Threading the Needle Ch. 12

It didn't take long for Rikki and Yamile to notice the quiet noises once again coming from within Lena's tent. No matter how hard they tried, Lena and Winnie couldn't be completely silent. The contrast between Indigo's cries as she came, and their soft moans increased the eroticism of the moment for Yamile. Up until now, the idea of being with a woman was not a particularly strong fantasy for her, but listening to two pairs of women making love was affecting her. She felt her pussy getting slightly damp.

"It's been so long," she thought to herself. Her arousal brought up thoughts of Claudio and how much she missed him. "Sex was such a big thing for us," she thought. Unless he was traveling, they made love multiple times a week. If anything, her sex drive was bigger than his was. She knew all sorts of tricks to get him excited, even when he was tired from work. "I miss him in so many ways, but God I miss getting fucked too!" A wave of despair came over her and she turned away from the tents and started to get into the SUV.

Rikki also found the noises depressing, although for completely different reasons. "Lena's getting what I want," she thought. "There, I've said it." The frank admission didn't make her feel any better, but there was some solace in being honest with herself. At the same time, it seemed to make the noises of pleasure coming from Lena's tent stab into her all the harder. "I'm not even jealous, not really. I'm glad Winnie's got her, but it hurts just the same." Finishing with brushing her teeth, she too climbed inside.

Their sleeping bags were how they left them, both unzipped and one on top of the other. In silence, the two of them undressed until they just had on light tops and panties. At first when they got into the sleeping bags, they were almost as far apart as they could be. Both of them were deep in their own thoughts. With only one window cracked open, the noises from the two couples were barely audible.

In the almost quiet, Rikki suddenly realized that Yamile was crying. Cursing herself for being so wrapped up in her own issues that she missed it, she rolled over and pulled her into an embrace. Sobbing harder, Yamile wrapped her arms tight around her. She rested her head in the crook of her neck. After a moment, Rikki started to stroke her back with gentle caresses. Gradually the sobs abated to a quiet weeping, and finally they trailed off to leave only little sniffles as a reminder of the emotional storm's passing,

"I'm sorry. I keep doing this," Yamile said softly.

"You can cry on me anytime, hun," Rikki replied, giving her a little squeeze. They rested like that, although both of them were too keyed up to really relax. She continued to give Yamile long caresses down the back. The faint sounds from outside told them that neither couple were done.

Having finished off Indigo, it was apparently Liz's turn. Her strong voice carried as she enjoyed what was being done to her. "That's it, Baby. Yeah, stick your face right there." Indigo obviously obeyed, given the long moan Liz made. She went quiet for a short time before gasping out, "Oh, fuck. Baby, you do that so well!"

In comparison, Lena and Winnie were quiet, but not inaudible. Through the window, Rikki heard the rustle of the tent and the sounds of bodies moving. Neither one of them said much but an occasional giggle could be heard. She tried to ignore it, but the little cries and moans that Winnie made still felt like jabs from a dull knife to her. At the same time, the sounds from both tents excited her too. Once again, she was the audience to someone being pleasured. Unlike how Lena tried to hide it last weekend, everyone was open about what was happening.

"I'm a voyeur again!" Rikki thought. "Well, not a voyeur since I can't see anything. Is there a word someone who listens to people having sex?" She chuckled and felt Yamile stir and look at her. "I was just thinking how last weekend it was Lena masturbating next to Winnie and me, and now she and Winnie ... and Elizabeth and Indigo."

With a little smile that was hidden in the dark, Yamile nodded. "It gets to you, doesn't it?" she whispered. She could hear Liz telling Indigo to use her fingers. The appreciative cries let them know she obeyed. The moans coming from the farther tent were getting louder and faster. "I was already horny and now, damn, that's making it harder," she softly added. She turned a little more so that now she was facing Rikki. There was just enough light for them to see each other.

Rikki wondered if her eyes glittered in the same way as Yamile's. They seemed unnaturally bright. She knew her own breathing was getting quicker as they listened to Liz getting closer to cumming. Her body burned with desire. She could no longer hear Winnie or Lena over Liz's cries, but right now they were no longer forefront in her mind. Her awareness of Yamile was too strong.

