“This must have hurt like hell.”
Sullivan chuckled. “I had to show up the guys I cooked with. Look here.” Interlaced with the geometric patterns on Sullivan’s inner arm was a date. Kia recognized the year. She wasn’t sure about the day.
“This is…?”
“The date we graduated.”
“Did you get it because that’s the date we graduated or because that’s the day we first kissed?” Kia liked the confidence in her own voice, and she’d be okay with Sullivan saying,The date we graduated. That was the correct answer.
“I thought it was the day we graduated.” Sullivan cupped Kia’s face. “Now I think it might be the day we first kissed.”
Sullivan leaned in and kissed Kia softly. When Kia responded, Sullivan pressed against Kia, their thighs touching. Now it was Kia who gasped in pleasure. They kissed for a long time. (Sullivan had to be entranced, since she was definitely wasting water.) Kia’s body relaxed. Her legs melted. She was one with Sullivan and the water and the world. This must be what Sullivan meant when she talked about being in her body. It was wonderful.
“Is there anything you do or don’t want to do?” Sullivan asked, pressing a kiss to Kia’s temple. “We don’t have to go any further than you want.”
“All I want—” Kia took Sullivan’s face in her hands and kissed her fast but deep. “Is to learn how to be point six percent betterthan you at sex.”
“I think I’ll enjoy teaching you, and I don’t mind coming in second again.”
Upstairs in Sullivan’s room, Sullivan turned on the baseboard heater. They both shivered.
“Usually, I’d go a little slower, but do you want to get under the covers now?” Sullivan asked.
Kia was already diving under the covers. “Why are sheets always cold?”
Sullivan climbed in next to her, and they wrapped their arms around each other, luxuriating in the heat of their bodies. They kissed, their bodies pressed together. When the room warmed up, Sullivan pushed the covers down.
Sullivan kissed with her whole body. She swirled around Kia until it felt like every part of Sullivan’s body touched every part of Kia’s. Kia could feel Sullivan’s desire mounting. Sullivan’s breath grew faster, her touch was gentle, but Kia could feel her straining to move slowly. And she was so wonderful. Kia wanted to pull away and say,Do you know how perfect you are?She wanted to give Sullivan everything Sullivan wanted, everything she needed.
It was perfect until Kia realized that every time she thought about kissing Sullivan’s neck or stroking her thigh, Sullivan was kissingKia’sneck or strokingKia’sthigh. She felt like a commis chef right out of culinary school working alongside a master. Then the lawsuit flashed into her mind like a spam call. She was getting sued. Sullivan was saving her ass. Now Sullivan was doing everything in bed. If Kia didn’t do something sexy, Sullivan would lose interest.
Sullivan stopped kissing her and lay beside her.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry,” Kia said.
“What for?”
“I really want this.”
“But…?” Sullivan asked, cupping Kia’s face so Kia had to look at her.
“I’m…” Kia couldn’t tell Sullivan that her heart, soul, and body wanted to be in the moment, but her mind had decided that, right now, it needed to remember the difference betweenmaterial issueandissue of purported fact.
“Is it hard to relax?” Sullivan asked.
“It’s not that I don’t want this. I totally want this.”
“But you’re human, and it’s hard to stay in the moment when you’ve got the whole world banging on your door?”
How did Sullivan sum up Kia’s chaotic emotions in one sentence?
“I got you,” Sullivan said. “Can I rub your back?”
The offer was too delicious to resist. Kia promised herself that next time—please, let there be a next time—she would do everything for Sullivan. But right now Sullivan straddled Kia and began massaging her back, slowly, as though she was trying to tell Kia she could rest under Sullivan’s touch for as long as she needed. After a few minutes, Kia’s mind relaxed. Desire surged through her. Suddenly Sullivan’s weight on her ass was a sensual tease. She pressed up against her. Sullivan groaned. Kia thought she could feel Sullivan’s wetness.
“Do you want to know what I do when you’re not in the house?” Sullivan whispered.
