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She knew if she followed, nothing would ever be the same.

She exhaled slowly, taking one last sip. Then, before she could think about it too hard, she stood, smoothed her shirt, and turned toward the door.

The hallway outside the bar was dim, lined with sleek modern sconces casting a soft glow. Her heels barely made a sound against the carpet as she walked toward the elevators, heart pounding in her throat. She pressed the call button. The doors slid open immediately.

And there, standing inside the elevator with a wicked grin, was Izzy.

The entire world seemed to narrow, the air between them thick with possibility.

Izzy stepped back, motioning for her to enter. “Going up?”

Trembling, Kiera stepped inside. “Floor 10, please.” Izzy reached out to press the button for the tenth floor. As the doors slid shut, Kiera turned, half-ready to say something, but Izzy didn’t give her the chance.

She grabbed Kiera, bodies colliding, and kissed her.

Izzy’s hands were warm against Kiera’s waist, her lips insistent. Kiera barely had time to think before she was kissing Izzy back, gripping Izzy’s jacket like she needed something to hold onto, like she needed to steady herself.

Lost in the kiss, their desperate hands and mouths roamed. Kiera was caught up in the intoxicating heat of Izzy’s tongue on her throat, the warmth of that damn cherry and ginger perfume, that she barely registered the elevator's gentle hum and the soft chimes of passing floors. This was nothing like the kiss in the beach house kitchen.

That kiss had been a question.

This was an answer.

CHAPTER 14

Izzy

Izzy had expected nerves.She hadn’t expected to feel like she’d been struck by lightning.

She stood in the elevator, heart pounding in her throat, low in her belly, everywhere. Kiera was close — so close — her breath slightly uneven. The way she looked at Izzy, wide-eyed and flushed, sent a shiver straight down Izzy’s spine.

She’d written her room number on the napkin as a dare, both to Kiera and to herself. She hadn’t let herself believe Kiera would follow.

Izzy stepped back as the elevator door opened to her floor, her hands still tingling from where they’d gripped Kiera’s waist and motioned toward the open doors. “This is us.”

Kiera hesitated. Frozen.

It was slight, barely noticeable, but Izzy caught it instantly. She paused, blinking at Kiera, whose lips were still parted, her breath still uneven, but her eyes — her eyes had changed. A moment ago they’d been darkened with heady lust, and now they just looked wide in panic.

She stepped back toward Kiera, her hands slipping from her waist. “Hey,” she murmured, keeping her voice careful, controlled. “You okay?”

Kiera opened her mouth, then closed it again. She swallowed hard, shaking her head just slightly, and Izzy felt something crack inside her chest. The elevators doors shut, but they stayed put, neither daring to move.

“I… I don’t know,” Kiera admitted finally, her voice quieter now, like she hated having to say it out loud.

Izzy nodded, exhaling through her nose, willing herself to be okay with this, to not let the sharp pang of rejection sting more than it should. She shifted back further to give Kiera space.

Kiera pressed her hands over her face for a second, taking a deep breath, before letting them fall away. She looked… conflicted. “I want to,” Kiera admitted, andfuck, why did that make Izzy feel worse?

Izzy rubbed the back of her neck, forcing a small, crooked smile. “Wanting to and being ready are two different things,” she said, keeping her tone light, gentle. “Trust me, I’m familiar with the concept.”

Kiera let out a small, breathy laugh, but her eyes were still concerned. “I—” She shook her head again. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Izzy said immediately. She meant it. She did. But she couldn’t act like she wasn’t feeling disappointed and nervous for what this meant in the grand scheme of her and Kiera.

Kiera ran a hand through her hair, exhaling slowly.

“This… this is a lot,” Kiera said finally, looking down at her hands like she wasn’t sure what to do with them. “I don’t even know what I’m doing. I’m not usually even interested in sex like this. I’m not the kind of person who makes out in elevators or makes out at all. Like, I’m a mom. And I’ve never been with a woman.”