As soon as she let go of the belt, Mo undid her buckle and hitched down her jeans. Her gaze never left Kate as she undressed, and when Kate leaned back on the bed, she shifted on top of her. She’d anticipated a wave of anxiety, but Mo’s body felt like a warm blanket being pulled up to her chin. She breathed in, taking in her scent and willing her body to relax.
Mo’s kisses started at her lips. She moved to her neck and then down her chest. Every place that Mo brushed her lips over tingled. Her tongue made a slow circle around Kate’s nipple before she sucked it between her lips. Kate felt a pulse at her clit when Mo repeated the move. As soon as she’d gotten used to the rhythm, Mo shifted lower.
When Mo kissed the space below her belly button, Kate had to grip the sheets to keep herself from stopping her. She didn’t want to stop her. She knew exactly how good Mo had tasted, how good it had felt to be inside her, and she wanted to let Mo have all of that. Have all of her.
She glanced down and caught Mo’s eyes. She’d kissed in a pattern down to Kate’s middle but hadn’t touched her center yet. Now as Mo held her gaze, Kate desperately wanted to feel her there. She arched her hips up, but Mo only kissed the inside of her thigh. Then she shifted up to kiss Kate’s lips again. Her leg moved between Kate’s and subtly rubbed. She missed the spot Kate really needed to be touched.
“I want you,” Kate managed.
“You have no idea how much that turns me on.” Mo kissed her neck. “You sure this isn’t a dream?”
“Maybe a really wet dream,” Kate said, distracted by the sensation of Mo’s leg between hers.
Mo chuckled. “You saying you’re already wet?”
Kate wanted to show Mo exactly how wet she was. She tried to shift so that Mo’s thigh would press against her needy clit, but Mo adeptly moved her leg.
Thwarted, Kate dropped her head back on the pillow. “Somehow I didn’t see you as a tease.”
“Is that a problem?”
Kate could hear exactly how much Mo was enjoying this. And the truth was, she loved how Mo was making her body beg. Whatever hesitation her mind had about letting Mo run things, it was evident her body shared none of it.
Mo pushed her hips forward, pressing her center against Kate’s. The sudden contact and the feel of Mo’s wetness had Kate clutching the sheets again. “Oh…”
“You like that?”
Kate nodded, licking her lips. She loved the way Mo was looking at her—like she was memorizing this moment. She reached up and brushed a fingertip over Mo’s dark nipple. The tip responded to her light touch, and Mo made a low sound in her throat.
“I don’t want to go slow anymore,” Mo admitted. “I want you…”
“Show me.”
When Mo moved between her legs, Kate closed her eyes. She tried to keep track of everything so she could recall it later—the feel of Mo’s breath on the inside of her thighs, then the sensation of her fingers parting her folds, then Mo’s face dropping between her legs. But as soon as Mo’s tongue whipped against her clit, she knew she wouldn’t remember anything else. She thought Mo would push inside with her fingers, but she didn’t try. She knew what she was doing and even if practice had something to do with it, Kate wasn’t complaining. The way she worked with her tongue, never slowing and changing her pattern as soon as Kate thought she knew what was going on, was some kind of magic. Kate nearly laughed. Mo would love hearing that she was magical. She knew what she doing all right.
Kate felt her orgasm coming. Her breath came in gasps and she reached for Mo, wanting to pull her close at the same time as she wanted her to stay in place doing exactly what she was doing. When the climax hit, Mo pressed inside and Kate felt her body clench, trying to pull her in deeper. She found Mo’s hand, one finger inside, and raised her hips. Mo sank in and a tremor raced through Kate. She gripped Mo’s wrist until her taut muscles finally relaxed and then quickly pulled Mo’s finger out. When she rolled on her side, Mo followed, wrapping her arms around her while she rode out the aftershocks.
