had deepened.

“Yeah.” Nikki sighed and returned the gift to her bag. “So tell me about the boss.”

“Well, she’s one fiery Scot,” Trish chuckled. “She’s gorgeous and…completely straight. In fact, she’s dating the other hand, if you can call it dating.”

“Uh huh, I see. Well, what’s the ranch like?”

“Beautiful. You’ll see.”

“Is it a long drive?”

“Naw. We’re almost there.”

It wasn’t five minutes later when Trish turned down a dirt driveway that was guarded by trees on both sides. The truck rattled to a stop in front of a two-story brown stone cottage.

“Wow,” Nikki breathed.

“I know.”

The two got the bags out of the back and made their way inside. They dumped the bags in the front room and made their way toward the back of the house. It was definitely bigger than it had appeared to be outside. In the kitchen, Trish saw the note left for her. She read it silently, then turned to Nikki, “Well so much for a quiet first day. Sorry.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that one of our horses has gone into labor early.”

“Well, show me the way.”

Trish led Nikki out the back, across the patio, and out to the barn. Nikki saw a mess of a horse, struggling to breathe and drenched in sweat. As she entered the stall, she saw a woman crouched by the mare stroking her. A worried look plastered on the woman’s face, her green eyes brimming with tears.

“Just hold on Bella,” the woman croaked.

“Looks like I got here just in time.”

Chapter Three

Nikki woke to the sun streaming into her room. She had not yet unpacked. The events of the night before had left her exhausted. She was able to get a quick shower in before collapsing into bed. Her room was actually a converted attic. It was roomy, but the odd angles and low ceiling were going to take Nikki some getting used to. The best feature of the space was the one window. It faced south and allowed a view of the land. It’s even more beautiful in the sunlight.

Nikki made her way down to the smell of breakfast cooking. As she rounded the corner to the kitchen, Nikki was stopped dead in her tracks. She zeroed in on the delicious bum pressed into a pair of slim-fitting jeans. It belonged to someone digging in the refrigerator.

“Good morning,” Nikki yawned.

The body that popped up from inside the fridge was that of Helen Stewart.

“Hiya,” Helen greeted cheerily.

Nikki’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. Not only had she been ogling her new boss, but Helen was dressed and ready while Nikki only had her baby blue sleep shorts and a white tank top on. She immediately felt self conscious and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Um…I just wanted to apologize for sleeping so late. I’ll go get dressed and then I’ll get started out in the west pasture,” Nikki stammered and then skittered back to her room before Helen had a chance to respond.

Nikki pulled on her favorite pair of jeans. They were faded and soft from years of wear and hugged Nikki’s curves but were still loose enough to allow her to move around. She doubled a white tank over a tan one and pulled a faded brown short sleeve pearl-snap shirt over the duo. She pulled on her boots, grabbed her hat, and made her way to the bathroom downstairs.

She brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face. As she toweled off, she looked herself over in the mirror. Her short black hair was sticking out in various directions from sleeping on it wet. She tried to smooth it down as best she could, but a few pieces remained stuck in their ways. She sighed and made her way back to the kitchen.

Helen sat at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands. Nikki noticed a cup waiting for her at the table across from Helen.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed this,” Nikki said as she sat and placed her hat on the table.

Helen smiled. “You really didn’t sleep that late. Trish and Thomas only got out there half an hour ago. We’re pretty laid back here. As for work today, I would expect you to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land. Then the animals. We have three pastures, and we rotate two herds of horses through them. Sometimes we use the third pasture to house the injured, sick, or expecting horses, depending on what the needs are. We have a wooded lot at the back of the property, but it’s not used for much of anything. Trish is building her cottage there. When she gets that up you can move into her room. I’m sorry about the attic. Trish didn’t let on that you were tall.”

Nikki chuckled. It was true that at almost six feet tall she usually towered over other women, but it never bothered her. “Trish is like that. She likes to tease me about my height. Has ever since we met. But it’s mutual. I’ve never let up on how short she is.”

Helen smiled. Nikki studied her face. Helen’s eyes lit up when she smiled. They almost sparkled with some kind of inner secret that she held onto. Nikki wondered what it was and if Helen would ever let her in on it.

“Well, that sounds about right.” Helen stood and turned to the stove. She produced a plate of food complete with hash, eggs, bacon, and toast which she placed in front of Nikki. Then turned around and retrieved her own plate as well as the jam. “This is apricot jam made fresh at the farm down the road. They’re a great lot. We’ll have a get together with them soon.”

Nikki’s mouth watered at the sight before her. Her stomach growled to remind her just how hungry she was. “You didn’t have to do all this Helen.”

“You should eat a proper breakfast before going out there, you’ll need it. This is something I do to take care of my staff. You know, show my appreciation. Besides you wouldn’t let me eat here all by myself would you?”

Nikki smiled, “No, of course not. We wouldn’t want that.” She couldn’t help but flirt a little. She could feel a slight attraction to her new boss, but knew that nothing would come of it.

Nikki took a bite and couldn’t stop the moan before it escaped. She giggled with embarrassment and apologized. She thought she saw Helen’s expression change for a second, but she couldn’t be sure, and she didn’t know how to read what she thought she saw.

“I never got to thank you for your help last night. If you hadn’t been there I’m sure we would have lost Bella and probably the foal too.”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for.”

“How did you know what to do?”

“When I was growing up I helped my dad on the ranch. We had a few of twisted foals and we tried a couple of techniques and found that one to be the most effective. It came in handy at some of the other ranches I worked on.” Nikki studied her plate to avoid eye contact.

Helen knew there was more that Nikki wasn’t telling, but she figured it was none of her business and if Nikki wanted to tell her she would, eventually. “Well, thank you again.”

Nikki scraped her plate clean and finally raised her eyes to meet Helen’s. “Well, I better get going.”

“Sure. Come see me if you have any questions. My office is on the second floor, first door on the left.”

“Okay.” Nikki gulped down the rest of her coffee, stood up, and slid the hat over her head letting it hang around her neck on a string. She gathered her dishes and placed them in the sink with the others. With that she turned and walked out the back door.

She walked to the barn to check up on Bella and the new addition. Bella looked much better now. She was standing in a corner munching on some fresh hay. The foal, while small, was spunky. She trotted around the stall and whinnied. Her whinny was so small and high it sounded like a squeak.

Nikki laughed. “Well now bird. You seem to be doing alright.”

The foal trotted over to where Nikki stood. Nikki scratched the small horse behind the ears. “You like that, huh bird?” Nikki continued rubbing the foal’s neck and nose and then pulled back. “Well, I better get going. You be a good girl, ok bird.”
Nikki checked the other stalls and made a mental count of what was in each stall as she made her way back out into the sun.

“Hey Nik, over here!”

She heard Trish calling her and made her way towards the voice. She was in a pen on the side of the barn. Thomas was with her and they had three horses with them. One was smaller than the others and covered in patches of brown and white. She was saddled and ready to go. Another was saddled too. This one was taller than the previous and mostly brown with a spot of white between the eyes. The third one was the tallest of them all and pure black. He was beautiful, no doubt, and obviously the one left for Nikki.

Thomas and Trish were leaning on the rails of the fence, smiling. “Hurry up Wade. We’ll show you around,” Trish said.

Nikki began to walk towards the black Arabian beauty. She could feel the animal tense up slightly, but remained calm and steady in her approach. She talked low and soft to the horse to let him know of her plans and where she was. He snorted a warning. Nikki paused, and then maintained her course. She could hear Trish whisper something to Thomas, but couldn’t hear his response. Then Trish raised her voice slightly, “No, we should tell her. I don’t want her to get hurt.” For most people this would deter them from pursuing their current task, but it had the opposite effect on Nikki. She was now confident and determined to show not only this horse what she was made of, but also Thomas and Trish.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Helen pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. She needed a break from the papers in front of her. She stood up, stretched, and walked to the window on the far wall. She looked out at the land which appeared golden under the sun’s light. She caught a glimpse of the new girl out of the corner of her eye. Helen couldn’t help but be amused by this woman. She seemed so unique, so different from the other women she had hired in the past. She was secretive but not in a cold way. It was as if knowing her was a privilege to be earned and Helen decided she was up for the challenge. Something about Nikki had intrigued her the moment she saw her the night before. The interest had grown throughout the events of the evening and even more so this morning.

Her mind rewound to breakfast. Seeing Nikki in the thin material of her sleep attire had affected Helen in a way she hadn’t expected, and seeing Nikki flushed with embarrassment had only made the feeling grow. Her hair was mussed from sleep and Helen got a glimpse of what she must have looked like as a child growing up. She smiled.

When Nikki made her second appearance, Helen was taken aback. She had transformed into a woman who looked like she had been on the ranch her whole life. She looked comfortable and confident in her worn jeans and shirt. Helen had glanced over Nikki’s entire body without realizing it, but couldn’t deny that the woman was undoubtedly attractive.

She continued replaying the morning and recalled the way Nikki ate her breakfast. Her first bite had elicited a moan. It was a deep guttural sound and Helen wondered if this was similar to the sounds the woman made in bed. This morning she couldn’t believe she had thought about her in such a way and immediately chastised herself, but now in the privacy of her office, she was slightly more open to the idea. She didn’t allow herself elaborate on it except to question why she was even interested in the subject. She knew Nikki was a lesbian. She knew that she had been Trish’s lover in the past and while she was fascinated by the thought of two women together, she couldn’t quite figure out how it worked. In her mind sex required both sexes, or so she thought.

Nikki seemed to distance herself a bit towards the end of breakfast and Helen had wondered why. She hoped she hadn’t said anything to make Nikki feel uncomfortable. She knew there was more to her new employee than meets the eye and hoped that someday Nikki would let her in.

As she looked down from her window, she watched Nikki make her way to the pen next to the barn. She could see Patches, Trish’s horse, and Dakota, Thomas’s horse, saddled and waiting with Trish and Thomas leaning against the fence. Then she saw Prince at the back of the pen. Helen’s heart began to race. She knew that the two liked to put each of the new hands through a test with Prince. She never liked it, but they usually stopped it before anyone was hurt. She watched Nikki make her way towards Prince. She saw her hesitate a moment and then proceed with her approach. Helen looked at Thomas and Trish, then back at Nikki, and then at Thomas and Trish again. Why aren’t they stopping her? She held her breath. She was amazed that Nikki had gotten this far. She was almost an arm’s length away from the Arabian. Nikki took another step, paused, then took another and reached her hand out. Prince placed his nose in her hand. Nikki rubbed it and then reached her other hand to stroke his cheek. Prince snorted as if it was no big deal he had let this woman close to him, let alone touch him. Helen let out a sigh of relief. But she was also astonished at what she had just seen. She could tell that Trish and Thomas were too. Nikki went and grabbed the saddle off the fence and gently placed it on Prince’s back, strapped it into place, and climbed up into the saddle. She then pulled the hat onto her head to shade her eyes.

Helen watched the other two hands walk dumbfounded to their horses and pull themselves into the saddles. They made their way out of the pen and off towards the west pasture. Helen continued watching until they exited her view. She shook her head in disbelief and then returned to her desk and the pile of paperwork needing attention.

The day flew by and the stack on her desk was diminished to just a few requisitions needing to be filled out and mailed. Helen leaned back in her chair and stretched. She looked at the clock. 4:30! I better get dinner started.

She made her way down to the kitchen and began preparing dinner. Soon Thomas and Trish walked in the back door followed by Nikki. Nikki made her way over to Helen.

