Hillary turned her head slightly to the right to see the woman Keira had been referring to at a corner table near the window and likely just out of earshot. Keira could guess she was taller than Hillary’s 5’6”. Maybe she was about 5’7” or 5’8”. She was gorgeous. She had long auburn hair that was always done up intricately in some kind of bun or braid. She had nice eyes that were either a dark green or light brown, but they’d never gotten close enough to see which. She was a fashionable dresser. Keira wanted to ask her about a pair of heels she’d worn the last time they’d seen her, but Hillary had begged her not to, out of embarrassment. Keira half-suspected that the reason they came to this café was because of this mystery woman, but she never told Hillary that. The woman looked up and caught Hillary’s eye.
“Shit,” Hillary muttered and turned away immediately.
“Stealthy, Hill,” Keira stated sarcastically and laughed. “I don’t think she noticed at all.”
“Shut up.”
“Just go talk to her. This has been going on for a long time now. I see her staring at you every time we’re here.”
“Come on, Keira. Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know.”
“Don’t know what? I’m not pretending. I’m apparently clueless.”
“I’m not you. I’m not Greene. I’m not Kellan.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Keira asked.
“You know what it means. I love you guys, but do you have any idea how hard it is, being best friends with basically a group of model lookalikes?”
“What? Hill…”
“Hey, it’s cool. I know I’m not runway material. Hell, I’m not even print work in like Albuquerque penny saver material. That woman over there is runway material. She’s probably been staring at me to try to get to you.”
“She doesn’t stare at me, Hill. She stares at you. And stop putting yourself down like that. You’re beautiful, and you know it. On top of that, you’re brilliant, funny, and you’re an amazing friend.”
“I started going to the gym,” she confessed.
“Hillary…”
“It’s not like that. I have high cholesterol. The doctor told me a couple of months ago. I started going after that. It’s for health reasons, and I’m eating better. I’m down five pounds.”
“That’s great, Hill.”
“I feel healthier, and I stopped driving to campus. The walking has helped too. Anyway, I feel better.”
“You look good, Hill. And she’s been staring at you. She must like what she sees. I wouldn’t change too much.” She winked at her.
“You’re hilarious,” she returned sarcastically. “I have to get to campus for my class.”
“Talk to her,” Keira pressed.
“Maybe next time.”
“What if she’s not here next time?”
“Then, we’ll know she was really interested in Leah, the hot barista behind us right now, who told me earlier today was her last day at work,” Hillary returned with a thumb hooked in the direction of the coffee bar and the barista with the Leah nametag on her shirt, smiling at a customer while handing them coffee.
CHAPTER 19
“Hey, are you here yet?” Emma asked into her phone.
“We just landed,” Summer replied. “We’re heading to the house and then over to my dad’s after that. Seth is coming over. We’re all having dinner. Lena is exhausted. She’s been working like crazy lately and just wants a quiet night in tonight. But we were thinking tomorrow night, we could all grab drinks and hang out.”
“I can’t tomorrow night,” Emma revealed as she sat on her sofa. “I have a drinks thing with someone else.”
“Oh, okay. Well, if it’s something we can’t join, we can do Wednesday night. We’re leaving on Thursday. We have to get back for a meeting with the wedding planner in Connecticut. We’re literally home for one night, and then we head there for the weekend.”
Summer and Lena hadn’t been engaged long, but as soon as Lena’s family, the old money types from Connecticut found out about it, they went into ultimate wedding planning mode. Summer and Lena wanted something in Chicago or San Francisco, but Lena’s family had insisted they at least meet with people in Connecticut and consider using their expansive estate for the ceremony. They’d agreed reluctantly because, at the very least, it would get Lena’s mother off their backs.
“It’s not that you can’t join,” Emma returned. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”
“What?” Summer exclaimed. “You are? Why am I just finding out about this now? Wait, you just got there. You move fast.”
