Page 61 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“Want me to hand him to you for the photo?” Lauren asked Kelsey.
“Yes.” Kelsey sat cross-legged beside her, smiling so widely that Lauren could see the gap where she must have recently lost a tooth.
“Let’s take one like this first,” Darius said. “I think we’d like to remember the woman who helped us find our new cat.”
Lauren’s heart seemed to swell in her chest, and she knew her smile was beyond ridiculous when Mia aimed her phone at them. She was so happy, she was bursting with it. Darius crouched behind her while Kelsey leaned in close, one hand on Gilbert’s back as she smiled for the camera.
After Mia had snapped a few pictures, Lauren lifted Gilbert and placed him in Kelsey’s lap. He wasn’t too thrilled about being moved without his permission, but Kelsey managed to hold on to him long enough for Mia to take a photo.
Then Mia lifted him into a cardboard carrier and secured the top. “He’s all yours,” she told Darius and Kelsey. “Send us some photos to let us know how he’s settling in, and if you have any questions or concerns, just reach out to me here at the café or Wendy at the rescue.”
“We’ll do that.” Darius reached for the crate, but Kelsey beat him to it.
She lifted it carefully before making a dramatic face. “He’s heavy. You can carry him, Dad.”
Everyone laughed, and then Darius and Kelsey were on their way. Lauren watched them go with happy tears in her eyes and warmth in her heart. As the door closed behind them, she was jolted out of her reverie by a hand on her arm.
“Come with me,” Mia whispered in her ear. She took Lauren’s hand and led the way briskly down the hall to her office.
* * *
Mia shutthe door to her office behind them before she pulled Lauren into her arms. They stood like that for several seconds while Mia breathed in the scent of her shampoo in Lauren’s hair. Then Lauren tipped her face toward Mia’s, and they were kissing.
Toward the end of their marriage, Mia and Kristin hadn’t done much kissing. She couldn’t remember the last time she made out with someone the way she and Lauren had done last night and again right now, butGod, she should have been doing more of this.
She feathered her fingers over Lauren’s cheeks as she explored her mouth, marveling at the way her body came alive every time they kissed. Her blood pumped hot and fast through her veins, and a warm ache grew between her thighs. Honestly, it was overwhelming how much she wanted Lauren. How had she gone so long without kissing her?
Lauren’s hands were on Mia’s waist, and even that simple touch lit her on fire. Mia pressed closer so that her breasts met Lauren’s. In her heels, they were about the same height, and she loved it. She could kiss Lauren like this all day, but eventually, a need for oxygen drove them apart.
Mia rested her forehead against Lauren’s as they both gasped for breath. She slid her hands down Lauren’s back and held her close.
“Is this what you brought me into your office for?” Lauren asked breathlessly.
“Actually, I just wanted a minute alone to tell you how amazing you were with Darius and Kelsey, but apparently, now that we’ve started kissing, I can’t stop.”
“I can’t either.” Lauren’s cheeks were flushed, and her smile was radiant.
“You’re a natural, both with the cats and with the adopters. That’s what I brought you in here to tell you.”
“I love working with them,” Lauren said. “I want to get more involved in animal rescue.”
“You should,” Mia agreed. “You may have found your calling, or do you miss bartending?”
Lauren shrugged. “I enjoy interacting with customers, but I do that as much here as I did when I was tending bar, and now I get to work with the animals too. It’s more rewarding.”
Mia clasped her hands behind Lauren’s back, holding her close. “I’m glad.”
“I’m so happy,” Lauren whispered, and when she tipped her face toward Mia’s, tears glistened in her eyes.
Mia felt a jolt in the pit of her stomach at the raw honesty in Lauren’s words. “Me too. I’ve been happy since you moved into my apartment.”
“Really?” Lauren asked.
Mia nodded. “It should be annoying, having someone sleep on my couch, but it hasn’t been, not for a single moment.”
“I’ll be off your couch next week,” Lauren reminded her.
Mia’s arms tightened around her. “And I’m not entirely happy about that.”
