4th and Goal

*****

When Tabs stopped at a public beach, deserted this late in the season, she had to gently pry Elizabeth's arms from her waist.

"You can let go, honey. I'm not going anywhere."

They walked on the sand in silence, each content with the other's presence, a completely new feeling for both. Essentially, they were loners who had never found the right connection to break the loneliness neither realized she felt.

At the far end of the beach, they stood looking out over the water, hand in hand.

After a time, Elisabeth slipped under Tabs' arm to hold her waist with both arms, seeking reassurance that she was really there and desperately wanting to hold on to the moment.

Tabs held on to her shoulder for pretty much the same reasons. The consummate bachelor had found her mate and was reveling in the feeling.

Eventually, the cold sea breeze forced them back.

They held each other at the bike, loath to let go, even for a moment.

"Do you need to go back this week-end?"

"I... There's nobody waiting for me."

"Me either. We passed a bed and breakfast a few miles from here. Do you want to see if they have a spare room for us?"

"You lead the way and I'll be by your side." Elizabeth told her with conviction.

*****

At first, they stood in the room, holding each other as if the moment they sat on the bed would mark a significant turn in their lives.

Once they committed to sitting down, that's all they did. Sit. Facing each other. Holding hands. Elizabeth felt as if she could lose herself in those blue eyes...

"Are you wearing blue contacts?"

"I am. Do you like the color?"

"Why? I'd like to see your real eyes."

Tabs hesitated. Her eyes were the one thing she was self-conscious about.

"You may not think so. They're really freaky and they put most people off."

"Please. I... I want to get to know the real you." Elizabeth caressed her cheek gently.

Tabs went to her leather jacket and pulled out the contacts case she always carried with her. With a practised movement, she took off the lenses, but wouldn't look at her companion until the soft hand touched her cheek again.

"They're beautiful. Why would you want to hide them?"

Pale amber eyes with orange flecks filled with tears. Her sister, Paula, was the last person who told her she had beautiful eyes. They startled most people. Many were even repelled by them.

She threw the plastic case in the trash can.

"I don't. I won't. I... While we're talking about the real us, I have a silly question for you. What's your name?"

They laughed as the request broke the tension of the moment.

"My name is Elizabeth Tremaine, I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. I graduated at MIT, then went to the London School of Economics where I earned a PhD. Since then, I worked for the UN my entire professional career. Now, I'm a professor in macroeconomics. I watch the cheerleaders because..."

"You used to be one. I remembered at last. My vaunted eidetic memory finally kicked in early this morning. Since we started watching them together, you felt familiar, but I couldn't place you. I don't know why. I'm usually better at remembering people."

"I'm sure you had more important things on your mind with the space thing."

"Was the student at the club last night a friend of yours? Did you like the picture she took?"

Tabs laughed, but Elizabeth blushed furiously as she remember what she had done with it.

"That's all right, honey. You can take a better one." Tabs said as she embraced her, mistaking the reason for her embarrassment.

All thought of her masturbatory fantasies left Elizabeth. She had the real thing in her arms, the warm body fueling the heat rising within. A whimper escaped her as she held on as tightly as she could.

There was no mistaking that emotion. Tabs was feeling the same thing as she ran her hands over Elizabeth's back, over the feverish skin left bare by the skimpy top. For the first time, though, she was afraid to take the initiative. She was usually the aggressor, the predator. She viewed the women she bedded as conquests. This time, it was different. She wanted to share the... the lovemaking. She felt something twist inside as she realized that she had only ever had sex. No more.

She combed her fingers through the silky hair to hold her neck. She longed to feel the hot breath penetrating through her t-shirt directly on her skin. She surprised herself by feeling embarrassed at feeling her nipple harden against her cheek. When she tried to pull away, Elizabeth held on fiercely.

With a supreme effort of will, she overcame the last vestige of her shyness. She had hesitated too long for the last time with this woman.

"No, don't. I... I want you... I want to make love with you."

She pulled Tabs' top from her jeans and slipped her hands under it, finally touching the skin, the soft skin, the hot skin. She left a trail of goosebumps behind her fingers as she traced her spine, her muscles. As she did, she turned her head and took the hardened nipple between her lips, soaking the material as she salivated at the prospect of tasting the real thing. When she moved to the other, Tabs lifted her head so their eyes could meet again. With a smile on her lips, she claimed Elizabeth's, a loud shout of exultation ringing in her mind.

