Debra rolled her eyes. “Billie.”
“I know. I know.” Billie held up her hands. “I’mtrying.”
Debra stepped towards Billie and kissed her. “For the record, thisissomething I want.” She stroked a thumb across Billie’s bottom lip and smiled. “But I don’t want anything outside of us to change. You’ve built an empire, and I don’t want you to ruin that by staying at home…entertaining me. We have lives outside of our homes. We have friends, and we have things to take care of. But once the evening comes back around, I expect to be all yours…and you all mine.”
Billie’s breath shuddered. “Y-yeah?”
“Absolutely.” Debra reached for a coffee on the counter and sipped it slowly. “Do you have a busy day?”
Billie rolled her head on her shoulders and sighed. “Probably. I’ll find out when I get there. If I can find the energy.”
Debra moved between Billie’s legs and pressed a hand to her chest. “You own that place. Make sure you walk in there and show it.”
“You know what, you’re right.”
“Of course I am. That’s why you’re dating me.”
The smirk that worked its way onto Billie’s lips had the hairs on the back of Debra’s neck standing upright. “Mmhmm. I’m dating you, all right.”
Debra kissed her and stepped back. “Call me if you’re taking a break. It’ll keep me sane and stop me from cleaning the kitchen more than once.” Debra finished her coffee and reached for hercoat…barely making it two steps before Billie caught her again and slipped her arms around her waist from behind.
Billie rested her chin on Debra’s shoulder as she said, “Just so you know, it felt really good waking up here with you this morning.”
“I know.” Debra’s throat welled with emotion. “It felt good being here with you.” She turned in Billie’s arms and cupped her face with both hands. “Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”
Debra had never beenthe type of woman to spend the day smiling at her phone. She’d always preferred to be practical, the kind of person who replied when she needed to reply. She’dneverconsidered herself to be someone who hovered over a message thread like a love-struck teenager. But today, she’d apparently decided to rewrite the rules of herentirepersonality, because she’d been doing exactly that since late morning. Reading Billie’s texts, replyingveryquickly, then putting her phone down like that would somehow absolve her of her sheer laziness today.
It wasn’t working, and that was becoming increasingly clear.
She scrolled to the beginning of today’s messages again.
You owe me an update. Did you behave once you got home?
Debra had smiled at that one, mostly because last night had seen Billie struggling to behave.
I behaved. Mostly.
Oh, how the tables had turned today.
Mostly sounds suspicious to me…
Debra hadn’t meant to start flirting, not while Billie was at work, but it had tipped over into that very quickly.
Mostly means I unpacked my bag and didn’t immediately climb back into bed and think about you. That could have been a very messy situation.
She’d known Billie would take the bait, but it only left Debra struggling to focus on anything at all.
Fuck!That’s the hottest thing you’ve ever said to me.
Debra hadactuallylaughed out loud at that one. Belly laughed…because there wasnothingmore ridiculous in this world than Billie Brown being reduced to flirting over text like she had nothing better to do.
But it wasn’t just Billie, was it? Debra kept catching herself drifting back to this morning. To Billie’s hands on her waist and the way her voice had sounded when she’d toldDebra she didn’t want her to leave.
Debrahadtried to keep herself busy. She’d put some laundry on, she’d wiped down the kitchen surfacestwice, and she’d rearranged part of her living room so the TV could be seen better from all angles. She’d even sat down with a cup of coffee and opened a book at one point…only to realise she’d been turning the same page back and forth for ten minutes, not taking in a single word. Because she could still feel Billie’s arms around her. And it wasn’t about the sex or the lust, although that was absolutely there. It was about the comfort she felt.
Her phone buzzed again.
I’m trying not to text you too much.
