fic: Burnt Sugar Part 27 - Complete
Title: Burnt Sugar
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Original/Otalia uber
Pairing: Kristen/Frances
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own these characters, yeehah! Comments are love.
Summary: This is an ongoing story set in Sydney, Australia. Centered around Taters, a small restaurant with character, Burnt Sugar is a concoction of love, drama, food and angst.
A/N: Unbeta-ed, so let me know if you spot any errors!
74
Kristen trailed behind Frances and Russell as they walked up the driveway, leaving them in front of Russell's house after a calling out a quick goodnight to her boss. She had just finished pouring Frances and herself some wine at the hammock when a smiling Frances appeared.
"You look pleased," Kristen commented, handing Frances a glass.
"Yeah, well, it's been that kinda day," Frances said, climbing into the hammock beside Kristen. "In fact, it's been that kinda weekend."
Kristen lifted a brow when Frances began digging around her back pocket for something, smirking when Frances gasped at almost spilling her wine. "You know, one day you might hurt yourself if you keep this up," Kristen said wryly.
Frances wrinkled her nose at Kristen. "Good thing you didn't get to see me with my ass in the air, looking like a beached whale whilst I was making my great escape then," she said lightly when she settled back down on the hammock. "Then again, it was a pretty funny sight. You'd have laughed."
Kristen studied Frances face for a long moment, swallowing the slight distaste the memory of Frances' abduction still brought up. "I love that you always manage to see the good in everything," she murmured finally.
Frances shrugged. "Sometimes there's nothing left to do but laugh or cry."
"That's the thing," Kristen said, turning her face to press her lips against Frances' temple, "you choose to laugh."
Frances shook her head. "Not always," she corrected Kristen.
"I love you," Kristen said softly, seriously. Smiling sweetly at the non-sequitur, Frances handed a small pouch to Kristen, who took it curiously. "What's this?"
"It's for you," Frances said, then bit her lower lip. "But, uh, I'd appreciate it if you'd return my shoelace. I couldn't find anything to tie it with..."
Kristen rolled her eyes. "Really? You're asking for part of my gift back? Are you sure you wanna be that person? What would your father say?" she asked, chuckling lightly when Frances stuck her tongue out at her.
She emptied the pouch in her palm and smiled at the handful of colourful pebbles. Her lips curved slightly when she thought of their recent camping trip. "When did you pick these?" she asked, smoothing them with her finger tips.
"When a certain person of advancing years was recovering from, shall I say, more... vigorous activities?" Frances said cheekily, smirking when Kristen turned an interesting shade of red. "Aw, she's embarrassed. How cute..."
Kristen leaned in and caught Frances' lips in a quick kiss, loving the shy smile that she still managed to elicit from Frances when she got her by surprise. It made her lean forward again for a slower, deeper kiss.
When they pulled apart, they shared a quick smile before Frances glanced down at her glass of wine and took a sip from it. Then she rested her cheek against Kristen's shoulder wordlessly, loving how comfortable she felt, wrapped up in a blanket of silence with Kristen.
So many things had happened in the time that they had been together but at the end of it, they were still together, planning for some kind of future that had each other in it. Maybe some things were made to last. Frances flicked her eyes up into the night sky, then at Kristen's profile... and she wished that this was one of them.
"Good birthday?" Kristen asked suddenly. Frances nodded and lightly ran a finger down the length of Kristen's arm. Kristen swallowed her wine and inched her face forward unconsciously, her voice dropping an octave. "Bed?"
Frances gave Kristen a sideway glance from under her lashes and smiled.
75
Edwin Richardson adjusted his tie before stepping out of the elevator. He was a little wary of the genuineness of the offer that Kristen Cameron had made him over the phone, but he had nothing to lose by coming to the meeting. He spied Kristen seated on a chair, flipping unseeingly through a magazine, and walked over to her.
Kristen looked up when a shadow fell over her. The door to the lawyer's office opened, as though on cue, and an immaculately dressed man with graying hair greeted them. Kristen stood up and swept past Richardson. She could not wait for this day to be over, even though it had barely started.
