by Rachel Lacey
“Touch me,” Josie gasped, hips jerking up to meet Eve’s. “Please touch me, Eve.”
“My pleasure,” she whispered as she slipped a hand between Josie’s legs, sliding through her wetness. And oh, she was so wet, every bit as wet as Eve herself. She circled Josie’s clit, drawing a strangled sound from her throat as her hips pressed against Eve’s hand, meeting her movements thrust for thrust.
Eve arched her back, keeping enough space between their bodies that she wouldn’t be tempted to ride Josie’s leg, pushing her own need aside as she focused on Josie’s pleasure.
“Eve,” she gasped, drawing her in for a messy kiss as Eve’s fingers slipped and stroked. Carefully, she slid a finger inside Josie, pumping in and out, feeling Josie’s body grip her. “More.”
She added a second finger, filling her as her palm pressed against Josie’s clit, giving her the friction she needed. Her thighs clamped around Eve’s hand, hips moving, and then she was coming, release pulsing through her, her inner walls tightening rhythmically around Eve’s fingers as a long moan tore from her throat.
She gripped Eve’s ass, pressing her hips down to meet Josie’s, replacing her fingers with her body. They rocked together, separated only by the lace of Eve’s thong as Josie rode out the last waves of her release. At last, she went limp, arms flung wide against the sheets, eyes closed and mouth parted in silent relief.
Eve held herself still, desperately aroused and just as mesmerized by the vision of postcoital Josie displayed beneath her. Breathtaking. She felt an uncomfortable pinch somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.
“Wow,” Josie breathed, one arm sliding around Eve’s waist, drawing her down for a kiss. “You have no idea how much I needed that.”
“I think I do.”
“Do you?” Josie murmured, kissing her slow and deep as her fingers teased Eve over the lace of her bra.
“Josie,” she gasped. “I’m dying here.”
Josie laughed as she rolled them, landing with one thigh between Eve’s. “Is that so?”
“Yes.” She shifted restlessly beneath her.
Josie slid a hand between them and inside Eve’s underwear, fingers sliding through her wetness. “Yeah, I guess you are,” she whispered, stroking her, and Eve exhaled in relief. Josie’s fingers retreated, and then she was pushing down her underwear, stripping them away, followed by her bra. Their bodies pressed together, hot damp skin against hot damp skin.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Josie’s fingers were back where she needed them, stroking and plunging as she rocked their bodies together, pressing Eve’s body into the sheets with each thrust.
“Fuck.” She squeezed her eyes shut, overcome by the energy building inside her.
Josie’s fingers swirled over her clit, circling until Eve was dizzy with desire, whimpering and writhing beneath her, and then Josie pushed two fingers deep inside her. All Eve could do was hold on for the ride. As the pressure inside her finally reached its breaking point, Josie’s fingers stilled. Eve wanted to scream.
“Look at me,” Josie whispered.
Eve opened her eyes, staring into the swirling green-and-gold depths of Josie’s eyes as she thrust her fingers again, sending Eve flying. She came with a cry, hips bucking as the orgasm washed through her, cleansing her of the emptiness she’d held on to for so long, filling her with a breathtaking rush of emotion.
She wrapped her arms around Josie, and they lay like that for several long minutes, arms and legs entwined, Josie’s weight resting warm and solid over Eve’s body. She might have thought she’d feel smothered by it. Eve was a woman who liked her space, after all. But in this moment, with Josie’s body pressing her into the mattress, Josie’s heart beating against her chest, and her breath feathering over Eve’s neck, she felt grounded inside herself in a way she hadn’t in a very long time.
Right now, beneath Josie’s warm weight, Eve couldn’t think. She could only feel. The languid aftershocks of her orgasm, the hum of satisfaction in her veins, the way every cell in her body felt achingly, exquisitely alive. Her arms tightened around Josie, heart thumping against her ribs, tears sliding over her cheeks and trickling into her hair.
She kept her breaths even, swallowing the sob that rose in her throat, desperate to hide this unexpected surge of emotion from Josie. She closed her eyes, breathing past it, focusing on the way Josie’s fingers slid up and down her arm, making goose bumps rise in their wake.
