Page 6 of Crossing the Line (Phoenix Ridge Medical #6)

Their kisses deepened, exploratory, teasing.

Carmen’s hands moved up to Hailey’s shoulders, then down her arms, memorizing the feel of her warmth, the way her skin shivered under light pressure.

Every touch was deliberate, careful, but there was an undercurrent of urgency neither of them tried to hide.

Hailey’s soft gasp made Carmen aware of her own pulse and the tight coil of desire she’d been trying to ignore all night.

As Carmen’s hands trailed down Hailey’s sides, she noticed the subtle arch of her back, the way Hailey leaned into her touch.

Carmen’s fingers fumbled over buttons and zippers, while Hailey mirrored her, letting her hands explore with tentative hunger.

Every brush of their skin was electric, and Carmen could feel herself teetering between control and surrender.

Hailey’s lips found her neck, and Carmen caught a sharp inhale.

Heat pooled low in her belly, a quickening rhythm she hadn’t anticipated this early.

Carmen let herself respond—soft, precise touches, following the curves and edges of Hailey’s body, noticing every shiver, every hitch of breath, every small, teasing reaction.

Hailey was bold but careful, letting Carmen guide the pace without hesitation, and it made the intensity of the night feel palpable.

They moved toward her bedroom slowly, almost silently, neither wanting to break the fragile tension.

When they finally faced each other in the dim light, Carmen’s hands found Hailey’s hips, holding her close, feeling her weight and warmth.

Their lips met again, slower now, lingering, teasing, exploring.

Carmen noticed the way Hailey’s eyes fluttered shut and the tiny sighs that slipped past her lips when she squeezed gently around her waist. Each response pulled Carmen deeper into the moment.

There was no need for words. The night had no promises or expectations, only heat and the thrill of discovery.

Carmen’s fingertips traced along Hailey’s sides, up to her shoulders, over the curve of her waist, delighting in the way Hailey’s body felt pressed against her.

Every gasp and soft laugh from Hailey drew a shiver down Carmen’s spine; she mirrored the movements instinctively.

As they sank onto the bed, Carmen took a moment to observe the entirety of Hailey—how her body responded, the quickened breathing, the subtle arching toward her.

She traced a single finger down Hailey’s side from her neck over her shoulder, down her arm, along her side, then let her hand drop down to Hailey’s taut belly before running it up and cupping her full breast.

Hailey’s fingers wound around Carmen’s hair then detangled and fell down to her chest, and Carmen inhaled sharply when Hailey gently squeezed her plump breast. They moved their bodies closer, and Hailey swung her leg over Carmen’s, drawing her in even closer, and snaked her hand down from her breast, over her soft belly, then stopped just below.

Hailey’s eyes flickered to make eye contact with Carmen, and Carmen gave an imperceptible nod and bit her lower lip.

Hailey lowered her hand even more until she reached Carmen’s folds already slick with desire.

Carmen shifted from her side to her back as Hailey slipped in two fingers as she rubbed Carmen’s clitoris with her other thumb.

“Oh my god, that feels amazing,” Carmen moaned.

She looked up to see Hailey smile with a little twinkle in her eyes. “You like that, huh?”

Carmen couldn’t speak and instead exhaled loudly in a half-moan.

She felt like she was melting into her mattress, and when Hailey pressed her fingers inside her and touched the spot that made her see stars, she bucked her hips upward to match her rhythm.

Her breathing grew more ragged, and she felt desire and lust coil tight in her body.

Hailey’s rhythm stayed steady as she rubbed her clitoris with her thumb and curled her fingers deep inside Carmen’s core.

Hailey leaned over and softly bit Carmen’s hardened nipple as she kept pace.

Carmen felt the heat wash over her as her orgasm crashed through her body, wave after wave.

She squeezed her eyes shut and all her muscles tightened as she cried out.

Despite the orgasm sapping her energy, she looked over at Hailey who had a self-satisfied smirk.

“Your turn,” Carmen said as she pushed herself up on the mattress and leaned toward Hailey.

Carmen captured Hailey’s lips in a kiss, then slipped her tongue in Hailey’s mouth as she ran her hands over her shoulders and down her arms. Hailey moaned quietly through the kiss, and it only spurred on Carmen even more.

She lowered Hailey down on the mattress, hungry to leave kisses all over her body and taste her.

