to the moon & to saturn | cate blanchett

chapter 28

Although Elle was last to fall asleep, she was the first to wake.

During the night, Cate had moved to her back, still with one arm wrapped around Elle. The sheet that lay over them at the beginning of the night had fallen to Cate's waist, exposing her chest completely to the natural light pouring into the room from the window.

Elle laid her head below Cate's breasts and waited patiently for the woman to wake up. She indulged in her last morning with Cate, snuggling up to her with a childlike dependency.

Cate's room was relatively empty, since she no longer lived there, but as Elle curled up against Cate's warmth, her eyes wandered around the room. She couldn't help but think about Cate's life in this house before her. Eradicating those thoughts from her mind, she replaced them with happier ones: her and Cate beginning a life of their own. Together.

It wasn't long before Cate stirred from her slumber.

"Good morning, love," she said huskily.

Cate reached down to toy with Elle's hair with one hand, then reached over to her nightstand to grab her chapstick with the other.

"Good morning, baby," Elle murmured against the woman's stomach.

She placed kisses strategically along Cate's chest as she made her way up to the woman's lips to brush her own against them.

"Did you have any dreams?" Elle asked against Cate's mouth.

"I dreamt of kissing you," answered Cate.

"I can make that dream a reality."

In the mornings, Cate tasted like whichever flavor chapstick she decided to put on that day. Today, Elle was met with the tantalizing taste of green apple. As Cate deepened the kiss and let out a low moan, close to a growl, Elle thought about how soft Cate felt against her mouth and how badly she yearned for every inch of the woman.

She set off to explore, climbing on top of Cate and making her way down her lean body with a fresh trail of kisses.

Elle wanted to capture every landmark on Cate's body and every reaction to her touch: the way Cate's nipples hardened under the delicate brush of her thumb, the way Cate arched her back when she introduced her tongue to do circles around the sensitive nubs, and the soft whimpers that emerged from Cate's beautiful mouth as she lightly pulled at Cate with her teeth.

Not an inch of Cate's skin went untouched.

Elle slid her hands down Cate's stomach and found herself at her final destination. She gripped Cate's toned thighs and paused for a moment, admiring the wetness that glistened off of her girlfriend.

"E — Elle," said Cate hoarsely.

Elle ran her tongue up one of Cate's thighs, stopping right before her folds. She did the same action on Cate's other thigh, knowing full well that Cate was eager.

Cate repeated her name. It was harder and darker, more like a warning.

"Yes?" Elle whispered innocently between Cate's trembling legs.

Her head was shoved forward, forcing her tongue between Cate's folds. Smothered between Cate's legs, she happily indulged in the woman's desires, and enjoyed the moans that escaped from her throat as a result.

When Cate finished, she didn't waste any time before attending to Elle's pleasure. Although she loved when Elle pleasured her, she loved taking control more than anything. Elle loved it too; she throbbed in anticipation as Cate flipped her over.

Her back hit the soft mattress and Cate raked her fingernails down the center of Elle's chest, causing the girl to whimper. Elle cherished Cate's light touches, letting her head fall backwards onto the pillow and allowing her eyes to close.