She smiled at her friend and spun out of Alex’s arms. “Let’s get going,” she said, putting her hand on the small of Alex’s back and leading her out of the bar.

  After a quick stop for a slice of pizza on the walk home, Lennon unlocked the front door to the two-bedroom coastal Craftsman she called home. She allowed Alex to enter first, then shut the door and pressed her against it. This was no time for small talk, both of them seemed to have silently agreed. Alex’s body melted in her hands, and she let out small moans of pleasure as Lennon kissed up her neck and back to those luscious lips.

  In the background, she heard a man clear his throat. Sighing, she pulled back.

  “I thought you were still out,” she hissed through clenched teeth, looking to the living room, where Grant was staring at her. She questioned for the millionth time why they still were living together this long after college even though they could both afford to live alone, then reminded herself that this was their dysfunctional version of a family and that it kept some of the loneliness at bay.

  “Everyone left,” he said, turning away from her and turning on the television.

  “Sorry,” Lennon mouthed to Alex. She shot a glare in Grant’s direction before grabbing Alex’s hand and making her way to her bedroom.

  To her surprise, Alex wasn’t upset but instead was laughing. “I feel like I’m in high school all over again, sneaking around just to get laid.”

  “Oh, you think you’re going to get laid?” Lennon teased as she shut the door behind them and turned on her music to keep noise from spilling over into the living room.

  “I think it’s a pretty safe bet,” she said, turning off the light, taking control, and pushing Lennon back onto the bed. Straddling her, Alex began grinding against her.

  “So much for not drinking with strange girls,” Lennon laughed as Alex quickened the pace.

  “I think I’m getting more than just a drink out of the deal,” Alex said, kissing her again. Placing her hands on Alex’s hips, Lennon hungrily pulled her in harder. In a tumble of passion, they worked quickly, ripping each other’s clothes from their bodies and tossing them to a heap on the floor.

  Alex kissed her way down Lennon’s curvy body, taking a hardened nipple into her mouth and sucking gently before kneeling between her legs. She teased with her tongue, and Lennon bucked her hips in pleasure. Savoring the decadence of Alex’s tongue, she threw her head back and laughed in surprise. Of all the women she’d shared a bed with, few had so expertly and so swiftly found the perfect spot and rhythm. She felt her body tense. Not yet.

  “My turn,” Lennon said, using her hips to roll Alex over to the other side of the bed.

  She smiled as she reached down, feeling for the first time the wetness between Alex’s legs. She gasped as she plunged inside, causing Alex to arch her hips and cry out with a mix of shock and delight.

  “God, I’ve needed this,” Alex cried out through her moans.

  “Me too,” Lennon answered, pressing her lips to Alex’s and speeding up her pace.

  Thrusting with her hips to keep the rhythm, Lennon moaned at the sight of Alex’s enjoyment. Alex tightened around her fingers, wrapping her long legs around Lennon’s body and scratching her nails into Lennon’s back before going limp.

  Deterred for only a minute, she turned in the bed, now face-to-face with Lennon, and smiled. “I’m not done with you yet,” she said in a sultry tone, returning to her place between Lennon’s legs. She smiled as she slid her fingers inside, thrusting and somehow answering each of Lennon’s unspoken pleas. The same wavelength, matched energy, whatever the hell you wanted to call it—it was pure ecstasy as she continued to pump in and out, moving lower and using her tongue in tandem.

  “Oh God,” Lennon cried, balling the sheets in her hands as she felt herself lose control slowly, then all at once. She tried to hold off but couldn’t resist. Her orgasm hit, bringing wave after wave of pleasure.

  Smiling, Alex sauntered forward, bringing their lips together again in a sweet and tender kiss. “Rest up, because I’m still not done with you,” she whispered.

  Lennon sucked in a breath, and Alex pulled Lennon’s body close to hers, wrapping her arms around her. Lennon stiffened. Cuddling wasn’t in the cards normally, but she needed a minute to gather her thoughts. With her back pressed up against Alex’s body, she exhaled quietly.

