The next day, Lucy set the stack of forms from legal on her coffee table and adjusted Bernadette Peters, who was curled into a ball in her lap. She’d been at it for well over three hours and there was still a second stack staring her down. Yes, sir, it was a thrilling Saturday afternoon in the Danaher household. Who didn’t enjoy poring over wordy legal jargon on the weekend with a side of jazz music and a cookie-scented candle? The truth was she’d been putting off approval of the contract language for their international accounts for too long and it was best she just knock it the hell out so she could focus on marketing strategies and leadership development. The jazz and the candle were just incentive to keep her going.
She placed a kiss on BP’s tiny head and with a deep sigh went back to work. It was only a few moments before the buzz from her phone invaded the silence. She glanced at the readout, a text from Kristin, and smiled. “It’s the girl I kissed last night,” she whispered to BP. “She’s very pretty, but maddening at the same time. Like you.” She turned her focus to her phone and read the text.
Feel like going for a run this afternoon?
She paused and typed back her answer because it was one of the crazier questions she’d been asked. Um…Have you met me?
It took a minute for Kristin to reply.
I have. Infuriating. Opinionated. Adorable.
Okay, now that was pretty good, the adorable thing. It had Lucy a little tingly and a tad bit smiley. She stood with her phone and walked the course of her living room as she typed. I’m a horrible runner. I told you. Tragic.
The response was quicker this time.
Good thing I’ll be there to help you.
Lucy sighed. Running? Really? Was she seriously going to do this? She supposed it would make for a nice break in her day. Her eyes were beginning to cross from staring at documents for hours on end. Plus, she’d get to look at Kristin in athletic attire, so there was that upside. She started to type. Fine. But I have a feeling I’m going to regret this. She stared at BP, incredulous. “I’m about to go running,” she told the dog, who cocked her head in mystification. “I know. It’s crazy.” Her phone vibrated at an incoming text.
I thought we could run on the beach. Where should we meet?
Lucy glanced out her back window at the sand and surf, smiled, and returned to her phone. I know the perfect spot.
*
Kristin knocked on the big brown door with the wrought-iron design in the window at exactly three p.m., the time she and Lucy had agreed upon. It was several long moments before Lucy appeared, seemingly surprised to see her.
“You’re early,” she said, opening the door for Kristin to come inside.
“Am not,” she said. “I’m right on time.”
Lucy thought on this. “I think I often assume that everyone is on Lucy time, you know, late.”
She laughed. “Well, welcome to Kristin.”
“That sounds like an invitation,” Lucy said with a raised eyebrow. “Kidding. I can be bad sometimes. Come inside and see my digs.”
Kristin followed Lucy through the small entryway of brown travertine tile. Right off, she caught that the beach bungalow was full of impressive little touches. Crown molding, interesting pieces of art on the wall, and the cool flooring, which morphed to engineered hardwood as they advanced into the living room. “How many bedrooms?” Kristin asked, as she took in the place.
“Two. Not a huge place, but it’s mine.”
And it was, in fact, very Lucy. Feminine, classy, and attractive. Kristin then shifted her attention as an adorable Yorkshire terrier quickly padded its way in her direction.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, kneeling. “You’re the cutest thing on the planet.” The tiny dog seemed to enjoy the compliment and licked her nose in thanks.
“This is Bernadette Peters. BP for short. Spoiled rotten, but extra snuggly.”
“Can’t argue with that combo.” She looked up at Lucy. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a dog person though.”
She lifted a shoulder. “It’s my goal to keep you guessing.”
“So far, so good,” Kristin said, shaking her head and narrowing her gaze.
“Excellent.” And then, “I should probably change out of jeans for this running thing we’re going to do.”
“This running thing? Oh, that descriptor doesn’t bode well.”
“No, it doesn’t. But I’m extra excited to put on my athletic wear that sits lonely in my closet for most of its life. Your outfit is pretty awesome.” The comment and the appreciative way she’d said it sent a tiny shiver up Kristin’s back. She’d chosen her black midcalf running pants and bright blue tank top, which she thought seemed beach appropriate. “I also love the ponytail. I think I’ll follow suit with the expert today,” Lucy said as she disappeared around the corner.
