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Jessica waited, hot and turned on, excited to keep going while also content to enjoy the moment. Rosie wasn’t saying anything but the force of her orgasm and now this cuddle suggested she was feeling good things. Inhaling the side of Rosie’s head, she caressed the inside of Rosie’s leg, running her fingers from her pussy down to her knee, and back up again. The things she wanted to do to this woman were anything but safe for work.

Rosie still hadn’t said anything or moved, hiding into Jessica’s shoulder. “Hey.” Jessica tried to speak as gently as possible, slightly concerned now by how quiet Rosie was being. “What are you thinking?”

Rosie rolled Jessica out of the hug and climbed on top of her, straddling her hips. She smiled, a mixture of post-orgasmic glow and something else that contradicted it. “Sorry, recovering, you know. That was fucking incredible.”

Jessica smiled, feeling better. “It was.” She raked her eyes over Rosie’s breasts and lower to the small triangle of hair flush with Jessica’s professional dress pants she’d worn to work all day.

“You’re extremely good at that.” Rosie picked up Jessica’s hands and interlaced their fingers. “Which is no surprise.”

“I’m happy you think so.”

“I think you’re wearing too many clothes.”

“I think so too.”

Rosie scooted backwards. “I’m just gonna…”

Jessica could watch Rosie naked like this all day. The way her breasts bounced, the curve of her hips. Her slender waist. She’d been watching Rosie for so long, wondering what she would look like naked. What she would feel like in her arms.

Rosie opened Jessica’s button and slowly undid the zip. She was concentrating on what she was doing and not looking up. As she made Jessica fully naked, she didn’t meet her eyes once. And she was blushing, hard. Jessica wanted both to make sure she was okay and to get back to the fucking.

Rosie knelt between Jessica’s legs, resting her hands on Jessica’s thighs, gazing at her body. “I knew you were going to be beautiful but…” Rosie said, quietly, as if mesmerised.

Never a bad thing to see in a woman you were sleeping with.

A smile played at the edges of Rosie’s lips. It was so fucking adorable. Rosie crawled across Jessica’s body, up towards her mouth. Rosie’s kiss was slow and intense, making Jessica feel so connected to her. She stroked the side of Jessica’s neck with her thumb. With every stroke of her thumb and movement of her lips, Jessica felt how much care Rosie had for her.

Rosie lifted her mouth from Jessica’s and spoke into Jessica’s ear, with a voice that was eager to please. “Tell me what you want.”

Jessica ran her index finger between Rosie’s delicious breasts, excited by the question. “Well.” She cupped one, circling her nipple with her thumb. “Since you asked so politely. I want you to put your head between my thighs and lick the fuck out of me.”

It wasn’t often that Jessica was this open with someone in bed so soon, but everything felt so natural with Rosie. She could be her most authentic self. Telling Rosie to fuck her was always going to be something of a moment and the hungry look Rosie was giving her made her feel so powerful and desirable.

Lowering her head, as instructed, Rosie parted her lips and ran her tongue up and down Jessica’s clit. Like most things Rosie put her talents to, she was excellent at it. Jessica put her hands on the back of Rosie’s head, gently, but authoritatively. She knew they would click, sexually, she’d had such a strong conviction about their compatibility, especially after their first kiss, but she didn’t know it would be this strong and this instantaneous. She was determined not to come too quickly, as she felt like she so easily could.

Rosie must have sensed her desire to savour every second because she was also in no rush.

Jessica caressed the back of Rosie’s head and stared at Rosie’s mouth working its magic. The sight of Rosie’s mouth against her pussy made her tremble. When Rosie glanced up and they held eye contact, Jessica fought for composure. She hadn’t expected it to cause as much commotion inside of her, but it did. It felt like the jagged edges of her heart were being rounded out, licked into a smooth and unbroken surface. The power this woman had over her. It terrified Jessica on a level, but she pushed the feeling away. She was safe with Rosie, about that there was no doubt. Her heart pounded and heat spread to every cell in her body.

When Rosie’s tongue entered her, licking Jessica’s wetness as if it were ice cream, she wanted nothing more than to feel Rosie’s tongue deeper inside, desperate for more, and to come. She’d been holding back her feelings for Rosie for so long. She gripped Rosie’s hair a bit tighter. The more comfortable and confident Rosie got, the more she licked and swallowed and teased. When Rosie returned her mouth to Jessica’s clit, Jessica nearly lost all control. She beckoned Rosie back up, desperate to fuck her again.

