Page 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Charlotte—7:02 p.m.

I can’t wait to see you tonight

Sutton’s stride from her en suite to her bedroom slowed to a stop as she stared down at the text Charlotte had sent her. With it, the uncontrollable fluttering of her heart returned.

Sutton—7:02 p.m.

I feel the very same

If she wanted to be on time to meet Charlotte across town for eight o’clock, she needed to get herself back into gear.

She was mostly ready, thankfully, having just finished her hair and makeup. All that was left were the finishing touches. She scanned her eyes over her jewelry selection for the evening, hoping that it was appropriate for her official public debut as a senator’s girlfriend.

When her phone buzzed again, she expected—and hoped—to find Charlotte’s name on the screen once more.

What she saw in reality, was a FaceTime request from her mom.

Sutton hesitated—a hesitation she so rarely had in regard to her mother—before she answered the request, situating the phone back against her dresser before she lifted one of her earrings from its velvet-lined tray.

She wasn’t going to avoid calls from her mom, but she also didn’t have time to spare.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, love. You look quite lovely.” Her mom’s greeting was warm, but, as Sutton flicked her gaze down to the screen, she could see the confusion set over her mom’s expression.

Sutton cursed herself. She’d completely forgotten her mom’s Wednesday evening phone call in her excited anticipation of the night.

“I’m so sorry; I’m going to an event with Charlotte soon, but if you want to call Regan, she and Emma have Lucy tonight.”

“Oh.” Her mom paused, eyebrows slightly raised, before clearing her throat. “I will most definitely do that.”

Sutton knew Lucy and Regan would love the FaceTime check-in with her mom, whether she was present or not. And she knew her mom regularly checked in with Regan as well.

So she knew that the reserved look on her mom’s face had absolutely nothing to do with needing to circumvent Sutton to chat with Lucy and everything to do with Sutton’s plans. Or, should she say, with whom she had plans.

She sighed, dropping her hands after securing her second earring. “Mom, whatever you have to say, please just say it. You’ve had that look on your face whenever I’ve mentioned Charlotte for the last few weeks. I don’t want to have any unspoken issues between us.”

They’d never had that kind of relationship, and she didn’t intend to start now, in her late thirties.

Luckily, Katherine wasn’t the sort of person to beat around the bush, especially regarding people she loved.

“Honey, I want you to be happy; I truly do. I just—I’m your mother.” There was an edge of raw honesty in her voice, and she shrugged. “It is very, very difficult for me to let go of this urge to protect you from anyone who has broken your heart, no matter how old you are.”

Sutton couldn’t help but feel the steel inside of her soften at that.

“I know you are still on the fence about how you feel regarding this whole thing. And I understand,” she acknowledged. Because she did .

Her mom had been there and seen how heartbroken she’d been before Oliver’s wedding. And while Sutton logically knew that the heartbreak had been over a decade ago, she—as a mother herself—deeply, emotionally saw her mom’s perspective.

Sutton had no idea if she would be able to easily forgive the first person who broke Lucy’s heart. Truthfully, she hoped she was never in that position.

“But the reality is that Charlotte and I are together. Really, truly together. She loves me.” God, saying that aloud continued to give her butterflies. It had been nearly two weeks since they’d spoken the words to one another, and it had yet to get old in any way, shape, or form.

Even though they’d talked daily and exchanges I love yous at the end of every conversation, Sutton felt them every time.

Even though she’d rehashed the entire interaction with Regan and Emma, with the same delighted fervor she’d had back in her college days, she felt the hefty impact.

Even though Charlotte telling Sutton that she loved her—stating those beautiful, perfect words aloud now that they were both finally ready for it—hadn’t been a surprise, given how Charlotte had confessed to her feelings for Sutton on New Year’s Eve nearly two months ago now.

Sutton knew that those three little words didn’t necessarily mean anything. People threw them around in romantic relationships weightlessly. She should know; Layla had continued to share those words with her even when they’d been hollowed and dull at the end of their marriage.

But it wasn’t that way with Charlotte, and Sutton knew that with every fiber of her being.

Charlotte Thompson was a great deal of things—so many of them big and bold and powerful—and perhaps the most powerful of all was that she meant what she said.

There was an honesty Charlotte held to that Sutton found breathtaking. She honestly believed it was the edge Charlotte held over so many other politicians. Of course, she held the Thompson name, which was impossible to ignore. She held over a decade of experience in different governmental positions, too, which would be foolish to discount.

