The Bucket List, page 39
“Holy…Shit…”
Noeul chuckled. “I’ll second that.”
Jordan’s hand visibly shook as she ran it through her hair. “What did you do to me?”
“I think it’s more like what did we do to each other.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Jordan panted. “I have one question.”
Noeul raised her head to look into Jordan’s eyes. “What’s that?”
“When the hell can we do it again?”
They both laughed as they struggled to catch their breath. While it was still early, the morning light slanted in through the skylight, illuminating their bodies. Noeul raised up onto an elbow, and as they rolled slightly to her right, she let her eyes wander to admire more of the phoenix tattoo. Her eye caught something interesting. She pulled Jordan back down and made her lie flat on her back, then aligned their bodies. Noeul noticed how the dragon tattoo on her own body visually related to Jordan’s phoenix. The claws on her dragon nearly “held hands” with the phoenix’s talons. She tried to mentally lay one tattoo on top of the other and realized they would wind around the other in almost perfect symmetry. It was startling. She remembered Jordan’s story of her vision dream. Maiah had said that Jordan had to seek the rooted dragon to find balance.
Noeul sat up, her shaky hand covering her mouth as imagery filled her mind. Her own dream of the flipping cards came back with vivid clarity. The sprout with its root system, visible below the soil line, became a dragon identical to the tattoo on her side, entwining with a bird. Tails and wings interlaced with roots and limbs until the blank outline of the bird filled in, distinctly forming a phoenix. It wasn’t any phoenix. It was the one Jordan had permanently inked into her skin. The wings wrapped protectively around the dragon until the two were no longer distinct. They were completely one, without a starting or a stopping point. The roots from the tree grew into a sprout that was completely different than any she’d ever seen. The sprout grew until the limbs intertwined to form a bowl that filled up and ran over. Not all of it made sense to her. One thing was clear, her joining with Jordan had been predicted in her own dream.
Jordan rose beside her. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet and trembling. Noeul, look at me.”
Noeul felt Jordan’s arms surround her and draw her into a warm embrace. She melted into the feeling of complete safety, suddenly able to visualize Jordan’s arms as wings. Tears began to flow, and Noeul peered up into terrified eyes that looked as if they were desperate to find the source of the pain or discomfort. She reached up and cupped Jordan’s cheek in her hand, as she brought their lips together. If she had any doubt about the rightness of this moment, it disappeared like a wisp of smoke from the previous night’s fire. Whatever the future handed her, she would face it wrapped up in Jordan’s arms for as long as she was able. Today, she would revel in this feeling. For once, Noeul wasn’t alone.
***
They cuddled for another hour, quietly sharing thoughts and concerns before Jordan tugged Noeul from bed. “Pip will need milking, and I’m hearing a lot of toenails on the hardwood floor. I’m betting two dogs need to go out.” They looked toward the door to see four eyes staring back at them, as tails wagged against the doorframe.
“Must you be so responsible right now?” Noeul looked at her with one eye closed.
“Somebody has to be the grown-up. I will do you one favor though, I’ll go start the coffee and let them out if you start the shower.”
“I’m not sure that’s going to lead to Pip getting milked anytime soon.” Noeul couldn’t help the grin that welled up from her chest.
Jordan bent over with laughter. “I think I’ve created a monster.”
Noeul dragged herself out of bed and wrapped her arms around Jordan’s neck. “No, you’ve made me very happy. Happier than I’ve been in longer than I can remember.” She kissed Jordan. “Go, before we have to clean up more than one mess in this house.” Noeul bent over and picked up Jordan’s T-shirt and threaded it on over her own head.
Jordan eyeballed the only other shirt in the vicinity and realized it was never going to fit over her shoulders. A smile crept over her face, as she shook her head and quickly stepped into her boxers. She watched Noeul walk to the bathroom, looking absolutely delicious in the pilfered Cornell T-shirt. On her way by the room she’d been staying in, Jordan snagged a thermal Henley and pulled it on. A brief thought crossed her mind as she looked inside. I hope I’ve spent my last night sleeping in there.