“It’s brand new. No one really knows. Well, Hails and Charlie know, but that’s it. We’re having drinks with her friends tomorrow night.”
“Meeting the friends? That’s a big deal,” she said. “Go ahead,” she added, and Emma wasn’t sure that was directed at her. “Sorry, Lena and I are getting in the car. Let me put you on speaker.”
“Hi, Emma,” Lena’s voice rang out.
“Hey, Lena. Welcome back to Cali,” she greeted.
“Thanks. So, what’s going on? Are we hanging out tomorrow night?” Lena asked.
“No, we’re not. Emma has a new girlfriend, and she’s meeting the friends tomorrow,” Summer answered for Emma.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Emma objected. “We’re dating. And yes, I am meeting three of her friends tomorrow night.”
“We could come for support if you think it would be helpful,” Lena offered.
“Or not if we’d just be getting in the way,” Summer supplied.
“That’s true. We don’t want to make it harder for you,” Lena added.
“You two need to sound a little less engaged right now,” Emma joked and picked up a piece of buttery popcorn from the bowl to her right. “You’re basically just talking to each other. I don’t even need to be here for this conversation.”
“Of course, you do. We have to decide if we’re going to your meetup tomorrow.” Summer laughed a little. “I can’t believe you’re already seeing someone. That’s awesome, Emma.”
“She is pretty great.”
“What’s her name?” Lena asked.
“Keira Worthy.”
“Hold on,” Summer said. “Keira Worthy?”
“Yeah,” Emma answered and popped another piece into her mouth.
“I know her,” Summer stated.
“You do?” Lena checked.
“This is awkward,” Summer stated.
“How do you know the woman I’m dating, Summer?” Emma asked. “Did you two–”
“No!” Summer nearly shouted, probably more for her fiancée than for Emma. “We didn’t do anything. She just flirted a lot when I was there working on that convention.”
“Oh, God! She was the event planner that kept trying to get in your pants,” Lena offered.
“She didn’t try to get in my pants exactly. She just flirted and asked me out.”
“She did?” Emma sank back into the sofa.
“But that was before she met you.”
“But when you were with me?” Lena questioned Summer.
“Yes, but she didn’t know that,” Summer answered. “She didn’t know, Emma. She thought I was single. It’s not like she kept trying once she found out I wasn’t. She stopped right away.”
“Well, that’s something.” Emma felt disappointed for some reason.
“Yeah, and nothing happened. I was totally in love with Lena by then, so there was no chance of anything happening. I want to go on the record and–”
“Babe, I get it. You didn’t do anything with her,” Lena interjected and laughed. “Emma, this is weird, huh?”
“Yeah, a little. I haven’t exactly talked about how I know the Summer Taft or anything. I’ve mentioned you guys to her, but not like that. I guess she couldn’t know that I know you.”
“So, it’s cool then,” Summer stated. “It is cool, right? Sh
e seemed very nice. Crazy good at the whole event thing. I just–”
“No, it’s cool. It’s no big deal,” Emma agreed and wondered if that was actually true.
“Drinks or no drinks? I’d totally understand if you didn’t want us there tomorrow night.”
“Let’s do Wednesday night instead. If she’s free, I’ll ask her to join. I’m not 100% sure what her schedule is this week.”
“Okay. Sounds good. We’ll see you Wednesday. And, hopefully, it won’t be awkward that my fiancée was once the object of your girlfriend’s affection,” Lena stated and laughed.
“Yeah, that’s not awkward at all,” Emma replied sarcastically.