Kristin took a seat on the couch and scratched BP’s head, prompting her to roll onto her back for more. “Oh, you like that, do you?” BP blinked back from her upside-down position. She missed having a dog.
In a few short moments, Lucy reappeared in a matching black and white workout outfit, a look which included her dark hair pulled into a ponytail, sans the swirl this time.
“Okay. I’m ready. Let’s do this before I change my mind.” Lucy was already sporting a semi-pout, which forecast an uphill battle ahead of them.
They headed out to the beach, the short jaunt to the water’s edge shocking to Kristin. She couldn’t imagine how awesome it must be to live this close to the water, to be able to run on the beach each morning or just sip coffee and watch the surf. “God, it’s gorgeous out here.” And it was. The temperature was warm, but not the uncomfortable kind of warm. The sun had already begun its daily descent, and in a couple of hours they would have a pretty picturesque sunset on their hands, if she had to guess. She turned to Lucy. “So why don’t we take it easy and stick with a basic jog.” Kristin demonstrated and Lucy fell in beside her.
“Okay, a jog seems harmless.” They ran in companionable silence for a few long moments before Lucy turned to her. “How long are we doing this for exactly?”
Kristin passed her a look. “I thought we’d do a mile or two. Nothing major.”
“A mile or two?” Lucy practically squeaked.
“Or less,” Kristin amended. “We can adjust as needed.” They ran for a bit and Kristin felt her muscles begin to lengthen and engage.
“You’re one of those people who likes exercise, aren’t you? It’s not that you do it out of necessity or to stay in shape, you do it because you like it. Am I close?”
Kristin smiled as she ran. “I do happen to enjoy it, yes.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucy shake her head in dramatic disdain. Lucy, she was finding, was often dramatic.
“People like you do this to us.”
“People like me do what to you?” Kristin tried to keep the smile off of her face.
“You guys invent things like CrossFit and spinning and Pilates and yoga and make them trendy just to torture the rest of us.”
“We do do that. We have meetings about it, even. Who told you?”
“Evil meetings. I knew it.” Lucy lifted a hand. “Exercise is important, yes, but it should be considered work. We should hate it automatically. And you guys don’t. You’re also the people who invent things like fat-free sour cream and guilt the world into eating it instead of the fantastic real stuff. I miss the real stuff.”
“You’re such a victim. I’m sorry.”
“I am.”
“A cute one though,” Kristin said, before sprinting ahead. “Come on, victim. Catch me.”
“Hey!” Lucy called out from behind her. But it was only a few playful moments of Kristin jogging backward until Lucy closed the distance. “You’re trying to kill me. I thought so before, but now I’m sure of it.” She gulped in some air. “Time to turn back?”
Kristin smiled, as they’d barely run half a mile. “Not quite. But I’ll make a deal with you. See the boardwalk ahead?”
“I do. It calls to me.”
“Great. Well, if you make it to that boardwalk without stopping, I’ll buy you an ice-cream cone as a reward.”
Lucy’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s allowed? Mid-exercise dessert? Because I could get behind that little rule shift.”
“Definitely. What’s the point of running if there’s not a little payoff?”
The smile on Lucy’s face brightened. “I like the way you think, Little Miss Reporter.” And with an extra spring in their step, they covered the half mile to the boardwalk. It turned out Lucy Danaher operated quite nicely on incentive. She filed that away.
With a mint-chocolate-chip cone for Lucy and salted caramel for Kristin, they strolled the Mission Beach Boardwalk. The lively walkway had two lanes, which left plenty of room for the Rollerbladers gliding past, folks lining up for the Ferris wheel, and food vendors galore. The place had a laid back feel to it, very much reminiscent of what Kristin had come to know as the Southern California vibe. It was a great destination to run to. Halfway down the walk, Lucy steered them to a bench that looked perfect for people watching.
