“Hush.” Toni reached past her and opened the door. “Get in the seat, Addie.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Her voice made quite clear that hers was not an accidentally chosen reply, and just in case Toni had missed it, when she got into the driver’s seat, Addie asked, “With your control issues, do you like being called ma’am or something else?”
Toni refused to answer. She reached over and hooked Addie’s seat belt. “Stop talking and flirting, so I can drive us home safely.”
When Addie gave her a single nod and then primly crossed her ankles, Toni relaxed slightly. She wasn’t far from tossing caution to the wind and moving the Jeep to the darkest corner of the garage, and she was fairly sure Addie would agree if she suggested it.
There are probably cameras somewhere,her common sense insisted.
Instead of risking it, Toni joined the flow of traffic inching out of the garage. “I had fun today.”
“Same.”
“I had fun at the beach in California, too.” Toni paused for an older man in a Lincoln who apparently had decided that backing into the traffic queue and expecting everyone to move out of his way was better than waiting for an opening.
“Sounds like you like spending time with me,” Addie said in her already-familiar intentionally casual voice.
“I do.” Toni wasn’t going to deny the obvious. “I didn’t think that was a secret.”
Addie grew quieter. “I’m afraid you’ll pull away again the moment I leave. I’m afraid that you’ll be heartless with me again. Insensitive because of something that’s not my fault.”
“What if I try not to do that?”
Addie stared out into the lot around them. “I’d like that, but Toni”—she looked over at her—“I’m not going to forgive the same thing over and over, you know?”
Toni thought of her parents. “You shouldn’t.”
The car behind them honked, and Toni eased forward again. They slipped into faster-moving traffic, and Toni made a note that they ought to do this again in the spring when the doors could be off.And I bet she’d like seeing the cherry blossoms.Her stomach squirmed, and she quickly reminded herself,Thinking a few months ahead isn’t the same as a relationship. Casual. We’re casual bedmates and friends.
But when Addie reached over and rested a hand on Toni’s leg, it didn’t set off the alarms it should.
Just a few months,Toni’s inner devils whispered.She knows this thing between us is temporary. Maybe we can last until the new year? Maybe spring?
Addie gave her a smoldering look when they parked the Jeep outside the condo. “I’m pretty sure you owe me a staycation-style honeymoon. Theater and dinner was a good start. Any other plans?”
Toni opened Addie’s door and held out a hand. “Might I invite you to a seduction for the evening? Local spot. Cover theft afterward… and I can promise a potentially hissing cat at some point.”
Addie stepped out and melted against Toni’s side. “Oh, I do like a seduction.”
There was no way to resist the laugh that bubbled up at Addie’s exaggerated earnestness. She made Toni laugh and smile more than anyone had ever done. That alone was reason to keep her in Toni’s life.
“Do you think I could get a drink before the seduction?” Addie asked as they walked to the condo door. “My date tonight was lovely, but I had to deal with this surly woman yesterday. It was vexing.”
Toni pushed open the door. “Vexing?You poor dear.”
“She has a marvelous figure, and she’s really quite clever. That helped, but”—Addie leaned in so that her breasts were smooshed against Toni’s arm—“shedidn’t even invite me to a seduction. She had terrible manners.”
“No,” Toni gasped in faux outrage. “I bet she slept terribly.”
Addie giggled. “I do hope so. I was left having to… well, I don’t know if I can tell you what I did after that.” She widened her eyes, lowered her voice, and stretched up so her lips were almost touching Toni’s. “I touched myself right there in her guest room. All by myself… it was…” Addie made a moaning sound. “Well, it was good, but I wanted more.”
“You’re trying to kill me, Miss Stewart.” Toni fumbled to open the door and tugged Addie inside. She swept her arm out. “Welcome to your temporary home.”
Addie sighed. “I only have two days, you know. I have an interview in Richmond becausesomeoneissued a press release that she was dating me, and then I have another in Chicago, and then it seems silly to head back to LA, so I’m going to just go direct to New Orleans, where we’re filming the next scenes.”
Something in Toni’s heart that was misbehaving took a tumble. “So you leave in two days?”
“Thursday, technically, but I have a live TV spot in Richmond Wednesday. I could stay there, but—”
