See chapter one for disclaimers
As always to Rebecca, and to mum, who managed to read through this objectively. That's quite an admirable feat, you know <g>
Chapter 8
The tennis tournament had extended in to the early hours of the evening, and for the first time since their incarceration, the jovial inmates caught a glimpse of the setting sun. For one blissful moment they were left to revel in the captivating array of colour, but any opportunity to nurture their child-like exuberance was quickly quashed. As if sensing the most inappropriate moment to pounce, several officers promptly appeared and ruthlessly set about returning the women to captivity. Vehement cries of objection ensued, and Terri, watching the scene unfold with perceptive emerald eyes, found herself empathising with the prisoners' plight. Her occupation was enlightening, if nothing else, and she had to marvel at the level of corruption infiltrating this so-called justice system.
Perching on a low wall, which encased a fragrant flower bed, she wearily recalled the events of that afternoon. Aside from the adrenaline rush incurred by the first match, Jaime and Lee had offered nothing more than an inadequate warm-up routine. Their inherent inaptitude had left both Terri and Devlin wholly unprepared for the calibre of tennis which ensued. Teamwork and a blistering barrage of shots had eventually assured them a place in the final, but without sheer determination and substantial stamina, overcoming their formidable opponents would have been inconceivable. Victory had been invigorating, but now the dull ache emanating from Terri's laboured limbs left her questioning the efficiency of her exercise regime. Tentatively stretching her taut muscles, the petite blonde groaned at the onslaught of pain. A warm bath suddenly sounded more than appealing - it was just a matter of mustering the energy to move. Heaving herself in to a standing position, she began a dilatory journey towards the car park, her usually strident gait impeded by a prominent limp.
"And there I was, thinking you were the epitome of endurance."
The dulcet contralto was unmistakable, but having failed to acknowledge the approach of its owner, Terri visibly jumped. Whirling around, she glared at a grinning Devlin in open exasperation. "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be inside."
"So now it's my fault that your officers are too fucking lazy to take care of their equipment?" Devlin gestured to the numerous tennis rackets slung over her shoulder, her intrinsic defence system piqued by the unexpected interrogation. "I don't usually endorse slave labour, but seems as though it's such a nice evening, I thought I'd rein in my rebellious streak for a while." Somewhat hurt by the governor's reaction to her light-hearted teasing, she added sardonically, "Sorry to disappoint you."
Terri raised a hand to massage her hammering heart. She wasn't usually so highly strung, and could only presume that exhaustion had depleted her levels of tolerance. Either way, she refused to remain angry at the stunning inmate and her tone was conciliatory as she admitted, "You just scared me half to death, that's all."
Devlin's eyes darkened with genuine remorse. Apologising had always been a foreign concept to her, but Terri was proving more than effective at shattering her codes of conduct. "I didn't mean to. Sorry."
Terri noted the regret emanating from Devlin's slumped posture and automatically laid a hand on the brunette's tense forearm in an effort to appease it. "Devlin, it's not your fault. Call me temperamental, but I tend to get irritable when tired, and right now, I'm about to keel over from exhaustion. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
A small smile graced Devlin's features. "Are you sure you're not just pissed off because I questioned your insurmountable supply of stamina?"
"Do you really think my ego's that fragile?" Even as she uttered the retort, Terri's self-deprecating grin conveyed the inmate's ability to gauge the inner workings of her mind. "I just assumed you were in the shower, that's all."
"Wishful thinking, huh?" Devlin feigned innocence as Terri greeted the remark with a raised eyebrow. "What? I'm willing to accept the fact that I stink to high heaven."
Terri laughed, emerald eyes sparkling as she surveyed the alluring sheen of sweat still encompassing Devlin's countenance. "Are you insinuating that I'm in denial?"
Devlin offered her a rakish grin. "If it gives you an incentive to jump in the shower with me, then yeah, I guess I am."
"You think I need an incentive?" Terri retorted, hiding her amusement as Devlin's eyes noticeably widened. "I mean, I ache like hell and I could really do with some water therapy right now," she verified, with a teasing smile. It was hard to fathom that a few moments ago the tension between them had been anything other than sexual. God, I can't resist this. I'm not even sure if I want to.
"You know, taunting the deprived is not a good idea... unless you want their more carnal instincts to emerge, of-course."
Terri laughed. "Well thanks for the advice. I'll bear that it mind."
"You do that." Devlin smiled softly before gesturing reluctantly towards C-wing's well-facilitated gym. "Anyway, I'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow."
Terri laid a restraining hand on the inmate's arm, her urge to engage Devlin in further conversation overriding her already tenuous grasp of protocol. She was infatuated, and she knew it, but the inmate had taken merely seconds to cause a significant transition within her. The irritability and aching limbs were forgotten, and an inane grin once again threatened to permanently weld itself to her countenance. She regarded the numerous tennis rackets arranged haphazardly both over and across the inmate's shoulders. "Do you want a hand?"
