Page 47

“Everything?”

“Yes.” Jewel’s gaze was so sincere, so honest.

Azalea’s heart beat hard, and it quickly became a struggle to breathe. A roaring echoed in her ears, and she couldn’t figure out where it came from. Her gaze dropped to Jewel’s lips, their soft plumpness, the ChapStick Jewel insisted on wearing twenty-four-seven. Was it cherry?

“You can kiss me, if you want to.”

“Huh?” Azalea flashed her gaze back to Jewel’s eyes, determined to keep it there.

Jewel’s lips quirked upward, and her eyes glittered with humor. “Here.”

Stepping in, Jewel cupped Azalea’s cheek. Her hand was so warm, her fingers so strong as they conformed to the side of Azalea’s face. She could barely breathe. Every time she tried, it seemed like a weight pressed on her chest, but she couldn’t get it off because she was so distracted by the woman standing in front of her.

Her mind spun in seven different circles seven different ways. Jewel was impossibly close. Heat radiated off her and into Azalea. Jewel pressed closer. Azalea turned, her back pushing into the edge of the kitchen counter, Jewel pressed delicately against her so she was sandwiched between the two. Anticipation flared. Why had everything moved to a snail’s crawl?

Azalea drew in a ragged breath just as Jewel’s lips brushed gingerly against hers. The touch was so soft at first, she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or not. Jewel moved away, eyeing her carefully. Azalea dashed her tongue against her lips, the air from her breath shocking her back to reality. She bent her head slightly and pressed their mouths together, harder than Jewel had but still restrained. She melted into the kiss.

Wrapping her arms around Jewel’s shoulders, Azalea focused everything she had into that one moment, into that one touch. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else could make a dent in what was happening. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she pushed her fingertips up into Jewel’s gelled hair, the stiff strands rough against her skin.

Azalea moaned as their tongues tangled. Five years ago, she had dared to dream about this, but she’d forgotten that dream, forced herself to ignore it. Now here she was, standing in Eli’s kitchen, kissing her best friend, and it felt glorious. Jewel nipped at her lower lip, pushing Azalea harder into the counter, her arms circling behind Azalea’s back to hold on.

Her entire body was on fire. She hadn’t had a moment like this in ages. The electricity from good physical attraction, the excitement from something new, and yet, they knew each other. They knew each other so well that they could each anticipate what the other did. Jewel fanned her fingers, pushing at Azalea’s upper back to increase the places they touched.

The jerk of the back door startled her. Azalea pulled back and pushed Jewel away. She dragged in a deep breath of clean, fresh air. Jewel’s lips were red and swollen, and she was sure her own were as well. They were moist, Jewel’s flavor still on her tongue. Eli turned the corner and stopped short.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t meant to interrupt.”

Azalea breathed so hard. She couldn’t look in Eli’s direction. She would know. Everyone would know. Jewel turned and gave a brilliant smile. “You didn’t interrupt anything. We were just making cookie bake.”

“Right.” Eli’s gaze on her was strong, and Azalea could feel it burning into her. “I’m going to hit the sack. Early morning.”

“See you,” Jewel called.

Azalea said nothing. As soon as she heard the basement door click shut, Azalea stepped out of Jewel’s reach. She put her hands up and shook her head. “I can’t. Not right now. I just…I can’t, J. Please just give me some time.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Without another word, Azalea fled up the stairs to their shared bedroom. One bed hadn’t seemed like such a big deal when she’d originally talked to Eli, but now, she wished desperately they’d managed to have two rooms. She needed the space, the time, to clear her head and figure out what had just happened, to sort through every damn emotion that decided to throw itself at her in the last twenty-four hours. It was too much. It was all too much.