“Do you need any help?”

Helen was taken aback by the question. “Um, okay, sure. Could you start up the grill?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Helen finished gathering the items and joined Nikki on the back patio. Nikki took over on the grill and Helen stayed to keep her company. They chatted about the day, the land, and the horses until the food was ready. Nikki loaded it up and the two took it back into the kitchen. They set the table and gave each setting a tall glass of ice water.

Dinner went well. All four talked and laughed, but no one brought up the incident with Prince.

After dinner, Helen headed back to her office to finish those last few forms. She heard the shower and figured the hands would have to battle it out for shower time every night. She usually took her showers in the morning especially since she didn’t spend all day outside in the sun and dust. She went to work on the forms and didn’t look up until they were finished. She sealed each in its own envelope addressed to their recipients. She then gathered them together to take down to the mailbox at the end of the drive way. It wasn’t that long of a walk, no more than twenty minutes round trip.

The evening was cool and crisp for this time of year. Definitely pleasant, and Helen was set to enjoy the walk.

“May I join you?”

Helen jumped. She hadn’t known anyone else was outside.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Nikki soothed and touched Helen’s shoulder.

“Oh Nikki, it’s you.” Helen took a breath. “Sure. I’d love some company. I’m just running these out to the mailbox.”

They began their walk in silence. The awkwardness grew until Nikki said, “Beautiful night isn’t it?”

“It sure is.”

The sky was bright shades of fuchsia and orange with the sun setting to their left. The trees rustled with the gentle breeze. And the subtle sounds of night began.
Nikki sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had been a while since she had a good breath of country night air. Helen repeated Nikki’s action. She felt it reach the tips of her fingers. Her body hummed with the sensations.

“I used to love nights like this. I would come outside with a cup of tea and just sit and take it all in,” Nikki sighed.

“That sounds nice. I think I’ll join you in that when we get back.”

The rest of the walk was spent in quiet awe of the beauty of nature.

Helen brewed the tea while Nikki stepped out onto the patio and lit the citronella to keep away mosquitoes and other buzzing flying insects. Helen had asked her how she took her tea before she had left and added a touch of honey and a twist of lemon to both cups, and then headed out the back door. Nikki had set candles all around the swinging bench. She was fluffing the last pillow as Helen headed over to her. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Nikki took a sip. “Mmmm…perfect.”

“Good. It looks nice out here.”

“Yeah well you can never have too much mosquito protection,” Nikki chuckled as she sat on the bench. She steadied it for Helen who found the arrangement quite cozy and allowed herself to sink into the bench while Nikki settled them into a rhythmic rocking. Helen could feel Nikki’s side pressing into her slightly. It was strong, yet soft. Not like Thomas at all. Thomas was hard under her touch no matter where she touched him. She had always found the touch of a man exciting, but this was different. She felt safe with Nikki, completely safe, even though she barely knew her. She sipped her tea and enjoyed the feeling in silence.

When she had drained her cup she set it on the table in front of them, and then settled back into her spot. She began to feel the effects of the day and the warm tea settling her nerves as well as the gentle rocking of the seat. Her eyes began to drift closed and she unknowingly snuggled up next to Nikki.

Helen had just begun to dream when a gentle voice shook her from sleep. She slowly opened her eyes to find Nikki’s dark brown eyes gazing down at her.

“Helen, I think it’s time we get you to bed.”

Helen sighed and fluttered her eyes closed again.

“Okay babes, you got a few more minutes.”

Helen shivered against Nikki so Nikki wrapped an arm around her for warmth. Helen teetered on the brink of sleep but kept fighting it. She felt so warm, so comfortable sitting with this woman and yet she felt excited and anxious to see what she would do next. She waited while Nikki finished her tea and set her cup beside Helen’s. She then stood and turned back to Helen keeping a hand on her to keep her from falling over.

“Helen. You awake?” Nikki shook her.

Helen stirred slightly, but remained heavy lidded.

“Come on babes.”

Helen was amused with the term of endearment Nikki kept using. She figured that if Nikki knew Helen was really awake, she wouldn’t have used it. Her thoughts were interrupted by Nikki placing Helen’s arms around her neck, then sliding one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. Is she really going to try to carry me?

Nikki lifted her with ease. I guess she’s stronger than she looks. Helen rested her head on Nikki’s chest, and then finally allowed herself to wake up. “What are you doing?”

“Well good morning sleepyhead.” Nikki gently put Helen’s feet on the floor and held her upright.

Helen stretched and rubbed her eyes. “I am perfectly capable of walking, thank you.” She hadn’t meant for the words to come out as curt as they had sounded. “I’m sorry Nikki. It’s just been a hard day. And more than likely tomorrow will be the same.”

“Anything I can do?”

“No, but thanks for the offer.”

“Well, if you’ve got it from here, I better be off myself. Goodnight.”

“Good night Nikki.” Helen watched Nikki disappear into the darkness.

Brilliant hunni

Love this more soon please :clap

Very interesting beginning! Waiting for more soon! :clap

:wub: Fantastic fic! :wub: :clap cant wait ... :innocent

Awesome story! :clap

can't wait for more.

:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap Excellent - cant wait for an update

Ok guys sorry for the delay, but I hope this makes up for it...

Chapter Four

Two Weeks Later

Helen and Nikki had continued watching the sun set each night with a cup of tea. Helen grew to cherish these experiences. They were times of mature conversation and sharing. Nikki talked mostly of books she had read. Helen opened up a bit more and told a few stories of growing up in Scotland. Both women didn’t push the other for more information, but both were curious of the other.

Helen woke up dreading the events before her. She had a long day ahead at the livestock show. She had no entries this go, but still had plenty to do. She had to make the rounds, enterprise and research, make a few offers and create interest in her business as well. She was taking Thomas with her, a decision she was coming to regret, but he had gone with her to several shows before and had aided with the purchase of many of the animals on the ranch.

She didn’t really know how to explain her situation with Thomas to others. He was simply a man that catered to her needs, both professionally and personally. Nothing more. In fact he lived in his own house a few miles away from the ranch only spending the night with Helen every once in a while. Usually, they would have their fun and then Thomas would go to his own bed in his own home. Helen liked it that way. Relationships were complicated and had only led to heartache in the past. She had always had a problem with commitment. She just couldn’t trust anyone with her heart and emotions. At least not yet.

Helen yawned and sat up in her bed. The room was still dark since the sun hadn’t risen yet. She slipped on her fluffy robe and headed to the kitchen to put the coffee on. She hadn’t expected what she found there.

Trish was sitting on the counter with Nikki standing between her legs. Trish’s head was thrown back and her eyes closed. Nikki was kissing her neck and was supporting Trish with one arm behind her back while the other one was hidden between their bodies. Helen froze. She was unprepared and was suddenly hit with a slew of emotions. She darted out of sight.

What are they doing? That’s my kitchen! Helen was angry at the thought of someone else having sex in her kitchen. She didn’t even want to start on thinking about the sanitary aspects. But she didn’t want to stop them.

She peeked around the corner and saw Trish muffle her shrieks of pleasure in Nikki’s shoulder. Helen wondered what it felt like. She had had orgasms before, but she knew that a woman must be able to bring much more passion and pleasure to the experience since she understood the female body much better than a man. She felt herself flush at the thought and a burning started in her core.

As soon as she realized her excitement, she turned back to anger. Stop it Helen! You’re straight! She began to feel pangs of jealousy. Her relationship with Nikki was growing into a close friendship and she was jealous of Trish for having Nikki so close.

She had to do something to stop this activity; she had to make herself known. She gathered her courage and marched into the kitchen. Trish’s eyes flew open to the sound of someone else’s presence and clutched Nikki in fear. Nikki froze in embarrassment. Both women knew it was Helen who had just walked in on them. It couldn’t be anybody else.

Helen cleared her throat. Nikki turned to face her and Trish quickly pulled her shirt closed. Helen had to fight not to laugh at the two. Trish had the ‘deer caught in headlights’ expression on her face, while Nikki looked like a child who had sheepishly got her hand caught in the cookie jar.

“Excuse me,” Helen flustered.

“No, excuse us. We had no idea what time it was,” Nikki said.

“Um, excuse me,” Trish said barely above a whisper and made her way out of the kitchen.

Nikki let out a sigh and grabbed a rag from under the sink. She then began cleaning up after her escapade. “Sorry Helen. I’ll get this cleaned up straight away.”

“Good. And then you can help me make breakfast.”

“Hmm?” Nikki thought both women needed a bit of time to process what had just happened.

“Well, it’s the least you can do for scaring me out of my wits.” Helen’s accent thickened when she was angry which forced a smile on Nikki’s face.

“You know you’re pretty cute when you’re angry.”

Helen was confused. She was pleased by the compliment but frustrated because only moments earlier Nikki was being intimate with someone else. Not that I want her to be intimate with me! Helen turned to the refrigerator and stuck her head inside to avoid eye contact with Nikki and to clear her head.

“Alright boss, where do you want me?”

“Could you start the coffee?”

“Sure.”

“And make it extra strong,” Helen added. I think I’m gonna need it.

Helen gathered the items from the fridge and set them on the counter. Nikki came up beside her and for the first time since Nikki’s arrival on the ranch Helen felt uncomfortable. She put a bit more distance between their bodies.

“Helen, look, I know that we’re both embarrassed by what happened. But if we’re going to continue working together, we have to get over this.”

“It’s not that simple. My eyes have been opened and now I see you differently.”

Helen could see the hurt in Nikki’s eyes, but she had to tell her the truth.

Nikki took a breath and started, “But I’m still the same person. I haven’t changed overnight. You knew that I was a lesbian before you hired me, didn’t you? I mean I just figured Trish was upfront about that.”

“Yes. She did tell me. More than once, actually. But I thought you and Trish were over. I didn’t think I was going to have to face it personally.”

Nikki chuckled. “Well, that was a bit naïve, don’t you think? I mean you can’t put two lesbians under the same roof and not expect some action, especially if the two in question have a past.”

Helen nodded in agreement.

“And just for the record, Trish and I aren’t back together,” Nikki said as she moved back to the coffee pot to fix two mugs.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk, Miss Stewart,” Nikki teased lightly. “I’ve seen you and Thomas.”

Nikki handed Helen her mug of brew and smiled mischievously.

Helen blushed a bit. “Well that’s different,” she rationalized.

“Oh really? How’s that?”

“Thomas and I aren’t partners. We have an understanding about what we want from each other. It’s left at that.”

“I don’t see the difference. Gay people get just as sexually frustrated as straight people. That’s all it was, a release of tension.”

It was true and Helen could see that, and it wasn’t even the act that bothered her anymore. She was more unnerved by her own reaction. And for the first time this week she was looking forward to spending the day away from the ranch, away from Nikki.

Helen and Nikki continued with breakfast and were almost finished when Trish made her return. The three sat down to breakfast in silence which was gratefully broken by the arrival of Thomas.

“I’m not too late to catch a bite before we head out, am I?”

“No, of course not, please join us hon.”

Thomas smiled. Helen didn’t usually use terms of endearment and he hoped this was a sign that she was ready to move on to the next step in their relationship.

Breakfast was soon over and everyone scattered to get ready for the day. Thomas waited in the front room while Helen went and got dressed.

