Page 4

The Pact

Her room was much, much bigger than mine, but of course it was. A spacious suite that dwarfed my double queen considerably. On the way in, we passed a sitting area made up of two royal blue sofas with sculpted backs and bronze turned-up feet. She dropped her bag onto one, and the strap landed across the armrest as if choregraphed. When I turned, I saw the bedroom door had framed Kyle like a memorable painting. She sat on her king-sized bed with about eighteen pillows behind her. The lights had been dimmed but not extinguished.

Good God . She was a present to unwrap.

Before moving a timid muscle, my mind took a picture, because I didn’t want to ever forget what I was looking at. That self-assured stare, the aqua blue of her eyes, the way her hair, now down, swept past her shoulders as the city lights twinkled through the oversized window to her right. I wondered if I could catch a glimpse of the bridge from here.

I entered the bedroom slowly, aware of each of my footsteps. I wanted to be quiet, but it was not to be. We shared a quiet laugh that helped to break some of the tension. When I reached her, I didn’t think. I stopped doing that completely. Instead, I felt , allowed my instincts to lead, and placed my hand against her cheek. She pushed against it and offered a stare that said she good and wanted me.

I was gone.

Done.

I never made first moves. Ever.

Tonight would be markedly different.

I leaned down and took her whole face in my hands, cradling it, studying her features before angling my head and brushing her lips with mine. She smiled into the kiss, an actual smile. I loved everything about the kiss/smile combination. I went in for more, tasting a hint of strawberry ice cream and deepening the kiss. Our mouths moved together unhurriedly, a perfect dance until slow was no longer enough. Desperation rippled to the forefront, and need took over. Her hands went to my waist, and she pulled me down on top of her. When our bodies pressed together, I closed my eyes and swore. More of this. We were getting somewhere.

“You’re fucking sexy, you know that?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My body was on fire, my skin extra sensitive to, literally, air, and my brain was on a one-way mission to remove every piece of clothing Kyle had put on that night (and possibly everything she had in her closet). She touched her tongue to my bottom lip, a request I could not deny. I parted my lips and whimpered quietly at the welcome feeling of her tongue in my mouth. In response, she raised her thigh upward until it pressed firmly between mine. Startling pinpricks of pleasure radiated from my center out to my entire body. I’d never experienced anything as intense. She consumed my mind and body so fully that there was room for nothing else but that moment. This. Her. Us. Help . Except, don’t.

My shirt was pushed up and the cup of my bra was briskly pulled down, freeing my left breast. Her mouth, God her mouth, found my nipple and devoured it like she’d been studying for this her whole life. I moaned, my hands in her hair. She sucked and swirled the nipple unabashedly with her tongue. Damn, she was good at this. No surprise at all. I distantly realized I was rocking against her thigh, sending the pressure between my legs up, up, and up to a near breaking point.

When she pulled her leg away from mine, I nearly begged her to reconsider. But my zipper was on its way down, her doing, and that made up for the loss. She found my gaze and held it, her eyes darker than I’d seen them all night. That was desire. Kyle was turned the hell on, which made this all the sexier. When her hand dipped into my underwear and began to caress, I saw stars and began to inch closer and closer. The pressure between my legs was torturously wonderful. It climbed with each small touch. It doubled with each more direct press of her fingers. She was pulling responses from my body that I’d only read about. My already rocking hips picked up pace. My body skated to the edge, already on the verge of careening.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” she whispered in my ear. Her lips were on my neck. I liked them there very much, the heat of breath entirely welcome and intoxicating. Her hand was gone, though, roaming my body, making it hard for me to breathe at a proper pace.

“What are you doing to me?” I managed to ask.

“What am I doing? I’m taking my time, that’s what.” She crawled down the bed and my stomach tightened, anticipating. I bit my lower lip hard as the discomfort between my legs begged for release. I wanted to ask, but I also didn’t want this to ever end. That first touch of her tongue sent a shock wave of pleasure straight from my center and out to my limbs. Her hands slid beneath me and cradled my ass as she continued to work her magic. One swipe of her tongue, then another, a third. I whimpered, hanging on, lost in need. She paused and crawled up my body to my breasts, pulling a nipple into her mouth. Damn it all . My eyes slammed shut. She swirled her tongue and took her sweet time sucking. All the while, her hand had returned to its spot between my legs. With one motion, she entered me, which was maybe the most satisfying moment in my sexual life. When she began to move in and out, I writhed beneath her, holding on, the pressure building as her unhurried motion continued. As she kissed my breast, I realized that she’d matched the rhythm of her hand perfectly. When I came, it was white hot and shocking in its intensity, to the point that I cried out as I rode the wave of pleasure. Kyle was patient and stayed inside, allowing me to rock against her hand and come down at my own pace. “You’re beautiful,” she said quietly as I attempted to breathe normally again.

Once I relaxed against the pillow beneath me, she joined me there, sliding her body up against mine, not breaking that contact.

“It turns out we’re really good at that,” Kyle said. “Wow.” She smiled against my cheek and placed a kiss there. I turned to face her, finding her eyes.

“This whole night came out of nowhere. You did. I’m still in shock.”

“Listen, I was just walking down the hall. You’re the one who shut yourself in the door and changed the course of my whole night.”

“I’m just really awkward. Who else gets trapped in doors?”

Kyle pulled her face back. “Let me just tell you that there is nothing awkward about you. In fact, you have some highly impressive moves.” Her gaze dipped to my chest. “And your body backs them up. It’s amazing.”

