Page 43

The thought sent Cass over the edge, her legs squeezing together as she kept the vibrator in place while bringing her other wrist to her mouth, biting down on the skin.

The pain went so perfectly with the pleasure as her body shuddered and collapsed in on itself, her mouth eliciting a loud moan as she came.

13

ARI

Ari awokeas the sun shone into her apartment windows, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She gently shifted out from under Cass’s arm which was wrapped around her waist. She hadn’t slept much with Cass in her bed, maybe it was the nerves or maybe it was possible regret.

They had shifted their dynamic completely last night, and Ari feared that it would ruin their arrangement.

She gently brought her legs to the floor and delicately removed the white sheet from her body.

She padded across the wood floors and slid open her closet door, grabbing whatever pajama shirt was at the top of her drawers and clean pair of underwear.

Closing the door just as gently, she watched Cass sleep through each sound. Cass shifted onto her stomach and buried her head further into the pillow. Ari wasn’t sure how light of a sleeper she was, but she wasn’t in the mood to find out.

She needed some time to think before waking the gorgeous… and talented, woman up.

She bent down to Cass’s clothes by the bedside and gently folded each piece, setting them on the yellow, velvet chair across from the bed. She leaned against the door frame and looked at Cass, sound asleep.

It had been incredible sex. Probably the best she had ever had. And, Ari couldn’t lie: she had missed waking up next to a beautiful woman.

She shook the thought and made her way to the living room, gently closing the bedroom door behind her.

She threw a mug under her Keurig, throwing in a reusable pod of coffee into the machine. As the machine gurgled awake, slowly warming the water inside and preparing to make a warm mug, Ari stared out to the water.

It shimmered under the early morning sunlight, like diamonds were floating on its surface. She still hadn’t gotten used to it.

The machine sputtered as the brew finished. Ari gave it another second to drip into the cup. She took a sip, too eager to wait for the coffee to be at an appropriate temperature.

She opened her phone, checking her email for any urgent tasks. She made it a habit to take the Monday after Pride off. She rarely ever used her days off, but she hated having to go into the office when she could still feel the sweat and glitter on her body.

Standing in front of the window with her coffee, she closed her phone and took a breath.

Fuck.

Ari knew she was behind on her work, she still hadn’t read the Greggor scripts and she knew she should with the quiet morning ahead of her.

But, she was being pulled back to the kitchen, her body craving food.

She set her mug on the table and took a look in her fridge: it was mostly empty, a few leftovers in need of being thrown out and a few staples.

Surely, she could make something of the eggs, berries, and yogurt inside.

Was she about to make breakfast for this hookup?

Ari could basically hear Tommy telling her that’s not very casual. But, Ari would’ve argued that she’d make breakfast for a friend staying on her couch.

But, her friends wouldn’t have touched her the way Cass had the night before.

She shook her head, refocusing on scrambling the eggs in front of her and washing the mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

As she did, she heard stirring from the bedroom.

Once the eggs were off the stove, just a little wet but perfectly seasoned and scrambled, Ari threw a new mug under the Keurig and brewed a fresh cup for Cass.

Just as the machine finished the cup, Cass emerged from the bedroom.