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“How about mine?”

“Because there’s an actual bed there?”

“I don’t need a bed. I thought I showed you that last night,” she replied, cupping Kyle’s cheeks and lifting her face to look at her. “I have to run. I’ve got to get home to shower and change, and… God, I need to brush my teeth. Don’t kiss me.”

Kyle laughed and said, “I need to brush mine, too, so give me those lips.”

Melinda laughed, leaned down, and kissed her with a closed mouth, not risking her bad breath ruining this already perfect morning.

“I’ll get dressed and order a car. It’ll be faster.”

“I can make you coffee,” Kyle offered. “And I’ll order the car for you. Just get dressed.”

“I’ll get coffee at the office,” she replied before she kissed Kyle again and stood up, stretching. When Kyle’s head tilted to the side and her eyebrow lifted, Melinda added, “Don’t look at me like that. You’re making me want to call in sick.”

“Is that an option?” Kyle asked, running her hands up and down Melinda’s legs.

“I have three tours today, so no. But, tonight, you can have your way with me,” Melinda told her, taking a step back and picking up her jeans.

“I like the sound of that,” Kyle replied, picking up her phone to order Melinda a car. “Now, let’s get inside before the neighbors realize what we did back here last night.”

???

“You’re late. You’re never late,” Jill said when Melinda came in through the back, which led upstairs to her apartment.

“Sorry,” Melinda replied. “Overslept.”

“Did you oversleep with your mouth attached to your neck?” Jill asked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve got a massive hickey under that uniform shirt,” Jill pointed out, laughing.

“Shit.” Melinda quickly covered the spot she’d forgotten all about with her hand as if that would somehow wipe Jill’s memory of seeing it. “I forgot. I need to run back up and cover it.”

“I’m coming with you,” Jill said. “I want details.”

Melinda hurried up the stairs, with Jill hot on her heels, and rushed into her bathroom, looking through her drawers for the concealer she hoped to find.

“Can you get me a turtleneck or something?” Melinda asked.

“I know it’s January, but it’s notthatcold.”

“I think I have an old sleeveless one in there somewhere. Can you check?” she asked, finding the tube of concealer.

“Fine. But you better spill.” Jill moved toward Melinda’s closet and disappeared inside it.

“I was with Kyle.”

“Obviously,” Jill replied. “Now, tell me something Idon’tknow.”

Melinda smiled, pulled her polo away from her neck,and began to apply the concealer to the dark hickey Kyle had left there.

“We went on the helicopter ride.”

“And?”

“Dinner at the Palace,” she added.