Rhythm and Tides

Musa pushed herself up to a sitting position and giggled as she looked down at her friend's new marking.

"Hmhm! Now we're a matching set!"

Layla propped herself up on one elbow and reached for Musa with her other hand.

"Hey now, where do you think you're going? Get back here!"

Musa plucked at the collar of her red top and pumped it like a bellows to fan herself.

"I told you earlier, it's too hot in here for me. I need a minute to cool off before we go any further."

Layla grinned wickedly at her as she sat up.

"I know a faster way to cool you off."

Without warning she grabbed the bottom edge of Musa's short top and yanked it up over her head. Musa eeped in surprise as Layla pulled her top off, exposing the white tube top bra underneath. She quickly crossed both her arms over her chest defensively.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

Still grinning, Layla leaned forward so that their noses were almost touching.

"There now. Doesn't that feel much cooler?"

Musa gave her a grudging smirk.

"Actually, I feel hotter than ever now."

Layla raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Well then, I guess we're just gonna have to keep taking clothes off of you until you do feel cooler."

Musa planted a hand on her friend's chest.

"Hold on Layla. Time out. Don't you think maybe we're taking this a bit too far? I mean sure, this has been fun and all, but we're friends and this goes way beyond friendship stuff. I don't wanna take a chance on damaging our relationship, ya know?"

Layla looked into Musa's eyes pleadingly for a moment, then dropped her gaze dejectedly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just a stupid fantasy anyway. Things'd never work out between us that way."

Musa shifted her hand to Layla's shoulder as she looked at her in concern.

"Hey Layla, are you okay?"

Layla nodded without looking up.

"I'm fine. I just got my hopes up too high, that's all. Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I even brought it up."

Musa stared at her friend's downturned face wordlessly for several seconds before finally reaching a decision.

"Hey Layla, ..."

Layla looked up to meet Musa's intense gaze. A moment later she gasped in shock as Musa took hold of her hands and guided them to her breasts.

"Musa? What're you doing?"

Musa smiled at her.

"I'm showing you how much you mean to me. You're my B.F.F., and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't do everything I can to help my friend when she's unhappy?"

Layla gazed at her friend in wonder.

"Musa, you don't have to force yourself for my sake. I'll be okay, really."

Musa shook her head.

"I'm not forcing myself. I want to do this with you. I'm the one who started all this by kissing you in the first place, remember? I just got a little scared, that's all. But I'm not scared anymore."

To prove it, Musa took hold of her tube top with both hands, pulled it up over her head and flung it aside carelessly, leaving her pert breasts fully exposed. Then she grabbed Layla's hands and placed them firmly back on her breasts once more. She raised her arms and placed her hands on the back of her head, leaving her breasts fully accessible.

"Go ahead Layla. Give 'em a good feel."

Layla was stunned speechless by her friend's radical change in attitude. Just moments ago she had been certain she had pushed things too far and damaged Musa's trust in her forever, but now here Musa was offering her exactly what she wanted. She realized she had frightened Musa by being too bold, too aggressive, and she resolved not to make the same mistake twice.

She gazed at the lovely contrast her dark brown hands made against the creamy white flesh of Musa's breasts. She cupped and carressed them gently, getting a feel for the soft, satiny skin, the warm, firm flesh. Musa closed her eyes and tilted her head back as she savored the sensation.

"Mmmm, yeah. More of that, please."

Layla smiled softly as she warmed up to it. Slowly she slid the thumbs over to touch Musa's nipples. Musa jerked as she felt the first contact with her sensitive buds.

"Oh yes! Right there, Layla. That's a good spot."

Layla smiled more confidently as Musa's reactions intensified.

"You mean, like this?"

She began swirling her thumbs around the rosy pink nubbins, taking great satisfaction in the way they swelled at her touch. Musa moaned in bliss.

"Oooh, yeah! That feels so good!"

After a few more moments of that, Layla pulled her hands off Musa's breasts and leaned back on her elbows. Musa opened her eyes in surprise and looked at Layla with evident disappointment.

"Hey, what's the deal? Why'd you stop? It was just getting good."

Layla grinned back at her."

"Two reasons. One, you're too far away for me to reach you with my mouth while you're sitting on my lower leg like that, not to mention my leg's starting to fall asleep, and two, I thought you might wanna get naked before I make you cum in your pants."

Musa brought her arms down and crossed them over her breasts as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, right!"

Layla smirked playfully as Musa moved off of her lower right leg.

"Score one more for me! I made you blush again."

Musa frowned, but a playful smile still twinkled in her eyes.

"Hey, it's not like it's a contest ya know. Anyway, I'll bet I could make you blush if I tried."

Layla sat up and leaned forward with a challenging grin.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that bet. You've got five minutes to make me blush. Loser has to eat out the winner."

Musa drew back with a look of nervousness and uncertainty.

"Hey now, wait a minute ..."

Layla smirked at Musa's skittishness.

"What's wrong Musa? Not so confident you can do it? Afraid to put your pussy where you mouth is?"

Musa scowled and leaned forward until her face was inches from Layla's.

"Okay first, that made no sense. Second, I'm not that flexible. And third, you're on!"

Layla closed the gap between them and planted a kiss on the tip of Musa's nose.

"You're kinda cute when you're being fiesty too."

She scooted back, folded her arms behind her head, and leaned back against the headboard.

"You've got five minutes. Let's see you make me blush."

Musa slid off of the bed and stood up.

"This calls for a little mood music."