Hesitatingly, she reached out her right hand and put it on Yamile's hip. She felt a slight twitch they touched, but neither one of them withdrew. Neither did they move any closer.

"I've been kissed by a woman before," she whispered. "What about you?"

"Just a couple of times back when I was young," Yamile replied. "Was it Liz?"

Rikki shook her head. "No, not her." Just then, they heard Winnie make a particularly loud gasp. Something about the way she almost ducked her head gave her away.

"Lena? Or Winnie?" Yamile asked.

Feeling dryness in her mouth, Rikki licked her lips. It didn't help much. Finally, she breathed out a one-word reply. "Yeah."

"Which? Oh! It was both, wasn't it?" Yamile chuckled as she realized she hit the nail on the head.

Now Rikki moved closer so she could hide her embarrassment by burying her face against Yamile's shoulder. She felt arms go around her at the same moment that her own hand slipped around the other woman to rest lightly on the small of her back. Despite feeling embarrassed, she nodded to let her know she was right.

"Wow, I wouldn't have guessed," Yamile said. Without being fully aware of it, she began to stroke Rikki's back. "Do they know about the other?"

"Well, yes. We were all together," she admitted. "It was kind of a game."

"A game?"

"Yeah, it was kind of a competition between them." Rikki's voice was so soft that Yamile barely heard her and moved slightly closer. Their faces were no more than an inch apart now.

"And you were the prize?" Yamile asked.

"Not me, my wine. We were tasting wines in Cashmere and I was driving, so I had leftover wine. They had to win it," Rikki explained.

"God," Yamile thought. Although not normally attracted to it, the idea of two very hot women competing for her favors turned her on more than she expected. "What did they do?" she asked.

There were lots of ways she could have answered that, but instead Rikki did the one that felt right. She leaned forward and nibbled on Yamile's earlobe. "This for one," she breathed softly beside her ear. "And then this," she added as she softly kissed down her neck.

"Ohhhh," Yamile said in a long and very soft gasp. Her heart was pounding. She tried to regain control but found it almost impossible. Her horniness from going so long without sex and listening to the other women make love was already overwhelming. Despite Rikki being one of her best girlfriends, she didn't want it to stop. "Was that all?" she asked.

"No, Winnie did this," Rikki said. She wiggled down a little and then began to kiss up along Yamile's throat. She was even slower than Winnie had been, enjoying the shivers that her kissed caused. As she came over her chin, she didn't pause. Just like last week, the kiss continued up so that it caught the corner of her lips. Only then did she lift her lips, although she didn't retreat far.

"Winnie did that? Not Lena?" Yamile asked after taking a moment to collect her thoughts. That was the most she could do. Calming down wasn't going to happen, she realized.

"Yeah, m .... Winnie did it," Rikki said, catching herself before she could call her "my Winnie." That was a secret thought she couldn't share with anyone.

Yamile was quiet. Her fingers continued to absentmindedly stroke Rikki's back. Finally, she spoke. "You didn't kiss back?" In the dim light, she saw her shake her head. Swallowing, she asked another question. "Did you want to?" It was too dark to see the nervous look on her face, but Yamile sensed it. She kept quiet, allowing her to decide whether to answer.

Finally, Rikki nodded. "Yeah, but I was too nervous. There was someone else there watching, and God, I'm straight; theoretically married with a son!" She hung her head although she wasn't sure why. It wasn't shame or worry about Yamile's reaction. She could feel that Yamile didn't draw away in the slightest.

"So? I'm straight with two daughters, and right now, I want to kiss you," Yamile whispered.

Even though Rikki knew this moment had been drawing closer all evening, the suddenness of what Yamile said caught her off guard. Their flirting wasn't as blatant as the other women were, but it was an undercurrent. It was both of them too. Yamile was just as much a willing participant as she was. "You do?" she still couldn't help asking.

"Uh huh, you didn't kiss Lena. You didn't kiss Winnie. I want to be the first woman you kiss," Yamile said. Despite saying it, she didn't do anything more. She left it to her friend to make the next move. This was something spur of the moment for her. She could tell Rikki's desire to explore had been building for much longer.

Rikki could feel her courage starting to fail her. "I'm overthinking," she told herself. "Just go with the flow. It's just an experiment." Still, even knowing it would be welcome, she hesitated. Finally, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against Yamile's. She felt the dry skin on both pairs of lips. It was a scratchy feeling. Lifting slightly, she licked her lips and heard Yamile do the same.

