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Charlotte couldn’t come, however. She and Georgia were now separated, finalizing their divorce, and Charlotte—who was keeping the house—apparently had new furniture being delivered this afternoon. Ainsley had promised her, though, that they would get together for dinner and drinks sometime this week.

During a lull in the conversation, Ainsley leaned closer to Rachel.

“What time is your showing, superstar?” she asked.

“Wait. Are you saying I’m a superstar volleyball player or a superstar real estate agent?”

Ainsley smiled.

“Both,” she said, still amazed at how immensely proud she felt virtually every time she looked at Rachel. Sure, her girlfriend had shellacked Ainsley’s team during that final set this afternoon—practically single-handedly—but Ainsley didn’t care. Rachel’s athleticism was one of the things she loved about her as well as one the things she found most sexy.

And Rachel as a real estate agent…

Two months ago, Rachel decided to take the plunge and start up her very own brokerage—a gutsy move which Ainsley admired and which already looked like it was paying off. Of course, it wasn’t the money Rachel was earning that Ainsley cared about. It was Rachel’s tenacity and drive to make her business succeed which, among other things, made Ainsley think about just what a wonderful woman she had found.

“The showing is at four o’clock,” Rachel answered Ainsley.

“I’ll have dinner waiting for you when you get back,” Ainsley told her.

“Will you now?” Rachel purred, putting her hand on Ainsley’s thigh under the table.

“I will,” Ainsley promised. “I have a new garlic chicken recipe I want to try.”

Rachel heaved a dramatic sigh.

“God, what did I do right in my previous life to deserve a sexy doctor who cooks?”

Ainsley smiled. They were in their own little bubble now in the bar. The eight other women with them were forgotten, blocked out of their consciousnesses. This happened a lot with them, Ainsley realized happily. In crowded restaurants, noisy grocery stores or out on the beach among countless sunbathers, there were always moments when suddenly the world around them silenced and it was just the two of them, all alone, their souls connecting.

“I love when this happens,” Rachel suddenly whispered.

“You feel it too, huh?”

“Like we’re alone? Uh-huh.”

“In our own little bubble…”

“You’re amazing, Ainsley.”

“We’re amazing, Rachel.”

“Get a room!” Krissy said.

***

A couple of hours later, Ainsley and Rachel were practically stumbling into Ainsley’s house, trying to kiss, strip and walk at the same time. After almost stumbling and falling flat on her ass as she was trying to step out of her denim cut-offs, Ainsley suddenly found herself pinned against a wall by Rachel with her sports bra being yanked up over head.

“Oh fuck, how much time do we have?” Ainsley asked breathlessly. Rachel had managed to get her own top and bra off even before the front door had closed and now Ainsley felt her clit pulsing at the sensation of Rachel’s bare breasts pressed against her. A second later, she was moaning when one of her nipples was captured by Rachel’s mouth and sucked on hard.

Rachel relinquished the nipple just enough to say, “Still more than an hour.” Then Ainsley’s stone-hard nipple was back in her mouth, being bitten, and Ainsley decided to stop asking questions.

After several moments, Rachel brought her lips up and began kissing and sucking Ainsley’s neck.

“It’s too bad…” Rachel interrupted her kissing to say, “…that we didn’t stop by my place first.”

She nibbled on Ainsley’s earlobe.

“Why’s that?” Ainsley asked, her breathing ragged.