“There are no wrong decisions,” Reese said, like she was reading her mind. She squeezed Sydney’s hand. “Only choices. And if you don’t like the one you’ve made, you can make another.”
It was the strangest feeling, butterflies erupting in her stomach at the same time it felt like there was a rock weighing it down. But Reese was giving her that look again, imploring and genuine in a way that made those butterflies flap even harder, like they were pushing the rock away.
“Everything fell apart this last year. I don’t know if I have it in me to buck up and get back out there again,” Sydney admitted, the words settling between them. “And Ihateadmitting that. To you, but especially to myself.”
It felt good to say it out loud, even if it terrified her. She couldn’t change something until she accepted the reality of it.
The softness in Reese’s words made them come out as a whisper. “Are you excited about the commentary role? Is it something you’d like to try?”
“What if I’m not good at it?” Sydney asked with a shaky exhale. “I feel like I’ve been failing at an awful lot of things lately.”
Her face turned reflectively to chase the warmth when Reese cupped her hand against Sydney’s jaw. It was calming and electrifying at the same time.
“You haven’t failed at showing up for me.” It was the seriousness of Reese’s words that captured Sydney most, like she was imploring Sydney to believe them. Fingers stroked against her skin when Reese added, “You showed up today after a hellish trip back to Stoneport. For me.”
A beat passed between them before Reese pulled her lower lip between her teeth and added, “Looking insanely attractive, I may add.” Her gaze dropped down Sydney’s body before snaking back up to meet Sydney’s stare.
And she felt it.Everywhere.
Where Reese was touching her face, which she knew was blooming wild with color from the heat. Curling through her stomach, where the butterflies had officially taken over. Snaking across her thigh, nestled against Reese’s, before finding its way to her center, a deep, aching need pulsing outward and pushing her heart rate through the roof.
Reese leaned closer then, running her fingertips across Sydney’s lips. Her breath followed a second later when she said, “I think you’re probably good at a lot of things. And you don’t strike me to be the type who’s afraid to go after what you want.”
Suddenly, the air was gone from the room, and every nerve ending in Sydney’s body lit up, up, up as the feeling enveloped her.
Her lips met Reese’s, both of them eager and searching as they came together.
Her hand quickly found Reese’s thigh, just like when they’d been in the car earlier, and she was right back to wanting, to getting lost in how good Reese smelled, how her lips moved perfectly against Sydney’s own. How it felt amazingly good to be able to touch Reese, heat sparking through her when squeezing Reese’s thigh prompted a little moan that Sydney swallowed hungrily.
This wasn’t like their first kiss, which had been soft and tentative. When Sydney had wanted Reese to know where she stood but not to push things too far.
Attraction mixed with a little vulnerability was a strong aphrodisiac, and all Sydney wanted was to chase this high, which was better than any win she’d ever had on a tennis court.
The moment was living, breathing and changing, as their tongues came together and explored. Sydney sucked Reese’s bottom lip into her mouth, hoping to elicit another moan.
Which she received, and her fingers, which she hadn’t realized had snaked into the hair at the back of Reese’s neck, dug in harder, pulling Reese closer.
Months of frustration at the state of her life and weeks of arousal at Reese’s capable hands, judging from how she’d managed to inch Sydney’s romper up higher on her thighs, were coming to a head in an explosion of want that stole Sydney’s breath.
“Oh—”
The sound of another voice shocked Sydney out of her haze. All the signs of her arousal—the aching between her legs and the insistent thrumming of her erratic heartbeat—were still present, but she used the small modicum of self-control she could find to go still and press her thighs together.
Reese blinked once, then twice, finally shaking her head. It seemed to do the trick to break herself out of the moment. “Mom,” Reese finally responded, her voice full and throaty.
Sydney wanted to push her onto the bed, but she tamped down that desire and tried to find her focus, too.
Sharon cleared her throat, standing awkwardly—which was fair—in the doorway. “Brynn told me what happened, and when I didn’t see you two back at the party, I wanted to make sure everything was okay. Seems like it is?” she asked, her cheeks the same shade of red as her daughter’s.
Sydney had been privy to the evolving relationship between Reese and her mom over the past few weeks. She was a little charmed, and hoped that Reese was, too, that her mom was willing to come check on both of them amid what must be an incredibly busy day for her. Not only was she the host, but the party was taking place in her home. Sydney had seen at least a dozen waitstaff, bartenders, and caterers throughout the day. Except for the speeches, she hadn’t seen Sharon stop moving.
Sydney stood up, sliding her romper down to its original position as she reached her full height. “I really appreciate you thinking of me, Sharon. It was just a little mishap, but all is well.” She gestured to the almost imperceptible color change on the side of her outfit.
“I’m so happy to hear that.” Sharon exhaled, genuinely relieved. “This day has been…” She stopped herself, her words trailing off while she pulled uncomfortably at her beautiful chiffon dress. “Well, I won’t bore you with the details. But it’s been a day.”
Reese stood up then. She grabbed Sydney’s hand, which was a welcome dose of contact after their minute apart, and led them closer to Sharon. “Is everything okay with you? Can we do anything?”
Sharon waved them off. “It’s fine. Your brother’s just in a bit of a mood, as is your father. Probably because of your brother.”
