“Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?” Kelly fanned her face, not so subtly winking at Terri.

  Little sisters were always little sisters, no matter what they promised. “Aren’t you supposed to be managing a hotel or something?”

  “Oh, I’m done for the night,” Kelly said, her mock innocent tone fooling no one. “Fortunately, I hire amazing staff like Andre so I don’t have to live here twenty-four seven.” Andre blew Kelly a kiss and then laughed when she pretended to dodge it. Kelly continued, “But I do need to go home. It was nice meeting you, Sam.” She turned to Terri, pecked her cheek and, as she pulled back, murmured, “I like her.”

  So do I, Terri thought. Seeing Sam again after all the ups and downs of the past two weeks made her certain of that at least.

  When Kelly left to get her things, Terri turned to Sam. She felt lightheaded as Sam held her gaze. If she held out her hand, she knew it’d be shaking—so much for her reputation of being ice-cool during a crisis. She tried a smile. “Thanks for driving up.”

  “Thanks for asking me.”

  “So…dinner?”

  The restaurant was attached to the hotel but had a separate street entrance. When they went out, Sam held the door. Terri had to step close to make it through the doorway, and a hint of Sam’s cologne sent a tingly sensation through her body—as if she needed another reminder for how much she wanted her. God, it was hard not to turn and kiss her.

  Outside the street was teeming with cars and pedestrians hurried past on the sidewalk. Terri started toward the restaurant entrance, but before she could reach for the restaurant’s door handle, Sam opened it. She almost said that she could open a damn door, but when she looked up, her breath caught in her chest. Sam’s dark blue eyes held her gaze.

  “Is it okay if I open doors for you?”

  “I can do it myself.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m asking.”

  This was an official date. There was no arguing that. She’d asked Sam to dinner and now here they were. And Sam was taking a risk too.

  “Thank you.” Terri stepped past Sam and into the foyer, reminding herself to breathe. The maître d’s greeting was warm and immediate, asking for their patience as their table was readied. As they waited, Sam stood at her side, close enough to touch but seemingly careful to keep from doing so. Her gaze wandered from the maître d’s desk to the handful of candlelit tables and then to her shoes. She was nervous too. Terri could feel it. As smooth as she could talk, always seeming so confident, Terri knew some of that was an act.

  “I didn’t know if I’d hear from you,” Sam said. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wished I could go back and do that last Sunday all over again. I’m so sorry for all the ways I screwed up.”

  “Yeah, that was impressive.”

  Sam’s smile was faint.

  “I meant it when I said we both made mistakes. And, by the way, I listened to your message so many times I think I have it memorized.” Terri paused. “I forgive you. You forgive me?”

  Sam nodded.

  Terri held out her hand. A quiet voice in her head warned her that she didn’t know what she was doing. Playing with fire, she returned.

  Without a word, Sam clasped her hand. The noises of the restaurant funneled away. The candles all blurred. Sam’s grip tightened and Terri felt like she was floating. If only she could stay in this moment, holding Sam’s hand and not thinking about what might happen or what should happen.

  Too soon their table was ready and a waiter came to lead them to a quiet back corner. Sam kept hold of her hand until they reached their table. She let go then and Terri felt jostled awake from a dream.

  Once they were seated, the waiter cleared his throat. “Would you like to see the wine list?”

  “Water’s fine for now,” Sam returned.

  “Of course.”

  The waiter slipped away, and Terri said, “You know you could order wine even if I don’t drink.”

  “Turns out I don’t like it. Beer’s nice on a hot day, but I really only drink to be sociable.” Sam paused. “But thank you for telling me it’s okay. How was Costa Rica?”

  “Beautiful. Unfortunately I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted you there with me.”

  Before Sam could say anything, the waiter returned to fill their water glasses and then, when it was clear they weren’t ready to order, slipped away again. Sam scanned the menu and Terri tried to do so as well, but she couldn’t focus.

  “I really hoped you’d call me back when you were in Houston.”