Kate wasn’t certain how long they lay that way, Mo holding her as if she worried that once she let go, she wouldn’t get to hold her again and Kate savoring the feeling of someone cherishing her. Time had seemed to slow for them, but she wanted it to stop altogether. This was what she’d been missing all along, Kate thought, not daring to move a muscle. She’d needed Mo more than she’d ever realized.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Mo kissed her cheek but didn’t loosen her hold. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
That night they only made it out of the apartment to take Peeves for a walk. The remainder of the cinnamon rolls and the yogurt sufficed for lunch. Dinner was a package of ramen with fried eggs. Mo added hot sauce and claimed it was delicious, but Kate hardly tasted it. She ate simply because she was famished. Food wasn’t what she wanted. Fortunately it wasn’t hard to convince Mo to take her back to bed. Mo couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
Kate had never spent an entire day having sex. The concept of making love had always seemed theoretical. Sex was an act. It had always felt satisfying in the same way scratching an itch did, but she was no more connected to the person before or after. With Mo, sex changed everything. It altered how she looked at Mo in the mid-morning light, how she felt when Mo took her hand as they said goodbye, Mo promising that she’d be back that evening, and it changed how she felt when she looked in the mirror later. As cliché as it all was, she knew Mo had made love to her. For the first time, she truly felt loved. Not simply desired, but loved.
Mo had said she wanted to go to Chantal’s to pack up a few boxes of clothes, but it was clear from the way she’d barely made it out of the house that she didn’t want to be apart anymore than Kate did. Kate didn’t ask if having sex for hours on end was Mo’s usual routine in a new relationship. None of it felt routine, but if it was, she didn’t want to know. For her, it wasn’t the start of a new relationship. It was the start of the only relationship she ever wanted to have. That thought made her feel ridiculous and she promised herself that she wouldn’t say it aloud. But it wasn’t any less true.
After Mo left, Kate went for a run, showered, and then started a load of laundry. She was too antsy to crack open her laptop or check her work emails and decided to face reality on Monday. For the rest of the day, she wanted to bask in thoughts of Mo and plan for what happened next. When her phone rang, she tried not to get her hopes up that it would be Mo. They could stand to be apart for a few hours at least.
“Hey, Julia. How are you?”
“Wow. I can hear you glowing all the way from here.”
Kate laughed. “I don’t think you can hear that.”
“Trust me. I can hear it. Mo sounded just as lovesick. You know you never called me back yesterday. Hold on a minute,” Julia said. “I’ve got a kitten climbing up my leg.”
“A kitten?” Kate wondered if the fact that Mo sounded that way meant this time was different for her too. She could only hope…
“I convinced Reed that the girls needed a pet. We got two.”
“You got two cats? Why?”
“Because they’re adorable. We just brought them home from the shelter. I’ll send you pictures. We have one orange and one black. They like to cuddle together—you wouldn’t believe the cuteness.”
Kate couldn’t hold back her smile. “You once told me that cats were too much of a commitment.”
“I said that?” Julia laughed. “Don’t tell Reed.”
Kate heard the sound of Carly and Bryn’s voices in the background. “The kids must be over the moon.”
“They are.” Julia sighed. “You know how I also said that I never wanted to be a mom? That was dumb too.”
“You’re an amazing mom.”
“I have my moments.” Julia cleared her throat. “So…I take it yesterday went well?”
Kate wondered if admitting the truth would tempt fate. “You could say that.”
“You’re smiling right
now, aren’t you? Fricking glowing. Ugh.” Julia laughed. “Okay. You two are going to have to give me a minute to get used to all of this. I mean, I knew when she went to Amsterdam with you that you two were probably hooking up, but everything was such a whirlwind when you left and then yesterday…well, yesterday I wasn’t sure how far things had gone.”
“They went pretty far.” Kate tried for a serious expression, but her cheeks ached to smile again. “Does amazing sound too cheesy?”
“I’m happy for you. For both of you.”
“I do have one question…” Kate felt the heat of a blush on her cheeks but she rushed on. “Have you ever asked someone to wear a strap-on? I know Mo has them and we kind of joked about it, but is that something I’m supposed to ask for? How long would you wait? I don’t want to screw anything up.”