Rosie lifted her head and knelt on all fours, above her. Her lips were swollen and full, her cheeks flushed pink, and her eyes were slightly glazed over in a sexed-up haze. It was so fucking hot. Her hair fell down onto Jessica’s face as she whispered. “You taste so good. I thought I was about to feel you come in my mouth.”

“I want to touch you,” Jessica said, tracing her fingers over the smooth skin of Rosie’s thighs, searching for her heat. Quickly, she put her fingers inside Rosie, open and wet above her. Her heat encircled her hand, squeezing her fingers as she slowly curled them towards her.

The look in Rosie’s eyes was surprised at first, before turning to pure lust. She tilted her head back and moaned as Jessica explored her deep.

Finding Rosie’s breasts with her mouth, Jessica licked and teased, taking her nipple between her teeth.

Moving to one side of her slightly, Rosie looked down at their tangled limbs and dipped her fingers inside Jessica, using the inside of her thigh to help her thrust harder and deeper.

Rotating her wrist to follow Rosie, Jessica let her fingers explore as deep as she could while using her thumb to rub against Rosie’s clit. Jessica moaned in pleasure, building and building towards her own release, listening to the sound of Rosie’s vocal approval of her touches. As Rosie’s pleasure took over, she thrust into Jessica that bit harder. Jessica did everything she could not to come yet. She wanted, needed, to hear Rosie come again. Jessica fucked her exactly like she’d fantasised about doing, hard and commanding, taking control of their sex and hearing Rosie moan in pleasure.

She withdrew her hand and sat up, guiding Rosie to do the same and straddle her. Without question, Rosie followed her, kneeled up, and wrapped her arms around Jessica’s shoulders. She found Rosie’s clit and slid her fingers over Rosie’s hot and wet folds, while leaning forward to take Rosie’s breast in her mouth. She paused at the entrance to Rosie’s wet pussy, poised to delve deep, so Rosie could reposition herself to sit on Jessica’s fingers.

Jessica wrapped one arm around Rosie’s waist and held her gaze as Rosie gave herself to her, allowing Jessica to fuck deep inside while using her thumb to move against her clit.

Tilting her head back and exposing her neck, Rosie moaned in pleasure. Jessica kissed and nipped, listening to the sounds coming from Rosie’s mouth and increasingly louder demands to keep going. When Rosie’s fingers dug into Jessica’s upper back and her breathing became uneven, she refocused on Rosie’s clit, teasing and deliberate, keeping Rosie at that point.

“Jessica.” Rosie pleaded. “I need it.” A hot breath spoke next to her ear.

“Come for me, Rosie.”

It took very little after that for Rosie to cry out in pleasure and come undone in her arms. Jessica gave her what she needed, while her own need pooled between her legs, becoming unbearable too.

Rosie leant forwards and kissed Jessica on the lips, still bucking on her hand, taking what she wanted.

Jessica swallowed, feeling so hot and turned on and about to explode.

Without missing a beat, Rosie slid down Jessica’s body, pausing at her breasts to kiss and lick each one, before finding Jessica’s clit and encircling her mouth where she needed Rosie to be.

Jessica lay back as Rosie’s tongue explored Jessica greedily, like she couldn’t get enough. The sight of Rosie between her legs, pleasuring her, with a hunger to feel Jessica come was too much to resist. Jessica’s breathing became ragged and the feeling took over her, hard. She came against Rosie’s sweet mouth, powerfully, and loudly, gripping the bedsheets. At the last second she prevented herself from calling out Rosie’s name, because it made her feel too vulnerable. But she’d wanted to.

A bead of sweat ran sideways down her forehead onto the pillow. She took a deep breath as her orgasm slowly subsided.

Rosie sat up, baring her beautiful naked body, and swept her hair to one side. She moved on top of Jessica and kissed her so gently on the lips. It was tender.

With her heart still beating hard, this was like no first time Jessica had ever had with someone.

Rosie lay down beside her. Jessica missed her touch, already. She reached out and held Rosie’s hand as they lay looking at the ceiling, softly stroking her thumb, feeling strangely calm.

