Renata
She looked into the mirror as she finished off the last couple of braids against her scalp. She'd had the bright idea of doing thinner cornrows for the party tonight, and there she was, an hour later with burning arms and achy hands. She made sure to leave out long pieces to frame her fame, having to add water to redfine the ringlet.
Tahoma sat patiently on the bathroom floor, shirtly and incredibly distractingânot that she dared shoo the eye candy away. His dark brown eyes were set in a concentrated line, eyebrows drawn down.
Renata smiled to herself but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt his flow, and it would only lengthen her own mission.
Finally, when she moved on to the very last braid near her ear, she broke the silence. "I meant to ask earlier, how was breakfast?"
He put the simple green bookmark between the pages and directed his attention toward her. Something about the way he did it so effortlessly made her heart flutter. He studied her profile, seemingly distracted by her before he refocused on the question. "It was good. I didn't eat too much. We were kind of busy catching up."
She nodded along as she finished up the hairstyle. "What did you talk about?" She briefly looked away.
Tahoma's voice was equally playful as it was serious. "You would have known had you gone."
Shame settled into her chest, enflaming her cheeks. "I told you, I was crampingâ"
"Priya, that would be a reasonable excuse if I didn't know for a fact that you're not currently on your period."
She got up from the folding chair and busied herself with cleaning up the mess she made around the sink and vanity. "They could have been pre-crampsâalright, you caught me."
She gave in as he came from behind and pulled her against him. His strong arms which encircled her became her favorite comfort. "You're not in trouble, love. I'm not trying to force you into anything, only encouraging. If the line between the two is blurring, tell meâ"
Renata scoffed. "Of course not. I miss them, I do. It's just..."
"Not that easy."
"Yes, noâI don't know...If I'm being honest, Dr. Johnson would say the line between my hurt and my bitterness is beginning to blur."
"Who is that?"
"My old therapist." I wonder if she's alive.
"Well, it sounds like you got your money's worth if her expert opinion is still on your mind."
"That's true. She was my rock for almost a year. It used to be Diamond before her, then Rocio before her. But when the attack happened, I didn't want anyone or anything that reminded me of who I used to be. Dr. Johnson was my best bet to help me from completely losing my mind."
Tahoma's hold on her tightened at the mention of Keone's attack, an impulsive choice which kickstarted this entire journey. Instead of cursing him, he chose to say, "while I hate what you were put through and wished better for you, I'm glad you were able to get some help. You've just been so incredibly strong, priya, you really have."
Renata turned so she could throw her arms around his neck. "You're too sweet to me."
He gave a frown. "There's no such thing."
"Good point." She eyed his lucious lips. "Keep talking."
His mouth curled into a smirk. "Well, might I suggest a better use for my mouth?"
Her heart thundered as his palms slid down her back until he cupped her ass through her cotton panties. She wore one of his tshirts for comfort, but it seemed pointless as her pearled nipples were no so well hidden by the soft and dark material.
"If you insist."
He laughed before they shared a soft, teasing kiss. He tried pulling away but she wouldn't let him go far. "Don't stop kissing me," she begged as she grabbed one of his hands and led it downward, against her quivering belly.
As he met the happy trail, she gasped for breath in anticipation. And when his strong fingers dipped underneath the band before delving straight in between her folds, that gasping transformed into the sweetest moans.
They backed up so she was supported against the counter. She cursed him, though it was out of complete adoration as he sunk his fingers in her dampness that gathered. Now slick with her heat, he circled her clit, just how she loved.
She shuddered against his relentless kiss and his unwavering touch.
She shouted in outrage when he broke off the kiss only to praise him as he crouched before her, yanked down her panties and feasted like a starved man. She parted her legs further to give him better access. And once he switched from kissing her to flicking his tongue against her clit, she allowed herself to be carried away into her own waves of pleasure.
She bit down on her lip, not that it did much to conceal her tortured moans.
Her hands clutched the counter behind her, holding on for dear life as he refused to let up on his knee-weakening pace. And then, she knew it would be over before it really started as he inserted a finger into her, curling and on the search for the spot which would help her unravel that much quicker.
And when he reached that spot, she tensed up and was forced into pleasureable, painful silence. She could only manage whiny, soft breaths.
"That's right, priya, get there. I need to taste it. Please."
Renata nodded and squeezed her eyes shut as tight as possible.
She was more than happy to comply as soon as her body allowed it.
And like the determined, attentive lover Tahoma was, he continued on, refusing to give in until she released. His stamina was unlike anything she knew and hoped to relish in for as long as possible.
"Almostâ" she cried out, incoherent at this point.
And then, she was overwhelmed by a bone melting orgasm.
Tahoma stood and lent his strength to her as she revelled in the sensation of being utterly sated.
When her breath steadied, he smiled down at her and claimed another kiss.
"I love your encouragement," she spoke against his lips.
He laughed, the sound husky yet light. "That wasn't my exact plan when calling out your bullshit, but if it worked, it worked."