'At last! At fucking last!'

As she found open lips eagerly waiting for hers, she was tempted to dive in, taking what she wanted. Instead, she was gentle, savoring the sensations, the soft lips, the tentative tongue meeting hers.

Still holding Elizabeth's neck to keep her mouth where it belonged, she pushed the cami out of the way so she had access to her whole back. When she forgot herself and dug in, the woman moaned and arched against it. Tabs repeated the gesture and got the same result. The same when she scratched her back.

"More! More. Don't be afraid. I have thick... Aaaaah!"

Thick skin or not, Tabs was awed as she applied more and more pressure with her nails. If she kept at it, she would break through and hurt her, so she switched to caressing, worried as she felt the raised lines under her fingers and the heat coming from the abused skin.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You won't hurt me. I had jaundice when I was young and I was told that it caused this thickening of the skin. I really like it when you scratch hard... Please."

Tabs wasn't sure she heard that last word. It was spoken so softly. She resumed the strange caress going from the jeans to the top of her shoulders, from the spine to the sides. Elizabeth was moaning continuously, twisting in her arms, pushing against the fingernails, reveling in the punishment. She pulled away only long enough to take her top off completely and submitted again to the abuse.

The momentary sight of the small breasts with their pebbly nipples distracted Tabs, but the pleading whine brought her back to task. After a long time, all of a sudden, Elizabeth shuddered uncontrollably with a groan coming from deep within, then collapsed in her arms. As she did, Tabs was wide-eyed as she saw the long red welts across her back. She gingerly traced them which sent shivers through the woman. She would have to find something to put on her back the next time.

"Thank you. You're the first to keep going when I asked. It was even better than I hoped. If you want I can..."

"What is it, honey? You can tell me." Tabs said softly.

"I can teach you to... please don't hate me... to whip me." Elizabeth hid her face against Tabs' chest, in fear that she had revealed too much.

"Are you a masochist?" Tabs asked, her simple curiosity clear for Elizabeth to hear, to her immense relief.

"No, I'm not. At least not in the way most people think of it. Because of the thick skin on my back, I don't feel much of anything there. I discovered what you just did while exploring another side of my personality with a friend. You see, I found out that I'm... sexually submissive. Again, not in the usual way. I prefer... need a woman to take charge of our lovemaking. I like to be talked dirty to while I'm being taken... fucked. I haven't found a woman to control me properly since that dear friend I mentioned, and that was here, at MIT, all those years ago. You must think I'm some kind of pervert."

Tabs laughed heartily.

"Babe, you don't know what pervert really is if you think you are one. Are you a submissive all the time while you have sex?"

"No. It's only a part of it. A game, it you will, but a very satisfying one for me. Since I couldn't find a woman do take me the way I wanted, I went the other way. I've been told I'm a good Dom. In fact, there's this young professor..."

"That's all right. You must know I was with another woman last night. It's while I was looking at her this morning that I realized who you were and that I've been looking for you wherever I travelled. She was my first since I came back from Japan and... Well, we'll talk about it another time. Suffice it to say that, aside from one obvious difference, it was you I took to bed... What?"

"My TA, the student who took your picture, she took another one of you getting a body shot, she told me the same thing, but I didn't believe her."

"I give her an 'F' for discretion, but an 'A' for observation. I didn't even realize it myself until this morning."

"I thought you never gave me a second look because I don't have big breasts."

"You're joking, right? Look at mine..." She laughed as Elizabeth took her suggestion to heart and pulled her t-shirt all the way out of her pants and over her head to throw it away. "So you see, I never wore a bra and I will never need to. I love your tiny titties."

Elizabeth giggled.

"It's the first time I heard them described that way. I love it. Tiny titties. You have a way with words. Got any more?"

"I love your bodacious boobs, your tantalizing tatas, your..."

"Enough already!" Elizabeth laughed so hard she had to hold her sides. "What about my ass?"

"I can't wait to thumb your bum, to butter your buns, to push your tush, but I really look forward to sip at your slit, to kiss your lips... Damn you're good with that mouth, woman... to bite your clit a bit, to... Ooooh! Yes!"