“Just ask. And that’s all I’m going to say. From here on out, I really don’t want to think of my two best friends having sex. All I’m going to imagine is you guys cuddling. Mo said that she’d just had the best sex of her entire life, but I made her promise not to tell me any details. I’m holding you to the same rule.”
Kate hopped up and down on her toes. She wanted to let out a cheer. Thank God Mo felt the same way. “So you aren’t upset that we’re, you know, doing this?”
“I’ve been waiting for you two to fuck for sixteen years now. All the tension’s been driving me crazy.” She laughed. “However. I do think we need to talk about her moving in with you. Are you really ready for that? She said that you’d suggested it and that she didn’t want to sleep anywhere else. And I get that it makes sense and everything…”
“But?”
“I think she should rent a room or couch surf with us for a while. Or she could even stay with her mom. I just think it’s too soon.”
“It doesn’t feel too soon.” Kate knew rationally that it probably was too soon, and yet the fact remained that they’d lived together for nearly half of their lives.
“Have you even gone out on a date?”
“We’ve gone out on a hundred dates. I already know I love her. And the sex is—”
“Remember the rule,” Julia interrupted. “Good cuddling. Let me pretend.”
“Life-changing cuddling. How’s that?”
Julia sighed. “But her moving in with you is a big step.”
“I never should have gone to Denver. And I should have kissed her in college. Or I should have told her how I felt when we were in Hawaii last year. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped myself, how I’ve held back. Now that I know she wants me too…I don’t want to let her go. And I don’t want to sleep a night without her.” Saying it all aloud made Kate more certain than ever.
“Yeah. She pretty much told me the same thing. So when are you two having kids?”
“Okay, now who’s going too fast?”
Julia laughed. “I can’t help it. You two are going to be amazing parents.”
“Give us a year.”
“What about kittens?” Julia shrieked. “Damn those claws hurt on the inside of your thigh. It’s a good thing you’re cute.”
“Send me a picture.”
“I will. And sweetie, whatever you and Mo decide about moving in together…I know you two are meant for each other. It’s always been that way.”
As soon as Kate hung up the line, a text from Mo flashed on her screen: Can I pick you up at six? The movie starts at eight thirty.
I can’t wait, Kate texted back.
I love you.
Without hesitating, Kate typed: I love you too.
She stared at the texts for a long moment and then took a screenshot of the image. Sixteen years later and finally it was easy to say those words. But they weren’t only words. Mo had her heart.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
“You sure you’re up for Aunties’ Night?” Reed had asked the question more than once. “Bedtime can be rough.”
“Are you kidding? We’re gonna have a blast,” Mo said. “And it’s only one night.”
“What could possibly go wrong, right?” Julia laughed even as she said it. “We’ll leave the girls’ insurance cards on your kitchen table just in case.”
“Along with the list of emergency numbers,” Reed added. “And I’ll have my phone on me. You can call anytime. I’ll keep it on vibrate during the concert.”
“We’ll be fine,” Kate said. “In fact, you’re going to be jealous that you missed out once you hear about all of our adventures. Mo’s got about two weeks worth of activities lined up for the kids.”
“And after all that we’re going for ice cream.” Mo looked over at Kate and grinned. “You guys are gonna be missing out on a party.”
Just then, Bryn flew past Kate, screaming, “Carly’s it! Hide!”
Reed looked over at Julia and whispered, “So not jealous.”
With Bryn’s screech, Jamal toddled over to Kate and held up his arms. She leaned down to scoop him up just as Michael ran into the room. Not only were they taking care of Reed and Julia’s kids, they’d wanted to include Mo’s brother’s kids as well for the inaugural Aunties’ Night.
“Why aren’t you hiding?” Michael hollered. “Carly’s IT!”
“I got a plan,” Mo said. “As soon as Carly shows up, I’m hiding behind Aunt Kate.”
“Aunt Kate, you better run,” Michael said, bolting out of the room.
“Oh, I plan on it. I’m running behind Mo. She’s going to protect me.” Kate bounced on her toes until Jamal giggled. “Isn’t that right?” For some reason, Jamal let Kate pick him up but screamed whenever anyone else besides his parents tried. It was a personal honor and she took advantage of it by spoiling him every chance she got.
