Damage Control

Chapter Twenty-Four

Concentrating was hard. The light afternoon light flowed through the bedroom window and onto the floor where Josie sat with Hope. Hope was sitting cross legged, leaning over a book on the floor, head slightly tilted, her hair to one side like a curtain. They were trying to do homework, trying being the operative word, at least in Josie's case. She was more lying than sitting, her legs tucked behind her, the warm light was hitting her and she couldn't help but keep watching Hope as she read.

The way her brow would slightly crease when she got to something interesting or something she did not completely understand. The slow rise and fall of her chest, so slow she could have been sleeping not reading. Her fingers reflected the light when she reached to turn another page in the book. "You know if you don't start working soon you will fall asleep." Hope's voice was like honey, but the sudden sound in the silence shocked her from her trance.

Josie blinked hard. "I am working." She muttered unconvincingly and she turned the page, though she didn't even read the last one.

Hope's light eyes looked up at Josie as her lips slowly curved into a smile. "Oh really? So you haven't been staring at me for the last five minutes?" A challenge.

Josie didn't hide her guilt. "It isn't my fault that this book is boring." She looked down at the text, her eyes threatening to glaze over. "Besides you're distracting."

Hope drew her attention away from her book. "Am I?" Her voice vibrated with humor, she was enjoying this. "Should I leave then?" She faked closing her book.

"No." Josie blurted out, and Hope laughed at her.

Hope leaned back on her hands. "Tell me how should I stop distracting you?"

Josie bit her lip. "Perhaps what I need is a distraction, this book is putting me to sleep, I could use a break."

Hope smiled with her eyes, they practically danced. "And what about Lizzie? She could be back at any minute."

"She is having one of her sessions with mom, those go on for hours."

Hope pretended to think it over. "How would you like me to wake you up?" There was a dangerous edge to her voice that made Josie flush.

She tried to shrug as nonchalant as she could. "What ever you feel like." Josie surprisingly did most of the action, trying to take the lead, take what she wanted for once, now she figured it was Hope's turn. They had been doing whatever this was for a couple of weeks now.

"That sounds dangerous." She said with a bite.

Josie winked. "I love danger."

Hope let out a loud laugh, happiness seemed to radiate from her, making Josie's heart flutter. "If you love danger then do you want to do something very dangerous?" Now Hope was biting her lip.

Josie sat up more. "And what is that?"

Hope looked down at her lap then up again. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

That took Josie aback for a second, it was not where she thought that conversion was going. "I..."

"It is okay if you're not ready." Hope rushed out, looking like she regretted asking.

"No, no." Josie stopped her, a large smile growing on her face. "I'd love to."

Hope's smile mirrored hers. "Then let me ask in a better way." She got up on her knees and crawled the foot or so between them, until she was almost on top of Josie. "Josette Saltzman, would you like to be my girlfriend?" Her breath danced over Josie's lips.

Josie licked her lips. "Hope Mikealson, I thought you'd never ask."

Hope reached her hand out and gently took Josie's face, bringing her forward enough to give her a light kiss. Josie held very still, she was firm on her decision to let Hope take the lead. Hope leaned in closer, causing Josie to use her hands to support herself on the floor. The kiss kept going. Hope moved her hand to the back of Josie's neck and continued to lean her backwards, shifting so she was straddling Josie as she laid on the floor. When Josie no longer needed to use her hands to support herself, she reached up to grab Hope's waist.

Hope slid her tongue along Josie's bottom lip before she tried to find Josie's tongue. Hope pressed her body into Josie's, causing her to gasp slightly. Hope took that as a good sign because she picked up the pace. Josie's hands began to wander, up Hope's back and bank and back down, using her nails to make Hope groan. When her hands once again found Hope's waist, she continued to her hips, fingers sliding easily under her shirt, though she kept them rooted there, gently massaging her skin.

Hope pulled back only enough to see Josie's eyes, hers were filled with what Josie took as desire or hunger. "May I?" Josie's voice came out rough.

Hope nodded. "You may."

Josie lifted off the ground until she was sitting with Hope still on top of her. She started pulling Hope's shirt up, she wanted to savor the movements. She wanted to kiss every inch of her skin, so she did. Slowly kissing her way up Hope's stomach, occasionally nipping at her. Rewarded with egear sounds and Hope moving in closer. Finally she pulled the shirt free, dropping it from her fingers. Just the sight of Hope with her shirt off was enough to make Josie want to combust. Josie pulled Hope down and bit her on the shoulder, hard enough for Hope to hiss, but she pushed her hips in as she did. Josie found her mouth again and didn't hold back this time, she kissed her with so much force. She wanted nothing between them.

The door opened abruptly. "Josie..." They sprang apart, Hope dived for her shirt.

Josie only turned to glare at her twin, that was until she saw her father was only a step behind her, an unreadable expression on his face. "My office, now." He didn't give them a chance to say anything else.

Hope already had her shirt on and was standing, Josie felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her. "Well that is one way to wake up." She grumbled under her breath. "Next time knock." She snapped at Lizzie.

Lizzie looked more shocked than she should have. "Next time hand a sock on the door." She managed to retort. "I don't want to see that any more than you want to be seen."

"Come on Jo, your dad is waiting." Hope said in the doorway, sounding concerned.

"Maybe you can find Hope's dignity on the way." Lizzie called. Josie knew she was only trying to defuse the tension but she was not in the mood. She slammed the door behind her and dashed off toward Hope. Wondering what they were about to face.