by Fiona Riley
“So, this is just a simple background piece I learned a million years ago.” Savannah spoke quietly. “It’s fairly easy—the notes are very repetitive. I’ll play the low end, and you play the high end. Okay?”
Olivia nodded. She was listening but she was also enjoying how close they were to each other again. She also made note of how fantastic Savannah’s perfume smelled this close. Savannah continued to play with her right hand while she placed Olivia’s fingers on three keys with her left.
“Okay, when I give you the cue, I want you to press this one, then this one, then this one.” She gestured with a nod to each key as she brought her left hand back to the keyboard. “You ready?”
Olivia took a breath and they began to play. Savannah cued her with a nod or a quiet word until the end of the song, at which point Savannah sped up her playing and reached her left hand between Olivia’s to strike one last note to finish the song. She held the note before releasing the pedals slowly and pulling back her hand.
Olivia caught Savannah’s hand as she tried to pull it back. Olivia entwined their fingers and pulled their hands into the space between them on the bench. “Thank you. That was fun.”
Savannah looked down at their joined hands. The outside of her hand pressed lightly against Olivia’s thigh. “Anytime.”
That sexy, low purr was back again.
Olivia was convinced that she would do just about anything Savannah asked in that tone. It was addicting. She was pretty sure she could listen to Savannah read the phone book and still get turned on.
Savannah reached for her wine and sipped it as her thumb rubbed along Olivia’s skin. “How was the club?”
“Fine, it was fine.” Her eyes flickered to Savannah’s lips on the wineglass. She was envious of the goblet. “Devon met some cute cowboy.” Savannah nodded and hummed. She offered the glass to Olivia, which she took and sipped at before she continued. “Reagan met some barely dressed blonde. Needless to say, it was an interesting cab ride back here.” She placed the glass on the piano and shifted in her seat so she was straddling the bench and facing Savannah. She was careful to maintain their hand position.
“And you?” Savannah asked as she mirrored Olivia’s new position.
“And I, what?”
“Did you meet anyone interesting?” The question came across as nonchalant, but Savannah’s gaze was focused on their clasped hands, not Olivia’s eyes. It was as if she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer. Olivia thought that if their roles had been reversed, she would have been jealous. Could Savannah be jealous? The thought amused her.
She squeezed Savannah’s hand lightly and pulled it onto her leg as she slid forward a bit. She pressed Savannah’s palm flat against her thigh and laid her hand on top of it to hold it there. “No, my thoughts were elsewhere.”
Savannah looked up at her, an almost hungry look in her eyes. Olivia met her intense gaze until Savannah broke the stare and reached for her wine. She dragged her thumb along the seam on the inside of Olivia’s knee as she hid her mouth behind her wineglass.
Olivia felt herself starting to get warm. It was hot in there, in the darkened corner of lounge, in the middle of the night, with Savannah’s hand on her thigh and her finger teasing along the seam of her jeans. She felt positively sweltering.
“Well, I’m sorry you were distracted.” Savannah wore a sinful smile as she placed her glass atop the piano again and squeezed Olivia’s thigh.
“No, you’re not,” Olivia challenged and slid forward that last inch until their knees were touching. “You’re not sorry.”
Savannah licked her lips and bit her bottom lip as she whispered, “You’re right. I’m not.”
That was all Olivia could take. The closeness. Savannah’s hand on her knee. Those eyes. That tongue wetting her lips. Her perfect fucking teeth pressing down on that bottom lip. That sultry voice. That was it. She leaned forward and tilted her head to hover close enough to Savannah’s mouth to feel her breath against her lips.
“Me neither,” she whispered before closing the distance and pressing her lips against Savannah’s.
Chapter Twelve
Savannah froze and her eyes fluttered closed as she felt Olivia’s plump lips press against hers. At first, she just stayed there a moment until her body caught on to what was happening and responded fully. She pressed into the kiss and let out a soft hum. She felt Olivia squeeze the hand Savannah held to her thigh while her other hand trailed up to cup Savannah’s cheek. Any hesitation Savannah had about deepening the kiss fell by the wayside when Olivia teased her tongue against Savannah’s bottom lip. All the teasing and the taunting caught up with her and before she realized what she was doing, she was pulling Olivia into her body, up onto her lap.
