For a moment, neither of them spoke.
“Good morning.” Brice smiled. She placed the mugs down on the counter and turned. She leaned back against it. Her heart fluttered at the intense glint in Keena’s eyes. This was the look that made her clamp her thighs together.
Instantly the memories of Keena’s face buried between her legs returned…the feeling of her tongue pressing against her opening, the sensation of her suckling Brice’s clit…it all came back to her. She held back a whimper.
“Morning.” Keena’s voice came out husky and sent another wave of desire though Brice. She bit her lip to keep from moaning.
“Coffee?” Brice cleared her throat.
“Please.” Keena nodded.
Brice turned and reached for the carafe. She poured Keena’s black coffee and turned. She gasped, having not heard Keena cross the room. She tilted her head back and looked into those beautiful amber eyes. Keena took the mug from her and placed it down on the counter. Without a word she gently backed Brice against the counter. One hand settled on the countertop beside Brice’s hip. The other lifted slowly and brushed the loose strands of hair from Brice’s face with a sweet tenderness.
Hell, there was no doubt in her mind that she was in love with Keena.
“I woke up and you were gone,” Keena said softly. Her fingers traced along Brice’s cheekbones before traveling to the nape of her neck.
“I woke up and you were still here,” Brice teased.
Keena grunted softly. She tugged Brice forward as she lowered her head. The kiss stole every coherent thought from Brice’s mind.
It was slow.
Deep.
The tenderness of the kiss made Brice’s knees wobble. She placed a hand on Keena’s waist while the other one gripped her tank. She leaned into her and returned the kiss. Keena’s tongue slid along herswith boldness. Her hand slid from the counter to grip Brice’s ass to draw her closer.
Keena broke the heated kiss, lifted her head and stared down at Brice. The heat in her eyes was enough for Brice to want to fall to her knees before her. She licked her swollen lips and knew they didn’t have much time. Disappointment filled her. Maybe she could be a little late opening the shop, but then Alanis would worry and come upstairs to find her.
“I guess that was the proper way to say good morning?” Brice said.
“Yeah.” Keena pressed another chaste kiss to her lips. A growl rumbled from her chest. It was a sound that Brice was quickly coming to get used to. It was the wolf inside of her. Brice wondered what Keena’s animal looked like. She was sure she was as beautiful as the human version of Keena.
A small smile was perched on Keena’s lips as she reached for her coffee mug. Brice blinked, she had completely forgotten about the coffee.
“I like it. Maybe we should do it more often.” Brice bit her lip. She’d just made an offer and she hoped that Keena would take her up on it. Keena glanced down at her mug for a brief second before looking at her again.
“Maybe.”
Brice’s heart fluttered. She motioned to the food she’d just finished making.
“Breakfast is ready. I hope you have an appetite,” Brice announced.
“I do.” The smile slipped from Keena’s lips as something passed in her eyes. Brice wasn’t sure what it was. She just hoped it wasn’t regret. She bit her lip and moved over to the stove. They needed food. After all the energy they had expended on the floor before the fireplace then in Brice’s bed they would need sustenance to replenish it.
Morning sunlight streamedthrough the front windows of Hearth and Story. The shop sat in a peaceful silence. The bookstore smelled exactly as it always did—coffee, fresh pine, and the faint sweetness of vanilla from the candles.
“We’ve got about an hour before we are due to open,” Brice said. She glanced toward the wagon still sitting where they’d left it near the register. “Ugh, I forgot we had books to put away.”
“I can help,”Keena offered.
“Thanks. Alanis should be here at any moment to help open,” she said. Within minutes they settled into an easy rhythm. Keena unpacked the boxes while Brice wheeled over a small step ladder so that she could reach where some of the books belonged.
The store was always peaceful before opening. The only sounds that came was from the holiday music she’d turned on when they entered the shop.
“Did you do well at the market?” Keena asked. “There were more people out this year than last year.”
“I did really well. I sold out of every Blind Date with a Book,” she laughed. She was pleased. It had been fun to hide the books and talk people into buying them without knowing what they were.