The dogs were dancing around, as she let them out and flipped the switch on the coffee maker. As she made her way to the bathroom, she swiped the hair off her forehead, and Noeul’s unique smell on her hand caught her attention. A thousand memories of making love that morning flashed behind her blinking eyes, as she quickened her pace. Noeul stood inside the open-style, tile shower, her back turned to the door. Jordan watched unnoticed, as Noeul placed her hands against the wall and allowed the water to cascade across her magnificent body. The black dragon ran in a bold swath down Noeul’s right side. Every time her muscles stretched and contracted, the dragon swayed as if it were alive. Mesmerized, Jordan didn’t notice Noeul had turned her head and was studying her.
“Like what you see?”
“Like is not a strong enough word.”
Noeul raised an eyebrow. “You have too many clothes on.”
Jordan nearly tore the Henley from her body, as she fumbled to pull off the aging cotton boxers. They ripped down one side, and Jordan shook her head and looked up at Noeul. The ferocity she saw there made her physically shiver.
Noeul licked her lips and reached out her hand to Jordan. “You won’t be needing those much anyway.”
Jordan’s mouth went dry when Noeul turned to her, water sheeting over her breasts and plastering her long, black hair against her back. After she stepped into the shower, Jordan melded her body to Noeul’s, as she reveled in the feeling of slick skin against her own. “It’s been so long since my showers weren’t solo.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forgo mentioning any thought of anything before this moment.” Noeul’s face grew serious. “It’s what I need Jordan, and if we have any chance of this being more than sex, I need you to do the same.”
“Not a hardship, given how much I want you. Believe that.”
For the next several minutes, they caressed and bathed each other. Lingering glances so full of heat they could have boiled water, danced between them. Jordan was sure they were melting the polar ice caps. They touched, in the most sensual ways possible, as they explored every inch of the other’s body. Jordan trailed fingers down to the small of Noeul’s back, kissed her shoulders, and nuzzled at her jaw line, right behind her ear. As she held Noeul close, her own breasts pressed tightly to the smaller woman’s back. She reached down and dipped into Noeul’s center, while she held the warm body to her chest.
Noeul’s arm extended back and wrapped around Jordan’s head, holding her mouth tightly to her skin. Jordan felt muscles stiffen in her arms as the grip on her neck tightened. Noeul cried out her release and nearly collapsed in Jordan’s arms. Noeul gasped as she caught her breath. “You are way too good at that.”
“I’ve never been like this. You bring something out in me, a need or hunger that’s all new. I don’t have an explanation. I know when I’m with you I feel desire at a different level.”
They were quiet for a few moments, before Noeul reached back and turned off the water that had started to cool against Jordan’s back. “As badly as I want to take you back to bed and start all over again, we’ve got a few things we’ve got to do today.”
Jordan didn’t mean for the childish whine to be audible as it left her throat.
“Be a good girl now, and later, I’ll see about taking care of why you’re whining.” Noeul kissed her.
“Are you sure we can’t go back to bed?” Jordan’s heart warmed at the broad smile forming on the face of the naked woman in her arms.
“My turn to be the adult now. We’ll see how much work you can get done, and how fast.”
Jordan almost fell down, as she tried to get the towels off the rack and dry off at lightning speed. Noeul’s laughter echoed in her ears.
***
Noeul recorded several pages worth of notes on their experimental progress. Twice, Jordan had tried a different technique under the microscope, calling her over to view the results. It took a steady hand to manipulate small cells on plates of glass with very fine tools, and Jordan had that kind of touch. More than once, Noeul had looked over to see Jordan bent over, glued to the microscope, while her own eyes were taking in the shorts-clad ass on display. Her center clenched at the memory of how she’d melted into Jordan’s arms that morning. A pleasant shiver moved through her, as hands found her hips and warm lips grazed her neck.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be working over there.”
“I was working over there. I took a break, and when I looked over here at you, it was like steel to a magnet. I couldn’t resist.”
