"Why?" Ellen asked as she boldly unb.u.t.toned Jody's shirt and captured a firm nipple between her lips.

"I'm old enough to be your mother," she moaned. "Actually, I'm two months older than your mother."

Ellen's hand slipped inside Jody's shorts and stroked her. "This doesn't feel like you want me to stop." She pushed a finger deep inside and slowly removed it.

Despite Jody's best efforts, her body rose up to meet Ellen's hand.

Ellen removed Jody's shorts and dropped them to the floor. "If you really want me to stop, just say so and I will." Ellen's voice grew huskier. Clearly, she was aroused. Her lips traveled across Jody's stomach and continued downward until she leisurely ran her tongue through Jody's wetness. "Do you want me to stop doing this?" she asked as she deftly pushed her tongue into Jody.

Jody lost all control. She wanted to stop Ellen and send her home, but at the same time, she wanted to feel her own tongue plunging into Ellen.

"Tell me what you want me to do," Ellen said as she pulled Jody's c.l.i.toris into her mouth and began to suck greedily.

Jody found herself gathering Ellen's soft hair in her hands and yelling, "Harder," before Ellen's fingers slammed back into her. As her body exploded with sensation, Jody was only vaguely aware of her own voice screaming Ellen's name.

Afterward, Ellen moved up to snuggle against her.

"What have I done?" Jody moaned as she covered her eyes with her arms.

"You've made me very happy," Ellen answered as she placed an arm protectively across her.

Jody dropped her arm from her face and was shaken by the look of adoration flowing from Ellen's eyes. Never had she felt such a mult.i.tude of emotions wash over her. She felt strong, yet weak, and both protected and protective.

"I know this is wrong." Her hand trembled as she brushed a lock of hair from Ellen's face. "I want to make love to you." G.o.d help me in the morning, she thought as she pulled Ellen against her.

The sun was tinting the eastern sky pink before they finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

Chapter Six.

The phone's ringing pulled Jody from slumber. She extracted herself from the tangle of limbs and stumbled off the sofa to the phone.

"h.e.l.lo," she croaked, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Ellen didn't come home last night and I'm concerned. Is she with you?" Denise asked.

Jody rubbed her eyes and was greeted by the heady, musky scent of Sharon on her hand. Still trying to shake the cobwebs of sleep from her head, she glanced toward the sofa and came sharply awake as she gazed at the brunette hair showing from under the blanket that she had pulled over them sometime during the night.

That's not Sharon's head and its not Shawn's smell on my hands. Its Ellen, Jody thought as she grabbed the chair for support.

"Jody. Jody, are you there?" Denise asked.

"Y-Yeah," she stuttered. "I was asleep. What did you say?" She glanced at the clock. It was a little after eight.

"I'm worried about Ellen. When I went out to go to work, her car wasn't in the garage. Is she with you?"

"Yeah." Jody's mind scurried for excuses. How was she going to explain this to Denise? I'm not, she decided cowardly. I'm going to lie. "She had a couple of margaritas, and I was worried about her driving home. Since it was so late, she stayed here. She slept on the sofa," she added quickly. At least that much was true.

"Oh, I'm so glad. If she's with you, I know she's safe."

Jody cringed.

"I was just concerned. People are so crazy these days. You never know what they're going to do." Denise launched into a long diatribe on crime. Jody missed most of it because Ellen had poked her head from under the blanket. The smile she flashed practically stopped Jody's heart.

Ellen crawled from beneath the blanket and walked naked toward her. Jody couldn't take her eyes off her.

Sharon had small b.r.e.a.s.t.s and hard muscles; Ellen was long-limbed, with full b.r.e.a.s.t.s and soft, rounded contours. To her mortification, she realized she was comparing her girlfriends as she would fresh fruit at the supermarket.

Ellen's smile changed from one of sweet innocence to one that practically shouted, "Here I am. Come and take me."

Jody dropped the phone. As she scrambled to pick it up, she heard Denise demanding to know what had happened.

