Nina Clarke: ᴍᴀʏᴏʀ, ᴀᴜsᴛɪɴ ᴛx & sʜʏ ʙʟᴏʙ (commonlaw) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-09-22 11:18:00 |
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The barriers had barely made it three days before falling. Austin's quarantine center was running at near-capacity. University Medical Center Brackenridge had already taken a hit to its staff and was operating on the bare minimum. The soldiers could barely even estimate the number of zombies who'd swarmed the city, but by all accounts and purposes it had been a veritable flood. Nina Clarke felt the cumulative weight of every single death, every single infected individual, on her narrow shoulders. She had never asked for this responsibility, had never even ran for the honor of the rising to the office she now held. For all intents and purposes, she was as good as a dictator and an ineffective one at that, one who'd steered her beloved city into disaster and ruin. She was the one who signed off on every decision, the one who'd questioned and approved every choice. The enormity of it all hit her like a pile of bricks just then and she sat down heavily in her seat, a sob ripping through her chest as she thought of her friends and her brother -- people who trusted and counted on her -- waiting to find out if this would be the end. Amanda had called an emergency meeting for 5PM that evening to determine next steps. Lost in her head as she struggled to contain her worries and tears, a message from her brother unseen on her phone screen. The clock showed 5:10PM as a knock sounded, startling Nina out of her thoughts. Without waiting for an answer, Amanda opened the door to Nina’s office and slipped through. She paused just inside the threshold, taking a moment to absorb the sight she found in front of her. The muffled sounds she'd picked up from out in the adjoining area between their two offices had been the sounds of severe emotional distress, then. In hindsight, it probably shouldn't have taken Nina being late for a meeting -- which never happened under normal circumstances -- for her to suspect something was going on with her colleague. The events of the past few days would've pushed anyone to the limits of their endurance, even someone as typically unflappable as Nina. Especially Nina, perhaps, since Amanda had never once seen the woman take a real break. There was a flicker of panic and shame that reared up in Nina's chest as Amanda drew closer. She'd never been one to feel comfortable with vulnerability, let alone any sign that she felt at a loss in the workplace. Amanda, too, the eternal thorn in her side -- though it'd been better ever since they'd had dinner at Rest In Peas -- was the last person she wanted to see just then. She felt very aware of the tear tracks on her face as she steadied her voice and looked up at the woman. "May I help you?" “I'm canceling our meeting,” Amanda announced. Rather than take a seat in one of the chairs, as she usually did, Amanda went around to Nina’s side and leaned against the desk. “All we would have accomplished is yet another discussion of things we already know. Honestly, everything that needs to happen next is already in process out there.” She nodded toward the nearest window. "I, well." It was, frankly, a relief to not have to meet. Nina didn't think she could muster up the strength; slipping back into her typical placidity was difficult enough. She took a deep breath and smiled up at Amanda as though all was well. There was no attempt to wipe her face; doing so would attract attention to the signs of her distress. "I appreciate the consideration and will see you tomorrow." It might have been a dismissal -- in fact, it most certainly was one, since Amanda was sure Nina wanted to be left alone. She didn't move, though, except to tilt her head in order to regard Nina with a thoughtful expression. Aside from the one trip to Rest In Peas, they had primarily kept their lives separate outside of work, and so what she was about to suggest was unprecedented. “Come over to my apartment,” she said. “Like I said, everything that can be done right now is already happening, and I have a bottle of wine with our names on it.” Amanda felt a pang at that, since it was the same bottle she'd imagined sharing tonight with Ria, and that was no longer a possibility. The guard she’d left with her friend had already reported to her about Ria being in quarantine again. “All things considered, I could really use a glass. Or three.” For a moment, Nina considered declining. She could have Luc take her home within fifteen minutes. Within thirty, she could be in her pajamas with a bottle of wine of her own. It would be easier to wallow in her own failures by herself. Somehow, though, she found herself latching on to the offer she'd been presented -- or was it the glimmer of understanding she thought she saw in Amanda's eyes? "All right," she said, pushing herself up from her chair. "I'll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes." -- "You have a beautiful home." Nina had forgotten how nice the apartments were south of the Capitol. Or perhaps it was just that she'd never really had opportunity to be in one, even after the undead had made quick work of the housing bubble in Austin? Either way, it was easy to pretend the apocalypse had never existed as she looked out on her city from Amanda's apartment balcony at night, feeling bolstered by the twinkling of a few lights here and there in the distance. She