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“Quite sure.”

“Promise you won’t get mad.”

“I promise.”

“Okay.” Tessa took a deep breath to ready herself. “I fucked around. A lot. Anyone who was willing, I went home with. I did a massive disservice to the bisexual community by being a walking stereotype.”

Jamie stared at her, silent for so long, that Tessa feared she had short-circuited Jamie’s brain. Her expression was difficult to discern. She supposed that even after three lifetimes together, it wasn’t unreasonable to learn that your partner had a better poker face than you ever thought. Tessa tentatively poked Jamie’s shoulder.

“Jamie?”

Jamie answered with a crushing kiss. Tessa moaned and surrendered to the passion of it, letting Jamie push her into the island. Jamie’s mouth was urgent against Tessa’s, even as she lifted Tessa to set her on the countertop. Through the skirt of the dress, the contrast of the chilly, hard quartz to the heat of her skin made her shiver.

Jamie’s lips descended into the pulsing hollow of Tessa’s throat, brushing the tender skin there with her teeth. Tessa gasped and arched her back to press herself further into Jamie.

“If I’d known the idea of me fucking other people got you going like this, I’d have mentioned it sooner,” Tessa teased.

“Oh, baby, you misunderstand,” Jamie replied. “I’m going to make you forget you’ve ever been with anyone else.”

A shudder ran down Tessa’s back at the darkness in Jamie’s tone. She was never particularly dominant in bed, but apparently, Tessa could bring out something possessive. She liked it. She liked it so much, her core pulsed in response. Fire licked in her lower belly, begging for release.

Jamie yanked Tessa’s skirt up her thighs as she claimed her mouth in another blistering kiss. Tessa moaned into her mouth. Her legs fell open to allow Jamie to step between them. Tessa hooked her knees on Jamie’s hips, holding her in place.

Jamie clearly had no intentions of going anywhere. She slid her hand up Tessa’s thigh, inching toward her center, where Tessa’s knickers were damp. Damn, Jamie had an effect on her. In seconds, she was wet and panting.

Jamie’s fingers danced along the elastic of Tessa’s panties. Tessa whined and rocked her hips forward, too desperate for more of Jamie’s touch to even be embarrassed. Luckily, Jamie wasn’t holding back. She lowered her hand inside and found Tessa’s clit with her middle finger as if they were magnetic. Tessa keened, gripping Jamie’s shoulders like her life depended on it. If she were any stronger, she’d leave a bruise.

With quick, back and forth motions, Jamie teased Tessa’s clit swollen, until Tessa was begging for pressure to get her closer to her peak. The fire had spread to her bloodstream. She was ready to combust.

When she thought she couldn’t stand it a moment longer, Jamie sank two fingers into Tessa’s aching pussy. A groan tore from Tessa’s throat at the relief, especially when Jamie pressed the heel of her hand against Tessa’s clit. The delicious pressure fogged her mind. She forgot she was in the middle of Jamie’s kitchen.

As Jamie thrusted her fingers and rolled her wrist, Tessa lost herself in the reverie. She was Tessa and Verity and Aisling and Rosie. Filled with love and desire for the woman before her. The woman her soul sought throughout time. Only that woman could give her the blinding, blissful, breathtaking physical experience of her love. Under Jamie’s hand, it was as if no one else had ever touched her.

Stars in her eyes and Jamie’s name on her lips, she burst into flame at last. Her limbs trembled as she chased the remnants of her high, still clinging to Jamie as her support. She swallowed, and it pricked her throat. She hadn’t realized how dry it had gotten as she cried out. Once she could hear again, Jamie’s voice came in clearly.

“That’s it, baby,” she said gently.

“Jesus. . . ” Tessa panted.

Jamie slowly removed her hand, but pressed a tender kiss to Tessa’s temple. Tessa closed her eyes to the contact, but opened them when cool air hit her thighs. Jamie dried her fingers with a paper towel. When Tessa was going to offer to clean them off, the oven beeped.

“Ah, steak’s done,” Jamie chirped.

“I’m familiar with the feeling,” Tessa said through a sigh.

Jamie laughed as she pulled on her oven mitts to pull the cast-iron back out. The smell enticed Tessa enough to remember she was hungry. Yet, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to leave the island.

Thankfully, Jamie offered to help her down once the steak was resting. She poured them each a glass of wine and handed Tessa to hers with a knowing smirk.

“Don’t look so smug,” Tessa said. “I thought of a few other people during all that.”

Jamie blanched. “What? Who?”

“Abigail and Kitty and Dinah.”

Jamie rolled her eyes, but smiled. “They’re alright, I suppose.”

Tessa giggled and pulled her in by her waistband to kiss her. For moments such as these, there was a lot she could endure. Even if she was hurt sometimes, wasn’t this worth it? She wanted to believe it was.