Chapter Twenty-one
“Okay, you’ve pushed that last bite of broccoli across your plate at least a half dozen times. I say we go have that dance or two or three, then come sit back down and make our signature dessert-sharing move,” Bree said.
Tess looked across the table from beneath half-lidded eyes, her tempting mouth currently under careful control and not giving away her mood.
“Found me out. Procrastinating on my part, but it appears you’re a persistent prospective cha-cha partner.
” She gave that remaining piece of broccoli another shove across her plate.
“It was only five trips across the platter, for your information, so now it’s six.
” Tess’s lips quirked and conveyed a suggestion of suppressed jocularity.
“Cha-cha?” Bree tried to sound incredulous, as though Tess was pulling her chain rather than the reality that Tess was suggesting something that she’d never considered doing.
She could fake a little fast dancing and sway to slow music in a reasonable fashion, but Bree had never had a formal dance lesson in her life.
An effort at the cha-cha and Tess would undoubtedly be sorry she’d ever invited Bree to share in the raffle winnings.
Tess broke into a captivating grin that caused Bree to be more than content to be the reason for her amusement.
“What?” Bree asked.
“You. A deer in the headlights if I ever saw one. Now I suspect I can go out there and put on a better show of the kind of dancing that you have in mind than the show you’re prepared to put on if we engage in one of those debutante demonstrations from my younger years.
” The crinkled skin beside Tess’s laughing eyes and the fine lines at the corners of her upturned mouth thrilled Bree.
They mapped the journey Tess had made in life, charted the roads she’d traveled, and for the moment they were the landmarks of happiness.
This was one of Bree’s favorite expressions of Tess’s. This was an uninhibited look of pure delight that bubbled up from those hidden layers of Tess. Tess was sexy as all get-out right now, and she’d clearly moved well past the melancholy of recounting her childhood.
Tess stood up and held out her hand. “If you’re set on dancing with me, then let’s get on with it.” There was a hint of huskiness to her delivery that suggested this wasn’t going to be pure torture for her.
Bree took Tess’s hand and pulled her close so she could speak softly into her ear. “While you might have been learning some high-society-approved dancing moves in high school, you shouldn’t forget that I was a cheerleader.”
“After that demo in the parking lot, I have no doubt you can twerk. I know you’ve got moves. I’ve seen them.” Bree registered the octave drop in Tess’s voice. “Such talented moves,” Tess finished in a low, deep purr.
“So come on, then, and let’s shake a little booty.” Bree hip-bumped Tess. “We’ll show them how a couple of mature women can put them to shame.”
The dance floor was crowded with couples ranging in age from young adults to a few couples significantly older than Tess and Bree.
There were two young men dancing together and another female couple, and nobody was paying them any mind.
Bree knew that Tess was comfortable in her sexuality, and so any nervousness was probably due to the ingrained image that played into her narrowed life and the public identity that she felt compelled to present.
Well, they weren’t going to be bound by that tonight.
Bree led them to a space in the middle of the dance floor that had just enough room for the two of them and also served to swallow them into the crowd.
She watched Tess look around and assess the situation, finally seeming to make a decision and give herself permission to have some fun.
She saw a touch of the carefree smile Tess had often worn at Tahoe reappear, along with the sparkle in those eyes that was suppressed when Tess was presenting in her professional persona.
The music was loud and fast with a strong beat, and Bree stood opposite Tess and began to move, slowly at first with a deep sway of her hips.
Tess watched her for a moment, then gulped a deep breath before she spread her feet apart and offered a few moves of her own.
Bree loved it—suggestive with a touch of the class that came with Tess. Hot. So very, very hot.
Bree admired the inviting shape Tess presented in the tight ivory dress that hugged her form, and her moves only demonstrated the fine ass under that attire.
The heat and the moisture between Bree’s legs left no doubt about her appreciation for Tess’s dance efforts, and she suspected Tess’s hungry unwavering gaze revealed everything that Tess seemed to futilely be trying to keep in check.
Their lust blended with the sights and smells of desire that filled the dance floor.
But there was much more between them than just their physical draw.
The feeling of pleasure evoked in just sharing this moment with Tess registered.
Not the lust, but the confirmation that she didn’t want to lose Tess.