Turning onto her side, Rosie smiled, eyes sparkling, cheeks still blushing. “So that just happened.”

Jessica faced her and rested her hand on Rosie’s naked waist. She looked deeply into Rosie’s eyes. “I’m glad that it did.”

“Me too.” Rosie held her gaze before inching forward and snuggling into Jessica’s chest.

The embrace was so intimate. Jessica put her arms around her. She wanted to continue having sex like that, cuddle her like this, and sleep all at the same time. Jessica held her in her arms for what felt like moments but when she glanced at the time, it was the middle of the night. They’d been holding each other for ages.

Jessica cleared her throat, piercing the silence. “I should get going.”

Rosie held her tighter before releasing her grip. “Sure. It’s been a very long day.” Rosie rolled onto her back and smiled. “One of the best.”

Jessica got up and picked up her clothes, disappointed to be leaving and shocked that she felt that way. She slipped on her work clothes, leaving her bra off, and gathered up her things, desperate not to let the gravity of their sleeping together affect her.

Rosie got up and wrapped a white towel around herself, tucking it in by her chest and stood by the foot of the bed. Something about them standing up after having sex made it seem even more real.

“Do you have far to walk?”

“No. I’m at the end of the corridor.”

“If you change your mind, you’re more than welcome to sleep in here with me.”

Jessica smiled. She couldn’t help it. “Thank you but I’ll probably crash out after I shower and stuff. And I need to be up in six hours.”

“Shit, that’s right. Tomorrow is going to be another big day, too.”

Jessica stepped into Rosie’s space, putting her hands on Rosie’s waist. “Will you join me for breakfast downstairs in the morning? At eight?”

“I’d love to.” Rosie smiled.

Jessica tilted her head and kissed Rosie, taking her time, showing her how much she’d loved their time together. It was meant to be a goodbye for the evening kiss, but it went on and on. Jessica found herself gripping the towel a bit and Rosie’s hands were in Jessica’s hair.

Jessica pulled out of the kiss, slightly breathless, wanting to tug Rosie’s towel off and start having sex again. “I’d better be—”

“Yep, right.” Rosie followed her to the door of the hotel room.

“See you in the morning.” Jessica kissed Rosie’s pink cheeks once, lingering on each side.

They held eye contact, neither seemingly wanting to be the first to open the door. Jessica wrapped her arms around Rosie and held her so close, still unable to find the words to describe how tonight had made her feel but maybe this hug would show her. She sure as hell didn’t hug people at the door after a one-night stand.

Rosie beamed. “See you then.”

Jessica waited until the door was fully closed, her heart as happy and as full as she’d felt in a long time. But as she walked along the corridor to her room, the fact that Rosie was her employee came crashing down on her.

***

The next morning, Jessica pushed the door open for the breakfast dining room of the hotel. There weren’t many guests. This hotel was never particularly busy. Rosie was sitting in the corner at a table for four.

“Morning.” Rosie waved, quickly and awkwardly.

Jessica walked towards her, wondering what it was going to be like between them now. “Good morning.” Jessica leant over and kissed Rosie on the cheek, lingering slightly to inhale her freshly showered scent. Rosie’s head was tilted towards Jessica in a way that made Jessica want to find her lips with her own and kiss her properly, but instead she took a seat across from this beautiful and sexy woman who she was spending so much time with and couldn’t, it appeared, seem to get enough of. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept very well, thanks, and you?”

The truth was, Jessica had lain awake for longer than she would have liked, replaying their time together and everything they’d been going through up until this point. She’d woken with a headache and a feeling of sleep deprivation. In hindsight, she would have slept better next to Rosie, holding her. “I hardly slept.”

Concern swept across Rosie’s face. “Oh no, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Jessica glanced towards the coffee. “I’ll wake up soon.”

Rosie stood and gave her the warmest hug. Jessica leaned into her chest, so comforted by how Rosie was holding her, feeling the power of their connection.

“Let me get you some coffee.” Rosie spoke quietly before walking off.

While Rosie was at the coffee machine, Jessica took some painkillers with some water.

“If I know anything about you by now, it’s that you don’t function properly before a cup of coffee.” Rosie reappeared at their table. She placed the cup in front of Jessica and sat back down.

Jessica laughed, gently. “Coffee aside, you know more about me than anyone else in my life.”

