Eve crawled down the bed to remove the spreader bar from Faith’s ankles before kissing her way back up Faith’s body.
“Don’t think for a second that I’m done with you,” Eve said. “I plan to take full advantage of the fact that we have the house to ourselves for the night.” She stroked a hand down Faith’s hair, letting her fingers trail over the blindfold. “And don’t think I missed your slip up just now. You said my name, didn’t you?”
Faith nodded, remembering Eve’s command for silence far too late.
“I’m feeling generous.” Eve drew Faith in close. “I’ll let you have a few minutes before dealing with your little lapse. My riding crop could use a workout. ”
Faith sank into the other woman’s arms and let out a blissful sigh. She was in for a long night. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather be doing with Eve.
She understood it now, what everything between them was about. There was a kind of freedom in submission. A power in embracing her vulnerability. A sweetness that came with surrendering to Eve, and an intimacy unlike anything else.
Eve removed the blindfold from Faith’s eyes, but Faith didn’t open them. The stillness between her and Eve was too precious to disturb.
Epilogue
Eve
2 years later
E ve looked at the clock on the living room wall. Faith was due to arrive any minute now. The stage was set. The guests had arrived. All that was missing was the woman of the hour.
Down the hall, the front door opened. Faith and Lindsey’s voices echoed through the house. The two of them had been out all day on a shopping trip to celebrate Faith’s birthday. In reality, it was an excuse to get Faith out of the house so Eve could prepare for the night. As far as Faith knew, she and Eve were having a simple birthday dinner at home with Lindsey and Camilla. She had no idea that Eve had bigger plans.
“Eve?” Faith called down the hall. “I’m home.”
“They’re probably in the living room,” Lindsey said innocently.
Faith and Lindsey’s footsteps grew closer and closer, then stopped at the door .
“Let me get that for you,” Lindsey said. A moment later, she slid the door to the living room open.
Two dozen voices rang out at once. “Happy Birthday!”
Faith’s hand flew up to her chest. She stared wide-eyed around the room, scanning the faces looking back at her. Her eyes landed on Eve. “What’s going on?”
“What do you think?” Eve said. “It’s a surprise party.”
Faith’s mouth fell open. “How did you do everything without me noticing? How long have you been planning this?”
“Just a few months. Lindsey helped.”
Faith glared at Lindsey, her hands on her hips. “So that’s why you’ve been acting weird all day. I can’t believe you kept this from me. Both of you.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Eve said. “But it was worth it to see the look on your face just now.”
“This is amazing.” Faith looked around the room again. “There are so many people here.”
Eve had sent out the invitations weeks earlier, and almost everyone she’d invited had shown up. There were a handful of Faith’s classmates from college, and a few other people Lindsey had invited. Eve and Faith's mutual friends, including Lindsey and Camilla, Vanessa and her wife, and all the others they'd grown close to over the years. Vicki, the woman who had introduced Eve to Lilith's Den all these years ago, was here too, along with her girlfriend, although Vicki was no longer the womanizing playgirl she’d once been, having settled down long ago.
This was Faith’s family now, all these people who loved her. It warmed Eve’s heart that Faith had finally found that family she’d been so desperately searching for .
“Hannah?” Faith spotted her aunt, her eyes growing wide. “You’re here.”
Faith ran over to Hannah and threw her arms around her. It had been a long time since she and her aunt had last seen each other in person, so Eve had flown Hannah to the city just for the occasion. As for the rest of Faith’s family, Faith never heard from her sister or anyone else again, but Hannah kept an eye on them and let Faith know they were okay now and then.
With the guest of honor in attendance, the party ramped up. As Faith greeted everyone, Eve helped herself to a drink and took a seat. It would take Faith a while to catch up with all her friends. Eve watched her bounce around the room. They’d both come a long way since that day Faith had turned up at Eve’s house years ago.
It was Faith’s house now too, although that was only a recent development. With the twins involved, she and Eve hadn’t wanted to rush into anything. The fact that Eve kept Faith on as their nanny didn’t make things easy. For the longest time, they’d hidden their relationship from the twins. It was the responsible thing to do. But as Leah and Ethan had grown older, it had become impossible for Eve and Faith to keep anything from them.