Olivia’s surprised gasp only fueled Savannah’s desire. But when Olivia leaned forward and sucked hard on Savannah’s tongue and lips, Savannah worried that things were escalating too quickly.
“Savannah. Please.” Olivia moaned against her mouth and she forgot everything else. She tugged her closer and positioned Olivia’s legs on hers so their centers were almost touching. The kissing itself was fucking mind-blowing, forget the fact that Olivia molded against her like this was a well-choreographed dance they both knew. Olivia whimpered and rolled her hips against Savannah’s, and all Savannah could do was scratch up her back to keep her close. The feeling was incredible. She had no idea how badly she had wanted Olivia pressed flush against her like this.
“Jesus,” Savannah murmured and broke the kiss to explore the soft skin of Olivia’s neck. She’d wanted more than anything to suck on that skin earlier in the bathroom. And since they’d already crossed the kissing boundary, she figured she might as well experience the rest of the forbidden territory.
Savannah latched on to Olivia’s pulse point and Olivia shuddered in response, pulling Savannah’s mouth back against hers. Olivia’s plump, pouty lips overwhelmed her. The gentle rolling of Olivia’s hips picked up and Savannah let herself experience all the things she’d daydreamed about doing to Olivia if she ever got the chance. She slid her hand into Olivia’s thick curls and tugged gently, pulling her head back to expose more of her neck. Olivia rewarded her actions with a deep moan, and one hand dropped from Savannah’s jaw to her waist. Olivia clawed at the waistband of her jeans and Savannah pulled her closer still, desperate to increase their contact.
Olivia rolled her hips harder this time and Savannah ached at the friction. Olivia’s heaving chest against hers was hypnotizing enough without the insistent roll of her hips. Savannah licked along Olivia’s jaw and breathed in deeply her scent, a mix of alcohol and perfume and sweat. She couldn’t get enough of it. She reclaimed Olivia’s lips with a more forceful kiss encouraged by Olivia’s hands at the back of her neck. Olivia scratched at her hairline and Savannah’s insides tightened. She pulled Olivia’s bottom lip between her teeth and sucked it into her mouth as her palm moved from Olivia’s back to her ribs. She massaged along the flesh of her rib cage before teasing her thumb along the outside of Olivia’s breast.
“Fuck.” Olivia hissed and Savannah moved her hand forward a little more, just barely cupping Olivia’s breast through her shirt. Olivia shivered and Savannah felt the grinding start to catch up with her.
“You have the best lips.” Savannah tried to slow down the kiss. She could practically feel the heat of Olivia’s center pressing against hers with each and every roll of Olivia’s hips. Savannah was more than turned on. She was on fire. But if they continued this little game of kiss and grind, she would come right here on this piano bench, fully clothed, like some overly hormonal teenager on a first date with a hot girl. And Olivia was most definitely a hot girl. Savannah had to stop this before it went too far.
Before she had a chance to slow things down, Olivia shifted on her lap and shuddered. Savannah paused their kissing to glance down. In this position, Olivia’s crotch was directly against her belt buckle. She rolled her hips forward against Olivia’s to test a theory, and O
livia shuddered again and this time a throaty moan accompanied the reaction.
Savannah rolled against her again, because hearing that moan was positively heavenly.
“Savannah.” Olivia’s tone was a warning and she considered her options. She wanted more than anything to see Olivia come undone from her touch. She wanted to taste her and experience every tremor of pleasure she could with Olivia. But not like this.
She leaned forward and licked the shell of Olivia’s ear as she whispered, “As much as I want to make you come, this isn’t how I imagined it happening.”