But there was a truth to Charlotte, a comportment with which she held herself, that made her feel so trustworthy. Sutton had long thought so, even when she was watching Charlotte on the television throughout the years they hadn’t been in contact.

And, she’d give it to Charlotte: Even though she’d broken Sutton’s heart all those years ago, she’d never once lied to her.

Sutton knew Charlotte had never said I love you to another woman before, had never even come close to it. Because the weight of those words meant something to her.

But she loved Sutton.

That circular thought, along with the way her mother quietly hummed, brought her back to the moment at hand.

“I don’t doubt that she loves you,” Katherine finally allowed as Sutton focused her gaze back on her phone. “And I can see as clear as day that you love her as well.”

“Then… can you just be happy for me?” Sutton asked, feeling all too much like a younger version of herself, seeking her mom’s approval.

Then again, she wasn’t sure that desire ever really disappeared. Whether she was ten, twenty, or forty, she wanted her mother to believe in her.

“Can you support me in pursuing this relationship with Charlotte, even if you still have reservations?” she persisted. “Can you believe that there’s a reason I believe in this when I haven’t believed, even slightly, in another romantic relationship since Layla? Because not only does she love me and Lucy, but she treats us well, and I know she’s dedicated to making this work. And so am I.”

She stared at her mother for a few seconds, waiting for her response.

Even if she’d yet to download all of the details to her mom—she’d told her about Charlotte showing up to Lucy’s school, about her going to dinner with Layla, but she’d yet to discuss Charlotte’s future political plans, as that still felt a little hazy—she knew that there was no reason her mother could possibly grasp in the present day to hold a grudge against Charlotte.

Which she got in the form of a nod and smile finally finding a home on her mother’s face. It was small but genuine and warm, and it was all Sutton needed for her shoulders to relax.

“I can believe that. And I do want the very best for you, honey. If that’s Charlotte Thompson, then it’s Charlotte Thompson.”

Sutton hadn’t known how much she’d needed to hear that; relief and gratitude twisted together inside of her as she returned her mom’s smile. “Thank you.”

Her mom nodded at her again, giving her an appraising look. “Now, where are you and Charlotte going tonight?”

“There’s a charity event, one that’s raising money for one of the initiatives Charlotte worked on. The one regarding building residences for the unhoused?”

“Ah, yes,” Katherine assented. “Send me the details later; we’ll donate.”

That grateful relief sharpened as she smiled down at her mom. “Thanks. I will.”

“All right, sweetheart, I won’t keep you. Have fun tonight. Call me later this week to check in whenever you’re free.”

“I will,” she promised. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. I’m looking forward to seeing Charlotte in a couple of weeks, when we visit for your birthday.”

Quite literally as soon as she ended the call, she received another incoming request from Regan. If her best friend wasn’t currently watching her daughter, she wouldn’t have answered, but…

“Is everything okay with Lucy?” she asked as soon as she answered, looking at Regan for any sign of concern.

She found none as her best friend nodded. “Of course. Your progeny is with my incredible wife, picking out the books she wants for bedtime.”

Sutton unceremoniously put her phone on the top of her dresser then, returning her attention to the mirror as she combed her fingers through her hair. She’d loosely curled it for the night, opting to leave it down. “And you’re calling me exactly a minute before I need to leave or run the risk of being late because…?”

“Because, Sutton, you haven’t gotten laid in forever, and I need to see your dress and ensure that you’re wearing something Charlotte can’t resist tearing off of you later.” Regan’s tone read as duh , even if she didn’t voice it.

Feeling herself blush, Sutton cut Regan a look. Even if she couldn’t verbally disagree.

Because, honestly, the situation was getting dire.

Sutton had gone for literal years without sex with a person other than herself following her divorce, and it hadn’t really bothered her. She had been busy with work and Lucy, and she’d never enjoyed casual hookups. The entire first go-around with Charlotte was the only time she’d ever tried that route, and she’d failed spectacularly at it.

And yet, as she and Charlotte approached two months without touching one another, she felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin.

Really, Sutton had never known she was such a needy, wanting disaster, not until the last month.

Granted, she didn’t think she actually was one. Not for anyone else other than Charlotte, anyway.

But… she was.

God, she really was.

She’d been ready to resume their sexual relationship quite literally as soon as they’d started dating . But she would obviously never want to pressure Charlotte, and she did find it sweet that Charlotte was acting so chivalrously.