“So how’d I do? Are we talking runner hall of fame?” Lucy asked, taking a lick from her cone. It was an awesome visual that sent a shot of something powerful to Kristin’s center and downward. Whoa.
“Well, you made it here and that’s major.”
“Right? Now, how are we getting home? Cab?”
Kristin had to laugh at that one. “Very funny.”
Lucy shrugged. “I had to try.” And then she brushed a stray piece of hair from Kristin’s forehead in a move that seemed so natural it was startling.
Kristin thought back to the night before at the overlook. The view of the city. The quiet. The kissing. God, the kissing. It might have been the best make-out session of her life, and that was even counting Nadine Duarte, who was two years older than her in high school and blew her mind with an impromptu make-out fest in the locker room while the rest of the class played in a volleyball scrimmage. It was hard to beat an impromptu high school make-out fest, but she and Lucy had done that to a surprising degree.
“Where did your mind go just then?” Lucy asked. “You had the most faraway look.”
“I was wondering about you actually.” A half truth.
“Moi?”
“Yep. Tell me a little-known fact about you. Aside from the cutthroat CEO thing.”
“Well, the cutthroat CEO thing is important.”
“Naturally. What else?”
Lucy turned to her, all thoughtful and such. “As in I skipped the third grade?”
“Totally like that. Did you?”
“I did. I was miserable though. All of my friends were still in third grade and I missed them. We had different recesses. It was all terribly heartbreaking.”
Kristin raised a finger. “First of all, impressive, smarty-pants.”
“Thank you.”
“Second of all, you’re a major social butterfly, aren’t you?”
Lucy considered this. “Friends have always been important to me, yes. And I happen to love a good cocktail party.” Kristin enjoyed the way Lucy’s eyes sparked with excitement when they touched on a topic she enjoyed. “Now you. Tell me a Kristin fact, and don’t hold out on the good stuff. I want to know about that day you were taken downtown for shoplifting.”
“You heard about that?”
Lucy turned her head to the side and regarded Kristin out of the corner of her eye. “You so did not get arrested.”
Kristin smiled, prompting Lucy to lower her ice-cream cone, which was a shame because Kristin was having a fabulous time watching her eat it. She was already a little familiar with that tongue and enjoyed watching it work.
Lucy gestured at her with what was left of the cone. “I cannot tell if you’re messing with me right now. Are you messing with me?”
Kristin gave in. “No shoplifting. But I have been arrested before. Twice actually.” With that she got up and headed back down the boardwalk, discarding the little bit that was left of her ice cream so as not to be too full for the run ahead of them. Lucy was hot on her heels.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You cannot say something inflammatory like that and then walk away. I’ll need details.”
“And you shall have them, once we make it to that two-story house in the distance.”
Lucy followed her gaze. “This is cruel and unusual punishment, you realize this?” But she was halfway smiling and that was everything.
“Come on, champ. No more complaining.” Kristin started the run at a slow place and noticed Lucy fall in stride next to her.
“Calling me champ will get you everywhere, by the way.”
“You like that, huh?”
“I do, as I’m the champ.”
Kristin laughed. “I’m going to remember this.”
They ran in companionable silence with only the sounds of the waves crashing and the distant call of seagulls overhead. Kristin let her mind drift. On their phone conversation, Lucy had invited her to stay for dinner, and while she’d brought a change of clothes, she didn’t want to overstay her welcome. But it was fun hanging out with Lucy, seeing her life up close and personal, and that wasn’t even taking into consideration the wild attraction.
“Bam,” Lucy huffed, pointing. “House in the distance is here. Tell me the prison story.”
Kristin passed her a quick glance. “I never said prison. I said jail. They’re different.”
“Semantics. What was the charge?”
“Unlawful assembly.”
“So a protest?”
“Exactly. In San Francisco, there’s this energy giant that refuses to use any sort of environmentally safe practices, so the group I belonged to staged a protest.”
“And they arrested you for that?”
“When we refused to leave, yeah, they did. But I knew going in I’d be arrested.”
“And you did it anyway?” Lucy asked, incredulous.