“No, yours is. Your breasts are…” I shook my head. “There aren’t words.”

“Yeah? I have it on good authority that they like you right back.”

I grinned, marveling. “It’s not just me, right? I mean, we fit really well together, don’t we?”

She nodded, eyebrows raised, and eased a strand of hair off my forehead. “Can you stay? Say yes. Your place is literally yards away. You don’t need it.” Her blue eyes carried hope as she traced the outline of my breast.

“I can stay,” I said, honored that she wanted me to.

But we didn’t sleep. In fact, we spent much of the night talking and kissing and having sex another two times. We were already well on our way to learning each other’s bodies and minds. When the morning came, a sadness nestled in my chest. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Kyle, and wasn’t sure what to do about that. The circumstances kind of dictated that this was a hookup, even if the way we treated each other didn’t.

“It’s not a hookup,” Kyle said, when I indicated as much.

“Isn’t it? You can be straight with me.” I was sitting on the side of the bed, searching the floor for my clothes.

She eased me back into bed beside her and kissed my neck, lingering as if she belonged there. “Nothing about us is straight.”

“That’s a good point,” I said, sliding my fingers into her hair. I pulled back and met her gaze. This was too important. “But I’m all about realistic expectations. I don’t want to set myself up for one thing, and then it turns out to be quite another. We had a great night. Maybe that’s all this was.” My heart thudded because as nonchalant as I was attempting to be, I was desperately wishing that our story didn’t end today.

“I don’t look at it that way.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to understand. “How do you look at it?”

“Maybe we’re just ahead of our time.”

I nodded. “If we’d met a year later, maybe.”

“Can’t we?”

I tried to follow. “What do you have in mind?”

She sat up, taking the sheet pressed to her chest with her. “Let’s press pause and find each other in a year. Do this thing right. My last gasp of residency will be over. We can see what’s here. I have a feeling it’s a lot, Potter.”

I let her words wash over me. “You realize this is kind of romantic. ‘Meet me in a year.’ It’s what all romantic movies say.”

“I like romance, and I like you. Meet me on the suspension bridge in a year. The anniversary of last night. I’m asking you on a date, just with a little bit of lead time.”

“So, to summarize: Am I free a year from now?”

“That’s the question at hand, yes. I have to see you on that day. I’ll be desperate to.” She fell back in bed, pleased with herself, and rested the side of her head in her palm, the sheet still draped across her body as if she’d been posed by one of the greats.

“What’s going to happen then?” I asked, so ridiculously curious about this plan.

“We are. Because I refuse to accept this is it.” She moved closer and softly twisted my hair around her finger. “How are you this beautiful in the morning? I didn’t even know I have a thing for redheads, but trust me, I do now.”

“Don’t distract me with flattery.” I batted my lashes.

“Fine. But it’s true.”

“Then I’m forced to forgive you.” I stole a kiss, luxuriating in that newfound liberty. I loved her lips, the way she kissed, and the way she tasted.

She sighed happily when we came up for air. “So, the bridge. We’re doing it? Say yes.”

I paused, dropping the playfully flirtatious tone we’d been tossing back and forth because this was my real life. “You’re serious about this? Honestly.” I studied her for clues. All I saw was determination.

“About you? Very.” These were the most gratifying and unexpected words. “We click. We have amazing chemistry. You make me laugh. You’re fucking sexy. I’ve never met someone I can just be myself around so easily, so quickly.” A pause. “But the timing is horrendous. I don’t have an ounce of extra energy or a spare minute in my day as long as I’m in the midst of this residency.” She leaned in, so incredibly intentional, which I found captivating. “I’m a smart woman, Savanna. I go after what I want. I’m not going to let you get away just because of what season it is.”

I propped my head up on my hand, mirroring her. “Keep talking.”

“We have our whole lives to live, and what if…” She held up a finger. “What if we’re eventually supposed to do that together? Shouldn’t we at least find out?” She tilted her head. “Not that I’m getting ahead of myself.”

The line sent a ripple through my midsection. “You know what I say?”

“Tell me.”

“Get ahead of yourself. I am.” I stole a kiss and slid on top. We truly did fit together in all the different ways. I also enjoyed this unexpected sexual freedom, the newly discovered bedroom confidence I had with Kyle. I wasn’t overthinking or concerned with minor details. Kyle made me feel , and the rest took care of itself. I could really get used to our dynamic. I’d only read about this kind of thing, and there I was…living the fantasy.

“Verdict?” she asked, staring up at me.

These were such uncharted waters for me: explosive chemistry and mutual admiration. And I knew one thing for certain. I didn’t want to walk away from Kyle and have that be it. I didn’t want this fairy tale to end. I met her blue eyes and went soft. “The bridge? Count on me. I’m there.”

That inspired the biggest smile, the kind that made her eyes crinkle at the sides. She pulled me to her and kissed me, my hair falling against her bare shoulders, her skin pressed to mine. The sheet was abandoned and her hands were on my breasts. The shot of arousal pulled a quiet murmur. I sank into the warmth of her mouth, the soft feel of her lips moving with mine, perfection. The rush of need became my lifeline; the urge to touch her and be touched was all consuming. There was a moan. Someone’s. My body craved, my head spun, and I didn’t want to ever go back.

“We’re doing this,” she whispered.

I kissed her with everything I had, my promise to her. “I’ll set an alarm for one year from today.”

She smiled against my mouth. “The bridge or bust.”