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“I’m so sorry,” Evelyn whispered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and frustration.

Jo offered her a small smile. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice still rough. “Go see to your friend. We can pick this up later.”

Evelyn nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself before walking to the door. She still felt the lingering heat of Jo’s touch, the ache of unfulfilled desire in her core. But for now, she had to put that aside. She had to be there for her friend.

Jo sat on the couch, still catching her breath, her body humming with need as Evelyn scrambled to straighten her skirt. She groaned, resting her head back against the cushions, staring at the ceiling as she tried to collect herself. An unexpected visitor was not how she hoped the night would end. The sharp knock at the door had killed the moment like a cold bucket of water, and now Evelyn rushed to answer it while Jo sat there, painfully aware of how close they had been to something incredible. Evelyn glanced over her shoulder, mouthing, “I’m so sorry.”

Exhaling a slow breath, Jo shook her head, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit amused. She nodded and mouthed back, “You owe me.” Evelyn’s face flushed as she turned to the door, hesitating for a beat before pulling it open.

The second she did, a blur of motion pushed inside. “Oh my God, Evelyn!” Jo blinked as a woman she vaguely remembered practically collapsed into Evelyn’s arms, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Evelyn stiffened for half a second before wrapping her arms around her, concern on her face. “Sophie? What happened?”

“He broke up with me,” Sophie wailed, gripping Evelyn tightly. “I’ve been texting you for the last hour. Why weren’t you answering?”

Letting out a slow breath, Jo ran a hand down her face.Well, I can answer that one, she thought. Evelyn shot Jo a guilty look over Sophie’s shoulder, and Jo saw the apology in her eyes.Andgratitude is there, too.Because I’m not making this harder than it already is. Jo sighed, pushing off the couch.Time to go.

She stood, stretching her arms over her head, and caught Evelyn’s gaze as she did. She made sure to smile sexy enough to remind Evelyn exactly what they had been doing before the interruption. Evelyn blushed, but desire still lingered in her eyes. Strolling toward the door, Jo stopped behind Evelyn. She leaned in, dropping her voice to a low murmur, onlyfor her. “Guess we’ll have to finish this another time,” she whispered. Evelyn inhaled sharply, but didn’t respond. Satisfied, Jo straightened, plastering on a polite smile as she turned to Sophie, who stood sniffling. “Hope you feel better,” Jo said smoothly. “She’s a good listener.”

Sophie blinked at Jo in confusion, then glanced between her and Evelyn, before realization dawned in her tear-streaked eyes. “Oh,” she sniffled. “Ohhh.”

“Sophie—” Evelyn started, but Jo was already stepping back.

“See you later,” Jo said with a smile and one last look at Evelyn that promised she wasn’t done with her yet. Then she walked out the door and jogged down the stairs. Stepping outside, the night air held a hint of rain coming.I hope that holds off for fifteen minutes,she thought as she swung her leg over her motorcycle, tugging her helmet on with a huff. She exhaled slowly, gripping the handlebars, trying to shake off the frustration still thrumming through her. “Blocked by a best friend,” she muttered to herself. “Classic.”

The engine roared to life beneath her, and she took off, weaving through the quiet Portland streets. Normally, a late-night ride would clear her head, but tonight, all it did was remind her of how close she had been to something she wasn’t quite sure what to do with.Evelyn, Jo thought, clenching her jaw, and shaking her head.What the hell is she doing to me?She had passionate nights like that before. Moments of heat, of tension, of bodies pressed close.But this?It wasn’t only about the physical. It was something deeper. She should be annoyed. In fact, she should be frustrated out of her mind, and she was a little.But mostly.I just want to see Evelyn again. And that was the part that scared her.

By the time Jo pulled into her garage, she knew sleep wasn’t happening anytime soon. She was far too restless, so she did the only thing that ever really helped and headed straight forthe kitchen. Pulling out flour, sugar, and chocolate chips, she let muscle memory take over, measuring ingredients with practiced ease. There was something calming about the process. The way the dough came together, the light scent of vanilla, the sound of the mixer.It’s ridiculous, really, she thought as her mind returned to Evelyn.She’s barely been in my life for a week, and yet here I am baking at midnightbecause I don’t know what else to do with the way I feel. Scoffing at herself, she shook her head. “I think I’m in trouble,” she muttered. “Big trouble.”