turned to face her co-worker and accept the offered glass of wine. "In fact, I think you might have the best view in the entire city." “Thank you.” Amanda leaned against the balcony rail next to Nina, looking out at the city below, and took a sip from her glass. “It's more or less why I requested an apartment in this building. Coming home to all this after to a long day certainly helps.” Her gaze slid sideways toward her companion. A casual dinner of pizza followed by drinks on the balcony was a new situation for the two of them to share, but it felt almost natural. And Amanda had to admit the twilight suited Nina, softening the signs of tension that had been so obvious on her face at the office. “It helps with the homesickness too,” she said. It was the kind of confession she hadn't been aware was going to spill out of her until the words were already spoken. “I envy you, having your parents so close by. Of course, I can call mine, but it isn't the same.” Nina shook her head, dismissing the envy with a bit of obvious embarrassment. "Just luck of the draw, I guess." This high up, she could barely catch sight of the outline of the Governor's Mansion, which she'd moved into just a few weeks prior with her parents. "That my hometown happened to end up this way instead of Denver, instead of the other way around." And lucky in the first place to still have one's parents in the picture, whether you lived near to them or not. "Maybe in some kind of alternate universe, I'm your liaison instead." That was Kevin's influence, probably; Nina barely knew what the rules were as far as alternate universes were concerned, but the wine she'd had with dinner -- though she had no concerns about the new one Amanda had just given her -- made it sound plausible enough for the moment. It dragged out the Texan accent she was so good at suppressing, too. "We live in Denver and instead of you leaving eventually once your job here's done, it would be me." She paused, wondering if she was trespassing, somehow, but she couldn't stop herself from adding: "Are you looking forward to it? Leaving Austin." The hypothetical scenario brought a smile to Amanda’s face. A smile that grew as Nina continued speaking, the sound of her Austinite accent slipping out in the process. Had she lost it, Amanda wondered, or excised it? Caught up in her musing, it was a moment before she realized the implication of the question she was being asked. “Leaving Austin?” Her gaze flickered to the dome of the Capitol nearby, then returned to Nina’s face. The possibility seemed so distant. Considering she hadn't really volunteered to come here in the first place, Amanda wasn't even certain it was up to her when she would get to leave. Of course she wanted to go back to Denver. It was her home -- her family was there, her life was there. Except … it was hard to deny that the work she was doing now was fulfilling in a way that working at the Department of Health and Human Services had never been. That was enough to cast doubt on her decision. “I don't know,” Amanda said, honestly. “It would depend, I think, on what I had worth staying for.” "Probably close to nothing, then, from your perspective," Nina said bluntly. After all, Amanda had always been upfront about how distasteful she found the city and its lack of real amenities and culture -- not to mention the still-persistent crime and issues with the undead. Three months ago, she would've gladly given anything in exchange for Amanda's resignation or news of transfer. Now, though? It was hard to force a smile as she said, "I only ask that you give thirty days' instead of two weeks' notice." A slight frown flickered across Amanda’s face as she took another sip of her wine. It was one thing for her to talk about how she felt no connection to Austin, but hearing Nina say the same thing about her stung a little. Maybe because there was no hiding from how lonely it sounded. She had one friend in the city, who was just starting a ten-day stay in quarantine. The next closest thing she had after that ... was Nina. “And from your perspective?” Amanda turned to face Nina, a single hand resting lightly against the balcony rail. “It would be a relief, I assume, to be able to perform your duties without someone looking over your shoulder.” Nina mimicked her stance, studying the face of the woman with whom she now spent most of her time. It had always been due to necessity, of course, not choice, though over the last week that had seemed to change. "I defer to your suggestions and opinions on a decent amount of things." Forty percent, if she had to estimate. Nina liked to think she would've come to the same conclusions without Amanda's steady input, but it was hard to imagine. "I'd miss that guidance." A brief, wry smile appeared on her face then before she willed it away with another sip of wine. "We both know I'm very new at this, and you're much more experienced." To anyone witnessing this conversation, Nina saying she would miss Amanda for work-related reasons might not have sounded like evidence hinting at any kind of warmth or friendship between them. But Amanda knew Nina well enough now to see the statement for the compliment it was. Even if Nina did only follow her advice about twenty-five percent of the time, she always considered it. That alone was a high commendation. “I’d miss your ideals,” Amanda said, with a smile. She took a half step forward, and her head tilted slightly as her eyes flicked to