Lavender and Love

"How about a picture for my wall?" Lorianna grabbed her digital camera. "I won't show your faces if you don't want me to," she assured them. The women stood, put their arms around each other, and smiled for the camera. They all agreed that she could show their faces.

"Can you take one of Cam and me? I want to have it to remember what he did for me." Caressa pulled him over to her. Lorianna snapped the picture as the other women began to get dressed.

"You're a genius," Caressa breathed as she turned to Lorianna. "Thank you. It's gorgeous," she sniffled.

"Wait'll I add color to it." Lorianna applied the A&D cream to Caressa's skin and then placed a bandage over it. At Caressa's worried look she said, "Don't worry, not today. You have to wait at least 2 weeks for the color." She picked up a few pamphlets from off the counter and handed one to each woman about tattoo care, hugging each one in turn.

"I think we all need to go home and sleep." Then she looked over at Cam, caught his eye and mouthed. "Or most of us, anyhow."

He shook his head and put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. She walked over and touched the band-aid on his arm, with her eyebrow raised in a silent question.

"Okay, I will." He whispered. Lorianna grinned at him, satisfied and then turned back to the ladies.

"So, which of you ladies thinks she is brave enough to display your tattoos outside? In the nude?"

"Um, like naked?" Miranda gulped.

"Yes. We can have a little parade," Lorianna suggested.

"Fine by me." Camilla dropped the shirt she was about to put back on.

"No one wants to see my wrinkled body, but sure. Why not? What have we got to lose?" Judy said.

"Isn't that against the law?" Deena asked as she finished buttoning her jeans. She was fully clothed now.

"Technically, it's past Nude Day," Caressa jumped in.

"Actually, I need you to all keep the bandages on for a few hours." Lorianna took back over the conversation.

"Don't forget to wash with soap and water and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize it," she paused, "but if you want to get naked and run around, by all means, go for it. I think that we've celebrated Nude Day here together already." The women nodded their heads in agreement.

"You can call me to schedule your color in a few weeks. I like to wait at least two weeks though. If you don't want color, that's fine too. It's been a real honor getting to know you ladies and to be a part of this special event." She scooped up a stack of business cards from her counter and gathered a handful of rose quartz crystals in her hand to distribute.

"Rose quartz is for healing, especially healing of the emotions. You can carry this with you or place it under your pillow. Whether you believe in it or not, it's still a pretty piece and I assure you that it will still work." The women accepted the crystals. "If any of you are interested in crystals, I can help you choose the ones best suited for your needs. They all have unique healing and metaphysical properties to them. That goes for alternative healing methods, as well." A few of the women were interested and Lorianna handed them various other pamphlets.

"Also, if you ever need any spiritual advice or readings, I'm your woman. Go in peace sisters." Everyone thanked Lorianna, embraced each other, and finished getting dressed. Cameron and Caressa were the last to leave.

***

Caressa yawned as Cameron helped her into the car. She held the bag that Lorianna had given her on her way out. The bag contained essential lavender oil, lavender shampoo, lavender soap, and lavender lotion. She couldn't wait to take a bath and try it out after the tattoo healed.

"Lorianna is amazing," Caressa gushed.

"I'm glad you think so. I think she is too." Cameron nodded, his eyes on the dark road.

"She's sorta magical. Did you ever date her?" She sunk into the comfy warmth of her fluffy bath robe and closed her eyes.

"No. Why do you ask?" Cameron wondered.

"She just seems like your type, is all. I really really liked her." She opened her eyes and looked at his forearm. "Cam, I've been meaning to ask you what is with the band-aid?"

"Huh? Oh. That." He shrugged and then smiled.

"Why don't you peel it off for me."

Caressa pinched the edge of the band-aid and quickly tore it off as he winced slightly. She gasped and then tears filled her eyes seeing the pink ribbon tattoo on his arm with her initials below it.

"I really really like you," he responded.

"But..." She was speechless.

"Take a rest, Ressa. I'll wake you when we get home."

***

Cameron drove into his driveway, shut off the engine and looked over at Caressa. She was snoring softly and looked adorable. The tie of her robe had loosened and he could see her skin. For some reason seeing tantalizing glimpses of her covered up flesh aroused him more than seeing her completely naked had. He climbed out of the car, went around to her side and scooped her gently into his arms. She sighed and snuggled into him. He carried her inside.