Helen decided to take a quick shower and started the water. She brushed her teeth before stepping under the hot spray. Helen tried to clear her mind but the same picture of Nikki and Trish pervaded her thoughts. She shook the image from her head only to have it return moments later. The whole act seemed much more intimate that any sexual incident she had experienced. It made sense. A person would have to give much more to pleasure someone while not receiving anything at the moment. With a man it was instant gratification for both parties involved, for the most part. It seemed like Nikki was a thoughtful and gracious lover and Helen found herself craving that in a partner. She wondered what it would be like to be ravished by someone who was not only in it for their own pleasure.

Helen wiped the water from her face and turned off the shower. She stepped out onto the cold tile floor and wrapped a towel around her. She grabbed another and began towel drying her hair. She pulled it back into a ponytail. She was happy that it had finally grown out long enough to pull it out of her face. About a year ago she had decided it was a good idea to cut her hair short, to about chin length. It didn’t necessarily look bad, but Helen had missed being able to just pull it back and go when needed.

She headed into her room which was joined to the master bath. She slipped into simple white cotton bra and panties then pulled on her jeans. She topped it off with a plain white T-shirt. Her most comfortable boots were a faded brown and she grabbed one of her many hats off the shelf before heading down to join Thomas.

The drive to the show was quiet. Thomas had insisted that he drive and take his truck. Helen was beginning to notice Thomas’s idiosyncrasies more and more. He didn’t think that he was sexist, but Helen found that he assumed that he needed to take care of her or any other woman that came along, that he needed to do the grunt work, and that he knew more about the business simply because it was “men’s work.” Helen usually blew off his macho behavior but today it seemed to get under her skin. She figured it was because she was already in a bad mood.

When they arrived at the stock show, Helen took a deep breath, shook her head, and tried to start the day over. She was determined to get over this morning before she had to face Nikki again and there was no point in taking it out on Thomas.

Helen and Thomas went to a couple of events together, but then decided to split up after lunch and cover more ground. Helen wanted to see the show horses and the colt auction and suggested Thomas go to two auctions himself then they would meet and discuss future plans for the ranch based on information they gathered at the events.

Lunch was ridiculously expensive for what was offered, so Helen decided to split a hamburger and fries with Thomas and each got a bottle of water. They laughed and talked while they ate and Helen remembered why she enjoyed his company. He was charming and always made her feel wanted and cherished. Thomas threw their trash in a nearby bin and then helped Helen to her feet. The two parted ways after making plans to meet back up in three hours.

Helen found the arena for the show horses and walked through the stables before taking her seat in the stands. She watched each of the breeds and how the handlers led them. She watched for temperament in the horses. All of them seemed to possess grace and beauty, but there were subtle differences between the breeds. She took note of the horses she liked best and their breeders. The show lasted just over an hour and she decided she had a little time before she had to make the auction. She made her way to the handlers and their horses. She talked with them asking questions and took a closer inspection of the animals. A few of them inquired about her business and she explained that she was at a crossroads and was trying to make a decision on which way to go. She took down a few numbers before heading across the grounds to the auction.

There was a good size crowd forming by the time Helen got to the arena. Helen expected this. It was one of the most popular events at the show and many of the ranchers were eager to see the fresh horses.

As Helen made her way through the crowd she bumped into a familiar shoulder.

“Hey!”

“So sorry,” Helen began to apologize.

“Helen! My, my! Finally making it out to a show, eh?”

“Claire! What are you doing here?”

“Here with John. He’s over at the bull auction. I got bored so I headed over here. You know I’m a sucker for the little ones.”

Helen smiled. Claire had talked John into getting a horse for each of them and one for each of their three girls as well. She had met Claire soon after she came to the States at a barbeque on a local farm. Helen had wanted to meet some of the locals in the business, but Claire was only there for her husband. Even though Claire had no interest in ranching, farming, or agriculture, Helen was drawn to her. She had always been able to make Helen laugh and she could always be depended on. “It’s been a while hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Um, like a month or so, right?”

“Sorry about that Claire. Been busy. Bella had her foal, two weeks early I might add. Scared me to death. Luckily, the new girl I hired knew what she was doing and saved Bella and the foal.” Immediately, Helen’s thoughts flashed to Nikki. Her stubbornness. How she could smile with her eyes. Her casualness. Her ability to win over Prince. The affects she had on Trish’s body this morning. She shook the last image from her mind.

“Oh, a new girl? What’s she like?”

“Let’s grab a seat and I’ll tell you all about her.”

Helen and Claire made their way to the stands and grabbed a seat in the third row as close to the center as possible. No sooner had they sat down than Claire turned to Helen, “Alright. Out with it. I know there’s something more than you’re letting on.”

Helen rolled her eyes. It was true; she had never been able to keep a secret from Claire.

“Well, her name is Nikki, Nikki Wade. Trish worked with her before and when I said I needed a new hand she said she knew just the person for the job. So that was that. I hired her, she came, and she’s proven her worth.”

“Hmm?” Claire raised her eyebrow questioningly.

“Well, the night she arrived she saved Bella. Bella’s labor was difficult and Thomas had pretty much given up on her, but then Nikki came in and took over. She told us what to do and not too much longer we had a small but feisty foal and a very tired and sore, but alive, mother. She’s kinda taken with the new horse.”

Claire smiled. “Sounds like you’re pretty taken with her.”

“Well, she’s even got Prince on her side.”

“What?”

“She’s tamed Prince! First time she saw him she was able to get right up next to him. Even rode him!”

“Wow! She must really be something! When am I gonna meet this miracle worker?”

“You and John should come over tomorrow. We’ll have a barbeque. I’ll see if I can get some of the others over too. It has been a while since we all got together.”

“As much as I love John, I could really go for a girl’s night. Would you mind?”

“No, that sounds great! Thomas has been kinda working on my nerves lately. It would be good to have some space and here’s my perfect excuse.”

Helen and Claire enjoyed watching the auction and Helen took notes on what was being sold and for how much. She made a couple of bids, but low ones. She wasn’t in any position to buy anything today. At the end Claire and Helen chatted a bit more, and then Helen looked at her watch.

“I’ve got to go. I’ve got to meet Thomas and get back to the ranch.”

“Well, it was good to see you.”

“Yeah, you too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The two hugged before Helen headed off to meet Thomas.

She spotted him moments before he saw her and started waving. She sighed and walked over to him.

“Helen, guess what! I just bought five new horses!”

Helen’s jaw dropped. “You what?”

“I bought five horses for the ranch. We can pick them up tomorrow,” he said excitedly.

Helen tried to remain calm but her anger was beginning to mount. She took a breath. “And why did you buy five horses that I can’t pay for?”

“Oh, come on Helen. They were a bargain. You can spare a couple thousand dollars.”

“Really? And how do you know that? You haven’t seen the books! Just because you and I share a bed sometimes doesn’t mean you know my financial situation! You have no idea!”

There was no holding back now. Helen had lost it, she was furious, and she was going to let Thomas have the brunt of it. She paused for a breath. Thomas just stood there. He had not been prepared for this kind of reaction. She had appreciated it when he took control of the situation in the past and he had thought she would be overjoyed by his decision.

“Daft prick! You better come up with some way to fix this. Tell them you made a mistake! Do something, anything, and do it quick! I’ll be at the truck.”

“Helen,” Thomas started, but it was too late. Helen turned on her heel and marched to the parking lot. Her vision was blurred by the tears threatening to escape from her eyes. She reached Thomas’s truck, then, realizing she didn’t have the keys, she sat on the back bumper and held her head in her hands. She wanted to rip her hair out. How can he be so stupid! How could he just go and spend MY money like that?!

Helen had regained some of her composure before Thomas made his appearance. He held his head in shame, but also in anger. He couldn’t believe Helen would make such a spectacle! She had yelled at him in public, in front of hundreds of people, and belittled not only his decision-making skills, but him as a person as well. He walked to the truck, unlocked the door, and held it open for Helen then made his way to the driver’s side and got in.

As soon as his door shut, Helen turned to him, “Is it all sorted out?”

His silence gave her the answer. An answer she didn’t want, but an answer she had to face. She took a breath and tried to keep her head.

“They said they were sorry for my situation, but all sales are final.”

“And what am I supposed to do? I’m out two thousand dollars because of you!”

“I’ll pay.” Thomas’s voice was almost that of a child’s.

“What? And how do you expect to do that?”

“I’ve got a bit saved up. I was gonna buy something else with it, but that’ll have to wait a bit longer I guess.”

Helen rubbed her head. She never liked being the bad guy, but she had to do something. “We’ll work some kind of payment schedule out or something.”

That was the last sentence spoken between the two that day. As soon as they pulled up to Helen’s driveway, Helen motioned for him to stop and let her out. She needed the walk to calm her down. She didn’t need to go in and make things worse between her and Trish and Nikki. She then remembered that the events of this morning were still unresolved. Great! This day is just one fucking disaster after another!

She took a few deep cleansing breaths and entered her house. She was immediately hit with a wonderful smell. She made her way to the kitchen and was surprised to find Nikki cooking up a storm.

“Hey boss.” Nikki took one look at Helen and knew things hadn’t gone well. Nikki pulled a chair out. “Here, have a seat. Let me pour you a glass of wine. You look like you could use it.”

“Thanks Nikki.”

Helen sat down and Nikki handed her a glass of white wine. Helen took a sip and let the liquid unwind her nerves. Nikki checked on the contents of the oven and the two pots on the stove, before joining Helen at the table with her own glass of wine.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Actually, no. I want to forget today. But I can’t, can I?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Well, we’ve got five more horses that are going to join us tomorrow.”

“Oh wow. I thought you weren’t going to buy anything yet.”

“Me, too,” Helen sighed before taking a big gulp of wine.

“Uh oh. Did they get to you?”

“Nope. They got to Thomas.”

“What do you mean?”

“Thomas bought five horses for the ranch,” Helen said numbly as she emptied her glass.

“Oh.” Nikki was at a loss for words. She simply refilled Helen’s glass.

There was a moment of silence before Helen spoke up. “Where’s Trish?”

“She’s down checking on the progress of her place. Looks like she can move in pretty soon. Couple of weeks at the latest.” Nikki got up and returned to the stove.

“Well, that’ll be good. She’ll have her own place.” And I won’t have to walk in on you two again.

“Yeah, I think she’s looking forward to finally having a place she can call her own. It was real nice to sell her that piece of property for that price.”

“She deserves it. She’s been one of my best workers for nearly four years now. And I want her to be happy. I know living with me isn’t the easiest task.” Helen got up and joined Nikki at the stove.

“Oh it’s not that bad,” Nikki said and bumped Helen’s hip with her own.

Helen smiled. Things with Nikki were okay. Neither one was holding onto the embarrassment from that morning. Trish arrived just as dinner was ready.

Dinner went well. All three women talked about the latest celebrity gossip and laughed at some of the claims in the tabloids. Helen felt good. It was a total turn around from earlier, and she found herself truly enjoying the meal. Afterwards, Helen excused herself and asked Nikki for a rain check on tea. She needed a little time to sort out some things. She put her dishes in the sink and headed to her office.

Helen took out her files and looked over them again. She wasn’t in the red yet, but if she didn’t start pulling in a profit soon, she would be forced to give up the ranch. She could hear her family’s “I told you so” now. Her sister and mother both thought this ranch was a waste of time and her inheritance. Her father was the only one who understood her dream, and his death made it possible. Helen blew out her breath and let a tear slide down her cheek.

