What The Heart Wants

Chapter 18

Emily loved the tender way Alison pulled the covers up and settled them around her, as though she was infinitely precious to her.

She made her feel special. Treasured, somehow.

Alison, of all people.

She'd just... never known.

The blonde kissed the tip of her nose. "I know I'm being selfish, but I want you in this bed with me. I want you to stay here with me. I want to wake up beside you in the morning. And the morning after that. I don't want you to get up and go."

"I don't want to go either." But they were in uncharted territory here. Yes, they were both single and had every right to find comfort and pleasure together. Still. Alison had belonged to Camila for so many years. Emily just didn't know how the family would react. Camila died more than a year an a half ago, but for Sinuhe, the pain of losing her only child lingered - and always would. How would she take it to see Alison moving on? And with Emily of all people? How would Alison's brother and sisters see it? She really couldn't predict what their reactions would be. With families, well, you just never could tell.

"So you'll stay?" Alison looked so hopeful. And very sexy with her bedhead and those pink swollen lips she just wanted to kiss again and again.

"I'll stay," she said. "But I really think, at least for the time being that as for telling the family that we're spending nights together..." Emily looked for the right words.

Alison found the words for her. "They don't need to know." And she laughed. For the second time that night. "You should see your face. I've surprised you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, that was exactly what I was about to say. But I guess I was kind of afraid you would take it wrong."

"No, Uh-uh. This is between us." Now Alison sounded a a little bit grim and a whole lot regretful, very much the non-smiling, laughter-averse Alison she knew best.

Emily admitted, "It's only, well, I could do without another rant on the wonders of sex from my mother. And I have no idea how Aunt Sinuhe will react, but at the moment, I'm not ready to find out. I can't see why we even need to deal with the family about it Not right now at least. Not while it's all so new."

Alison smoothed a few strands of hair behind Emily's ear. "It's just better..."

"If we keep it between the two of us." Emily finished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Baba? Ba-ba? Baba, ba..." It was Jake's voice in a lazy singsong coming from the baby monitor, luring Emily from sleep.

"Ba-ba! Emmy!" Ellie joined in more insistently. "Up!"

Emily opened her eyes to find a sleepy Alison watching her from the other pillow. Ali reached out, brushed the hair from her eyes and traced the curve of her ear with a lazy finger.

Emily gave her a slow smile. Wonder of wonders, Alison smiled back.

And to think, last night she'd been about to tell Alison it was time for her to go.

Well, forget that. As of this morning, she was going nowhere.

Everything had changed with that first kiss in the rain.

Now she knew that Alison wanted her, too. Hadn't she proved it in the most spectacular way?

Emily wasn't giving her up. Not until...

When? She had no idea. And she refused to get all tied in knots about how things would end up.

Right now, it was only the beginning and it was glorious.