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“Already done.” Siena felt very powerful being able to say that. There was no need to explain she had a credit card on file with the club, because she too often had to run out in the middle of meals or grab takeaway with no time to wait in line and pay. Or the fact that she could pay for this meal and not worry about finances. It wasn’t going to affect her, not like it would have fifteen years ago.

“Fantastic.” Julie met Siena’s eyes as she stepped back, just enough for air to slide between their bodies.

“I think so.” Siena swallowed down the lump in her throat and waved at the counter as she left.

Blair nodded, and Siena knew the meal would be charged to her account by the end of the night. She’d never been so glad to have so little free time in her life.

If it wasn’t work, it was usually Harley.

Tonight though, she let her responsibilities fade to the background. She held on to Julie’s arm as they stepped out of the bar and onto the rain-slicked sidewalk.

The soft mist of rain that lingered in the air cooled her warmed cheeks. She had expected a sizzling sound like when cold butter hits a hot frying pan. But relief washed over her as the night filled solely with the whoosh of car tires over puddles, and indistinct conversations of other people walking in the rain.

“Where are we going?” Julie asked.

“To my car.” Siena took charge, and while she had enjoyed Julie’s confidence and forwardness, she wasn’t sure she would be able to relinquish the control again. At least not until she had enjoyed the pleasure of making Julie come at least twice.

With a sideways glance at Julie, Siena mentally corrected herself.

Maybe three times.

two

Siena hesitated when she reached the highway, automatically making the turn toward her home. Narrowing her eyes, she took the next exit and found the closest hotel that she could, immediately pulling into the parking lot.

“You’re not taking me to your place?” Julie’s voice was calm and curious, but something in the undertones said that she was nervous.

Was this something she didn’t often do? Despite the confident way she had begun their entire evening together?

Not that Siena had one-night stands often either, but she did have rules, and she didn’t want everyone in the world to know where she lived. Even if it was a one-night stand she would never see again.

“No offense,Julie”—Siena made sure to emphasize the name she knew wasn’t a real name—“but I’m not comfortable bringing strangers back to my home for sex.”

“Your loss,” Julie answered with a wink. “I can’t be as loud here.”

“Or, you can be even louder,” Siena challenged back, leaning across the center console of her car and getting evencloser to Julie. Their lips nearly brushed like this, but neither of them made the move to touch. “Because I don’t give a flying fuck what these people think.”

Julie’s lips curled upward, her eyes alight with mischief. “Well then,Van, I do think you have yourself a rebound.”

“Thank fuck.” Siena didn’t hesitate or bother to correct Julie’s assumption. What did it even matter really? And yet the lie felt like worms twisting in her stomach.

Meeting Julie’s eyes again she shook the thoughts away and wrapped her hand behind Julie’s head, pulling her in closer. Their mouths pushed against each other. The kiss was sloppy, fast, and full of heat. Siena didn’t care if she made it good. Not this time around. Right now, she wanted to know if the sexual tension between them was just driving her mad or if it was actually tangible like she thought it was.

Julie whimpered, the sound sending waves of pleasure through Siena, and she couldn’t stop herself from diving back in and pulling at Julie’s lower lip, scraping her teeth along it with a bit more pain than pleasure. Julie hissed when she pulled back, raising her fingers to her mouth and then looking at them, as if expecting blood.

“Don’t like it rough?” Siena asked.

“Oh I do.” Julie flicked her gaze up to Siena’s. “Just give me a little warning next time.”

“Fair.” Siena kissed Julie again, briefly, and then pulled back with a grin. “Stay here.”

She jumped out of the car and ran directly into the lobby to book them a room. Hopefully Julie wasn’t a nosy person and wasn’t rummaging through the glove compartment to find Siena’s actual name somewhere. That would ruin the night flat out. Surely, she’d have questions about the car seat in the back of Siena’s car, but maybe she’d be so into tonight that she wouldn’t have the gumption to ask.

This wasn’t personal.

It was all heat and sex.

With the room card in her hand, Siena went back out to the car and was pleasantly surprised to find Julie on her phone and not rummaging through the paperwork in the car. Biting her lip, Siena slipped behind the wheel and handed Julie one of the two cards she’d gotten.