She got up and went to the window. She looked out over the land and saw the horses galloping around in the east pasture. She needed to be out there, to feel Prince beneath her and the wind around her, to hear the sounds of night.

She turned off her light and made her way down the stairs and out of the house. She headed to the barn and saddled up Prince. She walked him out into the night and then climbed up into the saddle. She had him start in a trot and pushed him to a gallop. She was going to have him jump the fence to the south pasture. He leaped and for a second Helen felt like she was flying. She held on to Prince’s mane and readied herself for the impact of the landing. It was smoother than she had expected and they continued up to the tree on the hill.

She slowed him to a walk and she looked up at the stars. She trusted him and let him choose the path. Helen continued staring at the sky lost in her thoughts. Prince came to a stop and Helen looked around to get her bearings which she guessed were somewhere fairly close to the pond. She figured she’d let the horse rest a bit and slid down off his back. She wound the reigns loosely around the saddle horn and started walking. As she walked she heard faint sounds of splashing and laughter. She was curious and made her way in the direction the sounds were coming from.

The pond came into view and Nikki and Trish were swimming and splashing each other which elicited fits of giggles and shouts of revenge. Helen ducked under the shade of a tree hoping to go unnoticed. She didn’t want another experience like this morning. And the pond was nowhere near the same situation as her kitchen.

Once Helen had settled into place, she looked back to the pond. Nikki climbed up the big rock at the water’s edge. She was only a shadow moving up the boulder’s side, but Helen could see her grace and agility through the darkness.

It was only when Nikki reached the top that Helen noticed Nikki was completely naked. Her eyes grazed over the entire length of Nikki’s body and nearly choked. Nikki’s body glinted under the light of the moon. Her tan skin glowed as the water ran down her in little rivers to fall to the rock below. She shook the water from her hair which left it wildly sticking out from her head. Her legs were long and lean, as was the rest of her body. The muscles in her stomach flexed as she shouted down at Trish. Her breasts were larger than Helen had thought they would be, but perfectly round and perky. Helen felt a stirring within her. It was a fluttering in her stomach and a burning lower. Well no wonder Trish wants her! She’s gorgeous!

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Nikki stood on the edge of the rock, taunting Trish below. The gentle night wind blew around her and sent a chill up her spine. She shivered a bit and decided it was time to get back in the water. She backed up to get a running start and took off and leaped from the edge of the rock. She landed with a splash and surfaced moments later. Trish surprised her and dunked her back under the water. She grabbed her attacker around the ribs and pulled her down. Both women broke the surface of the water laughing.

Nikki dove under the water and swam away from Trish only to be grabbed by the foot. Trish pulled her back and slid her hand up the full length of Nikki’s leg. She let her hand travel to the tender flesh on Nikki’s inner thigh and gently brush over her pubic region. Nikki gasped. Before last night, it had been a while since that part of her body had had any attention, but she knew that she and Trish needed to have a talk before things got out of control.

“Trish, we need to talk.”

Trish’s face fell instantly. She knew that when someone says that it is never a good thing. She decided to play it cool, “Talk about what?”

“Oh come on Trish, I know you’re not stupid. We need to talk about what’s going on here.”

“Well, what do you think is going on?”

“Well, I think we had a great night last night…”

“Last night was good, wasn’t it?” Trish interrupted.

“It was, but I don’t want you getting the wrong idea. I’m not ready for a relationship.”

Trish was silent.

“Look it’s just that I don’t want us to ruin what we’ve worked so hard on. We’re great together…as friends.”

“Yeah,” Trish sighed and swam for the shore.

“Trish, wait.” Nikki swam after her.

Trish waded in the shallows and made it to dry land with Nikki close behind her. She marched over to the bushes to find her clothes but was stopped by Nikki’s hand on her shoulder.

“Trish, don’t get upset. Talk to me.”

“Just leave it Nikki.”

Nikki let her go. She knew Trish needed some time to cool off. They would talk tomorrow. Nikki let her have a head start beck to the ranch and got her clothes back on. She took a deep breath and started on the trek back to the ranch. She and Trish had ridden Patches out here and now Nikki had to make the trip on foot. She walked a few minutes before sensing someone behind her. She turned quickly to face her opponent.

“Jeez, Nikki! What the hell are you doing out here at this hour?”

“Eh, you know, this and that,” Nikki chuckled. “Helen you just about scared the life out of me.”

“Sorry.”

“What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be soaking in the tub with a glass of wine?”

“Nah. I needed to be out here, with the land,” Helen breathed deep and looked around. “Speaking of a good soak, I’m guessing you found the pond.”

“Yeah, Trish and I went for a swim, but I lost my ride back.”

“Uh-oh. Problem with the missus?” Helen teased.

“Let’s just say we saw our relationship going in different directions.”

“Ooh, that is a problem. Well there’s plenty of room up here if ya want?”

“Thanks boss.” Nikki climbed up onto Prince behind Helen. With nothing else to hold on to, she placed her hands on Helen’s waist. Her fingers tingled at the touch. Something she hadn’t really expected, but enjoyed for the moment. She felt Helen tense under her hands, but relax almost just as quickly.

“I’m sorry. Should I hold onto something else?” Nikki had intended it to have a double meaning.

Helen smiled. “Oh and what else could you hold on to?”

Nikki took this as an invitation to raise the stakes. She began to slide her hands up Helen’s body. “Oh, well, maybe it would be better if…” Nikki could feel Helen holding her breath and moved her hands from Helen’s ribs to the reigns in her hands. “I held on to these.”

Helen let out her breath slowly. “Oh well, if it makes you more comfortable.”

“Now you can just lean back and relax all the way back to the house.” Nikki was hoping she would. She wanted to feel Helen’s body pressed up against hers. It was probably the most she would get from this woman and she might as well take advantage of the opportunity. Helen settled against Nikki and let her lead Prince back to the house.

The whole ride home Nikki tried to fight the burning in her core, but was unsuccessful. It only grew to unbearable heights. She struggled to control her breathing and maintain her focus on guiding Prince on the path back to the barn. She had to admit that she could get used to this feeling, but she also felt guilty. She had just told Trish that she didn’t want a relationship, but that was a lie. The truth was she did want a relationship but not with Trish. She and Trish had grown apart in that sense and had cemented their friendship. She enjoyed Trish, she loved Trish, and she wanted Trish to be happy, but she knew that she wasn’t the answer. Nikki knew that their past was making things difficult between them now that they were back in each other’s company, but she hoped that they could get past it.

She stopped Prince in front of the barn and dropped the reigns. Helen sat up slightly and allowed Nikki to slide down to the ground. Nikki turned back to help Helen down. She grabbed Helen’s waist and eased her down to the ground. Helen turned around in Nikki’s arms and looked her in the eyes. Nikki felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her, but she fought it off. They spent a couple of seconds lost in the other’s eyes, the heat building between them. When Nikki couldn’t take it anymore, she turned her head and grabbed Prince’s reigns. With her back to Helen she allowed herself to breathe slowly trying to steady her nerves.

Helen cleared her throat.

“Um, I’ll take care of Prince if you want to go on up to bed. I know you must be exhausted after today.”

“Yeah, I am pretty tired. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No, it’s no problem.”

“Okay, well goodnight Nikki.”

Nikki turned back to Helen. “Goodnight Helen. Sweet dreams.”

“You too.”

Nikki smiled. Oh I will. Dreams of you could only be sweet.

Helen turned and made her way to the back door of her house and Nikki enjoyed watching her hips sway with every step. Only after Helen made it safely into the house did Nikki take Prince into the barn. She took the gear off of him and rinsed him down before taking him to an open stall at the back. She closed the gate behind him and went to get some oats for him. She filled the small trough on the door and as he ate she stroked his head and began to talk to him.

“Prince, what am I gonna do about her, huh? She has gotten under my skin, that’s for sure. I know there’s no way we could be together, I mean she’s straight. But she has to feel it too, right? Like tonight. What was that about? What do you think?”

Prince grunted and went back to the oats.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Nikki sighed then turned and left the barn.

Nikki headed to the bathroom to take a shower. She turned the hot water on and stripped her clothes off. As soon as she steeped under the warm spray she let the tension run out of her body and swirl down the drain. The water felt so good on her skin and she stood there for several minutes before going through her cleansing routine. She rubbed her head with shampoo. Her hair was short and didn’t require much work. Her attention went to her body. She was careful to wash every inch of her skin. She closed her eyes as she lathered the sponge and ran it over herself. She slid a soapy hand down her neck, between her breasts, and across her stomach. As she did, she kept seeing Helen’s face, the innocence in her eyes, the hunger. She opened her eyes and let out her breath as she stepped back under the water. The soap and water slid down her body only adding to Nikki’s excitement. Get it out of your head Wade! It’s never going to happen so just forget it!

Nikki shut the water off and stepped out onto the cool tile floor and began toweling herself off. She wrapped the towel around her body and left the bathroom. She made her way to the stairs in the dark and treaded up them lightly. She didn’t want to wake anyone.

Once in her room, she dropped the towel on the floor and sat on her bed. She took her lotion out of her nightstand and began applying liberal amounts of the moisturizer to her legs. As she rubbed it in she thought she heard someone outside her door on the stairs. She stopped and listened. She didn’t hear anything so she continued with the lotion on her torso and arms. As she was rubbing it into her hands she heard the sound again. Helen!

Nikki couldn’t help but hope the woman had come to her senses and want to explore the situation further. She knew it wasn’t plausible but she still could dream.

She got up and grabbed the towel and replaced it around her body before making her way across the room to the door. She opened it slowly.

“Nikki! I’m so sorry! Did I wake you?”

“No, Trish, I just got out of the shower.”

“I just wanted to apologize for earlier. It was wrong of me to just leave you out there to fend for yourself.”

“It’s okay. Helen was out there and came upon me in my deserted state and rescued me.” Nikki emphasized the events to lay on the guilt and tease Trish.

“Oh.” Trish hung her head.

“Look. It’s okay. I’m okay. We’re gonna be okay.” Nikki wrapped an arm around Trish and gave her a small friendly hug. “We’ll just be more careful about things and we won’t let our bodies tell us what to do, okay?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“You know that’s the best thing.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, well, you have a goodnight and be careful. You scared me to death earlier.”

“What do you mean? You scared me when you opened the door. I had just climbed the stairs and was about to knock when you opened the door.”

Nikki’s heart skipped in her chest and she tried her hardest to hide it. “Oh I guess it was just the house creaking.”

“Yeah, it does that. Goodnight Nikki.”

“G’night Trish.”

Nikki closed the door then leaned on it trying to catch her breath. Could it really have been Helen she heard earlier? Still, she didn’t actually knock on your door, did she? Even if it was her she’s not ready yet, so calm down Wade!

Nikki made her way back across the room and draped the towel over the back of a chair then crawled in between the cool sheets. She turned off the lights but it would be a while before she would fall asleep. Visions of Helen outside her door pervaded her thoughts.



Chapter Five

The Following Night

Nikki was a bit nervous about meeting Helen’s friends and she didn’t quite know why. She had never been known as shy, in fact, her outspokenness had got her into trouble on more than one occasion. For some reason she felt she needed to impress these women, she needed their approval for Helen’s sake, and she wasn’t quite sure how to go about it, but she had two hours to figure it out.

Helen had put her in charge of the grill, which was one thing Nikki could use in her favor. She was a whiz on the grill and she knew it. She had spent an hour this morning preparing the meat and marinade and left them all day to soak in her secret recipe.