“I could lie here like this all night,” Josie whispered, “except I’m absolutely famished.” As if to emphasize her point, her stomach rumbled loudly.
Eve chuckled. She’d hadn’t consumed anything but whiskey tonight either, although she hadn’t really realized it until Josie pointed it out. “That’s a problem.”
“It’s not, if I can just find the energy to walk to the kitchen,” Josie said with a soft laugh. “I’ve got sandwich stuff in the fridge. I’m usually hungry after a long shift, but last night was so crazy, I never had dinner. I’m not even sure I ate lunch.”
“We should feed you, then.” Eve trailed her fingers up Josie’s spine.
“Come on.” Josie sat up, giving Eve’s hand a tug. She turned toward the dresser beside the bed, and Eve used the moment to wipe the moisture from her cheeks, emotions now firmly in check. Josie pulled open a drawer and tossed Eve a hot pink T-shirt.
Eve lifted it, eyeing the rainbow-colored cat face on the front. “Really?” she deadpanned, arching an eyebrow.
“Would you rather wear this one?” Josie asked, holding up a purple shirt that said I LIKE PUSSY in big letters across the front.
“Nope. This one is good.” Eve tugged it over her head and slid off the bed. The shirt hit her mid-thigh, possibly the most ridiculous thing she’d ever worn.
Josie took one look at her and doubled over in laughter.
“I know you own other shirts,” Eve said.
“Maybe I just wanted to see you in that one.” Josie winked as she led the way to the kitchen. “Do you like roast beef?”
Eve nodded, accepting the package Josie held toward her. They worked in comfortable silence in the kitchen, fixing sandwiches, which they brought into the living room to eat. Outside the window, the sky was brightening with dawn. The clock read 6:04.
“You live like a vampire,” Eve said, taking a big bite of her sandwich. No wonder she felt so delirious. She’d been up a full twenty-four hours at this point, had worked a half day at the office yesterday before Dragonfly’s grand opening.
“It’s not always this bad,” Josie told her with a grin, wiping mustard from her cheek. “We’re only open until four on Friday and Saturday nights. The rest of the week, we close at two, and if I’m really lucky, I’m in bed by two thirty. But yeah, this job has definitely turned me into a night owl.”
“Were you not a night owl before?”
Josie looked wistful for a moment. “I guess I’ve always been a bit of a night owl, but I definitely kept a more normal schedule.”
“What did you do for a living before you inherited Swanson’s?”
“For about a year beforehand, I had been supporting myself on the income from my YouTube channel.” Josie looked down at her plate. “I was a full-time kitten rescuer.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, it helped that I was renting this apartment from my dad, and he was cutting me a deal on rent,” Josie said, her expression a million miles away.
Eve had the uncomfortable impression she’d hit on a sore subject, although she wasn’t quite sure why, unless Josie was just missing her dad. “Did he live here too?”
“He had the apartment on the top floor.” Josie gestured above her head. “It’s much bigger and nicer. I rent it out now. Well, you know that.”
Eve nodded. She had known that. She was just so tired, she couldn’t think straight. As part of her work for Do Over, she’d been over every inch of Josie’s financial records. Which is why you shouldn’t be here now, in a rainbow pussy shirt, eating sandwic
hes in her living room.
“That income helped keep me afloat this year, but you know that too.” Josie smiled sadly.
“I think it’s best if we don’t talk business while we’re dressed like this.”
Josie glanced over at her. “Yeah, right. I didn’t really mean to talk about business, just answering your question.”
Eve turned her attention to her sandwich as an air of awkwardness descended between them, reminding her of all the ways she’d fucked up by sleeping with Josie. This was so much more than sex. She was so screwed. “My mistake for bringing it up.”
18
Josie practically shoved the sandwich down her throat, feeling reenergized now that she had food in her belly. Beside her, Eve had gone quiet, posture stiff, staring fixedly into her water glass. The sight of her here in Josie’s living room, hair mussed, makeup smudged, wearing Josie’s ridiculously big and super-gay T-shirt…well, it was the most beautiful thing Josie had ever seen, but maybe it was too much. Maybe she’d pushed her too far.