“You look pretty good with that kid in your arms,” Julia said. “When’s Mo getting you pregnant?”
Mo chuckled. “I’m working on it.”
Suddenly Carly burst into the room with a loud, “I found all of you!”
Reed turned and picked her up. She kissed Carly’s head and said, “Be good, sweetie. Mama and I are heading out. If you need us, Aunt Mo will let you use her phone.” As she set Carly down, she added, “Make sure you tell all the kids to eat lots of sugar before bed so your aunties get a taste of reality.”
“Got it. Sugar before bed.” Carly high-fived Reed with a conspiratorial wink and then looked over at Mo and Kate and said, “Don’t worry. My moms like to play the opposite game.”
“That’s what Carly’s telling you now,” Julia said. “Wait until eight o’clock when all the candy in your place mysteriously disappears.” She grinned and hugged Carly. “Love you, sweetie.” As she let go of her, she called out, “Bryn, wherever you are, we’re leaving. We love you. Be good.”
“I’ll tell her when I find her,” Carly promised. She dashed down the hallway toward the bedroom shouting, “Since I found you first, Aunt Mo, you’re it next!”
“Happy Auntie Night,” Reed said, backing up to the door.
“Quick, run,” Julia said, pushing Reed’s shoulder. “Before they have second thoughts!”
As soon as the door closed behind them, Mo turned to Kate. “So…I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?” She was already worried by Mo’s tone. What did she have up her sleeve now?
“You know how it’s Auntie Night? It’s also our six-month anniversary.”
“No, it’s not,” Kate said. “We kissed on…” She stopped herself, quickly doing the math in her head. “Oh, jeez.”
“Yep.” Mo grinned. “And I love you.”
“That’s what you wanted to tell me?”
Mo nodded. She stepped forward and kissed Kate’s cheek. Jamal tried to push her away, but Mo only tickled under his chin and said, “She’s mine, buddy.”
Kate loved it when Mo said those words. Loved when she introduced her as her girlfriend, loved when Mo caught her hand and pulled her close before they walked into a room. All of it. She loved everything about being Mo�
��s girlfriend.
“You know, Julia’s right,” Mo said. “You do look good with a kid in your arms.”
“You’d look good with a kid in your arms, too,” Kate returned.
“If he’d ever let me hold him.” Mo pretended to pout. “Good thing the other three like me. Are you sorry we’re missing the concert?”
“Not even a little bit. I’m with you. Right where I want to be.” Kate looked between Mo and Jamal’s smiling face. Just then, a screech pierced the air and Jamal clapped his hands over his ears. “Sounds like Carly found Bryn.”
Jamal wiggled in Kate’s arms then, asking to be put down. She set him on his feet and he toddled down the hallway in pursuit of the older kids. He paused halfway to the bedroom and looked over his shoulder and waved.
“How is he so cute?” Kate asked, her heart leaping when Jamal smiled at her. “How is it even possible?”
“They make them cute on purpose, you know. To lure you in.” Mo took that moment to step forward and wrap her arms around Kate. “That was my plan all along too.”
Kate smiled. “Well, you succeeded.”
“Do you really think we’re going to survive this night?”
“Are you kidding? We got this.” Kate found Mo’s lips. Kissing her never got old. As Mo’s arms tightened around her, Kate relaxed. She let her lips part and waited for Mo’s tongue to slip across hers.
Mo pulled back and said, “Maybe we should call the parents and ask them to pick the kids up early. I’m suddenly thinking of several other things I’d rather do tonight.”
“Several? Or just one?”
“Okay, maybe just one.”
After six months, they were still flirting as much as they’d done at the beginning. And it was still a thrill every time she realized Mo would do more than tease.
“I did get you something for our anniversary. I just had it in my head that it was next week.”
“You keep me around to remember numbers,” Mo said. “But I think secretly you’re just as good and you like to pretend you’re not so you have a good excuse.”
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