"Ress, we're home. Do you wanna crash at my place for awhile?"

"Okay," she murmured against his neck. He carried her into his bedroom and pulled the covers off, gently setting her down. She clung to his neck, opening sleepy eyes to look at him.

"Will you hold me?" At her question he climbed into the bed and slipped his arms tenderly around her, hugging her sweet little body to his.

"Thanks," he gritted his teeth when she sighed and wiggled her butt against his crotch, trying to get comfy.

"No problem. Go to sleep." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Cam?" She yawned again and turned her body into his.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for tonight. You're the best-est friend in the whole world," her quiet voice said.

"You're welcome," he mumbled, kissing her cheek. "I'm right here. Go to sleep." He closed his eyes.

"Cam?"

When he opened his eyes she was watching him, her lips were a breath away from his.

"Yes, Ress?" He sighed, trying to control his urges feeling the heat of her against him, breathing her lavender scent in.

"I love you, too." When her lips touched his, he almost lost it.

"What?" He tried to pull his head away, puzzled. But her arms came up around him, pulling him closer. She kissed him, pressing her tongue to the seam of his lips. When he parted them for her, she slid her tongue against his, taking it into her mouth.

Cradling her head in his hands, he deepened the kiss. His half-erect cock pressed against her thigh and she shifted her body. He drifted his hands down to caress her back, pulling her against him. She snuggled, nestling her head under his chin.

"Who told you?" he questioned as she trailed her fingers along his bare chest.

"You did, silly." Her hands found his cock and stroked. He gasped, shuddering at the touch.

"I did?" He choked on his words. "When? I mean--" He gave her a quizzical look when she lifted her head and groaned at the look in her eye.

"The hospital. I heard." She gave him an impish grin.

"Oh God. I've been holding it in so-so long. I've tried so many times to-to tell you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry," he stumbled and stuttered as her hand tightened around him, sliding up and down his length.

"Shh." She ran her tongue along his lips, moving it down to his neck, licking up to his ear. She sucked on his ear lobe, her hot breath whispering. "I want you."

"I want you more than I've ever wanted in my life. But Ress, I don't want to hurt you. You must be so exhausted. You have to be careful with your tattoo and your bruises and your cuts." He ticked off the reasons they shouldn't do what they wanted to do.

"Cam." She pushed herself up off the bed, shed her robe and crawled over to him. "Shut up and make love to me. Now!" she demanded as she slithered up his body, being careful of her leg.

"Make me feel like a woman again." Her murmured plea had him reaching to his bed stand for a condom. He tore the wrapper off with his teeth, quickly slipped it over his cock and reached for her hips.

"You'll hurt yourself trying to stay in this position." He helped her off of him and rolled her to her side so her back faced him.

"Are you wet enough?" he questioned, poised at her entrance.

"Find out for yourself." Reaching down between her thighs, she brought her glistening fingertip up to him for inspection. He stuck his tongue out and licked it off, sucking on her finger.

"Mm." His cock rested between her cheeks as she pushed back against him. Angling himself upwards, he eased the head into her wet pussy.

"You are wet." He pushed in further, relishing the cocoon of moist warmth.

"I've been wet ever since the jacuzzi. Thinking about you watching me pleasure myself nearly gave me my first orgasm in a year," she confessed, reaching down to rub her clit. He gasped in her ear as her body accepted him to the hilt. Stilling his movements, he wrapped his arm around her middle and stroked the soft skin of her stomach. Her muscles massaged him, a light almost fluttery motion.

"You knew I was there?" he asked, recovering his breath.

"I did. At first I was going to yell at you about it. But the more I thought about it--" She turned her head and kissed his shoulder. "The more I thought about you; the hotter it made me."

"You naughty little exhibitionist." At that thought he could hold back no longer and withdrew slightly before thrusting into her.

"I wanted desperately to help you out, right then and there. I wanted to make you realize how beautiful you are." She pulsated around his length as his movements punctuated his words.

"How special you are to me. To make you come," he growled low in her ear. His goatee tickled the sensitive skin of her neck and she shivered with delight.

"I will make you come," he promised as he held her gently away from him to look down at their joining. He licked a trail from her shoulder blade up to the nape of her neck, his teeth nipping at the flesh.