“Sometimes that’s part of drawing more attention to the cause. A few people get arrested and suddenly the local news is a little more interested in covering the story.”
“Sure, but to take a personal hit like that.”
“Well, it’s something I care about. What do you do when something you care about is at stake?”
Lucy thought for a moment. “Throw a charity event or write a check.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t want to get your hands dirty.”
“And it sounds to me like you’re being a little judgmental,” Lucy fired back.
And there it was again, that push-and-pull that reminded Kristin how very different they were. She took a breath and tried to explain herself. “I just think that when you care about a cause, it’s important to do something about it from the ground up. Make your voice heard.”
“So you’re saying that what I do doesn’t matter? That when I donate money, it’s meaningless? Because I completely disagree.”
“Of course not. It’s just a little passive.”
“It is not. Passive is sitting on the couch thinking about doing something to contribute.”
Kristin nodded. “Okay, that’s a valid point.”
“I have lots of those. Trust me.”
“You’re definitely not shy about arguing for what you believe in.”
“Yeah, well, that’s me. The opposite of passive. Speaking of, do you know what’s also not passive?” Lucy asked.
“What?”
“Me beating you back to the house.” And before Kristin knew it, Lucy was several yards ahead of her in a rather impressive sprint en route to the beach house that was now not that far off. She took a moment to enjoy the view before her competitive side kicked in. Refusing to be beaten, Kristin took off and gained on Lucy steadily. Her longer legs and daily workouts proved advantageous and she overtook Lucy at the last possible second, tossing her hands in the air before collapsing onto the deck.
“You’re right. That was not at all passive,” she breathed to Lucy, who had fallen onto her back. “But I think the term champ now belongs to me.”
“Fine. Okay, you win at anything athletic. Let’s just stipulate that now.”
“Perfect,” Kristin said. They lay there a moment to let their breathing even out. “Hey, Lucy?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for going running with me.”
Lucy flipped onto her stomach and cradled her chin in her hands, looking down at Kristin. “It nearly killed me, but I’m glad we did it. You get to relax now, however, as this is the portion of the evening when I dazzle you with my culinary prowess.”
“Yeah? What are we having?”
“I thought papaya salad, chicken marsala, and potato pancakes. Thoughts?”
“I think it sounds like you win at cooking.”
“Finally,” Lucy said, smiling. “You don’t give in easily.”
“That would be because the extent of my cooking ability is the heating up of frozen food.”
Lucy’s mouth fell open as she pushed herself up. “A crime.”
“Admittedly.”
Lucy offered Kristin a hand and pulled her up. “How about we take some time to get freshened up and I’ll start dinner.”
“Great. Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?”
Lucy took a minute with the question. “Um, no. No, of course not. I’ll use the one in my room and you can have the guest bathroom.”
Kristin didn’t want to intrude and the long moment it took Lucy to answer the question made her think that maybe she had. “I don’t have to shower.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lucy said. She headed for the house and then opened the door. “If you want to take off your clothes just a few yards away from me, who am I to stop you?”
Kristin felt the heat hit her cheeks instantly, and the tug in her stomach let her know that the comment had registered.
Lucy passed her a victorious smile. “You coming?”
Kristin gave her head a little shake. “On my way.”
*
Lucy stood under the stream of hot water and closed her eyes, trying not to notice how sensitive her skin felt as the water hit and ran down her body. At the same time, she tried to forget that Kristin-of-the-frustrating-and-the-gorgeous was showering just down the hall.
“What am I gonna do with you?” she said to her reflection in the mirror as she toweled off. But she knew one thing. There was a choice laid out in front of her. Kristin was in her home, and they were about to have dinner, and then she could either send her on her way—the safe choice—or let herself wander down a path that could only mean trouble. They had off-the-charts chemistry, no question about it, but there was also the fact that she thought about Kristin a lot, and if they took things further, chances were good that a simple one-night stand would be next to impossible if the week prior had taught her anything. She’d want more, and was that really a path she wanted to go down? “Not fair,” she said to the mirror. Lucy had to be practical. She and Kristin had nothing in common and, in fact, saw the world from two entirely different vantage points. Plus, Kristin had a way of sticking with her and infiltrating her thoughts and maybe a few fantasies. It was best not to give her any more power and complicate things further.
