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“All day and all night, gorgeous.”

Juliet turned Paige, pressing her to the counter. “You’re all mine?”

“All yours.”

“You mean so much to me, Paige. The thought of anything happening to you…” Juliet sighed, choosing to not go any further with her line of thinking. But Paige understood. She, too, had those same fears when it came to Juliet and her safety. “Just come back, okay?”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Juliet slid a hand down Paige’s stomach, inside the split of her robe, and grinned against her lips. “Good job I love having you here then, isn’t it?”

“Oh, it is.” Paige moaned when Juliet trailed kisses along her jawline and towards her ear.

“Since we have nowhere to be today, maybe we should head back to bed.”

* * *

As she zipped up her hoodie, Juliet stopped and watched Paige inconspicuously for a moment. The more time they spent together, the more at ease Paige appeared to be. Okay, they hadn’t ever really been awkward with one another before they decided to get together, but Paige seemed different. How she made herself at home here in Juliet’s apartment…God, Juliet loved it. She’d always dreamt of finding that woman who was comfortable in silence. Someone who helped themselves to the cupboards and the TV channels. It didn’t seem like much when Juliet thought about it—especially now that she did have it—but this had been her dream. Someone like Paige.

“Can I help with anything?” she asked as she approached the kitchen. “You’ve been cooking for the last hour.”

Paige glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “No. I’m good.”

“There must be something I can do.”

“Sit and talk to me.” Paige lowered the gas on the stove and pulled out a stool. “I love it when you dress down, by the way.”

Juliet frowned, looking down her body at her comfy jeans and hoodie. What could possibly be loveable about this Juliet?

“Don’t look so surprised. You look good in anything.”

Juliet waved a hand, laughing. “Okay, what is it you’re after?”

“Does there need to be a reason for me to compliment you?”

Huh. Juliet didn’t suppose so. But she would admit to not being familiar with this. Wooing women—escorts—in a fancy restaurant she could do, but this? In the comfort of her own home, where she was far more exposed? No. This was new. “No. I guess not.”

“You just seem much more relaxed at home, you know?”

“Hard to be anything other than relaxed when I have a beautiful woman in my kitchen cooking dinner for me.”

Paige turned and narrowed her eyes, a slotted spoon in her hand. “Okay, now it’s you who sounds like they’re trying to get something…”

“Not at all. Just being honest.”

“Then I’m glad we can both be honest with one another. That’s important to me.” Paige turned her back and carried on making dinner. “I’ve never really had that honesty and trust before. Either I wasn’t being true to myself, or I couldn’t trust the people around me. But I don’t feel that way when I’m here with you.”

“I’m glad you feel at ease here.”

“Me, too. Life has been…a lot since my mum passed away.” Paige cleared her throat, but Juliet had already caught the emotion lodged there. She didn’t often speak about her mother, so perhaps now was the time to delve a little deeper. If Paige wanted to, of course. “It was after she died that James really changed.”

“Can I ask what happened? With your mum?”

Paige nodded, continuing with dinner. “She was an alcoholic. Always had been for as long as I could remember.”

“I’m sorry.”

“She had her demons, and she chose to silence them with vodka. But you know what? She always put me first. She wasn’t an angry drunk, and she didn’t lash out at people. She just…sat alone all day, every day, drinking. We were so close, and I tried to get her help so many times.”