Being so self-conscious about her small breasts, Elizabeth had learned to pray at the altar of other women's flesh. She knew exactly the teeth pressure any given woman could take, the different kneading techniques, hand, palm, fingers. She loved to run a woman's erect nipple along her dripping opening, then licking her own cream off it.

In minutes, she had Tabs writhing in her arms. Deftly, she unbuttoned her jeans and lowered the zipper. She had her hand in her panties before Tabs realized what she was doing. She pinched her clit, caressing it through its hood before coating it with the abundant cream Tabs produced and ran the tip of her finger all over its surface. When she felt Tabs nearing the edge, she put more pressure to strum it.

She thought Tabs would break her wrist, trapped at an angle, when she bucked her hips as she climaxed. As soon as she had brought her down a bit, Elizabeth resumed her ministrations and brought her to another crashing orgasm. This time, Tabs held her hand still.

"Enough already. Are you trying to kill me? Give me some... Aaaah!" She shuddered as Elizabeth gave her clit a last playful flick before pulling her hand out and licking it clean with relish.

"Yum. I can't wait to drink this hydromel at the source." She smacked her lips for emphasis.

They were both laughing as Tabs pulled her over. They kissed tenderly, now that the edge of their desire was slacked.

"You're something else, Lizzie." Tabs told her.

"I'm not overly fond of that particular nickname. I only have bad memories associated with it from my high school days. I like my name, but you can find a nickname which will be your own."

"I can understand that. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I don't know, Lisbeth's not so bad, I hate Beth. You can call me Babe, Honey, Love, Slut, Cunt, Whore..."

Tabs put a hand over Elizabeth's mouth.

"Stop that. I don't find it funny. You're a beautiful, sensitive, intelligent woman who deserves respect. I may say some of those words in the heat of passion as I fuck you silly, but I will only because you asked me to. The women I've known deserving those names, I never took to bed. The first two are endearments, but isn't it a bit premature for the third? We've just met."

"You're right, I suppose. I've been thinking of you for twenty years. You're the one constant in my life, even though I only found you again recently. I can wait and hope I'm worthy of it one day."

Tabs held the sobbing woman close, her heart swelling with her own emotions.

"Give me a minute... love. I've only recently realized that my subconscious had been searching for you all that time. Give a girl a chance to catch up, will you?"

She could feel Elizabeth's smile against her neck.

"Yes... Tabitha." She waited anxiously for the reaction.

"The last person who called me by that name, I kicked his ass, then he threw me out of the house." Tabs said softly. "It was my father, and he was angry at me for calling him a drunk, which he was. He knew my sister always called me that and he wanted to get back at me. It worked."

"She's...?"

"It happened a very long time ago. I made my peace with it. I'm happy that you want to call me Tabitha. It closes the circle in a way. The thing that brought us together is something we used to share."

"Cheerleading?"

"Cheerleading. It was our thing. Ours only. Plus it sounds damn sexy when you say it." Tabs chuckled. She tried to slip her fingers inside Elizabeth's jeans. "Fuck, girl. Did you paint those on?"

"It took two women to get me into them. Do you like them?"

"Why didn't you get a pair that's comfortable? And why are you wearing jeans today? Don't you have a full wardrobe of nice clothes?"

"I wanted... I wanted you to think of me as just another woman like you."

"That's sweet, but you missed the goal completely. You'll never be just another woman." She hugged her tight. "I don't mind if you want to wear jeans, but do it for the right reasons. To me, they're comfortable, long-lasting, good for all seasons, and the right pants for my job. I never got the fashion statement of wearing jeans. That's not what they were invented for at all."

"But you only wear jeans."

"You've only seen me wearing jeans. I'll let you know I clean up nice."

"I can't wait to see that. In the meantime, can you get me out of those things?"

"You're talking to an engineer, babe." Tabs reached in her boot and pulled out a buck knife. With a flick of her wrist, there was a gleaming six inch blade in her hand.

"Eeeeek! You can't do that! We have to go back home."

"Engineer, remember?" She pushed Elizabeth off her and turned her on her stomach, straddling her thighs. "In my professional opinion, I'd suggest you stop struggling. Can you unsnap these things? They're fucking tight. How can you breathe in those?"