Decision made.
Dinner and good night. Easy. Done. They’d enjoy each other’s company and adjourn. She needed to save herself from further preoccupation with Kristin James, news reporter, and that meant staying strong.
“Hey,” Kristin said when Lucy emerged from her room. She was already sitting on the couch, petting BP and looking fresh faced and amazing in gray shorts and a light purple tank top that had Lucy’s mouth watering.
Yeah, totally screwed.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “How was the shower?”
“You have A-plus water pressure,” Kristin said. “And this dog loves me, I think.” To her credit, Bernadette Peters seemed to have picked up on exactly what Lucy had and sat halfway propped up on Kristin’s lap as Kristin gently stroked her head. Lucky, lucky dog.
“She definitely seems to,” Lucy said, tilting her head and taking in the image. “Why don’t you guys hang out and I’ll start dinner?”
“Did you hear that?” Kristin said to BP. “We get to hang out and get into trouble.”
Lucy shook her head. “I see a very dangerous relationship in the works.”
“And which relationship is that?” Kristin asked, smiling.
With an amused shake of her head at the pointed remark, Lucy went to work preparing the meal, tossing on some mellow tunes for the room.
The kitchen and the living room had an open floor plan, which allowed Lucy to watch as Kristin attempted to teach Bernadette Peters to roll over, a task that was akin to convincing Dr. Phil to grow hair. She smiled at the effort, however, and enjoyed the show, which consisted of Kristin turning BP in a tiny slow-motion circle and then cheering for her as if she’d conquered the world.
For the next forty minutes, however, Lucy lost herself in the pans and sauces and tiny little details that made cooking one of her favorite tasks. As she put the finishing touches on the salad, her skin tingled and she found Kristin standing next to her.
“I cannot believe you’ve done all of this in that short little period of time. It looks amazing.”
Lucy smiled up at Kristin over her shoulder. “Thank you. I had fun doing it.”
“We had fun too,” Kristin said. “Can I show you something?”
“Of course.”
With that, Kristin rounded the island into the living room with Lucy following behind her.
“Okay, Miss Bernadette,” Kristin said. “This is your big moment.” She moved her index finger in a circular motion, and in response, something amazing happened. BP, who was known strictly for long naps and cuddle fests, slowly bowed her head and rolled in a slow, unsteady circle on the ground.
“Oh my God,” Lucy said, still not quite believing what she’d just seen. She pointed at her dog. “Did she just roll over on command?”
“She did,” Kristin said, scooping up the dog and kissing her face. “Because she’s the smartest tiny dog ever.”
“You worked at it for like, what? Forty-five minutes?” Lucy asked, trying to understand.
“She’s clearly a prodigy.”
“Well, who knew?” Lucy asked everyone and no one. Mystification was too mundane a word for what she’d just witnessed. She turned to Kristin.
“Just takes persistence is all. I think that’s how I accomplish most feats. Not by talent or know-how. I just keep at it.” Kristin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was down now after the shower and the blond seemed brighter than ever.
“Well, you are to be commended. As in awarded some sort of medal of honor. A parade maybe.”
Kristin, looking proud of herself in the most adorable way, shrugged. “You could just kiss me again, because it was beyond awesome the last time.”
God, that sentence did something to Lucy. A hit of something powerful shot instantly through her. The earlier plan to sidestep seemed to fly right out the window when she was faced with the real, live Kristin, standing in her living room and smiling like that. It didn’t take much thought. Lucy stepped into Kristin’s space and cupped her cheek, pulling her the short distance downward. When their lips met, the kiss that resulted was toe curling and zero-to-sixty. Lucy let herself drown in the way Kristin kissed her, all thorough and authoritative. She was aware of Kristin’s hands on her lower back and about died when they slipped under her shirt and rested on the bare skin there. The same skin that had been sensitive in the shower just an hour before was now on fire beneath Kristin’s touch. As they continued to kiss, Lucy wanted those hands other places.