Rosie looked stunned for a second, then surprised, and then a kind of slow delight spread across her face. “That makes me really happy, Jess. I feel very privileged.”

Jessica wanted to crawl under the table and hide. Why she felt this need to tell Rosie every single thing that came into her head and every feeling she had, she would never know.

“Does this mean I’m managing to penetrate your icy exterior?”

“You penetrated something last night.”

“I only wished I could have gone deeper.”

“You will.”

“Is that a promise?”

“You know it is.”

“We’re talking about your innermost self, right?”

“Of course. What did you think we were talking about?”

“I can’t believe I get to be this close to you.”

“Why?”

“Well.” Rosie ran her fingertip along the table in front of her. “You’ve always felt kind of inaccessible. You’re my boss, for one. You’re very successful in our field. You’ve never been particularly warm to me in the last few years. All this time we’ve been spending together has changed that, obviously. But I’m still pinching myself. This” —Rosie pointed between them a few times— “feels surreal. But in a good way.”

“You have me on a pedestal. You need to take me off it. I don’t want you to worship me. It’s not healthy for either of us.”

“I don’t worship you; I just like you.”

Jessica looked at Rosie. Hearing that was a relief. “That’s good.”

“You are quite hard to get to know, though. But I’m here for it.”

“I keep my distance from a lot of people. But I’ve been learning a lot about myself recently and changing my mind about some things.”

“I love that you’re open to change.”

“You have to have a growth mindset. We’re dead in the water without it.”

“Is it why you’ve been so successful, do you think? Being like that.”

“Maybe? I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if my success has just been good luck.” Jessica took her first sip of coffee for the day. Almost instantly, she felt a bit better.

“No way, there’s more to it than that. You are literally one of the best architects of our times.”

Jessica grimaced.

“Sorry, I’m doing it again.”

“You are.”

“I’ll work on it. So, what have you been changing your mind about?”

“My past. My family. How I come across to people. Everything we’ve been doing on this project has been having a profound impact on me, it would seem.”

“It feels like there’s a lot to unpack there. I want to know about it. About all of it.”

“It’s not just things I’m thinking differently about. It’s how I’m feeling that’s changing and I think you have a huge part in that. You” —Jessica trailed off, unsure where she was going with this— “make me feel like I can do things like what we did last night.”

“Am I leading you astray Jessica Frost?” Rosie had a sexy glint in her eye.

“I don’t know about astray, but you are leading me towards you.”

Rosie smiled so widely, as if she was trying not to but couldn’t help it. “Jess, I don’t want to work today. Can’t we just blow everything off and go back to bed? You need looking after and I can’t focus. You could say it’s our top priority. It does feel urgent.”

Jessica took a long sip of coffee. They had to meet with more local stakeholders and Jessica had a follow-up meeting with the local newspaper. She had a call at two with the new housing developer. Rosie had a meeting with the engineers. The CEO in Jessica couldn’t agree, no matter how much she wanted to.

Because she so did.

“It’s okay.” Rosie blushed. “I know we can’t.”

Jessica leaned across the table and held her hand. It was soft and warm inside hers. The contact took her right back to last night when they were being intimate. She spoke as gently as she could, holding eye contact with her, very aware of the fact that she was letting her down. “I would love to do that with you today, more than you know. I had the same thought. But today is not the day. This place is not the place.”

Rosie nodded. “I know. It was just a thought.”

“It was a great thought.”

“So is thinking about last night.” Rosie narrowed her eyes in a sexy way. “I think that’s a great thought too.”

“It’s all I’m going to be thinking about today.”

“Yeah?”

Jessica wanted to launch into flirting and, apparently, dirty talk across the breakfast table with her. Something in her, something annoying and sensible, called her to hold back. “One hundred percent.”

Rosie sat back in her chair, as if perplexed with wonder. “Wow. Fuck. I don’t know how I’m going to concentrate today.”

A group of men came into the dining area, taking a seat in the opposite corner, making a lot of noise. Jessica’s phone pinged in her pocket, startling her. Amelia was probably full of updates and actions for the day. “Rosie. I…”

“I know. I know. Professional hats back on.”

Jessica smiled, feeling so much for this incredible woman. “Let’s hit the buffet.” Jessica stood, her headache had dissipated a little. “We need to fuel up.”