by Stone, Anna
“Eve,” she said. “Was it you?”
Eve tilted her head to the side, studying Faith. “Was what me?”
“Was it you, the other night at Lilith’s Den? In the corset?” Faith searched Eve’s eyes. They gave nothing away. Was she wrong? Had she imagined it all? “I have to know. Was it you?”
Eve didn’t answer her at first. She just stared back at Faith, holding her in place with her gaze.
Finally, Eve spoke.
“Yes. It was me.”
Chapter Seven
F aith stood frozen on the spot. She knew it. Eve and the woman in the corset were one and the same. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her,” she blurted out. “About you. About how much I wanted you to be her—”
Eve pressed her finger to Faith’s lips. “Wait.”
Faith nodded. Eve removed her finger. Faith’s lips tingled.
Eve walked over to the door, shut it, and returned to Faith’s side. “Tell me again. What were you saying?”
Faith spoke softly. “Ever since that night, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” She looked into Eve’s eyes. “I want you so badly, Eve.”
Eve brought her hand up, her eyes smoldering, and drew it down Faith’s cheek. “From the moment I laid eyes on you at Lilith’s Den, all I’ve wanted to do was make you mine.”
A tremor went through Faith’s body. In the space of a heartbeat, Eve’s lips were on Faith’s, kissing her so furiously that she had to grab onto Eve’s shoulder to steady herself. Eve’s fingers curled in Faith’s hair, her other hand around Faith’s waist, pulling her close.
She closed her eyes, letting Eve’s lips and arms engulf her. Eve’s hunger and intensity took Faith back to that night at Lilith’s Den the moment their eyes had met. This was the woman in the corset, the one who had made Faith breathless with just a glance. This was the woman who had filled her daydreams with all kinds of wicked images.
This was the woman who had made her realize she wanted something she never, ever thought she’d want.
Faith swept her hand up the side of Eve’s neck, her other hand tightening around Eve’s waist. Eve’s body pressed against hers, pushing her back into the window. Faith trembled. The glass was cold against her bare shoulders, but the rest of her was on fire.
Eve slid her palm down Faith’s chest, grazing it over her breast. Faith’s nipples tightened under her dress. She slid her hand down the swell of Eve’s hip, feeling the fullness of her curves. Eve grabbed hold of Faith’s ass cheek, drawing her impossibly closer. A desperate murmur fell from Faith’s lips.
Eve ran a hand down Faith’s thigh, her fingertips seeking out the hem of Faith’s dress. She dragged it up Faith’s leg. Faith’s pulse sped up. Was this really happening? Were they really doing this, here and now, just a few rooms away from a party full of people?
Eve broke away. Conflict and desire swirled behind her eyes, mixing with the greens and browns of her irises. “You want this?” It was as much a statement as it was a question.
“Yes,” Faith said. “More than anything.”
Eve kissed her again, hot and hard. Her lips still locked on Faith’s, she slipped her hand between Faith’s thighs. Faith’s grip on Eve’s hip tightened, heat flaring within her. She pushed back against Eve, spurring her on.
Breaking the kiss, Eve pulled Faith’s dress all the way up to her waist and hooked her fingers into the sides of Faith’s panties, pushing them down past her hips. They fell to the floor. Faith’s whole body pulsed with need.
With painstaking slowness, Eve drew her hand up the inside of Faith’s leg, all the way to the peak of her thighs. She slipped her fingers between Faith’s swollen lips, sending a dart of pleasure through her.
Eve withdrew her hand and brought it up before her eyes. Her fingers were wet with Faith’s arousal. “You really do want me.” She drew her fingers down the center of Faith’s chest, leaving a trail of her wetness down between Faith’s breasts.
“Yes, I want you.” After denying it for so long, Faith couldn’t stop the words from spilling from her. “God, I want you.”
Eve slid her hand down again. Faith’s breath hitched, her head tipping back against the window. Eve ran her finger up and down Faith’s slit, painting long slow strokes with her fingertips. Faith’s hands scrabbled at the glass behind her. Eve’s finger found Faith’s hidden nub, strumming it gently.
