El woke to the sound of a text message coming in on her phone. She lifted her head to look around. Andrea was asleep with her back to El, half on her side, half on her stomach. El softly kissed the other woman's shoulder before rolling out of bed while replaying the night through her mind. She had awakened part way through the night to Andrea whispering in her ear to wake up and make love to her. She was starting to formulate a plan on how she wanted to wake the woman in her bed when she reached for her phone to read the message that had come in. She silently groaned then searched for clothes to put on. She pulled on a t-shirt and boy shorts as Toby stood, stretched and made his way to the balcony door to wait for El to let him out. El looked around outside a moment as Toby made his way down the stairs.
She turned around and watched Andrea sleep for a few moments before leaving the room, stopping to use the bathroom on her way down stairs. Once in the kitchen she went about her usual morning routine. El grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, after taking a bite and chewing she held the apple in her teeth while she went about preparing the coffee pot. Turning it on as she took another bite while she went about filling Toby's food and water bowls before making her way back upstairs to shower.
Fifteen minutes later El returned to her room wrapped in a towel. Walking over to the door to let Toby in. She softly laughed as he came in one door and immediately ran out the bedroom door to empty the food bowl he knew his girl had filled. El dressed in jeans and a t-shirt but grabbed a long sleeved flannel shirt to wear over her t-shirt.
"Andrea." She said as she crawled across the bed toward the sleeping woman. "I have to go into the office for a little while."
She kissed Andrea's neck then down between her shoulder blades, stopping when the other woman sighed and stretched.
"Okay." Was Andrea's sleep reply.
El smiled and leaned back down to kiss Andrea's shoulder again, eliciting a moan from the sleeping woman. She then decided to take a few moments to enjoy Andrea in her current state.
Resting on her knees, El trailed kisses from Andrea's shoulder to the middle of her back. Pausing between her shoulder blades as she used her hand to caress her way down Andrea's side and over her hip, pushing the sheet off in the process. As she trailed kisses down Andrea's back she caressed Andrea's thigh. She started at her hip, moving over the front and down towards her knee, then around to the back and up to her butt. Once El's lips reached the blue butterfly, she used the tip of her tongue to trace the outline of it as she moved her hand between Andrea's legs, lingering just outside of her folds.
Andrea moved her leg to allow El better access, "Baby please don't tease me then leave."
"I wouldn't dare." El replied as she settled onto her side behind the brunette. She leaned down and lightly bit Andrea's hip. She slipped her fingers inside and began slowly thrusting in and out.
Andrea moaned as she desperately tried to move her hips in time with El's movements. She was helpless but to lay there given the position she was in.
"No, no, no." She cried out when El pulled out of her. She arched her back when El began to rub her clit. She moaned with arousal and in frustration as well when El refused to allow her to roll over.
El used her body to hold Andrea where she wanted her. She was testing her own willpower not to undress and join the woman
"I need you inside me." Andrea panted as she reached down to replace El's fingers with her own.
Andrea began rubbing her own clit as El thrust her fingers back inside of her. It didn't take much more and El knew that Andrea was on the edge. A few more thrusts and Andrea's walls began to squeeze El's fingers. El then slowed her movements, drawing out Andrea's orgasm while ignoring her own desire for release.
She pulled out of Andrea, resting her head on the woman's hip as Andrea managed to get her breathing settled. El groaned when she heard her cell phone signal another incoming text message.
"I thought you were on vacation." Andrea said softly.
"I am but I have some paperwork I need to finish up so that the reports for the week can be filed." El moved up to settle behind Andrea, wrapping her arms around her.
"Can't Jimmy do it?" Andrea sighed, enjoying being wrapped in El's arms.
"Unfortunately no. I have to fill out the paperwork for my last call out from the other day." El said, kissing Andrea's shoulder before rolling to the side of the bed. "I have to write a report about this hot damsel in distress that I had to rescue from a snowstorm."
