Lexington Connection Page 3

  She settled back into the seat, a little sore but with a great sense of well being. The road was good, traffic was light. She should be able to make good time. Life was good, sometimes very very good.

  Chapter Two

  Diana moved in and out of traffic once she got on Interstate 65. It’s like a racetrack out here today. Why all the traffic? She had gotten a late start, not as early as she wanted to be on the road. Her thoughts drifted back to last night’s pickup. Short, compact, blond, a little firecracker. Diana smiled at the memory. An entertaining evening to be sure, but what was her name? She played softball, had come into the women’s bar after the game. Shorty? Sasha? Sue? Diana shook her head. It didn’t matter. Diana wouldn’t be seeing her again even if she did return to Mobile. Hadn’t even been tempting enough to stay over another day. Not like that woman in Lexington, tall, dark, and handsome. Jessie, that was her name. Worked at the horse farm, something or other. Boy, she had been something. Diana had been dreaming of lean women in blue jeans ever since, gave her an itch she couldn’t quite scratch. Which was strange because Jessie had been different from any of her other encounters.

  “Gotta get out of this traffic,” she muttered as she pulled onto the exit. “Just take a breather.”

  A cool drink sitting at the picnic table under a shade tree. Just what she needed. She had picked up a newspaper to browse through. Race qualifications in Indianapolis. Well, that explained the traffic. Maybe she needed to get off I-65. She pulled out her interstate map, traced out the lines. Ahhh, take I-40 over to I-75. That would go all the way up to Detroit. She traced the route with her finger. Added bonus, it would go right through Lexington. Well, now, wouldn’t it be a nice place to layover and see if tall, dark and handsome was still available?

  She gathered up the newspaper and tourist travel book. If traffic wasn’t perfectly awful, she should have a nice evening in Lexington. Now that was something to look forward to.

  However, much later, hopes dimmed. The Bungalow was as dark as she remembered and the crowd as professional until the changeover hour. Diana sat in the corner, nursing the high-priced drink, watching women come in, casually searching faces, and then turning away in dismissal. Interesting, but no Jessie. Waiting gave her time to think.

  When was the last time she tried to hook up again with a one-night stand? Had she ever? Well, not anyone on the road at least. At home she remained aloof. Papa’s warnings were paramount: trust nobody. The ones closest are the ones most likely to betray you. So don’t let anyone get close.

  She examined her drink, thinking about her papa. There was a whole lot of Papa’s world she didn’t want, but it was hard to reject it without rejecting him and she wasn’t ready to do that. Not yet. Maybe someday. Maybe that was why she liked being on the road so much. An escape. On the road, everything seemed more normal. She could even leave Margaret at home; pretend she was just on vacation, going to visit family, friends. She could drop the suspicious attitude that was becoming second nature; stop the paranoid feelings that were becoming a second skin. She could forgo the cynical outlook she knew she was developing and just accept things at face value. Like Jessie.

  That weekend had been a jewel. And it wasn’t just the sex, although that, admittedly, had been mind-blowing. She had never before let anyone dominate her, take control the way Jessie had. Yet there was something else. It was just… She paused. She wasn’t sure what it was. Jessie asking her out to dinner, going out dancing. It was so normal, getting-to-know-you stuff. Tourist stuff, a tour of the horse farms. When they finally got there, Diana had to chuckle. Small-town girl showing off the sights of her hometown. The cynical part of Diana was amused when she thought of all the sights she had seen, but another part of her was touched. Jessie treated her like a person, not just a sexual conquest. Maybe that was how Diana viewed it, a casual sexual encounter; maybe that was how it should remain, but when was the last time someone had treated her like someone they might want to know?

  As the hour grew later and later, Diana began to lose hope. Maybe it had been just a one-time deal; but it would have been nice to repeat. Maybe Jessie had found someone; it had been several weeks. Things do change, sometimes quickly. Maybe her coming to this bar was a sometime thing, but Diana couldn’t remember the way to the women’s bar Jessie had taken her to, and she didn’t want to ask.

