She pulled away from Sasha, and her eyes went immediately to April, who had been watching them with an expression Daphne couldn’t parse.
“Okay, yes, fine,” Sasha said, then pushed at Daphne’s hip to angle her toward April even more. “Pucker up.”
April didn’t react to Sasha’s teasing. Her eyes were locked on Daphne’s, her mouth slightly parted, and Daphne couldn’t get her breath. Couldn’t think straight, couldn’t think about anything, really, except April Evans standing in the moonlight.
It’s just a kiss, she thought.
She took a step toward April.
And then another.
They were so close now. Close enough that Daphne’s hair brushed April’s cheek. For a moment, she froze. April would have to make the first move. Daphne couldn’t possibly initiate this moment any more than she already had, but her body had other plans. Daphne felt her own hands cradle April’s face, fingertips sliding against her skin and into her hair, palms soft on her cheeks. She tilted April’s head up to meet her gaze. April’s eyes were fathomless, like the deepest parts of the lake on the darkest night, and Daphne felt it.
The moment she fell.
There was a sensation of tumbling and snapping into place all at the same time. April’s fingers curled into the cotton at Daphne’s hips and pulled her closer. She pushed up onto her toes and captured Daphne’s mouth with hers.
Daphne let out a small gasp before she sank her fingers deeper into April’s hair, then trailed them down her neck to her collarbones. Her fingertips danced along April’s skin as she opened her mouth a little more, Daphne’s teeth tugging gently at April’s lower lip right before their tongues finally touched.
April made her own sound, hands sliding around Daphne’s waist, then up her torso to feel every rib under the dress. And god, Daphne wanted April’s touch under that fabric. She wanted April to lift the skirt’s hem, drift her fingers up Daphne’s thighs to her hips, the dip at her waist, her belly button. The space between her legs throbbed, and she could tell she was getting wet. Daphne felt suddenly feral, wanted to lay April down right here on the forest floor and explore.
Every freckle.
Every goose bump.
Every muscle covering every bone.
April’s hand went to Daphne’s throat. Gentle, her fingers barely applying any pressure while she licked deeper into Daphne’s mouth, her tongue gliding along her teeth before her mouth closed around Daphne’s top lip. The combination of everything was almost too much—no, itwastoo much, and Daphne moaned.
Shemoaned, and it was loud and needy and perfect, but the sound of it jolted her back to the woods.
Back to Moon Lovers Trail.
Back to Sasha standing ten feet away with her eyes popping out of their sockets and one hand resting on her chin.
Daphne pulled away.
They were all silent for a second.
April cleared her throat, adjusted the neck of her off-the-shoulder top, which had slipped halfway down her arm. Daphnestood staring at her for a second, her lips bee-stung and pink. April met her gaze once, then looked away.
Daphne took another step back, creating space. Good god, what had they done?
“Well!” Sasha said loudly, folding her arms and nodding. “That was…yeah, that was something. You are full of surprises, Daphne Love.”
“What do you mean?” Daphne asked, adjusting her dress’s straps, both of which had gone a little cattywampus.
Sasha laughed. “I just…I don’t know, I didn’t expectthat.” She waved her hands at Daphne and April. “But even with me…you’re a damn good kisser.”
Daphne’s posture went straight. “Did you not think I would be?”
Sasha and April locked eyes and then started laughing. They seemed to try and hold it in at first, but then they gave in, really putting their whole bodies into it. April bent forward, her hands on her knees.
Daphne put her hands on her hips. “I am offended.”
But somehow, she wasn’t, really. She laughed too, because itwasall so unexpected, so unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. And it was intense. So intense that if she didn’t laugh right now, she’d tumble down a rabbit hole of lust and questions and cares.
And right now, she just wanted to be happy.
