by A. L. Brooks
“Hey.” Ash pulled back from the kiss. “Are you okay?”
Carmen nodded and wiped at her eyes. “I am. I’m just so happy. So incredibly happy.” She inhaled deeply, then bit her bottom lip. “I’m in love with you, Ash. Completely and utterly in love with you.” She looked a little afraid, as if unsure what Ash’s response might be.
Ash’s heart swelled with emotion. She’d dared to let go, to allow herself to love this woman, yet she’d still feared, deep down, that her feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. Hearing Carmen say those words and be the first to say them out loud meant everything. “It’s true for me too. I love you. And I think I have for a while now.”
“Oh, Ash.” Carmen seemed to melt into her. She wrapped her arms around Ash and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss that rapidly became so much more. Soon they were perfectly entwined once again, skin hot and slick, mouths fused together as they explored each other’s bodies. Their tiredness was set aside as their passion soared, and later—much, much later—they whispered their words of love once more and held each other close as sleep claimed them.
Epilogue
Ten months later
Carmen gripped Ash’s thighs and couldn’t help smiling as Ash swore softly above her. Soon, darling, soon . She focused back on her task and marvelled once again at how aroused making love to Ash could make her . Her own needs would have to wait, though; there wasn’t even time for this, but Ash had looked so ridiculously sexy when Carmen had awoken, she hadn’t been able to resist.
Moments later she upped her pace, rewarded by a long, wrenching groan and then, seconds after that, Ash’s hips launching off the bed and her familiar guttural groan as she orgasmed. Carmen kissed her way back up Ash’s body until she was wrapped in her arms. Their lips repeatedly met in soft kiss after soft kiss.
“You,” Ash said in between kisses, “are so good at that.”
“It helps that it’s my absolute favourite thing to do to you.”
Ash kissed her once more. “And yes, amazingly there was time for that. You were right. But now we really do have to get going, my love.”
“I know. But thank you for indulging me.” Carmen shot her a cheeky smile.
“Oh, trust me, the pleasure was all mine.”
Two minutes later, they were rushing around the house, showering, packing the last items into their suitcases, and skipping coffee because there definitely wasn’t time for that. Since moving in with Carmen, Ash had become the master of their morning routine, timing their coffee-making to perfection to fit with their leaving times—but not on days when Carmen ambushed her with morning sex. Carmen knew Ash wasn’t ever going to complain, though, and she grinned at the thought.
Finally, they were out the door into the waiting cab. The ride out to Heathrow was relatively quick, and soon they were at the check-in desk.
“And you’re flying to Vancouver today, yes?” the clerk asked as they handed over their passports.
“Yes!” Carmen said excitedly, and beside her Ash chuckled.
The check-in clerk, a young woman with flawless make-up and beautiful blonde hair, smiled at Carmen. She finished weighing and tagging their cases and handed back their passports. “Have a great time.”
“Thank you!”
“You,” Ash said as they walked away from the desk, “are being very cute right now.”
“Am I?”
“You are. You’re like a kid on Christmas Day.”
Carmen laughed and hugged Ash to her. “Well, I can’t help it. This is so exciting!”
Ash kissed her. “It is. I’m so happy we’re doing this.”
“Me too. Now, as you have left us plenty of time until boarding, of course”—Ash snorted with laughter—“that means I have time for a nice look in the shops once we’re through security.”
When Ash hung her head in her hands, Carmen guffawed.
They passed through security, then found a brasserie to have lunch. It wasn’t until they sat down and arranged their hand luggage items near their feet that Ash asked the question Carmen had been anticipating ever since they’d left the house.
“Where’s your laptop case?” Ash frowned deeply. “Have we left it somewhere?”
Before she could launch into full panic mode, Carmen placed a hand on her arm and gave her a warm smile. “Calm down. It’s at home. Deliberately.”
Ash stared at her. “Seriously?”
Although Carmen had done well to restructure her business, she still pulled some rather long hours two or three days a week. It was starting to ease, however, now that she’d hired not one but two more assistants, allowing her to enjoy her new home life a tad more. Ash had moved in about three months ago, and they were definitely still in their honeymoon phase. Although, Carmen thought, that hadn’t worn off since Tamsyn and Maggie’s wedding, and she honestly couldn’t see it doing so for a long time yet. If ever.
“Yes, seriously.” Carmen leaned forward and took Ash’s hand. “This is our first big trip together. I didn’t want any interruptions. So I had a long chat with myself and my three assistants and decided that this vacation is really going to be just that. A vacation.”
“And how long did you hyperventilate after making that decision?” Ash’s eyes twinkled.
“Oh, about three hours.”
Ash laughed and tugged her closer for a quick kiss across the table. “You’re amazing, and I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Their hotel in Vancouver was a delight. Only two blocks from the waterfront, it wasn’t cheap, but they’d decided they could splurge for their three nights there.
Carmen rolled over to Ash’s side of the huge bed and kissed her good morning.
“How did you sleep?”
Ash blinked a couple of times. “That is still being assessed. You?”
Carmen laughed and stretched. “I slept great. Want some coffee?”