And now.
In just that moment, Kristin pulled her mouth away and Lucy felt the loss. “We should have dinner,” Kristin said, straightening the clothes that Lucy had once again grabbed hold of.
“Hmm?” she asked, struggling to make her mind work again.
“Dinner. The one you made for us. We should eat it. Probably.” But then they were kissing again and she wasn’t sure if it had been her fault or Kristin’s, as the edges of reality seemed to have blurred quite a bit. She was aware of the sensations that were storming her system, however, as Kristin’s tongue slid into her mouth. She was absently cognizant of the fact that instead of grabbing a fistful of Kristin’s shirt, her hands were on the move, moving across Kristin’s skin, slowly, deliberately, as if trying to memorize all of her.
“Okay, dinner now. For real,” Kristin said, moving out of her touch. “There should be dinner.”
Lucy took a moment and nodded. Dinner. Right. That. “On it,” Lucy said, rounding the island and blowing out a breath. She moved the food onto serving plates, a task that allowed her sensibilities to drift back and the heat she felt to settle into the manageable column.
As she took her spot at the table, Kristin passed her an easy smile. “This looks amazing. Thank you for cooking.”
“I’m happy to cook for you. I don’t have a ton of company.”
“No?” Kristin said, taking a serving of the chicken.
“Mainly Emory and Sarah, who you met. They live just up the beach a bit. The house you made our running goal earlier was theirs.”
“Seriously? That must be cool to live so close.”
“It is.” And while she tried to focus on the conversation, it seemed to be a losing battle. Instead, she noticed the way Kristin tended to move the hair off her forehead if it came remotely close to covering her eye. God, it was sexy, as was how smooth her skin looked, which took Lucy back to how it had felt just minutes ago beneath her fingertips. The music that had seemed fun and mellow while she cooked now read sexy and romantic, given their recent interaction. It was coming at her from all angles and Lucy didn’t know how much longer she could go on.
“So it turns out the food tastes just as good as it looks,” Kristin said quietly, meeting her eyes and holding there. Lucy blinked back.
“Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm. You’re talented. At a lot of things,” Kristin said.
“I can be.” God, this was cruel. Her body temperature, which had leveled out as she made the final dinner prep, was right back up there in the stratosphere. The aching that had taken up residence within her had moved lower and was also growing harder and harder to ignore. They went back to eating, the tension so thick, Lucy felt it all over. She sipped from her white wine glass and placed it carefully back on the table. A bite of papaya. Exhale. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.
“Lucy.”
She closed her eyes briefly at the use of her name. “Yes?”
Kristin spoke slowly. “While I love what you’ve prepared, I’m not sure I feel like eating dinner right now after all.” It was a simple statement, but Lucy understood its implication clear as day.
“And why is that?” Lucy asked, meeting those expressive eyes.
“Because I’d rather finish what we started not long ago.”
Lucy didn’t need any more encouragement than that. As she stood, Kristin grabbed her hand and pulled her in. Lucy accepted the invitation and settled herself on Kristin’s lap where they met in a clash of lips and tongues that felt so right it was frightening. She combed her fingers through Kristin’s hair as they kissed, moving it back from her face as heat enveloped her once again. But it wasn’t enough and their pace quickened. She adjusted, straddling Kristin, and slipped her hands beneath her T-shirt as they kissed, moving them up her rib cage to the outside of Kristin’s bra where, through fabric, her breasts filled Lucy’s hands and she massaged gently, pulling a gasp from Kristin as they kissed. Hot.
Her hips pushed against Kristin’s stomach as her arousal skyrocketed at the intimacy of the touch. Flames licked through her. She needed more. And fast.
“My bedroom is behind us,” Lucy said between kisses.
Kristin pulled her face back far enough to look up at Lucy, her eyes searching. “Does that mean you’re taking me there?”
Lucy nodded, her eyes closing as Kristin’s hands wandered down the back of her waistband pulling her in more firmly, which was so okay with her it was ridiculous. Unfortunately, their travel to her room meant breaking the contact that she couldn’t get enough of.
