She stuck her tongue out at her reflection. One thing was certain—she needed to get out of her head and go enjoy sex with possibly the only person she’d ever enjoy sex with. After a long minute spent convincing herself that she wouldn’t get any more attached than she already was with one more night in the sack, she hopped in the shower for a rinse and then decided on eyeliner and lipstick. If she was hoping for hot sex, she might as well show up looking good. And it wouldn’t hurt if Reed ended up wishing this weren’t good-bye.

  Kate and Mo both noticed the makeup and the fact that she’d changed into the one nice outfit she’d brought—Mo reacting with whistles and Kate with oohs and ahs. She headed for the door, pretending to ignore them but couldn’t help smiling. The fact they knew exactly what she was about to do was more than a little embarrassing. But their catcalls also felt strangely like another pep talk.

  When she stepped outside she felt a rush from the warm night air. Something had broken loose inside her—something that was fully charged and rattling around with excitement.

  Two steps in front of Reed’s lanai she paused to take a deep breath, worrying her courage was already wearing thin. She had a plan in her head for what she wanted to do tonight, but maybe this was all a bad idea. Maybe last night had been a fluke and she’d be back to her usual level of incompetence.

  Reed was in the living room, feet kicked up on the coffee table and a book open in her lap. As Julia watched, she reached for a glass tumbler of something amber colored, took a sip, and then glanced at her phone.

  Julia hadn’t returned her text and she felt a pang of guilt now. A couple walked by on the path, chatting and laughing. She returned their waves and then, once they’d gone, glanced back at Reed’s living room. Now or never. She crossed the wet grass and slipped between the lounge chairs.

  She tapped on the edge of the screen and Reed looked up from the book. A smile spread across her face and Julia’s heart thumped faster in response. It was useless pretending her feelings weren’t already involved, but she’d deal with that tomorrow. After Reed had gone.

  “Wow,” Reed said, opening the screen door. Her gaze swept down the front of Julia and then returned to her eyes. “You look amazing. Are you going out with your friends?”

  “No. I’m coming over to hang out with you.”

  “You got dressed up for me?” Reed scratched her head and then glanced down at her own clothes. “And I’m in my pajamas.”

  “I didn’t give you much warning,” Julia admitted. “But I like your outfit anyway.”

  Reed was barefoot and wearing a white tank top and a pair of thin, light blue cotton pants with a drawstring. The pants hung loose on her hips while the tank top was tight enough to show all her muscles. Julia had to fight the urge to reach out to snag the drawstring. Reed was too tempting. “A little bit comfortable, a little bit sexy…”

  “These are my lucky scrubs,” Reed said, smoothing the thin cloth. “I’ve had them since senior rotations. They’re too comfortable to throw out. But as far as being sexy—this is not what I would have picked out if I knew you were on your way over.” She grinned. “I’d try a little harder to impress you.”

  “Lucky scrubs, huh?” It helped that Reed wanted to impress her, but the fact she had lucky scrubs was more intimidating. “I don’t think I want details.”

  “Not lucky like you’re thinking.” Reed held up her hand. “It’s a long story…but the pants are innocent, I swear.”

  “Hmm. Not sure I believe you.”

  Reed laughed. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too.” Julia smiled. A little too good.

  “When you didn’t text back, I started to worry that you were upset.”

  “I’m not upset with you.”

  Reed cocked her head. “But you are upset?”

  The only person she was upset with was herself. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t pretend she wasn’t going to miss Reed tomorrow. The ache was already starting.

  Reed leaned against the doorframe. “Did we go too far last night?”

  “Last night was perfect,” Julia said. “And since then, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about sex. I feel like a horny teenager.”

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “That depends on what you’re doing tonight. And if I lose my nerve.” Not able to resist any longer, Julia reached out and tugged on Reed’s drawstring. She bit her lip.

  “I thought about you all day,” Reed said. “And I can’t stop wishing tomorrow wasn’t when we say good-bye.”

