“And?”
She grinned to herself. “And…we may have a little something going on.”
The delighted whoop that came through the phone was loud enough that she had to pull it away from her ear.
“I knew you two would hit it off! Tell me everything. Well, not everything. But you know, the appropriate amount of everything.”
“There's nothing to tell. We're just…we're enjoying each other's company.”
“Enjoying each other's company,” Braden repeated wryly. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“Stop it.”
“I'm just saying, you sound really happy. I haven't heard you sound like this in years.”
“It's temporary,” Celeste murmured. “Just for the duration of the trip.”
“Does it have to be? Why can't you just... keep seeing her?”
Because her family would never understand and she'd spent thirty-four years building a life where she was safe and accepted. Because the risk of losing everything was too high.
But she couldn't say any of that, not to Braden, who'd been brave enough to choose himself.
“It's complicated.”.
“Everything worth having is complicated.” His voice softened. “I'm not pushing. I'm just saying that you deserve to have what you want. And if Ruby makes you happy, even temporarily, then I'm glad. Just... don't close yourself off to possibilities, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now go and enjoy your trip. Be safe, and for God's sake, let yourself be happy for once.”
After they hung up, Celeste went downstairs to grab breakfast from the continental spread in the lobby. The Peabody's breakfast area was elegant with fresh flowers and the scent of coffee and pastries filling the air. She loaded a tray with coffee, fruit, an assortment of pastries, and headed back upstairs.
Ruby was awake when she returned, fresh from the shower, her hair damp and curling at the ends. She was wearing one of the hotel robes, and Celeste's mouth went dry at the sight. The robe gaped slightly at the top, revealing the hollow of her throat.
“Morning,” she said. She grinned as if she could read Celeste’s thoughts.
“Morning.”
Ruby crossed to her, tugging the tray out of her hands and setting it on the desk before pulling Celeste into a kiss that tasted like toothpaste and a hint of something more.
“Missed you,” Ruby murmured against her mouth.
“I was gone twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes too long.”
They kissed until the coffee went cold and the pastries went stale, only breaking apart when Celeste's stomach growled loudly enough to make Ruby laugh.
“Okay, okay. Food first. Then more kissing.” Ruby’s eyebrows danced with mischief.
“You have a one-track mind.”
“And you have a problem with that?”
“Not even a little bit.”
They ate sitting on the bed, legs tangled together. Ruby told her about a dream she'd had, involving a talking raccoon and an art heist, and Celeste found herself laughing so hard she nearly choked on her croissant.