Devlin was tempted to voice an admittedly crude reply, but unsure of the boundaries encasing their banter, she opted for a bland but sincere alternative. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll manage on my own." A small smile graced her features. "I'm pretty used to the system of self-help. You should go home and get some rest."
"Hey, my bid to keel over from exhaustion was just a momentary lapse in to melodrama. I haven't even delved in to my reserves, yet." Terri laughed as she attempted to unravel some of the straps wound around Devlin's torso. Her fingers lightly brushed against the inmate's exposed chest and she willed herself not to respond to Devlin's sharp intake of breath, instead transferring the portable racket cases to her own slender shoulders. "And anyway, I wouldn't want to be branded as indolent as the Bastards That Be."
Devlin regarded the governor earnestly. "Terri, if anyone even attempted to compare you to those assholes, then they'd have me and my vehement objection to contend with."
Terri had almost forgotten what it was like to be rendered speechless, yet Devlin's impassioned assertion left tears involuntarily swimming in her emotive eyes. "Thanks," she eventually whispered, briefly laying a hand on the inmate's arm.
"Anytime." Devlin affectionately altered a strap around Terri's shoulder, before leading the way towards the gym. The inmate was intrinsically aloof, but she had to concede that the feisty blonde limping alongside of her held the key to her soul. It was a cliché, and Devlin knew it, but her feelings for the petite governor stretched way beyond the simplicity of lust. Even still, articulating just how much she cared for Terri was difficult, and she had to do it via indirect means for fear of sacrificing all of her hardened exterior. She could only hope that Terri was perceptive enough to realise what lay beneath all of the superficial flirtation and banter, because Devlin wasn't sure if she could handle being lost in the realms of love without an anchor. The ball's in your court, sweetheart. All you have to do is play it....
**********
"Shit!" Devlin drove her foot in to the locker room door, grabbing its handle and shaking it violently in a fruitless attempt to loosen the lock.
"Hey!" Terri emerged from the storeroom, sporting a look of vague amusement. "What's wrong?"
"All I want is a goddamn shower, why does everything have to be so frigging complicated?" She kicked the door for emphasis, not caring what Terri thought of her petty temper-tantrum.
"Devlin, I know you like to nurture your destructive streak, but I have got a key, you know?"
Devlin regarded the governor wryly as she deftly unlocked the door. "For some bizarre reason, I keep forgetting that you're an authority figure."
"You don't think I have an aura of professionalism?" Terri attempted to feign indignity, but was unable to suppress a small smile.
"That dress doesn't exactly help matters."
"Yeah, well I have to let my hair down sometimes. Proverbially speaking, of course."
Devlin surveyed Terri's blonde mane, currently brushed back in to a haphazard ponytail. The effect was far more casual than the prim styles she usually sported, though Devlin often wondered why she never opted to simply leave the golden locks cascading over her shoulders. Impulsively, she reached out and in one swift movement, removed the elastic band from Terri's hair. The blonde let out a yelp of surprise, her anger softening as the inmate tenderly reached out to brush a silken strand away from her face.
"It suits you," Devlin noted softly, surveying Terri's youthful countenance with a wistful smile. Their gazes locked, and Terri was somewhat awed by the raw emotion lurking in the depths of Devlin's captivating azure eyes. The incessant urge to press her lips against the inmate's suddenly intensified, and she had to turn away before harmless flirtation evolved in to something far more serious.
"Thank you." She cleared her throat, willing back the onslaught of emotion. "Listen, I've got some files upstairs that need skimming over. I'll go and get them whilst you have a shower. Do you mind if I lock you in here for ten minutes or so?"
"Without supervision?" Devlin feigned disappointment.
Terri rolled her eyes. "You should be grateful that I trust you."
"Which would explain your need to lock me in," Devlin countered wryly.
"It's more a need to lock other people out, actually. I wouldn't want to infringe on your modesty now, would I?"
Devlin grinned, relishing the verbal sparring that was an omnipresent component of their interaction. "What happened to 'if you've got it, flaunt it?'"
"And what makes you think that you've got 'it,' Miss Fielding?"
Devlin shrugged. "It was a hypothetical question. I suppose the answer rides on how attractive you find me."
"And since when did my opinion count for so much?"
Since I fell in love with you? Devlin hesitated, unable to vocalise what she so desperately wanted to say. Instead, she simply shook her head, pushing open the locker room door and disappearing before Terri had the chance to apologise. "Shit."