Noeul turned in her arms and settled in against Jordan’s chest. They’d stopped earlier for a lunch that had dissolved into feeding each other pieces of fruit, interspaced with spontaneous bouts of kissing. She was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on her work. They’d managed to get a solid six hours of research in along with a few hours where they’d tended to the animals, the vegetable garden, and some maintenance issues that needed Jordan’s brute strength.
“How about we call it a day and I fix you dinner?” Jordan offered.
Noeul smiled against Jordan’s chest. “What do you have in mind?”
“Well, we pulled out that lamb yesterday, so I thought I’d make you one of my favorite dishes Jida and Mom taught me. It’s called mansaf. Remember when I asked if you made yogurt?"
“I do.”
“Well I took some of it this morning and dehydrated it in the oven. That’s the smell you asked me about that I said you’d have to wait and see. It’s going to be a poor substitute for jameed, but I think you’ll get the idea.”
“Did your jida teach this dish to you?”
Jordan’s smile lit up her face, something that Noeul was coming to look for and enjoy.
“That’s what you called your grandmother right?” Noeul stared intently at Jordan’s mischievous eyes.
“Yes, good memory.”
Noeul watched those chocolate eyes grow molten and began to sparkle, as Jordan bent down for a kiss. The kiss was soft at first, the intensity growing as Jordan lifted Noeul up onto the workbench. Noeul wrapped her legs around Jordan’s waist and pulled their lips together again. The kisses teased and their tongues explored, as they lost themselves in the moment.
Noeul put a hand on Jordan’s chest and pushed her back. She had no doubt they were minutes from ripping each other’s clothes off. She threaded her fingers in Jordan’s hair and pulled their foreheads together. She gently pulled a fistful of hair in order to get Jordan to look directly at her. “As much as I want this, and I do want this, let’s put it on simmer. Cook me a delicious Jordanian meal, and let’s see where it goes from there. You go on in, and I’ll finish up a few things out here, take care of Pip and the horses. I’ll meet you inside. Okay?”
Jordan bit her lower lip and displayed the saddest puppy dog eyes Noeul had ever seen. “Always the sensible one,” she grumbled.
“Somebody has to be the grown-up here, remember? Since I’m twenty years your senior, I’m steering the ship right now.” Noeul dropped her eyes after hearing her own words. Twenty years her senior.
Jordan tipped her chin up. “Hey now, feel free to steer the ship any time you want. All I ask is that you do me one favor.”
Noeul tried to meet Jordan’s eyes. She couldn’t do it. The lump in her throat was weighing her head down.
“Noeul, believe it or not, I can read your mind right now and can hear your thoughts.”
“How’s that?”
“Age is a number. My entire life, my brain has never matched the age of my body. Stop using this so much.” Jordan pointed to her head, as she placed her hand over Noeul’s heart. “Listen more to this.”
The hand Jordan placed on her chest was warm, and she pulled it to her lips to kiss the knuckles. “I’ll try to remember that. Now go fix dinner. I’ll be in shortly.”
Jordan leaned forward and kissed her, as she helped her off the bench. “Hmm, demanding little thing. I like it.”
Noeul smacked her arm. “Go.” She watched, as the shapely legs carried Jordan to the door, where she was met by two excited dogs who were banished from the interior.
The equipment they’d been working with needed to be shut down and stored away. Once Noeul was done, she fed the animals and milked Pip. The minute she stepped in the house, she was greeted with mouthwatering smells coming from her kitchen.
“Oh my God. I have no idea what that is. All I can say is it smells heavenly.”
“Jida might not agree, since I don’t exactly have all her requirements. Mom would applaud my innovation. I’m grateful that you keep so many different varieties of rice. It’s got about another twenty minutes to cook.”
Noeul wandered into the space and wrapped her arms around Jordan from the back, resting her cheek against the strong muscles that rippled through the tank top. Each time she was this close to Jordan, she had an overwhelming need to make contact, to feel the heat emanating from her. The sensation reminded her of walking up to a fireplace and allowing the warmth to spread throughout her body. Noeul soaked up that heat as if she had been frozen for a long time.
