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Robin froze, her mouth still pressed against the side of Sienna’s neck. ‘Is that...?’
‘Barnaby,’ Sienna breathed, her eyes closed, her fingers yanking off Robin’s jacket. ‘Ignore him.’
‘Forty for an eighth,’ Barnaby repeated, louder this time. The cage clattered as he shifted his weight on the wooden perch. ‘No lightweights.’
‘He’s looking right at us,’ Robin said, looking into the lounge, her hands resting awkwardly on Sienna’s waist over her silk blouse. ‘I feel like he’s judging me.’
Sienna let out an exasperated noise and untangled herself. She marched into the lounge, grabbed the cage cover and tossed it over the cage.
‘Night-night, Barnaby,’ Sienna said through her teeth.
‘Tight bastard,’ the cage muffled back.
Sienna turned around. Robin was leaning against the door frame, her hands shoved into her back pockets, watching her with a dimpled grin.
Sienna took three fast strides back out to the hall, grabbed Robin by the belt loops, and hauled her straight into the dark bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.
She was shocked at herself. But not shocked enough to slow it down.
Sixty-One
They inched backwards toward the bed, mouth to mouth, until Robin’s heel caught the corner of the rug. Luckily, the bed caught them, and they tumbled sideways onto the mattress in a messy heap, all elbows, knees, and heavy breathing. Robin was vaguely aware that they were all over the shop, but checking for trip hazards required stopping to look where they were going, which neither of them was willing to do.
Robin grabbed the front of Sienna’s silk blouse with the intent of unbuttoning it. But a button snapped off, pinging off the nightstand before skittering across the floorboards.
‘Shit!’ Robin said, her hands freezing on the torn silk. ‘Your shirt!’
‘Who cares?’ Sienna muttered, already kissing her again.
Soon enough, the rest of the world fell away entirely. There was no patience left between them. Just an urgent need to bridge every inch of distance that had built up over the past six months.
Everything became a blur of tangled fingers, flushed skin, and quiet begging for more, whispered into the dark. Every touch carried the weight of everything they’d been afraid to say, as they lost themselves in a long-overdue collision of passion.
***
Afterwards, Robin lay flat on her back, staring at a pale square of streetlight projected onto the ceiling. Her chest was still heaving slightly, skin damp where Sienna’s front had been pressed against her.
Sienna was curled on her side, breathing against Robin’s shoulder. One of her feet was hooked over Robin’s ankle. Her eyeliner was smudged into a grey smear near her temple.
‘This mattress is too soft,’ Robin said. Her voice sounded like she’d been swallowing gravel. She was sex hoarse. As well she might be. Sienna had really made her scream. To the extent that Robin had started to worry she might destroy Sienna’s relationship with her neighbours. But Sienna hadn’t seemed to care, so Robin had forgotten her cares and let rip.
‘It’s duck down,’ Sienna muttered into her shoulder. ‘It’s supposed to be good.’
‘Good for chiropractors.’
Sienna gave her a dry smile but seemed too tired to riposte. Silence settled between them. Robin liked it, being like this with Sienna. The arguing was great. The sex was magnificent. But the quiet was wonderful.
Shame she had to ruin it.
‘So…’ Robin said, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. ‘What happens now?’
Sienna didn’t answer straight away. She shifted her shoulder against Robin’s ribs, her breathing still a bit heavy. ‘I don’t know,’ she said to the dark. ‘We don’t even know each other that well, do we?’
‘We did have a series of dates. Technically.’
‘That’s not knowing someone. Not deeply.’ Sienna rested her chin on Robin’s chest, her dark hair spilling over Robin’s collarbone. ‘I don’t do this. I don’t fall in love with someone without knowing everything about them.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Robin said. She reached up and poked Sienna’s shoulder gently with one finger. ‘Which is knowing something important about you.’
