Pre-Season
Chapter
One
“You do knowthat it’s polite to at least send a text when you land, right?” Hope crossed her arms as she leaned against the pillar in baggage claim, her lips curled upward.
Angelica stilled, her body going rigid before she relaxed.
Hope couldn’t wait though. They’d been apart nearly all summer, and she was tired of waiting. Leaning in, she grabbed Angelica’s cheeks and pulled her in. She pressed their lips together tightly, digging her hands into Angelica’s long locks of luscious hair. And she held on. Parting her lips, Hope teased Angelica’s open and nipped before she dove in even deeper and brushed Angelica’s tongue with her own.
Angelica moaned. She tilted backward a little, and Hope caught her, pressing their chests firmly together. Hope didn’t want to let her go. She didn’t want to stop either. But eventually, she slid away enough to catch her breath and press her forehead to Angelica’s.
“I’m kidnapping you tonight,” Hope said.
“Are you?” Angelica’s voice was rough, crackly.
“Oh yeah. Tomorrow we hit the ground running, and I want the next twelve hours tofuckyou into oblivion.”
Angelica hummed. “That does sound nice.”
“Good.” Hope took a step back, snagged Angelica’s luggage and started to drag it as she pulled Angelica with her.
“But Lyric?—”
“Did you really think Lyric and I didn’t discuss this?” Hope threw a look over her shoulder at Angelica and rolled her eyes. “You texted her that you landed, but not me.”
“She’s supposed to pick me up.”
“Oh, no, Angel. I’m picking you up.”In more ways than one.She wanted to add that last bit, but she kept it to herself. She’d pushed the boundaries enough with kissing Angelica in public, knowing that anyone could be anywhere and take a photo of them for the internet. But God, she hadn’t been able to wait a second longer. Phone sex didn’t cut it.
Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to wait until she got home.
Hope hit the button on her fob to open the trunk of her car and shoved Angelica’s suitcase inside it. Then she turned around, staring at the woman she was completely in love with. Just looking at her stole Hope’s breath. She couldn’t believe that the last three years had been full of so much pain and hurt and turmoil and changes and she’d come out the other side with this amazing woman right next to her.
“What?” Angelica furrowed her brow, canting her head to the side as she stared back.
“Nothing.” Hope’s cheeks burned. She bit her lip and reached up to touch the button to lower the trunk.
“That look wasn’t nothing.”
Hope groaned. She looked frantically around the parking garage and then tugged Angelica’s hand to smoosh her against the side of the car. She pressed their hips together, their chests. Staring down into Angelica’s eyes, Hope held her breath. But she could see the slight smile playing at Angelica’s lips, the onethat she always seemed to have when she was trying to keep her amusement hidden.
“I’m not doing fifteen weeks apart again,” Hope said, bending down and kissing Angelica quickly.
“Oh, you’re not?” Angelica leaned back, her head touching the car as she lifted her chin to meet Hope’s gaze. “I’m not sure you’re the only one who gets to make that decision.”
“I’m not just horny.” Hope kissed Angelica’s cheek and then the edge of her chin. “But I am horny.”
Angelica hummed, her fingers finding their way to Hope’s sides and she dug them in. “You do like to be…touched…” Angelica whispered those words, turning her cheek so their skin met even more.
Hope bit back the moan that wanted to escape her lips. “Which is closer, Angel? Your place or mine?”
Angelica sucked in a sharp gasp. “Mine.”
“And which do you want to go to. Your place or mine?” Hope’s heart hammered relentlessly. She’d wanted it to be theirs. But Angelica had been resistant to pushing their relationship to the next level. For months now, they’d dated and deepened their involvement, always for it to stop right when she wanted it to move forward.
Rarely did they have overnights.