Jordan turned and rested her chin on Noeul’s head. “Hey, are you okay?”
Noeul grew quiet and took a moment to formulate an answer. She grabbed Jordan’s hand and led her to the couch.
“Should I be worried?”
“There’s nothing to be worried about. I just…”
Noeul let Jordan pull her down and into her arms, where she curled into Jordan and drew those arms more tightly around her.
“Just what?”
“I shouldn’t feel this much this fast. I’m afraid that it’s only the joy of not being alone—on connecting at a level that I haven’t felt for years. I’m afraid of grasping at something that isn’t mine to hold.”
Jordan lay quiet for several minutes. Noeul started to worry that she’d said something wrong and pulled back to look into Jordan’s eyes. “Are you okay?”
A deep breath slowly released was the only answer. Noeul was prepared for almost anything, except what she saw staring back at her. Fear lingered in the dark pools, making them seem liquid. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”
“You’re not the only one who's scared, not the only one who’s worried she’s feeling too much, too fast. I get it. I also know more about me than you do. I don’t trust easily, and I don’t give my heart easily. I’ve loved exactly twice, if you don’t count my seventh-grade crush. I wish the people who know me best were here to tell you about the Jordan they know. I can’t give you back the years you’ve spent alone. What I can give you is the promise to be my most honest self. I have no plans of going anywhere. Do I have it all worked out? The honest answer is no. Do I want to? You bet I do. Now, are you willing to take a chance with me to see what tomorrow brings? Only you can answer that, and I’m willing to wait for you to figure that out.”
Again, Noeul relaxed into Jordan’s touch, as she fingered the hem of Jordan’s tank top. Her fears hadn’t been completely put to rest. The words spoken had meaning and held promise. Time would be the ultimate test. Noeul’s concerns lay in the part of Jordan’s life she wasn’t an integral part of and what would happen when it came calling.
Chapter Twenty-one
TWO WEEKS WENT BY, with Jordan enjoying the feeling of waking up to a warm body wrapped up in her arms. Their experiments were doing well, and the couple had spent almost every waking moment together. Long hikes in the woods, trail rides, and even a few trips to the farmers’ market together had brought them even closer. Jordan met Mr. Anderson, and the two hit it off immediately. They were headed there again, another load of handmade soap and lotion filling the back seat. After the market, they would drop off supplies at the various shelters Noeul helped support.
They parked in their usual spot, and Jordan lifted a case of the lotion in her arms. “Do you want all this out, or just a selection?”
Noeul was setting up the small table off the tailgate of the truck. “Probably five of each. The lavender has been pretty popular lately.”
Jordan stopped when she looked up to see the blazing smile Noeul sported. Genuine, not forced and not out of obligation, the smile reached right into Jordan’s soul.
“What?” Noeul furrowed her brows and looked at Jordan.
Jordan shook herself back to the here and now and out of her musing but couldn’t stop her own smile. “Nothing.”
Mr. Anderson cleared his throat and chuckled. He pointed to Jordan, as he spoke to Noeul. “That one there looks like the cat that got the cream.”
Jordan felt her face flush, as she looked at the woman who had captured her so completely. Noeul’s raised eyebrow and lascivious smile made her body heat as a direct result of desire and not embarrassment. She cleared her throat and pulled five lavender lotions out of the case and handed them to Noeul, while shaking her head at both of them.
Two hours later, they each hugged Mr. Anderson who held on to Jordan long enough to whisper a few words. “I like the smile she’s sportin’. See that you keep it there.” He patted her on the back and released her, to climb into his truck.
Noeul handed him two bars of her new fragrance of lotion and soap. “Tell your lovely wife I said thank you for the herbs. We’d almost run out.”
“I’ll be bringing a fresh batch next week, you can be sure. Now you two be careful. I’ll see ya.”