Nina’s mouth and then back up again. “Your perceptiveness and your resolve. Experience is only part of what a leader needs, and soon enough you won’t need me to provide it for you.” Nina found herself echoing Amanda's smile unconsciously, tilting her head back to meet her eyes. She had the sneaking suspicion that they stood at the same height, though she'd learned quickly that Amanda's taste in footwear was questionable at best, dangerous at worst. She'd gotten used to looking up at her. There was a moment of quiet that settled between them, then, long enough for Nina to ponder the fact that such a thing didn't feel odd at all -- likely due to the fact that they'd gotten used to working together in such a stillness. And then she shook her head slightly, her eyeline dropping down to the wine in Amanda's hand for lack of a better place on which to focus. "Right now, I don't know how to keep going. So much has happened… I don't know how to feel as though it's not all my fault." Her gaze lifted up again then as she sought to ask Amanda, as she always did, for input. "Does it ever get easier?" Amanda broke their eye contact, looking down at her wine glass. She lifted it to drain the last swallow and then set the empty glass on her little outdoor table. Nina’s question made her think of Boonman -- hours spent putting out his fires and trying to argue him around to a different decision than the one he wanted to make. “In some ways. There are always crises you don't expect, especially now. The main difference, I guess, is that as time goes on you get a larger bank of crisis management skills to draw on.” Amanda glanced down at their hands on the railing and, after a beat on consideration, moved hers to cover Nina’s. “Trust me when I say this is not your fault. I've seen men posture and play games with people’s lives, then deny responsibility when it falls apart on them. They wouldn't be standing here, asking if they could have done something more.” Nina shook her head, lips pursing as she considered all of this. The gesture of Amanda's hand on hers didn't go unrecognized, but it was easier to assume a lack of deeper meaning than look for one without any other evidence. Still, she couldn't resist turning her palm up, stroking the side of Amanda's hand with her thumb. Amanda’s eyes closed, just briefly, in response. "You never knew Olinger and the threats he could make," Nina said, her envy of Amanda's ignorance clear in her tone. "The only thing he ever took responsibility for was anything that made him look like he was God's gift to Austin. After today, he would've put out some kind of blustering press release about all the criminals who'd gotten what they deserved." Remembering him hurt, but it also bolstered her shaky resolve. "Thank you. I think I forget, sometimes, that things aren't all that bad." Amanda might not have met Reeves Olinger, but she’d witnessed Boonman’s attempts to negotiate with the man, leaving her with some idea of his character. Now and then it still hit her with a mixture of guilt and anger to think of an entire city held at that megalomaniac’s mercy. It might have, even now, if she hadn’t been so thoroughly focused on Nina right in this moment. On the feeling of Nina’s hand beneath hers, and what that momentary brush of skin against skin might imply. “Definitely not all that bad. In fact, I think there are certain parts of our unique situation that could be considered quite good.” Amanda took another half step toward Nina, drawn like a magnet to iron, but there honestly wasn’t that much closer she could go. They were already little more than a breath apart, which made it very easy for Amanda to lean just slightly down and close the distance. Despite it all, she wasn’t exactly sure how Nina would receive this kiss, and so it was lighter than might have been expected from Amanda, almost as if tentatively asking permission to exist. Nina's other hand still held a half-finished glass of wine but she moved her arm up onto Amanda's shoulder all the same, pulling her in against her as she returned the kiss. It was easier than expected to simply stop thinking and allow Amanda to wipe away the stresses of the last few days with her lips. Of course, there was a part of her that couldn't help but wonder how they'd gotten to this point, and another part that questioned how she had never picked up on the fact that Amanda would even be interested, but she was in no hurry to voice these concerns aloud. Not when it was more important to pull away briefly to set her wine down, fixing Amanda with a look that could only be described as clear intent, before she stepped forward for another kiss. This time, both hands found Amanda's always-impeccable hair. Nina couldn't help but laugh as she tangled her fingers through it, already imagining how it would look when mussed. Amanda smiled against Nina’s mouth at the sound of her laugh, enjoying the knowledge that she was at least partly responsible for it. With no need for any further hesitation in the face of such a positive response, her hands went to Nina’s hips to pull the other woman flush against her. They'd operated under a purely professional set of rules from the beginning, and so it probably should have been strange to feel every curve of Nina’s body pressed into hers, like crossing some invisible line into the inappropriate. Except that it didn't feel inappropriate at all. It felt like they'd simply been waiting to get here, and now they'd