Olivia turned her head and captured Savannah’s lips. Her hands took Savannah’s and guided them to her cheeks. Savannah cradled her face, and the desperation slowly melted out of the kiss and their lips moved against each other’s almost sweetly as they gasped in unsteady breaths. Olivia was cradled in Savannah’s arms, partially sitting on her lap, as her hands combed softly through Savannah’s hair, and Savannah felt safe and at home in her embrace. When she tucked her face into the side of Savannah’s neck and kissed the skin softly before nuzzling it, Savannah wondered what she’d done to find such a magical creature. Whatever it was, she’d do it a thousand times more if this was the outcome.
Savannah let out a contented sigh as she let the smell of Olivia’s shampoo and perfume soak in. She wrapped her arms more tightly around her and dipped her head to kiss Olivia once more.
“So, about that thing you said before”—Olivia was so close she could feel her breath across her lips—“tell me about that.”
“Which thing? The thing about you having the best lips?” Savannah couldn’t remember if she’d said all the things she was thinking. Part of her hoped she hadn’t. Her mind was a complicated place when it came to Olivia.
“No. That’s a fact.” Olivia kissed the edge of her mouth. “I meant the part where you told me you imagined this.” She gestured between them before she reached forward and traced her fingers along Savannah’s collarbone. This time it was Savannah’s turn to shudder. “I want to hear more about that.”
Savannah took Olivia’s hand in hers to try to gain some composure. She helped Olivia slide off her lap and put a little space between them on the bench. She felt shy all of a sudden. She took in a deep breath and reached for her forgotten wineglass. As she sipped its contents, she weighed the pros and cons of being honest in this situation. She handed the glass to Olivia, who brought it to her lips to drink as Savannah replied, “I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t. It’s crossed my mind a few times.”
Olivia’s lips lingered on the wineglass and Savannah worried she’d shared too much. Olivia merely smiled behind the glass. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Well, now. “Oh, do you?” Savannah took the glass from Olivia and placed it aside. She caressed Olivia’s cheek with her thumb as she asked, “Anything in particular you’d like to share?”
Olivia pressed her index finger to her lip in thought, then replied, “Um, there may be a daydream about the drafting table that seems to continually occur…”
Savannah quirked an eyebrow at her. That was it. She would never look at a drafting table the same way again. And considering they would be around a lot of drafting tables the next few months, that would make things very difficult. Savannah frowned as that thought went from a very naughty place to one of a painful realization: they were going to have to continue to work together, for months.
Savannah’s hand left Olivia’s cheek and a look of concern crossed Olivia’s face. “What’s wrong?”
She exhaled as she stood from the bench and shifted uncomfortably in her now wet underwear. She pulled Olivia up to her and wrapped her in a tight embrace as she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. She held it for a few moments as she willed her brain to forge this into her memory. She wanted to remember the feeling of Olivia’s full lips on her own. The feeling of her body close. The smell of her perfume. All of it.
She sighed as she ended the kiss. “I frowned because this really can’t happen, Liv. We are going to be working together for months, and I can’t focus around you as it is. I mean, forget about me being able to sit at a drafting table with you,” she teased before rolling her eyes in frustration. “I’m sorry, but this just…it just can’t.”
“Okay. I’m going to stop you there. This can happen.” Olivia gestured between them again. “In fact, it is happening. We can’t exactly deny the chemistry, Savannah. It’s palpable. What’s the harm in giving it a chance?” Olivia seemed convinced. Savannah wasn’t so sure.
“And what if it doesn’t work out—” Olivia’s lips were on hers again and she forgot how to form words.
“And what if it does?” Olivia had a point. “Look, I realize we both have a lot at stake here. You’re a client I hope to build a long-term relationship with. You have to deliver an unbiased evaluation of our work. But as long as we can be up front about how things are going and try to be realistic, we can handle this like adults.”
Savannah still wasn’t entirely convinced, but the feeling of Olivia’s lips on hers was too good to resist. “Let’s make a deal. Why don’t we see how things go? No expectations. Just two people—”
“Who happen to be insanely attracted to each other,” Olivia supplied.
“Right. Just two people who are insanely attracted to each other, working together, and seeing how things go.” Savannah wasn’t even sure she was making sense in this moment. Olivia had that effect on her.