  “I wanted to,” Terri admitted. “But then I didn’t know what to say.”

  Sam set down her menu. She glanced at the other diners and then back at Terri. After a moment, she said, “I need to know what you want out of this.”

  It was a reasonable request, given everything, and the intensity in Sam’s words made her realize that she couldn’t get out of answering. She also knew Sam wouldn’t accept a “maybe.” But how were they going to make this work?

  “You left your vacation early. You asked me out to dinner and then wanted to hold my hand. As excited as I want to be about all those things, I need to know what we’re doing here. I don’t feel like that’s too much to ask.”

  “It’s not.” Terri swallowed. How was Sam the mature one in all of this? And why the hell was it so hard for her to say what she wanted? Because if Sam broke her heart, she knew she’d be done for good. There was no coming back from someone like her. “I want a relationship with you. A real one. But I honestly have no idea how we can make it work.”

  “We’re both pretty smart. I bet we can figure it out.” Sam stretched her hand across the table palm up. When Terri placed her hand on top, Sam gently clasped it. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.”

  Sam continued, “You know, some things are easier than you’d think. We could go on a date—without written orders or any treatment plan.”

  “Some of us like plans.” Terri dared herself to go on and say the rest of what she was thinking. “I’ll try it your way, but do me a favor and let me down easy when we break up. If I let myself love you, I know I’m going to have a hard time getting over you.”

  “Ditto.”

  Maybe it was all the travel messing with her sense of time or maybe it was being with Sam, but when they finished dinner, Terri didn’t feel tired. She also didn’t want to send Sam home despite the fact that she wasn’t quite ready to take her up to the hotel room. Somehow knowing they’d both acknowledged this was the start of something made what they did feel more significant. Sex wouldn’t be a game this time.

  They stepped outside the restaurant and instead of heading back to the hotel, Terri caught Sam’s hand and started down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. The traffic had thinned and there were fewer people out walking now, but the city, with its blinking lights, still had a pulsing energy. When they stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, Sam’s arm wrapped around her shoulders.

  Terri leaned into her embrace. “How does it work when we have sex now?”

  “What do you mean?” Sam asked.

  Terri bit her lip, trying to put to words the tangle of questions she’d thought of at dinner. Sam had kept the conversation going asking about Costa Rica and then work, but still her mind had wandered to sex every time Sam reached for her water glass or picked up a utensil. She kept returning to the thought that the last time they’d been together, Sam had tied her up and fisted her. And it was more than the act—more than what she’d let Sam do. Something she’d held back from all her other partners, she’d finally given in to Sam. That was why Sam pulling back when she did had hurt so much.

  “I’m not going to be submissive the rest of the time. I mean I want to be that way in bed, but…”

  “But you won’t be in our relationship?”

  Terri nodded.

  “I wouldn’t want you to be. That’s not you.” After a moment, Sam continued, “You’re used to being in charge—used to telling everyone else what to do. And you’re so good at what you do that everyone listens. All of that is incredibly sexy. But so is what I get in the bedroom—the part that wants to be slowly stripped and fucked until you can’t stand up. The part that doesn’t want to be in charge.”

  The light changed and they crossed the intersection. Terri’s heart thumped in her chest as Sam’s words replayed in her mind. “Slowly stripped and fucked until you can’t stand up.” When they reached the other side of the street, she stopped. Her clit was pulsing, and she was certain that if she checked she’d find she was already wet.

  “I didn’t really have a plan for what happens next. I figured we’d do dinner and talk and then…”

  “You want to take me up to your hotel room?”

  “Does reading my thoughts ever make you uncomfortable? Because sometimes it should.”

  “Not yet but keep trying.” Sam winked. Terri started to turn toward the hotel, but Sam tugged her back. “I’m not quite ready.”

  “You’re not ready to go up to my room?”

  “Not quite.” Sam leaned close and met Terri’s lips. One long kiss and then another. Someone whistled and still Sam kept on with the kissing. Terri didn’t want her to stop even when she finally took a step back, a sheepish grin on her lips. “Okay. Ready.”