  No one had ever brought her to orgasm on the first try. Her head swam with questions and confusion swirled around like a Tilt-A-Whirl. She tried to keep her breathing rhythmic so as not to disturb Alex, who was gently wiggling back and forth in the embrace, a clear sign that she had been correct about not being done just yet.

  Throwing caution and confusion to the wind, Lennon closed her eyes. She didn’t need to sort this out. This wasn’t anything more than a one-night stand with multiple innings. Reaching back, she gently caressed Alex’s perfectly round backside and then gave it a gentle pat.

  “Mmm,” Alex moaned, throwing her head back to make eye contact. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Lennon said, flipping her over and diving in, consequences no longer seeming relevant.

  Chapter Two

  Plain, dreary white paint on walls unadorned by even a single piece of art seemed to capture all that Alex felt inside. In an adjoining room, she could hear the sound of a baby crying and a young mother unsuccessfully trying to soothe it with a lullaby.

  She pulled the pillow tighter over her head. She was never meant to be here—not in this hotel, not like this. Fresh tears fell on her cheeks, and she yanked the pillow from her head and threw it against the wall. It made a pitiful thud as it smashed into it. Damn! She couldn’t even get the bang she had hoped for, she thought, pulling herself upright. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, she decided that the memories bouncing around in her head were far worse than the infant’s cries next door. Forcing herself to stand, she walked the bathroom mirror and stood expressionless.

  She stared at the reflection, allowing herself to smile briefly at the bite mark on her shoulder, a small souvenir from the night before. Her head pounded from too much alcohol, and she longed for the warmth she had found in Lennon’s arms. She shook her head. She had no need to seek warmth if it meant relying upon another person. There was no freedom in that.

  She closed her eyes but immediately was greeted with the ghosts of her past. Opening her eyes with a jolt, she took a deep breath and started the shower. The cries continued on the other side of the wall, and she let the water hit her skin, washing away the smells of sweat and sex.

  You match the energy of your surroundings. She replayed the statement in her mind as she showered. This wouldn’t do. She might have fled, but she wouldn’t continue to punish herself.

  Out of the shower, she used the edge of the towel to clean the steam from the mirror. Smiling at her reflection, she steeled her emotions. Even if it was a façade, she would roll with it.

  Last night, she’d let the combination of being in a new town and a couple of drinks fuel her to be a bit bolder than she might have been otherwise, and today she’d follow suit. It was a week for taking chances, making the first move, and taking what she wanted.

  “House hunting today,” she said, nodding to herself. “Tomorrow the world.” She laughed at the stupidity of the notion. She didn’t want to have the world. Just attaining some bit of genuine happiness would be enough.

  She slipped into a bright striped dress, applied mascara and a spritz of patchouli, and headed for the door. In the parking lot, she squinted, fishing her sunglasses out of her purse and taking a moment to drink in thick air that smelled of salt and sea.

  “I’ll never get used to this,” she said to no one in particular, noting the way the humidity clung to her, causing her freshly showered and dried skin to go damp.

  She hopped in her car and looked in the backseat, piled high with all her important belongings, and sighed. Her tiny sports car hadn’t been the most practical for moving purposes, but she’d remedy that today.

  Putting the car in gear, she cranked up the volume of the 80s pop station she was listening to and floored the accelerator, determined to make today the start of something—anything—better.

  With the windows down and the wind blowing through her hair, Alex almost felt human again, instead of like someone who was living on autopilot. The heat of the early August sun beat down on her skin, and she relished the sunlight, wondering why she’d kept herself from it for so long. Her normally tan skin was shades paler than it had been in years.

  The phone ringing beside her in her passenger seat snapped her out of her stupor. Not quite human yet, she thought, hitting the Ignore button. She wasn’t ready to talk to anyone—not even her friends back home.

  Glancing once more at the home screen, she checked the date. Five days of driving. Five days beyond her hometown, her home state, the world she had once known. With one night of passion and a fresh start on the horizon.

