Chapter 1
It was obvious Gabe’s plan to play it cool was flawed from the moment Rosie and Lori walked in wearing their high-femme outfits of tight pencil skirts, silk blouses, and killer heels.
And the way Gabe’s jaw practically hit the ground the moment she laid eyes on Lori was comical.
Shay had expected nothing less, and honestly, she couldn’t blame Gabe.
The two best friends were stunning. Almost everyone in the bar had clocked their arrival, either with a full-on stare or a surreptitious sideways glance.
And more than a few women had pulled their partners’ gazes away from the door as Rosie and Lori entered.
And yes, Shay appreciated them too. Why wouldn’t she?
While she’d never go anywhere near Lori even though Gabe was adamant she couldn’t go beyond friend status, pursuing Rosie was a distinct possibility.
Rosie had seemed pretty interested last Saturday when she and Lori had dropped into the garage to make a TikTok video.
Right now though, Shay was still reeling from Gabe’s confession that she’d been terrified to come out of the Army.
After twenty years of being best friends, Shay thought she’d become an expert in reading her.
How could she not have known? But Gabe had promised she was okay, and she was already locked into an animated conversation with Lori as they played pool.
Shay glanced over at Rosie as she returned from the bar with a couple of beers.
She was exactly what Shay had been looking for tonight.
“Hey, you.” Rosie placed her hand on Shay’s hip and nodded toward Gabe and Lori. “I guess that leaves you stranded with me.”
“Unless you want to play doubles?”
Rosie shook her head. “I don’t really like games that involve more than two people.”
Shay smiled, appreciating Rosie’s directness. “One on one is my preference too. You can really get to know who you’re playing with then.” She motioned to a nearby booth. “There’s nothing wrong with watching though, right?”
“Sometimes,” Rosie whispered and dropped her hand from Shay’s hip.
Shay sat facing the pool tables, enabling her to monitor Gabe, but Rosie slid elegantly into the booth beside her, putting the game out of view. She figured that’d be okay. Gabe seemed happy enough, and Rosie had obviously decided they had their own game to play.
“I like what you’re wearing.” Rosie slipped her hand onto Shay’s thigh. “I didn’t think I liked trouser suits on a woman, but you look fabulous.”
Shay tugged on her vest then shifted the loose tie she was wearing with no shirt. “I enjoy playing with conventions.”
“What else do you enjoy playing with?”
Shay ran her tongue over her top lip. “All sorts of things.” Her breath caught when Rosie inched her hand all the way to Shay’s crotch.
“What’s wrong?” Rosie pressed a little harder. “Are you used to being the one in control?”
Shay nodded slowly. “That’s usually how it works out, but I’m not fixed on anything. I can be incredibly flexible.”
“It certainly looks like it.” Rosie dragged her nails along Shay’s arm, following the gentle lines of her muscles. “Yoga?”
“Among other things, yeah.” She hadn’t expected Rosie to go all-in so quickly, but she was more than prepared to go with the flow. “Is this a good idea?” She hoped that Rosie didn’t back up, but she had to ask once.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Rosie pressed the heel of her hand between Shay’s legs. “Am I going too fast for you? I got the impression you weren’t really interested in small talk.”
Shay relaxed back against the plush velvet material of the bench. “What other impressions did you get?”
“I think you enjoy short-term fun and aren’t looking for anything serious.”
“And you’re good with that? The U-Haul stereotype really isn’t for me.”
Rosie bit her bottom lip and moved in closer. “I think I’m good to take whatever you’re offering. Is that what you’re worried about?”
She brushed her lips against Shay’s neck, making it hard to concentrate on conversation, though her body was talking up a storm in response to Rosie’s touch. Shay waved her finger in the general direction of Gabe and Lori. “It might get complicated.”
“I don’t think so,” Rosie murmured into her neck and kissed her collarbone. She tugged Shay’s tie gently. “We’re all adults. Your friend has promised me she won’t hurt Lori, but I don’t need the same assurances. I know what I’m getting myself into.”
“That’s refreshing,” Shay whispered.
“So you should kiss me and see if there’s any real chemistry worth following up on.”
Rosie eased up, and the air conditioning cooled Shay’s skin where Rosie had pressed her hot, wet lips.
“Is that how it works?” Shay placed her hand over Rosie’s, which was still pressed hard against her crotch. “Because this already feels like real chemistry.”
Rosie shook her head slightly. “It’s always in the kiss, Shay. If there’s nothing in the kiss, there’s nothing worth pursuing.”
