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But what was that tension?

Because it wasn’t what Cherish was used to feeling.

Cherish watched with rapt attention as Haylee stood up from her seat and walked toward her. Staying still, Cherish waited. Haylee’s blazer moved around her, the button undone. Cherish had to clench her thighs together at the sight of this beautiful woman coming to her. This was what it should feel like, right?

Anticipation.

Hope.

Pure arousal.

Cherish’s heart hammered. Haylee’s hand on her elbow, where Febe’s had been. This was what Cherish had wanted. This strength and touch. Not Febe’s.

“Everything good?” Haylee asked.

“Yeah,” Cherish choked out. “Everything’s perfect.”

“You sure?”

“Yep.” Cherish sucked in a sharp breath. “About our conversation, back at my place…”

“What about it?” Haylee slid her hand down Cherish’s forearms to her fingers. She laced them.

“Let’s wait a bit before we talk about it again. Okay?” Cherish hated doing this. But she was in such a tailspin from that last conversation with Febe and she needed to sort herself out. She needed answers, and she couldn’t ask for more from Haylee until she knew. Until she had answers.

“Okay?” Haylee asked.

“I just…” Cherish sighed heavily and squeezed Haylee’s hand. “I need to figure some things out, make sure I’m ready before anything else happens with us. I don’t want to give you false hope.”

“Oh.” Haylee’s cheeks turned red. “I get that.”

“And I’ve been all over the place.” Cherish’s lips curled upward. “You deserve better than what I’ve been giving you.”

“I guess,” Haylee mumbled.

“No guessing about it. Give me one week. I need some time to work through my own head. Let me just make sure that I’m doing this for the right reasons.” Cherish moved in and kissed Haylee’s cheek. “Because I want to do this. Don’t doubt that.” Cherish’s stomach clenched. She pried her hand out of Haylee’s.

“Cherish…” Haylee trailed off, still looking confused.

“Now’s not the time.” Cherish nodded and walked away. She still had work to do tonight, and she would use that as a distraction while she could.

twenty

“You have a home office?” Haylee frowned as she sneaked a look into the small room off Cherish’s hallway. She should have anticipated this. She should have guess that Cherish’s home office was an exact replica of her work office, down to the small like plastic holder for pens.

It probably had the same number of pens in it if Haylee counted.

“I do work from home on occasion.”

“No doubt of that,” Haylee mumbled as she stepped into the room. Being beckoned to Cherish’s apartment had given her body a totally different idea to what was happening than her brain. They were there to talk about Haylee’s idea, not fuck.

“Haylee?” The concern in Cherish’s voice melted what little resentment Haylee still carried from the gala. It had lingered for an entire week, although Haylee had hopes it would vanish soon.

“Sorry. What did you say?” They had barely talked about anything other than work since the gala. They’d driven right back into it as if nothing of the weekend had happened. Haylee had hoped, dreamed, of what might happen on their ride home. But her dreams were shattered. Cherish had done that in one quick phrase.

Now’s not the time.

What the hell did that even mean? Because Cherish’s back-and-forth was starting to wear on what little patience Haylee had. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to take it before she walked away completely.