They disconnected. Emma set down her phone. Keira had been interested in Summer Taft. Summer Taft, one of the most beautiful women on the planet, who she’d actually slept with once herself and wanted to date there for a while. Keira had flirted with her and asked her out. Summer Taft was brilliant, funny, and definitely incredibly wealthy. Even after starting her venture capital firm with Lena where they’d basically be giving their money away to startups, she’d never hurt for money in her life. Then, there was Emma, who managed to do okay for herself but would still struggle for a while until she got on her feet completely and figured out her living situation and how to afford better. If there had been no Lena, Summer would have gone out with Keira. For some reason, Emma was certain of that fact. They would have gone out and possibly had sex. Hell, maybe they would have ended up together. Maybe Summer would have introduced Emma to Keira as her girlfriend when Emma moved here. Maybe Summer would have moved back to the Bay Area and they would have moved in together and started talking about marriage and the fact that neither of them wanted kids. Her phone rang for the second time this evening, and she picked it up immediately.
“Hey,” she greeted Keira.
“Hi there. What are you up to?” Keira asked.
Emma looked over at her popcorn and said, “Nothing.”
“Nothing and you’d like some company, or nothing and you’d like to be alone?” Keira checked.
Emma wanted to say yes. It was one of those or-questions, but she wanted to say yes. She both wanted Keira there with her and didn’t want to see her at the same time.
“I’m just eating popcorn. I was about to turn on a movie.”
“Sounds like fun,” Keira offered. “Can I be completely transparent right now?”
Emma sat up a little at that.
“Transparent?”
“Yeah, honest,” she corrected. “I’m downstairs.”
“You’re downstairs? Like, downstairs and outside of my apartment?”
“I had a meeting with a client for a retirement party. The venue is only a couple of blocks away. I thought maybe I could come up and hang out with you. If not, it’s totally okay. I promise I’m not crazy clingy. I really was in the neighborhood. If you’re more into a night alone, can I maybe just get a kiss for the road?” Keira sounded so cute. Cute was Emma’s kryptonite.
“You can come up. I don’t think you’re clingy.”
“Kiss for the road?”
“Or you can stay for dinner. I ordered Chinese about five minutes ago. I’m eating popcorn because I’m starving. You can have some of that too.”
“How generous of you.”
Emma stood, unlocked the door and opened it. She waited a moment until she saw Keira down the hall and hung up the phone.
“Come in.”
“Nope.” Keira moved to stand in front of her.
“Nope?”
“Not until I get my kiss.” She smiled.
Emma smiled back at her. She was completely at this woman’s mercy. She leaned in and pressed her lips gently to Keira’s.
“How’s that?” she asked as she pulled away.
“Not exactly what I had in mind, but I’ll take it,” Keira replied.
“Get in here.” Emma tugged on her hand and pulled her through the door.
Emma closed the door and turned to face Keira, who was dressed how she’d seen her leave that morning. Her heels were navy blue. They matched the pleated skirt she’d chosen. The light blue button-up with thin white vertical stripes was doing something to Emma. The top two buttons had been undone, and there was something about the small wrinkles on the fabric from the long day at work that Emma actually enjoyed. She lowered her eyes as Keira kicked off the heels and wished more than anything she could plaster her to the wall and reach up that skirt.
“You okay there?” Keira teased.
“You know I’m not.” Emma finally met Keira’s eyes and she saw the desire she felt reflected there.
“You can come closer to me.” Keira held out her hand for Emma to take.
“I don’t think I can, actually.” Emma’s feet were rooted to the ground, and she gulped. Keira untucked her shirt as she watched Emma’s eyes remain locked on her own. “That’s not helpful.”
“Emma, come over here,” Keira insisted.
Instead of listening, Emma leaned back against the door.
“Keira, if we’re waiting…”
“I spent all day talking about you.” Keira took two steps toward her. “First to Hillary over coffee, and then to Katie who called about another job but ended up having to listen to me ramble on about you for an hour. Then, to poor Kevin when I went home because I forgot something I needed for my four o’clock.” She took another couple of steps until she was only one step away; one foot away. “I can’t seem to shut up about you or stop thinking about you. More and more those thoughts are turning into thoughts of what you’d look like naked, what you’d feel like naked, and what I want to do to you or with you.” She reached out her hands and wrapped them around Emma’s neck. “I’d be lying if I said I stopped by only for a kiss.”