Now she was at the hurry up and wait stage. The period of time where you have nothing to do and you can’t start preparing for the guests or it’ll be ready long before the guests are due to arrive. She wondered what Helen was doing. Last she heard Helen had gone to take a bath, and for a moment Nikki allowed herself to imagine the water running down her body. She shook the image from her head and chided herself. She knew she was going to have to get over this little crush she had on her boss. Even if she was interested it would never work. You just don’t date the boss, it makes things complicated. Look at her and Thomas!

Helen appeared then in a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a thin white t-shirt. Nikki’s mouth hung open for a second before she could recover. She was sure Helen wasn’t wearing anything under that shirt and she knew immediately that the task of getting over Miss Stewart was going to be a difficult one.

“Is that what you’re going to wear tonight?” Nikki croaked.

“Yeah. I figure it’s only girls. I don’t get to wear these things often. Might as well take advantage of the opportunity.”

“I see. You don’t think you’re gonna get cold?”

“Nah. That’s what the hot tub is for.”

“Oh.”

Nikki had seen the hot tub on the patio. It was on the far side, but she assumed that it was either broken or empty because it had not been used once since her arrival on the ranch. It remained covered and untouched.

“I better go make sure it’s ready for the guests.”

With that, Helen walked out the back door.

Nikki couldn’t believe it. Usually straight women put more clothes on around her not took them off. Not that she was complaining.

She needed to find Trish and ask her about the women coming over. Trish had met most of Helen’s friends over the years, so she would know what to expect tonight. Something that Nikki desperately needed in order to keep her cool. Nikki headed up the stairs to the second floor and down the short hallway to Trish’s door and knocked.

“Come in.”

Nikki opened the door and walked in.

“I thought it was you. You alright?”

Trish was sitting in a chair by her window rubbing lotion on her exposed calves. She had on shorts and a red bikini top. The brightness of the red made her skin appear paler than it really was. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail.

“So, about these girls coming over tonight…what are they like?”

“Um, her best friend Claire is nice, a bit high maintenance, but sweet. She’s pretty funny, too. Her husband, John, owns a cattle ranch, but she’s not into the business at all.”

“Okay.”

“Yvonne seems tough, but she’s really a sweetheart…if you don’t cross her. Stay on her good side and she can be one of your greatest friends, but get on her bad side and you’ll wish you had never met her.”

“Good side. Check.”

“The two Julies are sweet. They aren’t the brightest, but what they don’t have in brains they make up for in heart. They’re business partners. They own a farm just down the way.”

“Oh, are they the ones that make the jam?”

“That’s them. I think that’s all that’s coming tonight.”

“Okay.”

“You aren’t nervous are you?”

“Me? Nervous? No. I don’t get nervous.”

“That’s what I thought,” Trish smiled. She knew that Nikki was in fact nervous, but she didn’t know why.

“Well, I better get changed. Then I gotta start up the grill.”

“Alright. I’ll see ya down there.”

Nikki left Trish’s room and went up to her own. She knew she needed to change clothes if she was going to feel comfortable surrounded by half naked women. She fished her black bikini out of the bottom of her drawer and slipped it on. She tugged a loose pair of jeans on and slipped a black belt through the loops. She fastened the belt loosely around her waist. She took her cream-colored pearl snap shirt out of her closet and pulled it over her shoulders, leaving it unbuttoned, and went down to the bathroom. She wet her hands, then ran them through her hair. She squeezed a small amount of gel into her hand, rubbed them together, then applied the gel to her hair, spiking it up messily. She rinsed the remaining gel off her hands and smeared some mascara on her lashes for the finishing touch. She looked at herself in the mirror. I guess that’ll have to do.

She headed down and out to the patio and fired up the grill. She left it to heat up and headed back into the kitchen for the food. She grabbed the steaks, ribs, and chicken and headed back out to the grill. Setting them aside, she returned to the kitchen for the veggies: corn on the cob and sweet potatoes. She also grabbed the foil before returning to the grill. She placed the slabs of meat on one side then wrapped each of the potatoes in foil and put them on the other side of the grill. She wrapped the corn on the cob individually and set them aside. She closed the lid and turned the heat down.

She headed back into the kitchen to grab a drink and nearly ran into Helen.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Nikki. It’s alright. You got the grill fired up?”

Yep. I was just gonna grab a beer, you want one?”

“Sure.”

Nikki grabbed two bottles from the fridge, opened one and handed it to Helen, then opened the other and took a swig.

“Thanks,” Helen said before she gulped down almost a quarter of the bottle.

“Woah. Easy boss, we’ve got all night you know.”

“Aye, but I have to drink twice as fast as you Americans to keep up with you guys,” Helen chuckled.

“Oh is that how it is, huh? You have to insult our drinking abilities?”

“More like drinking inabilities,” Helen smiled and tipped her bottle back once again.

“Oh it’s on.”

Nikki drained her bottle then grabbed another one before heading back out to the grill. She flipped the meat over and placed the corn with the potatoes. She slathered some of her secret recipe on each of the steak and chicken breasts, and her own barbeque sauce on the ribs. She closed the lid slowly and opened her beer. She took a sip then set it on the table and went around and lit the citronella candles before sitting on the bench. Trish joined her after a bit.

“Wow, Nikki, you look…good.”

“Well, I felt a bit overdressed earlier.”

Trish laughed. “You of all people should never be overdressed.”

Nikki shot her a look.

“I only meant that you have a great body and it wouldn’t hurt for you to show it off sometimes.”

“Well, thanks Trish, but you know how I feel about that.”

Trish rolled her eyes.

“Modesty never hurt anybody.”

“Depends on how you look at it, really. It could hurt plenty of people…”

“Trish, cut it out.”

Trish flashed a sugary smile at Nikki and batted her eyelashes.

“Good grief. I better get back on that grill,” Nikki said and got up from the bench.

She was tending to the food when the girls showed up. Four women came through the back door with Helen right behind them. Nikki quickly looked them over. The first one was a woman a few inches shorter than herself with short strawberry blonde hair and a steely gaze. That must be Yvonne. The woman behind her was shorter and had blonde hair and was laughing with the woman next to her. The Julies. The woman with Helen was average height with brown hair. Claire, she’s the key. Nikki stayed by the grill and waited for Helen to introduce everyone.

“Nikki, this is Yvonne, Julie, Julie, and Claire. Ladies this is my miracle worker, Nikki.”

Nikki smiled. She glowed from Helen’s compliment, and she wondered just what miracles she could perform for Helen in the future.

“Nice to meet you ladies.” Nikki extended her hand and shook their hands. “Well, it looks like the food is just about ready, if you guys want to grab a plate.”

Soon everyone was seated outside each with a plate of food. Nikki and Helen sat on the swinging bench. Trish sat on a chair as did Yvonne and the two Julies sat on the stationary bench on the other side of the table.

“Oh my god! I think this is the best steak I’ve ever had,” Yvonne said after swallowing her first bite.

“Oh yeah Nikki knows how to use a grill,” Trish gushed.

Nikki smiled.

“These ribs are fantastic, too. Aren’t they Ju?”

“They are Ju. Nikki, what’s your secret?”

“The marinade is a special recipe, but if I told you, I’d have to kill you,” Nikki smiled.

“Your grilling never ceases to amaze me Nikki,” Helen said.

“Well, I’m happy to do it. Whenever you want, just ask.”

Nikki looked Helen in the eyes. She tried to convey a telepathic message to Helen. I would do anything for you, just ask me. Suddenly Nikki felt the silent awkwardness and turned to Yvonne. “So what do you do?”

The dinner continued with small talk and the group finished off a case of beer. Nikki had remained adamant about sticking with the challenge and had finished as many bottles as Helen. She had a pretty good buzz going and now she wondered if it was a good idea. She was sure that she could hang with Helen in drinking as she had quite a good alcohol tolerance, but she tended to get blatantly honest under the influence. She decided to give herself a moment to clear her head and gathered everyone’s dishes to take into the kitchen. She piled them on the counter and turned the hot water on and grabbed the first plate.

“Do you want any help?” Suddenly Helen was by her side.

“Um, sure if you want. Wait, don’t you need to be Miss Hostess and stay with your guests?”

“Not really. They’re like family really. Plus, Trish is out there with them. I’m sure she can keep them entertained for a bit.”

Nikki noticed the thickness of Helen’s accent and knew she was feeling the effects of the alcohol too. “Well, do you mind drying?”

“Not at all. Thanks Nikki.”

“For what?” Nikki turned to face Helen.

“For this. For dinner. For…everything.”

“It’s no problem, Helen.” Nikki turned back to the dishes.

Helen placed a hand on Nikki’s shoulder, “I mean it.”

“Me too.”

They continued washing and drying the dishes in silence. Nikki’s head was swimming with questions. Why do I feel this way? Why is she doing this? Does she feel this way too? What should I do? Her thoughts were interrupted by Helen.

“Nikki?”

“Yeah?”

Helen paused then sputtered, “We should get back out there. They’re gonna wonder what happened to us.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll be right there.”

Helen left and Nikki took a deep breath.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Helen left Nikki in the kitchen and headed back out to join her guests.

“Hey Helen! Come join us!”

Helen turned to the voice and saw all the women lounging in the large Jacuzzi.

“Yeah the water’s great!”

The women laughed.

Helen walked over to where she had stashed her bathing suit top. It was a deep green tankini and she slipped her t-shirt over her head and replaced it with the top. She shimmied out of her shorts and then made her way to the tub and joined the women. The water was warm and felt fantastic against her tense muscles. As soon as she settled down with her beer, Nikki made her entrance.

“Hey Nik,” Trish called, “over here.”

Nikki made her way over to the hot tub and smiled. “I didn’t know woman soup was on the menu tonight.”

They all laughed.

“And why should I get in there?”

“Because it’s warm,” one of the Julies said.

“I’m warm enough out here.”

“Because we’re all in here,” said Trish.

“So if you all jumped off a cliff am I obligated to do the same?”

“Yes,” Trish whined.

“How about because I said so and I’m the boss,” Helen ordered.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to lose my job or anything,” Nikki smiled.

“Good.”

Nikki shrugged off her shirt and folded it neatly. She set it out of the way so it wouldn’t get wet. Then she unclasped her belt and pulled her jeans off without unfastening them. She added them to her shirt.

Helen watched in amazement. Nikki had made the movements sexy without even trying. With every inch of skin revealed, Helen could feel her own heat rising and suddenly the water was a little too warm. But she couldn’t move, she was glued to her spot watching Nikki make her way to the Jacuzzi. Then Helen realized that the only open seat was next to her. Nikki climbed in and settled next to Helen. She felt Nikki’s arm brush her side and tensed.

“Helen, you alright?” Nikki placed a hand on Helen’s thigh.

“Uh, yeah. A bit sore from work, that’s all.”

“Oh. Would you like me to rub your shoulders?”

Before Helen could answer Nikki reached up and started massaging Helen’s shoulder closest to her.

“Here turn around.” Nikki turned her body to face Helen and slid Helen to sit between her legs so she could reach her back and shoulders properly.

“Uh oh,” Trish said. “Nikki’s massages are a ticket straight to dreamland.”

“I’ll stop if you want me to.”

But the truth was Helen didn’t want her to. Her muscles were relaxing under Nikki’s hands. Nikki was gentle but knew exactly how to manipulate her muscles to get them to let go of the tension and relax. She wondered what other magic those hands could perform on her body. After a few minutes she felt like putty in Nikki’s hands and she figured that was probably good enough. “Thanks Nikki. That felt wonderful.”

