Page 85 of Saving Graces
“No,” Kinsey said. “We’re not doing that. All I want is to listen to you. You don’t have to perform or anything, I just want to hear what you sound like when you’re alone with your fingers.”
Rosalie’s breath caught. Phone sex was one thing; what Kinsey wanted was far more intimate.
Gripping the phone against her ear with one hand, she did what she was told. She thought of Kinsey - what they’d done, what she wished they could do again, the sound of her quiet breathing in her ear, listening avidly to Rosalie touch herself - that was enough. She didn’t try to be loud about it, but when stars sparked behind her eyes and she came with a ragged gasp, she heard Kinsey breathe in sharply.
“God,” Kinsey said softly a minute later. “I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so badly in all my life.”
Rosalie heard herself whimper. “I miss you,” was what came out of her mouth next. She swallowed. She heard Kinsey breathe in again.
“Yeah. I know you do,” she said. “Goodnight Rosalie.”
The phone went dead.
The next day things were back to normal: a picture of the Las Vegas skyline, a cat meme, a thirty second phone call where Kinsey held up her phone for her to hear the roar of the crowd just before they went on stage. A week went by, LA and a picture of a ridiculously huge burrito, Cassidy laughing and protesting the camera with sauce all over her face, Arizona, with Kinsey pretending to make out with a giant cactus. There were no more sexy photos, no mentions of sex at all, no expressions of quiet longing, or soft breaths down the line.
Rosalie would have wondered if she’d scared Kinsey off entirely, if it weren’t for the fact that, confusingly, she didn’t cut the contact. She was still there, letting Rosalie know she was on her mind, but quite clearly holding her at arm’s length. Rosalie, for her part, longed and longed and longed. She didn’t say it out loud anymore though.
Then, one Friday evening, a little earlier than usual, out of the blue, Rosalie’s phone rang.
“Guess who got a record deal?” Kinsey asked, the second Rosalie answered.
Her voice was bright but surprisingly calm.
“Of course you did.” Rosalie’s smile was out of control. “Congratulations!”
“It’s big,” Kinsey said. “Universal. Four album deal.”
“Well. You always were going to be a star.”
“You mean Cassidy was.”
“No, I mean you.”
“It’s almost,” Kinsey said, a smile in her tone, “a bit like you like me.”
“It is, isn't it?” Rosalie agreed, her own smile growing. “Are you out celebrating?”
“Yeah,” said Kinsey. “I figured I’d give you a quick call before I get lost under a pile of groupies.”
Rosalie rolled her eyes. Based on the distance this last week she wasn’t entirely sure if that was a joke or not and was just about to snap back a response when she heard a knock. She frowned, slightly freaked out. No one ever knocked on her door after dark.
“Hang on a sec,” she said, tiptoeing toward the front door.
“Do you need to go?”
“No.” She flicked on her porch light and peeked through the peephole of her door.
Her heart stuttered almost to a stop. She pulled open the door, her mouth falling open. Kinsey stood there, her phone still clutched in her hand, beautiful, real, right there on her doorstep after all these months, a bottle of champagne dangling from her fingers. She smiled, but her eyes looked intensely vulnerable.
Rosalie stared at her, her phone slipping out of her fingers and clattering to the floor.
“You asshole,” she breathed, gesturing down at herself. Kinsey looked incredible, in skin-tight jeans, a small silky black camisole and a black leather jacket. Rosalie had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing full-length, stripy flannel pajamas.
Kinsey looked back at her perfectly seriously as Rosalie stepped back in shock to let her in.
“I’m not sure,” Kinsey said quietly, “if I’ve ever seen anyone more beautiful than you.”
Rosalie tugged her in by her hips, unable to believe she was really there. Kinsey just watched her, eyes on hers, letting her pull her close. Her eyelashes fluttered closed just as Rosalie kissed her.
