She traded the jeans and sweater she’d worn for the trip and into a classically elegant, sleeveless navy blue A-line dress with a neckline that cut just beneath the points of her clavicles and a skirt that fell demurely to a few inches above her knees. A pair of simple black heels finished the ensemble, and she grabbed her makeup bag for a quick detour to the bathroom to touch up her mascara and lipstick.
Much like at the airport, a rogue section of perfectly smooth flooring seemed to jump up to trip her as she returned to the bedroom and found Aspen standing beside the bed with her lower lip caught between her teeth as she focused on the buttons on her midnight blue shirt.
Her heart skipped a beat when Aspen looked up just as she ungracefully recovered her balance, and she damn near rolled her ankle again as she watched Aspen’s mouth fall open and her hands freeze as she drank her in. There was no mistaking the appreciation that further darkened Aspen’s eyes as they raked over her body, and Eve took full advantage of Aspen’s distraction to do the same.
Aspen’s tailored black slacks might have hinted at the power of her thighs, but it was almost perverse how perfectly they clung to her behind that was just…fucking delectable. Eve’s fingers suddenly itched to grab Aspen by the belt and tug her close as she appreciated the toned line of Aspen’s waist where her shirt was tucked crisply into her slacks. She licked her lips as her gaze drifted higher, over the subtle swell of Aspen’s chest to where her fingers clutched at the halves of her shirt.
Eve had never been jealous of a shirt before, but she absolutely envied this one.
She stared, spellbound as Aspen’s hands fell away, and a whimper caught in her throat as Aspen crossed the room to where she stood. Aspen was beyond striking, but it was the confidence in her strong, purposeful stride that made Eve weak in the knees. She knew Aspen could be, had been, gentle, but her stomach tightened as she imagined all the way that strength and confidence could be put to better use.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a quick touch to her wrist as Aspen asked, “Eve?”
“Hm?” Eve swallowed thickly and did her best to not look like she’d just been imagining Aspen pressing her down onto the bed, spreading her thighs, and—
Brown eyes clouded with concern danced over Eve’s face as Aspen repeated, “I said, are you okay?”
“Oh. Yeah.” Eve nodded. And then, in an attempt to shift the focus off herself so the riot of a blush she could feel blooming on her chest might not spread, said, “You look incredible.”
“And you are even more stunning than I’d imagined,” Aspen replied, her voice was warm and smooth like honey.
Eve forgot to breathe as the hand on her wrist drifted lightly along her arm and over her shoulder, and there was no silencing the quiet sound of longing that escaped her when those long, strong fingers brushed her hair from her cheek and tucked it tenderly behind her ear.
“God, please don’t do that,” Aspen whispered.
“Do what?” Eve wondered softly.
Aspen’s throat bobbed as her touch hovered against the back of Eve’s neck, and her voice was rough when, instead of answering the question, she replied, “I am trying very hard to be good.”
Eve’s nipples tightened at the naked hunger in Aspen’s voice and words. “Aspen…”
“Still not helping,” Aspen croaked as her body swayed forward.
Eve groaned and reached for Aspen’s hips to draw her close. The air became almost oppressively warm as their breaths mingled in the finite space between their lips, and she let her eyes drift shut as she confessed, “I’m so tired of being good.”
The back of her neck tightened. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Eve angled her head, searching for Aspen’s lips. A thrill bubbled in her chest as Aspen’s free hand ghosted along her jaw to frame her face, and she pulled Aspen’s hips flush against her as she affirmed, “Please kiss me.”
Aspen groaned, and for a moment Eve was afraid that she’d said too much or sounded too desperate, but then Aspen’s lips softened against hers and she sank into her as the rest of the world fell away. The first kiss melted into a second, decidedly less chaste one, and Eve moaned against the silky softness of Aspen’s tongue as it swirled languidly around her own.
Heaven, Eve thought dreamily as Aspen sucked on her lower lip as she pulled away.
“Okay?” Aspen checked.
Eve nodded and chased after her lips. “Perfect. Please don’t stop.”
Aspen groaned, her cracked promise of, “Never,” silenced between their lips as they came together once more.
Eve clung to Aspen as time stopped and the room around them disappeared. All that mattered was the feeling of Aspen’s muscled body against her own and that soft, sinfully nimble tongue that plied her defenses apart, layer by layer, with every slow, heavy stroke, deft swirl, and playful flick. Aspen kissed with a precision and playful whimsy that was absolutely devastating, and Eve was left gasping for air and wondering which way was up when their kisses eventually slowed to a series of lingering pecks.
“My god,” Eve rasped.
“You can say that again,” Aspen agreed, sounding equally affected. Her lips were soft against Eve’s cheek as she pulled her into her arms. “You are something else, Eve Morrison.”
Eve looped her arms around Aspen’s neck as she melted into her embrace, grateful for Aspen’s strength because the room hadn’t stopped spinning yet. “You are, too. I mean…damn.”
A low, happy hum rumbled in Aspen’s chest as she pressed a gentle kiss to Eve’s ear. “I did tell you that the kiss earlier wasn’t my best work.”
