WILD [JENLISA]

10

When Lisa woke up early the next morning, Jennie was silently slipping out of bed. Glad to have caught her before she made her escape, Lisa said, "Sneaking away?"

Jerking in surprise, Jennie glanced over her shoulder. "No. Couldn't sleep, that's all. I didn't want to wake you with my tossing and turning, so I thought I'd make some coffee."

Not ready to lose the heat of Jennie's naked body close to her own, Lisa grabbed her arm and gently tugged her back under the covers. "Come here. Coffee can wait a few minutes."

"Yes, it can." Jennie's eyes glittered in the low light as she stretched out on her side facing Lisa. She hooked a leg around Lisa's hip, bringing their lower bodies together with a contented whimper. "I'm going to be sore today."

"Me, too."

"You have no idea how badly I needed last night."

Tracing her tongue over Jennie's lower lip, Lisa whispered, "I think I have a pretty good idea, actually."

Jennie giggled, moving forward to capture Lisa's mouth in a deep kiss. When she pulled away, she murmured, "This is crazy."

Lisa couldn't disagree, and Jennie didn't know the half of it. A tiny kernel of panic took root in Lisa's belly as she considered the ramifications of what they'd just done. She was bonded to Jennie now. She could feel it to the depths of her being. And she still had no idea how she would manage a relationship with a human.

Jennie kissed her again. "You okay?"

Shaking off her unease, Lisa shifted her focus back to Jennie. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

Immediately, a mask dropped over Jennie's face. Though Lisa could clearly feel her distress at the question, Jennie kept her expression neutral. "Just one of those nights, I guess." She gave Lisa a grin that looked more like a grimace. "Too much sex?"

"That's not it." Lisa brushed a lock of hair off Jennie's face. "Tell me."

Rather than become frustrated at Lisa's persistence, Jennie relaxed all over. Lisa could feel her rush of relief as though a dam had broken.

"Bad dream."

"You should have woken me," Lisa said. Pulling Jennie into a warm embrace, she stroked her back and kissed her cheek. "You don't need to suffer alone."

Tensing slightly, Jennie said, "We just met, Lisa. I'm hesitant to admit just how much baggage I'm carrying."

"Nonsense." Lisa didn't care how long they'd known one another. Considering how she felt after just one night, it might as well have been years. Besides, Jennie's issues couldn't even begin to compare to Lisa's dark secret. "I've got my own baggage, believe me. Yours couldn't possibly frighten me."

Snorting, Jennie murmured, "Give me a chance."

Lisa drew back and winked. "That's the plan."

Jennie blushed, barely hiding her delight, and warm affection flowed from her like a fast-moving stream. Clearly Lisa had said the right thing. "Where did you come from?" Jennie's voice held a note of pure wonder.

Lisa smiled but didn't answer. Frankly, she wasn't sure what to say, on so many levels. "Have you been having a lot of nightmares?"

"Some." Jennie sat up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest. Sighing deeply, she wrapped her arms around her legs as though protecting herself. "I hate to admit it, but what happened has really shaken me up."

"I don't blame you." Lisa drew a line down the length of Jennie's spine with her fingertips.
"Being attacked like that must be traumatic, to say the least. It's only natural that you'd still be dealing with it."