She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to decide what to say.
Kate
Your cat is so cute. How did the treats go over?
Kate put down her phone. She was not going to stare at it in hopes Hannah had her notifications on and messaged her back. Once the leftover pizza was wrapped up and in the refrigerator, she picked her phone back up. Her heart was thumping in her chest and sweat pooled on the small of her back.
Hannah
Smoky loved them. How are you? I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to hear from you again.
Kate grimaced. It was too small a town to ghost people. But at the same time, she still thought it was better not to pursue a relationship with Hannah, even though she craved her touch. She might as well go for it. What was the point of having a little liquid courage if you didn’t use it?
Kate
I like hanging out with you, but I’m not looking for a girlfriend. If you’re still interested, I’m free tonight—and if you’re not, no worries!
She hit send.
***
Hannah read Kate’s message a few times. What should she do? She’d been unable to fall asleep without replaying their last night together as she took care of herself. What was the point of torturing herself with wanting Kate when she could be in her bed right now?
Hannah
On my way.
Kate
Putting a rock in the door right now!
Hannah freshened up and threw on a short black skirt and a chunky sweater. She gave Smoky a kiss on the head and laced up her red high tops. Less than a minute later, she was in her car and on her way to Kate.
Thank God the ride is short, she thought as anticipation was making her breasts ache for Kate’s touch already.
She was in such a hurry that she realized when she got to the back door of Kate’s building that she’d left her car running. Hannah ran back to her car, shut it off, and pulled the keys out of the ignition. In less than twenty minutes since she’d gotten the message from Kate, she was at her door.
Kate opened the door and put her hands on Hannah’s face. “I missed this face,” she said, kissing Hannah’s forehead. “I missed the slope of your nose.” She kissed the tip of her nose.
Hannah shivered, needing Kate’s mouth on hers. “I missed your lips, so, so much.”
Kate kissed Hannah slowly and softly, but Hannah was tired of waiting. As they kissed, Hannah noticed the bitter taste of beer on Kate’s tongue.Had Kate only reached out because she’d been drinking?Just as she was trying to sweep that worrying thought out of her mind, Kate used her thumb to brush against Hannah’s peaked nipple.
Hannah’s body and mind were consumed by Kate and her own desires. She didn’t bother to think about anything except the pleasure Kate was giving her with every touch. Time passed in a glorious haze of sensuous giving and taking. When they were finally spent, Kate got up and brought Hannah a glass of water from the kitchen.
“That was incredible,” Kate said, kissing Hannah’s forehead and handing her the water.
Hannah guzzled most of the glass in one go. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was—thirsty for this woman and for water. A small voice popped up in her head: Was this enough for her? Was she truly satisfied being a fuck buddy?
Kate flopped down on the bed next to Hannah, and they faced each other. “It’s super late. You can stay over if you want.”
Hannah wanted nothing more than to wake up next to Kate again. Warmth spread out from her chest. Her lids felt heavy, and she yawned loudly. Kate tucked Hannah’s hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. Hannah leaned into Kate’s soft touch. She closed her eyes and spoke, “For a long time, I didn’t feel safe with my partner, and the simple act of falling asleep in the same bed with him made me anxious.”
Kate clicked her tongue. “That sounds horrible.”
Hannah laughed softly, “It was pretty crappy. Once I got my own place, I made my bedroom a sanctuary. I got soft bedding in warm colors and a fuzzy rug, so when I put my feet down to get up in the morning, my feet weren’t cold. And I painted the room the color I wanted—a soft shade of lavender.”
“It sounds amazing.” Kate traced a finger around Hannah’s face and down to her collarbones, tracing a heart in the hollow between them. The sweet heat of Kate’s finger made desire start to simmer again within Hannah. But the coziness of being near Kate in her bed while jazz was softly playing via Bluetooth overrode her budding desire. Most of all, it was the invitation from Kate to spend the night that gave her the peace of mind that she would be here with Kate, tangled in her sheets, when the sun rose. Before she let sleep pull her under, she said, “You should come over to my place next time.”