“What did you stop by for then?” Emma asked in a hushed tone while trying to hide her nervousness.
“Emma, I want you.”
“I thought you–”
“I want you,” Keira repeated.
Emma’s hands went to Keira’s waist and pulled her in. Her lips were on Keira’s in seconds, but she was surprised as she tried to switch their positions and flip Keira against the door. Keira held firm in her spot instead. Emma’s hands made their way down to the hem of Keira’s skirt as Keira’s lips met Emma’s neck. She wanted to take her time. She did. She wanted to savor the first experience of touching Keira like this, but her hands disagreed. They went up Keira’s skirt and around the back to cup and squeeze her ass, eliciting a soft gasp from Keira. Keira’s hands were on the move too, though. Emma felt them push on the evergreen shorts she’d been wearing. She found herself wishing she’d changed into something a little sexier when she’d gotten home from work. Keira’s hands worked magic as they pushed them down, revealing the bikinis Emma had on underneath as the shorts fell to her feet. This wasn’t going the way Emma had pictured it, and she had pictured it. She’d pictured them together like this a lot. She’d always been the one making the moves Keira was currently making. Keira’s hands had moved again while her lips continued their welcomed assault on Emma’s neck. They were under Emma’s shirt. Emma hadn’t bothered to put on a bra when she’d changed. Keira’s hands were immediately on her breasts, cupping them as Emma continued to cup Keira’s ass.
Emma gasped when Keira’s thumbs and fingers went to work on her nipples. She was completely thoughtless. The pleasure of another woman touching her this way when it felt like it had been so long was too much to allow actual thought into her brain. She realized that while it had been a while for her, it had been even longer for Keira. Emma wanted to correct that. She wanted to correct that now. Her hands found the zipper on that skirt and yanked it down hard until the skirt fell automatically to the floor. That surprised Keira. She laughed against Emma’s skin, which gave Emma enough of a distraction to spin Keira around and pin her against the door, placing her left hand on the door next to Keira’s flushed face and her right at her waist, toying with the waistband on the white p
anties she wanted to remove.
“May I?”
She moved her left hand to the top button of Keira’s shirt and awaited permission. Keira nodded with her hands being at her sides. She had an expression of shock on her face. Both of Emma’s hands moved to the shirt and undid each button one by one, allowing the shirt to open on its own when she finished. She reached for the sides to pull them off, noticing the white bra underneath. She met Keira’s eyes with her own, enjoying the matching desire in their deeper blue shade.
“Take it off, Em,” she commanded. Emma went to do as she was told. But just as the shirt was beginning its sexy slide down Keira’s shoulders, there was a knock at the door. “What the–”
“I ordered Chinese.” Emma closed her eyes with disappointment.
“Timely delivery.” Keira pulled at her shirt. “We’re in our underwear.”
“Go to the bathroom. I’ll get it.” Emma picked up her shorts and slid them over her legs, feeling the wetness between her thighs as the shorts touched her soaked bikinis.
Keira grabbed at her discarded skirt and ran off to the bathroom in the most adorable way possible. Emma laughed to herself as she watched, but the third knock snapped her out of it, and she turned her attention to the door. She paid, thanked the delivery guy and closed the door, turning back just in time to watch Keira emerge from the bathroom with her shirt half-buttoned – and incorrectly at that, and her skirt back in place, but lopsided.
“Well, that was unexpected,” she commented as she walked toward the living room.
“Sit down,” Emma said and pointed to the sofa. “Let’s eat.”
“Eat? We were kind of in the middle of something there.”
She put her hands back on Emma’s hips. Emma kissed her cheek and moved around her to set the bag of food on the table, picking up the popcorn bowl and setting that on the coffee table.
“Let’s eat. We should talk anyway.”
“About?” Keira’s look of concern wiped away the look of desire that had been there only moments ago.
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