By the time the cookies were out of the oven, golden and perfect, Jo had almost convinced herself to simply go to bed. Give herself a rest from Evelyn, but then she grabbed her phone, snapped a picture of the cookies, and sent it to Evelyn with a message. “Couldn’t sleep. This is your fault. Hope your friend is okay.”

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with a text from Evelyn. “I feel terrible. You were very patient. I owe you.”

Jo grinned and typed back. “Oh, I know. And I plan on collecting.” A pause. Then, Evelyn sent back a single emoji. An orange flame. Jo chuckled, shaking her head as she took a bite of a still-warm cookie. “Yeah,” she murmured to herself, licking chocolate off her thumb. “Definitely in trouble.”

Twelve

Sitting at her kitchen table, Evelyn frowned at her laptop screen, her fingers drumming against the wooden top as she stared at the half-finished presentation in front of her. She got up extra early to work on it, but she had sat there for the past thirty minutes, attempting to focus. Unfortunately, her mind refused to cooperate. Instead, it kept drifting back to last night. Jo’s hands on her waist, the feel of her breast, the way heat had filled her body… until Sophie had knocked on her door, bringing everything to an abrupt halt. Evelyn groaned, rubbing her temples. She wasn’t mad at Sophie. Her friend had been genuinely upset, but the timing had been excruciating.

Feeling restless, frustrated, and maybe a little bit guilty, Evelyn wasn’t sure what to do next. Jo had been patient. More patient than Evelyn had expected. Even when she had every reason to be annoyed, Jo had smiled and taken it in stride, walking out of Evelyn’s apartment with that maddening confidence that still made Evelyn’s pulse flutter.Maybe I should do something nice, Evelyn thought, biting her lip.A small thank you. Her eyes flicked to the clock. It was still early enough to make a quick stop before work. She grabbed her phone and keys ad slipped on her coat as she headed out the door.

Ten minutes later, Evelyn stepped into her favorite coffee shop. She ordered two large coffees, one black, and one a vanilla oat milk latte, plus a box of assorted scones. As the barista handed her the drinks, Evelyn hesitated and then added a third black coffee to her order.Just in case Mica is working today, she thought.I could use some brownie points with her too.

By the time she pulled into the lot outside Jo’s garage, the morning was in full swing. The large bay doors were open, and the sounds of metal clanking and a low hum of voices filled the air. As she walked toward the garage door, Evelyn spotted Jo immediately. She stood beside a car up on a lift, inspecting something underneath. The sight sent a thrill through Evelyn’s chest, and she bit her lip to contain herself. Mica stood beside Jo, looking at whatever Jo pointed at, as did an older man with salt-and-pepper hair who looked entirely at home in the garage. Hoping she wasn’t interrupting something important, Evelyn took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and walked closer.

Jo glanced from her work at the sound of footsteps, and when she saw Evelyn, her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. “Well hi,” she said. “Look who decided to visit.”

Mica turned, eyebrows lifting in surprise before she grinned. “Evelyn,” she said. “Hey, what brings you here?”

Evelyn lifted the coffee tray. “I come bearing gifts,” she said, and Jo’s grin widened.

“Now that’s the kind of visitor I like,” Jo said, and Evelyn smiled as she handed Jo her coffee. “Black, no sugar, no cream,” she said. “Exactly how you like it.”

Jo took the cup, her fingers brushing against Evelyn’s in a way that felt entirely intentional. “You remembered,” she said, her voice low and amused.

“Of course I did,” Evelyn said, ignoring the way her stomach fluttered so easily.

Mica let out an exaggerated gasp. “Wait, I get one too?” she asked, accepting the second cup Evelyn handed her. “Damn, Evelyn, you’re spoiling us.”