*
Frances made everyone some tea and brought it over to the table in the kitchen. Russell pushed his dinner plate away from him and leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his satisfied belly. It was nice to have Frances and Kristen over; the house frequently felt empty now that alcohol was no longer his constant companion.
"So, um, I went to the lawyer's today with Edwin Richardson, Benjamin and Jack," Kristen said abruptly, looking at Russell and Frances. "I sold Richardson the company and finalised my divorce."
Frances' brows rose. "Wow."
Kristen let out a short bark of laughter, feeling the tension leave her at Frances' remark. "Yeah, wow. Benjamin won't bother us anymore because I no longer hold any shares to the company."
Jack and Benjamin had arrived at the lawyer's office after she had signed her share of the company over to Richardson at a price he could not refuse. A part of her had enjoyed the look of distress and outrage on her brother's face when he found out what she had done, but mostly she just felt a sense of relief that she was no longer tied to any of those men any longer.
"If what Liam says is true, then he's after the company because he needs the money. What makes you so sure he won't bother you anymore now that you have money?" Russell asked, sipping at his tea.
"Because I'm going to spend most of it really soon," Kristen said with a shrug. "I'd like to buy your house, Russell." Russell stared at Kristen blankly. "I'd like to buy it back for you from the bank," she explained.
"No," Russell said immediately, his tone flat. "I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't need charity."
Kristen shook her head. "It's not charity, Russell. C&C vandalised Taters; that's why you had to mortgage your house. Call it payback, if you will."
Frances shared a look with Kristen and glanced at her father. "Dad, Kristen's right. It's not charity. They vandalised and sabotaged Taters. Because of them, business went downhill for a long time."
Russell fell silent, so Frances trudged on. "Mum loved this house. Are you sure you want to sell it?" she asked.
"I think maybe it's time to let the past go," Russell said in a soft voice, much to Frances' surprise.
"Let Mum go?" Frances asked in disbelief, outraged that her father would suggest something like that.
Russell shook his head. "That's impossible, lass. But the house... the house, I can let go. It's too big for me anyway. And after you and Kristen leave, it's only going to get bigger and emptier."
Kristen nodded slowly. "Well then, let me give you a cheque, Russell. You can buy your next home with the money, put it aside for Frances, anything," she said, looking earnestly at her boss.
Russell thought for a long moment. "Fine," he said finally, to Kristen's delight. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Tammy's going to advertise for your position tomorrow. You're in charge of picking and training your successor."
Kristen grimaced at that. "Huh."
Russell lifted his brows. "Did you think I was gonna do your dirty work?"
Kristen shook her head hastily. "Of course not." Frances chuckled at the fearful look on Kristen's face.
"You know you're not leaving till you find someone good enough for me, right?" Russell said gruffly. Kristen looked a little worried until she saw the gleam in Russell's eyes. Even though she had worked with and for this man for almost a year now, she still wasn't sure when he was joking.
Frances rolled her eyes at Russell. "Then Kristen'll never be able to leave, Dad," she whined playfully.
"You'll have to go on your own then, lass, wontcha?" Russell asked with a faint smile. He let out a bark of laughter at the look on his daughter's face and shook his head. It was good to see her happy and settled in her own way with Kristen.
Kristen's brows jumped into her hairline at Russell's short burst of laughter; she rarely, if ever, got to see this side of her boss and it surprised her just how much younger he looked when he laughed.
"You've got your hands full with this one, Kristen. You know that, right?" Russell said, breaking Kristen's reverie.
Kristen smirked and looked across the table at Frances, who was looking every bit like a defiant teenager bent on staring her father down. "Oh yeah," she said, loving how Frances was trying but failing to keep the smile from her face. "Poor me," she murmured, chuckling lightly at the rather seductive lift of a dark brow at that. "Poor me."
*
They stood in the middle of Kristen's flat with their arms around each other. Frances inhaled Kristen's scent and sighed contentedly as she pulled away. "How's it feel to be a free woman?" she asked.