She walked over to Layla's CD collection, selected one and popped it into her friend's boombox. She selected a track and pressed PLAY. In moments the haunting melody of Chris DeBurgh's 'The Lady In Red' filled the room. With her back still turned to Layla, Musa crossed her arms over her chest, placing her hands on her shoulders, concealing her breasts. She glanced back over her shoulder at Layla with a soft, warm smile as the lyrics began.

/ I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight.
/ I've never seen you shine so bright.

Slowly she turned to face Layla, an adoring smile radiating on her face.

/ I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance.
/ They're looking for a little romance,
/ Given half a chance.

She slowly uncrossed her arms until only her hands covered her breasts. She slipped her hands lower to cup her breasts invitingly, then smoothed them down her body to her thighs.

/ And I've never seen that dress you're wearing,
/ Or the highlights in your hair that catch your eyes.
/ I have been blind.

She stepped over to a nearby chair and used it for support as she slipped off first one shoe and then the other.

/ The lady in red
/ Is dancing with me
/ Cheek to cheek.

She glided her hands up her legs to the wasteband of her pants, then unbuttoned and unzipped them.

/ There's nobody here.
/ It's just you and me.
/ It's where I wanna be.

She bent forward at the hips, giving Layla a nice top-down view of her bare breasts, and slid her cargos off her ass and down to her knees. Then she took a seat on the chair and sensuously withdrew first one leg and then the other from her pants before tossing them aside.

/ But I hardly know
/ This beauty by my side.

Musa slid her hands down her right calf in a sensuous carress, inserting her fingertips under the top of her sock and skimming it off like silk. She then repeated the process with the other leg.

/ I'll never forget
/ The way you look tonight.

Slowly she stood up from her seat, drawing her hands gracefully up her legs, abdomen and lower chest, grazing her fingertips along the sides of her breasts as she brought them up to cup the curves of her upper chest.

As the brief musical interlude between verses started, Musa looked up and gazed invitingly at Layla. Clad now only in her pink panties, she glided across the floor toward the bed where Layla sat gazing back at her in open-mouthed amazement.

/ I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight.
/ I've never seen you shine so bright.
/ You were amazing.

Turning her back to Layla, Musa slid her hands down her body to insert her fingers under the wasteband of her panties and glide them down her legs to the floor where she simply stepped out of them.

/ I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side,
/ And when you turned to me and smiled,
/ It took my breath away.

She slowly glided the backs of her hands up the sides of her body, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as they travelled up her neck and across her cheeks to wind up lightly cradling the back of her head. Then she lowered her arms to extend out to her sides and turned around to smile radiantly at Layla, her eyes shining with joy as she raised one hand to Layla in invitation.

/ And I have never had such a feeling
/ Such a feeling of complete and utter love
/ As I do tonight.

She stepped forward to take hold of Layla's hand. Layla followed unresistingly as her naked friend led her up off the bed to stand in the middle of the room. Gazing deeply into Layla's eyes, Musa stepped into her and wrapped her free arm around her dark-skinned friend's waist while switching their joined hands to the proper configuration for ballroom dancing.

/ The lady in red
/ Is dancing with me
/ Cheek to cheek.

Layla helplessly put her free arm around her naked friend's waist as they began to sway together. The feel of Musa's bare flesh under her palm was electric, and she was keenly aware of her pale friend's naked body pressed tightly against her own with nothing but her own garments between them. She felt like she was in some kind of dream or fantasy as Musa pressed her cheek to hers. It was almost more than Layla could bear.

/ There's nobody here.
/ It's just you and me.
/ It's where I wanna be.

Musa drew back her head and gazed lovingly into Layla's eyes as they slowly turned in a circle together.

/ But I hardly know
/ This beauty by my side.
/ I'll never forget
/ The way you look tonight.

Musa brought her face gradually close and closer to Layla's, moving with agonizing slowness, and Layla realized she was about to kiss her. Layla's eyelids drooped and she could feel her cheeks growing warm as she parted her lips to meet Musa's.

/ I never will forget
/ The way you look tonight.
/ The lady in red.
/ The lady in red.
/ The lady in red.
/ My lady in red.
/ (I love you.)

Layla almost didn't hear Musa whisper the words "I win" just before their lips met in a slow, soft, lingering kiss. The tenderness in that kiss left Layla's head reeling so bad it took her several seconds to figure out what Musa could possibly mean by those words. When she finally remembered their bet she put her hands on Musa's shoulders and forced her back far enough to break the kiss and look her in the eye.

"Musa, please tell me you didn't go through that whole strip-tease seduction just to win our bet."

Musa blinked at the sudden change in Layla's behavior. She gazed into Layla's eyes and saw the pain and doubt swirling in their depths. That was when she relaized how deeply her careless whisper had hurt her best friend. She placed her hands on Layla's, clamping them tightly to her shoulders as she met her friend's troubled gaze.

"No Layla. I swear I didn't. I'd never toy with your emotions like that. I admit I did kinda use my performance to make you blush, but it was more than that. I did that dance for you, to make you feel special, because you're so special to me. I wanted you to know just how much I care about you. You're my best friend Layla, and I love you so much. I just wanted to show you that in a way that words can never express. Screw the damn bet. I'll do you. I just want you to be happy."

There were tears sparkling in Layla's eyes as she smiled at Musa with joyous relief.

"Oh Musa ..."

She threw her arms around her friend's naked body and hugged her tightly. Musa could feel tears dripping onto her bare shoulder as she hugged her back and smiled.

"It's alright Layla. I'm here for you, and I'll never betray you."