Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

DANICA

As Danica said yes, Pete’s tense shoulders relaxed, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Like there was even an ounce of chance that she’d say no to Pete right now. As Pete's lips brushed against Danica's skin, a shiver of goosebumps erupted across her body. Pete’s lips and hands, moving with a gentle urgency, explored the curves of her body, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake.

Pete undid the button of Danica’s pants, sliding them down over a pair of fluorescent green knee-high ski socks. “Ooh, these are definitely staying on,” Pete teased, and Danica felt her cheeks grow warm as she laughed, tension coiling low in her belly.

Despite the room’s warmth, Danica shivered again, seeing the desire and intensity in Pete’s eyes. The undoubtable want and need. “Pete.” A request? A demand? She wasn’t sure, she only knew she felt with the same desperate want. Pete's kisses burned a trail across her skin, then paused as they brushed the elastic of her underwear, teeth teasing the fabric before her fingers, quick and sure, slipped beneath the waistband, teasingly slow.

Pete paused, as if to ask if Danica was sure, and Danica arched her back, her hips pushing against Pete’s hand in silent plea.

Understanding, Pete tugged Danica's underwear down her thighs with tender care. Nestled between Danica's thighs, she lowered herself onto the bed, stretching out on her stomach. Pete's warm lips traced a path up Danica's inner thigh, leaving a trail of kisses, her tongue darting out to taste her skin, making her shiver with anticipation. The sensation of Pete's gentle nip on Danica's thigh was both pleasurable and slightly painful, prompting a whimper to escape Danica's lips. With one hand, Pete hooked Danica's right knee and those hideously bright socks over a shoulder, spreading her legs wide open. Danica held her breath, the air thick in her lungs, as Pete’s breath whispered a silent promise against her skin, stirring the ache within her.

At the first swipe of Pete’s tongue against her, Danica nearly arched off the bed. She could feel Pete’s broad smile even between her thighs, Pete’s strong hands wrapping around her hip to hold her in place, pulling her even closer. The sensation overwhelmed her, and she fisted the sheets in her hands, savoring the broad strokes of Pete’s tongue sliding through her wetness. Pete licked a long, slow path from Danica’s entrance up to her clit, then dipped two fingers inside of her, eliciting another whimper of pleasure. Pete’s fingers curled inside her against her, her mouth and fingers finding a familiar rhythm that would make Danica see stars.

She glanced down to Pete, finding those intense brown eyes locked on her. Pete grinned up at her devilishly, and the sight of Pete’s mouth on hers, the movement of her arm as she felt those fingers so expertly pushing her to the edge… Danica could barely remember to breathe.

Danica's back arched against the mattress as Pete expertly pushed her over the edge, her thighs quivering as she climaxed. Overwhelmed and too sensitive, Danica’s weak tug on Pete’s hair was punctuated by a barely audible whimper. Pete didn’t move an inch — instead, keeping her fingers firmly in place, her tongue continuing to elicit nearly overwhelming and delicious sensations.

Just as Danica was starting to recover from her first orgasm, Pete rocketed her into another one, her teeth grazing Danica's sensitive clit. Stars exploded behind her eyelids, constellations of pleasure and sensation and emotion. She cried Pete’s name in between gasps, and could feel Pete’s eyes on her as that delicious sensation continued long and slow until all of the tension released from her body. She untwined her fingers from Pete’s hair as she fell back against the bed, sweaty and spent. Pete sat back, eyes sparkling as she kneeled between Danica’s thighs with a grin, her face still slick and wet.

Danica’s heart ached at how beautiful Pete looked. She had that familiar cocky, self-satisfied look in her eye, that distinctly-Pete expression on her face. The fact that all of the swagger came from how well she’d pleased Danica… How she’d missed this, not just the sex, but everything about Pete. All of the multitudes of Pete. As her brain started working again, her body still pulsing with each beat of her heart, Danica reached for her and Pete prowled up the bed, all arrogance and lean muscle and undeniable sex appeal.

“Just as good as you remember?” Pete whispered, her nose nudging Danica’s.

Danica, still completely jelly-limbed and worn out, snorted and rolled her eyes. “You’re shameless.”

Pete raised an eyebrow, pushing up on one elbow. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Danica couldn’t help the smile raising the edges of her mouth. “It was fine.”