Rolling over, Andrea laughed, "I am not, nor have I ever been a damsel in distress."
El laughed as she pulled her flannel shirt on, "You will be today on paper!"
"El! Don't you dare make me out to be some sissy girl!"
El stepped back over to the edge of the bed to look down at the naked woman laying in it, burning the image into her memory. Andrea rolled on to her knees and crawled to the side of the bed facing El.
El reached up to cup Andrea's face in her hands, "I wouldn't dream of it." She gently kissed her lips.
Andrea fisted her hands in El's flannel, holding her close. "Do you have to go right now?"
El smiled into the kiss, "Shouldn't take long. Then I'm all yours for as long as you're here." She gently pulled on Andrea's bottom lip with her teeth. "While I'm there I'll see if the guys are free later to help me bring the furniture in from the garage."
Toby picked that moment to nose his way between the two women.
"Mr. Jealous." El laughed as she stepped back.
Andrea laid back down, not bothering to pull the sheet up over herself. "I'll just wait here for you."
El hummed in approval as she leaned down for one last kiss. Turning toward the door, she called for Toby. When she didn't hear him jump to the floor she turned back around to find him making himself comfortable next to Andrea.
"So that's how it's going to be?" She laughed as she shook her head. "Okay then." She turned for the door but stopped before stepping out of the room. "Make yourself at home." She looked at the sight before her, Toby resting his head on Andrea's leg. Andrea naked on her bed, she thought to herself how she needed to hurry and get back.
Greg was just coming out of the office as El was getting out of her truck, "Good luck! The dragon lady has been on the war path because you didn't come in yesterday!"
"When is she not on the warpath?" El asked.
"She's had it in for you ever since you turned down that friend of hers she tried to fix you up with."
"So you noticed that too huh?"
"We all have." Greg replied as he continued to walk for his truck.
"Hey, are you busy later?" El asked, opening the door to the building.
Greg stopped and turned back to face El, "Not really. What's up?"
"I need help moving furniture in from the garage. I'll supply beer and pizza."
"No problem. Text me when you get done here and I'll meet you at your place. I'm kind of anxious to meet your guest!"
El laughed, "I bet you are. I'll see if Jimmy is able to help too."
"He'll change his plans if it means getting to see your house guest again."
"Oh crap!"
"Don't worry. He didn't let on to the dragon lady about your love nest."
"Ha ha. See you later!" El said then continued into the office.
Jimmy was talking to one of the women that helped out in the office. He looked up and smiled when he met eyes with El.
"Hey Jimmy, Debbie." El said as she made her way to her mailbox. "How bad is it?" She asked, nodding her head toward Shelly's office.
Jimmy said bye to Debbie and made his way over to stand next to her. "Not too bad. Her and Randy are fighting so she's taking it out on us. You specifically since you weren't here to defend yourself."
"Oh well! I'm on vacation after this so she doesn't worry me." El said then lowered her voice, "How are things going with Debbie?"
"I don't know. You know how it is with work romances."
"This is a very small town Jimmy. If you rule out a workplace romance then you might not have a love life at all."
Jimmy considered her words a moment, "True. I like her a lot." He shrugged and smiled, "Speaking of love lives, that smile on your face sure is good to see for a change."
"Yeah, well, it's only temporary."
"Want to talk about it?"
El looked up at him, she knew she could trust him, he was her best friend but she still had a hard time opening up to him. "Thanks but there's just too much history there to get into." She answered as she moved away, headed for Shelly's office.
"I'm always around if you change your mind."
"Thanks Jimmy! You want to come help Greg and I move furniture? I'm buying beer and pizza."
"Sure." Jimmy nodded his head. "Will Andrea be there?"
"Now Jimmy, if you start crushing on Andrea then were going to have to have a talk."
Jimmy laughed, "No, that's not what I meant. I can't wait to see Greg's face when he meets your hot house guest!"