Kristen shrugged. "I don't feel any different. I haven't been married to Jack for a long time now, so..." she trailed off, going over to the cushions on the floor and sat herself down. She reached out a hand for Frances to join her.
"Thank you for trying to help Dad out," Frances said awkwardly. She lingered at the kitchen bench.
Kristen let her hand fall beside her on the cushion. "It's not really -"
"It is. You're not obliged to give him any of the money you got from selling your shares," Frances interrupted Kristen before she could finish her sentence. "It's a nice, decent thing to do."
Kristen ducked her head but didn't reply. Frances made her way over to Kristen and sat down facing her, positioning her legs on either side of Kristen. "Thank you," she said softly, peering up at Kristen.
"No worries," Kristen said with a faint smile. "It's such a relief to not be tied to Benjamin or Jack anymore, I have to say. Benjamin wasn't a happy camper." Her brother had been furious when the information had sunk in. He wasn't required to be present at the lawyer's office but Kristen wanted to be sure that everyone involved knew exactly what was going on.
Frances chewed on her lower lip, nodding. She didn't know what to say about Benjamin. She had liked the man and his actions had surprised and appalled her. But even now, she wasn't sure how she felt about his predicament.
"It's good to have some money to put towards our adventure," Kristen said, running her hands up and down Frances' legs, enjoying their closeness. It still surprised her from time to time how much she liked being with Frances, regardless of what they did.
"Oh, true!" Frances said, her face lighting up. "Well lucky you. I'll have to catch up."
Kristen lifted a brow. "Or I could be your sugar mummy," she said, in a soft, teasing tone.
Frances rolled her eyes. "You couldn't possibly afford my rates. I'd have to end up loaning you money to keep me!"
"Huh. You're very sure of yourself," Kristen said, smirking. She mirrored Frances' posture so that her legs crossed over Frances' thighs, effectively bringing them closer to each other. Frances shifted slightly and rested her hands on Kristen's shoulders. A smug smile was playing on her lips. Kristen lifted a hand to trace a dimple.
"I know what I'm good at. It's called self-awareness," Frances said, nodding sagely.
Kristen smirked. "Is that another way of saying you're good at masturbating?" she teased, earning herself a light scratch on her nape.
"You're hanging around me too much. Stop being a smart ass," Frances said, sounding aggrieved. "But if you must know, I'm really good at that particular art."
Kristen laughed. "Oh, I don't doubt that."
"Would you like a demonstration?" Frances asked, trailing her hands down the front of Kristen's shirt, up her legs, and hooked her fingers under her own shirt to peel it off. Kristen cleared her throat at the sudden change of atmosphere. "I'm sorry, was that a yes...?" Frances asked, halting her movements.
Kristen swallowed. "Yes." Her eyes darkened when Frances removed her bra and threw it over her shoulder. She watched as Frances eased herself out of the rest of her clothes and she had to swallow again when Frances parted her legs and exposed all of herself to her.
Hers. This fascinating, smart mouthing, compassionate, intelligent, infuriating tease of a woman was hers.
Then Frances began stroking herself and all coherent thoughts flew out of Kristen's mind. A rush of heat and wetness went through her body in reaction to Frances' soft, breathy moans, making her squirm uncomfortably. She could see and smell Frances' arousal and that heightened her own. "Fuck," she mumbled hoarsely, in slight disbelief at what was happening before her eyes.
Frances slipped two fingers into herself, only half aware of Kristen's response to her impromptu show. She brought her fingers to her lips, smiling rakishly when she noticed Kristen licking her lower lip unconsciously. "You like?" she asked, her voice husky.
Kristen nodded dumbly. Every fibre of her being was screaming for her to slid her body against Frances', slip her fingers into dark wetness and take her over the edge. But she remained frozen on the cushion, her heart pounding hard in her chest even though she hadn't moved for the past God knows how long.
Frances touched her fingers to the spot she knew all too well and began circling it, slowly, more firmly, then more quickly. Her body arched and she threw her head back as pleasurable waves began to crash through her frame. She bit down hard on her lower lip as she struggled to halt the movement of her hand, not wanting it to end just yet.