The promise of coffee seemed to do wonders for Ash’s state of consciousness, and she was quickly up and wrapped in one of the hotel’s complimentary robes. While they sipped their coffees, they took the time to send some messages home, having promised a plethora of people that they would keep them up to date on their adventures. Given it was late afternoon in the UK and still school holidays, they weren’t surprised when various responses pinged back almost instantly.
Carmen read hers and smiled, her heart expanding with every moment. “Felicity says hello and says that Peter is whisking her off to the south of France next week to celebrate their six-month anniversary.”
“I like that man.”
“I do too. He’s good for her.”
Ash snorted as she read something on her phone. “Message from Damian. He says you’re not working hard enough to break me of my terrible travel habits if we had nearly three hours to kill at Heathrow before boarding.”
Carmen laughed. “Did you tell him I engineered it that way so I could go shopping?”
Ash’s expression brightened. “No! But I should. This. Time. Not. My. Fault,” she mumbled as she tapped.
Carmen swallowed back a ball of emotion at her next message. “The next one’s from Tristan.”
Ash’s looked up. “Yeah?”
Carmen took a breath before reading it aloud. “Mother’s invited both of us to Christmas lunch this year! Says it’s about time she got to know the man I love. I nearly died! Seems like you being with Ash has softened the old girl a bit. Thank you, thank you, thank you for deciding to come out to her too.”
Ash stared at her. “She’s invited Jean-Pierre? Seriously?”
Carmen sucked in a breath, her eyes dampening. “It appears so.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. She’s really getting there, isn’t she?”
“I think so. I know it’s hard for her, but I’m so glad she’s finally making the effort.” She wiped at her eyes.
Coming out to her parents had been mildly scary. She’d briefly considered never doing so, thinking that perhaps it would make fo
r an easier life. But she knew that would be unfair to Ash. When her mother had seemed sad that, once again, Tristan had declined Christmas lunch because he wanted to be with Jean-Pierre instead, Carmen had taken that as her cue. One Sunday she had told her parents about Ash, and her mother had taken the news calmly and matter-of-factly. Carmen didn’t know if that was because her mother found it easier to think of two women together rather than two men or if she had softened her opinion. Her invite for Tristan’s partner to be welcome at the next Christmas seemed to suggest the latter, which thrilled Carmen.
“Well.” Ash leaned across the small table to give her a kiss. “I think it’s great. Certainly, I’m happy—I never fancied heading into the lion’s den alone this Christmas.” Ash gave her a look of mock horror.
Carmen laughed. The next message was from Monica telling her everything was under control and not to worry, and she laughed some more.
“Sophie sends her love. She’s all excited because Courtney is taking her shopping tomorrow for new sneakers.” Ash grinned. “With rainbow laces. Apparently, Courtney’s saying she might get some too.”
“No! That’s amazing.”
Ash nodded, her smile wide. “It is.”
They looked at each other for a moment, and Carmen knew Ash was thinking exactly the same thing: We are so lucky .
“So, um, before we head out to pick up the rental car, I have a surprise for you.” Ash walked round to Carmen’s chair and held out her hand.
Carmen allowed herself to be tugged upright. “What’s going on?”
Ash blushed. “Well, I kind of wanted to treat you to something. Something special. Just because.” She pulled Carmen into her arms. “I love you, and I always want to make you happy.”
“Oh, you do, my love. Always.” Carmen kissed the tip of Ash’s nose.
“Good. But I figure it can’t hurt to add a little extra in now and then.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Carmen laughed.
“I upgraded our car. To a convertible. I know that was your dream, so…”
Carmen gazed at Ash, her love for this woman consuming her. How did I get so lucky? “You…you are incredible.” Tears pricked at her eyes.
Ash held her close. “I think maybe we’re just incredible together.”
“We are. And I don’t ever want that to stop.” Carmen’s heart thumped as Ash grabbed her and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow.
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About A.L. Brooks
A.L. Brooks was born in the UK but currently resides in Frankfurt, Germany, and over the years she has lived in places as far afield as Aberdeen and Australia. She works 9–5 in corporate financial systems and her dream is to take early retirement. Like, tomorrow, please. She loves her gym membership, and is very grateful for it as she also loves dark chocolate. She enjoys drinking good wine and craft beer, trying out new recipes to cook, and learning German. Travelling around the world and reading lots and lots (and lots) of books are also things that fight for time with her writing. Yep, she really needs that early retirement.
CONNECT WITH A.L. BROOKS
Website: www.albrookswriter.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/albrookswriter
Twitter: @albrookswriter1
E-Mail: [email protected]
&nbs
p; Dare to Love
© 2020 by A.L. Brooks
ISBN (mobi): 978-3-96324-362-2
ISBN (epub): 978-3-96324-363-9
Also available as paperback.
Published by Ylva Publishing, legal entity of Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Owner: Astrid Ohletz
Am Kirschgarten 2
65830 Kriftel
Germany
www.ylva-publishing.com
First edition: 2020
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Credits
Edited by Sandra Gerth
Cover Design and Print Layout by Streetlight Graphics