Faith quivered. Here they were, in a darkened room at a party, with barely a few kisses for foreplay, yet Faith was already throbbing. She’d been craving Eve’s touch for so long now. The hurried, forbidden nature of their tryst only made Faith hotter.
“Yes,” she said. “Don’t stop.”
Eve pulled away, letting Faith’s dress fall back down. “ After all this time, you still haven’t figured me out.” Eve’s voice was a whispered growl. “I like to take control. I like to do things my way. And I don’t take orders.””
Eve took Faith’s shoulders and spun her around so that she was facing the window. Faith gasped.
From behind her, Eve brought her hand up to Faith’s chest, massaging her breast through her dress. “Was that an order, Faith?”
Faith shook her head, too off-balance to speak. Eve’s body was pressed against hers, and with the low-backed dress Faith wore, all that separated their bare skin was the fabric of Eve’s dress. Faith could feel Eve’s peaked nipples through it.
“I wasn’t planning to stop.” Eve leaned in, her breath tickling Faith’s neck. “I was going to tease you until you couldn’t take it any longer. And then I was going to make you come undone.”
A ripple went through Faith’s body. Eve wasn’t even touching her, yet her words made Faith just as hot as when Eve had had her hand between her legs.
“Is that what you want?” Eve asked.
“Yes,” Faith said. “Please. ”
Eve brushed a hand up to Faith’s chin and tilted it to the side, pressing her lips against Faith’s. “It seems we understand each other.”
Once again, Eve drew up Faith’s dress. She traced her hand up the back of Faith’s leg, over her bare ass cheek, then back down to where her thighs met, seeking out her entrance. Faith bent at the waist, resisting the urge to push herself back toward the other woman. Eve seized hold of Faith’s hip, holding her in place .
Faith closed her eyes, anticipation welling inside her. Slowly, Eve entered her, filling her completely. Faith let out a moan, her body threatening to collapse. Eve’s fingers inside her felt so divine.
Eve thrust in and out, sending jolts of pleasure deep into Faith’s body. Faith shuddered and moaned, delirious. Eve’s stroking, curling fingers were unrelenting.
Eve quickened the pace. Faith rocked back against her, one of her breasts escaping from the top of her dress. Eve caressed it greedily. Far too late, Faith remembered they were standing by the window. Was anyone out there, wandering the grounds? She made a feeble attempt to pull the curtain next to her shut, but with Eve’s fingers between her thighs and Eve’s hand kneading her chest, she was so close—
Faith cried out as pleasure crashed through her. She pushed back into Eve, the other woman still surging inside her, and rode the waves of bliss rolling through her body.
Once Faith’s orgasm receded, Eve whirled her back around and brought her lips to Faith’s in a dizzying kiss. Her head spun, the world around her spinning with it. As her post-orgasm haze cleared, all the realizations from the past hour hit her. The woman in the corset was Eve. Faith’s boss. And she’d just given Faith an earth-shattering orgasm up against the window at a party they both just happened to be at.
Eve drew back. “Here.” She bent down, picked something up, and held it out to Faith.
Faith blinked at the bundle of fabric in Eve’s hands. Her panties. “Um, thanks.” She took them from Eve and slipped them back on .
“Is something wrong?” Eve asked.
“I just can’t believe it, that’s all,” Faith said. “It was you all alo
ng. I’ve been wondering ever since that night. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Eve smoothed down her barely tousled dress. “What was I supposed to say?”
“But I asked you about it. That morning, in the kitchen.”
“And I told you the truth. I said I didn’t get up to anything unusual.”
“You mean, you do that a lot?” Faith said. “Put on a corset and go to Lilith’s Den?”
“Every now and then. Not so much lately. I’ve been busy. It’s probably why I’ve never seen you there before.”
“I’d never been there before. I only went there that night because I wanted to catch up with Lindsey.”
Eve raised an eyebrow. “You went to Lilith’s just to catch up with a friend?”
“Yes. I’m not interested in that stuff.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“I mean, I wasn’t interested,” Faith said. “Not at first. But going to that club made me realize how much it all appealed to me. And then I saw you, and I realized how much I wanted you. And god, how I’ve wanted you.”