Carmen kissed down the slope of Hailey’s neck, over her collarbone that slightly jutted out, and down her chest. She captured one of Hailey’s already pert nipples into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it, as she ran her right hand up from Hailey’s thigh to the curve of her hip, up to her other breast where she gently squeezed it before pressing the nipple between her fingers.

Hailey wriggled underneath her, and her breathing quickened.

“I want you,” she whispered, her voice husky with desire.

Carmen felt a twinge from deep in her core, and she licked Hailey’s nipple before planting a tiny kiss on it and trailed kisses down her stomach, noticing how creamy and soft Hailey’s skin was.

She reached the middle of Hailey’s legs and repositioned herself before looking up at Hailey, though she knew she didn’t need more permission.

Hailey stared back at her, and Carmen felt something shift inside her at Hailey’s confidence.

She could’ve looked away or closed her eyes, but she didn’t.

Hailey met her gaze straight-on and didn’t waver.

Carmen couldn’t resist any longer, and she lowered her head to run her tongue over Hailey’s clit already swollen with need.

She flicked her tongue across it, pressing down gently for added pressure, and her hand found their mark between Hailey’s legs.

She was so wet for her already, and Carmen slipped in one finger then another, feeling Hailey’s walls clench around her fingers.

“Oh my god,” Hailey said, and Carmen saw her lean her head back.

Carmen smirked and curled her fingers upward, instantly finding Hailey’s tender G-spot and quickened her pace while still lapping her clit.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Hailey cried out. “Keep going, just like that.”

Hailey tangled her fingers in Carmen’s hair, pulling gently, as she raised her hips to match Carmen’s rhythm.

Carmen kept pumping her fingers inside Hailey, feeling Hailey’s juices soak her wrist and trail down her arm.

She moved lower to lick between her folds, savoring her taste and letting the heady scent wash over her.

When she was satisfied she lapped up the juices and got a good taste of her, she reinserted her fingers and went back to work on Hailey’s clit with her other thumb, not stopping until Hailey’s entire body tensed and she cried out as her orgasm washed over her.

Only when Hailey’s body stopped shuddering did she remove her fingers, lick them, then lie down next to Hailey.

“That was…” Hailey said.

“Yeah. It was,” Carmen said, not taking her eyes off the beautiful stranger she couldn’t imagine was in her bed.

Carmen lay still in the darkness, her body humming with a satisfaction she'd forgotten existed.

Hailey was curled against her side, one arm draped across Carmen's stomach, her breathing deep and even. The weight of another person in her bed should have felt foreign, invasive even. But it wasn’t.

Instead, it felt completely natural, like they had always shared a bed together.

Moonlight filtered through the bedroom windows, casting silver patterns across the sheets. Outside, a fog horn sounded its lonely call across the harbor, grounding her in place and time. Phoenix Ridge. Her bedroom. A stranger in her bed who didn't feel like a stranger at all.

"You're thinking too loud," Hailey murmured against her shoulder.

Carmen's lips curved despite herself. "Occupational hazard. Surgeons are trained to analyze everything."

"And what's your analysis of this situation?"

The question hung in the darkness, inviting honesty Carmen wasn't sure she could give. She was hyperaware of every point where their bodies touched: Hailey's breath warm on her neck, the silk of her hair against Carmen's arm, the way their legs tangled beneath the sheets.

"Unprecedented," Carmen finally said.

Hailey's soft laugh vibrated through both their bodies. "That's very clinical."

"Would you prefer 'extraordinary'? 'Unexpected'? 'Completely outside my usual parameters'?"

"I'd prefer honesty."

Carmen turned her head to find Hailey watching her, eyes dark and patient in the moonlight. There was no demand in that gaze, just genuine curiosity and something that looked dangerously close to affection.

"Terrifying," Carmen admitted. "And wonderful. And I have no idea what to do with either of those feelings."

"You don't have to do anything with them. Sometimes feelings just are."

"Spoken like someone who doesn't live their life by protocols and procedures."

"Did you want to be something else when you were younger, besides a classical pianist?" Hailey asked, the subject change so smooth Carmen almost missed it. "Before you decided on surgery?"

The question unlocked something Carmen rarely accessed. "When I was very young? An astronaut. I liked the idea of absolute silence and infinite space."

"And instead you chose controlled chaos and intimate spaces."

"Hearts don't fix themselves in zero gravity."