Wordlessly, she took Kristin’s hand and led her the short distance to her bedroom. She flipped on the light and Kristin flipped it off. “Well, okay,” Lucy said, just as Kristin’s mouth claimed hers, moving them backward. A slash of early moonlight illuminated the room and Lucy understood why Kristin wanted the lights off, as the effect was rather sexy all on its own. While taking it slow sounded like a really nice plan, Lucy didn’t feel so inclined. “I want to touch you everywhere,” she breathed. With a purposeful unbuttoning and unzipping of Kristin’s shorts, Lucy slid her hand inside to explore. The quiet moan the contact elicited only encouraged Lucy, as she stroked purposefully through the warmth, taking pleasure in the way Kristin’s breathing had shifted, now shallow and quick. Kristin moved against Lucy’s hand in a tantalizing display, searching for more, and while Lucy wanted to give it, there were other things she wanted first.
It was time to lose those clothes. She eased back a step.
Kristin was way ahead of her and pulled the T-shirt over her head, revealing to Lucy the white satin bra that showcased the tops of generous breasts.
“God, you’re beautiful,” Lucy breathed, drinking in the image.
*
It was beyond hot the way Lucy’s eyes combed her body. Kristin felt that gaze all over, and a sizzle of pleasure moved across her skin.
She hadn’t planned on sleeping with Lucy. Technically, this was only a third date, and in Kristin’s world, things moved a little slower.
But this was different.
The things Lucy inspired her to feel were new, overwhelming, and insistent and she could no more stop herself from breathing than taking what she so desperately wanted that night. That much had been clear after the spark-loaded kiss before dinner.
Standing before Lucy in her bedroom now couldn’t feel more right. Need traveled through her like a thunderbolt, and while she wanted Lucy to finish what she’d started, Kristin had to even things out. She moved to Lucy, claiming that mouth once again, tasting just a hint of sweetness from the wine, as she backed her toward the bed. She broke the kiss and pulled the shirt over Lucy’s head and made quick work of her bra. She took a moment with Lucy’s breasts on display to her now before dipping her head and kissing one, pulling a nipple into her mouth and swirling her tongue around it. Lucy slid fingers into her hair, holding her in place, which was no problem at all because Kristin was in heaven and getting more turned on by the second. With her arm at the small of Lucy’s back, she lowered her onto the bed and took a moment to take off what remained of her own clothes. The moonlight fell across Lucy’s face as she watched, her lips parting noticeably as the rest of Kristin was revealed to her. She pushed herself up onto her elbows from where she lay on the bed and lifted her hips as Kristin slid the jeans and panties off her legs.
Kristin was wet and craving release. And though she was beyond ready, she wanted Lucy to join her there first.
On a mission, she started on those legs, newly tanned from the afternoon, and kissed her way up their length, up to Lucy’s inner thighs. The attention had Lucy squirming beneath her mouth and moving her hips in these subtle circles that drove Kristin wild. Too soon. She moved up Lucy’s body and paid ample attention to each breast, skating her teeth across each nipple. Lucy had the most awesome breasts, and as she explored them further, she slipped a thigh between Lucy’s legs and moved it upward, causing Lucy to hitch in a breath. She moved under Kristin in a teasing circle.
“God, you’re stunning,” Kristin said and focused on Lucy’s neck. She ran her tongue across its column, as the pulsing ache from between her legs increased to the point that she thought she might burst. She found Lucy’s mouth and drove her tongue inside as Lucy continued to move against her thigh in a thrilling rhythm. That’s when hands were on her face and big blue eyes blinked up at her.
“Now,” Lucy breathed. “Please.”
