Then Victoria's brain stopped working entirely and she was kissing back, her hand coming up to cup Sasha's face, fingers threading through silky blonde hair that was even softer than she'd imagined. The kiss deepened, became urgent, desperate, like they were trying to make up for days of careful politeness and measured distance.
Sasha tasted like tea and summer air and something indefinably sweet, and Victoria felt like she was drowning in sensation. She pulled Sasha closer, needing more contact, moreof everything, her free hand finding the curve of Sasha's waist, the warmth of her through the thin cotton of her shirt.
Sasha's hands tangled in Victoria's hair, and she made a soft sound against her mouth that sent heat pooling low in Victoria's stomach, made her forget entirely where they were, who they were supposed to be, why this was impossible.
This was madness. This was exactly what she shouldn't be doing. This was perfect.
"Victoria, love, are you decent?"
Ambrose's voice from the hallway cut through the haze. Victoria jerked away from Sasha, her heart hammering against her ribs as reality crashed back down around her.
Sasha was supposed to be dating Ambrose. Sasha was here as her brother's girlfriend, fake or not. And Victoria was supposed to be the responsible one, the sensible one, the one who didn't complicate family gatherings with inappropriate romantic entanglements that could blow up in everyone's faces. The one who didn’t complicate life with romantic entanglements, for that matter.
"Victoria, wait… "
She took a breath. "No, this was… this was a mistake. A moment of weakness." She took a step back, putting as much distance between them as the room would allow. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… you're here with Ambrose, and I have more important things to worry about than…"
"Than what?" Sasha's voice was quiet.
"Than romantic complications," Victoria finished, the words tasting like ash in her mouth even as she forced them out.
Sasha stared at her for a long moment, a look passing across her face. Her lips were swollen from kissing, her hair mussed from Victoria's fingers, and Victoria had to clench her fists to keep from reaching for her again.
"Right," Sasha said finally, her voice steady but cool. "Romantic complications. Wouldn't want those to interfere with anything important."
She turned and left without another word, and Victoria sank back onto her bed, touching her lips with shaking fingers. She could still taste Sasha on her mouth, could still feel the ghost of her touch burning through her clothes.
Outside in the hallway, she could hear Ambrose's voice, low and concerned, though she couldn't make out the words over the sound of her own thundering heartbeat.
Victoria buried her face in her hands and wondered what the hell she'd just done, and whether there was any way to undo it before everything fell completely apart.
Chapter Fourteen
Pretending you hadn't just had the most spectacular kiss of your life required acting skills that Sasha simply didn't possess.
Whilst fatigue had finally caught up with her and she had actually slept for once, she'd woken that morning with Victoria's taste still on her lips and the memory of cool fingers threading through her hair, only to find Victoria already gone from the room. Probably fled at dawn to avoid any awkward morning-after conversations, which was both considerate and deeply frustrating.
So now she was attacking innocent plants with the sort of vicious efficiency usually reserved for enemies of the state and far right politicians.
"Right," Cathy said, appearing at her elbow with a watering can and an amused expression. "What's got you murdering the vegetables this morning?"
"I'm not murdering anything," Sasha protested, though the vine in her hands did look rather the worse for wear. "I'm being thorough."
"Mmm. And would this thoroughness have anything to do with the fact that you've been stealing glances at the morning room window every thirty seconds?"
Sasha felt heat flood her cheeks. "I have not been—"
"Victoria's in the library today, by the way. Different windows entirely."
"I wasn't looking for Victoria."
"Course not." Cathy's grin was absolutely wicked. "Just making conversation about window locations. Very practical information for garden planning."
Sasha groaned and abandoned the massacred plant. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to anyone with functioning eyeballs." Cathy handed her the watering can. "Though I have to say, your timing's interesting."
"How so?"