arrived. Drawing back slightly, Amanda tugged at the hem of Nina’s jacket. “Take it off,” she said, despite already moving to take care of it herself. Nina nodded needlessly, skimming her hands down the curve of Amanda's breasts and tugging at her blouse, pulling it out of the skirt the woman was wearing, before she started work on her own clothing. Between the two of them, the jacket hooks came undone with relative ease; Nina tossed it onto the table, narrowly missing her wine glass, before she returned her attention to Amanda. Focusing on the pull between them and the way her stomach fluttered whenever they made eye contact was much preferred to waiting and worrying. With this in mind, Nina decided to be as efficient as she could, approaching this as she did all other aspects of her life. She reached for the belt on Amanda's skirt, tugging it loose, and pushed both hands up onto the smooth skin of her stomach. Meanwhile, her lips found Amanda's neck, kissing the pulse point there. "We can't tell Zach this happened," she murmured, laughing quietly again. "He'd have a field day." Amanda gave a breathy laugh, arching her neck to encourage Nina's attentions in that spot to continue. “He would be insufferable,” she agreed. “Though I have to say I'm much more interested in what's under this dress than in Zach right now.” Her hand, until this moment caressing the swell of Nina’s breast, shifted to slide lower. Lightly over the other woman’s stomach and lower abdomen, and then with slight, more purposeful pressure as she reached the juncture between Nina’s legs. Amanda grinned, and there was a teasing tone to her voice as she asked, “Permission to form an exploratory committee to investigate further?” They were only just beginning, but every touch quickened Nina's breath and heightened her anticipation. "Yes," she said, repeating the word insistently, and if she wasn't so busy hiking her dress up higher -- had she even undone its zipper? -- she would have been embarrassed at how needy she already sounded. It had been too long since she'd done this, and the thought of what was to come overrode any thought of danger as she backed against the balcony railing, grabbing onto Amanda's waist beneath her blouse and pulling her in with her. Nina's hands found her bra clasp then and snapped it open, exploring the skin beneath it eagerly. There was undeniably something attractive about the way Nina was coming undone, about being able to see her desire showing plainly on her face. It was reflected in Amanda’s expression as she looked the other woman over with obvious lust. Delaying only to shed her unhooked bra, giving it a toss in the same direction as the jacket, Amanda took immediate advantage of the invitation in the way Nina hitched up her dress for better access. Her hand glided up the skin of Nina’s thigh and briefly traced the edge of her panties before shifting inward to circle her clit through the thin fabric. “I think I’ve found the crux of our current situation,” Amanda murmured. She leaned forward enough to bring their mouths together again, her fingers stroking against Nina. Nina couldn't help the low, desperate sound that escaped her then, her eyes fluttering shut as she tilted her hips against the pressure of Amanda's fingertips. She was aching already from the barest of touches, seeking more of everything. But even now, it was easy to fall into a bit of their usual give and take even as her breath hitched and her words tumbled out in a rush. "It's not fair for you to use words you'll say again at work," Nina pointed out, running her hands across the span of Amanda's back before moving to circle one of her nipples with her thumb, eliciting a shiver. She shifted to spread her legs further, hoping she could still manage standing in the heels she still wore, and pulled Amanda in for another heated kiss. And then, against her lips: "Unless you want me to think about how good you feel next time we're in a meeting." The trouble, though, was that Nina was sure she'd be thinking about it this no matter what. Amanda gave a soft laugh, pulling away to say, “Of course I want you thinking about it.” She slipped her hand beneath the fabric of Nina’s panties for the next stroke, and couldn't help but moan at what she found there. “I want you wet just like this every time you remember.” Now that wasn't something she'd say at work, but if Amanda was going to picture this encounter every time she looked at her balcony -- which she would, without question -- it seemed only fair to have it go both ways. Nina tilted her head against Amanda's as she sought to steady herself, gasping into her ear. "Okay," she agreed, pliable under her hands. Caught up in a mix of the alcohol she'd had and the pleasure that was already thrumming through her body, she was certain that no matter what Amanda wanted just then, she would've said yes to it. She moved one of her hands down onto Amanda's wrist, adjusting the pressure. "Every time." “We’ve reached a critical juncture now, where your input is required.” Bracing herself against the railing with one arm, Amanda shifted to slide a finger inside Nina. “Do I get you off right like this? Or do I move down and employ my other talents?” The surprise of it caught Nina off guard at first; for a moment, the only answer she could muster was a low moan as she rocked her hips against Amanda's hand, seeking more. It wasn't a hard decision to make, though. "Down," she said, pulling away just enough