A deep sigh escaped him, and he gave a resigned smile. “Of course. Things don’t just get better in an instant, do they?” He paid the bill and they made their way outside. He pulled Marina into a hug. “Promise you’ll come back?”
She nodded against his shoulder, her response muffled by his coat. “I promise.”
He let go, and she hugged her sister. There were no words, no platitudes. Just a strong hug and brief smiles before they went back to the car and drove away.
Marina and River stood in the cold night air, their breath puffing in front of them. “So, would you like?—”
“Can I go home with you?” Marina blurted, her gaze never leaving River’s face. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
It wasn’t a good idea. Things could get complicated. River’s house wasn’t exactly visitor-friendly either. “Um…” River took Marina’s hand. “Maybe we should go to your place instead. I have some roommates you might not want to get to know.”
Marina rolled her eyes. “Just because you believe in ghosts doesn’t mean I do, and I’mverysure I won’t run into any.” Her gaze shifted to their clasped hands. “My place isn’t…” She swallowed hard and let out a long breath. “It’s not home. Not that yours is my home,” she said quickly. “It’s just, I bet your place is comfortable and cozy. And it has you there.”
River winced internally but smiled. “Okay. If that’s what you want. Come on, before it gets much colder. It’s not going to be comfortable riding with the chill in the air. Do you want to take a Lyft, and I’ll meet you at my place?”
Marina shook her head. “I’ll be warm enough pressed against your back.”
River liked the sound of that. They walked hand in hand back to River’s bike, still parked in front of Marina’s parents’ house. The living room light was on, but no silhouettes could be seen. Marina stared at the house while River got their helmets ready.
“You sure?” River asked.
Marina nodded and pulled the helmet on. “I’m sure. I want to be with you.”
The words spoken under the full moon, with the crisp night air around them, sent a spear of emotion so strong through River’s chest that it made her breathless for a second. She turnedaway so Marina wouldn’t see how it rattled her. Whether Marina meant anything more by it or not, River felt the magic in them right down to her bones.
CHAPTER 27
Marina sworeinside the helmet and pressed her crotch closer to River’s ass on the bike. She should have taken a Lyft after all. While it felt fucking amazing to be up against River this way, it wasn’t nearly enough to keep the bite of the cold from scratching at her neck and hands, and the coat was great for a walk in the park, but not for riding a bike at night at sixty miles an hour.
When they pulled up in front of River’s house, she was stiff, and River had to tilt the bike just a little more for Marina to be able to dismount without falling on her face. She took her helmet off and smoothed her hair as she studied River’s home. It was incredibly cute. Set far back from the street, it had a front garden with a few pots with dead winter flowers, and unusually, trees lined the sides of her yard, creating a natural fence line. The porch had a couple of rocking chairs on it, and the sight of them made Marina smile. River, the motorcycle-riding, tattooed butch rocked away her time on the front porch.
Marina frowned when the curtain moved, then told herself off. There was no such thing as ghosts.
River took the helmet from her. “You okay?”
Marina nodded and took River’s hand. Larger, a little calloused, it felt perfect in hers. “Lead the way.”
River glanced toward the trees on their left, and Marina refused to follow her gaze. Just in case.
River opened the door and flipped on the lights. Just as Marina had thought, the place was cozy. Big, heavy furniture was topped with light fabrics that offset the dark wood, and the table was clear of pretty much anything but a couple of coasters. Beautiful artwork hung on latte-colored walls, much of it featuring women in various sensual poses.
Something bumped against her knee, and she looked down at the biggest cat she’d ever seen in her life. “Well, hello. You’re a big beastie.”
“That’s Shamus. He’s a beautiful pest.” River reached down and scratched behind his ears. He gave a kind of chirping trill in response. “I got a cat thinking it would be independent, but Maine Coons are more like dogs. Shamus even likes to play fetch sometimes.”
Marina knelt in front of him and he put his paws on her thighs, then pressed his face close to hers. She’d never really liked cats, who were far too superior, and she’d never had a pet, but in that moment, she fell utterly in love with the giant black cat with blue eyes.
“Can I get you anything?” River asked, taking off her jacket and hanging it on a hook by the door.
“Your place isn’t nearly as bachelor as I thought it would be.” Marina stood, and Shamus gave a little chirp of indignation before heading to River instead.
“Did you expect beer cans in a pile and a gaming system set up in front of a greasy engine block?” River grinned. “That’s in the other room.”
“Good to know I wasn’t totally wrong.” Now that they were there in River’s personal space, Marina wasn’t sure what she wanted to happen. All she’d known was that she didn’t want tobe alone, and River was the person she wanted to be with. “I like your artwork.”
River’s gaze slowly left Marina to look around. “I think a woman’s body is the most beautiful art in the world.”
Her eyes moved back to Marina, and there was a smokiness to them that made Marina’s knees go weak. She moved toward her, into her personal space, and then so close her breath moved the hair along Marina’s cheek.