  Before Julia had a chance to respond, Reed closed the distance between them. The desire in her lips sent a rush through Julia. Did it matter that Reed was going to miss this too? Julia knew the answer was yes. She wanted Reed to long for her. But it wouldn’t make tomorrow any easier.

  With Reed’s lips still on hers, she untied the drawstring and slipped her hand under the material. Reed’s soft gasp was what she needed. She pulled back and said, “I think we should go inside before the neighbors get a show.”

  Reed chuckled, rubbing her lips. She stepped back inside, catching her pants only after they’d slipped down to reveal her boxers, and then deftly retying the strings. The brief peek Julia had of Reed’s boxers was enough to make her mouth dry.

  “The kids are asleep, right?”

  “Out cold,” Reed said. “We spent all afternoon playing in the waves. They’ve been asleep for an hour.”

  “So you’re sure they won’t wake up?” Julia asked, catching Reed’s hand.

  “We could probably have a rave and they’d sleep through it,” Reed promised. She cocked her head as if about to ask why, but Julia pressed one finger across her lips. She turned then and pulled the blinds closed.

  The fantasy she’d had in mind all afternoon came racing to the forefront of her thoughts. When she turned back to see Reed watching her, she felt brave enough to go for it. She kissed Reed, pushing her backward toward the sofa. She had the drawstring undone in a moment and then the scrub pants slipped down before Reed sank onto the cushions.

  “And here I was worried that maybe I’d moved too fast yesterday.” Reed grinned.

  “I’ve been thinking all day about what I wanted to do to you,” Julia said, dropping to her knees. She was emboldened by her own words as much as Reed’s response when she pushed her legs apart and shifted between them. Before she could lose her confidence, she slipped her hand through the flap in Reed’s boxers. The warm wetness she found under the short curls made her body tremble with a longing she could hardly hold back.

  Reed’s chin dropped and a gasp slipped out of her lips. When Julia started to pull her hand back, Reed moved her hips forward so her butt was at the edge of the sofa. The way she pushed herself onto Julia’s hand made it clear she wasn’t wanting her to slow down.

  Julia pulled the boxers down past Reed’s knees and then off her ankles. The familiar musk she’d had all over her skin last night turned her body on again. Reed spread her legs further when Julia slid her hand up the inside of her thigh. She’d never been good at this, at going down on someone, but she’d never wanted to do it as much as she did now. In her fantasy, her lover was giving her the orders to be on her hands and knees and then talking dirty. She wasn’t about to ask Reed to do that, but she could imagine it.

  She slipped her arms under Reed’s thighs and pulled her center closer. She inhaled, taking in the scent that was making her feel reckless. Reed’s hands moved through her hair.

  Finally she dipped her chin and pressed in with her tongue. She found Reed’s clit and circled it. The sounds of Reed’s pleasure, soft moans mixed with words encouraging her—“yeah, that’s it, oh yeah, keep going”—she was aware of, but the rest of the room blurred as she worked her tongue on Reed. She felt hands move from her shoulders, to her hair, and then up and down her arms, but she had trouble keeping track of what was happening when. At some point, Reed pushed into Julia’s mouth, one hand holding Julia’s head in place. She wasn’t talking dirty, but the feeling of her controlling Julia was a huge turn-on.

  Julia sucked on the swollen clit, knowing as Reed’s rhythmic hip thrusting increased that she was getting close. She’d stopped worrying about doing it wrong. Whether Reed came or not she wanted to be exactly where she was and she had no intention of stopping until Reed pushed her away.

  Too soon she felt Reed’s thighs tense. She seemed to be trying to keep quiet, but the orgasm hit and her moan slipped out. Her head dropped back on the sofa cushion as the rest of her muscles clenched. Julia watched her, holding her in place when a second tremor came a moment later.

  Before she could enjoy more of the scene, Reed’s hand slipped behind Julia’s neck and pressed her head back between her legs. She thrust her tongue hard this time and heard Reed’s low groan. She sucked again, swallowing the salty cum and wanting more of it. Reed’s body tensed, her hand holding Julia in place as the climax moved through her.