*************
Devlin let out a soft moan of contentment as lukewarm rivulets cascaded down her sensitised form. Water pounded roughly from the shower head, but the inmate was oblivious to the erratic spurts of spray, welcoming any kind of stimulation after her chemistry-ridden encounter with Terri. She hastily washed away the sheen of hard-earned sweat and after vigorously shampooing her hair, decided to relish the rarity of privacy. Creating a lather with the remnants of sweet-smelling soap, she ran the foam over her breasts, tapered fingers dextrously swirling over smooth nipples until they tightened tersely in reaction. "Oh God," she groaned instinctively, shuddering as an empathetic pang ripped through her groin. Parting her legs, she arched back, bringing the shower head to rest between them. She could only gasp with uninhibited arousal as the pulsating spray assaulted her very being, causing her knees to fold beneath her. Leaning heavily against the cool tiles, she somehow managed to retain her stance, rocking against the throbbing sensation until her eyelids fluttered shut in utmost gratification. Terri's face never left her mind as she succumbed to the temptation of climax....
The door emitted an audible creek as it opened, but the jet of running water masked Terri's gasp of surprise as she entered the locker room. Amusement graced her features as she shamelessly listened to Devlin re-define blasphemy, but hearing her own name substituted for God's proved something of a revelation. The realisation of what Devlin was doing promptly sent her libido in to overdrive and for one terrifying moment she lost all sense of self-control. She desperately wanted to step in to the shower cubicle with the words, 'You called?' on the tip of her tongue, but her mischievous streak instead directed her to the thermostat resting upon a nearby wall. One flick of her wrist left Devlin uttering a stream of profanities, and Terri tried desperately hard to suppress her laughter.
"You sounded like you needed cooling down," she called, amusement evident in her light-hearted tone.
Devlin stepped out from under the freezing spray, torn between utter mortification and extreme outrage. "You bitch!" she yelled, her ire intensifying as the governor dissolved in to a peal of hysterical giggles. At that moment, it was the only way she could find release. "I can't believe you just did that."
"Well someone needed to put a lid on that foul mouth of yours," Terri teased, grabbing a towel and hesitantly peeking around the shower cubicle. "You're blushing!' she exclaimed in delight, throwing the skimpy cloth at Devlin and nearly passing out as the inmate whirled around to catch it, purposely giving the governor an unprecedented glimpse of her ample assets. Terri's chuckles promptly halted and she gazed at Devlin with unbridled lust, the look on her face enough to make the chagrined inmate completely disregard her anger and burst in to laughter.
"See something you like?"
"A lot actually." The reply was barely perceptible, but Devlin heard it nonetheless. Slowly, she advanced towards the governor, longing more than evident in her darkened azure eyes.
"Terri?"
The throaty edge to Devlin's tone registered amid the haze of arousal threatening to overpower her, and Terri audibly gulped. "Yeah?"
The inmate gently traced the outline of Terri's jaw with a trembling thumb. Tentatively, she leant closer still, her lips merely inches from claiming the governor's. Terri's tongue snaked across her teeth, and she moistened her lips in anticipation, offering no resistance to the inevitable.
"I'm gonna make you so wet." A mischievous smile graced Devlin's features as she scooped Terri in to her arms, effortlessly carrying her towards the shower cubicle.
"No!" Terri let out a half-hearted squeal of protest as Devlin turned on the freezing spray, unceremoniously drenching her fully-clothed form. "You bitch!" she screamed, though her emerald eyes were sparkling with affection. She lightly pounded against Devlin's chest. "Put me down."
"Oh c'mon, humour me." Devlin grinned. "It's not often I get to hold a gorgeous woman in my arms and marvel at the wonders of her see-through dress."
"You do realise that I could perceive this as a hostage situation and punish you accordingly?"
"And here was me thinking you were enjoying it." Devlin laughed, gently depositing Terri and supporting her until she regained her balance. "You know I'd never hold you against your will."
"Would that have anything to do with the fact that I'm always willing?" Terri's lips curled in a self-deprecating smile.
"Always?" Devlin wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and was more than surprised when Terri leant forward to place a chaste kiss on one of her flushed cheeks.
"Always. Now get dressed and get out of here before they send a search party."
"Ma'am." Devlin gave a curt nod, her hand briefly brushing against Terri's shoulder. "And if you ever want a more active role in my quest for instant gratification, you know where to find me."
"Oh I don't know. From the sound of it I played a pretty active role earlier."
Devlin's cheeks turned an intriguing shade of sanguine and maintaining eye contact with the grinning governor suddenly lost its appeal. "All right, I concede, I'm blushing. Now why don't you leave me alone to fester in my mortification?"
"Because I'm enjoying this rare case of role-reversal?"
Devlin rolled her eyes. "You look cute when you blush, I look like a fool. There's a discrepancy in there somewhere."
"All right, OK." Terri held up her hands in mock defeat, sharing an affectionate grin with the inmate. "Now will you hurry up before both of us end up knee deep in shit?"