“No, I’m okay for now.” Talia opened the fridge, taking a two litre bottle of water from the shelf. She eyed Faye as she drank from it, catching her breath when she placed the bottle on the counter. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Like a baby. Thank you for offering your bed last night.”
“I couldn’t bear the thought of you walking home in that wind and rain. And this morning, it looks like carnage out there. A few trees are down along some of the side streets.”
“I didn’t realise how strong the gusts were.” Of course Faye didn’t; she’d been too busy gazing into Talia’s eyes. And kissing her. God, just the reminder of Talia’s lips sent Faye’s body into a frenzy. Nothing and nobody had ever felt so good. She cleared her throat and poured hot water over her coffee. “Do you have much on today?”
“I have the day off from the bistro. I thought I’d stop by the club and work on my pole routine for the show and then maybe we could go out for dinner?”
Faye’s heart thrummed. Talia wasn’t wasting any time. “I’d love to.”
“You know, tomorrow is Friday,” Talia explained, removing her running jacket.
Faye tried not to stare, but it was impossible not to. This woman had the body of an angel.She’s going to be bitterly disappointed when you get naked yourself.Faye quickly batted that thought from her mind. If she allowed the idea of her body next to Talia’s to infiltrate her head, she’d never sleep with Talia.
“You…kinda vanished then.”
“What?” Faye suddenly stood up straight.
“I said tomorrow is Friday, and then you zoned out on me.” Talia cocked her head, offering Faye a weak smile. “You were thinking about what tomorrow means, weren’t you?”
“Whatdoestomorrow mean?” Faye had no idea where this conversation was going. Friday meant only one thing to Faye: more work.
“I have to be at the club. You know?”
“I…don’t know.”
“Faye, tomorrow this becomes real. And I know we’re probably not even dating yet, we haven’t had that conversation thoroughly, but when I leave here tomorrow evening, sexy lingerie in my suitcase, what I do becomesveryreal.”
Faye understood. Talia was wondering what Saturday would hold for them once Faye had sat at home alone. But it really didn’t matter. She’d already explained that to Talia last night. The only thing they could do right now was figure out a system that worked best for them. So long as she got Talia to herself some nights, Faye could live with the rest.
“I think you forget that I haven’t been in a serious relationship for a long time.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Talia said, pulling herself up onto a stool. “I have a bad feeling that you’re going to call me on Saturday and tell me that you don’t want to see me again because I’d danced the night before.”
Faye rounded the counter, stepping between Talia’s legs. She smiled, feathering her fingertips across Talia’s defined jawline. “Oryoucould callmewhen you’re awake, and I’ll come over and make us lunch.”
Talia lowered her head, her eyes closing briefly. “In an ideal world, that’s exactly what would happen. But I don’t know. I have a really bad feeling about all of this.”
Faye tilted Talia’s chin upward, leaning in and kissing her gently. Even after her workout, Talia still tasted delicious. When she pulled back, she noted the tears in Talia’s eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.” Faye lifted Talia’s hand and placed it against her chest. “You feel that?” Talia nodded, smiling. “That’s what you do to me. You make my heart pound…”
Talia trailed a single finger down the front of Faye’s night shirt, veering off and towards her thigh. When she reached the hem, she brought both hands under the material, lifting them higher and settling them on Faye’s hips. Her soft, warm skin thrilled Faye, that familiar arousal bubbling away from deep within. “I don’t know how I got so lucky with you, but I’m going to do everything I can not to fuck it all up.”
“Stop worrying. Just go with it and the rest will figure itself out.”
“Will you stay and have breakfast with me?” Talia drew slow circles against Faye’s stomach with her thumbs, sending a jolt of pleasure to her core. “I’ll just shower and then get right on it. I’m sure you have a lot of work on.”
“Shower andI’llmake breakfast.” Faye reluctantly pulled herself away from Talia, turning towards the fridge. She needed to curb everything she was feeling this morning. She needed far more time to prepare herself for a woman like Talia.Maybe if you can put it off long enough, you can lose a few pounds in the process.“Any requests?”
Talia grinned. “I’d say you, but I’m not sure how long I can keep you confined to my bed without your publisher getting suspicious.”
“Shower! Now!”
“Oh, demanding.” Talia stepped up behind Faye, lowering her mouth to her ear as she whispered, “I kinda like that in a woman.”
* * *
Faye steeledherself as she pushed through the bistro door. She’d chosen here because it was where she felt safe. Whether Talia was here or not didn’t matter; the bistro was close to Faye’s heart. Now, she just had to face Jenna.