She’d hoped, though, that after their mutual declarations of love nearly two weeks ago, this unbearable waiting period could come to an end.

But then Charlotte had been in New York. Her trip had only been planned for a few days, a week at most, but she’d run into a few issues and had unfortunately had to extend her trip. She’d only returned to D.C. last night.

They’d spoken every evening, and even though their conversations hadn’t taken a sexual turn, simply hearing Charlotte’s voice often left Sutton wet and aching.

So, yes, she’d made plans for Lucy to spend the night out with Regan and Emma, with the very high hopes that tonight would lead to her and Charlotte resuming their electric sex life.

So, even though she wanted to roll her eyes at Regan and dismiss her comment, she didn’t.

Instead, she sighed and adjusted her phone so that the camera was able to give Regan a full view of her dress as she backed up a few steps.

Slightly anxious, she smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress.

She, too, had wanted to pick an outfit that made Charlotte lose any and all possible thought of celibacy, but this was her first official event with Charlotte. This was the very first time she and Charlotte would be seen together as a couple, among Charlotte’s peers.

She had to dress appropriately to be on the arm of a respected senator. She needed this to go well.

Not because she believed Charlotte would question their relationship, but because of this drive inside of herself. To be seen as someone deserving of Charlotte’s love, worthy of loving her in return.

It mattered to her.

So the dress was a muted but sleek black, very modestly cut in the front, though it dipped down to her lower back. The skirt was a looser fit than Sutton would have normally chosen, but she did look very good in it. She should have; it was a dress straight from the newest Pierce collection. She didn’t often splurge on fashion, but it seemed appropriate for tonight.

There was an approving gleam in Regan’s eyes as she nodded. “Oh, you’re going to get it in tonight.”

Sutton rolled her eyes, even as there was an undeniable relieved feeling that she’d made a good choice. “I appreciate the input. I will see you tomorrow, but I have to go.”

She quickly hung up, tossing a few of her smaller toiletries into her clutch before making her way out of the bedroom. Quickly running through her mental checklist as she moved through the house, she flicked off lights and double-checked that vital appliances were turned off.

Satisfied, she walked down into the entryway, having already pulled out her long, cream-colored jacket to have it ready to slip on when she was leaving.

She hurriedly opened the front door, only to stumble to a stop when she saw Charlotte there.

With a red rose in hand.

She blinked several times, wondering if her lust-addled mind had somehow conjured Charlotte.

But when Charlotte smiled, wide and bright, and Sutton’s stomach dipped with it, she knew it was very real.

“Charlotte! What are you doing here?” She frowned then, her delight and surprise dimming as she questioned her own sanity. “I thought we’d agreed to meet at the event because it was closer to your work?”

In fact, it was equidistant from Charlotte’s office and Sutton’s home, which meant that Charlotte coming to Sutton’s house meant Charlotte quite literally would have to go past the Fox and Hyde, where the event would be hosted in the ballroom, and then she’d be doubling back with Sutton.

Charlotte’s smile remained steady and reassuring. “You are correct, darling; we did make the logical plan to meet there. I’m afraid, however, that my desire to see you as soon as possible trumped all logic.”

Jesus Christ.

If Sutton hadn’t been utterly besotted with Charlotte before, she certainly would have been now. Her knees legitimately felt weak with the comment, and she gripped the doorknob firmly to keep herself upright.

“Oh,” she murmured, a pleased, sheepish smile pulling at her lips. “I’m, uh, not opposed to that. In the least.”

“Thank goodness.” Charlotte winked at her.

She reached out to take the rose, unsure if she’d ever felt so utterly charmed. Her gaze went back and forth from where her own fingers delicately wrapped around the stem to the look in Charlotte’s eyes as she stared at Sutton.

Sutton stared right back. At Charlotte, at the way she wore her custom-tailored burgundy Armani suit. It was not to be compared to one of the many Charlotte would wear to the office; the cut was a bit tighter, much more befitting an event … not to mention the white bustier underneath.

The fabric looked delicate yet firm enough to showcase Charlotte’s impressive chest. It wasn’t cut indecently low—it wasn’t indecent in any sense of the word—but it did precisely what Sutton imagined it was supposed to do: command attention, make people swallow their tongues, while remaining utterly appropriate.

Just because her thoughts weren’t appropriate didn’t change that fact.

Charlotte cleared her throat, making Sutton snap her eyes up to meet hers.

