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“I don't want you to transform. I don't want you to change. I want you exactly the way you are.”

“But why?” breathed Florence even as her face came closer.

“I don't know. Who can explain things like this? I just know what I feel, Florence.”

Those eyes looked up at her, almost unfamiliar now that they weren't framed by glasses. “Hadley...”

“You don't have to believe you're attractive, Florence. But you have to be willing to believe that I believe that. You have to trust me. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm not here to take anything from you. I'm here because I have feelings for you and I want to know where they begin and end, I want to know what we could be together. Aren't you curious?”

Florence breathed a laugh. “Curious. What a word.”

“Well,” Hadley said. “Aren't you?”

She leaned in and her lips brushed against Florence's. Then suddenly she was moving, pressing herself up against Florence as she took her in her arms and let their lips meet properly.

Currents of electricity flooded through her. Her blood pooled in her veins, her heart stopped beating as it should, her knees threatened to buckle, and she clung to Florence, drinking her in until she had to pull away or suffocate.

“Are you curious, Florence?” she murmured again.

There was a moment of silence, then Florence's hands rose, tangling in her hair and pulling her closer. Florence's lips brushed against her ear, the whisper of them making the hairs on her neck stand on end, making her skin tingle, making her core contract in hot waves of wanting.

“Yes,” Florence whispered.

Chapter Twenty Three

It was like an avalanche. Once the barrier was broken, once the decision was made, everything came tumbling down.

Hadley's lips were like fire on her skin and Florence groaned as Hadley's hands ran over her hips, pulling her in tightly. She was breathless as Hadley turned her, picking her up so that her toes could barely touch the floor, pushing her back again, the refrigerator humming behind her, supporting her fully.

Warm fingers inched up her shirt and Florence gasped as Hadley finally touched her bare skin. She was molten inside, her mind barely functioning. It was as though she could only do one thing at once, only observe one sense, and touch was so enticing that she couldn't be bothered with anything else.

It was only when Hadley's breath brushed against her neck that she understood that she too could participate in this.

Her hands were shaking, but she put them on Hadley's waist anyway. Hadley moaned and kissed her deeply, and more courageous now, Florence slid her hands up Hadley's shirt.

The skin there was so soft, so fresh and smooth it was like nothing she had ever felt before. An urgent pulsing started between her legs.

Hadley pulled her head up and looked into her eyes. “Let's take this upstairs.”

Florence shook her head. Upstairs was too close to the kids. No, that wasn't quite the reasoning. What was it that was troubling her? Oh, yes, upstairs was seconds away, minutes even, and she didn't think she could wait that long.

“Now,” she mumbled, finally getting her lips to work.

Hadley raised an eyebrow. “Now?”

Florence concentrated as hard as she could and nodded.

Hadley's hand began pulling at her sensible skirt and Florence could feel the material sliding up her thighs. She held her breath and kept eye contact with Hadley.

“Now?” Hadley said again.

When her breath came it was ragged already and she nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

Hadley's fingers reached the edge of her underwear and hesitated. “You know, there is such a thing as foreplay?” she said.

Florence cleared her throat. Authoritative came to her so naturally that the words didn't need thinking about. “Let me be clear. If you don't touch me right here and right now there will be consequences.”

There was a smirk on Hadley's lips and Florence felt wetness soaking through her underwear. “Consequences, huh?” said Hadley. She pursed her lips as though considering this. “Consequences could be interesting.”