“Some people don’t kiss at all when they’re fucking.”
“I’m not ‘some people.’ The way a woman kisses tells me everything I need to know about how she fucks. I won’t waste my time getting into bed with a woman who kisses like a horse.”
Shay laughed at the gross image. She’d had her fair share of sloppy kissers, and now that she thought more deeply about it, Rosie was dead on. “Seems like a lot of pressure to put on a simple kiss.”
Rosie traced the shape of Shay’s lips with one of her perfectly manicured nails, and the sensation bolted straight to her core.
“Can’t you handle a little pressure?” she asked and pushed her other hand harder between Shay’s legs.
“I think I can handle you.” Shay took Rosie’s hand from between her legs.
“But you only just got here, and I don’t think Lori is anywhere near ready to leave.
” She moved slightly so that she could see the table Gabe was playing at.
They definitely seemed to be having a good time, but Gabe probably wouldn’t be impressed if Shay bailed on their evening this soon.
Rosie drew circles on Shay’s bare shoulder. “If you’re not taking me home yet, maybe we should play some pool with your friends.”
“That might be a good idea.” Shay nodded across to Gabe and Lori again. “Given that those two are fast friends, you should probably get to know the rest of us. My bet is that we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy that.” Rosie trailed her finger down Shay’s arm all the way to her fingertips. “But I’m not going anywhere until the mystery’s been solved.”
“The kiss?”
Rosie nodded. “The kiss.”
Shay shifted to face Rosie fully. She tucked a long wave of Rosie’s hair behind her ear and wrapped her hand around her neck. “Your skin’s so soft.”
“So is your touch,” Rosie whispered. “I thought your hands might be rougher.”
“I wear gloves, remember?” But she could forgive Rosie for not really noticing at the garage when they first met; they’d both been too busy looking each other up and down. She leaned in almost close enough for their lips to touch but stopped just short.
“Tease.”
“If you really want this, you—” Shay didn’t get the chance to finish the sentence before Rosie matched her hunger and crushed their lips together.
She tasted of mint and sugar, and Shay gave the kiss her best shot.
She pulled back slightly and ran her tongue over Rosie’s bottom lip slowly.
Rosie sucked Shay’s tongue into her mouth, bringing their lips back together forcefully and taking Shay by surprise.
She couldn’t deny that she liked Rosie’s take-charge approach.
Rosie slipped her hand under Shay’s vest and dragged her nails across Shay’s hip. Shay shuddered and jumped back slightly at the electricity of her touch. She pulled Rosie’s head back slightly. “I thought you were just testing the kiss.”
Rosie withdrew her hand. “Didn’t you like it?”
“That’s not the point.” Shay tightened her grip in Rosie’s hair, and Rosie let out a quiet gasp. “Didn’t you like that?”
Rosie smiled wickedly. “You’re saying I’m muddying the waters of the experiment with too many variables.”
Shay raised her eyebrow. “Something like that, but sexier.”
Rosie unwound Shay’s hand from her hair and put some distance between them on the plush bench.
Shay narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t have failed the test…
could she? No one had ever complained about her kissing prowess before, but then she’d never really stuck around long enough to ask.
She stayed silent, unreasonably concerned that she was about to be rejected on the basis of a kiss that hadn’t even lasted that long. She’d certainly enjoyed it.
Rosie edged out of the booth. “I vote we join Lori and Gabe. What do you say?”
Shay wasn’t sure what to say. The longer the question over the kiss loomed, the more unsettled she became. She hadn’t had a shake in confidence like this for a long time.
Rosie held out her hand, and once again, Shay admired her manicure, hoping that she’d still get the opportunity to feel those nails all over her skin.
“Are you coming?”
Shay shrugged. “I was hoping I would be, but now I don’t know what’s happening,” she said.
Rosie laughed lightly. “You think I didn’t feel something?”
“It was pretty short to tell you everything you need to know.”
Rosie nodded. “You’re right, but it was enough of a preview for me to want to find out the rest the old-fashioned way.” She waved her outstretched hand. “Do you want to play or not?”
Shay took Rosie’s hand and shimmied off the bench. “Oh, I want to play,” she said and tugged Rosie closer. “I want to play all night.”
Rosie put her hand on Shay’s chest and pushed her away gently. “And we will. But first: pool.”
She turned abruptly and sashayed across the club toward Gabe and Lori. Shay watched her with intense appreciation, then glanced at Gabe. She looked like she was about to sink to her knees to worship at Lori’s feet, and Shay had her own desire for Rosie barely under control. The Lord help us both.