  She’d come pretty damn close to running out of land to drive through before deciding to hole up in Perdido Key. Although the town was small, it had plenty of ocean nearby and a decent gay bar that looked to be fairly new from what she could tell, and she’d seen some galleries as she driven in from Mobile.

  Perched right on the Florida/Alabama border, Perdido Key seemed to be in a world of its own. An Internet search from her Mobile hotel had detailed a quaint, friendly place with all the amenities needed to enjoy a laidback, beach lifestyle. Beach shops—advertising T-shirts, blow-up water toys, and souvenirs—dotted the streets, alongside seafood restaurants and a couple of nationwide chain stores she recognized. Small beach condos gave way to sprawling mansions on the water. It really did seem to check all the boxes of things she might need. And with Pensacola and Mobile both nearby, she figured she’d be close enough to anything that might be needed from a larger city.

  It wasn’t quite the Florida she’d seen in movies or on TV. It was touristy, but there were no gators and fewer palm trees than she’d expected. Just emerald waters, white sand, and Southern twangs in the voices of the few locals she’d encountered.

  Her lips twisted into a grin, as she wondered if all these Southerners moaned with a slight twang when they came or if that had been a Lennon special. Turning up the music another notch, she drowned out the thoughts. As much fun as it had been—and God, it had been fun—she needed to get the girl with the big blue eyes, large, round breasts, and playful curls out of her mind.

  One night was fine. Anything more than that would be a mistake. Second encounters too often led to third and fourth ones. Before long, you could get yourself swept up in something. Damaged was no place to start something new.

  After spending a morning searching fruitlessly for houses or apartments to rent, Alex needed a break. She made her way through the town, found a real estate office, and snagged a flyer to peruse over a drink. Looking around, she spotted an old brick building with a wooden sign out front proclaiming it to be an establishment called Alibis. Chuckling at the name, she gave it a once-over. Rustic chic had never quite been her vibe, but even so, something drew her to enter. The industrial metal and rustic wood decor provided a cohesive, yet unfinished look. Adorned with whiskey barrels, repurposed wood, and antique chairs, this place definitely had charm. The scent of strong spirits and fresh fruit filled the air, and the sun streamed into the shadowy interior, adding an aura of rebellion to day drinking. Gentle sounds of The XX over the speakers soothed her soul. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was about the place, but she felt suddenly at home.

  At home in a bar. What a surprise! She shook off the negativity and stepped further inside.

  Opting for a seat in the sunlight at the bar so she could read her flyer, she hopped onto the barstool.

  “What can I get for you?” Alex raised her gaze, and all thoughts ceased. She saw the same dark hair wildly tousled with curls and those same piercing blue eyes from last night staring at her. Lennon wore a smug smile. Her red sleeveless button-down shirt was plain but couldn’t hide the voluptuous chest that Alex knew lay just below the buttons, and her tight black leather pants left little to the imagination. In a job based off tips, Alex figured she did pretty well.

  “Shit,” Alex muttered under her breath. She heard Lennon let out an amused laugh, letting Alex know her comment hadn’t been as inaudible as she had hoped.

  When Alex didn’t answer, Lennon’s smile grew, showing off dimples. “I guess I should have told you I own one of the town’s most popular bars,” she said, stretching out her arms to display the shelves of liquor behind her. “Pick your poison. Looks like you could use a drink.”

  “What are you, a therapist on the side?” Alex leaned back, unsure whether to give in to the feeling that she’d just been slighted.

  “Of sorts,” Lennon said, flipping her jigger up in the air and catching it expertly, never breaking eye contact. “But I deal in alternative medicine—as I think I showed you last night,” she added with a wink.

  Despite herself, Alex laughed. But what she felt was no laughing matter. Even when she joked and acted aloof, Lennon’s gaze made Alex’s heart skip a beat. Remembering how she tasted, Alex broke eye contact. “This place is great,” she said, searching for anything to change the subject.

