Chapter Eight #4
Once again, as they kissed with a rush of pent-up passion that had been building all evening, Amelia’s focus fell fully on Imogen.
On her long, dark hair that Amelia threaded her fingers through.
Imogen had left it down tonight and Amelia had been dying to touch it from the moment she’d got into the car.
It felt just as soft as she had suspected it would.
She shifted her weight, revelling in how warm and inviting Imogen’s body felt underneath her own.
How badly she wanted to give in to the urge to explore it more freely.
To run her hands over every inch of it. To reach under the thin barrier of Imogen’s tight, black shirt and feel how soft the skin was below.
To push her hips downward, more firmly against Imogen’s, desperate for more pressure.
She could still taste a hint of the chocolate-covered strawberries they had shared for dessert as Imogen’s tongue caressed her own.
God, every kiss should taste as good. Amelia let out a groan of sheer pleasure which clearly affected Imogen some kind of way, judging by how she immediately deepened the kiss.
At the same time, she tightened her grip on Amelia’s waist to pull her closer.
Yes, that was the friction Amelia needed. But she wanted more.
Without breaking their kiss, she carefully guided Imogen onto her back on the couch and draped her body down on top of her.
There were no complaints from Imogen, who had finally dared to reach underneath the fabric of Amelia’s white top and was now running her hands down the sensitive skin at the small of her back.
Amelia’s entire body tingled at the touch.
She cupped Imogen’s jaw and poured everything she had into the kiss.
Kissing, and licking, and teasing, she devoured Imogen, savouring every second that their mouths melded together.
No matter what happened next, Amelia wanted to leave Imogen in no doubt about how much she wanted her.
What gave Amelia a small glimmer of hope was that she could tell that Imogen wanted her too.
Everything that Amelia was pouring in, Imogen was giving back to her in spades.
Want, fervour, desire. But there was something unbelievably tender about kissing Imogen too.
Like it was lust-filled but laced with affection.
The slowed down moments. The quiet sighs of happiness.
The gentle touches. The pulling back to briefly look into each other’s eyes.
This wasn’t just hooking up, this was them acting on some very real feelings that had been blossoming ever since the moment they had met.
Eventually, they did break for air, but Amelia didn’t move too far away. Instead, she rested her head on Imogen’s shoulder, and Imogen wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. It felt protective—and right. Like Amelia had always belonged there.
“That’s not common, right?” Amelia asked after a few beats.
“The kissing?” Imogen asked.
Amelia paused to think about the best way to explain what she meant. “The effects of the kissing.”
Imogen’s chest moved as she let out a sigh. “It’s not something I’ve experienced before, no.”
Amelia pushed herself up onto her elbow to look at her. “Yeah? It’s not only me?”
Imogen shook her head. “No. There’s something about us.”
Thank God Amelia wasn’t the only one feeling that way—she was so relieved to hear that Imogen got it too. “Do you think that’s scary?”
“Terrifying.” Imogen smiled. “I wasn’t expecting this. You. And I definitely wasn’t prepared for it.”
“Me either,” Amelia said. How could she be?
It had happened so fast. When Amelia travelled somewhere for work, that’s all it ever was.
It wasn’t like she made a habit of seducing locals and making out with them on hikes and in their living rooms. And okay, maybe she’d been a bit more open to dating than Imogen had been when they’d met, but Amelia was still in new territory herself.
She had a lot of feelings and very few answers. Not to mention a very big secret.
“It’s a little bit less scary because of the person you are,” Imogen said, looking at her with those gentle, warm eyes brimming with sincerity. Imogen expressed a lot through her eyes. Amelia wondered if she knew that.
“How so?”
“It’s just refreshing to meet someone so normal.”
Shit. Would Imogen be saying that if she knew the truth? Amelia would bet not.
“Down-to-earth. Uncomplicated,” Imogen continued.
Double shit. Amelia was certainly making things a lot more complicated than she should have been. The time for honesty was long overdue—she could at least test the waters. “I could say the same thing about you. And believe me, normal and down-to-earth are not what I’m used to either.”
“No?” Imogen seemed surprised.
“Not in the least.” Amelia chose her words carefully. “A lot of the time, women I date are only with me to see what they can get from me. They don’t date me for me, you know?”
A look of understanding dawned on Imogen’s face. “Because you work with a lot of famous people?”
“Exactly. People date me because I can give them access to things they otherwise couldn’t,” Amelia said. This was good. She was being truthful, putting herself out there. “It can be really exhausting.”
Imogen frowned. “I don’t get people’s obsession with fame.”
“Most people are at least intrigued by it, I think.” She glanced sideways at Imogen. “Present company excluded, obviously.”
Imogen grinned at being accurately eliminated. “No, I get that. My friends Piper and Niamh are so into it. In fact, they’re dying to quiz you.” She winced. “But not in a bad way or anything.”
Amelia smiled to put her at ease. “No, I know. Most people do it. Don’t worry, that’s normal to me.”
“They’re really into that whole celebrity scene. Singers, musicians, actresses.”
“Would you ever date an actress?” Amelia blurted before she could stop herself.
“Me?” Imogen laughed. “No chance. No, no, no. I like my quiet life far too much. Especially now.”
That was a firm no if Amelia had ever heard one. And the reason why it felt practically impossible to come clean. Only, at some point she was going to have to whether she wanted to or not. She was being selfish. So selfish that she deserved whatever consequences she faced.
“Besides,” Imogen said, pulling Amelia’s attention back from her internal guilt trip, though the guilt lingered on. “I’m happy with dating the girl behind the scenes rather than the person in front of the camera. And I can confirm that I want zero of the perks that come with that.”
Amelia couldn’t smile or speak or even look Imogen in the eye.
She leaned down and kissed her, because in that moment, it was all she could do—and she probably wouldn’t be able to do it for much longer.
For the first time while they kissed, Amelia was consumed with something other than Imogen.
Sadness. Because she knew that she was going to lose this.
With her eyes closed, Amelia tried to take in every single detail of what it felt like to kiss Imogen so that she could commit it to her memory. The feel, the taste, the smell. How her toes curled, and her heart felt so incredibly full. She grasped onto Imogen like it would keep her there forever.
If only it was that easy.