She leaned over, nudging her shoulder against Eve’s. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Eve’s shoulders rounded as she tossed a small smile in Josie’s direction. “Me too.”
“You know I don’t give a shit about mixing business with pleasure,” she said, hoping to put to rest whatever was bothering Eve. “And I don’t for a minute expect you to go easy on me when you come in to consult next week.”
“Good, because I won’t.”
“I know you’ll still be brutally honest, because that’s just who you are, and honestly, I wouldn’t want it—or you—any other way.”
Eve was quiet, but the fight seemed to have gone out of her. Now, she just looked tired. Josie could relate. They needed to sleep before it got any later.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m about to keel over,” Josie said, rubbing beneath her eyes, suddenly desperate to scrub off what remained of the makeup the Do Over team had applied.
Eve nodded. “We should sleep. But we should probably feed them first.” She tipped her head toward the kittens. Hamilton and Phantom were awake, crawling around their playpen on wobbly legs.
“Sometimes, I think you know their schedule better than I do,” Josie teased as she stood and went into the kitchen to prepare bottles, bringing their dinner trash with her. Her body felt sluggish, like she was walking through mud, fatigue weighing her down now that she’d finally slowed down enough to feel it.
“I have a knack for schedules.” Eve joined her in the kitchen to help. The T-shirt swamped her petite frame, effectively obliterating the razor-sharp armor she wore day-to-day with oversized cotton and a rainbow-colored cat.
“That you do.” Josie leaned in to kiss her, and Eve sighed as she relaxed into the kiss, her body swaying against Josie’s. Josie slid her hands over that hot-pink cotton, soft from countless washings. It was her comfort shirt, her sleeping in on a Monday morning shirt, and she’d never wear it again without picturing it on Eve.
She also had a feeling she wasn’t going to be ready for this thing between them to end on Monday, but that was something to puzzle over later. She and Eve carried bottles into the living room, each lifting a kitten from the playpen.
Eve held Hamilton, positioning him effortlessly over her knees as she gave him the bottle. She was good at this, although Josie wasn’t sure she’d appreciate having it pointed out to her. Instead, she focused on Phantom. When he was fed and cleaned, she rolled him over, tickling his tummy as he wiggled around on her legs, yawning contentedly.
And then Josie was yawning. “It’s contagious,” she said, giving him a quick kiss before she set him back in the playpen.
“Don’t start that,” Eve warned as she swapped Hamilton for Blanche. “At least not until we’ve finished feeding them.”
Josie watched her, wondering if Eve realized she always reached for Hamilton and Blanche first. You like them, she wanted to tease. And suddenly, she pictured Eve taking them home in a few months. Adopting them. Full circle from the moment she’d pulled them out of that trash can.
Josie lifted Pippin, stroking his gray belly until he woke. He was sluggish this morning, much like Josie herself, and by the time she’d finished with him, Eve was already done feeding Blanche. She’d leaned against the couch with Blanche on her stomach, eyes closed. Blanche had curled up beneath her breasts and was fast asleep, toes twitching.
Josie pressed a hand to her mouth. If she wasn’t so absolutely, positively sure Eve would hate her forever, she would have grabbed her phone and snapped a picture. Instead, she sat there for a moment, just watching them. Eve had to adopt Blanche. It just had to happen.
“Finished yet?” Eve asked groggily without opening her eyes.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Let’s go to bed.” She sat up, sliding Blanche onto her palms and depositing her into the playpen in a move so practiced, it couldn’t have been the first time she’d done it. And the mental image of Eve at home in her apartment, snuggling with Blanche on her couch, was now permanently etched into the mushy, romantic part of Josie’s brain.
“She likes you,” she couldn’t resist saying as they stood.
“Who does?” Eve asked, looking confused. “You mean Blanche?”
She nodded, taking Eve’s hand as they walked to the bedroom.
“She’d like any warm body at this point, I think,” Eve said, and then she softened. “That first night, it was so hard to get her to eat. She was so much smaller than the others.”