Kristin nodded, knowing all too well. She parted Lucy’s thighs and eased her hips between in a move that had them both moaning in surrender. She pressed against Lucy, who tossed her head against the pillow. As Kristin began to move against her, Lucy matched her thrust for thrust in a dance that pushed Kristin closer and closer to the edge. Urgency swam through her and she buried her face in Lucy’s neck as they moved and moved, lost in the climb of sensation. As the dance escalated to a frenzied state, Kristin slipped a hand between them and pushed into her while applying direct pressure with her thumb to Lucy’s most sensitive spot. The result was breathtaking, and Lucy cried out and writhed in a display that slammed Kristin in the throat. She didn’t have time to dwell, however, because control snapped and she tumbled over and joined Lucy there, the bolt of pleasure speeding through her like a train. She was vaguely aware of sound coming from her mouth as her muscles contracted in a payout more powerful than she’d planned on. She reveled in the waves of pleasure that stormed her system.
When all was said and done, she fell alongside Lucy and lay there, quivering deliciously, staring up at the light patterns across the ceiling, her arm across her forehead. Cognizant thought floated back to her slowly, though her limbs felt liquid and not fully hers.
Lucy pressed against her side and placed a kiss beneath her jaw as they both continued to simply breathe. She wasn’t sure how much time went by, but the mood shifted to peaceful, and along with it, they shifted together. Lucy now lay partially on top of her and Kristin had her arm across Lucy’s back, holding her close. “Are we still alive?” Lucy asked finally.
“Not sure,” Kristin managed. A long pause. “Wherever we are, I like it here.”
“Have you ever done that before?” Lucy finally asked, looking down at her.
Kristin smiled. “Had sex? I have, yes.”
Lucy poked her ribs and Kristin laughed. “No, crazy. What we just did.”
“I think you’re going to have to be more specific,” Kristin said. “Because a lot of things just happened.”
Lucy propped herself up on her elbow and rested her head in her hand before tracing circles on the outside of Kristin’s breast. Her voice was quiet when she answered, almost shy. “Come with someone, at the same time. As in, what we just did.”
“Oh, that,” Kristin said, now wildly aware of the sensations those traced circles were causing. She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on the question. “No, that I have never done.”
“Me neither. A first,” Lucy said, shifting the tracing to Kristin’s stomach. “Do you realize what an amazing body you have?” She placed a slow kiss on Kristin’s collarbone.
Kristin swallowed against the onslaught of arousal in response to all the sensual touches. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
“You don’t have to,” Lucy said. “I’m just doing a little marveling here.” As Lucy’s hand drifted lower to her abdomen, she steadied herself, not quite sure how it was that she was so turned on again so soon.
“Yeah, well, the marveling goes both ways,” Kristin told her, and God, did it ever. Lucy was everything she imagined she would be and more. Beautiful, sexy, and so responsive in bed it was ridiculous.
“The together thing,” Lucy shook her head. “That was beyond anything I’ve ever…”
“Yeah?”
Lucy pulled back from the careful touches that had Kristin so heated and brushed the hair from Kristin’s forehead. It was sweet, the gesture. Tender even. “Mmm-hmm,” Lucy said. “I like that we were able to do that together. Have you been with a lot of women?”
“Oh, we’re going there? Okay. You make three,” Kristin said.
Lucy took a minute with this. “Three. That’s it?”
“That’s it. How many have you slept with?”
Lucy frowned. “I don’t think I know the answer to that question, and in comparison to what you just said, that sounds awful.” She fell onto her back in devastation, prompting Kristin to laugh.
“No, it doesn’t,” she told Lucy. “You’re you. I’m me. If we were the same person, that would be totally boring and I wouldn’t want to tear your clothes off the way I just did, see? I happen to like how crazy different we are and the clothes-ripping-off thing. Both. So there.” That seemed to help. Lucy smiled and slid on top once again. Kristin loved the way they fit together.
“Well, that’s good,” Lucy said, “because we are, in fact, very different.” A kiss.
“We are.” Another kiss, deeper, longer this time. “But I don’t think we have any chemistry.”
“None. Zero,” Lucy said, her eyes heavy lidded. She moved until her mouth was very close to Kristin’s ear and whispered, “But if you don’t mind, I think I need to taste you now.” As Lucy crawled down her body, Kristin closed her eyes, her heart jackhammering in her chest because she didn’t mind at all.