Chapter Three
“So, are you denying yourself, or are you holding out until the prawns arrive?” Bree shoved the basket of bread across the restaurant table toward Tess. The day at the beach had proven fun. More fun than Tess could remember in ages, and now they were sharing dinner.
“Maybe a slice, but I’m partial to prawns.
I rarely cook them at home because I don’t spend much time in the kitchen, but if I did, it would escalate the bonding with those two felines to a level that would make us conjoined triplets—they’d be glued to me.
” Tess winced internally and hoped Bree didn’t ask questions about her cooking habits.
She focused on buttering her slice of bread and took a bite.
“You cook a mean egg and make a wicked cucumber and tomato sandwich. No complaints from me.” Bree’s eyes were warm and sincere.
“I’ve got the feeling it wouldn’t be hard to please you when you’re hungry.” Tess took a second bite.
“Nobody’s ever accused me of being a challenge in the dining room.”
Tess wasn’t going to ask her about what room she might have been a challenge in.
Bree was already igniting a dormant spark with just the comment.
Tess finished her last bite of bread and then took a sip of wine so she wouldn’t have to look at her.
There seemed to be no censoring the thoughts she was having.
She usually didn’t have trouble maintaining better control.
“Maybe I’ll have another slice of that bread. Delicious.”
Bree gave her an amused smile, as if she knew what Tess was thinking. “Why not? It’s vacation. No reason to deny ourselves.” She reached for a second slice too.
Yes, the day at the beach had been an excellent first full day of her break—relaxing, but not boring.
Bree was great company, a good swimmer, and was in admirable physical shape.
Tess had been living in a state of controlled personal interactions for a long time, but that didn’t mean that Bree, laughing and bantering in her swimsuit, hadn’t flared Tess’s suppressed feelings to life.
She hadn’t felt this kind of desire for someone specific in a long time, not just physical, but the stirrings of something more.
Tess wasn’t sure what to think of this shift in herself. It lifted her spirits for the moment, and it depressed her when she looked ahead because Bree was just temporary, as was this entire stepping away from her real life.
Tess could let it upset her, or she could just enjoy the moment, let Bree fill the emptiness for the time being. There was no point in not having a good time this next week—she’d come here for that. She’d deal with any repercussions later, but how bad could they be? It was only seven days.
“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Bree interrupted Tess’s ruminations.
“Have you ever been out on the lake in a paddlewheel boat? It’s heavenly—just water, mountains, and sky.”
“Is this an official inclusion of me in your plans?” Bree gave her an exaggerated eyebrow lift.
Tess took a moment. She hadn’t done this in a long time, whatever this was. “I could manage to make that work.” She made a point of adding a little huff so it would sound like she was making a huge sacrifice while she fought to suppress any sign of the shot of pleasure she felt. “If you insist.”
Bree waited, damn her. She was going to make Tess beg, and Tess wasn’t sure she could. Bree watched her until Tess finally decided to attempt a stab at lighthearted.
“Okay. You’re a good swimmer. I saw that today. Maybe you should come in case the boat goes down and I need to be rescued.” Well, suggestions of sinking weren’t exactly lighthearted, but hopefully, Bree could tell from her tone she was making an effort.
Bree nodded. “So in case the boat sinks and you’re drowning? I’m not going to tell you I was a lifeguard for a few summers because that would be against our rules.” Bree’s azure eyes danced with a playful sparkle. “Instead, I’ll tell you that I’m very good at mouth-to-mouth.”
Tess hadn’t flirted in so long. She thought about it and decided Flo would be cheering her on. She was on vacation. She liked Bree. She wouldn’t ever see her again after this week. “Well in that case, maybe I should hope for an enemy torpedo attack or a misplaced hurricane.”
Bree laughed. “I’d settle for a Poseidon Adventure–style rogue wave. And with the odds of any of those being pretty low up here in the mountains, I’m on board for the boat ride.” She glanced at Tess. “Thanks, Tess. I think it’ll be fun.”
Tess saw the server coming and changed the subject so she wouldn’t think about masterful lips pressing against her own and resurrecting her dismal personal life to something more exhilarating. Or the kind of follow-up that activity might inspire.
“Here come my prawns and your salmon. And I’m having dessert after, just in case you want to save room for something decadent.” Tess refocused the conversation on their food.
