Page 67 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“More like grovel at her feet,” Lauren said. “I just want to tell her how much I admire her as an actress, and how I appreciate seeing her being out and proud and kissing women onscreen.”
“She must live here in New York, right? Don’t they filmIn Her Defensehere?”
“She does, but so do a lot of celebrities, and I’ve never bumped into any of them on the street,” Lauren said. “Have you?”
Mia chuckled. “I probably wouldn’t know if I did. Looking for celebrities is the furthest thing from my mind when I’m walking.”
“I wonder how many celebrities I’ve walked right by and just didn’t notice. I mean, if they’re in jeans and sunglasses, I probably wouldn’t give them a second glance. I feel like I’d recognize Piper, though. That red hair is awfully distinctive.”
“It is,” Mia agreed.
Lauren relaxed against her with a smile. Her gaze caught on Craig’s urn on the shelf, and a pang of her earlier sadness returned, but it was dulled now by her overall sense of contentment, cuddled up with Mia and watching one of her favorite movies. This time, her eyes stayed dry.
On the screen, Piper’s character was relating a terrible first date to her best friend, the man she’d realize she was in love with before the end of the movie. Mia laughed, and Lauren turned her head to watch her, mesmerized by how pretty she looked in these unguarded moments, at home on the couch in her pajamas.
“Friends to lovers, hm?” Mia said. “Sounds familiar.”
Lauren grinned, because yeah, she’d listened to Mia tell her about plenty of terrible first dates recently. “I wasn’t even thinking about that when I suggested the movie, but yep.”
Mia’s hand slid beneath Lauren’s top, resting against the bare skin above her leggings. As they watched the movie, her fingers rubbed gently back and forth, exploring Lauren’s skin in a most deliciously distracting way. Her hand gradually roamed farther until she brushed against the underside of Lauren’s bare breast.
Lauren’s libido jumped for joy, a hot thrill racing over her skin, and Mia sucked in a breath. She lingered there for a moment before cupping Lauren’s breast in her hand.
“Not playing fair, going braless when I’m trying to resist you,” Mia said, her voice low and rough.
“We’re basically in our pajamas. You mean to tell me you’re wearing a bra right now?” Lauren asked, rolling toward her, but careful not to displace her hand.
Mia cocked an eyebrow at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yep, I would.” Lauren’s gaze dropped to Mia’s breasts, hidden beneath her oversized T-shirt. She slid a hand up Mia’s side, encountering a soft cotton band against her ribs, like a sports bra. She gave it a gentle tug. “I honestly can’t believe you’re wearing this to watch a movie on the couch with me.”
Mia groaned. She shifted to lie on her back, drawing Lauren on top of her. She landed with her legs threaded between Mia’s, and oh yes, this was a nice development. As she brought her lips to Mia’s, she slipped one of her hands under Mia’s shirt to explore her breasts over that cotton bra.
“Killing me,” Mia murmured as her hands slid down Lauren’s back to her ass, pressing her closer.
“Hey, you started it.” Lauren had been minding her business, watching the movie until Mia felt her up, and now…now her pulse was skipping happily through her veins, and warmth bloomed everywhere her body touched Mia’s.
“Guilty,” Mia whispered before crushing her lips against Lauren’s. Her nipples had tightened beneath Lauren’s touch, and her chest heaved as she lost herself in the kiss.
They kissed as the movie carried on without them, laughter and conversation from the television mixed with their gasps and giggles and the wet sound of their kisses. Lauren’s heart felt full, her body flushed with heat, and when tears filled her eyes this time, they were the happy kind. Mia’s fingers brushed them gently from her cheeks.
“You okay?” she asked, wrapping Lauren in a warm hug.
“I’m wonderful,” she whispered, pressing her face against Mia’s neck so she could breathe her in while she got her emotions—and her libido—under control. She rolled to the side, and they lay like that for what remained of the movie, holding each other close, content even if they weren’t entirely relaxed due to the unspent desire charging the air between them.
When the movie ended, Mia shut off the TV. “I might need to watch it again when I’m not so distracted.”
“True, although I might just distract you again.”
19
On the following Saturday morning, Lauren moved into her new apartment. It was bittersweet as she packed her things to leave Mia’s, but she knew she needed to do this for herself, even if she ended up moving back at some point in the future.
“Leave a few things here?” Mia had asked as she packed. “In case you want to spend the night sometime.”
Lauren had agreed, and now she had a few clothes tucked into one of Mia’s drawers and a toothbrush in the bathroom…just in case. But this morning was all about making her new roomhers. She started with the bed, putting on the sheets she’d purchased yesterday, which were a vibrant aqua that matched the stripes on her new blanket.
“Can you believe it?” she whispered, her gaze darting to the urn on the dresser. “My own room. I’m winning at adulting this month, Craig.” She knew it was time to let him go, but with November only a few days away, she’d made the unofficial decision to wait until spring. She’d spread his ashes in their favorite park among green leaves and flowers, not in the barren cold of winter. In the meantime, he’d stay with her in her new apartment.