to direct an uncharacteristic smirk in Amanda's direction. "So the next time we argue, I can think about the other things your mouth can do." Amanda made a soft sound of pleasure in the back of her throat. Hearing an explicit response from a woman who was typically so staid was more than a little sexy, and she returned the smirk with a promise: “Just you wait.” Kneeling with little concern for the cold and hard floor of the balcony beneath her, Amanda pressed her mouth to Nina’s inner thighs -- first one and then the other. Then she moved upward, trailing kisses along the soft skin. It was a tease more than anything, an attempt to draw the moment out before she ultimately gave Nina what she wanted. Lifting her eyes to watch the reaction that followed, she shifted Nina’s panties aside and laid a swipe of her tongue across her clit. The strength of Nina's anticipation hit her hard at that first touch, leaving her breathless and gasping out Amanda's name. She reached behind her to steady herself on the railing and forced her eyes open -- when had they closed? -- to look down at the woman in front of her. And while she was wondering things, why had she gone without this for so long and how long could they have been doing this instead of debating policy and principle? She was aware of their surroundings to a certain extent, thanks to the relatively cool night air and the metal underneath her hands. Really, it wouldn't have taken that much longer to move somewhere more private, where she wouldn't have to worry about her legs giving out, but now that they'd started she didn't think she could bear it if they stopped even for just a moment. After all, Nina was pretty sure that if she lost the steady pressure of Amanda's tongue on her clit, she'd just about die. "God, Amanda, don't stop." The words came out all in a rush of one quick exhale and Nina's eyes closed again as she punctuated her demand with another moan. Speech was difficult to come by, but their working relationship was based on mutual respect and constructive criticism. Amanda needed to know she was doing well. Amanda’s gaze flickered up toward Nina without interrupting what she was doing, and her arousal flared at the sight. Though the thought of playing it a little cruel crossed her mind, she discarded it, for once doing as asked without argument. She did shift forward slightly for a better angle, increasing the rhythm of her tongue against Nina’s clit. Her free hand, the one that wasn’t currently providing balance, slid up to trace the edge of her folds before pressing a finger inside. And in the end she couldn't resist one more comment, pausing long enough to say, “Give me a swift resolution, Nina.” Then she reapplied herself, intent on delivering her side of the bargain. Nina couldn't help but laugh at the phrasing, impressed by Amanda's presence of mind. Meanwhile, hers was quickly devolving; she wasn't typically a woman to let go entirely of her stress and worries, but it was much harder to to focus on all of that when it was so much better to think about the way each roll of her hips sent a spike of pleasure through her whole body. It was building, too, into something just barely out of reach. The headiness of surrender was getting to her, too. As good as all of this was, as often as she had to bite her lip to stop a too-loud noise from escaping her, it was even better to know that was Amanda who was ultimately responsible for her tipping over the edge. Nina's grip tightened on the balcony's rail, her head tilting back as she rode it out, entirely at the mercy of the woman underneath her. But it left her too quickly, leaving her breathless and wanting more even still. She drew a ragged breath -- then another -- as she sought to calm down the frantic beating of her heart. Sitting back on her heels, Amanda looked up and smiled. She tugged Nina’s skirt back down, letting her hands linger over what was a fairly simple task. Then she rose, leaning in for a brief, searing kiss as she pressed their hips together. Her legs were weak, both from kneeling on the balcony and from the want -- no, the need that was still surging through her. Now that Nina had come and there was no longer anything to distract her from it, the full force of Amanda’s own arousal really begin to hit. “Counterargument?” The word slipped out like a plea, her earlier teasing tone vanished despite the fact that she still clung to their banter. Nina might need a moment, and that was fine, but Amanda knew every moment of delay would test her patience. Usually she was better at delaying gratification, but something about being with Nina made her greedier than normal. Nina nodded, her gaze roaming over Amanda with obvious intent as she worked to regain her senses. Coming down from her high or not, though, it was hard to resist what was in front of her. "I can think of a few rebuttals I'd like to make." She skimmed a hand over the generous curve of Amanda's ass in order to emphasize her words, unable to hide the almost giddy laughter that followed. It didn't take long to back them both up until they ran into the wrought iron table that stood between them and the balcony door, nor was it more than a matter of seconds before she pushed Amanda's skirt up around her waist, gesturing for her to sit on the edge of the table. "Don't break the glasses behind you," Nina reminded, unable to entirely shake her sense of responsibility even as she tugged Amanda's underwear down and replaced