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“You have to have hope that it can be different. I think that’s all that peace is.”

Monti frowned. That didn’t seem so hard. It was something Monti had too, so why didn’t she feel at peace yet?

Fallon shivered. “Come on. It’s fucking freezing out here, and I want coffee.”

“Sure thing.” They stayed a few more seconds, standing shoulder to shoulder and staring at the stone.

“I miss you, Mommy,” Fallon whispered as if Monti couldn’t hear her. She blew their mother a kiss and then turned to walk back to the van.

Monti canted her head to the side, reading their mother’s name again. She nodded her head to no one but herself and followed Fallon’s footsteps. Hope that something could be different. It wasn’t that simple. Monti knew it.

But she wanted it to be.

Maybe that’s what Athena had found. Maybe she could answer Monti’s unasked question. Monti had until Thursday before she could ask. And she had no doubt that she was going to ask it. She and Athena had a lot to talk about, and Monti had a lot to decide. Because that kiss…

It was enough to feed her dreams for days.

twenty

Athena drew in a staggering breath as she waited for Monti to come back into the room. She was already stripped down to her underwear, under the sheet Monti had placed on the bed, and she was waiting.

But she wasn’t entirely sure for what.

Monti had seemed off since she’d shown up that day, and Athena had felt just as awkward as soon as Monti had arrived. They hadn’t talked about the awkward kiss, about the very obvious ethical lines Athena had forced Monti to cross, about the fact that they probably shouldn’t even be doing this today.

But Athena couldn’t stop herself.

Pressing her lips together, Athena closed her eyes and tried to steady her racing heart. Monti was going to make her talk today. She’d all but promised it as Athena had left her in the library. They were going to bare their souls again, and all Athena wanted to do was curl up into a ball and pretend the other day hadn’t happened.

But she couldn’t.

Because the memory of Monti’s lips against hers, of the warmth that spread through her body, was too prevalent. Athena couldn’t get the sensation off her skin. She couldn’t make it go away, and she’d spent far too many hours thinking about it, analyzing it, dreaming about it. She’d been so distracted that it had been a struggle to work again, although not as hard as before.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Athena’s voice wavered as she answered.

Monti stepped into the room and that warmth was back. It crept up Athena’s body from her toes to her crotch to her chest to her neck. But it wasn’t oppressive. It was a nice warmth, and she loved the feeling as it wrapped her in its intensity as soon as Monti stood over her.

“Right, so we’ll start with your hands today.” Monti sounded nervous. It was the first time Athena had ever heard that from her.

She winced, knowing that she was the cause of the discomfort. Not that she was unaccustomed to causing that with clients or a court, but to see it written so clearly on Monti’s face when she had done it unintentionally was another thing entirely. Athena waited for Monti to take her hand, her fingers slick with oil.

“We need to talk about the other day,” Monti started.

So they were jumping right to it, then. Good. Athena pressed her shoulders into the mattress to ease the tension and awkwardness. “It was inappropriate of me.”

“It was.” Monti’s voice had a singsong quality to it, but she didn’t sound mad. “I’m not offended by it, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

It had been, at least a little. That comment eased the tension in Athena’s chest a little more.

“I’m actually flattered in a way. It means the work we’ve been doing has been in the right direction.”

What work were they doing? Athena bit her lip, staring over at Monti as she slid her fingers up and down Athena’s arm. “Again, I’m sorry.”

Monti sighed, but she didn’t say anything else.

Athena’s defenses started to go up. What was Monti thinking? Was she trying to figure out a way to end this relationship as much as Athena wasn’t? Did she feel forced to be here? Touching her?