“Perfect.” Olivia paused. “Why do I get the feeling that the kissing has ended for this evening?”
“Because it has.” Savannah wanted some time to think about this a little more. She couldn’t think with Olivia’s breathy little pants in her ear.
Olivia pouted and Savannah felt her libido start to dial back up. “Liv. You’ve got to put that pout away if you want us to remain friendly.” Savannah rubbed her thumb over Olivia’s protruding bottom lip. “Because that pout is really hard to ignore.”
Olivia nipped at her thumb. “I have enough friends, Savannah.”
She’d walked right into that one. “Fair enough.”
Olivia smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the edge of her mouth. “Just think about it. Think about it and know that I think you are smoking hot and want to have lots more of these piano lessons.”
Savannah chuckled as Olivia stepped back and began slowly walking away backward. “Have a good night, Liv. See you in the morning for your flight.”
And just like that she was alone again with her thoughts at the piano, feeling no more in control than she had the moment Olivia had entered her life. And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t mind not being in control.
* * *
Savannah accompanied them to the airport the following morning, not out of obligation, but more out of a desire to see Olivia once more before they parted ways. She wanted to make sure things were okay between them. Well, as okay as nearly dry-humping your colleague to climax in the dark corner of a hotel lounge could be okay.
Devon and Reagan had both shrugged off their guests from the night before as they stumbled into the car, with hair disheveled and sunglasses firmly planted over their eyes. Farrah just laughed at them, making comments about them reaping what they sowed. Olivia laughed that infectious, bubbly laugh and shook her head. Savannah didn’t miss the way her eyes drifted to Savannah’s in the rearview. That small smile on her lips told Savannah that things would be fine, but she still felt a little unsure.
Last night had been…hard. It had been hard keeping her hands to herself. It was hard not violating the piano with Olivia sprawled out on top of it. And it was hard walking away. It had been hard. No way around it. She’d had to force herself to go back to her room alone. Even then, she was restless. Her hand had wandered to the waistband of her pajama pants in an attempt to quell the throbbing Olivia left her with. But she decided against it. She needed to release some of this tension, but she didn’t know how she felt about releasing it to thoughts o
f a woman just a few doors down who was probably in the same frame of mind. That felt a little too real for Savannah to stomach. How easy it would be, to knock on her door and decompress together. Needless to say, she slept like absolute shit. Vivid dreams of hazel eyes and full lips and moaning in her ear kept her up most of the night. She wondered if Olivia felt the same way. She hoped she did.
When they finally arrived at the airport, Savannah started to regret her decision to tag along. She wasn’t exactly sure how the whole good-bye thing was going to go.
She hugged the team and thanked each of them for their hard work. She told them she looked forward to their next project, which was just a few weeks away. It wasn’t like her to hug people, but she wanted to uphold the farce so she could embrace Olivia once more without it seeming odd.
Olivia smiled at her. She stepped into Savannah’s open arms and whispered, “Last night was both lovely and awful—I didn’t sleep a wink.”
Savannah smiled and pulled Olivia closer. “Something on your mind?”
Olivia leaned back and stepped out of the embrace but remained close. “Yeah. You. And those gorgeous piano fingers.”
She was going to make this excruciating, wasn’t she? Savannah decided she liked Olivia more in this moment than ever before. “You have no idea the amount of beautiful music these fingers can make.”
Olivia glanced over at her team, who appeared to be joking with Ernesto, before looking back at Savannah with her eyebrow raised.
Betraying her intention to keep things friendly, Savannah leaned close once more to add, “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”
“I’d like that.” Olivia’s expression was earnest.
“Ready to go, Liv?” Reagan asked behind dark shades as she gingerly rubbed her no-doubt throbbing head.
“Yeah, let’s go. See you later, Savannah. Thanks for seeing us off.” Olivia gave her a wave and linked arms with Reagan as she headed into the airport.
Savannah watched them disappear around the corner and hoped she hadn’t made a big mistake.