by MJ Duncan
The worry in Anna’s eyes did not fade, but she nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Bryn repeated, nodding once in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture. She still felt off as she slipped past Anna to look at the ingredients gathered on the island, but her unease was manageable. She caught Kendall’s eye and nodded reassuringly at her.
She would be okay.
Kendall smiled and turned her attention to Anna. “So, Anna, you ever set a kitchen on fire?”
Bryn laughed at the flabbergasted look that flashed across Anna’s face at Kendall’s ridiculous segue. “Kendall, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who’s managed that one.”
“Do I want to know?” Anna asked in a mock-whisper.
“Let’s just say that bananas flambé is not the best dessert to make when you’re drunk off your ass,” Kendall said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Anna chuckled and nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Well, yeah, in hindsight,” Kendall quipped as she turned on the oven. “Bryn totally freaked out.”
Anna looked at Bryn and smiled. “Can you really blame her?”
“Eh, guess not,” Kendall admitted. “It was a pretty good little fire. But, less talking, more cooking, my lovelies. I’m starving, and I really gotta get back to Portland. You guys have any big plans for the day?”
Bryn shook her head. “Just packing.”
“That’s right.” Kendall frowned. “Is it your usual trip?”
“Yeah. I fly out Monday, fly back Friday,” Bryn said. She opened the carton of eggs and pulled one out. She cracked it open on the inside of the glass bowl and dropped the empty shell into the trashcan.
“What do you need me to do?” Anna asked as she looked at the recipe.
“You can measure out the sugar if you want,” Bryn told her as she pulled another egg from the carton.
“When are you going to start to harvest?” Kendall asked.
Bryn cracked a second egg into the mixing bowl. “Gerald says the numbers on the refractometer and Brix are close to where we want them to be, so we could be able to begin harvesting as early as next weekend.” She smiled at the look of confusion on Anna’s face. “The refractometer measures sugar levels, and the Brix test measures acidity.”
“It’s all very science-y,” Kendall added.
“Sounds like it,” Anna said.
Bryn shrugged. “Anyway, I should be back in time for the harvest.”
“Good.” Kendall nodded. “Because if they made you miss the beginning of it again this year like you did last year because of their stupid meetings, I’d fly out there and go full-lawyer on their asses."
Bryn glanced at Anna, who looked both interested and purposefully nonchalant as she measured the scoop of sugar with far more seriousness than the task required, and shook her head as she looked back at Kendall. “While I appreciate the offer, it’s fine. I only need to deal with it all a few times a year, I’ll survive.”
“You better,” Kendall said.
“I’ve made it this long, haven’t I?” Bryn asked, only half-jokingly.
Kendall nodded. “Yes, you have.”
“Yeah.” Bryn sighed. “Anyway, enough talk about Boston. Whose idea was it to start doing the Electric Slide last night?”
Kendall grinned. “You saw that?”
“We did,” Anna confirmed.
“That was all me,” Kendall declared proudly. “Although, I have to say, I was honestly surprised by how quickly we got everybody else on board with it.”
“They all seemed to be having fun,” Bryn said, remembering the way everybody on the dance floor was smiling as they joined in on the dance.
“It was a good night,” Kendall said.
“Yeah.” Bryn looked at Anna, and her memories shifted to the way the lights had sparkled in her eyes. Anna’s smile mirrored her own as she murmured, “It was.” She cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Kendall, not trusting herself to keep from kissing Anna if she kept looking at her like that. “Get the blintzes from the freezer?”
Kendall bowed. “As the lady commands.”
The rest of the preparations were made amongst much lighter topics of conversation, and Bryn just sat back and watched the way Anna and Kendall traded one-liners and playful quips. They would seek her comment every once in a while, but for the most part they were more than willing to carry the conversation themselves, both understanding that while she enjoyed having them there, she needed some time to find her comfort within this new dynamic.
By the time the soufflé was pulled from the oven, she had found her equilibrium and was able to join-in with the conversation more freely, trading her usual snarky barbs with Kendall as she and Anna stole little touches and shared shy, happy smiles. Breakfast went so well, in fact, that by the time she walked Kendall to the door to say good-bye, she was nearly convinced that everything would be okay.