  The fact that they were in the living room with the lights on hit Julia as Reed’s grip on her relaxed. Those kids better stay asleep. She kept her lips on Reed’s center still, kissing the inside of her thighs and lapping up what dripped.

  Now that she’d felt what she could do to Reed, how she could turn her on and bring her to the edge, she wanted to do it all over again. But Reed had collapsed back against the pillows, all of the tense lines gone from her face and her legs spread. When Julia started to lick her clit again, Reed slid her hand between her legs blocking her. “Uh-uh. No more.”

  “But you taste so good.”

  Reed opened her eyes then, a slack smile on her lips. “There’s only so much lovin’ my clit can handle.” She reached for Julia. “Come here.”

  After only a few kisses, Reed eased back on the sofa, eyes closing again. “What were you saying yesterday about not being good at sex?”

  “You make me want to try things.”

  Reed smiled, eyes still closed. “And you turn me into a puddle. A satisfied, happy puddle.”

  “That’s how I felt last night. I’m glad I could return the favor.” That was putting it mildly. She was still heady from the rush of Reed’s climax, but she didn’t need to admit how well Reed was patching up her insecurities. She picked up the half-full glass Reed had been drinking from earlier. “Can I have a sip?”

  Reed nodded.

  Julia took a sip, surprised at the sweet pineapple mint flavor. “What is this? It’s delicious.”

  “Pineapple mojito. Did you know the resort bar delivers to your room?”

  “No…Too bad you didn’t discover that a few nights ago. Could have saved us from your margaritas.”

  “Ouch.” Reed laughed and took the glass from Julia. “For that comment, I shouldn’t let you have any more.”

  Julia pulled the drink back before Reed had a sip. She finished it in one gulp, Reed laughing all the while. When Julia set the empty glass on the coffee table, Reed shook her head, a grin still playing on her lips.

  “You’ve changed this past week. Or maybe I’m just getting to know you better.”

  Julia knew both were partly true, but she didn’t want a deep conversation about it now. She only had Reed for a few more hours. Fortunately, Reed seemed to sense that she didn’t want to talk. She wrapped her arms around Julia and brought her into another kiss.

  As she pulled back, she said, “I think it’s my turn now. And don’t think I’m going to let you fall asleep tonight.”

  Julia felt a surge as Reed stood up, pulling her toward the bedroom. Yes, she was ready to let Reed have her. But as much as she wanted it, an equal part was holding her back. She didn’t want this to be the last time Reed led her to a bed. If only they could keep this up when they got back to California…

  “Second thoughts?” Reed was watching her, one hand on the open door to the master bedroom. Before Julia could explain, Reed continued, “We can stop whenever you want. I’m not going to lie—I want more—but if you want to leave…”

  “No, I don’t want to leave.” She paused, knowing she shouldn’t say more but unable to stop herself. “I was thinking about how far I’d drive to sleep with you. We wouldn’t have to say good-bye tomorrow…I know you’re not in a place to date but what if it was just sex?”

  “How far would you drive for that?” Reed asked. Her tone was playful, but there was a seriousness in the gaze Julia felt boring into her.

  “At least two hours. Probably three or four depending on my mood. But it’s only eighty miles from Oakland to Davis.”

  “Hmm. I think maybe we need to talk logistics then.” Reed smiled, pulling Julia toward her. She closed the bedroom door and immediately started inching up Julia’s tank top. “But that conversation is going to have to wait til morning because I need something else from you now.”

  All the other questions disappeared as Reed leaned in to kiss Julia’s neck. Her kisses traveled down to Julia’s collarbone. She slipped the spaghetti straps of Julia’s tank top off her shoulders and then finished tugging it all the way off. Reed’s hands were deliciously warm against Julia’s chilled skin as she cupped first one and then the other breast.

  “This might be inappropriate, but I love your breasts. They’re a really nice size. I mean, obviously they’re nice, but they’re—I don’t know how to put this—satisfying?” Reed stopped. “That was probably saying too much, wasn’t it?”

  “When you’re holding my breasts I think we’ve gone past the stage where you have to worry about what’s appropriate.” Julia smiled. “But at the moment I’m hoping you’re about to put that in your mouth instead of just talking about it.”