“Ah—sorry. You just, you look incredible.” She didn’t intend for the words to be uttered on such a breathy sigh, and yet they did.

“I very much echo the sentiment,” Charlotte murmured, casting her gaze down Sutton’s frame.

“You can’t even see my dress,” she pointed out with a laugh, referring to her coat.

“I like what I see already,” Charlotte countered, daring Sutton to disagree.

Sutton shook her head. Charlotte was ridiculous , and… Sutton loved it. At her movement, the way her hair moved with it, Charlotte’s gaze became fixed on her ear.

“You’re wearing the earrings.” Her words sounded almost reverent.

A pleased flutter started in the pit of Sutton’s stomach, and she pointedly pushed her hair back behind both ears to affirm Charlotte’s statement. Indeed, she was wearing the earrings. “And”—she slid her hand down, watching Charlotte’s eyes follow the path of her fingertips as she tugged the necklace out from where it had gotten tucked into the neckline of her dress—“this as well.”

Charlotte stared, her eyes dark. “I was going to urge you to run in and bring the rose inside… but I think it’s probably best if we don’t go inside when our presence is expected somewhere else tonight.”

Sutton’s breath caught in her throat as she slowly nodded in agreement. Debuting her relationship with Charlotte tonight was the most important thing… despite the fact that she was already aching, thinking about later.

As they approached the entrance of the ballroom at the five-star hotel after checking Sutton’s jacket, Charlotte reached down and took Sutton’s hand in hers.

Even though Sutton knew that Charlotte was publicly out, even though she knew Charlotte was comfortable in her sexuality, even though Charlotte had pledged every possible declaration to Sutton, she still paused, flexing her fingers around Charlotte’s.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked softly.

Because all of those facts didn’t change that Charlotte had never done this part before. And this moment, having so many eyes on her while Sutton was her date, was a big thing.

“I’m so very ready,” Charlotte confirmed, and there wasn’t even a sliver of hesitation in her eyes as she evenly held Sutton’s gaze.

They entered, and Sutton was immediately swept up in a sea of elegant apparel, expensive colognes, and people with very large checkbooks. She was one of those people, right now.

“I’m going to have to make the rounds,” Charlotte informed her after they each took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

“I am aware of this,” Sutton informed her right back, amused. She lifted a teasing eyebrow. “Though this isn’t a part of my professional life, don’t forget my upbringing, Charlotte. I know how these evenings go.”

Charlotte lightly bumped her hip against Sutton’s. “The sass with you.” Even though she grinned, there was still an air of apology. “I am very well aware of your pedigree, Dr. Spencer, but I am also well aware that this is not an ideal date night. Especially given the lack of time for quality conversation between you and me.”

Even though Charlotte wasn’t telling Sutton anything she hadn’t already expected, curiosity slid through her. “If that’s a concern of yours, why did you want me to come tonight?”

“Because I always want you with me,” Charlotte answered easily, without a second thought.

Oh, there it went again—her knees feeling weak.

“And because I am in love with you, and I haven’t been able to see you in person for nearly two weeks. I just also happen to feel apologetic that the first evening we’re spending together since we said those words has to be at this function at which you and I won’t be able to be wrapped up in one another.”

Sutton was already shaking her head as she unthinkingly reached up and brushed Charlotte’s beautiful, soft, dark hair back. “There is nowhere else I would rather be than here with you, Charlotte. And I understand that in being with you, these sorts of events are the norm. I knew that from the very beginning.”

The relief in Charlotte’s smile was palpable and blinding.

It grew as Sutton dropped her hand back down and interlocked their fingers once more. “I am honored to be by your side tonight while you charm and schmooze.”

“You are perfect. And you also said that at the best possible moment,” Charlotte muttered as her eyes focused on a woman approaching from their left, the smile she wore slipping from the warm, open, loving one for Sutton to something much more polished. It was charming nonetheless, and Sutton loved that she could tell the difference.

“Charlotte! I was so upset that you weren’t at the benefit that Martin hosted last month; I’d thought I’d see you there.” The woman leaned in, kissing the air next to Charlotte’s cheek as Charlotte reciprocated the move seamlessly.

“I was out of town that weekend, or I would have attended as always,” Charlotte said as she leaned back, re-settling against Sutton’s side.

The woman hummed in response as she focused her attention on Sutton, sliding her gaze down to take in their intertwined hands.