“I always have a favorite too,” Josie said, giving her fingers a squeeze. These moments when Eve let her guard down and offered little bits of raw honesty felt like being given a huge compliment, like she’d received something rare. “It’s hard not to.”
“They’re just kittens,” Eve deflected, and Josie let it go.
They took turns in the bathroom washing up. As Josie crawled onto the bed beside her, Eve’s ankle tattoo caught her eye. She traced her fingers over the infinity symbol, thrilled with the newfound freedom to touch her.
“Lisa and I got them together,” Eve said quietly. “Matching tattoos.”
“Oh?” Josie had wondered at the meaning behind it. She paused with her fingers pressed against Eve’s inked skin, hoping to encourage her to continue.
“There was a long time when we weren’t sure when or if we’d be able to get legally married, so we got them to show that our love was forever.”
“That’s beautiful.” Josie slid up to press her lips against Eve’s. Maybe it should bother her that Eve had her love for another woman tattooed on her body, but it didn’t. It seemed like a fitting tribute to the woman who would forever be a part of Eve’s heart. “Thank you for telling me.”
Eve nodded, giving her a quick kiss in return. She was quiet, but her body was relaxed, her eyes calm. Josie rolled over to turn off the light before pulling the sheet over them. Nigel hopped up, landing between them, but she nudged him onto the floor. Not tonight, dude. And then, with Eve curled at a polite distance on the other side of the bed, she closed her eyes, falling almost immediately asleep.
When the alarm on her phone buzzed three hours later, the first thing she registered was an arm tucked around her waist, a warm presence at her back, and the whisper of breath in her ear. Josie grinned. Who would have guessed the ice queen liked to snuggle in her sleep? Careful not to wake her, Josie silenced the alarm and slipped out of bed, tiptoeing to the living room to feed the kittens.
She kept the lights off—although it was fully daylight outside at this point anyway—running through the routine the way she always did in the middle of the night. When she climbed back into bed, Eve had rolled over and was mumbling in her sleep. Josie set another alarm, in case neither of them woke before the next feeding, and drifted back to sleep.
The next time she woke, the bed was empty, and the smell of coffee permeated the apartment. Josie squinted, bringing the clock into focus before her sleep-blurred eyes. It was almost one o’clock in
the afternoon. Ugh. Going to bed at sunrise really threw off her whole day. But, judging by the sounds coming from the kitchen, Eve was still here, and…that changed everything.
Josie stretched, smiling despite the fatigue still clinging to her body. It hadn’t been a good night’s sleep, but there was a very good reason for that, so she really couldn’t complain. She hauled herself out of bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Then, stifling a yawn, she headed into the living room to find Eve—still wearing the pink T-shirt—on the couch feeding Pippin. Nigel sat beside her, watching her intently.
She looked up. “Good morning…or afternoon, depending on your perspective.”
“Yeah. I’m all out of whack.” She dropped onto the couch next to Eve. “Who still needs to be fed?”
“No one. He’s the last.” She rubbed Pippin’s gray head as she looked at Josie, and wow, barefaced-fresh-from-bed Eve was breathtaking. There was a youth and an innocence to her with sleep-mussed hair and Josie’s oversized T-shirt hanging off her left shoulder.
“Thanks for feeding them.”
“Well, since you let me sleep through their last feeding, I figured the least I could do is return the favor.” Eve finished up with Pippin and set him in the playpen, glancing at Nigel, who was still watching her every move. “I’m not sure your cat likes me.”
“Nah, he’s just nosy,” Josie said with a grin.
Eve gave him a skeptical look, then stood to clean up the feeding supplies.
“Want breakfast?” Josie asked as she followed her into the kitchen.
“It’s past one,” Eve pointed out.
Josie shrugged. “It’s what happens when you spend the night with a bartender. We have dinner at six a.m. and breakfast at one.”
“I need to go,” Eve said, rinsing bottles at the sink.
“Got plans today?”
She hesitated just long enough for Josie to realize that if she’d gotten up five minutes later, Eve would have been long gone. “Look, I don’t do this.” She gestured around the apartment at large, glancing at Josie with an apology in her eyes. “Not anymore.”