“No, it’s okay.” She looked at Gemma with a seductive smile. “I think I might like you playing with it now.”
Gemma took that as permission and ran her fingers through Rory’s hair. It was softer than she’d imagined. She traced her fingers over Rory’s brow and the floppy piece ofhair that lay there. She had to admit, Craig had done an amazing job with it.
“Do you like it?” She asked Rory as she traced the curve of her head.
“I do.” Rory grinned. “I fucking love it!”
Gemma’s fingers had reached the nape of Rory’s neck, and she gently caressed the fine hairs that stood out from Rory’s skin, enjoying how they felt under her fingers. Rory moaned, and the sound bounced around the car and went straight to Gemma’s clit. Rory swallowed before tugging her head away.
“I think it's best if you don’t do that.” Her voice was clipped and formal, and for a split-second Gemma wondered if she had done something wrong. Then Rory’s eyes met hers, and the desire shone like a beacon, drawing her in.
“Why? Don’t you like it?” Gemma trailed her fingers down Rory’s neck and traced the toned muscles in her arms before trailing a fingertip over her hand.
“You know I do.” Rory’s voice was low and husky. Gemma leaned across the car. Her gaze flicked to Rory’s mouth. She noticed Rory’s eyes drop to her own lips, and a magnetic pull drew them together. She felt Rory’s breath on her lips and was just about to bring their lips together when her phone rang loudly, the noise deafening in the silence of the car.
Rory cursed and gripped the steering wheel while Gemma fumbled to answer it. She barely registered her mother’s name showing on the screen before her voice filled Gemma’s ears.
“Gemma? It’s Mum.” Gemma rolled her eyes and indicated to Rory to start the car. Her mother’s phone calls were never short, so they might as well drive home in the interim.
“Hi Mum.” Gemma tried to keep her voice steady and not as if she had just been about to devour Rory’s lips with her own. She pinched her nose, partly in frustration that her mother had disturbed them and partly because she had again forgotten that she and Rory were going to be just friends and kissing her was not part of that deal.
“What are you up to?” Her mother inquired, “Is this a bad time? You sound breathless.”
Gemma rolled her eyes and firmly kept her eyes ahead so she wouldn’t look at Rory. The last thing she needed now was to see that sexy-ass smirk cross Rory’s face.
“Nothing, I’m just out with Rory, and we’d just walked back to her car.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. She muted the call briefly. “Shit, shit, shit!” She dropped her phone in her lap and massaged her temples. Her mother’s excited chatter drifted up from the phone. She slammed her sunglasses onto her eyes as a way of hiding from the world and lifted her phone to her ear again.
“Oh, how lovely. I knew you two would hit it off again. She is such a lovely girl.” Her mother’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial level. “You know she would be an excellent girlfriend for you. Your dad and I are always saying how good you look together. George!” She called out, presumably to her father, who was across the room from her. “Gemma’s out with Rory!”
Gemma couldn’t hear her dad’s reply but could hear the low rumble of laughter emanating from Rory. She turned her head to see that sexy smirk twist the corner of Rory’s mouth.
She closed her eyes and pinched her nose again, which dislodged her glasses and provided a perfect metaphor forhow her afternoon was going. Ever since Rory had looked at her with that short haircut and blinding grin, her world had been off its axis. She listened to her parents talking in the background of the call. Despite pressing her ear to the phone, she couldn’t make out what they were saying. In the end, she gave up trying and called out to get her mother’s attention.
“Mum!” She paused so her mum could turn her attention back to the call with her daughter. “Why did you call me?”
“Ah yes, your grandmother is planning another trip to the opera. Apparently, they had a box booking cancel, and she’s taken the tickets.”
Gemma sighed. Her grandmother was a prominent supporter of the opera house and often took up unsold tickets so that it would have a full house.
“Okay when is it?” Gemma knew without asking that they would expect her to go with them.
“It’s a week next Saturday.”
Gemma let out a breath. For the life of her, she didn’t know why her mother couldn’t use dates like the rest of the human race.
“Can you text me the dates? I can check my diary and let you know.”
“Can’t you tell me now?”
“No, Mum I can’t. I need to check my diary and see if I’m free.” She also needed the time to mentally prepare herself for another family gathering.
“Okay, can you ask Rory too? Saves me a phone call to her mother.”
Gemma smiled at that. It wasn’t like their mothers needed any excuse to call each other and would likely speak before the day was out anyway. In all likelihood, Gemma’smum would call Rory’s mum as soon as she hung up with Gemma to tell her she was out with Rory.
She said goodbye to her mum and turned to Rory.