El nodded her head then knocked on the dragon lady's door. When she heard the woman on the other side say come in she opened the door and mentally prepared herself for the yelling that was soon to come.
Shelly was in her late sixties, a local and El had known her most of her life. Being the oldest in the office and having been around the longest, Shelly tended to try to mother everyone around the station.
Elise watched the other woman warily as she stared at her from behind her desk.
"What?"
"Just checking for injuries." Shelly answered. "Are you sick?"
Elise gave the older woman a questioning look, "No."
"Then why didn't you come in yesterday?"
Elise sat down before replying, "It was my day off."
Shelly squinted her eyes as she considered Elise's answer, "No."
Elise laughed, "No, what?"
"No, I'm not buying it." Shelly responded as she leaned back in her chair. "Want to know why? Because if that were true then you wouldn't be here today since it's the first day of your vacation."
"Am I not entitled to a day off? Am I not allowed a personal life?"
"Oh your entitled and allowed but apparently you've forgotten how well I know you and you've forgotten how rumors are in Bridon." Shelly sat forward as she waited for a response.
Elise knew how the rumor mill in Bridon worked. Half the town knew Andrea was coming five minutes after old man Thornton hung up his phone. She could get fired if Shelly had all the facts.
Shelly reached for a file folder that was sitting on the corner of her desk and handed it to Elise, "This report says you took the last call out three nights ago to warn an unknown occupant in the Bridon cabin. It needs your signature so that it can be filed as such."
Elise took the folder and opened it. She scanned the document, clearly in Jimmy's hand writing. She grabbed a pen off of Shelly's desk and quickly signed the report before handing it back to Shelly.
"Now that your final report is complete you're officially on vacation." Shelly placed the file in a desk drawer then leaned forward, resting her head on her hands as she eyed Elise. "How is she?"
"Who?"
"Don't give me that! You know who I'm talking about so spill. Are you going to be okay when she leaves again?"
Elise sighed before answering, "You and my grandmother talked about me a lot more than I realized."
Shelly nodded her head, "Spill."
"I'll be fine." Elise shrugged her shoulders then met Shelly's eyes. "I'll have to be. I know she's not staying and I know I won't survive LA."
"Why is she back after all of this time?"
"She didn't come here to see me. She didn't even know that I was still around." Elise replied as she stood to pace Shelly's small office. "She has some personal baggage to sort through and came to Bridon to do it."
Shelly watched the young blonde pace. She knew her well. Better then Elise wanted to admit. Shelly was close to Beatrice, she was like a mother to Shelly so when Bea asked her to look out for Elise, Shelly didn't hesitate in her promise to do it.
"I'll have to get over it." Elise said softly.
"Honey, I'm still waiting for you to get over her from ten years ago."
Elise made eye contact with essentially the only other person she was close enough to let her guard down. She roughly rubbed her hands over her face to buy herself time to fight the tears that wanted to fall.
"We've mutually agreed to enjoy the time we have together with no strings attached while she's here."
"I can't tell you what to do but I can tell you that I think it's a mistake that you're going to pay very dearly for but I'll be here if and when you need me."
"Thanks." Elise said as she slowly made her way out the door.
Andrea laid with Toby for a few minutes after El left. She then took a shower and dressed for the day. Toby was sitting at the back door when she made her way downstairs. Assuming he wanted to go out she pulled on one of El's hoodies, grabbed a bottle of water and followed the dog outside.
El shut her truck off and looked out the passenger side window in time to see Toby leading Andrea through the trees toward the house. Smiling as she thought to herself about how she could get used to seeing Andrea and Toby together coming to greet her. She got out of the truck and grabbed the two twelve packs of beer she picked up on the way home. Making her way over to the pair that awaited her, she leaned in for a kiss.
After a gentle meeting of lips she smiled against Andrea's lips, "I was kind of hoping to find you still in bed."
Andrea smiled in return, "Your man took me for a walk."
