“Thank you,” I stammer, flushed, overwhelmed. “I…I hope you and Norine are happy together, too.”
Juliette’s cheeks flush Quinacridone Red, and she ducks her head, her mouth flickering with a sweet, bashful—entirely unJuliette—smile. “We are. I’m…I’m so lucky to have found her. She keeps me in line. And, well, the sex is epic.”
Despite myself, I laugh softly and feel my body begin, incrementally, to relax.
Juliette watches me for a moment, her large eyes shining with unshed tears, and then she shifts her gaze to my portrait on the wall. “She adores you, Molly. It’s…it’s there in living color. Look at that: she captured your soul. And your gorgeous, Princess Charming smile…”
She looks at me again, her expression clouded, closed. “I miss your smile. I miss you. But you were right—we weren’t good for each other. No amount of wishing could change that fact.”
“No,” I whisper, sighing out. “It couldn’t.”
Vaguely, I notice Norine angling toward us, making her way through the crowd with two wineglasses in her hands.
“Well, anyway…” Juliette places her fists on her hips and gives me one last once-over, blonde brows raised. “I love the dress, and I love Ash’s art, and I love y—” She pauses, exhales, and lightly shakes her head. “And… And I love that you’re finally happy, Molly. Deep down, it’s all I ever wanted for you. I swear.”
“I got you a Shirley Temple,” Norine says, as she appears at Juliette’s side. “Want to check out the buffet table? I’m starved. We haven’t eaten since rehearsal, and Kyle said there’s a pretty phenomenal spread…”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Juliette tells Norine softly, offering me a small smile before she and her girlfriend fade into the ever-moving throng.
For a moment, I stand silent and dazed, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, thinking nothing… But then the scent of wildflowers and peppermint wafts into my nose, and I whirl around to fall into Ash’s arms.
“Did you see—”
“I saw.” Ash tightens her grip, resting her chin on the top of my head. “Are you all right?”
I press my face against Ash’s chest, gently stroking her tie between my fingers, and nod. “I am. I think… I think I needed that. I needed to know that she had moved on, that she was happy. That it all meant something, you know? That it all happened for a reason.”
Ash breathes out, says nothing for a long, weighted moment. And then she draws back from me to delve into my eyes with her soft grey gaze. “You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever known, Molly Mason. You’re…” She gestures toward my portrait with a shaky sigh. “You’re my muse. You inspire me to be better than I am… So much better.”
“Ash, you inspire me—”
Our mouths collide hotly, passionately, as the gala attendees mill around us, as the Flaming Maggots’ music blares, as, somewhere, Terry frets, and Pauline laughs, and Brad gazes at her adoringly; as Juliette and Norine drink and stuff their faces with fingers sandwiches and strawberry-topped cream puffs …
I kiss Ash until I forget where we are and why we’re here; all I know is us, is this finite yet infinite moment, in which I have all time, forever, to love the love of my life.
“I’m mad about you, Ash Rosenburg,” I whisper against her mouth, cherishing the soft warmth of her body pressed to mine. “I love you…”
“Not half as much as I love you.”
I don’t know how long we stand there together, holding one another, oblivious to the chattering crowd, but suddenly I become aware of Terry approaching us—looking shockingly calm, his mouth drawn into an ear-to-ear grin.
“Soooo, my ladies,” he begins, resting a hand on both of our shoulders, “what do you say we celebrate our considerable monetary success after this shindig dies down?”
“What did you have in mind?” I ask him, laughing lightly and returning his triumphant smile.
“Big Ones all around, my treat? The Ice Cream Palace is going to close for the season next week, so I figure we ought to give that All-Stars wall one last go. Up to the challenge?”
Ash and I exchange a glance; her grey eyes glitter. “I’m always up for ice cream,” she smiles. “What do you say, Molly? Are you in?”
“I’m so in.” I give Terry a high-five, give Ash another kiss—which embarrasses Terry so much that he mumbles something about needing to go search for his wife—and then gaze up at my portrait again, chewing on my bottom lip thoughtfully.
“What are you thinking?” Ash asks me, hugging me from behind. “Do you mind that I put your portrait in the exhibit?”
“No, no… I’m…touched, flattered. I just…” I sigh out, leaning my head back against her shoulder so that I can meet her misty grey eyes. “I want to be able to offer the same gift to you.”
“You mean—”
I turn around in her arms and give her a resolute kiss. “I want to paint you, Ash. But I’m rusty, and I’m going to need some serious instruction… Know of any charitable teachers offering lessons for the artistically challenged?”
“Mm.” She arches a brow, mouth slanting into that slow, knee-melting smile. “I’ve got a teacher in mind who I think will be a perfect fit for you…”
“She’s a perfect fit, all right.” I take both of Ash’s hands and entwine my fingers with hers, then kiss the backs of her palms. “What do you say I schedule an appointment with her, then—say, tomorrow night? 6:00?” I wink. “Clothing optional?”
Ash’s grey eyes darken as she draws me close, claiming my mouth—and, for the hundredth, thousandth time, my heart. “All right, Wonder Woman,” she growls into my ear, grinning against my cheek. “It’s a date.”
The End
The following is an excerpt from The Ghost of a Chance, a romantic novel by Natalie Vivien about a woman who learns to love again, available now! If you enjoyed Drawn to You, you will love The Ghost of a Chance!
