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Chuckling, Jo stepped inside and handed over the bottle of wine. “Thought I’d bring something to go with dinner,” she said. “Figured I should at least try to impress you.”

Smiling, Evelyn closed the door behind her. “Oh, I think you’re already doing a pretty good job of that.”

“Yeah?” Jo asked with a smile.

“Yeah.”

The air between them crackled, thick with anticipation, but Evelyn forced herself to move, leading Jo toward the kitchen. “Let’s open this,” she said, holding up the wine. “I could use a drink.”

Jo followed her. “Really? Are you nervous?”

With a sigh, Evelyn opened the wine and poured them both a glass. “A little,” she admitted, handing Jo her drink. “I only want tonight to go well.”

Taking the glass, Jo clinked it against Evelyn’s before taking a sip. “Relax,” she said, her voice warm. “It already is.”

Evelyn exhaled, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Good.” She reached for her phone, pulling up her favorite playlist. A sultry, bluesy guitar riff filled the air, followed by the unmistakable rasp of Melissa Etheridge’s voice.

Jo’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, hell yes,” she said, her smile widening. “Good choice.”

Laughing, Evelyn took a sip of wine. “I aim to impress,” she said as Jo set her glass down and, without warning, started singing along. And she was good.Really good, Evelyn thought.Can this woman get any sexier?Jo’s voice was rich, smooth, effortlessly seductive as she sang the lyrics, locking her eyes on Evelyn’s. Evelyn’s breath caught under the sexy stare. “You sing?”

Swaying slightly to the music, Jo shrugged. “A little. When the song is right.”

“A little? Jo, that was—”

Before she finished, Jo reached for her hand, tugging her gently toward the center of the kitchen. “Dance with me,” she said. Evelyn hesitated, but before she could resist, Jo’s hands were on her waist, guiding her effortlessly into a slow, rhythmic sway. The warmth of Jo’s body and the deep hum of the music was intoxicating. Evelyn let herself relax into it, her hands resting lightly on Jo’s shoulders, their bodies moving together in perfect sync. Jo’s fingers skimmed along Evelyn’s back, sending a shiver down her spine.

“You’re dangerous,” Evelyn murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh, I know,” Jo whispered with a smile in her voice. Their movements slowed, the space between them shrinking. Evelyn’s heart pounded as Jo’s fingers traced the curve of her jaw, tilting her chin up slightly.

“Can I kiss you?” Jo murmured, her breath warm against Evelyn’s lips. Evelyn barely had time to nod before Jo closed the distance. The kiss was slow at first, teasing, but when Evelyn let out a soft sigh against Jo’s mouth, Jo deepened it, her hands tightening on Evelyn’s waist. Evelyn melted into her, arms around her neck, pulling her closer, needing more. Jo groaned, pressing Evelyn against the counter, her body firm and warm against hers. The kiss turned heated, desperate, hands roaming, lips parting—

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

The oven timer shrieked through the kitchen. They froze, breathless, bodies pressed together. Jo was the first to laugh, her voice rough. “That was bad timing,” she said. “But I imagine you need to check that.”

With a groan, Evelyn nodded. “One second,” she said and slipped past Jo to open the oven door. Evelyn’s stomach sank. “Oh, God.” The salmon, which she had painstakingly topped with a marinade of garlic and herbs, was still completely raw. No heat came from inside the stove. Clearly she had made sure everything was perfect, except for turning on the oven. Evelyn covered her face. “I knew I was going to mess this up.”

Jo chuckled from beside her, clearly seeing the calamity. She gently pulled Evelyn’s hands away from her face. “Hey,” she said, tilting Evelyn’s chin up. “It’s fine. We’ll order pizza.”

“I wanted tonight to be perfect,” Evelyn said with a sigh.

Jo’s eyes softened. “It is perfect,” she said. “I don’t care about dinner. I just care about you.” Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat as Jo pulled out her phone. “There’s a place I know right around the corner. I fixed the owner’s car last week. Rush job.” Jo winked. “So he owes me. Dinner can be here in fifteen minutes. You cool with pepperoni, mushroom, and black olives?”

Evelyn exhaled a laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, that works,” she said. “Thank you.”

As Jo placed the order, Evelyn leaned against the counter, watching her. Somehow, despite the disaster in the oven, despite her nerves, despite everything, their being together felt right. When Jo hung up the phone, turned back to her, and smiled her sexy smile, Evelyn knew one thing for sure. The night was far from over.

Eleven

Leaning against the cushions, Jo stretched her arm along the back of the couch as she swirled the last of the wine in her glass. Near her, Evelyn, with her feet tucked beneath her, had her own glass cradled between her fingers. The pizza box sat open on the coffee table, a few slices left forgotten in favor of the easier indulgence of good conversation and good wine. “You know,” Jo said, tilting her head as she studied Evelyn. “For someone who claims not to be a car person, you sure seemed to enjoy yourself at that show.”

Evelyn scoffed but smiled. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Maybe I was only being polite.”

“Oh, sure,” Jo said with a smile. “And that wasn’t you geeking out over the Mustang?”

“I did not geek out,” Evelyn replied with a laugh.