El hummed, kissing her again, "He loves the woods."
"Probably as much as you do." After another kiss Andrea asked, "Would you like to take those into the house?"
El stepped back, "I should actually get at least one of them into the fridge."
Andrea laughed as she followed El into the house. Toby immediately went to his water bowl while El put the beer away.
"Where are you going?" Andrea asked when El went back out the door.
"There's more in the truck."
Andrea watched as El came back in with what looked like two bottles of wine and a bouquet of flowers. "I thought you might like wine over beer so I picked some up," El said. "Would you get a vase from the shelf above the washer and dryer please?"
Andrea grabbed a vase and took the flowers from El. She arranged them in the vase and set them on the table, "I've never thought of you as the type to have flowers in the house."
El joined Andrea at the table, breaking off a sprig of Baby's Breath from the bouquet, she turned to Andrea. "I'm not. I got them for you." She pushed Andrea's hair behind her left ear then proceeded to tuck the small flower in her hair above her ear then leaned in for a kiss.
"Do you think giving me flowers is going to get you laid?" Andrea jokingly asked when El broke from her lips and started kissing her neck.
El released the skin of Andrea's neck that she had gently suckled, leaving a faint mark, "I honestly hadn't thought along those lines." Moving further down Andrea's neck she drew in more soft skin, lightly marking it as well. "Do I need to bribe you into my bed?"
"Keep doing what you're doing and we won't make it to your bed." Andrea replied. She pushed El onto the chair that was behind her then straddled her lap. Andrea's breath caught when El ran her hands up under Andrea's shirt, "Just your hands on me sets me on fire."
El twisted her hands in Andrea's shirt and raised it up. Andrea pulled back from El's mouth long enough to allow the blonde to remove both the hoodie and her t-shirt and toss them to the floor. She threaded her hands into El's hair to bring her lips back to her own. El reached behind Andrea's back and released her bra, pulling it down the woman's arms, adding it to the other clothes.
Andrea threw her head back when El drew one of her nipples into her mouth. After a moment El changed to her other nipple, giving it equal attention.
She gently pulled on El's hair, encouraging her face to turn back toward her own. She drew the blonde's bottom lip into her mouth, lightly biting it as El reached for the snap of her jeans and quickly unbuttoned them.
In their current position El wasn't able to slip Andrea's jeans off without making her stand so she worked her hand inside, pressing her thumb against Andrea's clit. Andrea began rolling her hips, grinding into the pressure that El supplied.
"I need your pants off. I can't get a better position otherwise."
"Don't move." Andrea panted, continuing her movements.
Judging by her breathing El could tell that Andrea was close. She leaned down and gently pulled on one of her nipples with her teeth, drawing it into her mouth as Andrea cried out.
Andrea pulled El's hair again and captured her lips for a passionate kiss before burying her face in El's neck. She could feel the muscles in El's thighs flex when the blonde tried to squeeze her legs together.
Smiling, she searched for El's mouth, "Your turn?" She drew El's bottom lip into her mouth, earning a moan.
"Damn that man's timing!" El growled at the sound of a truck horn coming up the driveway.
"Does he always honk when he comes over?" Andrea asked as she moved to stand.
El reached out to steady Andrea, softly laughing. "No, he's announcing his arrival so that he doesn't walk in on something that might embarrass him." She grabbed Andrea's clothes from the floor and stood.
"That's smart given the current situation." Andrea replied, taking her clothes from El.
"Go upstairs, I'll head him off outside." El said before pulling Andrea in for a soft kiss.
Toby bolted across the yard as soon as El opened the door. She watched the giant of a man reach into his jacket pocket for a dog treat. Toby slowly approached and gently took the treat then bolted away.
"What do I have to do to get him to like me?"
"Stop trying so hard." El answered as she approached.
"I've been around since you brought him home Elise." Jimmy almost whined.
