Chapter Nine
Morgan kissed Juliette like she’d been fantasizing about it for eight years. She closed her eyes and just let herself feel. She reveled in the firm press of Juliette’s lips, the damp gust of her breath on Morgan’s cheeks, and the sting of her teeth as she nipped at Morgan’s bottom lip.
One of Juliette’s hands was on Morgan’s waist, fingertips brushing against the bare skin where her top had ridden up.
The sensation was indescribably intimate while they were still fully clothed and only a few dozen feet from the rest of their friends.
Morgan shivered with pleasure, goosebumps prickling her skin, making her achingly sensitive.
She slid her own hands up to cup Juliette’s cheeks as she deepened the kiss, her tongue delving into the hot depths of Juliette’s mouth.
She tasted like something fruity—probably the frozen daiquiris Tabitha had made—as Morgan drank her in with a sense of urgency that increased with every frantic beat of her heart.
Juliette’s nails bit delightfully into Morgan’s skin as she skimmed her hands up Morgan’s stomach beneath her shirt to palm her breasts.
She felt the warmth of Juliette’s fingers through her bra, and oh, it felt so good.
Morgan was losing her mind. She dipped her head to suck at the pulse point on Juliette’s neck.
A soft whimper met her ears, and she was pretty sure she hadn’t made a sound.
Morgan looked up, nearly undone by the sight of Juliette with her head tipped back, eyes shut, brows raised, mouth slightly parted.
Her features were a tableau of pleasure.
Just seeing that look on her face made arousal bloom warm and liquid in Morgan’s core.
Something hard kept poking into her stomach, stymying her attempts to get closer to Juliette, and it took her entirely too long to realize it was her camera.
Morgan reached down to adjust the strap, shifting the camera behind her.
And then Juliette’s hips were pressed against hers.
Morgan’s clit throbbed. This time, they both whimpered.
The kiss was punctuated by gasps for air and moans of pleasure. One of Juliette’s thighs shifted to nestle between Morgan’s, bringing them into perfect alignment. Morgan’s hips arched as she pressed more firmly into Juliette’s warmth, bare skin meeting hers below the hem of her shorts.
Maybe somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d wondered if she’d blown their first kiss out of proportion over the years, that she’d spent so much time living in the fantasy of that moment—the moment of her bisexual awakening—no real-life kiss could compare. And for eight long years, none had.
But now she knew the difference wasn’t fantasy versus reality.
The difference was just . . . Juliette. This woman lit her on fire the way no one else ever had, and Morgan wanted to keep kissing her forever.
She never wanted to let her go. She wanted so much more than a kiss, but did Juliette feel the same?
Morgan caught a blur of orange light in her peripheral vision a moment before something furry bumped into her legs, startling a squeak from her throat. “Roux, you scared me.”
Juliette chuckled, making no attempt to separate her body from Morgan’s. “He seems to have a habit of interrupting us.”
Morgan nodded, breathless for a different reason now, because what happened next?
When they went home in the morning, would they see each other again?
Juliette reached out and cupped a warm hand over Morgan’s cheek, her expression suddenly serious, and Morgan gulped, her throat clogged with so many things she wanted to say.
Juliette’s head cocked slightly to the side. “Better than our first kiss?”
Morgan sucked in a shocked breath. “Oh my god. You do remember?”
“As if I could forget someone as spectacular as you. Yes, I remember. I just . . .” Juliette faltered, dropping her gaze to the sand beneath their feet.
“You just what?”
“I’m not ready, or . . . I wasn’t ready.” Juliette exhaled. “Ever since I got my heart trampled by the woman I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, I’ve been playing it safe, keeping things casual. You’re not casual, Morgan.”
“I could try to be . . . for you.” It was so much less than what Morgan truly wanted, but right here, right now, any chance with Juliette felt better than no chance at all.
“No.” Juliette leaned forward so that her forehead rested against Morgan’s, her hands on Morgan’s waist. “I want you exactly as you are . . . fear of snakes and all.”
Morgan blinked back tears as she wrapped her arms around Juliette. “Really?”
Juliette nodded, and for once, Morgan could tell exactly what she was feeling, even in the dark.
The affection and the yearning on her face were impossible to miss.
Morgan couldn’t believe this was happening.
It felt like everything she’d been hoping for, maybe even more than she’d dared to hope for.
“I’d like to work on that fear-of-snakes thing,” she said breathlessly. “I’ve been hiding behind my fears for too long, but you helped me see how much I’ve been missing.”
“I’d be happy to help you overcome your fear of snakes if that’s what you want.” Juliette’s arms tightened around her, warm and protective. “But only if it’s what you want.”
“What do you want?” Morgan asked, heart in her throat.
“I want a chance with you, a real chance. No more bumping into each other on random beaches. I’d like to ask you out once we’re back at home and see where this thing between us goes. Maybe this time we can get ice cream together. What do you say?”
Morgan surged forward, causing Juliette to stumble as she brought their lips back together. It was past midnight. Morgan’s “yes day” was over, but that didn’t change her answer. This was the easiest decision of the day, one of the easiest answers of her life.
“Yes,” she murmured against Juliette’s lips. “I say yes.”