Those Who Wait

by Haley Cass

“On top of your panties at first, darling. Slide your hand down, and rub yourself,” Charlotte instructed, her voice coaxing.

Charlotte let out a quiet sound, and Sutton could see her hands still on her chest, tugging her nipples harder. “Yeah? You can feel how wet you are through your panties?”

Sutton nodded, biting her lip, but it didn’t stop the half-moan that got caught in her throat. “I – yes.” She groaned. “I’m, my panties are wet. I can feel myself through them.”

“That’s . . . oh, that’s good darling. Go under your panties, then. Go under and tell me just how wet you are.” Charlotte’s hands had stilled, but she was looking at Sutton so intensely, she thought she would explode from it.

“I’m – really wet. Um, oh . . .” She trailed off, sliding her fingers lower, her head falling back a bit as she rubbed over her entrance, her fingers easily slipping through her lips, coated from her wetness. “S-so hot.”

She slipped her hand up again slightly, whimpering in the back of her throat as she tried to talk. “I’m touching my clit. In circles. Uh . . . oh, God, it’s hard. Th-throbbing against my fingers,” she managed as her head fell back into her pillows completely and she rubbed her clit faster.

Charlotte moaned in response. “Just like when I wrap my lips around it.” Sutton’s hips jumped into her hand hard at her words. “Yes,” she groaned out. “Just like that.”

“I’m, t-two fingers inside,” she whispered, moving her hand faster, pushing in deep and feeling herself squeezing. Moving even harder, rubbing at her clit with her thumb and – she didn’t think she was going to be able to last much longer.

“I need to see you come, Sutton,” Charlotte told her, whimpering, and it was all she could do to not drop her phone as her orgasm hit her with Charlotte’s words.

“If I don’t have you here to touch me, that’s the next best thing.”

“Despite you telling me about not having many sexual adventures, I’m finding that I love how much you want to try out with me.”

“You’re incredibly sexy,”

“I still wish you were here.”

Sutton loved her family so much, which made Charlotte feel like – like she wanted them to like her for that reason too.

“If I have to tell you to cut it out with the comments one more time, you aren’t even going to come to the party, you’re going to spend the night outside freezing all of your extremities off.”

“I’ve spent my entire life in politics. Planning to climb the ladder all the way to the top, planning every single step I’ve ever taken.” God, she felt like her throat was on fire with the heat of the anger and the honest truth inside her as her eyes narrowed into a glare. “Like you don’t know that I’ve spent every break from school since I was fifteen doing internships, sacrificing friendships and relationships and time I could have spent doing anything else.”

“I know!” Caleb’s voice was strong and sure and very nearly snapping in anger. “You think I, of all people in your life, don’t understand what it’s like?”

“Then act like it,” she threw back but refused to shout. Refused to lose her composure, especially here and now, even when she could feel her body nearly vibrating from it. “Because this isn’t just about me and my feelings. This is about my entire future, my life.”

Do not focus on the fact that Katherine Spencer knows about your sexuality. And that you’ve slept with her daughter.

Charlotte was incredibly relieved that no eyes were on her when she realized that she’d said our Sutton. Their Sutton? Theirs? Alarm bells rang in her head even as that unsettling feeling – both uncomfortable and warm – sat in her stomach.

“Always early. Hello, darling.”

In a move Charlotte hadn’t been expecting, Sutton reached out to take her hand and she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this feeling. The simple softness of Sutton’s hand on hers.

The fact that Sutton looked so completely earnest made Charlotte want to do too many things. But it was so damn endearing and of course she’d fallen for this woman. “I appreciate that.”

The smile that slid over Sutton’s face made her heart skip a beat. She wanted to reach out and place her hand over Sutton’s to stop her fidgeting and just to feel that thing between them. Her hands remained at her sides.

“I guess so. Who wouldn’t?” Eyes narrowed as her stomach betrayed her and dipped with a pleasant warmth Charlotte nudged her again. “Smooth woman.”

“Might I say, I do love the complementary outfits tonight.”

She didn’t have to look to know that Sutton was blushing, because she thought even she might if blushing was something she did. Because, fuck her, they were complementing one another . . . Her dark blue suit, Sutton in her light blue dress –

“I can assure you, hurting Sutton is the last thing I want. There’s nothing between us that she has misconceptions about.”

The way she would concentrate on Sutton when it was just the two of them as if nothing else existed. The look where she smiled so unguardedly, so differently than the one she gave to the rest of the world. The moments where she held onto Sutton, clutching even as she fell asleep. The moments that Sutton was sure Charlotte wasn’t truly able to let herself accept – yet.

Like the way Charlotte had kissed the breath from her last week when she’d returned to New York and stroked her cheek so tenderly. How she’d stayed in bed five minutes later than her alarm – which she knew by now never happened – and when she had gotten up, she’d murmured to Sutton that she could stay if she wanted, despite the fact that Charlotte had to go to work.

Charlotte – 8:02PM Let me know when you arrive? I’m excited to see you.

Then shivered at Charlotte’s voice teasingly whispering, “You were taking so long I was worried you’d gotten lost.”

“Enough with that teasing smile, darling. Perhaps I was worried about you. Perhaps I just felt like coming outside.”

“Right. Your friend,”

“So, you’re the Spencer girl.”

“The woman who likes my granddaughter so much, your parents invited her to that elusive party that I myself have never been invited to.”

Charlotte shot a look at Elizabeth, hissing, “Grandmother!” If anything, Elizabeth looked more satisfied than chastised, as she continued, “I don’t know why you’re blushing when it’s my granddaughter who likes you enough to have attended.”

“I’ll find you, later.” The words were soft and imploring, despite being a statement rather than a question. That confusing but endearing Charlotte softness struck again.

“Christ – no one is going off to war.” Charlotte set her jaw. “Be nice.”

As she walked by Sutton she squeezed her arm, and Sutton knew Elizabeth noticed. She could feel her face heat up and resolutely did not l...

“I’m sure you do.”

A surprised laugh left her as she turned to look at him. “No! Did you really name your dog after –”

“Your mom’s books, yes,” he finished, rubbing a hand at his jaw, clearly embarrassed. “I’m, uh, a big fan.”

He chuckled. “So, you’re a fan too? I’ll never get over the teasing I got from Charlotte and Caleb for how much I love Casablanca.” “That’s one of my favorites!” She’d ruined the VHS tape when she’d been a child, and she was about to tell him so when she felt a warm hand press lightly at the small of her back.

“Of course with you, darling. Who else?”

In love, in love, in love.

“I . . .” I love you.

That was the woman she was in love with.

Sutton, who she’d invited to spend the night at her place more often than not in the last couple of weeks since her grandmother’s party. Who she’d found herself cuddling up to in the mornings before getting out of bed because it was so nice to have her there, smelling so good and feeling all warm.

Charlotte inhaled, that fire burning even brighter inside of her stomach. “I can say with absolute clarity that I’ve spent my entire adult life taking strides to make this country a better place, so your comments on my ambitions are entirely accurate. Yet, for all of your life experience, where has your ambition been?”