Focus, Gemma.
It had been a while since Gemma’s bare skin had connected with another’s, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed the feeling. She felt her confidence return to her as she grazed her fingers along the length of Tara’s body, eliciting a soft moan.
Tara reached up, wrapping one hand around the back of Gemma’s neck, and pulled her down into a blistering kiss.
“You don’t need to play nice,” Tara said breathlessly.
Gemma saw the lust in her eyes that she felt mirrored in her own. She held Tara’s desperate gaze and glided her hand down Tara’s body, landing between her legs. Gemma slid two fingers in, drawing a whimper out of the woman beneath her.
Their lips connected and their tongues tangled, Gemma sliding her fingers in and out rhythmically while her thumb rubbed circles that made Tara’s back arch.
They moved in tandem until Gemma felt Tara bite down on her bottom lip and tighten around her fingers. She erupted, gasping each syllable of Gemma’s name as she came undone.
A surge of energy from the orgasm had Tara taking control, flipping Gemma onto her back on the other side of the bed. Lowering her slick body on top, Tara hungrily wrapped her lips around each of Gemma’s nipples in turn. She kissed her way down Gemma’s torso, licking down her sides, causing a shiver of anticipation.
Gemma’s body moved with instinct, drawn into the heat of the moment, but her mind betrayed her. Caitlin’s wounded expression flickered unbidden behind her closed eyelids. The text message that waited for Gemma’s reply on the counter weighed on her mind. This woman’s touch was eager, grounding—but Gemma couldn’t stop drifting. No. The Caitlin she had known had disappeared nine years ago. She wasn’t hers anymore.
Tara took Gemma into her mouth, her tongue drawing slow circles around the spot that she craved most. She gasped as she felt two fingers slide inside of her, the promise of a release building within. Gemma was brought back to the present, the woman gripping her hips, pulling her deeper into her mouth.
She felt her body start to shake as she neared the edge. With one more swipe of Tara’s tongue, Gemma was plunging into the orgasmic abyss.
THE NEXT MORNING, GEMMA WOKEto the sound of movement in her room. She cracked her eyes open to find Tara pulling on her jeans from the night before.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No worries. Do you have to go, or can I make you a cup of coffee?” Gemma asked in an attempt at chivalry, secretly hoping that they wouldn’t have to make small talk this morning.
“Thanks, but I have to run home and get ready for work. I had fun last night, maybe we can do it again sometime.” Tara winked, pulling her light brown hair back into a clip.
“I’d like that.” Gemma had definitely enjoyed her time with Tara, but she hadn’t felt much of an emotional connection. Still, it had been nice to be intimate with a woman. Maybe it would be best if this relationship were purely physical right now.
Gemma rolled out of bed and threw on an oversized T-shirt to walk Tara out of her apartment. On her way past the kitchen, Gemma grabbed her phone and created a new contact, handing it to Tara to fill in her number. They said goodbye, Gemma giving Tara a quick kiss on the cheek, then Gemma made her way over to her coffee machine.
As the dark caffeine brewed, Gemma leaned against the marble countertop and opened her text messages to find that Tara had not just added herself as a contact but also sent a text to herself from Gemma’s phone. That was one way to start the conversation. Bold move. She was curious to see where things went with Tara, but she would need to confirm that they were on the same page before they saw each other again.
Closing the thread with Tara, Gemma opened Caitlin’s message from the night before and reread it five more times. What the hell was she going to do about this? How was she supposed to get through the next three months with Caitlin?
EIGHT
CAITLIN HAD NOW BEEN INNew York City for two days, and she had spent most of that time grappling with the anxiety of seeing Gemma again. It was overpowering, constantly feeling like she was moments away from being crushed by the weight of a boulder. She had often wondered if she would ever see Gemma again, but she had never imagined a scenario like this. How was she supposed to fake intimacy with someone who now resents her? No matter what they were trying to pretend, they would never be just co-stars.
Gemma was a chapter that Caitlin had walked away from without ever fully closing. And now, every scene, every glance, every line of dialogue, would risk cracking open what Gemma clearly wanted to stay sealed shut.
The first day ofForbidden Lovehad arrived, and even though it was only the table read with the cast and director, this was the first time that she would see Gemma again since their less-than-ideal reunion. Gemma had ignored Caitlin’s request to talk last week, so she didn’t know how this interaction was going to go. After Caitlin had reluctantly gotten ready, she headed downstairs to the town car waiting for her.
Caitlin had made a habit of staying at the Peninsula Hotelwhenever she came into the city. She always chose an Executive Suite, the rooms blending classic elegance with modern luxury. She felt her calmest here, the soothing neutral minimalism a stark contrast to the chaotic frenzy of New York City.
Her drive to the set was only fifteen minutes, assuming they didn’t get caught in traffic, so Caitlin took the moment to compose herself. She had learned some breathing techniques in her Pilates class a few months ago that she thought might come in handy one day, and it appeared that today was that day.
Focusing on taking slow, deep breaths, Caitlin felt her phone vibrate in her lap.
Michelle:Thinking about you, good luck today!
Caitlin smiled, appreciating how thoughtful Michelle was. She and Michelle had spent a lot more time together over the last two weeks that Caitlin was in LA. Each day, she had found herself enjoying Michelle’s company more. After they had slept together on their third date, Caitlin had even felt comfortable inviting Michelle into her home. This led to a few sleepovers, which had become rare since Caitlin’s rise to fame. Then Michelle had floated the question on her mind—what comes next?
Caitlin would be on the other side of the country for the next three months. She had tried to be as sincere as possible, telling Michelle that she really liked hanging out with her, but that Caitlin couldn’t offer her a committed relationship right now. Michelle had responded well enough, but she didn’t seem overly thrilled by Caitlin’s nonchalance.
They’d ultimately agreed to stay in touch whenever they had time and see what happened once Caitlin returnedto LA. But if Caitlin was being honest with herself, Michelle deserved better. She couldn’t stop thinking about Gemma. The time that they’d be spending on set together might offer the second chance that Caitlin hadn’t even realized she wanted until now. She’d thought that she was over Gemma, but the moment she had seen her again after so much time apart, that familiar flutter had been impossible to ignore.