“She’s good for you,” Kendall murmured, glancing over Bryn’s shoulder at Anna as she pulled her into a light embrace.
“I know,” Bryn whispered.
Kendall’s gaze was serious when she pulled away. “Good luck on your trip. Call me if you need me.”
“I will,” Bryn promised.
“And call her if you need her.”
Bryn rolled her eyes and nodded. “I will.”
Kendall smiled. “Good.”
Twenty-Eight
Bryn picked through the collection of suits and other business attire that occupied the far back corner of her walk-in closet, trying to decide what to take with her. The suits were all nearly identical—each of them crafted of ridiculously expensive dark fabric that was tailored to fit her in a way that made her look powerful and commanding—and she shook her head as she ran her fingers along the sleeve of a blazer. She did not miss putting this armor on every day, but it did help her feel better prepared to face what was waiting for her back in Boston.
She eventually chose two black jackets—one solid, one with charcoal pinstripes—and then pulled two pairs of slacks and a pencil skirt to match each. Five silk blouses—three white, one a pale gray that was nearly silver, and one baby blue—were next to be added to her collection, and she hugged the clothes to her chest as she knelt down to pick up a pair of black stilettos that would go well with everything she had chosen with her fingertips.
She took a deep breath as she pushed herself to her feet, and paused in the doorway to her closet when she saw Anna relaxing on her bed. Anna looked so peaceful in repose with her hands folded behind her head and her legs crossed at the ankle that Bryn could not help but stop and stare, absolutely enchanted by the small, serene smile that was curling Anna’s lips. She looked perfectly at home there on the side of the four-poster bed that had never before cushioned the weight of a tired body, and the longer Bryn watched her, the calmer she began to feel.
Seconds ticked by into minutes as Bryn just stood there, watching Anna, certain that she could feel the weight of her stare and grateful that she allowed her this moment. So much had changed between them in the last day, and yet, as Bryn’s gaze swept over Anna’s lithe body, she was struck by the realization that there was a lot that had not changed as well. She was attracted to Anna, yes, but just being around her filled Bryn with a familiar feeling of tranquility that she had come to cherish over the last few months.
“You okay?”
The question was just loud enough to carry across the room, and Bryn smiled as Anna’s eyes finally opened to look at her. “Yes.”
“Good.” Anna’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she sat up and leaned against the headboard. “This bed is incredible.”
“It is,” Bryn agreed. The memory foam mattress had been ridiculously expensive, but with how well she slept every night, it was money well-spent so far as she was concerned.
She crossed over to the bed where her suitcase lay open beside Anna, and laid her clothes onto the dove gray patterned duvet. She folded the clothes and carefully set them inside the bag
with a precision that ensured there would be no wrinkles for her mother to criticize. She had no doubt that her mother would find plenty of other things about her to find fault with, but she would take any victory she could get when it came to the next few days. Lingerie, toiletries, and pajamas were next to go in, then Bryn studied the contents of her suitcase for a moment to make sure she had everything she needed before she nodded once to herself and flipped the lid shut.
“You sure you’re okay?” Anna asked.
“Of course.” Bryn zipped the bag closed and hefted it off the bed to set it in front of the footboard. She still needed to pack her briefcase, but she could just do that in the morning before she headed out.
Anna’s expression was one of quiet disbelief, and Bryn sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and shrugged.
“I’m fine,” she assured her softly. “Going home is never a particularly enjoyable experience, but I am as okay as it is possible for me to be on the eve of such a trip.”
Anna shook her head as she patted the bed beside her. “Come here.”
“What?” Bryn asked as she crawled onto the bed. Anna’s arms wrapping around her felt like heaven, and she hummed under her breath as she snuggled into her side.
“Why do you go back if it bothers you so much?”
“Because I don’t have a choice.”
“You can tell them no,” Anna pointed out.
Bryn laughed. The sound was hollow and devoid of mirth, and she shook her head. “Unfortunately, I truly cannot. My parents are quite…”
“Demanding?”