Pete’s eyes widened with indignation. “Fine? Do I need to get back down there and remind you how it was better than fine?”

Danica laughed, reaching to run her thumb over Pete’s still slick mouth. Pete leaned down, her lips brushing Danica’s, and as her tongue slipped inside Danica’s mouth, Danica could taste herself there, all the layers of musky, tangy, sweetness.

“You taste as good as I remember,” Pete breathed against her mouth, and Danica pulled her closer, her hands weaving into Pete’s hair once more. Their kiss deepened, exploring and reminiscing at the same time, and Pete moved her hips against Danica’s thigh.

Danica pulled away and reached for the hem of Pete’s shirt. “Is this okay?” she asked.

Pete nodded enthusiastically. “Fuck yeah, it is!”

With Pete’s help, Danica pulled off her shirt and sports bra, running her hands over the familiar lines of Pete’s lean body. She was a work of art, even after all these years, strength and softness mingling to create the woman of Danica’s dreams. Danica unbuttoned Pete’s pants, the zipper the only sound in the room apart from their heavy breaths. Pete shimmied out of her pants, her eyes lifting to Danica’s as she held the waistband of her boxer briefs. “These too?”

“All of it,” Danica confirmed, reaching to help Pete pull the fabric over her long, lean legs. “It is truly unfair how attractive you are.”

Pete laughed, the sound deep and musical. “I’ll take that as a compliment from the most gorgeous woman in the room.”

“Oh, hush,” Danica said with a grin. Her heart stuttered and she leaned forward to brush her lips against Pete’s again, pushing her to lie back as Danica leaned on her elbow. She trailed her hand down Pete’s body, sliding over the dark curls between her thighs. Pete gasped as Danica’s finger ever-so-gently traced over her clit, and Danica wanted to moan with how wet and ready Pete was for her.

“Oh my god,” Pete said, turning to bury her face in Danica’s shoulder, and Danica leaned down to take Pete’s mouth, deep and slow, as she made her fingers mirror the movements of her tongue. She wouldn’t rush this — refused to let this be as ephemeral as it already felt. Her fingertips remembered every nuance of Pete’s body, every detail familiar as she pressed two fingers inside, her thumb brushing Pete’s swollen clit. Pete’s hips raised ever-so-slightly, a soft moan of pleasure heating their kiss.

“Fuck me,” Pete whispered against Danica’s lips. “Harder. Please. I can’t wait.”

Danica curled her fingers, her thumb pushing with more force against Pete. “Is this how you like it?”

Pete threw her head back, squeezing her eyes shut as she rode Danica’s hand. The position gave Danica the perfect view of where her fingers disappeared between Pete’s thighs as Pete bucked against her, needy and desperate. Danica hid her smile as she focused, keeping the pressure steady and intense, wanting Pete to come just as hard as she had. She could feel Pete begin to tense in those delicious few moments before climax, and she leaned down, her tongue drawing against Pete’s hardened nipple, her teeth grazing the pebbled skin. Pete cried out, her entire body shaking as she came around Danica’s fingers, her thighs clamping together. Danica’s rhythm slowed as Pete relaxed.

Pete twisted her hips in silent confirmation she needed a break. “I’m going to die if you keep going,” Pete said with a huff of laughter.

Pete slumped against the mattress, her breathing still labored, her legs tangled with Danica's. Her flushed complexion was glossy with sweat, starting at her hairline and continuing down to her navel, which rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing.

Danica had never seen a sight so lovely in her entire life. She curled into Pete, her body molding into its familiar place at Pete’s side.

“I can’t believe we’ve wasted fifteen years not doing that,” Pete said with a laugh, tracing circles on Danica’s bare shoulder. Danica was practically draped across Pete, her head on Pete’s chest, listening to her breathing. Steady. Comforting and familiar.

“Or at least the last six days,” Danica agreed.

Pete furrowed her brow with feigned seriousness. “I think we’d better spend the next 36 hours making up for lost time.”

Danica lifted her head to grin up at Pete. “Sleep is for the weak.”

“Sleep is for the losers who don’t have a gorgeous, naked Danica in their bed,” Pete said, kissing Danica’s temple.

