Page 77 of Emma

Her lips found Emma’s neck, each kiss warm and lingering, her teeth grazing just enough to make Emma gasp. She arched into Vanessa’s touch, her fingers threading through Vanessa’s hair as she urged her lower. The duvet shifted with them, theworld outside their bedroom falling away until there was only the rustle of fabric, the soft sound of their breathing, and the steady rhythm of Vanessa’s lips and hands mapping her body.

Emma closed her eyes and let herself feel—really feel—every brush of skin and every point where their bodies met. Vanessa’s touch was confident but never rushed, drawing out each sigh and shiver like she was cataloguing them and storing them for later.

When Vanessa’s hand finally slid between her thighs, Emma’s breath caught, and her hips lifted instinctively to meet her. She felt her wife smile against her skin, the quiet satisfaction in the way Vanessa seemed to know exactly what she needed without being told.

Vanessa slowly coaxed pleasure out of her in steady waves until Emma’s fingers curled into the sheets, her body strung tight and ready to give.

“Breathe,” Vanessa whispered as she teased her clit.

Emma did, holding onto her as the tension broke and heat spilled through her in a way that left her breathless all over again. She let the aftershocks surge through her, clinging to the steady beat of Vanessa’s heart beneath her ear when she gathered her close.

The room fell silent, and for the first time tonight, Emma’s brain shut off, too. Vanessa stroked lazy circles along her back, their legs tangled, the air between them thick with that post-release haze that made their life outside the bedroom seem impossibly far away.

Emma tightened her grip on Vanessa and sighed. “You always know how to make me feel safe.”

“That’s because youaresafe.” Vanessa kissed her hair. “With me, in this marriage. No matter what else is going on, you’ll always be safe.”

Emma’s chest swelled with that truth. She relaxed in Vanessa’s arms, their earlier conversation still lingering but stripped of its weight. Because right now, with the warmth of her wife’s skin against hers and the whisper of her breath, nothing felt more certain than them.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Emma satat a corner table in the local coffee shop, struggling to settle her nerves. The temperature had plummeted this afternoon, but she was overheating with anxiety. She removed another layer—her netball hoodie now thrown over the back of her chair—hoping she wouldn’t look so flustered when Carmen arrived. Emma had been sitting down for twenty minutes already, partly because she didn’t want to risk being late but mostly because she knew she’d need some time to breathe before this meeting happened.

Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her.

Are you there yet?

Emma smiled and replied to Vanessa.

Yeah. Got here stupidly early.

Vanessa had tried to put her mind at rest during lunch today, but Emma knew it was a waste of time. She didn’t know how to settle, and she didn’t know how to go into this without rushing right ahead to all the good bits.

It’s better than cutting it fine and sprinting in like you do for meetings.

Emma laughed to herself. Vanessa was forever rolling her eyes at her when she came flying through the staffroom door, usually running late.

Harsh…but fair.

Another message came through as she sent her own back.

How’s your heart rate?

Emma looked down at her watch. It had already alerted her to a change in rhythm fifteen minutes ago.

Don’t ask!

Emma looked up and glanced around. Still no sign of Carmen yet. God, she hoped she was going to back out. Emmaneededthis.

Just remember that you’re not going in to fight anyone. You’re just trying to make Freya’s life easier.

Emma stared at the message, allowing it to sit deep inside of her. It was the reminder she needed. She’d been replaying Freya’s email over and over in her head for the last couple of days, and she hadn’t worked out how to answer everything in a way that would make it all better. Still, she hoped this meeting with Carmen would help.

And if you need me for anything, you call me, okay?

Without Vanessa, Emma wasn’t sure she would have found the courage to pursue any of this. Her wife made her feel stable and as though she was capable of giving Freya whatever she needed from her.

Thanks, babe. I love you.