“Sutton, this is Harriet Gibbons. She’s the host of the fundraiser tonight. She’s done a bit of work for us at the foundation as well,” Charlotte said. “And Harriet, this is Sutton Spencer… my partner.”

Sutton’s stomach fluttered at the word as she blinked at Charlotte in surprise. But she didn’t have time to focus on that as Harriet was exuberantly offering her hand.

“So incredibly lovely to meet you, Sutton,” Harriet said, a wide smile on her face.

Sutton took her hand and shook it firmly, returning the smile. “Likewise.”

Harriet tilted her head. “Spencer…” Her eyes narrowed as she carefully looked at Sutton.

“Yes,” she confirmed the wordless question with a smile that was caught somewhere between self-deprecation and pride. “My parents are Jack and Katherine Spencer.”

“I thought so!”

Charlotte’s hand squeezed hers warmly, and Sutton returned it. And so they began.

They didn’t have a moment to themselves again for nearly two hours, after Charlotte had spoken to everyone in the room. Or it felt that way, at least.

“I’m unsurprised to find that you are Ms. Popular,” Sutton teased quietly as they walked toward the refreshment table near the entrance.

“Me?” Charlotte’s tone was the epitome of amusement. “Darling, while I can assure you I am never a wallflower during any event, it’s your presence by my side that has caused quite the stir. Not only are you the most beautiful woman in the room, but you’re an accomplished professor and the daughter of Jack and Katherine Spencer?”

Sutton flushed at the praise, though Charlotte’s words weren’t untrue. While she maintained what she’d said—there was no denying that Charlotte was the belle of the ball—she’d garnered a fair share of commentary herself while standing at Charlotte’s side.

She found herself biting at her bottom lip as she clarified, “And… your partner?”

It had been the way Charlotte had continued to introduce her as they’d made the rounds. My partner . To everyone in this room now, she was Charlotte’s partner .

Charlotte’s cheeks flushed, and she hesitated before asking, “Is that… inaccurate? I would have simply referred to you as my girlfriend, but given that I’m over forty and the people in this room are some of the most influential people in our Congress, it felt a bit juvenile.”

Sutton was already shaking her head, the pleasure blooming in her chest making her smile so widely, her cheeks hurt with it. “No, it wasn’t inaccurate. It feels very, very accurate, actually.”

She hadn’t thought about it in exactly that way, but it was exactly how she felt about Charlotte.

They were partners. They were more serious than girlfriends even if they’d only been an official couple for a relatively short period of time.

The last six weeks of having an official label felt so very insignificant in the grand scheme of what she and Charlotte were to one another.

In that moment, it didn’t matter to Sutton that there were a couple hundred other people in the room with them. Right now, it felt like only her and Charlotte.

“I do take an issue with one of your comments, though,” she spoke softly, still unable to take her eyes off Charlotte’s luminescent grin.

Charlotte arched an eyebrow in question.

“You are, by far, the most beautiful woman in the room,” Sutton informed her, her voice dipping as she said the words. “You are the most beautiful woman in every room, and you always have been.”

The raw honesty of that statement, to her, was undeniable. Charlotte Thompson was, and always would be, the most beautiful woman Sutton had ever seen.

And she was her partner .

The power of that fact hit her in a heady rush as she dipped her gaze down to take Charlotte’s suit in yet again. As if magnetized, she swayed in closer, close enough that she could whisper the truth and not be overheard by anyone milling around. “It’s taken more than a little bit of self-control tonight to keep my eyes away from your chest. I don’t want anyone here to think that I’m only with you for your obvious physical attributes or to make a fool of myself and get distracted by staring down at you instead of keeping up with conversation.”

She blushed even as she spoke, but it was entirely true.

She’d kept up with Charlotte tonight, making conversation and memorizing names, but god , it had been difficult to ensure that she stayed absolutely appropriate.

Charlotte looked up at her through hooded eyes, the fire in them clear as day. “I’d apologize for making things so difficult for you… but you chose to wear a backless dress this evening,” Charlotte murmured thickly. She leaned even closer, pressing herself against Sutton’s side.

Again, not indecent in any way… but feeling her warmth, being able to smell her perfume starting to cloud her senses, Sutton felt dizzy with it.

She nearly gasped but was able to catch herself just in time as she felt Charlotte’s hand drift from where it had rested on her hip to splay over the bare skin of her back.