"Frances..." Kristen's eyes were fully dilated with passion. The sight, scent and sound of Frances touching herself was titillating. She hummed low in her throat when Frances threw her a breathless smile as her hand resumed its ministrations. Her lips parted when Frances' body arched and grew taut again.
Frances tried to keep herself in that pleasurable, mindless moment for as long as she could, feeling intense tingles flow through her limbs and body. Then when she couldn't hold on anymore, she opened her eyes to search out Kristen's as shudders tore through her body. She fell back onto the floor and gasped.
Kristen crawled on all fours over to Frances and stretched herself out beside her, resting her head on one hand and cradling Frances softly with the other.
Frances' breathing calmed down and she buried her face in the crook of Kristen's neck, inhaling deeply. "Mm."
"You are..." Kristen racked her brain for the right word but couldn't come up with anything fitting. "I love..." she tried again, then stopped. Even that seemed inadequate. Frances had reduced her into a stuttering fool. A hand snaked around her neck to bring her face lower.
Just before their lips touched, Frances smiled, making Kristen's heart flip. "I'm good, aren't I?" she murmured huskily. Her dimples deepened when Kristen's lips curved into a sensous smile.
"What am I gonna do with you?" Kristen asked, shaking her head lightly. She crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss; they were way past foreplay. Frances circled Kristen's wrist and brought it to her center. Low moans were torn from their throats when contact was made.
Frances cradled Kristen's face in her hands as Kristen moved in and out of her. She was panting again and her lids felt heavy. The heat that the friction caused was driving her crazy. She brushed her lips against Kristen's before burying her face in Kristen's hair as she crested again.
A fleeting thought went through her head at that moment: words to her mother, ashes falling into a lake. Now she knew that a home wasn't a place, but a person; and in this instance, 'I love you' was a gift.
The End
A/N: I guess this is the end, my friends. I'd like to thank everyone who's commented and followed this epic story from beginning to end. This would have been a different, lesser story without all of you.
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Original/Otalia uber
Pairing: Kristen/Frances
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own these characters, yeehah! Comments are love.
Summary: This is an ongoing story set in Sydney, Australia. Centered around Taters, a small restaurant with character, Burnt Sugar is a concoction of love, drama, food and angst.
A/N: Unbeta-ed, so let me know if you spot any errors!
74
Kristen trailed behind Frances and Russell as they walked up the driveway, leaving them in front of Russell's house after a calling out a quick goodnight to her boss. She had just finished pouring Frances and herself some wine at the hammock when a smiling Frances appeared.
"You look pleased," Kristen commented, handing Frances a glass.
"Yeah, well, it's been that kinda day," Frances said, climbing into the hammock beside Kristen. "In fact, it's been that kinda weekend."
Kristen lifted a brow when Frances began digging around her back pocket for something, smirking when Frances gasped at almost spilling her wine. "You know, one day you might hurt yourself if you keep this up," Kristen said wryly.
Frances wrinkled her nose at Kristen. "Good thing you didn't get to see me with my ass in the air, looking like a beached whale whilst I was making my great escape then," she said lightly when she settled back down on the hammock. "Then again, it was a pretty funny sight. You'd have laughed."
Kristen studied Frances face for a long moment, swallowing the slight distaste the memory of Frances' abduction still brought up. "I love that you always manage to see the good in everything," she murmured finally.
Frances shrugged. "Sometimes there's nothing left to do but laugh or cry."
"That's the thing," Kristen said, turning her face to press her lips against Frances' temple, "you choose to laugh."
Frances shook her head. "Not always," she corrected Kristen.
"I love you," Kristen said softly, seriously. Smiling sweetly at the non-sequitur, Frances handed a small pouch to Kristen, who took it curiously. "What's this?"
"It's for you," Frances said, then bit her lower lip. "But, uh, I'd appreciate it if you'd return my shoelace. I couldn't find anything to tie it with..."
