Faye’s eyes trailed Talia’s body, a grin spreading on her mouth. Why did it feel so good when Faye checked her out? Talia could assume that’s what Faye was doing, but sheknewit. Because whenever she was around, the same as this morning in her workout clothes, Faye’s cheeks flushed, and her eyes darkened.
“D-did, uh…” Faye cast her gaze on the floor briefly. “Did you want to take a shower?”
“If that would still be okay.”
“Absolutely. I’ve left some fresh towels in the bathroom for you. Anything else you need should be in there but just give me a shout if not.”
Talia stepped forward, noting how Faye’s body tensed ever so slightly. She sidestepped Faye, aware that the close proximity was an issue for her. “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
She strode across the huge living space and headed straight into the bathroom. For a moment, Talia sat on the end of the bathtub, scrubbing a hand over her face. For every moment she spent with Faye, she wanted to pull her against her and kiss her. She was only human after all. But Talia had made her decision. She’d come to terms with what her life was, and that was how it had to be.
Faye could do so much better.
She got to her feet and turned the shower on, stripping her damp clothes from her body. She really had worked hard today; she surely deserved a treat this evening.
As the water cascaded over Talia’s body, soothing her aching back muscles, she let out a slight sigh. Here she was in Faye’s shower, her heart begging for more. But Talia would do what she always did best: block out her feelings, continue to be the best version of herself that she could be, and wake up tomorrow to repeat it all again.
* * *
Faye rested backagainst the counter, her arms folded across her chest as she stared at the bathroom door. Knowing Talia was inside her bathroom…well, it wasn’t helping Faye to get over anything she’d witnessed this morning.
It was foolish to think for one second that Talia being here wouldn’t cause her any issues, but she’d never been great at doing what was best for herself. Instead of saying goodbye to Talia at the bistro this morning and wishing her a wonderful week, Faye had decided to put herself through more unnecessary turmoil and invite her over for dinner.
This is only going to end one way for you!
Faye knew where this was going: directly for the edge of a cliff.
Yet she still found herself enamoured by Talia. She still wanted to know everything there was to know about the incredibly beautiful woman in her bathroom. Call her crazy but having Talia around was too good to miss out on.
She’d never had this, even back in the day when she found herself in love with Amy. Her heart didn’t pound at the mere sight of her, her body didn’t respond to the simplest of movements, she didn’t feel that…joy. Faye had always dreamt of a love that made her think of nothing else other than her other half. She’d strived for it in her thirties, but that wow moment never seemed to arrive for her. Everyone she came across was too self-absorbed, too in your face, too…wrong.
But Talia…she made Faye’s insides swirl, her palms clammy, her mouth dry. She made Faye feel everything her characters felt in her novels.
Perhaps that had been where she’d gone wrong in life and love. Maybe she was supposed to stop searching and wait for the right woman to find her.
“She doesn’t want you,” Faye whispered to herself, a sadness tugging in her belly. The potential right woman was standing in her shower with not an ounce of the same feelings for Faye.
“Faye?”
Talia’s voice shocked her from her thoughts, the bathroom door opening suddenly. “Y-yes?”
“I…left my rucksack by the door. You couldn’t hand it to me, could you?”
Faye stared, the hint of a bare muscular shoulder on view as Talia poked her head around the door. “Of course, yes.”
She turned, closing her eyes as she breathed in deep. Talia…in a towel…shit!She retrieved her bag from the floor and rushed back across the room with it. Talia opened the door wider, smiling sheepishly as she reached out a hand, her other hand gripping the edge of her towel. If it fell, Faye may just drop dead at the age of forty.
“Thanks.” Talia took the bag, staring directly into Faye’s eyes. She couldn’t breathe when Talia looked at her that way. That look made her feel as though there was something more between them. “I’ll…be out in a sec.”
“N-no rush.” Faye swallowed, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll plate dinner up. It’s ready whenever you are, okay?”
Talia nodded, closing the bathroom door.
Faye had never wanted to accidentally see someone naked in her entire existence, but this evening, the appeal was certainly there. She knew what Talia’s body looked like—hell, she’d had it rolling against her just a few weeks ago—but naked and wet? Faye breathed out a slow breath, squeezing her thighs together. Would she continue to make mistake after mistake for the rest of her life?
She focused on dinner, plating up a little extra for Talia. She’d worked hard, and a body like that surely needed all the food it could get.She’s so dedicated.Faye knew dancers had to have a particular body, a certain look about them, but Talia was impressing her every single day. If she were being brutally honest, Faye, at one time, would have assumed that girls working in gentleman’s clubs were there because they had no other choice. And perhaps some of them were in that line of work for that reason, but not at Vision. It was an establishment that didn’t exploit young women.
“Can I help with anything?” Talia appeared behind Faye, and as she glanced over her shoulder, Faye breathed a sigh of relief. She was wearing clothes.Thank God!