Page 91

Turning on the flashlight, Charlotte turned it over so the harsh white light emitted only a glow. Just enough to watch Alex. With her hands on her hips, she helped her keep a quick pace until her sweaty body trembled and she threw her head back.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” she confessed, emotion welling up in her chest and making it hard to speak.

Alex tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while the rest cascaded in waves down her chest. She was Botticelli’s Venus

. A vision worth being immortalized in marble or canvas.

Running her open palms over every inch of exposed skin, Charlotte wished she could take a picture of her, but it would hurt too much to ever look at it again.

“Kiss me,” Charlotte begged.

Alex smirked before bending forward and kissing her deeply. A plan formulated in Charlotte’s subconscious. If they just never left this bed, she wouldn’t have to deal with the mess she made.

CHAPTER 35

A LONG NIGHT and very little sleep meant Alex left Charlotte dead to the world while she slipped out of bed. Closing the door to keep her light snores confined to the bedroom, Alex pulled on a flannel shirt and buttoned it over her white tank top. The early morning was cooler than usual, so she opted for the jeans she’d left in the drier.

When she finished tending to the birds, she strolled outside. With the pale sun hiding behind thick white clouds, it felt like the holidays. Christmas was just around the corner, but in south Florida there was no real change in seasons. Today, there was something di erent in the air.

Alex smiled as she jumped in the pickup truck parked along the side of the house. She didn’t want to open the garage and risk waking Charlotte. The chilly morning called for gingerbread lattes, so she decided to get some.

With a bag full of blueberry scones under her arm and a red holiday themed cup in each hand, Alex opened the bedroom door quietly. There was no need for stealth. Despite Alex having been out of bed for over an hour, Charlotte was

in the same position she’d left her in, her head aimed at eleven o’clock and her feet pointing somewhere near four.

The sight of a sleeping Charlotte caused a flutter in Alex’s chest. She’d been so insistent last night. Alex was sure she was going to say something. Was she going to confess her feelings? Were they the same as hers?

As the scent of co ee filled the air, Charlotte stirred. Her hair in a messy blonde knot flopped to one side as she turned her head toward Alex. With one eye open, she blinked against the light streaming in through the partially open windows.

“Did you leave?” she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

“Only for a minute,” Alex replied, her eyes following the curve of Charlotte’s nude body.

Pulling herself up to a seated position, Charlotte yawned and pushed her wayward hair out of her face. “Did you buy in to the Christmas industrial complex?”

Alex sat on the edge of the bed, placing the paper bag of scones on the nightstand. “Yeah, but who can resist it? It’s so good,” she joked, handing her one of the cups.

Taking it with a smirk, Charlotte thanked her and sipped.

“Damn if the corporatization of Yuletide cheer doesn’t taste delicious.”

Chuckling, Alex reached for a scone and handed it to her.

“What are your plans?” She traded her co ee cup for a scone and sat closer to her on the bed.

“Today?” she asked, her mouth full of crumbly pastry.

“For Christmas,” she clarified, her heartbeat lunging into a trot. Was it too soon to broach this subject? Only one way to find out.

Charlotte’s face paled and she suddenly became very interested in searching for crumbs on the sheet covering her lap. “I . . . um . . . don’t really do anything.”

“Oh, forgive me. I didn’t know you were an atheist—”

“No, it’s not that.” Her eyes snapped up to meet Alex’s gaze. “I’ve just never really had the occasion to celebrate anything.”

Charlotte wanted to say more. Her hesitation was palpable. Some part of her was holding back. Alex recalled the night Charlotte told her about her childhood; it was the most she’d ever said at one time. Alex never felt the need to push. She found herself trusting that Charlotte would mete out information at a pace she was comfortable with. She wasn’t in a hurry.

Alex inched out onto a limb. She’d either say yes or no.