She rolled her eyes, though wasn't anywhere near done with this moment. She reached into his pants to appreciate his hard length. "Did it turn you on?" she teased as he immediately weakened against her touch. "Fucking me with your mouth and making me cum?"
He nodded into her lips. "Priya, I'm sorry, I'm not gonnaâ"
He hissed out a breath as she pumped him harder and faster, lubricated by his own droplets and heat. She moaned into his mouth, knowing how much her sounds drove him crazy. Then, he tensed and she knew he was losing the battle against holding off.
Once he released into her hand, she smiled brightly at him, giving a lasting peck against his cheek. "I swear I'm better than this," he looked embarrassed, a rare look for the wicked sex god himself, "you make it so hard on me."
After washing her hands thoroughly, she returned to him with a comforting smile. She helped fix his pants as he continued to stand there semi dejected. "But that's just so hot to me," she confessed. "Besides," she leaned forward and whispered, "it's not like I don't know you can last much longer."
The tension left his body as he held her close. "I'll refresh your memory tonight."
For the wrong reasons, she suggested, "how about now? Nothing wrong with changing plans."
But like she expected from him, he saw right through her pitiful attempt. "As much as I want to be flattered, I know that's not why you're suggesting a change of plans. Clearly my encouragement wasn't convincing enoughâyou promised you would go, priya."
She nodded along. "Okay, okay. Let's get cleaned up, then we'll go."
When he rewarded her with his dazzling smile, some of the dread in her heart faded.
**********
It was not much later when they were walking toward the town square, where the St. Joseph's annual celebration was being held. It took place every autumn, celebrating the rebirth of this place after the blast.
They walked arm in arm, enjoying the cool night. She looked over, enjoying the raven hair cascading around Tahoma in loose, majestic waves. She loved when he wore his hair down. But when she studied his face, she could tell he was preoccupied. She snuggled in closer and knew exactly what troubled him. "Thinking of Nirvi?"
His eyes snapped toward her in surprise. "How did you know?"
"It's only been two weeks for you."
"Except she's been gone fifteen years," he replied, still clearly somewhere else. "I was thinking about one of the last conversations we had and how I'd seen her so differently those last days. So human and frail. I'd even told her I felt bad for her...little did I know days later I would be rejoining humanity. I can imagine her I-told-you-so look now."
Renata sighed, trying not to feel so responsible for his plight and failing. "Does being human bother you? Do you wish you were still undying?"
He didn't answer right away, worrying her. "I mean, who doesn't want more time?" He turned and smiled at her. "But no, it doesn't, and no, I don't."
"Even though you'll get all wrinkly?"
He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "So will you."
She shrugged. "You'll still have the hots for me."
He laughed. "You know me so well."
She studied him longer. "Maybe a little...but I can tell there's a lot more to explore."
His dark eyes softened as he studied her in return. "Agreed." He kissed her on the cheek, making her melt.
"Nata! Tahoma!"
They looked ahead to see the wildly waving couple.
Renata's breath stalled in her throat. She hadn't seen either woman since they left their house a couple weeks ago.
"It's going to be okay," he whispered at her side. "You can do this."
After absorbing his encouraging words, she felt emboldened. She stepped away from him and toward some of the most important people in her life.
Encouraged by her confident steps, both of them booked it toward her. Renata first took her sister into a heart wrenching embrace.
"Mi hermanita," was all Rocio could manage, over and over again. Each time the urgent whisper graced her ears, and each time she felt the love from each syllable, healed her burdened heart, crack by crack. And when she looked over at an anxious Diamond, whose brimming tears were a message on their own, the flames of her rage became dampened by the most soothing, healing rain.
"We're so happy you decided to come," Diamond rasped, wiping at her eyes.
Rocio pulled back to stammer, "please, please forgiveâ"
"Just stop," Renata cut her off, making sure that the both of them saw her face. She wiped at her sister's tears, feeling as her own welled up, threatening to rush down. "I don't care about timelines or secrets or any of that bullshit anymore." This was a truth she'd battled these last two weeks, didn't want to acknowledge and instead entertained her childish bitterness which only seemed to harm her. "As long as you love each other, and you clearly do, then...I'm glad you found each other. Besides," she looked back at the proud Tahoma, "I've got my own happy ending anyway."
Diamond barged through to get her hug. "Thank God. We didn't want to rush you. I mean, this has been a lot for you, more than any of us could imagine, but..."
"I missed you both just as much."
"Well," Tahoma shouted from afar as he went to join them, "now that the gang's back together, can we please get the party started? I've got ten plus years worth of shots to catch up on."
All three women laughed, and Renata's laughter turned into a joyous shriek when Tahoma picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, heading straight toward the heart of the music and people and food and dancing. "Let's go ladies, I'm definitely not getting younger."
Renata reached down and pinched his firm bottom. "Good one."
"Thank you, priya."
She looked up to see her sister, and her best friend hot on their heels and just knew it was going to be a fantastic evening.
And that wasn't even including the promised, toe-curling sex.