  Terri batted her chest. “You.”

  “What?”

  She shook her head, laughing. “I thought you were going to tell me you wanted to wait on sex or some bullshit like that.” She started walking again, her body still zinging from Sam’s lips.

  “You in a hurry for something?” Sam said, catching up.

  “Yeah, I got a hot date.”

  “Oh, really? You want to be in charge tonight?”

  Terri glanced at Sam. “Why do you ask?”

  “Some people are switches. I didn’t want to assume you always wanted to be one way if you didn’t…”

  “Do you like to switch?” Terri wasn’t even sure she was using the word correctly.

  “No, but I’d do it if you wanted it.”

  “I don’t want to switch. I like you on top. And don’t tease, but I read up on Dominant/submissive sexual relationships while I was waiting at the airport in Houston.”

  “Sounds like a good use of time.” Sam grinned. “What’d you learn?”

  “All sorts of things.”

  “Want to elaborate?”

  Terri pushed herself to talk about it, knowing the conversation had to happen sooner or later. “I kind of fell into this with you. Our roles, you know? But I was reading and thinking and, well, I realized it’s right for me. It’s not only a game, like I said it was the first time.” She paused. “I like that I can be me around you. You don’t ask me to be anything or anyone I’m not.”

  “So we can agree that we like our roles in the bedroom, but we’re a work in progress on the relationship?”

  Terri nodded. But there was still more she had to say. “I’m going to say this now because I don’t want it to be an issue later—I don’t want you coming up to see me every weekend. I’ll feel too much guilt about you not focusing on photography.”

  “And I won’t ever expect you to show up at my house. I know the hours you keep.”

  When they made it back to the hotel, Terri let Sam open the door, deciding she didn’t actually mind. If Sam wanted to open every door for her, she could do it. Sam’s term for them—a work in progress—made her feel hopeful and somehow relaxed her too. They didn’t need to have every detail figured out. Not yet.

  Andre waved from the reception desk. “How was your meal?”

  “Delicious,” Sam said.

  Terri nodded. She hadn’t thought she was hungry, but she’d enjoyed every bite of the pineapple chicken.

  “Kelly wanted me to tell you she popped into your room to leave you a little surprise.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  Sam looked over at Terri. “Uh-oh?”

  “I know my little sister. Surprises from her are usually inappropriate or dangerous.”

  “So trouble runs in your genes?”

  Terri caught the front of Sam’s shirt and pulled her close. “Yes.” She kissed her, nipping Sam’s lower lip, and then stepping back before Sam could deepen the kiss. “You’re in for it.”

  They took the stairs up to the second floor, and Terri wondered what surprise Kelly would have gifted. There was no telling, really. She’d one time let her pet rat loose in Terri’s bedroom when Terri had a boyfriend over and another time left a bag of peas to defrost under her sheets. And that was before her teenage years when she got really mischievous.

  “Chocolate?” Terri almost didn’t trust the box of chocolate candies on the corner of the bed. She glanced around the room, but nothing else seemed amiss—except for the fact that Kelly had tidied everything and put the clothes she’d changed out of back into her suitcase.

  “I think she left you this too.” Sam held up a folded slip of paper that was next to the chocolates.

  Terri scanned it, smiled, and then decided to read it a loud: “T, I like Sam. You have good taste. But if it doesn’t work out, I got you chocolates—and can I have her number? Mostly kidding. Love, Kells.”

  Sam laughed. “For the record, I don’t want to date your sister, but I love how she teases you.”

  “Yeah, don’t get any ideas.” Terri smiled. She set the note down and opened the box of chocolates. “Want one?”

  Sam picked one of the dark squares and popped it in her mouth. “Almost as good as a Reese’s.”

  “You and your Reese’s.” Terri shook her head, picking one of the dark squares as well and then setting the box and the note on the nightstand. She took a bite, letting the rich bittersweet chocolate flood her mouth. “Mmm, that’s good.”