“Alright. I’m next.” Yvonne said and scooted in front of Nikki.

Nikki chuckled, “Okay.”

Yvonne sighed and relaxed under Nikki’s grip. “God. Is there anything she can’t do?”

“She can’t drive,” Trish laughed.

“What?”

“No, it’s true,” Nikki said. “I can’t. I’m horrible at it.”

“Wow,” most of the women gasped.

The rest of the evening went by with giggles, jokes, and conversation. At about nine o’clock Claire said she should probably get going. She needed to make sure the girls got off to bed okay. Yvonne and the Julies left not long after.

“Well, I guess I should get to bed. You guys need anything before I go?”

“No thanks Trish. We already took care of the dishes so there’s not much left,” Helen said.

“Okay. Well, goodnight you two. See you guys in the morning.”

“G’night babes,” Nikki chirped.

“Goodnight Trish.”

Nikki slipped her jeans back on and settled on the swinging bench. Helen put her shorts back on and sat next to her.

“It was a great night, huh?”

“Yeah it was. Your friends are pretty nice.”

“Thanks, I think so.”

“It’s so quiet out here.”

“Yep.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Helen felt Nikki’s smooth arm against hers. She liked the feel of Nikki next to her. There was something about her that just made Helen relax but her body felt on edge. It was a curious feeling and Helen wasn’t used to it.

“Nikki, can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Sure, boss.”

“Are we okay?”

“What do you mean?” Nikki stood up and stepped away.

Helen followed her, “I mean it’s like we’re the best of friends and then all of a sudden I feel like we’re really distant.”

“Uh huh.”

“Why?”

“You really don’t know?” Nikki turned to her.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I did.”

Helen watched the expression change on Nikki’s face. Nikki suddenly appeared angry, hurt, and confused. Helen wished she could take it back. She didn’t want to cause Nikki any pain, but she needed to know what was going on. She needed to know how to deal with it, whatever it was. Before Helen could voice any of these concerns, Nikki grabbed her hand and put it to her own breast. “It’s about this.” For a second Helen let herself feel the woman under her fingers, but as soon as she realized what she was doing she reacted in shock. “Jesus Christ!”

Nikki shrunk back as Helen pulled away. Helen couldn’t believe what happened. She had to get away. She turned on her heel and walked into the house and to her room without looking back. She locked herself inside and finally allowed herself to try and process what happened. Her hand burned from Nikki’s grasp. She remembered the feel of Nikki under her hand. It had felt good, but all too frightening. She didn’t know what to do and that was what scared her. She had tried not to think of Nikki sexually but she found the thoughts creeping into her head more often than she would like to admit. And every time she had enjoyed what she imagined.

She sunk into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Her head spun with probing questions. What does it mean? Do I fancy her? Obviously she fancies me, but what am I supposed to do now? How are we going to work together tomorrow?



Chapter Six

Helen woke hoping the events of last night were only a dream. She didn’t know what to do about Nikki. She planned on avoiding the woman for as long as possible, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before work would interfere with her plans. She sighed and made her way down to the kitchen.

Nikki was sitting at the table staring into her cup of coffee. Helen paused a moment and took her in with her eyes. She looked miserable, like she had gotten even less sleep than her boss. Helen blinked and stepped towards the fridge. That was when Nikki noticed her.

“Helen?”

“Nikki, I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

Helen tried to continue to the fridge but Nikki blocked her path.

“But I need to say this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry about last night…about what I did.”

“Look, I’m not sure what happened exactly. And I don’t know if I really want to know.”

“Listen, I had a lot to drink. I’ve learned my lesson, I won’t challenge you to a drinking competition again. Can we just forget what happened?”

“I can’t honestly say that I can forget what happened.”

“God! You must think I’m horrible. I mean first the Trish thing and now this…”

“I’m okay with your sexuality, but I’m a heterosexual. You have to respect that.”

“And I do, trust me.”

Helen looked into Nikki’s eyes, those deep dark pools, and saw sorrow, regret, and hurt. They tugged at Helen’s heart and almost made her melt right there. She wanted to take Nikki in her arms and assure her that everything was okay, but she held back. She wasn’t ready for physical contact of any kind between them.

“Okay Nikki.”

Nikki sighed a breath with relief, “Okay.”

“Can I make breakfast now?”

“Oh, sorry,” Nikki said and stepped out of the way and padded back to her room.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Nikki closed the door and leaned against it. Her heart was breaking. Now she knew that what she felt for Helen was more than a silly little crush. She had wound her way around Nikki’s heart and it would take a lot to undo that.

Her mind replayed her feelings from last night. She remembered getting angry all of a sudden. She had been angry at Helen for playing games and she had been angry with herself for believing them. She could remember feeling it rise up. She remembered thinking – Wade get a hold of yourself, don’t do anything you’re gonna regret! But it had been too late and she acted on impulse. Granted, a drunken impulse, but Nikki had been overwhelmed and had lost control. But the touch, that second or so of time, had made Nikki’s anger float away. Her heart had almost jumped out of her chest with Helen’s touch, and she would have died a happy woman if it had. But fate is cruel and Helen’s face had twisted in horror and she had wrenched her hand away. Nikki thought she had taken her heart with it, but the thundering heartbeat in her ears had told her it was cruelly still intact.

She’d watched Helen turn and walk away, then she’d sunk to the floor and looked at her hand in terror. She couldn’t undo it, it was already done. She’d gathered herself together and numbly made her way up to her room. She hadn’t slept much. Every time she had closed her eyes she’d seen Helen’s look of shock and disgust. Sleep finally found her a few hours before dawn.

And now she was feeling every hour of sleep she didn’t get. She felt better having talked to Helen, but was still too embarrassed to face a whole meal with her. She climbed back into bed and let sleep claim her again.

Well, might as well...


Chapter Seven

One Week Later

Things had managed to get somewhat back to normal. Nikki was still sore from the experience but she knew that her friendship with Helen was much too important to dwell on her mistake. She was still unsure how to act in Helen’s presence, which made her feel awkward and uncomfortable, but she thought that she would follow Helen’s lead and eventually they would be fine.

Nikki had started on a new project. She needed something to occupy her time and help her work through things, and gardening had always been a passion of hers. She talked to Helen and asked if she could plant a small garden by the patio. Helen had agreed so Nikki found a nursery that day and bought a selection of plants. She planted a couple of tomato plants, some squash, and beans. There was a small area sectioned off for some herbs: basil, rosemary, thyme, and mint. She preferred fresh home-grown herbs to the store-bought jars and packages when she cooked and had talked Helen into their usefulness.

Thomas was back and Nikki watched him try to work his charm on Helen. Nikki was disgusted with his displays of male machismo, but she was happy to see that Helen didn’t think much of them either. I just don’t want to see her hurt by that bastard, that’s all. Nikki kept telling herself that the feelings she had for Helen would go away. She had to believe that.

Nikki and Helen resumed cooking dinner together, a time they both seemed to enjoy. Tonight they were making spaghetti and they worked diligently to prepare the meal. Nikki added spices to the sauce asking Helen’s opinion then adding a pinch more of the store-bought oregano.
Thomas invited himself to dinner and conversation was rampant. Trish was almost packed and ready to move into her new place and she told them all about the finishing touches being made to her country cottage. The other two women gladly listened to her enthusiasm, but Thomas tried to butt in whenever he could and control the conversation. Nikki just observed. She didn’t want to get in the middle of anything and she wanted to see Helen hold her own against the man. With each interruption Nikki watched Helen become more and more impatient with Thomas’s antics. Finally she voiced her opinion. “Thomas! Shut up! Nikki and I were listening to Trish.”

“It’s not like you haven’t heard her talk nonstop about her house for the past week. What’s the big deal? So I’m tired of hearing about the color of the guest bathroom for the third time. I thought a new topic of conversation would be greatly appreciated. I know you were all bored with it too.”

“Listen, it may not be the most interesting subject for you, but I share in Trish’s excitement. This is a big deal for her, and rightfully so. You should be happy for her too instead of being an insensitive prick!”

Thomas was taken aback. He faltered slightly before slinging back, “Geez! I didn’t know it was that time of the month.”

“That’s it. Get out!” Helen’s accent was thick and Nikki knew she was irate.

“Yeah, whatever. You’ll be sorry later. Call me when the curse is over.”

Thomas got up to leave, but Helen was right there to have the final word. “About that, you were not invited to dinner. But we graciously allowed you to stay and we welcomed you with a plate of homemade food. You have become pushy and egocentric, someone whose company nobody really enjoys, including myself! You better watch it, you are this close to losing your job.”

Thomas leaned in close to Helen and whispered something that Nikki couldn’t hear. Helen’s face turned red and as Thomas pulled back she connected her hand with his face. In a controlled voice she grumbled, “Get out!”

With that Thomas left and as soon as he was out of sight, Helen shook out her hand and winced. Nikki knew that her hand must feel like it was on fire and got up to get her some ice. She returned with two cubes wrapped in a paper towel. “Here. This will help with the stinging.”

“Thanks.” Helen smiled and reached for the ice.

Nikki placed it in her hand and brushed her fingers over Helen’s palm. She felt her fingers begin to tingle and pulled her hand away. There was a moment of silence before Helen said, “Well let’s get back to dinner. I don’t want it to get cold.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Helen was furious with Thomas. Not only was his behavior atrocious, but he almost ruined this dinner that he wasn’t even invited to. As the three women settled back into eating, Trish began to apologize. “Oh you guys, I’m so sorry. I know all I’ve been talking about is the new place and the move. I’m sorry Helen. I didn’t mean to cause a problem between you and Thomas.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You didn’t cause anything. Thomas is the problem, not you.”

“Well, I promise not to dominate the conversation with my life anymore.”

“Well, I can drink to that,” Nikki drawled, a smile spread across her face. She held her glass up and then brought it to her lips and downed the contents. The three laughed and went back to enjoying their meal.

After dinner, Trish offered to do the dishes. “It’s only fair. I mean I didn’t cook and it’s the least I can do.”

Nikki and Helen nodded their appreciation and then Nikki turned to Helen. “How about some tea?”


“Sounds great. Meet you outside?”

Nikki smiled and nodded. Helen went to the back door and was stopped by the sound of rain. She opened the door a crack, saw the downpour, and promptly closed the door. She turned and saw Nikki coming with two mugs of tea. “Change of plans, I’m afraid.”

Nikki stopped, a question on her face.

“It’s pouring out there. We’ll just have to move it indoors. Living room?”

“After you.”

Helen led Nikki into the living room and settled on the couch. Nikki placed the mugs on the coffee table and sat on the couch leaving space between Helen and herself. Helen leaned back and let out a sigh.

“Everything alright, boss?”

“Oh yeah.”

“That’s not very convincing. You wanna talk about anything?”

Helen sat there contemplating whether she should vent her stress to Nikki. She never liked to bother anyone with her problems, but she knew she wasn’t getting anywhere on her own.

“You know I’m always here if you need to talk.”

Nikki rested a hand lightly on Helen’s shoulder. In that touch Helen felt compassion, care, and concern. She looked up and met Nikki’s eyes which only confirmed the meaning of the comforting gesture. Helen felt herself losing her grip on control. Her throat began to close and her eyes fill with tears. “Oh Nikki. I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”

“This place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you. Follow me.”

