”It really is beautiful,” Bette said, her big brown eyes looking into Tina’s, before carefully removing it and admiring Tina’s heaving chest closely. She traced her fingers across Tina’s chest, leaving only her thumb to graze her nipple. A sharp intake of breath was exactly the reaction she had hoped for. Tina arched her back as Bette ran her hand down her side, across her hip, down her thigh and rested behind her knee. She trailed soft kisses where her hand had been, smelling Tina’s familiar soft jasmine perfume. Bette smiled, hearing a quiet moan from above her head as Tina pulled her hair gently. Bette slid her hand underneath Tina’s knee, nudging enough to encourage Tina to open her legs. She grazed her fingers around Tina’s opening, feeling the slick wetness on her fingertips as Tina let out a longer, lower moan. Bette watched Tina from below as she slid her middle finger from bottom to top with the tiniest amount of pressure, Tina’s eyes closed as she bit her bottom lip gently. Bette could feel herself throbbing and didn’t know how much longer she could wait, and moved her hand back up Tina’s soft hips and stomach while Tina groaned. 

She reached behind Tina’s head and came up to kiss her, their saliva cool from their brief break, and pulled them both up to kneeling, face to face. Tina’s hands were roaming frantically – Bette felt her clutch her back, neck, and pull at her ass, pressing their bodies closer. Tina’s thigh found its way between Bette’s legs, and she reciprocated the movement, moaning into the pleasure of finally some pressure on her pulsing groin.

Tina put one arm around Bette’s neck, pulling her in and kissing her slowly before softly biting at Bette’s bottom lip. Her hand moved underneath Bette, too desperate to wait and slid her middle two fingers inside her. Bette gasped as she felt Tina inside her, sliding herself down onto Tina’s fingers slowly as she cried out into Tina’s mouth. She could feel Tina’s breath hot on her lips as she held on, one hand on Tina’s firm arm and the other around her lover’s waist. She dug her nails into Tina’s hip as she felt the fingers slipping slowly out of her, and threw her weight down onto them again as she reached her own fingers into Tina’s wetness. Mirroring her movements as Bette pushed her fingers inside of her, Tina shifted her weight slightly back, their familiar position as natural as muscle memory. Their bodies pressed together, skin hot with arousal and glistening with perspiration. Bette could feel Tina’s hips rocking hard against her as they panted in each other’s ears. She knew she was close and dipped her head to run her tongue from Tina’s collarbone up to behind her ear, biting her earlobe with a little more force than she intended. Tina’s moans grew louder in rhythm with their bodies, sending Bette over the edge. She felt the build-up of pressure finally release and cried out into Tina’s cheek, acutely aware of Tina clenching against her fingers as she came. They held the position, shuddering, riding out the last waves of orgasm gently. Tina moved a damp curl from Bette’s face, and Bette felt like she was staring into her soul as she let out a puff of air from her lips.

Bette couldn’t deny that these were the moments she really treasured – Tina leaned in and they kissed with such slow and deliberate passion it seemed to transcend the confines of time itself. It was a surge of endorphins, an intoxicating rush that left them both suspended in a world of their own making, oblivious to the existence of anything outside of themselves. Bette’s arm encircled Tina’s waist, anchoring her closer, as their lips molded in a deep, devouring kiss. Her fingertips grazed the small beads of perspiration that collected at the base of Tina’s spine, before they collapsed onto the soft mattress.

As their shared breaths gradually slowed, Bette found solace in the familiar contours of Tina, easing into the familiar embrace. Their chests rose and fell in tandem. And amidst the growing stillness, Bette could feel Tina smiling against her chest.

It wasn’t always like this. Sometimes they didn’t even talk, just falling straight into bed while tearing each other’s clothes off – enough lust to rival a honeymooning couple. But there were times, like this, when it was a homecoming. Some kind of homage to their years of happiness, the better parts of their relationship and the way they could navigate each other’s bodies and desires so well. Bette turned to face Tina, the two of them wrapped haphazardly in the hotel linen, legs and arms tangled. Bette gently stroked Tina’s back, looking down on the thick eyelashes fluttering below. This is not how divorced people behave, she thought to herself with a little amusement, a little disappointment. I should go. As if she had heard the thought, Tina pulled Bette in even closer, as if to say don’t leave. Bette exhaled gently.