“You don’t have to flatter me,” Danica teased. “You’re super rich, right? You can just buy me a car to say thank you.” She paused, playing up a moment of consideration. “Or maybe I should be buying you a car to say thank you for that thing you did with your tongue.”

Pete rolled her eyes, snorting. “I really promise you it’s not like that.”

Danica pushed up onto her elbow. “Then what’s it like? You just travel the world, surviving off of your investments? That’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?”

Pete’s mouth tightened, and Danica noticed the way Pete felt suddenly very far away. “It’s not like that. I’m not just some...” Pete gestured vaguely. “Purposeless human.”

Danica raised an eyebrow. “Then tell me what it’s like.”

Pete’s cheeks were flushed, and not just from the exertion. “I am extremely privileged to have the life I do now. I bought Lillian a house, I paid off all my student debt... These are things I could never even imagine doing back when I was still just a depressed teenager in foster care. I didn’t have some desire to code forever, to hoard wealth like all the assholes I was meeting in the tech world. When I was traveling, I started connecting with all of these incredible people who were doing amazing things for kids in children’s homes and foster care. And the one problem they all had was funding for any kind of extracurriculars, or any extras of any kind. Grants are exhausting to apply for, and it’s hard to find the time to work toward things that might not pan out when you already have so much to do and organize, you know?”

Danica nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to piece together what Pete was telling her. “You started funding orphanages?”

“Not exactly. I started funding programs for children’s homes. I never wanted anyone to feel lost and alone like I had growing up. There was never extra money to go anywhere or join sports or buy musical instruments, so that’s what the money goes toward. Basically, just enriching the lives of kids, funding hobbies or anything that can help them feel like they matter. For me, it was more important to show vulnerable kids that their interests matter, not just job training. You know, just exploring and having fun.” Pete took a deep breath. “Anyway, yeah, that’s... that’s what I’ve been doing for the last ten years.”

Danica was stunning, sitting up to look more directly at Pete. Here, she’d been assuming Pete had some weird hippie working on organic farms in Thailand and hitchhiking through life. “Why didn’t you want to tell me this?”

Pete smiled disarmingly. “Does it matter?”

Danica angled her head. “Yeah, it does . You’re incredible, Pete, and I don’t give a fuck about your tax bracket. You’ve come up with this amazing idea that honestly saves kid’s lives. You should be crowing from the rooftops about it.”

Pete scrubbed a hand over her face. “God, no.”

Danica pushed up onto her knees, cupping her hands around her mouth to loudly announce, “Petra fucking Pancott is amazing.”

Pete’s eyes widened and she grabbed Danica, flipping her onto her back in a fit of laughter. “Stop that! The people of the world can’t know I’m selfless and pay my fair share of taxes. I’d never be able to leave my house again for fear of being mobbed with adoring fans.”

“Ah, there’s the cocky bastard I know and love,” Danica said with a grin, kissing Pete’s nose.

“Love, hmm?” Pete repeated, quirking her mouth to the side.

“Oh, shut up, not like that,” Danica said, though something inside of her leaped at the thought. Nope. She didn’t know why that had popped up, but she pushed that emotion way, way, way down. A flicker of something crossed Pete’s expression, just a slight increase of intensity in her gaze as she stared down at Danica, her hair wild from Danica’s hands. Well, and Danica’s thighs.

“Sure, Wendell. You think you can butter me up to buy you a car,” Pete teased, touching Danica’s nose with hers.

Danica pushed up, giving Pete another kiss before laughing. “It was worth a shot.”

“Here, I’ll give you this: I noticed you need new snow tires when Kiera drove your car up that first day, but that’s on you. You’re a doctor.” Pete tickled Danica, and she writhed until the feeling of their bodies against each other took over all other thoughts, their mouths and hands and bodies slowly exploring one another over and over again.

Danica was putting an obscene amount of dry shampoo in her hair when she heard a knock on the door frame of her en suite. Kiera stood there with a smile and a mug of steaming coffee, looking as put together as ever. She wore a turtleneck sweater, perfectly tailored jeans, and trendy boots that Danica eyed and mentally-marked as borrow-worthy. Danica felt very suddenly frumpy in her thrifted Levi’s and oversized fisherman’s sweater.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Kiera said, passing her the coffee.

Danica took the mug of coffee gratefully. “Morning,” she said, pausing to sip the coffee.