“Do you even understand how tempting this has been? All night?” Charlotte whispered, her voice teasing and wanting all in one. She traced her fingertips slowly up Sutton’s spine, making Sutton incredibly thankful that her back was toward the wall, so no one else could see.

Even though the touch wasn’t inappropriate, not really, it made Sutton ache with want. Just the soft, tantalizing slide of Charlotte’s fingertips brought forth several weeks of wanting.

“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” Charlotte continued, her voice so low it made Sutton shiver. “Then again, you’ve always had a penchant for boldness. And for making me so… needy.”

“Are you?” Sutton rasped, capturing Charlotte’s gaze with hers. “Needy?”

The hunger in Charlotte’s face matched the heat that pulsed through Sutton’s body. “Darling, I’ve been wet for you since I first laid eyes on you tonight.”

Sutton’s breath caught in her throat as she clenched her thighs together. “Charlotte,” she breathed, and it was all she could manage.

Charlotte’s hand, the one that had continued to trace up and down Sutton’s back, slid off of her, to grasp her hand.

“Come on,” she demanded.

Sutton was incapable of refusing the order. No part of her wanted to in the least.

As Charlotte turned determinedly toward the right of the entrance to the ballroom, Sutton shook her head. “I—the coat check is over there.” She pointed over her shoulder.

“We’re not getting your jacket,” Charlotte responded simply as she continued down the hallway for another moment, leading them to a door. “The overflow coat check,” she explained. “Luckily, it wasn’t needed tonight.”

Charlotte opened the door, then looked down the hallway to confirm that it was empty before tugging Sutton along inside.

Immediately, Sutton found her back against the door, and she dimly heard the click of the lock. Then Charlotte’s mouth was on hers, and that was all she could care about.

Weeks. It had been weeks since she’d had Charlotte’s soft, plump lips against her own. Even longer, still, since they’d done anything more. Their kiss grew frantic, demanding, as Charlotte sank her teeth into Sutton’s bottom lip.

And fuck, Sutton needed her.

She needed because she was Charlotte’s partner. Because she hadn’t had her hands or mouth on Charlotte since they’d made that official. Because Charlotte continued to be the sexiest woman alive, and she was Sutton’s .

With that thought, she reached down and gripped Charlotte’s hips in her hands, spinning them so it was Charlotte’s back that pushed into the wall next to them.

She slid her mouth down the side of Charlotte’s neck, desperate to taste her skin. Desperate for the little sounds that escaped Charlotte’s throat as she dug her nails into the bare skin of Sutton’s back.

Sutton’s hands were shaking as she undid Charlotte’s pants, panting against her throat as she asked, “Are you ready now? Do you think our relationship is ready for this?”

The sharp arousal inside of her drove her to lift her head so she could look Charlotte in the eye.

“Sutton, darling, don’t be a tease,” Charlotte reprimanded.

Or it would have been a reprimand if it hadn’t been uttered with a long, needy groan.

“I’m not teasing,” Sutton countered, breathless herself as she nudged Charlotte’s feet wider apart so she could slide her fingers into Charlotte’s underwear. She could already feel how wet she was, a woman of her word.

Sutton had to choke back her own whimper as she pressed her fingers against Charlotte. She didn’t go inside just yet.

“ You wanted to wait. Are you ready?” she asked, exhilaration and arousal and hunger and need and love intertwining inside of her so powerfully, she was nearly shaking from it.

Charlotte’s nails bit into her back, a perfect bite of pain, as Charlotte groaned. “I think you can feel that I’m more than ready .”

Charlotte rolled her hips down into Sutton’s hand, looking for friction, and even though Sutton would have loved to drag this out, she simply wasn’t capable of such things right now.

She grabbed a fistful of Charlotte’s hair, keeping her lips affixed to Charlotte’s as she slid her fingers inside of her.

So wet. So fucking hot.

If Sutton had any doubt or question that these weeks without sex had been driving Charlotte just as insane as they’d been making her, she no longer was.

Not as Charlotte panted into her mouth, her hips already needily jerking against Sutton’s hand.

“Please,” Charlotte whimpered against her, her nails digging into Sutton’s shoulders. “Please, darling, I need you to move . I need you to fuck me. I know it was my decision to wait, and we can laugh about how incredibly stupid it was later, but right now , I need?—”

Sutton was entirely uninterested in Charlotte’s self-reprimand. She was, for once, even entirely uninterested in Charlotte’s begging. Even if it was music to her ears, she had no desire to make Charlotte wait any longer than they’d already been waiting.