Helen got up and walked up the stairs and down the hall to her office, all the way wiping her eyes and trying to gain control of her emotions. She turned on the lights and made her way to the desk. “Have a seat,” she said and motioned to the small couch against the wall.

Nikki sat patiently waiting for the news Helen had to share. Helen unlocked the drawer that held her financial papers. She pulled out the stack and carried them to the couch. She held out the folders to Nikki and collapsed in the couch beside her as she went over them. Nikki opened the folders one by one and went over their contents. She closed the last one and sat there silently for a moment and Helen guessed she couldn’t figure out what to say.

“Nikki, if things keep going this way then I’ll lose everything. I’ll have to give up all my hopes and dreams and return to my family a failure.” She couldn’t stop the quiver in her voice and tears began to fill her eyes.

Nikki scooted closer and placed a hand on Helen’s cheek. “Hey, now you can’t think like that.”

“But…” Helen lifted her head and saw genuine concern in Nikki’s eyes. She could get lost in those deep brown pools and let herself find comfort there. She didn’t even realize that Nikki’s face was getting closer to hers until Nikki’s lips brushed her own. Nikki’s kiss was soft and sweet. It was as if Nikki was trying to kiss away Helen’s pain and fear. Helen allowed herself to kiss Nikki back, gently, cautiously. Nikki’s hand slipped off Helen’s cheek leaving the only connection between their bodies to their lips. Helen let out little moans which vibrated between their mouths. Helen wanted more. She could feel an ache sweep through her body and she finally understood the feelings she had been battling ever since she first laid eyes on Nikki. She was undeniably attracted to her, and now that her body had a taste of Nikki, she knew that it would be next to impossible not to act on it. She tore herself away from Nikki in fear and walked back to her desk. She kept her back to Nikki and placed a hand on the desk for stability. Her other hand crept up to her mouth and she felt the warmth Nikki’s lips had left on her own. She could still taste Nikki, sweet and spicy.

Helen barely heard the apology Nikki sputtered. She wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence, but her voice was caught in her throat. She could barely breathe and took shallow breaths to try and calm her humming senses.

“Helen.”

Helen stayed frozen. She didn’t know what to say, or how to vocalize what was going through her mind.

“Helen, please. Look at me.”

The voice came from right behind her and yet she still could not get her body to cooperate. She felt hands on her shoulders gently pulling her around and she saw the fear in Nikki’s eyes. Nikki stood there open and raw, exposed to Helen. Helen wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything was okay.

She looked deep into the eyes she loved to get lost in and inched her way closer to Nikki. She tilted her head and crushed her lips against Nikki’s. This time it was Nikki’s turn to moan and Helen wrapped her arms around her new lover. Nikki pushed her back to the desk gently lifting her to sit on the edge. Nikki’s hands swirled in Helen’s hair, the silky strands slipping between her fingers. Helen felt Nikki’s tongue against her lips, begging for access. Helen opened her mouth and Nikki’s tongue darted in exploring. Helen’s tongue danced with Nikki’s. An overwhelming sense of desire shuddered through her body and she pulled Nikki against her. But Nikki pulled back and she ended the kiss. She lightly brushed Helen’s cheek with her thumb. Helen was confused. She thought this was what Nikki wanted, she knew it was.

Nikki saw the frustration in Helen’s eyes and soothed, “Baby, there is nothing I would like to do more than ravish your entire body with kisses. To feel you against me. But I want more for us. I don’t want a quick, albeit, amazing fuck and that be all. I want to be able to hold you in my arms all night, and to look into those beautiful eyes all day.”

Helen felt wanted. It was more than a sexual feeling, it was sincere and heartfelt. Nikki cared about her. She took Nikki’s hand in hers and kissed it gently. She looked up at Nikki and finally found her voice. “Okay. What do you suppose we do?”

“Well, let’s just see how things go. Let fate have the wheel.”

Helen blinked. She never liked relinquishing control of anything, but she knew that there was too much at stake, and pushing things along could have drastic consequences. She licked her lips. “Alright.”



Chapter Eight

Helen woke for the first time wanting to feel a warm body pressed to hers. To feel the weight of an arm gently wrapped around her. To feel gentle breaths hit the back of her neck. She wanted to be able to turn and see the person who had lovingly held her all night long and place a light kiss on those soft lips. She wanted to wake the sleeping form with loving caresses: relaxing the little furrow in the brow with her fingertip, gently running the back of her fingers over the soft cheek then under the chin lifting it so she could capture those sweet lips with her own once again, making her waking partner moan with excitement. She wanted to feel her body ravished once again as they both lazily woke for the day. But she was alone.

She sat up in bed and began to think through what had happened the previous night. She kissed me… the heat rising to her cheeks… and I kissed her back! I kissed a woman! Helen began to feel the effects Nikki’s kiss had had on her body once again. It felt so good…so right.

She replayed the exchange again and again in her mind. She was so caught up in the explorations of her mind that she didn’t realize she began caressing her neck. Her hands moved lower and cupped her breasts gently tugging on her own nipples. The images in her mind soon transformed from reality to fantasy. She pictured Nikki sitting behind her, pressed against her, and running her hands up Helen’s sides to her breasts as she placed soft wet kisses where Helen’s neck met her shoulder. It was almost enough to send her over the edge. She gasped and opened her eyes, snapping herself back to her empty bedroom.

She got up and left the quiet room and padded to the kitchen. Nikki was busy fixing breakfast and Helen took the opportunity to drink her in. Her hair was adorably mussed. She was wearing a thin white boy beater that accentuated the muscles in her arms and back. Her gray shorts hung loosely on her hips and showcased her long legs. Her feet were bare and one foot was tucked behind the other.

Helen quietly walked up behind Nikki and wrapped her arms around her slim waist. She leaned into Nikki and whispered, “Good morning, Sweetheart.” She felt Nikki begin to melt against her and sigh.

“It wasn’t a dream,” Nikki muttered. She turned to face Helen and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

Helen smiled, her tongue tucked gently behind her teeth. Nikki smiled softly and caressed Helen’s just kissed cheek.

“I was just starting on breakfast. I figured we all needed a good fueling up before we help Trish move.”

“Sounds good. What can I do?”

The two women prepared breakfast stealing glances at each other as they worked. Trish joined them dressed and eager to start the day, and the three sat down to a large meal.

Thomas arrived shortly thereafter while Trish was cleaning up the table and Nikki and Helen were getting ready. Helen heard him talking to Trish and grimaced. She knew that he would be a big help with the moving, but she didn’t want to deal with him and the awkwardness of both him and Nikki in her presence. She sighed, laced up her sneakers, and walked out to the front room.

“Feeling better Helen? Ready to kiss and make up?”

“Watch it Thomas,” Helen growled.

Nikki trotted down the stairs calling out to Trish, “Trish, what do you want me to load first?”

She turned and saw Thomas and immediately stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. A nervous look briefed her face before she nodded, “Oh hey Thomas.”

“Hey Nikki. Helen was just apologizing for her behavior last night,” Thomas smirked as he snaked his arm around Helen.

Helen saw Nikki grimace and immediately countered with, “No I am not. Thomas, this is your last day. After we move Trish, consider yourself fired!” Helen glanced at Nikki and saw a smile touch the corners of her mouth. Thomas dropped his arm and sauntered away.

Helen let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. The two just stood there in silence, each getting used to the feeling of being in a relationship. A smile gently spread across Helen’s face as she finally realized that this was exactly what she wanted all along. Nikki’s smile appeared soon afterward. Their thoughts were interrupted as Thomas once again barged through the room and slammed the door. Not a moment later, Helen heard tires spinning and spitting gravel as he peeled out.

“Bloody hell…”

Nikki chuckled softly, and Helen cocked her head, “What?”

“Oh, you. You are just too ‘bloody’ cute when you’re angry.” Nikki closed the distance between them. “And that accent…my God! I could listen to it all day! Lord, help me if I get in trouble because I might not be able to contain myself. Who knows, I may make you mad just so I can hear you call my name like that.”

Heat flushed Helen’s face. Nikki’s unsubtle innuendo had stirred her and she was unused to the feeling. Nikki stroked her cheek softly and placed a finger under her chin to gently lift her face. “Don’t worry sweetheart…I still plan to take things slow. You set the pace, alright?”

Helen looked into those soft brown eyes. She could feel her resolve melting away. Helen bit her lip and nodded before leaning in for a kiss.

“Well, I guess it’s just us girls…” Trish trailed off as she entered the room and caught her former lover and her boss red handed.

The two women had tried to separate, but it was too late. Helen nearly fell as she was caught off balance from the sudden disturbance. Nikki reached and caught her, but the sight only incriminated them more. Limbs tangled and faces twisted, the two looked up at Trish hoping a conflict would not ensue. To their surprise, Trisha looked at them a moment and burst into giggles. The two disentangled themselves, putting a bit of an obvious space between themselves and just smiled sheepishly in Trish’s direction only to send her further into her fits of giggles. She doubled over as her body shook with each laugh.

Helen began to feel more and more uncomfortable. She knew that she and Nikki had been caught, and sure it must have looked pretty funny, but this response was almost too much. She was already self-conscious in this relationship and now she feared she would second guess every move she made around Nikki, especially when others were present.

“Alright Trish, that’s enough. You’ve had your fun,” Nikki said and looked lovingly over at Helen ensuring that she was okay.

“I’m sorry Nikki, but you two looked like you were a couple of teenagers who just got caught by the mean old dad. Priceless!”

“Well, what did you expect, really?”

“Oh, I’ve just been waiting for you two to get together,” Trish smiled.

“Huh?”

“But, I’m not even gay,” Helen chimed in.

“Oh, but I never underestimate the powers of the Wade charm. I’ve never met a girl she couldn’t convert.”

Nikki shot her a look that said, “Watch it.”

But Helen’s face softened and a small chuckle escaped her mouth. “Oh really now?” She looked at Nikki. “So is that what happened? You converted me?”

Helen watched Nikki as she flustered with what to say. “It wasn’t like I was trying to get you to come over to ‘our side’. Maybe silently hoping, but I never forced you into anything Helen.”

“I know Babe,” Helen whispered softly. “To be honest, I think I was converted the moment I saw you.” With that she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Nikki’s unsuspecting lips.

Trish cleared her throat.

“Right,” Helen said as she pulled away. “We better get a move on.”

“What exactly are we moving Trish?”

“Well, the bed stays, and the side table, and the…okay so most of the furniture stays. Except for the dresser, the TV, and the small TV cart. Those all go. As well as the boxes and clothes.”

“Well, we may get this done in one trip then,” Nikki said.

The truth is it had taken all of three trips with the truck to haul Trish’s belongings over to the bit of land Helen had sold her. It was during these trips that Helen realized that a road really was needed to ease the traveling between the two houses, and on the last run she made her thoughts known to Nikki.

“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea. I’ll get on that later today, if ya want.”

For the first time Helen noticed Nikki’s drawl. She thought it was cute. It fits her.

“Well, you don’t have to jump right on it. Sometime this week would be good.”

“Whatever you say boss.” Nikki smiled and began to trace little circles up Helen’s bare arms.

“Nikki,” Helen breathed.

“What,” Nikki asked as if she had no idea what she was doing to her.

“If you keep doing that, we may just end up wrapped around one of these trees.”

“Oh, well, now that wouldn’t be good. Serious injury is never a good way to start a relationship.”