  “Wait, how was it?”

  “Mmm,” Terri repeated. “Almost as good as how you taste.”

  Sam stepped forward and circled her arms around Terri. “So did we talk enough about feelings tonight to make you feel comfortable about making out with me?”

  Terri smiled. “You’re the one who wanted a damn relationship, remember? I’ve always been fine ignoring the feelings.”

  “You thought you were fine, but now that you’re dating me, you’re gonna realize it’s better having sex with feelings.”

  Terri didn’t try to argue. When Sam leaned down to meet her lips, she pressed in, slowly opening for Sam’s tongue.

  “You taste like chocolate,” Sam murmured. “Can I take off your dress?”

  “Do you practice these lines?”

  “I got a whole list I’m working on.”

  “Mmm. You should keep working.”

  Sam stepped back. “All right, you think you can do better? Let’s hear it.”

  Terri reached for Sam’s belt. She slid her forefinger along the edge of the leather and then stopped at the buckle and looked up at Sam. “May I take off your belt?”

  “Does that line usually work?”

  “First time I’ve tried it. You’ve been my first for a lot of things.”

  Sam smiled. “I like being your first.”

  Terri slowly worked the loose end of the belt through the buckle. She took her time with each loop, wanting to race ahead so she could finally touch Sam but at the same time wanting to savor every moment.

  When she had the belt free, she slipped it around her neck and then dangled the ends in front of Sam. “Wanna hold this for me?”

  “You know I do.” Sam gripped the leather and pulled her in. Terri closed her eyes, more ready than ever to give herself to Sam. She lost herself in the kiss, the crush of Sam’s lips only adding to her desire.

  Between kisses, Sam managed to get her dress off and then her bra. It wasn’t long before she was standing in front of Sam, who was still fully dressed, in nothing but her red underwear and the leather belt. Sam’s warm hands moved up and down her sides, and she shivered with need. She longed for Sam to push aside her panties and feel how wet she was for her. Instead she only kissed her lips again, then her neck and each of her breasts.

  “I want you so much,” Terri murmured.

  Sam caressed her neck and then tilted Terri’s chin up to her. “What else?”

  “May I take off your pants?”

  Sam nodded and Terri immediately reached for the top button. Once she had that undone, she tugged on the zipper and then worked the pants down. Sam stepped back, pulling her pants off all the way and her underwear as well, then took another step back and pushed back the sheets. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Terri to her.

  Sam took one long kiss from her before letting Terri pull back. Terri wanted nothing more than to drop to her knees and press her tongue between Sam’s legs.

  “I want to make you come.”

  “Tell me more.” Sam smiled.

  “I’d rather show you.” Terri knelt. “May I?”

  Sam parted her legs. When Terri bent her head, Sam’s fingers combed through her hair. Terri slipped her tongue over Sam, found her swollen clit and sucked. Sam’s salty taste, the scent of her, filled Terri’s senses. She let Sam’s clit slip out of her lips and then stroked her tongue over and around her opening. She loved oral sex, knew she was good at it, but she had something to prove this time, which made her all the more willing to drive Sam insane.

  When she started circling the clit faster, slipping in hard strokes over the tip, Sam grabbed her hair. She pumped her hips to push into Terri’s mouth and moaned. Terri shifted back on her knees and looked up at Sam.

  “Will you come in my mouth? I want to be good and lick up everything you give me.”

  “Oh, fuck.” Sam murmured, pushing herself into Terri’s mouth again. “Don’t stop until I tell you.”

  Those were orders she couldn’t wait to follow. Terri took Sam into her lips again, sucking and then stroking and then pausing to lap everything up before starting the pattern all over again. When Sam’s rhythmic pulsing of her hips increased, her hold on Terri’s hair almost painful, Terri knew the orgasm was coming. She increased her speed and gave Sam everything she could. Sam’s hips pushed up one last time and Terri held onto her, sucking hard.