She slid her fingers out, then added a third now that she knew precisely how ready Charlotte was.

She fucked Charlotte, fast and hard, pressing their foreheads together as she brought her other hand up to clasp over Charlotte’s mouth.

It made an undeniable thrill shoot through her, knowing that she’d caused Charlotte to forget just how public they were. Knowing that the magnitude with which Charlotte wanted her, how much Charlotte needed Sutton to make her come, overshadowed any sense of decency.

Sutton could feel her own wetness dripping down her thigh, a dangerous thing in her dress, but couldn’t bring herself to care.

Not when she had Charlotte’s fingers clawing against her, Charlotte’s eyes watching her, helpless to this heat between them. Not when she had Charlotte’s hips snapping against her hand with raw abandon.

With whatever sanity she had left, she slowed her thrusts to lessen the sounds they were making. Instead, she pressed inside of Charlotte slowly, deeply, intently, curling her fingers to the spot that made Charlotte desperate every time.

It worked now like it always did as she whimpered against Sutton’s hand. She could feel Charlotte’s thigh shaking, knowing she was so close .

She leaned in, pressing her lips against Charlotte’s ear, overcome with her own need as she whispered, “Do you remember when we had sex at the Guggenheim?”

Charlotte’s deep groan against her hand was all the affirmation she needed.

She dragged Charlotte’s earlobe between her teeth before releasing it. “It was the best sex I’ve ever had, up until we started having sex again,” she confessed, punctuating her words with thrusts.

Charlotte’s walls started tightening around her, and Sutton was just as invested in Charlotte’s impending orgasm as she was.

“I’ve thought about it so much over the years. Even when I tried not to,” she admitted, a whimper at the truth of her own words. “I didn’t want to think about you—about us—when I would touch myself, but I have. I’ve thought about how that night with you made me feel, how it was the beginning of understanding myself, so… so… much.”

She bent down, nipping her teeth into Charlotte’s neck just under her ear as she felt Charlotte fall apart around her. She kept her fingers deep inside, working the heel of her palm against Charlotte’s hard clit as she worked Charlotte through her orgasm.

And really, she’d needed to keep her mouth occupied, she thought dazedly, as she lifted her head a minute later. Because she’d made just as many needy sounds as Charlotte did while she’d been coming.

Fuck, Sutton was so wet . She could feel herself pulsing, so turned on she could hardly breathe.

Charlotte’s eyes were wide and dark as she caught her breath, watching Sutton through heavy lids.

She slowly, carefully, removed her hand from Charlotte’s pants, feeling the hitch of Charlotte’s breath echo deep inside of her.

“Funny you mention that night at the Guggenheim,” Charlotte murmured, her voice so throaty, it made Sutton’s clit ache. “I’ve frequently revisited it in my own fantasies.”

“You have?” God, Sutton felt parched . She felt like she’d run a marathon, crossed the finish line, and yet was still not done.

Charlotte slid her hands down Sutton’s back, her touch light, though it made Sutton shiver nonetheless.

“How could I not?” Charlotte asked, gripping Sutton’s waist.

She spun them around easily, pivoting so Sutton’s back was against the wall. Sutton’s hips were already rocking, searching for friction that didn’t exist yet, and Charlotte tightened her grasp.

“You came so hard for me, letting me touch you in that fucking dress. And then, just as you stated,” Charlotte murmured, trailing her hands down to hitch up the skirt of Sutton’s dress, tantalizingly inching it up her thighs. “You discovered how much you liked being in control of me.”

She leaned in as she continued moving her fingers up Sutton’s inner thighs… up… up…

Sutton whined in the back of her throat, feeling the soft touch of Charlotte’s fingers like a brand against her skin.

Before Charlotte could touch her— really touch her—she paused. Right under the apex of Sutton’s thighs, sliding her fingers back and forth as a sharp, dark half-smile played on her lips. “Oh, darling. I can already feel how wet you are for me.”

“Charlotte,” Sutton groaned back, realizing that was exactly what Charlotte was doing, moving her fingertips through the wetness that had dripped onto her thighs while Sutton had made her come.

Still, Charlotte didn’t move, and Sutton balled her hands into tight fists, nails biting into her palms to maintain some semblance of self-control. Any semblance, really.

“It was the first time I realized it, too, you know,” Charlotte said, her voice guttural and wondrous. “You were the only person I’d have ever allowed to control me like that. And I was shocked by how much I liked it.”