Relationship. The word had always been foreign to Helen, but now it seemed like home. She smiled as the realization sunk in. Her eyes glassed over as, for the first time since her lovesick teenage years, she envisioned what life might be like in ten years with this woman by her side. She admitted that the thought was a bit scary, but she knew that it was also warm and would be welcomed with time.

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Where did you go just now?”

“Nowhere.”

“Oh you must have gone somewhere. You had one of the sweetest smiles on your face.”

“Well, maybe one day I’ll lead you there,” Helen teased.

They pulled up to Trish’s house for the last time that day. They decided to leave the heavy furniture for last, hoping that it would give Trish some time to figure out exactly where she wanted everything as well as make sure the way was clear. Trish came out to meet them and said that everything should easily slide into place.

She helped Nikki unload the dresser from the bed of the truck. Helen couldn’t help but stare at Nikki’s muscles flexing with the work. Nikki had worked up a good sweat on the last trip and her blue shirt clung to her damp skin. A bit of skin was revealed as she reached back to get a grip on the back end of the rather large piece of furniture. Helen suddenly realized that she could be much better help if she stopped staring and actually lent a hand. It took all three women to finagle the dresser into Trish’s house and all the way to her bedroom, which was situated at the back of the house.

An hour later everything was unloaded and Helen and Nikki left Trish to get settled in. The whole drive back Helen felt nervous, anxious for something to happen, but unsure if she was ready to go down that road. She tried to keep her focus on her driving and her distance from Nikki. As they pulled up, Helen let out a deep breath and said, “Well, shall we fix something for lunch?”

“Well, I could definitely go for some food.”

“Let’s get changed and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

“Alright, I think I might jump in the shower.”

“Sure.”

The two walked in and went their separate ways. Helen slipped into her room and leaned against her closed door. Oh God! What am I gonna do? I don’t know what to do! Helen moved further into the room and found a pair of jeans and an old black t-shirt to change into. She took a look at herself in the mirror. Helen! Pull yourself together! You look scared to death! Remember, she’s going at your pace…just take things slow!

She pulled her hair down from the messy ponytail and shook it out. She ran a brush through it and tried to remain calm.

She made her way to the kitchen knowing full well that she would get there before Nikki. She decided to make some lemonade, since neither she nor Nikki had made any mention of what to have for lunch. She took out the fresh lemons and began to cut them in halves. She took down the sugar and placed it on the counter next to the fruit. Then, she smiled and made her way out to Nikki’s garden and cut a sprig of mint.

On her return she was happy to see Nikki. She was wearing a faded pair of jeans with a small hole just under the left pocket and a gray tank top. Her hair was wet and sticking out in all different directions. Helen glanced over her and smiled. Nikki turned, a slice of lemon in her hand which was brought to her mouth. Nikki smiled at Helen and bit down on the sour lemon.

“I was wondering where you had gotten off too,” Nikki smacked.

“Went for the special ingredient,” Helen smiled.

Nikki’s eyebrow arched questioning Helen. “I was unaware lemonade required a secret ingredient.”

“Mmmm…Well, you will just have to taste the difference, Miss Wade.”

Helen moved to finish making the lemonade but Nikki didn’t move from her spot. She was mere inches away and Helen was becoming aware of her every move. “What did you want for lunch?”

Helen felt Nikki right behind her, closing the distance. She felt Nikki’s hot breath hit the back of her neck sending a shiver down her spine. She felt Nikki plant her hands on Helen’s waist and lean into her. She heard Nikki’s ragged breath against her ear, and heard her speak barely above a whisper, “I could think of a few things.”

Helen was surprised when she heard a low groan and was even more surprised to find it had come from within herself. She stopped in her tracks and let herself enjoy the feeling of being touched. Her blood was on fire coursing through her and everywhere Nikki’s hands trailed a tingling sensation followed.

“Maybe someday,” Nikki whispered, then stopped her assault on Helen’s senses, and followed with, “but I hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

Helen turned to face Nikki and soothed, “Me too, Babe. Me too.” She then placed a soft kiss on Nikki’s lips.

Nikki smiled and kissed Helen back, letting her hand come up to gently touch Helen’s cheek. Helen pulled back and looked into Nikki’s eyes. She saw a gentleness that just about melted her heart. Nikki swept a strand of hair from Helen’s cheek and tucked it behind her ear. The two smiled and pressed their foreheads together. They slowly parted their bodies and Helen turned back to finish with the lemonade.

“How about sandwiches?”

“Sounds good and easy.”

The two sat down, each with a sandwich and some potato chips, and Helen poured their glasses of lemonade. Helen watched Nikki take a sip.

Nikki’s eyes widened. “This is good! Wow!”

“I told you…secret ingredient.”

“Yeah, it adds a cool refreshing...” Nikki searched for the word, “zing.”

Helen smiled.

Both women enjoyed the meal, settling into conversation, but also allowing the silence to become comfortable. They exchanged smiles and soon realized that the silence was in fact a conversation within itself. Helen took Nikki’s empty plate and stacked it on her own before getting up and taking them to the sink. Nikki was right behind her with their glasses.

“Well, I think I’ll go work in the barn for a bit. I know some of the stalls needed mucking out.”

“Well, I may join you in a bit. I should check on the books, but it’s been quite a while since I actually worked on the land.”

“Maybe we could go for a ride this evening after dinner?”

“That would be wonderful,” Helen smiled. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Don’t get too caught up in those things…they only seem to upset you.”

“I known, but I’ve got to think of something.”

“I’ve got a couple of ideas I’m working through. Maybe I can share them with you sometime?”

“Oh Nikki, I would love to hear your point of view.”

The two kissed softly and parted.

Helen made her way up to her office and did the paperwork she knew needed to be done. She filed things away and went over the books once more. Still no change. I hope Nikki’s plans work. She smiled. My little miracle worker!

Helen stood and walked to the window. She looked out and saw Nikki working with the foal she had saved on her first night at the ranch. She had her walking in a circle around the pen, coaching her through commands. After a few minutes she stopped the training and began to rub the small horse down.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

“Well, Bird. You are doing great. You sure are a feisty thing,” Nikki chuckled and pulled a sugar cube from her pocket and gave it to the horse.

“She’s not the only one you know.”

Nikki swirled around and found Helen behind her. She couldn’t help but smile. Helen is so gorgeous! If she only knew what looking at her did to my body…

Nikki’s thoughts were interrupted. “Bird, huh?”

“Yeah, it just kinda stuck.”

“I think it fits,” Helen smiled.

“Well, I mucked out their stall, but got a little distracted. I was just going to wash her off and get them back in before I started on the next one.”

“I’ll go get started on the stall. See you in a bit.” Helen smiled mischievously as she walked away.

Nikki stroked the foal’s nose and whispered, “That one there…she has my heart.”

She rinsed the foal off and took her and her mother back to their stall.

She made her way to the stall next door. At the sight of Helen she stopped and leaned against the doorway admiring her view. Helen’s back was to Nikki as she worked hunched over, milling through the hay on the stall floor. Her jeans were snug against her and had dipped slightly giving Nikki a pretty good idea of what lay beneath. Helen stood up then and Nikki saw that her t-shirt had been pulled up and tucked in the back, leaving her midriff bare. Small rivulets of sweat were sliding over the naked flesh of her back defining the flexing muscles underneath. Helen turned and saw Nikki standing there and Nikki straightened up and reached for a shovel to help.

“You are so busted, missy,” Helen giggled.

“Well, really, can you blame me?”

Helen rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious! You have no idea how beautiful you really are.”

“Well, right now I’m just a sweaty stink mess. Let’s get this done so I can go shower.”

Nikki’s mind suddenly went to Helen in the shower, and she bit her lip to avoid letting out a moan of approval.

“My goodness woman! You are gong to have to keep those hormones in check!”

“I can’t help it. My body shivers at the sight of you. Your touch leaves me breathless. And your kiss, well, I won’t tell you what that does.”

Helen looked down as embarrassment flushed her cheeks. “I know.”

Nikki smiled. She was hoping Helen had felt the same, but knew better than to expect it. “Well, let’s get to it then.”

The two worked in silence, the whole while Nikki’s body was aching. Not from the work but from wanting Helen so much. Nikki struggled to keep her mind on the work, but the silence was making it too difficult. “Well, this is the last one. We should definitely get some water after this.”

“Yes. I’d forgotten how hard the work is.”

“You’ll get used to it again. If you want to.”

“I do. I think I coop myself up in that office too much. I’d forgotten just what I fell in love with.”

“It happens.”

“So, what do you want to do in the future?”

“I have always loved animals, horses in particular, and want to breed and raise them. I want to continue to do that and be successful. Make a name for myself. Prove to my family I’m not a failure.”

“Hmmm…”

“What?”

“Well, those are great dreams…”

“But?”

“But…I don’t know,” Nikki trailed off.

“No, what?”

“I just think you are capable of so much more. What if you changed the mission of the ranch?”

“To what? It’s a ranch. We raise horses. That’s what a ranch is.”

“But it can be so much more. Look, why don’t we talk about it a little later, when we’re not up to our elbows in manure.”

Helen chuckled. Nikki always had a way to take the tension out of a situation. “Alright.”

“Finally! Finished!”

“Yep, and just in time to take a shower and make some dinner.”

“Wow, it’s that late?”

“Nearly five-thirty.”

Nikki shook her head. She closed her eyes and stretched, but froze as Helen’s hand slid across her back to her hip and hugged Nikki close. “Shall we?”

Nikki looked at Helen and kissed her forehead. “Sure, boss.”

They walked back to the house an arm around the other. Once inside, Nikki stopped. “How ‘bout that water?” She was thirsty, but the truth behind the question was she didn’t want to separate from Helen yet.

Helen nodded and Nikki got two glasses and filled them with the cool water in the refrigerator. As she handed Helen her drink, Helen caressed Nikki’s hand before taking the glass. The two locked eyes and drank deeply. Nikki watched Helen gulp down the water. She watched her close her eyes as she got to the last swallow. And she watched her as she sighed relief as she took the glass from her lips. Nikki mirrored Helen’s movements and for a moment, it was almost a sexual exchange between the two. Nikki knew her eyes were filled with hunger, but she also could see a bit of that hunger in Helen too. Nikki raked her teeth over her bottom lip then rasped, “Come here.”

Helen stepped forward, but before Nikki could capture her lips, Helen had made the first move. Nikki moaned into Helen’s mouth and was rewarded with Helen vibrating their mouths with whimpers of want and need.

Nikki pulled away. “Honey…”

Helen pulled her into another kiss and for a moment Nikki gave into her mouth once more. Then she stopped and pulled back again. “Helen,” Nikki said a bit more sternly.

“What?”

“I don’t want to push you into anything, but if we don’t stop now, I may not be able to later.”

Helen sighed, and Nikki could see the struggle in the woman. She knew that she was feeling it too, but she was scared. All Nikki wanted to do was comfort her, to kiss away all the fear, but she knew that wouldn’t help their current predicament. Instead, she pulled the smaller woman into a soft hug and kissed her forehead. The two took a deep breath at almost the exact same moment, then pulled apart.

“I can’t promise you anything Nikki,” Helen couldn’t look Nikki in the eyes.

“Hey,” Nikki lifted Helen’s face, “I want our first time to be special. I want it to be something we both want and we’re both ready for. I’m willing to wait, that’s why I stopped.”

“I know, but…”

“What?”

Helen pulled f