“Shush.” She set the pad of her finger on Deborah’s mouth. “All is forgotten. You’ve come back to me and are willing to trust what we have together and move on. That takes great strength.”
Deborah looked like she was going to argue but smiled. “Yes, it does.”
She exhaled softly, so glad Deborah had begun to heal. She sat up and gave her another needy kiss. When she broke apart, Deborah’s eyes were glazed over. “What do you say we go upstairs and take that bath that was interrupted?”
“I’d love to, but first there’s something else I’ve wanted to do with you since I walked through your door.” Deborah cupped the back of Bridgette’s head and whispered in her ear.
A big smile spread over her face, and she moved off Deborah’s lap and led her to the living room.
As the rain continued to fall outside, two women, one petite with a head full of red curls, the other tall and slender with short hair, danced to the sounds of disco music. They twirled around the room with their arms around one another, laughing and singing as the dog who claimed them both as her mistresses barked and wagged her tail in delight.
When things became a bit too heated, they undressed one another and lay on the chaise lounge to caress and love one another with their hands and mouth. Only then did they climb the stairs to take a bubble bath, where their passions for one another went late into the night.
AVAILABLE NOW FROM KT GRANT:
Scandal in the Wind
Lily Odell was the belle of Charleston, South Carolina high society until her husband, Beau, walked out on her after believing she’d been unfaithful to him. Lily has always been devoted to Beau, although she has kept a dark secret concerning her relationship with her childhood girlfriend. Now she has been ostracized because of the gossip and lies and has no one to turn to for help.
Charleston’s most popular brothel madam, Mrs. Rose Ware, lives her life on her own terms. When she discovers Beau abandoned Lily, and has thrown her out on the street, she takes Lily in until she can get back on her feet. She has always been attracted to the spirited and beautiful Lily, but kept her feelings to herself because of her wanton reputation and her past with Beau. Now with Beau out of the picture, she might have a chance to seduce the heartbroken Lily.
Lily wants revenge against Beau, and Rose is more than willing to help her. Soon both women come up with a plan that will scandalize Charleston, and expose a forbidden passion between a brothel madam and a genteel Southern lady.
Excerpt:
“I hold a masquerade twice a year for my most favored clients.” Rose appeared in the doorway.
Lily went to cover her mouth but then dropped her hand to her side. She had seen Rose dressed for a night out on the town in the past at various public functions such as the theater and at restaurants, but never in what she wore now. She stood on full display, wearing a gown of deep crimson with beads lining the hem and a slit up the right side, past her knee. Lined with feathers, her bodice was cut low enough to show off the tops of her breasts. With each breath, Rose’s chest thrust forward, showing the tops of her areolas. Her waist was the tiniest Lily had ever seen it, tightened with strays crossing her stomach. Her hair was up high on her head, with small, white pearls among her curls that would come tumbling down if someone sifted their fingers through it.
She looked at her hands as she thought about doing just it. She folded them behind her back and waited as Rose came into the middle of the room.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I overheard you and your girl talking about your plans for tonight.” Rose fluffed her bangs.
“I will most likely stay in my room and read before I go to bed.” She lifted part of her satin nightgown covered by her robe then she went to the window and lifted it higher, allowing the night air to cool her flushed face.
“The party will go late into the night, but most of the celebrating will remain on the ground floor. The second floor is where more personal activities take place.”
Lily turned around and gave Rose a head-to-toe look over.
Rose swiveled her hip and placed a hand on her waist. “Do you approve, Mrs. Odell?”
She stopped nibbling on her bottom lip before she ended up chewing away the skin there. “You look beautiful tonight. Most of the men won’t be able to stay away from you.”
Rose’s laugh filled the room. “I’m untouchable. I no longer give out my favors for payment. I observe my guests and wait for them to come to me and inquire about one of my girls they want to spend a few hours with. The days of being bought and sold for a man’s pleasure are long gone for me.”
She simply blinked from the harsh tone in Rose’s voice. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for her to be bought by a man for his own sexual gratification. The urge to go to Rose and hold her close made her walk over to her. Rose stared at her with suspicion, and, as Lily lifted her hand, Rose grabbed it.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, Lily. I won’t apologize for what I had to do to survive.”
Her hand trembled, but Lily pretended not to notice and gave Rose a bright smile. “I have no right to judge you. There are some things I’ve done I’m not proud of, and, like you, I won’t make any apologies.”
“Good.” Rose nodded, and pulled her hand back.
She wanted to tighten her hold, but decided not to. She simply couldn’t hang on Rose the entire night.
At a low ding from the clock on the wall, Rose rubbed her palms together. “I have to go downstairs to welcome my guests.”
“Will you be wearing a mask, too?” She folded her hands on her stomach.
“I hadn’t planned on wearing one. But I do have a mask to match my dress.” Rose flicked her feathers on her bodice.
She kept her eyes on Rose’s face. She didn’t know how she would explain her stare if Rose caught her ogling her chest with the feathers barely covering her nipples.
“You have a strange expression, like you want to ask me something but don’t know how to go about doing it.” Rose tapped the middle of her chin.
She wiped her palms down the side of her robe. Tandi continued to move around the room, not saying a word, which was unlike her. The covert stares, and the way Tandi kept wrinkling her nose at Rose was a sign of displeasure on her part. She had seen it many times—the majority of them directed at her. For once, Rose was on the receiving end.
“And now a secret smile slowly forming,” Rose pointed out. “Whatever is going on in that head of yours, Lily?”
You. She did bite her lip this time to stop from blurting out Rose’s name, quickly dropped her mouth to a straight line and relaxed her pose.
“I can’t stay shut up in this room with just Tandi as company. Since I’m residing here as your guest indefinitely, don’t you think I should be…um…involved in the procedures of your….”