Kristen rolled her eyes. "Really? You're asking for part of my gift back? Are you sure you wanna be that person? What would your father say?" she asked, chuckling lightly when Frances stuck her tongue out at her.
She emptied the pouch in her palm and smiled at the handful of colourful pebbles. Her lips curved slightly when she thought of their recent camping trip. "When did you pick these?" she asked, smoothing them with her finger tips.
"When a certain person of advancing years was recovering from, shall I say, more... vigorous activities?" Frances said cheekily, smirking when Kristen turned an interesting shade of red. "Aw, she's embarrassed. How cute..."
Kristen leaned in and caught Frances' lips in a quick kiss, loving the shy smile that she still managed to elicit from Frances when she got her by surprise. It made her lean forward again for a slower, deeper kiss.
When they pulled apart, they shared a quick smile before Frances glanced down at her glass of wine and took a sip from it. Then she rested her cheek against Kristen's shoulder wordlessly, loving how comfortable she felt, wrapped up in a blanket of silence with Kristen.
So many things had happened in the time that they had been together but at the end of it, they were still together, planning for some kind of future that had each other in it. Maybe some things were made to last. Frances flicked her eyes up into the night sky, then at Kristen's profile... and she wished that this was one of them.
"Good birthday?" Kristen asked suddenly. Frances nodded and lightly ran a finger down the length of Kristen's arm. Kristen swallowed her wine and inched her face forward unconsciously, her voice dropping an octave. "Bed?"
Frances gave Kristen a sideway glance from under her lashes and smiled.
75
Edwin Richardson adjusted his tie before stepping out of the elevator. He was a little wary of the genuineness of the offer that Kristen Cameron had made him over the phone, but he had nothing to lose by coming to the meeting. He spied Kristen seated on a chair, flipping unseeingly through a magazine, and walked over to her.
Kristen looked up when a shadow fell over her. The door to the lawyer's office opened, as though on cue, and an immaculately dressed man with graying hair greeted them. Kristen stood up and swept past Richardson. She could not wait for this day to be over, even though it had barely started.
*
Frances made everyone some tea and brought it over to the table in the kitchen. Russell pushed his dinner plate away from him and leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his satisfied belly. It was nice to have Frances and Kristen over; the house frequently felt empty now that alcohol was no longer his constant companion.
"So, um, I went to the lawyer's today with Edwin Richardson, Benjamin and Jack," Kristen said abruptly, looking at Russell and Frances. "I sold Richardson the company and finalised my divorce."
Frances' brows rose. "Wow."
Kristen let out a short bark of laughter, feeling the tension leave her at Frances' remark. "Yeah, wow. Benjamin won't bother us anymore because I no longer hold any shares to the company."
Jack and Benjamin had arrived at the lawyer's office after she had signed her share of the company over to Richardson at a price he could not refuse. A part of her had enjoyed the look of distress and outrage on her brother's face when he found out what she had done, but mostly she just felt a sense of relief that she was no longer tied to any of those men any longer.
"If what Liam says is true, then he's after the company because he needs the money. What makes you so sure he won't bother you anymore now that you have money?" Russell asked, sipping at his tea.
"Because I'm going to spend most of it really soon," Kristen said with a shrug. "I'd like to buy your house, Russell." Russell stared at Kristen blankly. "I'd like to buy it back for you from the bank," she explained.
"No," Russell said immediately, his tone flat. "I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't need charity."
Kristen shook her head. "It's not charity, Russell. C&C vandalised Taters; that's why you had to mortgage your house. Call it payback, if you will."
Frances shared a look with Kristen and glanced at her father. "Dad, Kristen's right. It's not charity. They vandalised and sabotaged Taters. Because of them, business went downhill for a long time."
Russell fell silent, so Frances trudged on. "Mum loved this house. Are you sure you want to sell it?" she asked.
"I think maybe it's time to let the past go," Russell said in a soft voice, much to Frances' surprise.
"Let Mum go?" Frances asked in disbelief, outraged that her father would suggest something like that.