The second kiss was softer. Their lips moved against each other without any hurry. Rikki's hand caught in Yamile's hair and held her head steady while she felt her friend pulling her closer. Their lips parted with a soft smacking sound. For a moment, they didn't move in their embrace. Although holding each other, there was still a tiny bit of space between them.

Rikki tried looking into Yamile's eyes but it was impossible to see her dark eyes without any light. She couldn't read her reaction. "I know mine though," she thought. Her heart was racing and she wanted more. She leaned forward while gently pulling at her head. It wasn't necessary. Yamile responded instantly. As they touched, Rikki knew that the lips were parted, offering her mouth this time. She took the offering, sliding her tongue into seek its mate. When she found it, they began a slow dance. The slight gap between them disappeared as Rikki pressed closer in her excitement.

No longer stroking Rikki's back, Yamile's hand held her in a tight embrace too. "It's been so long," she thought. She knew she wasn't ready to sleep with a man yet. Despite knowing Claudio would want her to move on at some point, it felt like too much of a betrayal. "I not even sure I'm ready for this," she thought. At least this was with someone she cared for; who needed comfort as much as she did herself.

Both of them were quiet as they kissed. The evening was a powerful reminder of how sound carried. This was between them, and neither wanted to share it with anyone else. As the kiss deepened, they pressed against each other. Their arms encircled the other woman, holding them in a tight embrace. They remained lying on their sides. Changing positions would be an escalation and both of them were unsure about making that move. What they were doing now was enough.

The passion in the kisses slowly grew. Their tongues became more aggressive as they danced together and their mouths opened wider. As her tongue thrust deep, Rikki squeezed Yamile tighter. Their bodies molded together and she softly moaned into her mouth. The soft feeling of another woman was quite different from how Samuel felt. It was a long time since she embraced anyone other than him, but even in her memories, there seemed to be no comparison.

"It's not just how she feels; it's how she is content to just let this play out. She doesn't have an end goal," Rikki thought to herself. "A man would be thinking about how long until he can fuck me." Since she didn't know where she wanted this to go, she relished the absence of pressure.

Although the passion built, it eventually began to cool. They remained excited but neither was ready to take the next step. The kisses slowed and became more loving. Rikki gently grasped Yamile's lips and gave them tugs. When she let go, Yamile copied her. Even when the kissing stopped, they continued to nuzzle each other.

Rikki smiled at Yamile. "That was a nice kind of surprise," she whispered.

"Now you can't say anyone else is your first. That belongs to me," Yamile replied. "And yes, I liked that too." When Rikki stroked her cheek, she pressed it against her soft touch. "Mmmm," she breathed.

"How are you doing?" Rikki asked her. Now that they stopped, her nervousness was rising again. Despite Yamile saying she liked it, she couldn't help worrying about how it might affect their friendship. "She's important to me," she thought. The idea of losing that care and support was frightening. At the same time, something else added to her anxiety. Did Yamile want more? She wasn't sure she was ready herself for that.

"I'm doing good," Yamile replied. "Feeling loved right now, actually." She hugged Rikki a little tighter. Suddenly she felt a big yawn overtaking her and struggled to suppress it. She managed to smother the first one, but when it happened again, she couldn't help yawning inches from her face. "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry," she said, feeling embarrassed. The feeling didn't last.

Rikki found the yawn contagious, although she managed to move a little further away before she gave into it. She smiled in the dark. "We're both tired. We should go to sleep," she said. Although Yamile nodded, she felt like she wanted something else. "What is it?" she asked.

"It feels good to be close to you. I've missed that more than I realized. Would you hold me as we go to sleep?" Yamile asked.

"Of course, I'd love to," Rikki replied. "Here, how about we spoon?"

"Mmmm, yes! I'd love that," Yamile said as she rolled over to face away from her. As she wiggled backwards, Rikki scooted forward so that their bodies came together. Her arms cradled her friend, pulling her tight.

