The raw honesty of that statement, to her, was undeniable. Charlotte Thompson was, and always would be, the most beautiful woman Sutton had ever seen.
And she was herpartner.
The power of that fact hit her in a heady rush as she dipped her gaze down to take Charlotte’s suit in yet again. As if magnetized, she swayed in closer, close enough that she could whisper the truth and not be overheard by anyone milling around. “It’s taken more than a little bit of self-control tonight to keep my eyes away from your chest. I don’t want anyone here to think that I’m only with you for your obvious physical attributes or to make a fool of myself and get distracted by staring down at you instead of keeping up with conversation.”
She blushed even as she spoke, but it was entirely true.
She’d kept up with Charlotte tonight, making conversation and memorizing names, butgod, it had been difficult to ensure that she stayed absolutely appropriate.
Charlotte looked up at her through hooded eyes, the fire in them clear as day. “I’d apologize for making things so difficult for you… butyouchose to wear a backless dress this evening,” Charlotte murmured thickly. She leaned even closer, pressing herself against Sutton’s side.
Again, not indecent in any way… but feeling her warmth, being able to smell her perfume starting to cloud her senses, Sutton felt dizzy with it.
She nearly gasped but was able to catch herself just in time as she felt Charlotte’s hand drift from where it had rested on her hip to splay over the bare skin of her back.
“Do you even understand how tempting this has been? All night?” Charlotte whispered, her voice teasing and wanting all in one. She traced her fingertips slowly up Sutton’s spine, making Sutton incredibly thankful that her back was toward the wall, so no one else could see.
Even though the touch wasn’t inappropriate, not really, it made Sutton ache with want. Just the soft, tantalizing slide of Charlotte’s fingertips brought forth several weeks of wanting.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” Charlotte continued, her voice so low it made Sutton shiver. “Then again, you’ve always had a penchant for boldness. And for making me so… needy.”
“Are you?” Sutton rasped, capturing Charlotte’s gaze with hers. “Needy?”
The hunger in Charlotte’s face matched the heat that pulsed through Sutton’s body. “Darling, I’ve been wet for you since I first laid eyes on you tonight.”
Sutton’s breath caught in her throat as she clenched her thighs together. “Charlotte,” she breathed, and it was all she could manage.
Charlotte’s hand, the one that had continued to trace up and down Sutton’s back, slid off of her, to grasp her hand.
“Come on,” she demanded.
Sutton was incapable of refusing the order. No part of her wanted to in the least.
As Charlotte turned determinedly toward the right of the entrance to the ballroom, Sutton shook her head. “I—the coat check is over there.” She pointed over her shoulder.
“We’re not getting your jacket,” Charlotte responded simply as she continued down the hallway for another moment, leading them to a door. “The overflow coat check,” she explained. “Luckily, it wasn’t needed tonight.”
Charlotte opened the door, then looked down the hallway to confirm that it was empty before tugging Sutton along inside.
Immediately, Sutton found her back against the door, and she dimly heard the click of the lock. Then Charlotte’s mouth was on hers, and that was all she could care about.
Weeks. It had been weeks since she’d had Charlotte’s soft, plump lips against her own. Even longer, still, since they’d done anything more. Their kiss grew frantic, demanding, as Charlotte sank her teeth into Sutton’s bottom lip.
And fuck, Suttonneededher.
She needed because she was Charlotte’s partner. Because she hadn’t had her hands or mouth on Charlotte since they’d made that official. Because Charlotte continued to be the sexiest woman alive, and she wasSutton’s.
With that thought, she reached down and gripped Charlotte’s hips in her hands, spinning them so it was Charlotte’s back that pushed into the wall next to them.
She slid her mouth down the side of Charlotte’s neck, desperate to taste her skin. Desperate for the little sounds that escaped Charlotte’s throat as she dug her nails into the bare skin of Sutton’s back.
Sutton’s hands were shaking as she undid Charlotte’s pants, panting against her throat as she asked, “Are you ready now? Do you think our relationship is ready for this?”
The sharp arousal inside of her drove her to lift her head so she could look Charlotte in the eye.
“Sutton, darling,don’tbe a tease,” Charlotte reprimanded.
Or it would have been a reprimand if it hadn’t been uttered with a long, needy groan.
