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of the bed, Mina began to strip. Though it was nothing the two of them hadn’t done before, especially to keep warm, Galia hesitated.
    Mina was throwing her new clothes to the foot of the bed but paused. “What is it?”
    Slowly, Galia unfurled the blanket. The nipple rings glinted gold.
    “By all the gods!” Mina exclaimed. “Galia, what did they do to you?” Tears came to Galia’s eyes, and her throat was suddenly tight. “Oh my poor Galia, what have they done?”
    In moments, Mina had gently ensconced them both between the sheets, and pulled the thick covering over the top of them.
    “Come close, if you can,” Mina said, their noses already almost touching. “Here,” she said, lifting the covers a little.
    But as she and Galia both shifted, and Galia nuzzled close, her lips brushed against Mina’s.
    It was innocent, of course, but both of them stilled. Mina’s soft eyes, looked into hers. She seemed puzzled at first, and then surprised. It was as if the same question were playing through her mind as played through Galia’s: Had that been intentional? But in truth, in that moment, Galia didn’t know.
    What she did know was that something was about to change. As though a line were drawn somewhere in the air, Galia knew they were about to cross it. Once they did, nothing would be the same. Galia knew that she should get up and send Mina to her bed. She knew that there might be trouble if they were caught together. Yet when Mina smoothed her fingertips along Galia’s face, all those thoughts fled from her mind. She knew that Mina had done that before, but she could never remember it being so tender. Mina’s fingers drifted back to Galia’s thick hair. They combed back to the nape of her neck. She held Galia still and slowly pressed forward, and when their lips brushed again, there was no mistaking the intent.
    Mina’s kiss was feathery-light, and Galia realized she was doing her best to keep away from the swelling. But when Mina’s clever tongue slid along her lower lip, Galia couldn’t help but gasp. Despite the pain in her lip, Galia kissed her back. Mina’s mouth was so soft and inviting. The luscious flesh gave in easily. In response, Mina quickly deepened the kiss, but Galia discovered something she’d never suspected. There was a gentleness about Mina that was heartbreaking.
    Galia instinctively pressed close, but just as suddenly broke the kiss. The nipple rings had pushed into Mina’s chest. Galia hissed a little and backed up.
    “Oh, Galia,” Mina whispered, her voice almost a cry. “Do they hurt very much?”
    “No, no,” Galia said quickly. “It’s nothing.”
    Mina frowned. “You should know better,” she said seriously.
    Galia gaped at her a little. She hadn’t wanted them pierced. “But it wasn’t me that–”
    Mina gently put a finger to Galia’s lips. “You should know better than to lie to me,” she said. With a slight pressure on Galia’s shoulder, she said, “Lie back.”
    As she did, Mina’s small hand gently palmed her breast from below.
    “I’ve always thought your breasts were beautiful,” she whispered, and lowered her face to Galia’s chest.
    With the same feathery kiss Mina had used on her mouth, she kissed the side of Galia’s breast.
    Galia’s eyes fluttered closed, as she sank into the softness of the bed. After all the pain, the caress of Mina’s warm, moist mouth was like heaven. She exhaled in a shuddering sigh. With a slow deliberation, Mina placed a succulent kiss on the other side of the tender nipple, then above and below.
    “That feels so good,” Galia breathed.
    But as Mina’s mouth hovered over the nipple, Galia tensed and Mina paused.
    “I want to comfort you,” Mina whispered, her soft breath slipping over and around the pierced tip. “I want to take this wounded part of you into my mouth.” Galia’s heart leapt into her throat. “But not if it will bring you pain. Not–”
    “Do it,” Galia whimpered. “Please, just do