I bump open the swinging dining room door, balancing a tray of hors d’oeurves on one hand while gripping the neck of a chilled bottle of wine with the other. "Alis, where should I put these—" The wine nearly slips from my fingers and the tiny cucumber sandwiches slide all over the tray as my eyes fasten to Alis standing beside the picture window, her hands clasped lightly before her, her dark head piled with curls and tilted sweetly to the side.
The sight of her, for a measureless moment, stills my heart.
"Do I look all right?" She tugs at the narrow belt of her shimmering blue sheath, flicking uncertain glances in my direction. "I thought about buying something new, but then I remembered this dress… I got it years ago, for a party at Jason’s co-worker’s house, but Jason made me take it off before we left home. He said it looked cheap."
"Jason’s an idiot." I swallow, meeting her questioning, hopeful gaze. "You look radiant, Alis. Beautiful."
She laughs nervously, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Well, I’ve always loved this color, but Jason—"
"Forget Jason." I toss the tray to the sideboard beside the rest of the hors d’oeuvres and put the wine bottle on the dining table. The table looks festive, set with a white tablecloth, white china, and gold napkins, lined down the center with squat silver vases full of sumptuous red roses on a shimmering gold runner. The chandelier above, the room’s only illumination, throws flame-shaped, undulating shadows to the wine-colored walls.
I move toward Alis and, breathing deeply, reach for her hands, my eyes lingering over the blue beauty of her curves.
"Is it too much?" she whispers, staring down at our clasped fingers and anxiously stroking the back of my hand. "Should I change—"
"Never change. This dress was made for you." My voice is low, and I try to smile at her, try to lighten the mood, but my lips won’t cooperate: they part, longing…and I take small breaths, unable to remove my gaze, unable to let go of her hands.
"Darcy..."
"Alis."
"That was the doorbell. Just now. I think a guest has arrived."
; I blink, dazed, staring into her wide, bottomless blue eyes. "Doorbell?"
"Didn’t you hear it?"
I catch her scent in the space between us. A lush floral perfume. Jasmine, I think. "No. I didn’t—"
But the doorbell rings again, and, for better or for worse, I do hear it this time. Our hands fall away as we fall away from each other, our eyes roaming the laden sideboard and the sparkling, expectant table, looking everywhere, at everything, except at one another.
"I’ll get it," I say, gruff, turning to leave the room.
"Darcy, wait."
I glance at Alis over my shoulder, heart skipping, brain shrieking at me to go, to leave, to ignore my impulses and be rational, to remember Catherine.
Alis smiles softly, shyly. "I just wanted to say—you look beautiful, too."
I stare at her for a moment longer before flicking my gaze to my A-line dress—the red dress that Alis found in my closet months ago, the one I had refused to wear. Its neckline plunges daringly low, but I suppose I’m feeling daring tonight, careless. Reckless. It’s Christmas Eve, and my life is a ghostlike thing; none of this feels real, so I’ve begun to treat it all like a dream. In dreams, nothing matters. Nothing lasts. In dreams, the whole world vanishes the moment you open your eyes, and all that’s left is a weak remembrance of something once known, now forever lost.
I breathe out, catching Alis’ eyes and smiling faintly. "Thank you."
Find The Ghost of a Chance on Amazon!
More from Natalie Vivien:
Gillian's Island: Shipwrecked on a deserted island with a gorgeous woman...what could possibly go wrong? A heartwarming, romantic romp.
The Vampire Next Door: (Co-written with author Bridget Essex) Courtney's book store is failing, and she thinks her girlfriend might be cheating on her...Courtney doesn't even think she believes in love...that is, until she meets the vampire next door.
Heart-Shaped Box – Can a chance meeting lead to lasting love? A heartwarming, romantic novella.
The Ghost of a Chance – What if a new woman walked into your life while you were still haunted by the woman you'd lost? A poignant, passionate novel about love, loss and letting go.
French Lessons – Would you have the courage to restart your life—and give love a chance—in a completely foreign country? A novel full of romance and mystery, set in the provincial French countryside.
Love Stories – Escape for an hour or two in the tender, passionate pages of Love Stories. In her first collection of lesbian romantic short stories, Natalie Vivien offers nine romantic tales of love found and broken hearts mended. Each story features a woman who finds herself altered—and empowered—by love.
The Thousand Mile Love Story – Would you take a thousand mile road trip with your best friends...and the ex who broke your heart? A novel about two women who fall in love all over again, and the funny mishaps a thousand mile road trip can bring.
For the Love of Indiana – It all started with one crazy, disaster-prone dog... A funny, romantic novel about a very bad dog, and the two women he brings together!
Falling for Hope: The Hope Stories Collection – A sweet, romantic series of stories about a group of women who go camping, and the two women who fall in love.
These and more are available now.
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About the Author
Natalie Vivien writes love stories, because she lives a love story that inspires her every day. Together with her wife, author Bridget Essex, for over a decade and married for over eight years, they are madly and passionately in love, and build a good, cozy life together with several fur babies who get away with murder because they're so adorable.
Natalie and Bridget founded Rose and Star Press in 2014, a publisher of lesbian romance and fiction of distinction. Lesbian romance is Natalie's life's work, and she hopes very much that you enjoyed Drawn to You.
Learn more about Natalie at http://natalievivien.wordpress.com or send her an email at [email protected].
Learn more about Rose and Star Press, publishers of lesbian romance and fiction of distinction, at http:///www.LesbianRomance.org
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