“Raccoon,” I said, hoping that would get her attention.
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, okay. Just let me get my stuff.”
I shook my head and leaned closer to speak in her ear. “Just follow me, please.”
“We’ll be back,” I told Dallas, completely abandoning him. He just raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment further.
I couldn’t carry the champagne and hold Lea’s hand, but she followed me anyway. The day had cooled off and we were both in gowns, so we’d definitely freeze if we stayed out for too much longer.
“Shit. We need coats.” I wanted to take her away from the heated tent and the other guests.
“Where are we going?” Lea asked.
“Hold these.” I gave her the glasses and told her I’d be back in one minute. Ducking my head, I ran to the room where we’d had our makeup done, grabbed our coats, and met Lea. People had definitely noticed us, and I could feel the eyes following me across the room as I met her.
We swapped the glasses while we put our coats on and left via a side door.
Lea passed me one of the glasses and carried the other as I headed across the lawn, being careful not to turn an ankle with my heels. I was out of practice walking in them.
Allegra would be horrified to learn that.
“Where are we going?” Lea asked, giggling.
“The boathouse.”
“Oh. I’ve never been out there. Is there a reason?” She seemed curious but not scared.
“I just need a minute,” I told her. I needed space away from the wedding so I could have her to myself. Just the two of us.
The boathouse had a sign on it that it was closed for the season, but nothing was locked, so I swung the door open and we went inside. It was full of ropes and equipment and a lawn mower. One side was open to the lake so you could bring a boat right inside and get out. The other side had a few old chairs and some equipment.
Not exactly what I was looking for, but it would have to do.
I headed over to the side that wasn’t open to the lake and sat down on one of the chairs.
“You’ll get your dress dirty!” Lea said, reaching as if to stop me.
“I don’t care,” I said, and it was the truth. I didn’t care if I ruined my dress. I didn’t care if I got my moment with Allegra. It didn’t matter. The only regret I’d have would be leaving here without doing the things I’d been wanting to do since the day I’d walked into her Pilates class.
I set my champagne down and stood up again, taking the glass from her hands. She gave me a confused look. I gazed back at her, not hiding any of my intentions. I wanted her to see. To know what I wanted. I wasn’t hiding it anymore. I wasn’t holding back. I’d deprived myself for this long and I wasn’t doing it anymore.
“Vail, what is it?” she asked, her swallow audible.
“This,” I said, reaching for her and pausing just before our lips met. Just in case she didn’t want the same thing.
It would kill me if she didn’t want the same thing.
In my head, I was the one who kissed her, but Lea erased the space between us and pressed her lips to mine with a little gasp.
And then we were kissing. We were in this together. Completely.
This kiss was a long time coming. Years in the making. I could admit now that I’d wanted her when we’d been teenagers. The desire had been buried under all the other bullshit with Allegra and my own angst. She’d also been off-limits then.
Not anymore.
Lea pushed closer to me, making me back up until I hit the wall of the boathouse, narrowly missing stabbing myself with some pointy boat tool.
I laughed into her mouth at her eagerness, but the laugh changed when she grabbed at my waist and stabbed her fingers into my hair while she pushed up on her tiptoes to get closer to my mouth.