"I know. Touch my breast. Make me come," she begged.

One hand cupped her breast, the thumb brushing against the already hardened nipple, while the other caressed her stomach and moved down. He pushed her hand out of the way, taking over the attention to her clit. Rolling both nipple and clitoris between his fingers, he pinched lightly, slowly easing himself half-way out and then driving home.

"Oh Cam," she moaned, panting. "Faster. Harder."

"I don't want to tax you," his voice muffled in her hair. "But..." Caressa clenched her inner muscles and gripped him. "Ungh, baby. Oh yeah, mm keep squeezing." Her body suddenly stopped moving and she pulled away from him.

"What?" He gritted his teeth again, trying to control the urge to tug her back against him and plunge deeply. His swollen cock demanded release.

But when he looked into her eyes and saw the pain and frustration evident there, he knew her release was more important right this very moment. He was determined to help her find it, even if it took all night. She deserved his patience. He could wait a while longer.

Hadn't he waited half a lifetime already? Hadn't he almost lost her twice? He tamped down on his urges and his emotions. He wouldn't think about almosts and what-ifs. She was alive. She was here, in his arms and loved him too. What more could he ask for, really?

"I want to ride you. I need to be on top. I want your mouth on me," she nearly begged.

He slipped out of her and helped her turn onto her side. He'd give her anything, anything she needed; except that. Someone had to be the voice of reason. Why'd it have to be him? He grumbled to himself.

"I don't want to disappoint you." She was pouting at him with a very determined look in her eye.

"Fuck! As much as I want to see you rise over top of me and claim me..." Her pussy contracted at those words and the possibility. "I really think we need to wait until you are a little more healed." Always the sensible one.

"You could never disappoint me. Caressa, you are placing a lot of emphasis on orgasming. Some people never have one. It is not the full sum of the parts of pleasure, although it is an added bonus."

She huffed and grumbled, rolling to her back, recovering her breath. "I know it's not. But I don't know. I feel that if I can achieve that, I'll somehow reclaim a missing piece of myself." She ached, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Although knowing Cam, he probably already knew; which was why he was stopping her from going further. He kissed her lips as a tear threatened to spill. He licked at the corner of her eye.

"Don't pout." He thought for a moment as his hands wandered down, his fingertips feathering across the soft, trim, dark curls. She rolled onto her back.

"The only thing you should be riding is my face." He winked and she perked up as his head dipped down and seized her single nipple with his lips, teeth grazing the peak, grinning as her back arched up in response.

"That shouldn't be too strenuous. All you have to do my sweet is lie back and enjoy." He moved down the bed, planted his feet on the floor and gently gripped her hips to bring her down to the edge of the bed. Maybe she'd be willing to finish him off after he finished with her.

"I hope you don't mind the fur." Giving her a wicked grin, he eased her legs apart and kissed the side of her knee, licking a slow path up to her inner thigh, giving it a slight nip.

"Cam, please please don't tease me. I don't think I can take it." Caressa's breath caught as his tongue lapped the crease of her lips.

"Normally, I would continue to tease you mercilessly. But in this case, since you asked so nicely-" He smiled softly. "-and since you are in no shape for my full prowess," she harrumphed and he chuckled. "I'll be kind-" He paused. "-er."

***

Caressa rolled her eyes. She needed to come so badly. If this didn't work, she was a hopeless case. She was on the dangerous side of begging Cam to just fuck her and get it over with. But he had already made love to her and she hadn't been able to let go then.

She was hopeful. Oral pleasure always had worked in the past and there was no reason to believe that it wouldn't work this time. And it was Cam. Cam and his goatee. Damn! She was about to finally experience what she'd secretly wondered about for years. She was giddy with nerves and just a bit wanton.

She had practically thrown her battered body at him. Have you no shame, Caressa? Are you seriously that touch and sex deprived? This is your best friend! Your best friend that you just made sweet spoonful love to. She whimpered at her own reminder and batted her eyelashes when Cameron quirked his eyebrow at her. How can you be so concerned with having his face down there? Only because that's the most intimate kiss ever! She told herself.

"If I don't come, Cameron. Don't feel bad and don't think it is your fault. Blame it on my broken body, okay?" She sniffled and he lifted his head.

