I can’t speak. My throat is parched. I nod. Without realizing it, I’m slowly moving forward. My lips part. She leansin too when the shrill of my phone alarm makes us both jump.
“Shit. The brownies!” I sprint from the room.
The scent of freshly baked fudgy brownies is mouth-watering, yet I can hardly focus on it. My mind is spinning.
“Do you need any help?” Casey’s zipper is at her belly button, her jacket splayed open and exposing her lingerie and perfect breasts. I stumble and lose my grip on the pan. It clatters forward, and I lunge to catch it. The pan thankfully rights itself with minimal damage to the brownies, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Clumsy,” Casey teases. She’s at my side, having also jumped forward when I almost ruined the dessert. Yet, the longer I stare at her chest, I have a different dessert in mind.
I tear my gaze away from her body. “I’m going to call it an early night.”
“What?” Casey’s forehead crinkles. “Why?”
“Because I … I’m sorry, Casey. I never should have asked you to stay last night. You should have gone to Lily’s.”
Casey frowns. “What’re you talking about?”
“I can’t stop staring at you,” I say, exasperated with a gesture at her perfect tits. “You’re so fucking hot, and I’m so turned on I almost jumped you on the couch. Like what is wrong with me? We agreed to one night, so I need to chill. I’m just new to this, and my head and heart are all fucked up. I don’t want to do anything that’ll mess us up, so I’m just going to go to bed, and I promise I’ll be back to normal in the morning.”
“Hey.” Casey rubs my arms soothingly. “Do you regret last night?”
“I … what? No.”
“Good. I don’t either.” Her hands slide down my arms to my hands, and I squeeze them. “Did it help?” At myconfused look, she elaborates. “With moving on from Nina? Even a little bit?”
I open my mouth to answer and snap it shut. I really mull over the question. My gut reaction is to say nothing helps. I’ll never be over Nina. But then I think about this last night. How empowering it felt to have a partner take control of me. I never knew that was an option, because it wasn’t with Nina. She made that clear from the beginning. That was what she liked, and since I didn’t know what I liked, I didn’t know better. Am I really okay with that?
And I hate how much power Nina has over my emotions. Seeing her post all happy and in love with Jamie crushed me, but Casey didn’t let me wallow. She even confided in me something visibly painful for her, something she’s never talked about before, and all to help me feel better. All so I would know it’s possible to find love again. This may not be the most conventional method, but this weekend with Casey actually is helping. So I answer her.
“Yes.”
“Okay.” She interlaces our fingers.
“But this isn’t messing everything up with us, is it?” I ask, desperately. “Like I can’t even eat a nice meal or watch a movie without wanting to fuck you.”
Casey sucks her lips into her mouth as if to saywhoops.“Sorry. That’s my fault.” She smiles wryly. “I’ve been trying to get in your pants all day.”
My mouth falls open in shock.“Casey!”
“I’m sorry!” She laughs. “I know we said one night. But you looked so sexy strutting around my kitchen in this.” She pinches the bottom of my tee, and it reminds me I’ve basically been shirtless since, from the side, you can see every inch of my stomach and sports bra. “What do you think if we extend that one night to while we’re at the lake house?”
My heart pounds. Casey had originally planned an extended weekend, so we’re not headed home for two more days.
“I don’t know.” My body is pissed at me for saying that. “What I said earlier is still true. My heart and head are so messed up. It’s not fair. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“You can’t take advantage of me if I’m a willing participant.”
I sigh with a light chuckle. “Just for the weekend?”
She nods and slips her hands inside the holes of my tee. I shiver at the first contact of her fingers on my bare skin. She pulls me in closer until we’re chest to chest. “Yep. I’m yours for the weekend. Then we’ll go back to being just best friends.”
“You promise?” I ask. “This won’t mess things up between us?”
“I’d never let that happen,” she promises.
“Okay,” I say, and she cups my cheeks to pull me in for a kiss. I place my hand on her chest to stop her. “On one condition?”
She cocks a curious eyebrow.