  Reed rolled Julia’s nipple between her fingers and then licked the tip. She straightened up. “I mean, that’s not all I like about you. It’s just that I’ve never really been with someone who had nice boobs. I mean, like these.”

  “Boobs?” Julia laughed again. “You’re blushing at the word boobs? After what you did last night?”

  “Well, yeah. And I remembered we’re not supposed to talk about exes.”

  “As long as you like me better than your exes, I’m okay with it.”

  “I like you way better than my exes. All of them put together. But it’s not just your body. I like being close to you…Standing next to you makes me feel like I’m buzzing on the inside.”

  “I didn’t think you only liked me for my body. In fact, if you did, you’d be the first.” Julia hadn’t felt self-conscious until that moment. She dropped her gaze down her chest and saw the swell of her belly over the tight band of her skirt.

  Reed tipped Julia’s chin up to her. “If I’m being honest, it was your smile that caught me first. On that flight…I could tell you were about to chew out Bryn and then you looked over at me and smiled.” Reed paused. “I noticed your boobs right after I noticed your smile, but in my defense, you were leaning over that seat and, well, they were at eye level. But just so we’re clear, everything about your body is exactly what I like. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  For once, Julia didn’t doubt a compliment about her body. Reed’s hands had moved down to her hips and then her fingertips slipped under the waistband. She could feel how much Reed wanted her in the firmness of her touch, in the way she stroked over every inch as if it was her right. And every part of her that Reed touched seemed to be lit like a slow-burning fuse. She wanted more of Reed’s hands caressing her body, more of her eyes taking all of her in and clearly liking what she saw. It didn’t seem possible…but she knew it was.

  “By the way, I like your eyes too. Can we say that was where I was looking?”

  “Too late.” Julia laughed and started to pull away, shaking her head at Reed’s honesty. She let Reed pull her close again without a fight and then leaned into another long kiss. The truth was, she liked Reed for her body too. She liked how tall Reed was, how strong her arms felt as they held her, how close her body pressed against hers, how her eyes seemed to always be waiting for Julia’s.

  Reed was slow to take off Julia’s skirt. Her hands traveled up and down, but she seemed in no hurry to get her naked. Julia tried to quell her anticipation. Even after the skirt was off, Reed made no move to touch her below her waist. Unlike last night when she had taken them from first base to home plate in the blink of an eye, the slow massage she was doing on Julia’s arms and back only made Julia want to feel those hands other places.

  Reed knew exactly what game she was playing, grinning between kisses and trying to chat when Julia had no interest in talking. Finally Julia gave up pretending she wanted to talk, antsy for Reed’s fingertips and wanting to move to the bed. Reed kept up a steady stream of a one-sided conversation, noting more parts of Julia that she liked as her hands moved over her body: “And don’t get me started on your legs,” she was saying. “These curves are perfect…And I love how your hips move when you walk. And this trim pussy…”

  “Trim pussy?” Julia laughed.

  Undaunted, Reed continued, “Yeah. I like how neat the lines are where the hair starts.”

  “I got a bikini wax before the trip.”

  “It’s a good look.” Reed grinned. “What?”

  “When are you going to fuck me?”

  “When I’m ready.” Reed kissed her, tracing down her chest to her belly button and then back up again.

  Julia wanted her to move lower, but she kept up a slow tease, never going to the warm, wet place where her body was waiting to be touched. By the time they’d moved to the bed, she was positively dripping and Reed still hadn’t reached between her legs. She’d gotten chilled in the air-conditioned room and welcomed the cover Reed pulled over her.

  “Do you want anything?” Reed asked, not climbing into bed yet. “Are you thirsty? Hungry?”

  “You’re doing this on purpose.”

  “Doing what?” Reed was clearly trying not to smile.

  “Making me wait. And if you think I’ll want you more, it’s possible you’re right.” Julia pushed the cover off her body and spread her legs. Reed’s expression changed immediately. Yes, she had her attention now. Julia reached for her hand. “But I think you should know what you’re doing to me.”