Faith looked into Eve’s eyes. Eve turned away. The playfulness in her gaze had disappeared.
“We should get back,” Eve said. “Before anyone notices we’re gone.”
Faith’s stomach sank. “Shouldn’t we talk about this?”
As Eve opened her mouth to speak, the door to the library swung open. In strolled Camilla, a glass of wine in her hand .
“Hello.” Camilla walked over to a bookshelf, barely paying them any attention. “Don’t mind me, I just need to grab something.”
“Camilla,” Eve said. “We were just talking.”
Camilla’s eyes fell on the two of them. A smirk crossed her lips. “No need to explain yourselves to me. This is a party, after all. You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.” She looked from one woman to the other. “And it looks like the two of you are having fun.”
Blood raced to Faith’s cheeks. Eve was a terrible liar. Or maybe it was the fact that Eve’s hair was in disarray and Faith’s dress was askew. She straightened it up.
“Here it is.” Camilla plucked a book from the shelf. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
Camilla sauntered out of the room. Faith turned to Eve. Gone was the passionate woman in the corset. The Eve that Faith knew was back.
“I’m going back to the party.” Without a further word, Eve strode out the door, leaving Faith alone in the room.
When Faith returned to the party, Eve was nowhere to be found.
Chapter Eight
W hen Faith returned to work a few days later, her heart was in her throat. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Eve since she’d walked out of the library that night at Lindsey’s party. She had no idea how Eve was going to react.
Faith herself didn’t know how to react. That night with Eve had turned her world upside down. Everything the woman in the corset had awakened in her that night at Lilith’s Den had gone from a half-formed fantasy to an insatiable craving.
She unlocked the front door and entered the house. “Hello,” she called. “It’s Faith.”
She was met with an eerie silence. At this time of the morning, the kids were still asleep, but Eve was usually up and about, getting ready for the day. Faith wandered through the house, peeking into rooms as she passed. Eve wasn’t in any of the lounge rooms, or the kitchen, or the dining room.
Giving up, Faith went upstairs to wake up the twins. Once they were out of bed, she headed back downstairs to prepare their breakfast. At the base of the stairs, she almost ran into Eve.
“Good morning,” Faith stammered.
“Faith,” Eve said. “Are the twins up?”
Faith nodded.
“Good.” Without another word, Eve walked off toward her bedroom.
Faith frowned. Was Eve avoiding her? Faith hadn’t known what to expect from Eve, but this wasn’t it. Just days ago, she’d had her hand up Faith’s dress, whispering all kinds of dirty things in her ear, and now, this? Was Eve just going to pretend nothing had happened between them?
She went into the kitchen and began making the twins’ breakfast. It was all routine now. Usually, Eve would be coming and going, giving Faith instructions. Not today.
A few minutes later, the twins came downstairs. Faith served them breakfast at the dining table and sat down across from them. Midway through the meal, Eve entered the room, greeting the kids and planting a kiss on each of their cheeks before sitting down to talk with them while they ate. Faith tried to catch her eye, but Eve avoided it. She barely acknowledged that Faith was even there.
Hurt welled up in Faith’s chest. She couldn’t believe Eve would be so cold. Faith had given in to all the feelings she’d been resisting for so long. Her longing for Eve. Her submissive desires. She’d exposed her deepest, darkest self to Eve.
And now, Eve was ignoring her.
Faith pushed her feelings aside. Getting upset at work was never a good idea. Then again, neither was hooking up with her boss at a party .
Once the twins finished their breakfast, Faith sent them upstairs to brush their teeth. Eve stood up to follow them out of the room.
“Eve,” Faith said. “Do you have a minute?”
“I need to get ready for work.” Before Faith could stop her, Eve slipped out the door.
Faith scowled. She wasn’t upset anymore. She was mad. She wasn’t going to let Eve brush her off. Eve wasn’t going to make this easy, but Faith wasn’t going to give up.
She helped the twins get ready for school. Today, they were carpooling with a friend who lived down the road, so Faith had to do little more than see them off at the street. Once they’d been picked up, she returned to the house. She had errands to run for the family. Grocery shopping, picking up school supplies. But they would have to wait.