Russell shook his head. "That's impossible, lass. But the house... the house, I can let go. It's too big for me anyway. And after you and Kristen leave, it's only going to get bigger and emptier."
Kristen nodded slowly. "Well then, let me give you a cheque, Russell. You can buy your next home with the money, put it aside for Frances, anything," she said, looking earnestly at her boss.
Russell thought for a long moment. "Fine," he said finally, to Kristen's delight. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Tammy's going to advertise for your position tomorrow. You're in charge of picking and training your successor."
Kristen grimaced at that. "Huh."
Russell lifted his brows. "Did you think I was gonna do your dirty work?"
Kristen shook her head hastily. "Of course not." Frances chuckled at the fearful look on Kristen's face.
"You know you're not leaving till you find someone good enough for me, right?" Russell said gruffly. Kristen looked a little worried until she saw the gleam in Russell's eyes. Even though she had worked with and for this man for almost a year now, she still wasn't sure when he was joking.
Frances rolled her eyes at Russell. "Then Kristen'll never be able to leave, Dad," she whined playfully.
"You'll have to go on your own then, lass, wontcha?" Russell asked with a faint smile. He let out a bark of laughter at the look on his daughter's face and shook his head. It was good to see her happy and settled in her own way with Kristen.
Kristen's brows jumped into her hairline at Russell's short burst of laughter; she rarely, if ever, got to see this side of her boss and it surprised her just how much younger he looked when he laughed.
"You've got your hands full with this one, Kristen. You know that, right?" Russell said, breaking Kristen's reverie.
Kristen smirked and looked across the table at Frances, who was looking every bit like a defiant teenager bent on staring her father down. "Oh yeah," she said, loving how Frances was trying but failing to keep the smile from her face. "Poor me," she murmured, chuckling lightly at the rather seductive lift of a dark brow at that. "Poor me."
*
They stood in the middle of Kristen's flat with their arms around each other. Frances inhaled Kristen's scent and sighed contentedly as she pulled away. "How's it feel to be a free woman?" she asked.
Kristen shrugged. "I don't feel any different. I haven't been married to Jack for a long time now, so..." she trailed off, going over to the cushions on the floor and sat herself down. She reached out a hand for Frances to join her.
"Thank you for trying to help Dad out," Frances said awkwardly. She lingered at the kitchen bench.
Kristen let her hand fall beside her on the cushion. "It's not really -"
"It is. You're not obliged to give him any of the money you got from selling your shares," Frances interrupted Kristen before she could finish her sentence. "It's a nice, decent thing to do."
Kristen ducked her head but didn't reply. Frances made her way over to Kristen and sat down facing her, positioning her legs on either side of Kristen. "Thank you," she said softly, peering up at Kristen.
"No worries," Kristen said with a faint smile. "It's such a relief to not be tied to Benjamin or Jack anymore, I have to say. Benjamin wasn't a happy camper." Her brother had been furious when the information had sunk in. He wasn't required to be present at the lawyer's office but Kristen wanted to be sure that everyone involved knew exactly what was going on.
Frances chewed on her lower lip, nodding. She didn't know what to say about Benjamin. She had liked the man and his actions had surprised and appalled her. But even now, she wasn't sure how she felt about his predicament.
"It's good to have some money to put towards our adventure," Kristen said, running her hands up and down Frances' legs, enjoying their closeness. It still surprised her from time to time how much she liked being with Frances, regardless of what they did.
"Oh, true!" Frances said, her face lighting up. "Well lucky you. I'll have to catch up."
Kristen lifted a brow. "Or I could be your sugar mummy," she said, in a soft, teasing tone.
Frances rolled her eyes. "You couldn't possibly afford my rates. I'd have to end up loaning you money to keep me!"
"Huh. You're very sure of yourself," Kristen said, smirking. She mirrored Frances' posture so that her legs crossed over Frances' thighs, effectively bringing them closer to each other. Frances shifted slightly and rested her hands on Kristen's shoulders. A smug smile was playing on her lips. Kristen lifted a hand to trace a dimple.