"I fell asleep listening to you complain," Jody lied. Ellen was behind her running the tip of her tongue across her shoulders. Denise was still talking. Jody tried to ignore the effect Ellen's tongue was having on her, while she struggled to think of a way to get Denise to hang up. Ellen stepped in front of her and slowly ran her tongue down Jody's stomach.

"I made a breakfast ca.s.serole. Why don't you and Ellen come over for breakfast? I have to leave in a few minutes, but I hate to see it go to waste," Denise said as Ellen's hands pushed Jody's legs apart.

"Can't. I have to go." Jody gave up trying to find a diplomatic way to get Denise off the phone and simply hung up.

Ellen's mouth found its way between her legs.

"I can't stand," she moaned as Ellen's tongue made longer and broader strokes.

Ellen ignored her.

Jody was forced to brace her bare back against the wall to keep from falling. She cried out as Ellen's tongue and hands took her over the edge.

Two hours later, dressed in robes, they sat across the table from each other and waited for the coffee to perk.

"What am I going to tell Denise?" Jody rubbed her hands across her eyes.

"What would you tell her if I was someone you'd met at a party?"

"But you're not," Jody replied more harshly than she intended. She dropped her head onto her crossed arms. "G.o.d, I can't believe I've done this."

Ellen caressed her hair. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry. I've dreamed of this for too long."

Jody raised her head and took Ellen's hand. "My real problem may be that I'm not sorry either," she replied, staring into Ellen's clear blue eyes.

Ellen smiled and again Jody experienced the sharp twisting sensation inside.

I'm sleeping with my best friends daughter. A sudden vision of Denise's face caused her to jump up.

"This can't be." She began to pace. "It'll never work. Think of the pain we'll cause Denise."

Ellen sat quietly as Jody continued to vent.

Jody was on her third lap around her tiny kitchen when she saw Sharon's photo on the refrigerator.

"Oh s.h.i.t." She cringed and covered her face with her hands.

Ellen's arms slipped around her. Jody hadn't heard her approach.

"It's going to be okay. I'll explain it to Mom." Ellen turned Jody around and pulled her head to her shoulder. She began to caress Jody's hair.

Jody suddenly remembered the gray in her hair. What if Ellen didn't like it? For the first time, she wished she had done something about the gray.

"We'll work it out," Ellen said.

"I'm too old."

Ellen cupped Jody's face between her hands. "Jody, I've been thinking about you for a long, long time. I've tried forgetting you through work and with other women, but I couldn't. I didn't mention it earlier, but you were a major factor in my decision to transfer back here. I was tired of wondering if what I felt for you was just a childhood crush."

A stab of fear shot through Jody. She didn't like the possibility that she was only a "childhood crush" for Ellen. She quickly reprimanded herself. It would be better for everyone if Ellen came to her senses and left.

"Now that I know for sure, I'm not letting you go without a chance to get to know you." Ellen was gazing intently at her. "I love Mom. I don't want to do anything to hurt her, but she'll have to understand that she can't dictate my life." She shrugged and continued, "Jody, I don't know if what I feel for you will last past the initial l.u.s.t, but I know I've had one h.e.l.l of a crush on you since I was fifteen. Last night did nothing to alleviate those feelings. I want the chance to get to know you better."

Jody stared into her eyes. She should send Ellen home. The last thing she needed was someone in love with her, especially if that someone also happened to be her best friend's only daughter. Why didn't she just tell her to go home? She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come. She turned away and gazed out the window. The previous night had been special, not just the s.e.x, but the talking and laughing too. She threw up her hands in surrender. "This is total insanity. Denise will kill me."

"It's not about Mom. This is between you and me. If I wasn't your best friend's daughter, would you see me again?"

In a heartbeat, Jody told herself. "The fact remains, you are Denise's daughter. Not to mention that I'm nineteen years older than you. How can I possibly explain this to Denise?"

Then there was the matter of Sharon. She couldn't date them both at once. She felt trapped. Half of her was yelling, "Send the kid packing," and half of her was saying, "Do whatever it takes to keep her."

"Perhaps I've a.s.sumed too much," Ellen said. "I guess my first question should be, do you want to see me again?" She reached out and took Jody's hand.