“How’d you sleep?” Kiera asked.

“Great, thanks,” Danica lied. “How about you?”

“Better without you starfishing,” Kiera teased.

Danica grinned, catching Kiera’s eye in the mirror. “Thanks again for letting me sleep in your bed.”

“Want to talk about it?” Kiera asked, leaning against the bathroom counter.

“I was just feeling weird, and you always make me feel better,” Danica said, trying to massage her bangs into submission.

“Mmhmm,” Kiera said, pointedly looking at Danica’s perfectly made bed.

Danica’s met Kiera’s eyes in the large bathroom mirror.

“What’s on your neck?” Kiera asked, angling her head to see.

Danica could feel her entire body flush with embarrassment as her hand shot to her neck, remembering how she’d found the hickey after the hot tub… and then probably added to the collection last night. “I burned my curling iron.”

“You burned your curling iron,” Kiera repeated, deadpan.

“No, I mean, I burned my curling iron with myself.” Danica wasn’t a very good liar at the best of moments, and when she was flustered, it was even worse. She checked her neck in the mirror, seeing a bright red spot exactly where she remembered Pete’s mouth. Really, it was impressive she didn’t have more of them.

“You hussy!” Kiera chided.

Maggie popped her head in the room. “Hey Dani? Are you — Wait, who’s a hussy?”

“Danica the hussy is in here,” Kiera said, pointing emphatically into the en suite. “She has a hickey .”

Danica set down the coffee cup and held her hands over her face as Maggie walked into the bathroom, and sat on the edge of the bathtub.

Maggie giggled, kicking her feet. “From who ?”

“Well, it wasn’t from me,” Kiera said.

“Wasn’t me,” Maggie said quickly. “Did a hot stranger visit you after the bar last night?”

Danica was suddenly wishing she’d drowned in that frozen pond. “It’s nothing.” Her hand moved down to cover her neck.

“Tell us everything,” Kiera said, shutting the door of Danica’s bedroom quietly and then hurrying back to the bathroom. “Wait, they aren’t from Pete, are they?”

“You two are the worst,” Danica said with an uncomfortable laugh, rifling through her makeup bag for concealer. Her cheeks were on fire. Maggie was giddy with anticipation, but Kiera looked somehow both curious and judgmental. Danica applied the concealer with a few taps of her fingers, buying herself time. “Okay, fine, Pete and I… rekindled things,” she said. Both women had an immediate and exaggerated reaction. Maggie clasped her hands to her mouth, her eyes sparkling with delight. Yet Kiera looked ready to launch into a lecture about why this was a bad idea, with a PowerPoint presentation to match.

“Who kissed who?” Maggie asked, eager for the details.

“It was kind of mutual,” Danica said, biting her bottom lip to stifle a grin. “It started two nights ago in the hot tub, and then last night…” Her shoulders nearly touched her ears as she shrugged dramatically.

“Did you have sex?” Kiera whispered conspiratorially.

Danica looked between her friends, her face splitting into a wide smile. Guilty as charged.

Maggie was bouncing — bouncing! — in place with excitement. “And how was it?”

“You are way too excited about this, Mags,” Kiera said, looking from Maggie back to Danica. “Are we just not going to talk about how Dani is engaged?”

Maggie made a dismissive noise.

“I can’t believe we’re seriously talking about cheating on Eddie as if it was a fun, lighthearted time,” Kiera said, an expression of confused contemplation on her face, like she was trying to decide if she was translating the situation correctly.

“Just tell her,” Maggie said to Danica, letting out a long breath.

Danica pursed her lips. Maggie was right, and she couldn’t just expect Kiera to let it go without the full story.

“Tell me what?” Kiera asked, her confusion turning to suspicion.

“Eddie and I aren’t together anymore,” Danica said in a rush, saying the entire sentence as if it were one long word.

Kiera blinked. “You what? When did that happen?”

Danica closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” She took a deep breath and recounted the big details to Kiera, who watched her with an intense stare.

Kiera stared at her with a concerned look on her face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not really that upset,” Danica admitted. “I feel kind of... relieved.”

“So, is Pete like, a rebound thing? Are you ready for that?” Kiera asked, her voice quiet. “Are you okay?”