Bree tried to push away the situation she was in, all the outside circumstances that could result in leaving this moment as only a distant memory of a past romantic pursuit.
They were trapped in this real-life dance of connection and retreat that she was responsible for.
Bree pulled Tess in close and planted a kiss on each of her eyelids. They’d dipped and swayed and arched and shaken their backsides until Bree was ready for a break. Darn if Tess didn’t seem to have even more stamina for this than she did.
“Ready for a little dessert while we wait to see if they offer us something we can slow dance to?”
“Wore you out?” Tess confirmed with a smile. “But if you insist, we can take a break.”
Bree lightly swatted her on that divine ass and then raised her hand to Tess’s waist and guided her off the dance floor. “You, Judge Theresa Fairchild, are a complete surprise.”
“Not the cha-cha, but I’m glad I meet with your approval.”
“Just glad to see you getting your money’s worth on that raffle ticket.” Bree leaned over and gave Tess a kiss on the lips. “Yeah, you’ve got my approval.”
Tess couldn’t remember having this much fun.
There was something about Bree that seemed to free her to be herself.
It struck Tess that she was offering Bree her trust. Well, wasn’t that critical to bringing someone into her personal life?
She just hoped she wasn’t getting too far ahead of herself.
Although it wasn’t like she had a lot of control over trust, it simply showed up with proving yourself, like Flo and Alice had done time after time through the years.
Besides, she needed to keep that reset in mind and remember that this was only a raffle prize—she certainly hadn’t wanted it to go to waste.
Besides, while Tess had never been in one, she knew that all enduring romantic relationships had to start somewhere.
She only hoped that easing up on the armor she’d so carefully cultivated through the years wasn’t going to be misplaced—her heart was invested.
But Bree hadn’t indicated that she’d changed her mind about the future, and Tess needed to remember that.
Even so, those thoughts weren’t for tonight, so Tess shoved them aside.
Tonight was for dinner and dancing with Bree.
“Are you going to stare at that menu until they close, or are you going to suggest something scrumptious after all those calories we just burned?” Bree asked.
“Are we sharing one or two desserts?” Tess replied. “I think I just earned two for just myself.”
“Oh, baby, you sure did.” Bree winked, and Tess’s first thought was that nobody had ever called her baby. She could get used to that, but she didn’t want to unless Bree meant it. Then she had to try to suppress a chuckle. Judge Theresa Fairchild…baby.
“What’s so funny?” Bree asked. “I mean besides you thinking you’re going to hog both desserts all to yourself?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t want any of this chocolate prune cake I have my eye on. The old age rulebook says you’ve got to be well over forty before you start eating prunes for dessert.”
“But the chocolate attraction starts as a kid. Just ask Gabby. So, if you work the numbers, the answer to your choice comes out in my favor. We can share that one. Now what else meets your discerning gustatory standards?” Bree cocked her head at Tess.
“Oh, if we’re sharing, we’re sharing the choices too. You need to do some heavy lifting and make a selection as well.” Tess gave her a stern look.
“Okay, what goes well with your decisive pick?” Bree reached out for the dessert menu and made a show of studying it. “Let’s see…would it offend your discriminating palate if my choice was a serving of vanilla ice cream to accompany those prunes?”
Tess nodded her approval. “We make a pretty decent sugar-high team. Who would have thought we could dress up prunes so well?”
Bree laughed. “We’re good, aren’t we?” She flagged their server and they placed their order with a request for the ice cream to be served on top of the cake. “That kid didn’t even blink an eye, so your choice must be a hit with others.”
Tess looked around. “I do see several older couples here. Much older than we are, and for the record, I was going for the chocolate.” Tess looked back at Bree. “Your choice is the perfect complement to the cake.”
The dessert arrived and they each picked up a utensil and dug in.
“Mmm. I’m guilty of doubting your pick”—Bree moaned and rolled her eyes upward in obvious approval—“but penalize me to more. No pardon from prunes.”
Tess couldn’t help but enjoy Bree’s antics. “I’m glad it meets with your approval.”
As they scraped the plate clean, Bree tilted her head toward the music. The sound had switched to music for slow dancing.
“After that dessert, I think a little more exercise might be good,” Bree said. “You up for another turn out there before we go?”