She wanted to trace her thumbs over the line of Charlotte’s jaw, the softness of her cheeks. To cup her neck, unwilling for an inch of unnecessary space to remain between them.
She wanted all of these things, and she took them as Charlotte took her own fill. Her hands currently settled over Sutton’s jeans, against her ass, gripping tightly and pulling Sutton against her. She assisted Sutton in rolling her hips against her, slowly and sensuously grinding down.
Sutton groaned in the back of her throat, the heat threatening to consume her as she nipped her teeth into Charlotte’s bottom lip, a move that made Charlotte’s hands tighten even further against her before she started gentling their kiss.
Before shebroketheir kiss, and?—
Sutton panted for breath, blinking down at Charlotte a moment later as she dimly realized that Charlotte had broken their kiss and hadn’t done so for the purpose of trailing her mouth down Sutton’s neck.
Instead, she found Charlotte staring up at her, her head fallen back against the plush couch cushion behind her.
“What—is everything okay?” she asked, slowly sliding her hands down to brace on Charlotte’s shoulders.
Charlotte inhaled deeply, nodding, as she seemed to take a moment to clear her mind.
Sutton understood the feeling.
“I… yes,” she finally managed. “Everything ismorethan okay.”
A slow, lazy, entirely too charming smile slid over her lips as she squeezed Sutton’s butt once more, then slid her hands to stroke up and down the backs of Sutton’s thighs instead. “I just…” Charlotte paused, a contemplative look crossing over her face as she explained, “I want to do this right, this time. Romance and date nights and all. Before the sex.”
Sutton’s lust-clouded vision faded as curious amusement took a hold. She leaned back slightly, settling herself more fully in Charlotte’s lap as she looked down at her. “Charlotte, youareaware that we’ve had sex before. Many times.”
A laugh left Charlotte’s throat as she lightly pinched at Sutton’s thighs. “Very well aware, thank you very much.”
“Are you also aware that this is the longest we’ve ever been in once another’s lives since the very first time we’ve ever had sex without… you know. Having sex?” Sutton could feel a slight blush slide over her face as she stated the fact.
Itwasridiculous, but it was also true. And it was something she hadn’t quite thought about in so many words until this moment. But it was the beginning of February, and the last time they’d had sex had been on Christmas Eve.
Even when they’d run into each other earlier this year, they’d had sex on Charlotte’s desk in October before settling into their routine in November.
“Not that wehaveto have sex,” Sutton rushed to add on, even as her gaze dipped to Charlotte’s chest.
In her fevered haze, she’d unbuttoned Charlotte’s shirt, which hung alluringly open now, her black lace bra proudly pushing up her chest. Her nipples were still visibly hard, and Sutton inhaled deeply as a shot of heat streaked through her again before she pointedly brought her eyes back up to meet Charlotte’s.
“I just mean—there’s not aright way. I don’t think. That’s all.”
“Ihavethought about that, actually,” Charlotte assured her, stroking her thumbs comfortingly over Sutton’s jean-clad thighs. Her voice turned soft as she added, “And honestly, that’s why I don’t want us to immediately give in to our obviously mutual desire this time.”
Sutton’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, then astonishment. She could have sworn there was a light blush tinging Charlotte’s cheeks now.
“We know that physically we are more than compatible, darling. Always have been.” Charlotte’s eyes narrowed slightly, meaningfully, as she tilted her head up at Sutton. “I suppose I want usbothto know that everything else between us works, too. Before that.”
Even if Sutton was physically frustrated, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—complain about that. Not when this was the most romanced she’d ever felt in her life.
She was so aroused she was soaking wet in her jeans while also feeling those crazy-big butterflies. Ah, yes. That was the real Charlotte Thompson Special.
Warmth bloomed in her chest as she dipped down and touched their kiss-swollen lips together, gently. Lightly. Not inciting anything more.
She pulled back before they could take it any further, though, then let out a deep sigh and pushed herself off of Charlotte so that she was sitting next to her rather than straddling her.
“You claim to have never done this before, Charlotte, but you are one hell of a romancer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
If there wasone thing Charlotte had never envisioned herself doing, it was having dinner with the woman Sutton had once been married to.
And yet here she was, approaching the large, beautifully appointed home in Bethesda with Sutton at her side.