  She listened to the women’s band, watched the dancers. Even if she didn’t see Jessie, this was better than sitting in her hotel room. She would wait until midnight and then she would go. An early morning start, and then she would be home within a time frame that wouldn’t require any explanation.

  Midnight came and still no Jessie. Sighing, finally admitting just how disappointed she was, she picked up her jacket, checked her wallet and turned to leave.

  “Leaving so soon, princess?” An arm slid around her so unexpectedly, so firmly that she just caught her reaction before she did something she would regret.

  “Well, there, imagine running into you,” she could say with a smile as she turned within that firm arm and met Jessie.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here. Thought you didn’t come back this way.”

  “Oh, I was in the area and thought I’d make a detour.” She looked Jessie over; surely she couldn’t look as good as Diana remembered. Memories had a way of improving, but no, Jessie looked just as good. She was dressed again in those jeans and white shirt, must be a uniform with her, it probably was if she worked on the horse farms.

  “I’m flattered—unless of course there’s another reason for your coming and you’re just stroking my ego by implying I might be the reason.”

  “Oh, you figured in,” Diana said as she stroked the white shirt. “Had to check this out and see if you were really as good as my memories said you were.”

  “Mmmmm, memories improve with age; I might find it hard to live up to them.”

  She tossed Diana’s jacket back on the chair and pulled her to the dance floor. It was a slow dance, they could have their arms around each other. The crowd had thinned out considerably, although it was still early.

  “I don’t think so,” Diana said with a smile. “But then you never can tell. We might have to test the theories out again.” Jessie chuckled, pulling Diana tighter against her. Diana pulled back to look her in the face. “You haven’t gotten married, have you? Sneaking out on the poor wifey after she’s gone to bed?”

  “Hardly. Working late tonight.” She pulled Diana against her and her hands caressed Diana’s back. “But I like testing those theories again. Never can tell, things can change.” She nuzzled Diana’s ear. “I’ve dreamed of you,” she whispered.

  Diana smiled, immensely gratified to know she wasn’t the only one touched. “Wet ones, I hope.”

  “Were yours?”

  “Oh, God, yes.”

  Jessie chuckled as she whirled Diana around.

  Yet when it came time to speak, Diana was strangely shy. That was a new emotion for her. She tried to be arch, running her hand up Jessie’s arm. “I don’t suppose you’re available?”

  Jessie caught her hand, brought it to her lips. “Not for the weekend.” She kissed Diana’s palm. “But tonight, yes.” She lightly touched the center of Diana’s palm with the tip of her tongue. “Is that all right?”

  “Yes,” Diana breathed. She was curious to know but she had her own rules. No questions, so she didn’t ask. “I’m not at the Hilton this time. Rooms were easier to find.”

  “Not so crowded now,” Jessie said as they walked out onto the street. “Where at?”

  “The Inn over on Broadway. You know it?” Jessie nodded and Diana pointed to the late model blue-gray Chevy Cobalt parked across the street. “That’s mine.”

  “Rental,” Jessie observed.

  “No sense putting business mileage on my car. Besides, it’s a business expense. Shall I meet you over there? I assume you’ll want to drive.”

  “Right.” Jessie stopped at the Jeep, which Diana recognized.
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br />   Diana frowned as she walked across the street to her car. Not surprising someone would notice it was a rental, but she was surprised Jessie would mention it. She glanced back as she got in the car and saw Jessie still standing at the driver’s door, watching her. Curious? Or protective? She had mixed emotions. She had a good feeling someone was watching out for her; a little uneasy someone was that observant about her. Then she remembered Jessie’s kiss on the palm of her hand and she forgot about the cars.

  “Mind if I bring this in?” Jessie asked after they parked side by side under one of the hotel parking lot lights. She indicated a small backpack she had slung over her shoulder.

  Diana shook her head as she carefully locked the car. Confident, weren’t you? Of someone being available for you at least. She felt a faint twinge of jealousy of some unknown woman and then she pushed it away. She was in no position to be jealous of anything or anyone.

  “I thought about you after our weekend.” Jessie leaned against the wall as Diana unlocked the door to her room.