"None of that now," he murmured, moving back up her body to kiss her quiet. "Just close your eyes. Stop focusing on the end result and let me make you feel good. Would it help if I talked to you?"

"Like how? Like dirty?" she questioned. "Or just conversation?" Please be dirty.

"Your choice. I could do either. But to be honest, I've always fantasized about talking dirty to you," he confessed, "as I drive you over the edge."

Fantasized about talking dirty? Just how long had Cam been into her? He dipped his head back down and wiggled his tongue between her lips.

"Cameron." Her eyes flashed open. "How can you talk. Oh God. Talk to me with your head buried between...ah, um....no words." Caressa nearly leaped out of her skin when he nuzzled his goatee against her mound and rubbed his nose against her hyper-sensitive clitoris.

He hooked his arms beneath her hips and lifted slightly. When her hands came down to rest on his head in preparation for hair grabbing, his came up and laced with her fingers, drawing them away and down to her sides, keeping them there.

"No fair," she whimpered, arching her back as his tongue darted between her folds and the pads of his thumbs stroked the palms of her hands. He let her lift their entwined hands and use them as leverage as he drove her higher with just his mouth. His tongue lapping rapidly at her clit as she rode his chin, moaning at the soft, yet rough sensation of his beard.

"Oh God, Cameron." She squeezed her thighs around his head. "Don't." Her chest heaved. "Ever." Her hips rolled. "Fu-ck-ing." The expletive encouraged him to tap out a rhythm with his tongue on the little nub. "Shave," she cried out, willing her body to let go, "Again!"

He hummed his approval against her center, switching tactics, unlacing his fingers from hers and bringing one of her hands up to her breast to play. Her other hand he brought down to wrap in his hair. He plunged two of his fingers into her wetness, licking circles on the inner skin of her thigh, giving her breath a chance to recover; giving his own breath a chance to recover.

"Careful Caressa, one might think that you've been dreaming of this moment for some time," he half-teased as he slipped a third finger in to join the other two, crooking the longest one up to find her sweet spot. She mewled.

"Maybe even years?" Her thighs held him tighter as her muscles clenched around his fingers. He sucked on her clitoris. Caressa felt the elusive orgasm building and began to worry. He must have felt the tension because he stopped sucking and looked up. She moaned anew seeing the sheen of wetness, her wetness, on his face. He licked his lips.

"When you're more fully healed, I'll give you a full ride on this soft cushioned face," he promised. She shook her head and bit her lip.

"Come on Caressa, show me how good I make you feel," his words encouraged her.

"I love you. I've loved you since college." His fingers stroked.

"I've loved you as you promised your love to the wrong man." He feathered kisses across her waistline. She shivered.

"I've loved you as you lay near death." He nuzzled her belly button.

"I've loved you as your eyes opened and you came back to me." He slid up and kissed each eyelid in turn. "I will always love you."

He swallowed her panting gasps with his mouth. She sucked on his tongue, savoring her flavor in his mouth. He nipped her bottom lip. "Let me love you."

"Yes," she pleaded, pushing his head back down.

With renewed fervor, Cam swirled his tongue around her clit as his fingers dove deeper. She thrashed her head against the bed, her body writhing.

And just like that, the last of Caressa's reservations fell away. She felt a flood of emotions as her heart opened and she gave back to the one man who had always been there, patiently waiting for her. She let go and allowed herself to love - and as she did that - something magical happened.

She felt beautiful and she felt whole as she screamed out his name like a mantra, over and over. Tears streamed down her cheeks and juices flowed from her body into his waiting mouth.

"Cameron," her voice a breathy whisper of need as he removed his fingers and slid up to cradle her trembling body in his arms.

***

This trip to Lorianna's found Caressa in a bundle of excitement rather than nerves. It had been three weeks and she was ready for her gorgeous tattoo to become a living rainbow of color. Cameron reached his hand over to her as they waited for Lorianna to set up. Cameron and she were officially and exclusively together. But there were still things to work out in her head.

Every time she looked at her naked body in the mirror, she still heard the criticisms and judgmental words of Rob and some of her former friends about reconstructive surgery.

"Cameron, do you think I should have had the surgery?" She turned to him and caught him gazing upon her half naked body.