My cheeks hurt from smiling by the time we left. I pushed the full cart with one hand hand and Amelia moved to slip her fingers into my free hand. I looked down at our clasped palms just a little awkwardly.
“Maybe we should go easy in public.” I said gently. “There are people with cell phone cameras everywhere.”
“Is that a problem?” Amelia asked with just a little edge.
“I don’t know.” I scratched the back of my head. “Technically, I’m still supposed to be dating Oliver, so it might look a little weird.”
Amelia looked like she was about to say something, but she just moved her hand and closed her mouth instead.
***
Filming with Amelia became magic. Everything flowed so easily. And even better, after filming I got to take her home and recreate some of that magic at my place. I’d slowly phased out my “dates” with Oliver, but Amelia and I were still keeping things low-key in public.
I kept telling myself this was nothing serious. We were just hanging out. Just two co-workers who got along as friends, and also shared a bed most nights, and also made out, and also got each other off. Friend stuff. Co-worker stuff. Nothing to worry about. It wasn’t like the fate of the film hinged on our deep, but fragile connection.
Everything was fine.
We were spending a lazy Saturday evening on my couch, Amelia rubbing the sore spot on her arm where she’d started getting allergy shots. After only three weeks of getting the shots, her symptoms seemed to be improving. I could tell by how much more eager she was to cuddle up with Cleo. It made me smile to know that I had done that for her. And that she had let me do it.
“Maybe you’ll even get a dog of your own at this rate.” I tickled her in the ribs with my socked foot.
“And replace this little girl in my life? Never.” She grabbed my foot and held it in front of Cleo’s face so she could bat and chew at my toes.
“Ow, ow, okay, cut it out!” I tried to wriggle away from Amelia’s hold, but that only made Cleo’s attack more ferocious. She started to yank at my sock with her sharp little teeth and I cried out, “Mercy!”
Amelia let go of my foot, laughing, and lay out on the couch beside me to give me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight. Spending time with Amelia was better than the best. It was pure bliss.
“Hey, I have a surprise for you.” She grinned into my lips. “Wait here.”
She leapt up from the couch and dug through the messenger bag she’d left by the door when she’d come in the night before. I waited patiently as she brought a small plastic bag over to the couch. She knelt in front of me and handed me the bag. It was somewhat heavy as I weighed it in my hands.
“Is this a gift?” I asked.
“It’s just stupid.” She bit her lip and looked down. “I saw it and thought of you.”
Well now I had to see what it was. I opened the bag, slowly unwrapping the tissue paper inside to reveal a ceramic mug. A picture of a fluffy white puppy was painted on it with the words: #1 Mom.
I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing. I caught myself, holding my breath as I remembered that Amelia hated being laughed at. I stared into her blue eyes, terrified that I’d offended her. Finally, her face slowly cracked into a grin and a chuckle poured out of her mouth.
“Glad you like it,” she said.
“I love it.” I looked at it and laughed again, unable to stop even when Amelia started kissing me. Cleo took one look at us lunatics and leapt off the couch to hide in some other room.
Amelia’s lips were flushed and glistening. She looked so fucking good I could’ve just eaten her. A sudden rush of nerves hit me, because I wanted to take this so much further than the kissing and touching we’d been doing, but I had no idea what Amelia was ready for. I took a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while.”
Amelia’s eyes opened, and her face lit up with anticipation. I pressed my lips to her ear, uttering the words that had been boiling inside me for weeks. “I want to feel your lips between my thighs.”
Amelia exhaled a long moan, gripping me tight. “Jesus, I’ve been waiting to hear you say that for so long. I want to taste you so bad.”
I crushed my lips to hers, sucking, biting, licking. Somehow we ended up in my bed, clothes discarded, naked skin pressed together, kissing so deeply I could’ve drowned in Amelia.
“I need you. Now.” The desperation in her voice was so real and I couldn’t help wanting to bring out more of that.
I slid my hands down her arms, pinning them to the bed. She let out a small whimper as I kissed her hard, pressing down on her with my chest, loving the way she let herself be dominated by me. I pushed my thigh between hers, spreading her legs open and feeling how wet she was.
“Oh, God, Jess, you have to stop teasing me like that.” She pulled away, but I forced her lips back into a kiss. “I’ve waited too long for this.”
A shiver ran up my spine. As much as I wanted to get to the main event, I loved seeing Amelia overwhelmed by her desire. I grinned wickedly. “Maybe if you ask nicely.”