  “That’s nice to know.” Just don’t get too curious, sweetheart.

  “You never really said much about yourself.” Jessie followed Diana into the room.

  “I’m a modest sort of person.”

  Jessie looked around the room, another two-room suite. She reached over the back of the loveseat and set her backpack down. “Most modest people don’t pick up one-night stands. Experience tells me they’re self-confident, full of themselves.” She turned back to Diana, leaned back against the loveseat.

  “Like you?”

  Jessie shrugged. Her dark eyes were curious, speculating. “I’m on my home ground. It’s easy to be confident.”

  Diana advanced on Jessie. She ran her hands over Jessie’s shirt. “A lot of people do things out of town they would never do on their home stomping ground. You know that.”

  “Is that what you’re doing?” Jessie wrapped her arm around Diana. “Is there something back there I should worry about?”

  “Like what?” Diana kept her voice light and even managed to chuckle.

  Jessie brought Diana’s hand up to her lips, looked over her fingers. “Jealous husband? Jealous girlfriend? Jealous boyfriend?”

  Diana laughed almost in relief. “No, no and no. I’m free, unencumbered and I intend to stay that way.” She ran her hands up over Jessie’s shoulders. “Why the questions? I would think you’d be the last one to ask.” She ran her fingers through Jessie’s short hair, anticipating more. “Aren’t you doing the same thing?”

  “You’re different,” Jessie said flatly. “You’re not like me.”

  Diana stepped back, stepped out of Jessie’s arms. Maybe this was a mistake. Jessie wasn’t asking questions, at least not the usual kind, but she was pushing. “Is that a problem? Because if it is, maybe we just don’t need to go any further.”

  Jessie frowned. “I thought about you after that weekend. Every time I thought I knew where you were coming from, you changed. I thought you were a tourist just wandering in but it wasn’t that. I thought maybe you were exploring something different but no.” She shook her head ruefully, flushing a little. “No, you knew what you were doing all right.” She was visibly puzzled. “I thought it’d be all sex but you enjoyed dinner, going out. You weren’t in a real hurry to get back to the hotel.” She stopped and frowned again. “When I bailed out, you didn’t ask any questions.”

  “Wasn’t my concern,” Diana said shortly.

  “‘Never explain’,” Jessie quoted. “You said that was your philosophy. So I gathered you weren’t going to explain anything you did either.”

  Diana said nothing, waiting. Jessie clearly wanted to ask questions but she didn’t.

  “You made the entire weekend pleasant, both in and out of bed, like, like…” Jessie fumbled for a comparison. “Like someone I simply met and would want to get to know and just happened to have sex with.” Then she stopped.

  Again Diana waited; she’d had her share of waiting out people who made leading statements. Jessie watched her curiously but didn’t say anything. “So?” Diana said finally.

  “You came back,” Jessie said in a puzzled tone. “I didn’t expect that.”

  That makes two of us. Diana didn’t have a response, not one she was ready to give. Jessie was thinking just like Diana had been thinking earlier. She had never looked up someone again. Why did she do so now? “Neither did I.”

  “So.” Jessie looked like she was struggling with something. She looked away, around the room and then came back to Diana. “I mean.” She stopped again. She took a deep breath. “It was a real nice weekend, Diana. Don’t get me wrong. And I clearly got the idea that you were the ‘love ’em and leave ’em’ type, the mysterious stranger. That was the way you wanted it.” She hesitated and then went on. “So why are you here?”

  It was Diana’s turn not to have an answer. She looked Jessie up and down, remembering all the pleasures that body had given her. There were so many things she could say but wouldn’t be wise. “I just happened to be coming through again and wanted to see if you were available.”

  The look Jessie gave her said she didn’t believe her. “Is that all?”

  No. Diana walked away, half turning away from Jessie. “It was a very nice weekend for me too,” she could finally admit. “I enjoyed all of it.” She turned back. “I thought it was worth repeating.”

  “Worth enough to make a special trip?”

  “I didn’t make a special trip. I really am on my way from one place to another.”

  “And just happened to stop in?”

