Housemates

Chapter 34

The lift arrived, and a bell chimed, and Mia whispered, “Stop, okay? I will just fuck you here if we don’t stop this now.”

And Ellie, utterly thrilled she’d turned Mia on that much, just grinned. She grinned like Mia was always grinning at her, and Mia seemed to understand.

“Yep,” she said, “That,” and pulled Ellie into the lift.

Mia swiped her access card, and they went up, standing side by side, not touching.

Mia glanced over, and saw Ellie still holding her briefcase, and held out her hand. Ellie shook her head, and said, “I can,” and Mia nodded and smiled.

After that they didn’t look at each other. So they didn’t accidentally start kissing again, Ellie thought. That was why Ellie didn’t look, and from Mia’s careful stare at the lift’s doors, it might have been the same for her, too.

Ellie hoped it was.

They went up to the third floor, and Mia said, “Here,” and got out.

Ellie followed. She stayed back, out of Mia’s reach, just in case.

There was a tidy hallway. There was a clean front door. There was a sunny apartment behind it, with white walls, and ikea furniture, and some clutter, a few things scattered on the coffee table or piled in corners, but not so much as to make it seem messy.

Actually, it seemed expensive, Ellie decided, and given how close they were to the city, it probably was. The rent was probably far more than Ellie’s.

Ellie looked around, almost curious. Desperately horny, but a little curious too. She knew Mia shared with other people, but that was about all. She almost wanted to see who Mia would chose to live with. Some were students, from what Mark had said.

Ellie looked, and then started to smile.

Mia was taking off her coat, hanging it up. She saw Ellie’s face. “What?” she said.

“Mark always makes it sound like your place is full of, like, hippies and with tagging all over the walls.”

Mia seemed confused, rather than anything else.

“Don’t you live with art students?” Ellie said.

“One,” Mia said. “But his girlfriend’s an accountant and she pays the bills.”

“Oh,” Ellie said, and had no idea what else to say.

Mia turned around and looked at her.

“Want a drink?” Mia said.

Ellie nodded.

“Want anything else?” Mia said.

Ellie looked up. “Like what?”

Mia put down her keys and bag and kissed Ellie again. Kissed her like she must have been waiting too all the way up. She slid her hand just inside the back of Ellie’s collar, and stroked her neck, and twisted the fingers of her other hand into Ellie’s fingers, so she was holding Ellie’s hand and somehow stroking too, in a way that was achingly sensual.

That touch meant a lot to Ellie. As if kissing while holding hands was more intimate than just sticking their tongues into each other’s mouths. As if by holding her hand, Mia was saying they were friends and whatever else, something more, not just people about to fuck.

Ellie really liked that idea.

Mia kissed her, and Ellie tingled. She shivered all over. She put her hands on Mia’s arms, and stroked gently, and kissed back.

“Is anyone else home?” Ellie said, after a moment.

“Don’t think so.”

“Could you check?”

“Nope,” Mia said, and kissed her some more.

“I want you,” Ellie whispered, a little later.

“I know,” Mia said, and then suddenly stopped kissing.

Ellie didn’t know why. She looked at Mia, worried.

“We will,” Mia said. “Okay? This time we will, I promise.”

“Now?” Ellie said, despite herself.

“Patience,” Mia said. “Want a drink?”

“Kiss me,” Ellie said. “Please?”

“Drink,” Mia said, grinning slightly, and stepped back far enough she was out of Ellie’s reach.

Ellie nodded, disappointed.