Page 11 of All She Wants

“My mother called this morning to remind me that Colorado is not a real place to live and I could still make their midnight mass at St. Nicholas if I caught a flight by four.” Erin bit into an apricot. “My friends in town invited me to three different things. I said no to all of them because I didn’t want to be someone’s charity plus-one at a family dinner.”

When they finished eating, Erin gathered the mugs and cutting board and carried them to the kitchenette. She returned and sat beside Claire instead of taking the chair across from her.

Erin stretched her legs toward the stove and tipped her head back against the cushion of the loveseat. Her knee settled against Claire’s, sending heat beneath Claire’s clothes.

Claire stayed exactly where she was.

Erin turned her head. Her gaze held Claire’s for several quiet seconds before dropping to her mouth and every part of Claire went still except her pulse.

Chapter Five

Claire’s gaze dropped to Erin’s mouth in return. That was all the encouragement Erin needed. She shifted closer, moving slowly enough to give Claire time to stop her. Claire turned toward her instead. A hint of amusement brightened her grey-green eyes, but the desire beneath it stole Erin’s breath.

Erin braced one hand on the cushion beside Claire’s hip. Only an inch separated them when she stopped.

Claire glanced at the space between their mouths. “Are you planning to stay there?”

“I was trying to be respectful.”

“You’ve been very respectful.”

Erin smiled. “Have I?”

“Painfully.”

Claire closed the remaining distance and kissed her. Her fingers circled Erin’s wrist and tightened as the kiss deepened. Claire’s mouth opened against hers, and Erin felt the exact moment restraint became hunger. Claire’s hand slid from her wrist to the back of her neck, and Erin’s pulse climbed hard into her throat.

She wanted more. She wanted to pull Claire against her, feel the full length of that careful body soften into hers. She wanted to hear Claire ask for more and be the woman who gave it to her.

Claire’s fingers traced the curve behind Erin’s ear, and Erin’s breath caught. She could feel Claire’s rapid heartbeat through the thin cashmere where their bodies pressed together, matching her own. Claire kissed her again, slower this time but deeper, and Erin’s hand found the dip of her waist and settled there. The cashmere was impossibly soft beneath her palm. The body beneath it was warm and firm and leaning into her.

Erin eased back just far enough to speak. Her hand stayed at Claire’s waist, and her forehead remained close enough to brush Claire’s temple. She felt Claire’s fingers tighten briefly at the back of her neck before releasing.

“I need to say something, and I need you to hear it before I lose all sense of restraint.”

Claire took a deep breath.

Erin moved back so she could see Claire’s face. Her grey-green eyes were dark, her pupils wide, and a flush warmed her cheeks. She was so beautiful that Erin nearly abandoned the entire speech. “You can’t leave because of the storm. And you’ve had a fair amount of champagne. The road is buried beneath an avalanche. And three hours ago, I was helping you choose a vibrator in a professional capacity.”

Claire’s mouth twitched. “You’re building quite the case, counselor.”

“I’m serious.” Erin smoothed her thumb across Claire’s cheek. The softness beneath her hand made stopping feel particularly cruel. “I need to know you could walk out that door and still choose this when you’re not actually stuck here.”

The playfulness faded from Claire’s expression as she nodded. “I understand.”

That should have made it easier. It did not. Erin’s left hand remained along Claire’s hip, one layer of cashmere separating her palm from warm skin. “If I keep kissing you, I’m not going to want to stop there.”

Claire’s gaze dropped to Erin’s mouth. “I had gathered that.”

“And I’m trying very hard to behave responsibly.”

“Yes. I’m finding our shared sense of responsibility quite inconvenient.”

A helpless laugh slipped from Erin, but it caught when Claire lifted Erin’s hand from her hip. She held it between both of hers and pressed her lips to Erin’s knuckles, slowly enough that Erin felt every warm breath.

“Then we stop,” Claire said.

“We stop,” Erin confirmed, and hated every correct syllable.