Jody hesitated. She liked Ellen. She enjoyed her company and wanted to see more of her, but there were problems. First, Denise was not going to be happy. She would surely read Jody the riot act. Second, there was the age difference. How long would Ellen stay interested in her? The novelty of a ten-year crush might keep her curious for a while, but eventually Ellen would notice the gray hairs. Then she'd start to see the sags, and no matter how much Jody ran or exercised, she no longer had the same taut suppleness as that of a twenty-year-old. At some point, Ellen would move on to someone nearer her own age.

"What are you thinking?" Ellen asked.

"I'm thinking that getting involved with you could be emotionally dangerous for me."

"How?"

"I'm not a young woman anymore."

"No, you aren't, but you certainly aren't as old as you try to sound. You're forty-four. I know there's a sprinkling of gray in your hair, and I can see these." She touched a fingertip to the fine lines at the corner of Jody's eye. "I'm enchanted with the heart and soul of the woman inside, not the sh.e.l.l." Ellen gazed into Jody's eyes. "I may be young, but I'm not that shallow. If things don't work out between us, it will be because of something other than the way you look."

"But you are so beautiful. You could have anyone you want. There are hundreds of women who are much younger than me who would fall all over themselves for a chance to date you. I saw how men and women both looked at you last night."

Ellen leaned back, obviously impatient with the turn of the conversation. "Is that all you see?" she asked. "Are you only interested in me because of my looks?"

"No," Jody protested. "Of course not."

"Then why are you a.s.suming I would grow tired of you simply because of your looks?"

Jody bit her lip and thought about what Ellen had said. She slowly reached a decision. She'd tell her the truth. The complete truth, not just the varnished version she gave her last night. She'd tell her about Sharon and her own inability to commit not just to Sharon but to anyone. If Ellen stayed, then she'd face Denise. But if she leaves, what will I do?

Jody went to pour the coffee and handed a cup to Ellen. "We have to talk." She led Ellen back to the table. "Ellen, my longest relationship lasted nine and a half years. Mia walked out on me for someone else. I loved her, but I couldn't make myself go after her. Maybe she would've changed her mind if I had bothered to let her know I still cared for her. But I wasn't able to do it. Since then I haven't been able to make a commitment to anyone. There was one time when I thought I could. Lauren was sweet, loving and fun to be with. But something in me wouldn't allow her to get too close. I cheated on her, and she caught me. When she left, all I felt was a sense of relief. Almost as though I had escaped from something." She rushed on before she could chicken out. "I'm sort of seeing someone now. Sharon is her name. We've been dating for a few weeks." Jody didn't know what else to say about Sharon.

Ellen stared into her coffee.

Jody tried to ignore the tension building in her stomach as she waited for Ellen's response.

Finally, Ellen took a deep breath. "I wish you would have mentioned Sharon last night, before-" She stopped and looked out the window.

"I'm sorry."

"Do you love her?"

"No." The speed of her answer surprised Jody, but she knew it was true. "Sharon and I have never discussed where our relationship is going. Our time together was spent-" It was Jody's turn to stop short.

"Kind of like last night." Ellen grinned and looked toward the rumpled sofa.

"No. You and I talked more last night than Sharon and I ever have."

The doorbell rang. They stared at each other.

"It's going to be Mom," Ellen stated flatly. "What do we tell her?"

They sat a moment longer.

Jody stood, took a deep breath and retied her robe. "The truth. She deserves to know what's going on."

Together they walked to the front door holding hands. No one was prepared when the door opened, clearly not Ellen, not Jody and certainly not Sharon.

Chapter Seven.

Sharon's fury started at tornado force and swiftly escalated to a full-blown hurricane. When she stopped shouting long enough to take a breath, Jody quickly stepped in.

"Sharon, I know I have a lot of explaining to do, and I will." She turned to Ellen. "I think it would probably be best if you went home."

Ellen nodded. "I understand." She gathered her clothes from the living room floor and headed for the bedroom to get dressed.

Jody took Sharon to the kitchen. "I'll be right back and we'll talk."

"Are you going for one last quickie?" Sharon spat as Jody walked away.