That was, while an understatement, certainly true, and Bryn nodded. “Yes. I don’t expect for you to understand, but it’s just…easier, if I go back every three months for their meetings.”
“Even if you hate it.”
“Exactly.” Bryn sighed. She did not want to think about Boston. Did not want to think about the interminable meetings and stifling dinners she would be forced to endure. It was all a small price to pay in return for her relative freedom in the time between trips, but she did not want to dwell on any of it now. “Can we just not talk about any of that?”
“Of course.” Anna stroked a gentle hand up and down Bryn’s back. “What would you like to talk about instead?”
Bryn shrugged and turned to look at Anna. She smiled at her as she ran a gentle hand down the line of her jaw, delighting in the way Anna’s eyelids fluttered as she leaned into the touch. She dragged the pad of her thumb over Anna’s plump lower lip, her eyes glued to the way the soft skin yielded to her. They had been doing nothing but talking for the last three months, and what she really wanted was to feel Anna’s lips pressed against her own again.
She leaned forward until her mouth hovered over Anna’s as she stared into her eyes. Her heart pounded at the feeling of Anna’s breath tumbling against her lips, her anticipation growing with every shallow breath she took. The rush she felt as she lingered there, letting the moment build, watching Anna’s eyes darken with every passing second was intoxicating. She felt reckless and powerful as Anna’s breath began to fall in faster, more ragged puffs of air against her lips, and she hoped that it would always be like this.
She nuzzled Anna’s cheek and whispered, “I don’t want to talk at all,” as she finally closed the distance between them to capture Anna’s lower lip between her own.
“Bryn…” Anna breathed when she finally pulled away.
Bryn smiled and brushed her lips over Anna’s. “Is this okay?”
Anna licked her lips as she threaded her fingers through Bryn’s hair, pulling her back for more. “Yes.”
Bryn’s head swam with every thrust of Anna’s tongue against her own, and she fisted the collar of Anna’s sweatshirt as she moved to straddle her lap, desperate to be as close to her as possible. The feeling of Anna’s hands running over her back and behind as they kissed was electric, and she groaned when Anna’s hands wrapped around her ass and pulled her closer.
Her heart, which was already racing, threatened to beat right out of her chest at the feeling of Anna’s fly rubbing between her legs, and she could not stop her hips from grinding against the pressure. She swallowed the sound of Anna’s whimper of pleasure as their kisses became hotter, deeper, and wetter, Anna’s hands latching onto her ass as she rocked against her. She ran her hands over Anna’s chest, palming her breasts, lifting, squeezing, the desire throbbing between her legs pounding harder and harder with every whimper and moan that tumbled from Anna’s lips.
Bryn sucked in a ragged breath as Anna’s mouth dropped to nip at her pulse point, and she turned her head to the side, offering more skin for Anna to devour. “Yes…”
Anna groaned and leaned her forehead against Bryn’s shoulder. “Fuck, Bryn.” She sighed loudly and looked up at Bryn, an awed smile curling her lips as she ran a tender hand along the length of Bryn’s jaw.
“Oh, Anna…” Bryn smiled and leaned forward to reclaim Anna’s lips with her own. This kiss stayed slow and sweet despite the undercurrent of desire that was still pulsing between them, and Bryn licked her lips decadently when she finally pulled away. “Wow.”
“I’ll say,” Anna murmured, leaning her head back against the headboard. “You are so beautiful.”
Bryn blushed. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You are, too.” She rolled her eyes at how awkward she sounded, but the feeling of Anna’s hands wrapping around the top of her thighs in a firm yet gentle hold coaxed them back open.
“Hi,” Anna murmured playfully.
Bryn rolled her eyes. “Hello. I’m sorry I’m so—”
“Perfect? Amazing? Wonderful?” Anna interrupted. She shook her head when Bryn opened her mouth to argue. “You can’t argue with me on this, I’m a doctor. I know.”
Bryn laughed in spite of herself. “You’re ridiculous.” She sighed and ran a hand along Anna’s jaw. “You could do so much better than me,” she whispered, the fear that had lingered at the back of her mind ever since she kissed Anna the night before spilling from her lips before she could hold it in.