Faith sat down at the bottom of the stairs. She didn’t dare go barging into Eve’s room. But sooner or later, Eve would have to walk past.
After a few minutes, Faith heard the distinctive click of heels on the marble floor. As Eve’s footsteps grew closer, Faith stood up from her hiding place behind the banister, coming face-to-face with Eve.
Eve startled, almost dropping her briefcase. “Faith.” She looked at her watch. “I need to get going.”
“No.” Faith crossed her arms. “You’ve been avoiding me all morning.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“I don’t care.” The intensity in Faith’s voice surprised even Faith herself. “Why are you ignoring me?”
“I’m not ignoring you.”
“Yes, you are. ”
“Fine,” Eve said. “I am.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Faith flinched. “Do you regret what happened between us?”
“Believe me,” Eve said. “That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?” This was like pulling teeth. “You won’t talk to me, you’ll barely look at me. You won’t even be alone in a room with me! If you don’t regret it, then why are you acting like this?”
Eve stiffened. Faith could see the battle going on in her mind. Still, Eve didn’t speak.
“Eve, please! Just talk to me.”
“You want to know why I’ve been avoiding you?” Eve said softly.
“Yes!”
Eve took a few steps toward Faith until they were almost touching. Her eyes blazed. “I’ve been avoiding you because I was afraid that if I was alone with you I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back.”
Faith’s breath caught in her chest. Right there and then Faith realized that the difference between Eve and the woman in the corset had nothing to do with Eve’s hair, or her clothes, or her glasses. It was this. This intensity that radiated from every part of her, from her gaze, to her stance, to her voice. That was what the woman in the corset possessed that Eve didn’t. No, it was in Eve too, hiding behind that prim, proper woman.
All Eve had to do was let that side of her out.
“Then don’t,” Faith said. “Don’t hold back.”
Tentatively, Faith brought her hand up to Eve’s cheek. Eve seized Faith’s wrist in midair. Faith’s heart began to race. They stood there, unmoving, searching each other’s eyes. Eve’s were filled with conflict and lust.
“Don’t hold back,” Faith whispered.
At once, Eve’s lips crashed against Faith’s in a firm, unyielding kiss. Faith crumbled. This was the woman from the other night, Eve and the woman in the corset all rolled into one. This was the woman who made Faith come undone.
She deepened the kiss, clutching at Eve’s neck to anchor herself against the force of Eve’s passion. The hard railing of the stairs pressed into her back, Eve’s body pinning her to it. Her lips parted and their tongues swirled against each other. A soft purr rose from Faith’s chest.
Eve jerked away. “We shouldn’t.”
Faith stifled a groan. “Why not?”
“You work for me. You’re my nanny. And I just got divorced, and the twins… This is all so wrong. ”
“What’s wrong about this?”
“It’s complicated. Believe me when I say this is just a bad idea.” Eve’s voice dropped low. “But I don’t want to stop.”
Eve let go of her briefcase. It fell to the floor with a thump. She pressed her lips to Faith’s again and wrapped her hands up around Faith’s waist, pulling her closer. Her lips traveled down Faith’s cheek. Faith tipped her head back, baring her neck. Eve’s kisses turned into gentle bites. One of Eve’s hands roamed up to Faith’s chest, groping her breast through her blouse. Faith let out a strangled whimper, her hands grabbing at Eve’s curves.
Eve pulled back again. “We can’t. Not now. I meant it when I said I need to go to work. ”
“No,” Faith protested. “Stay.”
Eve shot her a stern look. “What did I tell you that night in the library?”
Faith got even hotter at the thought. “That you don’t like orders.”
“Exactly.”
“Stay, please ?” Faith asked sweetly.
A faint chuckle rose from Eve’s chest. “I would if I could.” Eve took Faith’s wrists and pried them from her waist. “But I have to go. I’ll see you in the evening. We’ll talk then.” Eve kissed her again, then picked up the briefcase. “Don’t forget to pick up milk while you’re at the store. And remember, the twins have a dentist appointment after school.”