"Your size is intimidating to him. Have you ever tried kneeling down, getting more on his level?"
"I've never thought about it."
"Next time just kneel down and simply greet him Jimmy. He knows you're okay because you've never tried to hurt me."
"Where's Andrea?"
"She's inside." She turned toward the garage, "Let's take a look and get an idea of what we're doing before Greg and Charlie get here. Once Greg meets Andrea he's going to be hard to keep on task."
The afternoon passed fairly quickly once Greg and Charlie did arrive. Elise had several occasions to give Greg dirty looks for his close proximity to Andrea and his innuendos earned him a few elbows to the ribs from Jimmy. But all in all it was an enjoyable afternoon and El had to admit she was glad to have the furniture back in the house.
Greg and Charlie left shortly after the furniture had been placed. Charlie was needed at home and Greg said he had a date.
"Are you sure I'm not imposing?" Jimmy asked Andrea.
The trio had decided to watch movies.
"You're not imposing." Andrea said.
"Yes you are." El said as she sat down next to Andrea on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in each hand.
Jimmy moved to stand when Andrea scolded El, "She's joking Jimmy. Sit down and have some popcorn."
He took the bowl that Andrea took from El. He looked up to see El smiling at him. Breathing a silent sigh of relief the big man sat back down in the recliner next to the couch.
El stretched out on the couch when the second movie was put in and Andrea had laid down in front of her with her back to the blonde.
Halfway through the movie Jimmy looked over to see his friend sleeping. Andrea lifted her head when Jimmy put the footrest down.
"I'm going to take off." Jimmy said softly.
"Don't you want to see the end of the movie?"
"I have lots of times actually."
"Relax Jimmy. Tell me about yourself."
Jimmy looked at Elise then back to Andrea.
Andrea softly laughed, "Okay, tell me something about yourself that El hasn't told me which has been almost nothing."
"Well, if El has told you about me then you know more about me then I know about her. Even though we've been friends for many years, she stays closed off."
"Keeps her from getting hurt if people don't know anything about her. Don't call her El to her face, she might deck you. I started calling her that the second summer after we met and have been the only one that's gotten away with it."
"So how long have you known each other?" Jimmy asked.
Andrea sat up, making herself comfortable as best she could on the edge of the couch. "We met when we were fifteen so twelve years or so but I haven't been around."
"I think I remember her talking about you a little back in high school."
"Since you won't tell me about yourself, tell me about Debbie. El says she's a cutie." Andrea laughed at the horrified look on the big man's face.
"I......um." He cleared his throat.
Andrea tried not to laugh at his expense anymore but it was too hard not too, "That must be the adorable blush that I have heard about. She's told me Debbie blushes like that too. Sounds like you two are almost made for each other."
"Doesn't sound like I can add too much to what you already know." Jimmy replied.
"She talks about you a lot but doesn't give any personal details. I'm glad she has you Jimmy. It lessens my guilt a little for not being here knowing that she had you."
"From what I've seen just today, you two are good for each other. I don't want to over step but I feel that I must ask."
"Go ahead." Andrea encouraged him when he got quiet.
"Is whatever that's keeping you away really that important? I only ask because it's obvious how in love with each other you are and after meeting you and spending time with you, I know why she hasn't moved on."
Andrea turned to look at the sleeping woman, feeling butterflies at the thought of El still being in love with her. She was caught up in her own thoughts so she didn't realize Jimmy had stood up.
He leaned down and kissed her cheek, whispered good night and let himself out.
Andrea watched El sleep for a little while longer before she gently kissed her and coaxed her up to bed. She let Toby out while she cleaned up the living room. When she heard Toby scratch at the door she let him in and followed him upstairs. He went directly to his bed when they walked into the bedroom. Andrea smiled when she noticed her sleeping beauty had managed to get ready for bed and was sound asleep again. She readied herself for bed and curled up to El from behind. Her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep were about what Jimmy had said about them still being in love with each other.