it with her hand. It felt good to be in control again, but it was even better to feel the wetness that already coated her fingers. The glasses were absolutely the last thing on Amanda’s mind, but she reached to move them aside nevertheless. As she shuddered at Nina’s touch the two pieces of stemware clattered together in her hand, threatening to shatter anyway, but Amanda managed to put them down safely. Then she shifted her weight backward to better spread her legs for Nina. Nina lifted her gaze to meet Amanda's, though she couldn't will away the amused look that settled on her face. "Back to the talking points. For starters, we've already covered the fact that you want me thinking about this every time we're in a meeting together." She dragged her fingertips up in search of her clit as she spoke. She was unable to and uninterested in keeping up the precise sort of wordplay that Amanda had sustained earlier, but lawyers could still talk an awful lot when they put their minds to it and their normal inhibitions had been lowered just right. "The problem is that I think having you like this just makes me think of what it'd be like to have you on my desk tomorrow. Or on the table in our meeting room. Is that what you want?" Nina paused for a moment, shifting her hand down to move one of her fingers inside Amanda, and bit her lip. "Ms. van Eeden, your thoughts would be welcome." Despite her earlier ability to be articulate, now that the tables were turned Amanda found eloquence harder to come by. She made a low moan in the back of her throat, feeling like she might just come out of her skin at the suggestion of bringing this activity back to the office. Workplace sex had never been one of her fantasies before, but right now? “Yes,” she gasped, her voice hitching up higher as Nina hit a good spot. “I’ll concede. Let you lock the door and have me any way you wanted.” She stopped with a shiver, catching her lower lip between her teeth. One hand fumbled forward, threading through Nina’s hair and coming to rest on the back of her neck, pulling them closer together until their foreheads touched. The pleasure being coaxed out her her was intense enough that she was already beginning to blur at the edges. “More,” Amanda begged. Nina tilted her head just enough, the barest of movements, to catch Amanda's lips in another kiss. It was dizzying, knowing she was the reason why this woman was coming undone; each telltale sound and moan was like music to her ears. "I want you so many different ways," she said intently as she drew her free hand up to her mouth and licked her thumb, moving it down onto Amanda's clit to trace circles. Another adjustment, this time to slip another one of her fingers inside as she continued the steady rhythm she'd set, before she added, "I want you any way you'll let me." And it wasn't just the alcohol talking, either, though it certainly allowed her more freedom to confess. Somehow, once they'd finished that near-disastrous dinner together in August, Nina had started to think of her colleague as an indispensable -- if often frustrating -- ally. After tonight, she was sure a different sort of frustration would continue. Amanda was so far beyond rational thought, she couldn't reply, not even to say that Nina was welcome to her in every way possible. Her hips moved to meet Nina’s touch, and a corresponding pulse of pleasure flared with each note of the tempo they set. Somewhere along the way she'd begun making these half-gasping moans that seemed to build as every muscle in her body reached for the release that was nearly upon her. Then it came -- she came, with a short and muffled cry as the feeling washed over her. When it finally ebbed, Amanda sighed Nina’s name and, boneless, she sagged against her. Her heart was racing and little sparks of after effects still shot through her, causing her to shiver in a sudden chill from the night air. They'd been so consumed that it hadn't occurred to either to move indoors; they'd never even shed more than the few necessary items of clothing. And she was only now realizing. “That was … very productive,” Amanda said, with a breathy laugh. "Very productive." Nina withdrew her hands with absolutely no attempt to stifle her broad smile and took a deep breath, nearly sure she could feel Amanda's heartbeat against her chest, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Time had tempered her inebriation slightly, but now that two of them had crossed this line together, she couldn't help but feel just as unsteady as she had before they'd started. Even still, Nina couldn't quite bring herself to pull away. "You know," she added after a moment, aiming for casualness and falling just a hair short. "I don't think I'm in any state to head home." She leaned back slightly, meeting Amanda's gaze with a questioning look. "Do you think I might be able to stay the night?" The thought of Nina going home hadn't even occurred to Amanda. She felt oddly proprietary of their time together, the fingers of her hand curling against the back of Nina’s neck as if she might keep the other woman here with her with that touch alone. “I insist on it. Think of this --” She nodded at the narrow space between the two of them. “-- as just the first item on our agenda. Though I suggest we gather our things and make a slight change of venue before we proceed. Maybe even have another glass of wine.” Amanda smiled. “After all, there's quite a bit of the night left ahead of us.” |