“And I was thinking about saving a bit of my fish to bring your cats over to this cabin crasher’s dark side.”
“Corrupting that pair isn’t allowed. They’ve got to put up with old boring me after this vacation.” Tess fell silent. She didn’t want to talk about Thelma and Louise’s daily life back home.
“Well then, no salmon. No dark side.” Bree gave Tess a rather disappointed look.
“Okay. No tears. Let those cats love you. But I just might have to rename them Darth and Vader, although I suppose the original Thelma and Louise had a few indisputable dark side qualities.”
“You know, you’re okay.” Bree’s smile was sincere.
“High praise.” Tess might be teasing, but she realized she really valued Bree’s approval. “So, are you planning on a dessert too?”
“Nope.” Tess felt the disappointment start to drop her mood, but before it took hold, Bree shook her head. “Relax. We’re just figuring this out.”
Tess wasn’t sure if she meant the two of them, or dessert.
“Let’s back up,” Bree continued. “The nope is because I’d like to share two desserts. You pick one and I’ll pick one. And if we can’t finish them, we’ll take the leftovers with us.”
Tess nodded. She wanted to see what they each ordered, to share those choices with Bree.
“Our constraints have made this interesting. A challenge when you barely know someone, although I’m not complaining because I suspect I’m seeing more of the real Tess this way. The one I really like.” Bree smiled at her.
Tess took her first bite of her prawns, just so Bree wouldn’t see how much that pleased her. Not the sharing of desserts, although she liked that idea. It was the fact that Bree liked her, the Tess not cloaked beneath the dark robe she wore most of the time.
As the weather would have it, it was Friday before they were finally on the M.S.
Dixie II paddlewheel dinner cruise. The weather had been rainy or overcast the last few days, and blue skies hadn’t been expected until today, so Bree and Tess had shopped and gambled and gone to a movie and even played miniature golf midweek under a cloudy sky.
As the week had unfolded, it became clear to Bree that Tess was attracted to her—the long looks with an unconsciously licked lower lip, the conscious brushing of hands.
Bree was leaving tomorrow—a Saturday departure had always been the plan for her.
She knew she needed to get on with her life.
But Bree couldn’t help the undeniable draw she felt to Tess, who’d continued to reveal the smart, funny, sexy woman she was as she continued to relax with Bree, even if she did enjoy pretending Bree had intruded on her vacation.
The warmth in her eyes suggested she didn’t mind at all.
Bree didn’t want to think about how Tess had grown on her, or how she’d probably never see her again.
What happened in Tahoe stayed in Tahoe. They’d be done when she left tomorrow.
Their initial guidelines had made it clear that this was a limited encounter, and Bree reminded herself that was actually for the best. She had a new life waiting with so much to focus on, and that didn’t include a new relationship, at least not yet.
She had an old one to try to put behind her.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy Tess in the time they had left.
Last evening, they’d held hands and watched movies while they sat on the comfort-challenged couch.
The chemistry between them was undeniable.
Bree had never been someone to casually sleep around just for the sake of sex, but Tess was no longer a stranger.
Tess was someone she felt a strong connection to.
Bree had had the distinct feeling that Tess would have shared a bed with her last night if she’d pushed it. But she wanted it to be Tess’s move if that was going to happen. Bree didn’t want to leave Tess with regrets, and Tess had said good night after the movie and headed to her room.
“Shall we go out on the boat deck and see if any stars are out yet before we reach the dock?” Tess set down her fork.
After they’d watched the early evening light glitter across the water’s surface, they’d come inside to the dining room.
They’d split an order of the pan-seared chicken breast served with steamed broccoli and roasted red peppers along with an order of potstickers before they’d shared a slice of the New York cheesecake.
This was their last dinner together, and Bree didn’t doubt that Tess was as aware of that fact as she was.
The boat was now headed in the direction of the shore.
They finished and walked back out to the deck and over to the starboard guardrail with fingers intertwined. The horizon glowed golden beneath the darkening blue as the sun sank below the skyline.
“It’s beautiful,” Bree said.
Tess slipped behind her and extended an arm on each side of Bree as she grasped the guardrail. Tess’s full breasts pressed against her shoulder blades, and Bree was gently fenced in.