Maggie waved her hand in the air. “She’s just having a bit of fun. Tell us more about it. I’m boring and married, let me live vicariously through this.”

“It was...” Danica cleared her throat. “Yeah, it was good.”

“I always imagined Pete to be a good kisser,” Maggie said wistfully. “And like, really good in bed. She has that energy.”

Danica snorted in amusement, and almost told Maggie she was exactly right, but quelled the urge.

Kiera shook her head, but Danica could detect a bit of amusement. “Can you not?”

“You wouldn’t get it because you’re woefully straight,” Maggie said with a heavy sigh. “It’s a thing.”

Danica did not think it was entirely appropriate to agree with Maggie’s questions about Pete’s skills in bed, but she caught Maggie’s eye and gave her a small wink when Kiera began to pace the room.

“So, what happens now?” Maggie said with a giddy grin. “You gonna make out again today?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Going to go to fourth base?”

“Home base,” Kiera corrected.

“Whatever,” Maggie said, shrugging. “I thought it was nicer than asking if she was ready to get railed on a bunk bed again.”

Danica choked, but Kiera finally laughed. “I did not need that mental image.”

“I don’t… I’m not entirely sure. Maybe?” Danica said after a moment to think. “Probably.”

Kiera and Maggie voiced immediate and opposing opinions.

Danica pulled at a loose thread in her sweater. “I don’t think it’ll turn into anything serious, you know?”

“You’ve already had a thing with Pete, so it doesn’t have to be that serious,” Maggie stated. “Besides, Pete is like the Mayor of Unserious Town.”

“I think you’re being pretty casual about the fact that a month ago Danica was going to get married to someone else,” Kiera argued.

“Is it that weird to have a few carefree days before having to go back to real life?” Danica asked, feeling defensive.

Kiera sat on the edge of the bed again. “We’re in Telluride, not Vegas.”

“I support women’s rights and wrongs,” Maggie said with a firm nod.

Kiera crossed her arms. “I worry about you, Dani. I was there when Pete broke your heart. I saw what it did to you.”

Danica deflated. Kiera had a point.

Maggie frowned, leveling Kiera with a look that said she thought Kiera was being absurd. “Yeah, but she was twenty-two. So, now Danica knows that Pete doesn’t want anything more than a casual thing, and Danica doesn’t need anything serious, either. Why can’t she just enjoy herself judgment-free for a few days?”

Maggie and Kiera were like the little angel and devil on her shoulders, and Danica could see both sides of what they were saying. Maggie wanted her to have fun while she could, and Kiera was afraid of her getting her heart broken again.

But if she went into it knowing it wasn’t forever, that it would only last a few days, maybe she could keep her heart from getting broken. They only had one night left on the trip. Surely that wasn’t enough to start actually feeling things for Pete again, right? She could just appreciate it for what it was. Maybe she could just enjoy how fantastic of a kisser Pete was, — among her many, many other talents — and then go back to Denver and her real life.

“What if it isn’t over with Eddie?” Kiera said, with a strange look on her face.

Danica grimaced. “It’s definitely over with Eddie.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes. “ He broke up with her . You think she should just be begging to get back with him?”

“I’m just saying that wedding planning is stressful, and maybe Eddie made a mistake,” Kiera said. “Maybe he’s waiting until you’re back to try to work things out.”

Danica glanced from Kiera to Maggie, a strange feeling in her gut. Why was Kiera even saying this?

“And who says she would even want to go back to that asshole?” Maggie asked, crossing her arms. “ He doesn’t deserve her, and she deserves to have good sex and get her groove back.”

Danica held up her hands to pause them. This was turning into her worst-case scenario, where now she had to talk about Eddie, and her breakup, when she wanted to enjoy the trip. and take away too much from the trip with her own problems. It was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid all along. Her cheeks were red and she couldn’t remember if she’d put on blush yet. “Okay. I see what you’re both saying. Thank you both for being so concerned for me, and I love you. I’ll figure it out. You don’t have to worry about me.” She took a deep, steadying breath, staring at herself in the mirror.

Kiera sighed, like she wanted to say more, but Maggie held up her sprained wrist, the bandage wonky and uneven. “Okay, now for the real reason I was trying to find you. I can’t rewrap this. Can you be less of a hussy and more of a doctor for a moment?”