“You’re gorgeous.”
“Keep talking like that and we won’t make it to your apartment.”
Faye smiled as she shook her head. Talia always had a way of cranking up the temperature, even on a night when it was close to zero outside. As the lift reached Faye’s floor, Talia hit the ‘close door’ button, guiding Faye back against the wall. The smirk she wore sent pleasure through Faye’s body, that hint of arousal in Talia’s eyes not going unnoticed.
“When you left my place this morning, all I could think about was kissing you again.” Talia’s breath washed over the side of Faye’s face, tickling her neck. “And watching you across the table tonight…”
Faye wanted to hear everything Talia thought, dreamt of. She wanted to pin Talia against the nearest hard surface and whisper her every desire. But Faye…struggled to speak the words. Talia was so incredible that she couldn’t help but feel less than. It was an issue Faye had to deal with herself. It wasn’t Talia’s fault she was gorgeous.
Talia must have sensed that Faye was uncertain, releasing the button, the lift doors opening suddenly. She took a step back, straightening out her shirt and clearing her throat, and then threw a thumb over her shoulder as she said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to ravage you once we get inside. Come on. Let’s have a drink.”
Faye swallowed as she followed Talia out of the lift. In all honesty, shewantedTalia to do anything she wished to do. She wanted to forget about the world outside and roll around the sheets with Talia until they couldn’t muster up the strength for anything more. But until Faye got out of her own head, it wasn’t possible.
She pushed the key into the lock, forcing her apartment door open. Talia had suddenly quietened, and Faye didn’t like it. She much preferred the playful side of Talia. Who wouldn’t? “What can I get you?”
“Wine?” Talia suggested.
“I thought you didn’t drink?”
“It’s only one glass, Faye. I’m sure I’ll live.” Talia shrugged her jacket off, hanging it on a hook by the door.
She gazed around Faye’s apartment, taking in the pictures on the walls, the bits and bobs she had sat around her place, and then she wandered off, leaving Faye disappointed. She loved Talia’s warmth, how safe she felt when she was close by. And with the thoughts whirring around her mind, Faye needed Talia close by to keep her grounded.
“Red or white?”
Talia glanced over her shoulder as she approached Faye’s bookshelf. “Oh, whatever you have open.”
Faye nodded and focused on what she was doing. Talia’s legs in those jeans, her backside…everything was in perfect proportion. Could Faye get naked with this woman without feeling like a whale? God, she really hoped she could go through with it when the time came. She’d never been overly concerned about her body before. She was naturally curvy, she ate well and looked after herself, but there wasn’t a single inch of her that could be considered toned or sculpted to perfection like Talia.
She’s going to demand I turn the light off.Faye snorted inwardly. Those thoughts alone were completely ridiculous and without foundation. Talia didn’t strike her as someone who would dare compare bodies, and she didn’t seem like the type who would be disappointed in Faye’s appearance. After all, they’d made it this far.
She headed for Talia, handing over a glass of red, and then turned. She needed to sit down for a moment. Once she was comfortable on the couch, Faye watched Talia with interest. She scanned Faye’s library, nodding on occasion, shrugging on others. And then she turned to Faye, smiling. “How’s the book coming along?”
“Good, yeah.” Faye shifted slightly when Talia sat beside her, sipping her wine slowly. She turned side on, propping her head with her hand, her arm resting on the back of the couch. Talia mirrored her position, one leg curled beneath her. “I have some last edits to work on and then it’s out of my hands for a while.”
“Any plans for when you have some freedom?”
“Nothing springs to mind at the moment. I’ll probably visit my mum for the weekend at some point, take her out to lunch.”
“That’ll be nice,” Talia said, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Are you close to your parents?”
“Dad left a long time ago, but I’m really close with my mum. She’s more like a sister than a mother. You’ll love her; she’s great.”
Talia’s brows rose with surprise. “You…think that’s something you’d want to do one day?”
“Introduce you to her? Of course I would.”
“Right.” Talia inhaled a deep breath, rubbing a hand down her thigh.
“I mean, not until you’d be comfortable doing so. We’ve only just started dating, so I wouldn’t think about it too much yet.”
“No, I know.”
“But down the line, if things go well, I don’t see why I wouldn’t introduce you to her. She’s very supportive of my love life. She talks about it often enough.”
“Does she know we’re dating?”
Faye shook her head and then sipped her wine, lowering her glass to the coffee table. “No, I haven’t spoken to her since last weekend. But I’ll probably mention it the next time she calls.”