Chapter 23
23
K ate’s weight pressed against Vanessa’s side, her body radiating warmth through the thick blanket draped across them. The living room lights dimmed to a soft glow, casting shadows across Kate’s features as she scrolled through movie options on the screen.
Vanessa breathed in the faint scent of Kate’s shampoo as her arm curved around Kate’s shoulder.
“What about this one?” Kate tilted her head up, her blue eyes bright with anticipation.
“Mm, seen it.” Vanessa shifted, pulling Kate closer. The leather couch creaked beneath them. “Though I wouldn’t mind watching it again.”
As Kate continued to flick through the movie options, Vanessa found herself distracted by the curve of her neck, the way her hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. Unable to resist, she leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to the sensitive skin just below Kate’s ear.
A breathy laugh escaped her lips. “You’re not making this easy, you know,” she teased, tilting her head to give Vanessa better access even as she complained.
“Mmm, sorry,” Vanessa murmured against her skin, not sounding sorry at all. Her hands slid beneath the blanket, finding the smooth expanse of Kate’s stomach and tracing idle patterns there.
Kate shivered at the touch, her focus on the TV screen wavering. “If you keep that up, we’ll never pick a movie,” she warned, but there was no real admonishment in her tone.
Vanessa smiled, nuzzling into the crook of Kate’s neck. “Would that be so bad?” she asked, her voice low and sultry. “I can think of plenty of other ways to spend our evening...”
Kate whimpered, and she turned to capture Vanessa’s lips in a slow, deep kiss. The remote slipped from her hand, forgotten, as she twisted in Vanessa’s arms, the blanket tangling around them. Vanessa lost herself in the taste of Kate, in the feel of her body pressed close.
The insistent vibration of Vanessa’s phone against the coffee table broke through the haze of desire. She pulled back from Kate’s lips with a sigh, glancing over at the screen. Elliot’s name flashed up at her, demanding attention.
Vanessa hesitated, her finger hovering over the screen. But then Kate’s hand was on her cheek, turning her face back towards her, and the decision was made. She let the call go to voicemail, leaning in to capture Kate’s lips once more.
The kiss was slower this time, deeper. Vanessa lost herself in the sensation of Kate’s mouth moving against hers, the soft slide of their tongues. She tangled her fingers in Kate’s hair, holding her close.
But then Kate was pulling away, a furrow between her brows. “Should we tell Elliot?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “About us? About this being...real?”
Vanessa’s heart stalled in her chest as she searched Kate’s face in the dim light. “Do you really want this?” Vanessa’s fingers stilled against Kate’s skin. “All of it. The age difference, the media, the way we started.”
Kate’s palm pressed warm against Vanessa’s cheek, her thumb brushing along her skin. “I want every single part of it.” Kate’s voice rang with conviction, each word deliberate and clear.
Kate leaned in, slowly closing the distance between them. Her breath ghosted across Vanessa’s lips, a whisper of anticipation that made Vanessa’s pulse quicken. When their lips finally met, the touch was feather-light, teasing.
“Even how we started...” Kate murmured between kisses. “Maybe it wasn’t perfect, but it led us here. And I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
Vanessa’s chest tightened at Kate’s words, at the raw honesty in her voice. She pulled Kate closer, eliminating the space between them. Their lips met again, and this time Vanessa poured everything she couldn’t say into the kiss - her fears, her hopes, her growing certainty that this was more than she’d ever dreamed possible.
Kate’s hands slipped beneath Vanessa’s shirt, fingertips dancing across her ribs. The touch sparked electricity through her body, igniting every nerve ending. Vanessa arched into the contact, deepening the kiss until they were both breathless.
Vanessa’s heart thundered against her ribs as Kate’s hands traced higher, leaving trails of fire across her skin. The forgotten TV cast shifting shadows across Kate’s face.
Kate’s lips found that sensitive spot below Vanessa’s ear, and rational thought scattered. Vanessa’s fingers tangled in Kate’s hair, pulling her back up to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.
The blanket slipped to the floor as Kate shifted, straddling Vanessa’s lap. Their kisses grew deeper, more urgent. Vanessa’s hands slid under Kate’s shirt, mapping the smooth expanse of her back, wanting to memorize every inch.
Kate broke the kiss. “Bedroom?” she whispered against Vanessa’s lips.
“Here,” Vanessa breathed, pulling Kate back down to her.