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“Fuck,” Athena mumbled before moving in. She pressed their mouths together, holding her breath. She kept her eyes closed and waited for her brain to catch back up.

What am I doing?

Monti dropped Athena’s hand and slid her fingers behind Athena’s neck and dragged her in closer. She backed up for a second before moving in again, this time with her lips pursed as if she was ready for it. Athena hummed, wrapping her arm around Monti’s side and splaying her fingers along Monti’s back.

Monti’s lips parted in an open-mouthed kiss that Athena readily accepted. Her body was right back to where it had been before—on fire, heated, wet, and ramped up. Athena groaned as she flicked her tongue out against Monti’s lower lip. She tasted like the tea, a slight bitter note but mostly floral, the hibiscus coming in full force a second later.

Athena was just about to slide in for more when Monti pulled away. She shook her head and put space between them. Suddenly everything they’d done felt wrong. Athena’s stomach twisted hard, the hot tea sinking and churning to the point that she wanted to throw up.

“I’m so sorry,” Athena whispered, stepping back. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You’re a beautiful woman.”

“I don’t need an easy letdown, Monti.” Athena put that wall firmly in place. She couldn’t take the usual comments. Not from Monti. Not when everything between them had been so pure and authentic. Not when she was safe, when Monti had never lied to her before.

Monti’s lips quirked up slightly, and she pulled Athena back to her. “Not what I was going to say.” Monti trailed fingers over Athena’s cheek, then her shoulder, down her arm, lacing their fingers together again in a safe way. “You’re a beautiful woman, Athena. And yes, it’s been hard to resist your beauty. What’s on the outside, but also what’s in here.” Monti lifted her free hand and pressed her palm directly over the center of Athena’s chest.

“I’m not fragile. I can stand you telling me no.”

“Everyone’s fragile.” Monti kissed Athena’s cheek before she stepped away fully and went back to the chair. She slid into the seat and held her mug of tea like nothing had happened. Like they hadn’t just kissed.

Athena stared at her completely in awe. Was this what peace was like?

She’d never experienced it before.

Monti smiled at her. “Your tea is getting cold.”

Athena held her breath. She’d just done the unthinkable and Monti wanted to have tea with her? “No. I think we’re done for today.”

She stepped off the upper level of the library and toward the door. She couldn’t even look at Monti. She hadn’t been embarrassed before, but now she was. And this feeling wasn’t something she wanted.

“See you Thursday?” Monti asked, her lips still curled up in a sexy grin.

Athena stuttered. “Y-yes.”

“Good. We can finish talking then.”

Panicked, Athena walked right out of the library and back to her office. She passed Fallon on her way inside, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. She blew out a breath and clenched her eyes shut, lifting her hands to her mouth.

What had she just done?

nineteen

Monti: Come to the library.

The text was sent, and Monti didn’t know what else to do. But she was pretty sure Fallon was already back at her desk, and there was no way she was walking through the halls of the house with Athena on the loose. She needed to clear her head and think about what a fucking idiot she was.

She had kissed her client.

To be fair, Athena had kissed her. But it wasn’t like Monti had stopped her. It wasn’t even like Monti had tried to break up that first kiss. She’d dove right back in and deepened everything. She’d moved with her heart and not her head. And it had felt amazing.

Monti was so used to being alone on the road that she hadn’t realized how much she longed for that particular connection. She hadn’t noticed how lonely she really was. But being with Athena was no different than anyone else. Athena was nothing serious. The connection they felt was manufactured by the nature of their relationship.

That’s all this was.

At least that’s what Monti kept telling herself. When the door opened, Monti jerked with a start. She sighed when Fallon walked in and closed the door behind her. “What the hell did you say to her?”

“Nothing!” Monti was immediately on the defensive. She’d nearly forgotten their fight in the middle of all that had happened with Athena. She really needed to find an exit plan soon because she was messing everything up here. It wouldn’t be easy to leave if she stayed much longer.