Remember me? (gxg)

Chapter 8

When the following week started, everything felt like it was going to be okay. It was the first time Holly had felt that way in a long time.

Instead of waking up and going straight to ranch work, she surprised the family when she joined them for breakfast and then handed some of her responsibilities back to the workers.

Mermaid was ecstatic when Holly resumed teaching her how to ride a horse. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed for a professional rider like herself but Mermaid did impressively well.

When they were tired from riding, Holly went to get some water and came back to find Mark talking to Mermaid. She knew they liked each other and Mermaid seemed very comfortable around him, but it made her wonder if their friendship might have had a chance of going further than that.

She watched as Mark leaned forward and touched her cheek and Mermaid laughed, closing her hand around his. Holly wasn’t sure how seeing them together like that made her feel.

She told herself she didn’t want to interrupt and headed to her cottage, unsuccessfully trying not to let Mermaid’s close friendship with Mark get to her.

“Holly, I thought you were coming back,” Mermaid said when she got inside her cottage.

“I was thinking about going to the office to work a little. I’ve neglected my responsibilities for far too long today,” she said as she walked past Mermaid, who stopped her by closing her hand around her wrist.

“Holly, what’s changed?” she asked, as though she noticed Holly’s attitude change towards her.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Holly said.

Mermaid raised her eyebrow as though she didn’t believe her. She took a step closer to Holly and reached out to remove her cowboy hat. After dropping it on the couch, Holly watched her, silently wondering what was going through her mind.

She didn’t wonder for long because Mermaid slowly raised her hand and lightly ran her fingers over the opened buttons of Holly’s blue shirt, which was exposing some cleavage.

“What happened? I was waiting for you to get back,” Mermaid said in a low voice as she raised her chin and met Holly’s spellbound gaze.

“You were talking to Mark and I didn’t want to interrupt,” Holly said, feeling like some greater power was controlling her.

“What made you think you’d be interrupting?” She tucked a lock of hair behind Holly’s ear while her other hand continued to play with her buttons.

“He was flirting with you.” She felt like she was in some sort of trance. Mermaid was so controlled, so calm and innocent.

“Was I flirting back?”

Holly tried to think. She couldn’t remember. She could barely think. “Yes, no, I’m not sure.” She felt like Mermaid had hypnotized her.

“I’m not interested in Mark. I already told him that. If he was flirting with me, I can assure you I wasn’t encouraging it,” she said, then bit her lower lip as her fingers ran over Holly’s belt around her waist.

“Words at times feel so inadequate.” She leaned closer to Holly, who feltlike she was drowninginMermaid’s deep blue eyes, as her soft sultry voice sang a seductive song to her, holding her captive.

If Mermaid had continued her alluring innocent play, Holly would have obediently played along but she released her at once and broke physical contact, making Holly feel like she’d been whipped with a lash of cold air.

Mermaid turned to leave but Holly stopped her and pulled her into her arms, pressing her lips against Mermaid’s in a breathless kiss. Mermaid immediately responded to her and a stroke of excitement traveled through Holly as she released the sexual tension that had built up within her from Mermaid’s play.