In the back of her mind, Rikki suggested this because it would be easier to prevent the kissing starting up again. In practice, it was a little more problematic. First, she had to decide where to put her hands. After a couple of aborted attempts, she found a spot midway between Yamile's breasts and hips. She wanted to avoid them as they both offered too much temptation and she wasn't sure she could stop if they began to lead to something else. Despite her uncertainty, she knew there was a part of her that wanted to continue. While she kept that under control, she did give a little goodnight kiss on the back of Yamile's neck. The light caress of her lips brought a gasp from Yamile, which in turn tempted her even more.

Secretly at that moment both wanted to take the next step, but neither had the nerve. Rikki hesitated and Yamile held her breath and waited, but the moment slipped away as sleep once again intervened. Without realizing it, Yamile's eyes closed in a wave of sleepiness and her next sigh was as she lost consciousness. Her slow breath was the solution to Rikki's temptation. The rhythmic noises quickly lulled her into a deep sleep of her own.

Like the previous night, they both slept extremely soundly and when the morning came, Rikki still had Yamile in the comforting circle of her arms. They weren't looking quite as innocent as the previous day when Liz once again walked by on her way to the outhouse. Just as she did yesterday, she looked in and this time saw them snuggled together, as if they were already lovers. Reinforcing the impression was how at some point, Rikki moved her hand in her sleep. It was now cupping one of Yamile's full breasts. The pain Liz felt staggered her. The woman she longed for all these years, the one she thought was without the slightest interest, was holding another woman in a way that made their intimacy obvious. She started to fall, only catching herself at the last minute by managing to brace against Rikki's vehicle.

Leaning against it, her eyesight blurred as tears of pain filled them. "I can't let anyone see me like this," she thought. Wiping at her eyes, she stumbled past the outhouse until she found a rock some distance.

"She doesn't want me," she moaned as she sat down. "Oh fuck, why doesn't she want me?" Rocking back and forth, she stayed there for a long while trying to come to grips with the feeling of rejection that descended on her. It was only when she heard everyone getting up and breaking camp that she finally came back.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Indigo asked as Liz wandered back from the direction of the outhouses.

"Nothing. I just felt like taking a walk. I hiked up to the top of that hill," Liz said, attempting to act nonchalant.

Taking a closer look, Indigo noticed her red and puffy eyes. "Liz honey, were you crying?" she asked and moved in closer to hold her.

Part of Liz was touched by the genuine concern she heard in Indigo's voice and saw in her face. More than at any other moment, she recognized the depth of her feelings for Indigo, and in the wake of Rikki's betrayal, it did a little to help her feel better. At the same time, it was a reminder of that rejection. The two reactions warred with each other for a moment, but as was often the case, the lesser side won.

"No. No, don't be ridiculous. I went through a bunch of flowers and I got some sort of allergic reaction. My eyes started to water. The snot is only now clearing up," she said as she pulled away from her. She coughed to clear her throat and then spit. "Sorry," she said when she heard Indigo make a disgusted noise. "I must look like shit."

"It's fine. I've got some antihistamine if you want one. That might help," Indigo offered. She didn't remember Liz ever mentioning allergies but realized that their relationship was predicated upon limiting how much they shared.

"No, don't worry about it. I don't want to get drowsy on the river," she replied. "Sorry I took so long. I'll finish breaking everything down."

"Don't be silly. I don't mind. We'll do it together," Indigo said. Looking around, she saw that no one was paying attention to them. Liz often didn't like public displays of affection between them during the day, but something about how she looked tugged a little more than usual at her heart. She leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. Although Liz resisted for a second, it didn't last any longer. She needed the comfort it brought to her savaged ego. There was even a ghost of a smile on her lips when Indigo pulled away.

"Okay, let's get this done so we can go rafting," Indigo said. She turned and started to grab gear and take it to Liz's SUV. With a soft sigh, Liz began to do the same thing.

The four other women were busy as well in getting ready to leave. All of them were abnormally quiet. Lines had been crossed the night before, some by a little and others by a lot, and none of them knew exactly how they felt yet.

Rikki's and Yamile's thoughts were remarkably similar, and a good deal of them were trying to figure out what the other one was thinking. Neither one of them were sure what they wanted now. "Was it the start of something? Do I want it to be? Does she?" each of them wondered. More than anything, they both kept asking themselves "Can we go back to the way our friendship was?" To that, the two women couldn't begin to guess the answer.