  “Thanks,” Lennon answered. “I’m pretty proud of it.” She handed Alex a menu. “Front page is cocktails, and the back page is mainly spirits. We have a wide, unique selection of tequila, rum, and whiskey, which is what we’re known for.”

  Alex looked down at the menu in front of her, trying to take it all in. She should run. There were other bars.

  “I have wine, if you’d rather,” Lennon continued, calmly waiting for Alex’s drink order and acting as if nothing had happened between them. The thought stopped Alex in her tracks. Was she that forgettable?

  “I’ll take a single,” Alex cut Lennon off as she was explaining a craft cocktail from the menu. “Dealer’s choice.”

  Lennon raised an eyebrow. “Feeling adventurous, I see.” She beamed as she reached up behind her and poured a shot into a glass over a few cubes of ice. As she placed it in front of Alex, her smile grew. “This one’s on me if you answer a question for me.”

  Alex nodded.

  “You sticking around?”

  “I don’t know,” Alex said, holding the glass and sniffing the bitter, brown liquid inside.

  “What’s that then?” Lennon nodded toward the real estate flyer Alex had laid on the bar in front of her.

  “I thought you said one question,” Alex shot back. She let out an amused sigh and answered anyway. “I’m not really sure honestly. Just looking for a place to stay for a while, to find a new start.”

  “There’s a place for rent down off Second Street, if you’re still looking for something,” Lennon said, casually wiping down the bar. “Good neighborhood, cheap rent. I used to live in the area,” she added, scrawling a number on a bar napkin. “Call Gwen, and tell her I sent you.” Without another word, she walked toward the sink in the far corner.

  Alex drank the whiskey in front of her, thankful for a moment to think. Why had she fucked someone on her first night in town and decided to stick around this tiny place? She could still leave, but did that mean accepting defeat? Where would she go? Back home was off limits.

  Taking a deep breath, she slapped a ten-dollar bill on the table as a tip, grabbed the napkin, and stood. “Thanks for the drink and for the suggestion,” she called, hopping off the stool and heading for the door. The sweet, husky sound of Lennon’s laugh filled the air, and Alex fought the urge to turn back to it. Driven by the determination to move forward, she tapped the number Lennon had given her into her phone and set up an appointment.

  * * *

  Holding the keys to her new place, Alex stared at the quaint little condo. It was small, but natural light spilled into every room, brightening the place up. It would be the perfect space to create, and the water nearby was just what she needed for a little healing.

  She’d unloaded all her belongings from the car, made a mental note of the priority items she’d need to purchase from the store, and ordered a bed to be delivered by Amazon.

  Bold moves for someone without a plan. She sighed and tossed the key into the air, catching it as it fell. It was impulsive and probably had been done out of sheer stubbornness, but here she was. Come tomorrow, she’d shop and decorate. For today, she was spent, though not spent enough to fall asleep on a floor so early in the evening. Tonight, she wanted to celebrate and let loose. Then she’d return to her humble abode.

  Given that she didn’t have any friends, an acquaintance would have to do. She glanced at her phone. It was a Wednesday evening. Hopefully that meant the bar would be crowded enough that Lennon wouldn’t think Alex had come in just for her, and maybe Alex would have the chance to meet some other people.

  She shook her head. She could go back to Lucky’s. But that could just serve to put her back in the same position with someone else. She straightened her shoulders. She’d go back to Alibis.

  She would keep it casual. Nothing more. After all, if she was going to stay here, they’d be bound to run into one another, and the only way to remove the awkwardness was to establish Lennon as a casual acquaintance.

  Her mind made up, she strolled the three blocks toward Alibis and stared at her reflection in the glass of the boutique shop next door to the bar. Applying her lip gloss, she smiled. Before she could change her mind, she strode into the bar with an air of false confidence so great she almost fooled herself.

  She had been right. The bar was bustling with activity, and while she spotted Lennon, it was clear this wouldn’t be a time for chitchat. Customers lined the bar, and chatter filled the air. What had once been quiet and sexually charged was now as comforting as any other bar would have been. Grateful for a change in the atmosphere, she took a seat at the far end of the bar.