Eve’s heart was racing, even faster than it had downstairs as she’d attempted to control a half dozen drunk men. She felt just as drunk, just as out of control as her chin tipped forward, breath catching in her throat as Josie’s lips crashed into hers.
She pressed forward, deepening the kiss, tongue sliding into Josie’s mouth as her hands slid into the back pockets of her jeans, anchoring them together. Heat flooded her system, pulse pounding, skin tingling, desire bursting to life inside her like a hungry beast after a long hibernation. Josie nipped at her bottom lip, andfuck.
Eve swayed forward, hips bumping into Josie’s, breasts pressed together as they kissed. Josie’s hands slid up her back and into her hair, tugging gently as her tongue tangled with Eve’s. This woman. God, this woman…
“You taste like beer,” Josie murmured, breath feathering over Eve’s cheeks, hot and damp, lighting every inch of her on fire. “God, Eve, I’ve been thinking about this since the first moment I met you.”
“Mm, same.” She rested her forehead against Josie’s as she caught her breath, realizing in some distant, rational part of her brain that she should put a stop to this, but surely she could indulge for just another moment, becauseGod, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this good, this alive, this utterly consumed with another person.
She pressed her lips to Josie’s, and they were kissing again. Her hands slipped beneath Josie’s shirt, sliding over her smooth, warm skin, eliciting a soft moan against her lips. “You feel so good,” she whispered, skimming her fingers up Josie’s spine.
In response, Josie tugged at Eve’s blouse, untucking it from her jeans so that her hands could do some roaming of their own. She cupped Eve’s breasts over her bra, thumbs brushing against her nipples, intensifying the need pulsing inside her until it was almost overwhelming.
“Lace under silk?” Josie gasped. “You really are trying to kill me.”
“Josie…”
“It’s okay. My heart’s still beating.” Josie gripped one of Eve’s hands and moved it over her left breast so she could feel her heart pounding beneath her palm.
“We can’t do this.” Eve had to force the words past her lips as her body screamed for more, more, more.Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.
“Shh,” Josie whispered, smiling against her lips. “Don’t overthink this. Just kiss me.”
“I can’t,” she managed, even as her lips met Josie’s for another blistering kiss. “We can’t. You signed a contract with the network. I could lose my job.”
“Oh.” Josie’s hands, which had been toying with the waistband of Eve’s jeans, stilled as she lifted her head to meet her eyes. “It’s in the contract?”
She nodded, sliding her hand out from under Josie’s shirt and instead reaching up to tuck a lock of turquoise hair behind her ear. “I’m bound by a code of conduct. I’m not technically supposed to have any contact with you outside of work until filming is complete.”
“That’s only next Friday,” Josie said, not making any effort to pull away.
“Yes.”
“So, after that…” Josie’s arms tightened around her.
“We’ll see,” she hedged, because Josie was almost certainly looking for more out of their relationship than Eve was. But she’d cross that bridge when—and if—they got to it.
“Since we’re already here, I don’t see any harm in kissing just a little bit more,” Josie said as her lips roamed over Eve’s neck, licking and sucking, each stroke of her tongue sending bolts of fire through Eve’s core.
“No harm,” she echoed, helpless to pull away, completely lost to Josie’s touch.
“Eve,” she murmured as her tongue traced circles over a tender spot on her neck.
“Yes?” she gasped, hips arching against Josie’s.
“Tell me why you hate bars.”
And there was the metaphorical bucket of water she’d needed. Reality washed over Eve in a harsh, cold wave, and she shuddered, pulling free of Josie’s grasp. “Not tonight.”
“Yes, tonight.” Josie gripped her hands. “We may not get another moment like this. Please.”
Eve wrapped her arms around herself, acknowledging the truth of Josie’s words. She didn’t owe her this, didn’t owe her anything, but in this moment, lips swollen and pulse racing from their kisses, it felt like she did. If Josie had asked for anything else, Eve would have given it to her in a heartbeat, but she’d asked for the one thing Eve held closest to her heart. “I…”
“Please,” she whispered, brushing a hand over Eve’s cheek.
She cleared her throat, tasting the bitter truth on her tongue. “It’s because my wife was killed by a drunk driver.”
11