"I know what I'm good at. It's called self-awareness," Frances said, nodding sagely.
Kristen smirked. "Is that another way of saying you're good at masturbating?" she teased, earning herself a light scratch on her nape.
"You're hanging around me too much. Stop being a smart ass," Frances said, sounding aggrieved. "But if you must know, I'm really good at that particular art."
Kristen laughed. "Oh, I don't doubt that."
"Would you like a demonstration?" Frances asked, trailing her hands down the front of Kristen's shirt, up her legs, and hooked her fingers under her own shirt to peel it off. Kristen cleared her throat at the sudden change of atmosphere. "I'm sorry, was that a yes...?" Frances asked, halting her movements.
Kristen swallowed. "Yes." Her eyes darkened when Frances removed her bra and threw it over her shoulder. She watched as Frances eased herself out of the rest of her clothes and she had to swallow again when Frances parted her legs and exposed all of herself to her.
Hers. This fascinating, smart mouthing, compassionate, intelligent, infuriating tease of a woman was hers.
Then Frances began stroking herself and all coherent thoughts flew out of Kristen's mind. A rush of heat and wetness went through her body in reaction to Frances' soft, breathy moans, making her squirm uncomfortably. She could see and smell Frances' arousal and that heightened her own. "Fuck," she mumbled hoarsely, in slight disbelief at what was happening before her eyes.
Frances slipped two fingers into herself, only half aware of Kristen's response to her impromptu show. She brought her fingers to her lips, smiling rakishly when she noticed Kristen licking her lower lip unconsciously. "You like?" she asked, her voice husky.
Kristen nodded dumbly. Every fibre of her being was screaming for her to slid her body against Frances', slip her fingers into dark wetness and take her over the edge. But she remained frozen on the cushion, her heart pounding hard in her chest even though she hadn't moved for the past God knows how long.
Frances touched her fingers to the spot she knew all too well and began circling it, slowly, more firmly, then more quickly. Her body arched and she threw her head back as pleasurable waves began to crash through her frame. She bit down hard on her lower lip as she struggled to halt the movement of her hand, not wanting it to end just yet.
"Frances..." Kristen's eyes were fully dilated with passion. The sight, scent and sound of Frances touching herself was titillating. She hummed low in her throat when Frances threw her a breathless smile as her hand resumed its ministrations. Her lips parted when Frances' body arched and grew taut again.
Frances tried to keep herself in that pleasurable, mindless moment for as long as she could, feeling intense tingles flow through her limbs and body. Then when she couldn't hold on anymore, she opened her eyes to search out Kristen's as shudders tore through her body. She fell back onto the floor and gasped.
Kristen crawled on all fours over to Frances and stretched herself out beside her, resting her head on one hand and cradling Frances softly with the other.
Frances' breathing calmed down and she buried her face in the crook of Kristen's neck, inhaling deeply. "Mm."
"You are..." Kristen racked her brain for the right word but couldn't come up with anything fitting. "I love..." she tried again, then stopped. Even that seemed inadequate. Frances had reduced her into a stuttering fool. A hand snaked around her neck to bring her face lower.
Just before their lips touched, Frances smiled, making Kristen's heart flip. "I'm good, aren't I?" she murmured huskily. Her dimples deepened when Kristen's lips curved into a sensous smile.
"What am I gonna do with you?" Kristen asked, shaking her head lightly. She crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss; they were way past foreplay. Frances circled Kristen's wrist and brought it to her center. Low moans were torn from their throats when contact was made.
Frances cradled Kristen's face in her hands as Kristen moved in and out of her. She was panting again and her lids felt heavy. The heat that the friction caused was driving her crazy. She brushed her lips against Kristen's before burying her face in Kristen's hair as she crested again.
A fleeting thought went through her head at that moment: words to her mother, ashes falling into a lake. Now she knew that a home wasn't a place, but a person; and in this instance, 'I love you' was a gift.
The End
A/N: I guess this is the end, my friends. I'd like to thank everyone who's commented and followed this epic story from beginning to end. This would have been a different, lesser story without all of you.