  “No. Deliberately stopped. I wanted to see you again.” This really was a mistake. I need to keep my wants tucked away better and stick to my needs. “But like I said a minute ago: if that’s a problem, then maybe it needs to stop here.”

  “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “Nothing.” She didn’t say there was a problem, some part of Diana’s mind latched onto. Diana moved to stand in front of Jessie again. She could see Jessie’s tension, her indecision, but she didn’t get the feeling Jessie was ready to leave. “If you’re here, we can have a good time, whatever we want to do. If not, then maybe another time.” She really wanted to touch her now, touch her and make her respond and drive her crazy and leave her wanting more. For the next time. Now where the hell did that come from?

  “Your terms.”

  “You can always say no.” But you won’t. Will you, darling?

  Jessie appeared to think about it. “What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”

  “Gone on my way.” But you did. Diana began to unbutton Jessie’s shirt, already feeling possessive.

  Jessie’s head came up but she made no move to stop her.

  Diana ran her fingers over Jessie’s collarbones, she spread the shirt open and slipped it off Jessie’s shoulders. She watched Jessie’s eyes turn darker, heavy lidded as Diana caressed the sides of Jessie’s breasts. Jessie’s breath quickened and she made a little convulsive movement to hunch her shoulders and then deliberately relaxed. She swallowed.

  “Are you sure someone didn’t put you up to this?” Jessie’s voice was slightly huskier.

  “Like who?” Diana pushed up the sports bra to uncover Jessie’s breasts. The dark nipples popped up as Diana deliberately dragged the cloth taut.

  Jessie reached back to grip her hands on the back of the loveseat. “Oh, I don’t know. Someone who’d like to see me strung out.”

  “Jessie. Are you telling me that you’ve been elusive with women?” Diana moved in closer. She thumbed Jessie’s nipples, her fingertips caressed the soft flesh of her breasts.

  Jessie closed her eyes, leaned forward slightly into Diana’s hands. “Maybe one or two.” She licked her lips. “Sometimes you can say it’s just fun and games but someone always thinks it’s just a ploy and they want more.”

  “I know.” Diana tugged at both nipples. “They start calling you romantic names and expect you to be ther
e for them.” Jessie shuddered and Diana moved closer. “But you wouldn’t do that, would you, Jessie?” She bent down to take the nipple in her mouth as Jessie’s hand snaked through her hair. With her other hand, Diana unsnapped, unzipped Jessie’s jeans.

  “Here. And. Now.” She pulled Diana’s face onto her breast.

  Diana pushed down Jessie’s jeans, lightly ran her fingers over Jessie’s stomach. She felt Jessie’s breath quicken, her hand in Diana’s hair pull her closer. Diana lightly bit the taut nipple. Jessie groaned.

  “Diana.”

  Diana ran her fingers through Jessie’s wet hair, slid in between her lips. She was swollen and wet. She stiffened at Diana’s touch, Diana felt Jessie’s knees lock. Diana stroked lightly the full length of her clit, circled lightly, deliberately keeping her touch light, teasing. She pulled away from Jessie’s breast and Jessie clutched for her. “You like it light to start with, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” Jessie threw her head back as Diana knelt before her. Jessie reached behind her for support against the loveseat.

  “You like to be teased and tormented, don’t you?” Jessie grew even wetter. “Yes, I thought so.” Diana parted the thick, dark hair. “So if I show up again, whenever, maybe, if.” She lightly blew on the swollen clit. “Then it’s just another layer of teasing, isn’t it?”

  “Y-yes, I g-guess so.”

  “Never knowing. Never for sure. Just waiting.” Diana leaned forward to flick her tongue out. Jessie cried out at her touch. “You like that idea, darling?”

  “Torture. Uncertain.” Jessie was breathing hard and she was having trouble standing up.

  Diana could feel Jessie shake and realized Jessie’s pleasure was her pleasure. She never felt like that before, and in some corner of her mind she wondered where that feeling had come from. Then Jessie jerked her hips and Diana was waiting for her, wrapped her arms around Jessie’s hips and held her still. “Just the way you like it, isn’t it?”