"I wouldn't know. I've been holding my breath since you handed me the helmet. I was afraid you'd disappear if I did. You take shallow breaths, dear."

"Okay, now hold still. Shit! I can't believe it. The welts on your back are almost gone."

"I told you. Now do your thing, but remember that this knife is sharper than your nails."

"I'd never hurt you, unless you ask for... Oops!"

"So not funny, Tabitha. Get on with it so we can get on with it."

"Oh, and a poet too.... There. That takes care of the belt, now... Ungh!"

"You didn't rip them off me, you Neanderthal! Please tell me you didn't."

"You never had a woman rip the clothes off your back? Seriously? I could think of nothing else since I saw you earlier. Now, stop wiggling your gorgeous ass at me. This is another sensitive spot."

Elizabeth whined when she felt the cold steel against her pussy lips, she was only wearing the most minuscule g-string she owned and her lips had slipped out. She could also feel a fresh flow of cream being pushed out as her internal muscles twitched.

"I wish I had brought my strap-on. I can't wait for you to... fuck me." She said under her breath.

Tabs had seen the clenching pussy. Once she cut through the thick stitches, she placed the flat of her blade against it again, careful to keep the sharp edge away.

"Say again, love? I didn't get that."

"I... I can't wait for you to fuck me. There. Are you satisfied?"

"Never be ashamed of your needs, babe. If you don't tell me, I'll never know... How's this for a taste of things to come."

Elizabeth pushed her ass against the invading fingers until she was on her knees, begging for more.

"Take me! Fuck me! More! More! Aaaah! Yes! YES!"

She reached between her legs to rub her clit, but her hand was slapped away. Hard.

"This cunt is mine. Got it? You can touch it when I give you permission, not before." The sharp slap on her ass reinforced the order... needlessly. She was smiling from ear to ear as she gave herself freely, willingly... eagerly.

"I understand, my love. I'm yours. Take me any way you want. YESSSSSS!"

She arched her back, throwing her head around so her hair flailed, hoping. She whined in contentment when Tabitha got the message and grabbed a handful.

Elizabeth pushed against the three fingers thrusting in her vagina as Tabitha held them in front of her own mound and humped with her hips, mock-fucking her. Elizabeth cried out her pleasure with each slap against her pussy by the hand with the weight of love behind it.

Tears of pure joy streamed down her face as she flew over the edge and soared on the wings of the mightiest orgasm of her life.

The sight which greeted her as she regained her senses was the face of an angel smiling at her.

"You do realize you've spoiled me for every other woman, don't you? I'll never be satisfied with anyone other than an engineer... My engineer."

*****

The next morning, after one look at the small shower serving for the whole floor, Elizabeth asked Tabitha to fix her jeans so they could go back to her condo where they could shower together and then soak in her bath.

She laughed when her engineer came back from her motorcycle, twirling a roll of duct tape on her finger. She stood in the room, legs spread while Tabitha taped her pant legs closed, fingered her to a smashing orgasm, then she fixed the seat. She walked downstairs as proudly as if she was wearing a designer gown; her hand in Tabitha's back pocket as she settled their bill.

On the way to Boston, she fulfilled another fantasy as she slipped her hands inside Tabitha's leather jacket and held on to her breasts.

After a hot shower, where they soaped each other thoroughly, inside and out, they fell asleep in the bath. The cooling water woke them long enough to make their way to the king size bed and luxurious silk sheets.

"You're quite the little hedonist." Tabitha said as she squirmed on the material, enjoying the sensuous feeling.

"I met a woman while I worked in Geneva. She told me that she brought hers wherever she traveled to. At the time, I was addicted to high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. Out of curiosity, I tried silk sheets. The next day, I threw the cotton sheets out. I just love the feel of silk on my skin. All my panties are silk, so are my bras. So, yes, I guess I am a hedonist."

"It wasn't a criticism, honey. I think you've turned me into a silk lover too. Now, come over here and let's see how you feel on a silk sheet."

*****

Working in the kitchen wearing a sexy bustier, which enhanced her small breasts and exposed her nipples, with a g-string was a new experience for Elizabeth. When she was alone, she was naked more often than not. When she wasn't, she preferred to wear a translucent kimono and a thong.