Sutton’s teeth dug into her bottom lip as Charlotte spoke, her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded along. “Yes? I wasn’t denying we had sex.”
“Well, you haven’t mentioned it. And it’s been four days.” Four long days.
“I’ve been busy!” Sutton whisper-shouted, her cheeks reddening.
“You’ve been so busy that you haven’t thought once about the fact that we’ve had sex?” Charlotte somewhat echoed back, arching her eyebrows as that sentiment settled low and unwelcome in her stomach.
Exasperation pushed her further before she could possibly delve intothat. “Sutton, you can’t fuck a woman within an inch of her life and then not mention it fordaysafterward.” Charlotte felt like that was common sense. Truly. “Especiallygiven that the last time you fucked me so well my head spun, you then wanted to act as if it never happe—mm!” Charlotte’s words were cut off as Sutton’s lips descended to her own.
It was like a hit of victory and salvation all rolled into one. Which wasridiculous. She knew that Sutton wanted her, was attracted to her. That had never been up for debate.
And yet Charlotte had spent the entire weekend feeling unsure and wanting and—and this horrible needy feeling. It was a feeling she’d never once associated with herself or understood.
The kiss was searching and needy, yet exacting. It kept Charlotte right on her toes as Sutton’s hands came to her waist and squeezed, bringing their bodies flush against one another.
The skin revealed by the plunging, hip-level neckline of her dress rubbed against the soft material of Sutton’s, which made Charlotte gasp into her mouth as her skin erupted into goose bumps.
She reached up, carding one hand through Sutton’s hair and holding on to it as she lightly scratched her nails on the other down Sutton’s neck. She groaned in the back of her throat at the satisfaction that worked through her at the whimper that escaped Sutton’s lips at the sensation.
This is what she’d wanted. It was what she’d craved. What she’d beenneeding. For days. In ways she’d never truly, viscerally felt before. Not like this.
As she went to slide her hands down Sutton’s body, though, she was stopped.
The grip Sutton had on her waist tightened as Sutton pulled back just enough to disconnect, their chests still brushing as they breathed in deeply.
The color was high on Sutton’s cheeks even in the dim light, her hair slightly mussed from Charlotte’s hand, and her eyes looked electric.
Charlotte almost shivered again from the look alone.
“I’m not trying to pretend that it didn’t happen,” Sutton stated, her voicenearlyperfectly firm, but Charlotte could hear the slight shakiness underneath. Like Sutton’s world was slightly off-kilter from the unexpected kiss as well.
“Less communication than we’ve had in weeks, not a single mention about anything betweenus,” Charlotte started to tick off the list to support her supposition.
“No, that’s—I—” Sutton blew out a breath, looking flushed. “I’ve thought about you, aboutus, so many times in the last few days. I can’thelpbut think about it.”
Charlotte arched a doubtful brow as she crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall behind her.
Sutton shook her head. “I’ve been genuinely very busy. First with my parents, and then this event. Which I”—she broke off on her own scoff, cheeks darkening as she admitted—“somewhat forgot about, even though I’ve been doing quite a bit of coordination for it. Because I’ve been so mentally focused on, well, you.”
Charlotte didn’t quite have words for the pleasure that moved through her at the words.
Even more alarming, perhaps, was that it wasn’t just pleasure. It made her nearlygiddy. And so relieved, feeling like it wasn’t just her who’d been obsessed with thinking aboutthem.
She controlled the wide smile that wanted to break out across her face, keeping it small and easy instead.
“You look absolutely stunning.” She finally let her eyes wander the way she’d wanted to minutes ago, now that she felt like she could breathe normally.
For maybe the first time in days.
Which, god, when she really thought about it, shedid notenjoy that. What was that about?
“I’m not the one who showed up here in a designer dress with a neckline that plunges to my hips,” Sutton challenged, eyes glinting as she ran them over Charlotte.
The look was unsubtle but deliberately so. It was something she hadn’t seen from Sutton in the past, but it shot fire through her veins all the same.
“This? I’ve had it in my closet forever. Just waiting for the right occasion to let it breathe,” she murmured as she found herself swaying closer, right into Sutton’s gravitational pull, even as she drew her own hand lightly down the plunge of her dress just to watch the way she knew Sutton’s eyes would follow.
She started at the hollow of her throat, then let her hand travel down between her breasts, over her stomach…
