Page 66 of Paradigm

“Babe, I really need to kiss you right now,” Eline said, pulling on her shirt, which Arlowe was so happy to have left untucked because suddenly, she was right against Eline.

Arlowe moved her hand to Eline’s cheek, tilted her head, and asked, “Are you sure?”

Eline nodded.

“I can’t believe–”

“Enough of that,” Eline said and leaned in.

Their lips connected, and Arlowe melted into the kiss. Nothing had ever felt this good. Every kiss she and Eline had shared years ago had been amazing, but this one, after all this time, was perfect. It was slow, and they both seemed to want that before, eventually, Eline gave a little moan and pulled her in closer, wrapping her arms around Arlowe’s neck. Arlowe let her tongue seek out Eline’s, found it, and let them dance for a moment before she got closer still and wrapped her arms around Eline’s waist, trying to push her against the door behind them, which Eline must have actually opened, not just unlocked earlier, because it gave, and they nearly toppled over, causing them to break apart and Eline to laugh.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling Eline back into her to make sure to keep them both upright.

Eline reached over Arlowe’s shoulder, pushed the door back to close it, and ordered, “Kiss me.”

Arlowe leaned back in, not wasting another second, and their lips moved together a little faster this time. Eline nipped at her bottom lip, too, and Arlowe couldn’t contain a moan.

“God, I love when you do that,” she said, pulling out of the kiss.

“I remember that, too,” Eline replied with a smirk.

Arlowe tipped her head back a bit and said, “I want to stay over.”

“What?”

“Not for that. Not yet anyway. But I want to stay here tonight and keep doing this.” She leaned in for a quick kiss. “I want to hold you. Can I, please?”

Eline gave her a slow nod and said, “You’ll have to borrow some of my clothes. And I mean borrow, Arlowe. You cannot steal another shirt.”

Arlowe laughed and replied, “If I did, you could always get it back this time. I’m not going anywhere.”

Then, she leaned back in and kissed Eline deeply.

CHAPTER 20

A strong arm was wrapped around her middle, and hot breath was coming in long, rhythmic bursts against the back of her neck. Eline smiled because Arlowe was holding her in bed. Her Arlowe was in her bed. She’d always hated having to pick up or otherwise touch her phone to tell what time it was, so for years now, she kept a clock with small blue numbers on her bedside table, and according to that clock, it was just after eight in the morning. It was also the weekend, and she didn’t have anywhere to be today, so she closed her eyes, wanting to go back to last night, when Arlowe had treated her to a perfect night on a boat with dinner and a view, and them holding on to one another as they took in that view.

Last night, she hadn’t been able to wait any longer for that kiss, their first one since their last, and it had been even better than she’d remembered their kisses being before. They had kissed for long minutes on her couch, keeping things relatively innocent for the most part, and while she had wanted more and known that Arlowe had, too, they’d both seemed to understand that they should take their time and work their way up to that.

When Arlowe had made a move to lie her back on the sofa, Eline had suggested they go to bed, and that was when Arlowe had moved on top of her. Arlowe’s lips had moved to her neck, making it harder for her to resist tugging at Arlowe’s shirt until it was on the floor, so she’d kept her hands balled up in it to keep herself from doing just that. Arlowe had giggled when Eline’s hands had slipped under the borrowed T-shirt and grazed her back. Eline had forgotten how ticklish Arlowe’s back was, and that had inspired her to roll them over. She’d gotten Arlowe on her stomach instead, had lifted that shirt to be able to kiss all over Arlowe’s back, and let her giggle and tell her to stop, but in the way that Arlowe hadn’t really meant for her to stop.

They’d stayed like that for a while, with her kissing Arlowe’s back and neck, before she’d moved off her, and they’d rolled onto their sides, facing one another, staring, touching cheeks and lips, and pulling each other closer as they’d held on to each other and breathed each other in. Eventually, they had fallen asleep like that, and now, Eline was waiting for Arlowe to wake up because it was Sunday, and they could have the whole day together, assuming Arlowe didn’t have plans.

“How fast is your brain moving right now?”

Eline smiled when she heard Arlowe’s sleepy voice for the first time in forever.

“Pretty fast,” she replied.

Arlowe tightened her hold, kissed the back of her neck, and asked, “What is it trying to process?”

“The fact that you’re here in my bed.”

“And is it processing that in a good direction, or…”

Arlowe’s hand moved under her shirt, staying splayed on Eline’s stomach, and that did not help the processing, or at least, it pretty much assured that it was heading in the good direction.

“It’s good,” she said.