Fuck, those works sent sparks through Sutton, landing right in her pussy. Making her clench so hard on nothing .

“Touch me, then,” she challenged, with as much control as she could muster while she felt so damn desperate. “Touch me now.”

Seemingly unhurried, Charlotte dragged her fingertips up, rubbing them tantalizingly over Sutton’s soaked, destroyed lacy thong. But she didn’t actually touch Sutton; in fact, she made it a point not to.

“I remember how you looked that night, so clearly. And while it will always hold a very, very special place in my heart, your current attire allows me much more freedom.”

With that, Charlotte lowered herself to her knees in front of Sutton, sliding one of her hands behind Sutton’s thigh and guiding it over her shoulder.

Sutton wasn’t sure she could breathe as she stared down at the image of Charlotte on her knees in front of her—in a technically public place—her eyes wide and dark and wanting as she stared up at Sutton, desire so blatant in her expression.

“Since I’ll be down here, you’ll have to keep yourself quiet.”

With that instruction, Sutton felt Charlotte’s hand, the one that wasn’t scratching up and down her thigh, slide her useless thong to the side, seconds before Charlotte’s tongue was on her.

Immediately, Sutton slapped her hand over her mouth to silence the shout that tried to escape.

It was so good. Charlotte’s mouth was so good. Too fucking good, at everything.

She licked up and down Sutton’s slit, dipping her tongue inside of her, and Sutton stared blearily down at the top of her head. She realized then, that the hand over her mouth had been the one inside of Charlotte only minutes ago, her fingers still damp.

The taste of her only heightened Sutton’s arousal as she worked her hips against Charlotte’s busy mouth.

She reached down, desperately carding her hand through Charlotte’s hair when Charlotte worked her tongue over Sutton’s clit.

“There,” she pleaded mindlessly against her own hand. “There, don’t move.”

She tightened her grip against Charlotte as she felt Charlotte moan against her, then dropped her head back against the wall with a dull thud.

She couldn’t hold her head up anymore. She couldn’t do anything but clasp one hand to her mouth and one hand to Charlotte’s head and brace herself for the oncoming orgasm.

It hit her all too soon—though that was probably a good thing, she dimly thought. She let out muffled sobs into her palm as she shattered.

Charlotte’s mouth didn’t stop moving, her lips gently sucking at Sutton’s clit until Sutton nearly collapsed. She released Charlotte’s hair from her grasp, bonelessly dropping it to Charlotte’s shoulder and tapping because, if Charlotte continued, she was going to pass right out here in the overflow coat closet.

Charlotte slowed to a stop, gently placing a soft kiss against Sutton’s thigh before she affixed Sutton’s thong back into place. Carefully, she brought Sutton’s leg down so she had two feet against the floor again.

Even so, as Charlotte stood, she kept her body tight against Sutton’s, ensuring she stayed upright.

Charlotte’s hand gripped her wrist, tugging away the hand Sutton still had against her own lips before she pressed her mouth urgently against Sutton’s.

She couldn’t control the soft sounds that escaped her throat at the taste of herself, wet on Charlotte’s lips.

Her arms came up, curling over Charlotte’s shoulders to keep her close, even though it didn’t seem like Charlotte was going anywhere.

God only knew how many minutes passed before Charlotte slowly leaned back, breaking their kiss. Sutton blinked her eyes open, a sated smile sliding over her face. “You are very, very talented, Charlotte Thompson.”

Charlotte’s hand came up, stroking Sutton’s hair carefully behind her ear as she returned the compliment. “I could—and will—say the very same about you, Sutton Spencer.”

Sutton let out a deep breath, finally feeling fully in control of her faculties once more. “I don’t know how I can possibly go back out there,” she confessed.

“Me neither,” Charlotte agreed, making Sutton’s eyebrows lift in surprise.

“Oh?”

Charlotte hummed in agreement. “I would much rather we go up to the room I reserved for us instead. I think I’ve done enough elbow-rubbing for one evening.”

Sutton could only stare. “You’re telling me that we just fucked each other senseless in an empty coat closet when we have a room upstairs?”

Charlotte didn’t look sheepish. She stared back, unfaltering, at Sutton. “Do you truly feel as though we would have made it to the fortieth floor without fucking in the elevator? Where there’s a camera?”

Sutton couldn’t disagree. Even if she could, she wouldn’t have been upset. This had been more than worth it.