Those Ocean Eyes

Chapter 36

"I hope you're planning on finishing what you started?" she demands, hooking her leg over Rachel's shoulder, and Rachel smiles as she thinks back to all those times she helped Cassandra hone her flexibility. Then she picks up where she left off, sucking experimentally on Cassie's clit, and Cassie's breath audibly hitches.

"Fuck me," Cassandra hisses on the back of a ragged moan, and Rachel feels a sense of accomplishment that could rival winning the first-place trophy at Nationals. Emboldened by the sounds of gratification spilling from Cassandra's lips, she changes it up a little, flicking her tongue lightly over the pulsating bundle of nerves, and Cassie's fingers dig possessively into her shoulders.

"A little harder... up a bit... God, that's good... don't you dare fucking move," she warns, and Rachel has to resist the urge to burst out laughing. She follows Cassie's instructions to the letter, grateful for her guidance, and it doesn't take long before she masters the art of getting Cassie to shut the hell up. Cassie's running commentary turns into gasping breaths and protracted moans, and there are no words to describe the satisfaction Rachel derives from watching the Ice Queen melt. Cassie's writhing and panting beneath her, and Rachel's own arousal is getting out of control. She squeezes her thighs together, desperately trying to relieve the tension building inside of her.

"Rachel..." Cassie sighs, like she doesn't just want this – she needs it - and Rachel can't take it anymore. Knowing that Cassie's too far gone to object, she pulls back, hastily replacing her mouth with her hand so she can watch Cassie's face as she falls over the edge. She coats a finger in Cassie's wetness and then gently eases it inside of her, and Cassie lets out a keening cry.

"More," she gasps, but Rachel's so entranced by the sensation of Cassie clenching around her – hot and wet and tight – she momentarily forgets how to move.

"I said more," Cassie chokes out, and her grip on Rachel's hips becomes almost painful, "And put some elbow-grease into it."

Rachel hastily obliges, letting her thumb brush tantalisingly against Cassie's clit as she thrusts another finger inside of her. She strokes hard and deep, as per Cassie's request, and her heart swells as she watches Cassie's eyelids flicker and her mouth purse and a satisfied smile play across her lips. Cassie fists her hand in the bedsheets, but then she reaches for Rachel, clutching at her desperately.

Rachel's breath catches in her throat as she watches Cassie come apart, and time seems to stand still as Cassie jerks and shudders against her. When Cassie collapses limply onto the bed, her skin's glistening with a light sheen of sweat, her hair is a tangled mess, and her eyes are dark and wild. Rachel wonders if she'll ever stop being taken aback by how beautiful – and unfathomably hot – Cassandra is. She wonders if she'll ever be able to stop staring at her.

Cassie reaches out, wiping Rachel's mouth with her thumb, and Rachel turns her cheek into the touch, planting a kiss against Cassie's palm. The next thing she knows, she's being flipped onto her back, and her heart lurches when Cassie straddles her, levelling her with a look that tells Rachel she's unleashed something primal and powerful. Her stomach twists – whether it's with anticipation or apprehension, she doesn't know - but then Cassie's kissing her like she means it, as though what's happening between them is all-consuming, and her hands are everywhere all at once. Rachel's skin is already hypersensitive, and she's been aching for someone to alleviate the pressure that's been steadily pushing her towards breaking point, so when Cassie sucks insistently on her nipple and plunges two fingers deep inside of her, hitting a spot that Rachel didn't even know existed, Rachel's world explodes in a rush of pure sensation. Cassie rubs her clit with practised skill, and Rachel doesn't even recognise the sounds that are coming out of her own mouth. It only takes a couple of minutes before her entire body's convulsing with pleasure, and the aftershocks leave her trembling.

For a moment, she can't move - it's like she's literally paralysed by the force of her orgasm - and she lets out an undignified whimper when Cassie slowly withdraws her fingers. Cassie looms over her, smiling like the cat that got the cream, and even though her self-satisfied expression is insufferably obnoxious, Rachel can't help but smile back.

"Well, I guess John Lennon was right," she muses, on the back of a sated sigh, "We should make love, not war."

She regrets the words as soon as they're out of her mouth, because Cassie jumps out of bed as though the smoke alarm's just started blaring.

"I'll be back in a minute," she says, and Rachel looks on in bewilderment as the bathroom door slams shut behind her. She groans with frustration, burying her head in Cassie's pillow, and inwardly vows never to say the "L" word in her presence again. She reaches for Cassie's robe, but it's still damp, so she darts towards the hallway and picks up her overnight bag, hastily pulling on a pair of clean pyjamas. Then she flops back onto the bed, wringing her hands as she waits for Cassie to emerge from her sanctuary. Ten minutes later, the bathroom door finally opens, but Cassie doesn't say a word, she just makes a beeline for her closet and changes into an over-sized T-shirt.

"Do you want me to leave?" Rachel asks softly, and Cassie's back becomes taut with tension. Then she shakes her head, barely perceptibly, and Rachel has to blink back tears of relief. She realises, then, that Cassandra's not immune to what's going on between them, she's just terrified of letting her get too close, and she has to fight the urge to reach out to her, to do whatever it takes to breach the last of her defence mechanisms.

"Look, Schwimmer, I'm not girlfriend material, OK?" Cassandra informs her bluntly, perching on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to take moonlit walks with you or buy you a teddy bear and chocolates on Valentine's Day. Hell, most of the time, I'm going to struggle to even be nice to you. I'm not the kind of person you take home to meet your parents, and I don't do dating. I'd rather just cut to the chase. My longest relationship lasted for three weeks, and it was a fucking disaster."

Rachel knows that Cassie's trying to offer her an out, to make her wake up and realise what she's letting herself in for, but Cassie's brutal honesty does nothing to dissuade her from her mission. She tucks the comforter under her armpits and shifts a little closer, letting her fingertips brush over Cassie's hand.

"OK, number one, I might be young, but I'm pretty sure I've outgrown my teddy bear phase," she begins wryly, and Cassie's guarded expression gives way to a small smile.

"I've got two words for you, Schwimmer," she says, sardonically, "Hello Kitty."

Rachel gives an embarrassed laugh, and vows to donate all of her teddy bears to charity before Cassandra ever sets foot inside of her bedroom.

"Number two, I'm a vegan, so it's easier for me to just forgo the whole chocolate thing. I am partial to dairy-free ice cream, though, but you already know that." Rachel gives Cassie a playful nudge. "And, let's face it, you've always struggled to be nice to me, but I'm still here, aren't I?"

Cassie ducks her head, and Rachel reaches out, smoothing her fingers through Cassie's dishevelled hair.

"For what it's worth, my parents loved you, and I think they probably figured out that I have a gigantic crush on you. And if you want to make it all about sex, then that's fine with me, because what you just did to me..." Rachel's voice catches, and she clears her throat, "I never knew it could feel that good," she concludes, and her voice is shaking.

Cassie looks at her then, and her eyes are shining with some inscrutable emotion that looks a lot like love. She closes the distance between them, pressing a feather-light kiss against Rachel's lips, and it's soft and sweet - all the things Cassie's claiming she could never be. It's obvious that something's still bothering her, though, and Rachel surveys her agitated demeanour with concern.

"What's wrong?" she ventures softly, hoping that Cassie will confide in her. It takes a moment, but the shutters finally start to open.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Cassie confesses quietly. "I needed that job, Schwimmer, and now..." she trails off, shaking her head, and she looks so defeated, Rachel can't stand it.