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That pulled a smile. “I just…I don’t thinkit’s the right move.”

A portion of Autumn sighed in relief. “And noone faults you for that.” But Kate seemed unsettled, and Autumn wondered ifmaybe their movie date should wait. “Would you rather just chill here tonight?Relax?”

Kate turned to her tentatively. “That wouldbe okay with you? I know you wanted to see the film.”

Autumn took her hand. “I’m about to divulge asecret here.”

“Okay,” Kate said, eying her.

“I really just wanted to spend time withyou.” By the end of that sentence, Kate’s tightly knitted brow relaxed, and sheseemed more at ease. “Plus, I’m kind of a homebody.”

She lifted their hands and intertwined theirfingers. “What should we do?” She looked around for options. “I don’t supposeyou haveMs. Pac-Man.”

Autumn laughed. “I absolutely do not haveMs. Pac-Manand neverwill. She’s banned from this house. But I’m a pretty formidable board game shark.”

“I’d play a board game with you,” Kate said,meeting her eyes.

How was she able to make everything seemearnest and sexy? “Great. Scrabble it is.”

“Uh-oh. We’ve already established you’rebetter with words. You use like eight times what I do in a day.”

“Which is why we’re playing,” Autumn said,energized now, her competitive spirit kicked into gear. “It’ll be fantastic.We’ll drink beer, and listen to music, and I’ll win. Best. Night. Ever.”

But it didn’t quite go that way. An hourlater, Kate had her by eighty-three points. Not only that, but she waspurposefully turning Scrabble into an R-rated exercise. After she’d laid down“passion,” “pleasure,” “breasts,” and “grind.” Autumn passed her a look, doingher best not to indicate that the succession of words had affected her in theslightest. Her temperature hadn’tatallrisen steadily as the night went on. She hadn’toncefantasized abouteasing that black T-shirt over Kate’s head and having her delicious way withher. She certainly hadn’t adjusted in her chair due to any sort of discomfortwhen Kate had played the word “thrust.” But enough was enough!

“Quickie?” Autumn asked, staring at theboard, incredulous. “You’re playing ‘quickie’ on a triple word?”

“I am,” Kate said calmly, looking pleasedwith herself. “Q comes with ten points, apparently. Strategic, right?”

Autumn leaned forward. “I don’t even thinkthat’s a real word.”

“Quickies are real,” Kate said, meeting hereyes in all seriousness. “Are you arguing that quickies aren’t real? Or maybeit’s that you think they’re not important?” Kate sat back and folded her arms.“I’m surprised at you.”

“No, they’re important, it’s just—I can’teven believe I’m having this conversation! This is madness. You’re hijackingthis game.”

“Am not. But I can play ‘climax’ if you’drather. X’s are eight points.”

“Don’t you dare,” Autumn said, in a deadlytone, the pent-up energy almost too much to manage.

“I’m just kidding. I don’t even have an X.”

That did it. Autumn was up and around thetable and straddling Kate’s lap in a matter of seconds. Her lips landed eagerlyon Kate’s, who didn’t hesitate to give back as good as she got. “Is this aquickie?” Kate asked.

“Shut up.”

With Stevie Wonder playing softly in thebackground, Autumn fulfilled that most imminent desire and removed thatT-shirt, happy to greet the black bra and tops of breasts beneath. Her mouthmoved to them. Hungry now. She licked, kissed, and lost herself in a haze ofoverwhelming lust. Cupping Kate’s face in her hands, she looked down at her.

“We’re right back here again.”

“Always.” Kate nodded, breathless. “Bedroom?”

“Bedroom,” Autumn said with zero hesitation.

Once there, Autumn took the reins. Shemarveled at how free she felt, how in control. When she and Kate were together,she wasn’t worried about how she looked, or moved, or performed—the way she sooften had with Olivia. With Kate, she could just…be. They didn’t need theforeplay, the buildup, this go-round. After removing the necessary clothing,Autumn climbed on top and with a hand between them, slid inside Kate with onefluid motion, pulling a sharp moan. She did it again, and closed her eyes atthe heat that enveloped her hand, the way Kate angled herself for more andmoved her hips. Her breathing turned ragged, and Autumn felt a little drunk witharousal herself. She kissed her as Kate trembled, their connection unbroken.Kate said her name quietly as Autumn continued to move in and out slowly andthen not so slowly until they’d reached the precipice, the release imminent.Shuddering in Autumn’s arms, Kate tumbled spectacularly, clutching Autumn’sshoulders and moving her hips against the pleasurable payoff.

Autumn’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, butKate had her total attention.

“Climax,” Autumn said. “C. L. I. M. A. X.Climax.”