“Bryn.” Anna lifted her right hand to cradle Bryn’s face, the gentle touch enough to make sure that Bryn would not look away. She smoothed her thumb over Bryn’s cheek and shook her head. “I wish you could see how incredible you really are.”
“I’m not.” Bryn closed her eyes.
“You are.” Anna kissed her tenderly, lingering in the touch, letting it convey the sincerity of her words. “You’re smart and funny. You’re successful. You’re a total badass on a horse. You dress up like Natasha Romanoff for Halloween…” She ran the tip of her nose along the side of Bryn’s. “You have a big, kind heart, and a smile that somehow manages to melt mine every time I see it. Honestly, Bryn, I can’t imagine anyone more perfect than you.”
Bryn wanted to argue, but Anna kissed her again with so much affection that her argument died in her throat. Anna’s kisses were soft yet demanding, her hold gentle as she kissed Bryn again and again, each caress conveying more emotion than the one before. Bryn’s heart was beating slow and heavy in her chest by the time their kisses slowed to a string of chaste, lingering pecks, and she sighed at the way Anna nuzzled her cheek as she held her close.
She knew what the problem was, of course, beyond Anna’s inability to see her many flaws—she was happy, and it terrified her.
“Stop thinking,” Anna murmured, brushing her lips over the hollow at the base of Bryn’s throat.
Bryn shivered at the feeling of Anna’s tongue fluttering against her skin and closed her eyes against the emotion bubbling in her throat. “How do you know I’m thinking?”
“You’re always thinking,” Anna answered, the words falling with the gentle weight of butterfly wings against Bryn’s skin. She pressed a wet, open-mouthed kiss to the point where Bryn’s clavicles met and added, “Except for when you ride. Then you’re just…”
“A machine?” Bryn offered. She had spent so many years being drilled by exacting instructors that she knew he
r every movement atop a horse was robotic.
“Poetry in motion.” Anna nipped at Bryn’s throat. “Let’s go for a ride.”
Bryn frowned and pulled her head back to look Anna in the eye. “A ride?”
“Yes, Nakamura.” Anna kissed Bryn again. “A ride. You need to relax, and I promised you a date today.” She smiled and combed her fingers through Bryn’s hair. “I like this,” she murmured, brushing their lips together. “A lot. But I don’t want us to rush into anything. And if I stay here, kissing you like this—” She kissed Bryn again and sighed. “I’m not going to want to stop. Hell, I don’t really want to stop now. But I think we should.”
Bryn’s stomach fluttered as she stared into Anna’s eyes that shone with desire tempered by concern, and took a deep breath as she nodded.
They had time.
There was no reason to rush.
“Okay,” she agreed softly. “Okay.”
Twenty-Nine
Bryn twirled her pen between her fingers and tried to look like she was interested in the report in front of her. She stretched in her seat, arching her back to try and alleviate the ache that was beginning to form, but it did not help. After spending five and a half hours on a plane, the last thing she wanted was to be subjected to quarterly earning reports, but she knew better than to say anything. Her opinion was something that she could only express if she were asked for directly, and even then she knew better than to say what she was actually thinking. Things went much more smoothly if she just sucked it up and toed the party line.
She blinked, trying to refocus her attention. She pursed her lips as she sat up that little bit straighter, schooling her expression into one of rapt attention. She glanced through her lashes toward the head of the conference table, and was not at all surprised to see that her father was watching her. His lips were drawn in a hard, disapproving line, and she redirected her attention to the report in front of her.
She needed to focus.
She bit her lip and leaned forward, trying to force herself to be interested in the CFO’s detailed report even as her thoughts wandered back to Washington. The night before had been perfect—after riding around the entire perimeter of her property, they had returned to the house for dinner, and they spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch watching a movie on HBO about people in giant robots battling aliens. Their kisses had remained soft and sweet, and even in a boardroom three thousand miles away from home, the memory of those tender exchanges of affection made Bryn’s chest feel light.