Page 66 of Jagged

She peeked up at me, gnawing her lip with a bout of shyness I found exceptionally endearing. "Really?"

"Yeah." I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Let's get you off this floor. Yeah?"

She nodded, and we parted briefly. I stood up, holding her arms in mine, then swept her clear off her feet when she made to stand. She squealed, wrapping her arms around my neck when I held her with my arm under her knees. "I'm heavy."

"You're nothing of the sort. C'mon." I toted her over to the sofa, then we shifted around so that she could straddle my lap.

She kissed me as soon as our bellies collided, and her palms cupped my face. I gripped her ass, holding her to me and leaning into the kiss. My lips fumbled a bit, and she pinched my chin between her thumb and forefinger. To my surprise, she rolled her hips against me again and I didn't hesitate a beat this time. I slipped my hand between us, and she moaned immediately, tossing her head back when she gasped.

We spent the entire morning like this, with her allowing me to please her as I fought the shock over how much I enjoyed it. All my life, in all my time with women, I'd never had an experience like this. One-sided one-night-stands were my thing, or very brief few-night-stands, or week-long relationships was all I knew. This was different, totally different, and part of me had no idea how to handle it. What I did know, however, was that I enjoyed myself for the first time with a partner. Fully enjoyed every moment with her.

Even the buffalo.

***

Tatiana stood in her studio when I made it home that afternoon. She wore paint-covered clothes per usual and held a wine glass daintily in her palm. I chuckled when I noted the latter, and set my keys down in our shared ceramic bowl.

"If this isn't a sight for sore eyes."

"What do you think of this?" she asked, motioning to the canvas that stood as tall as her. "It's a bit off style…"

"A little but it's on brand. It's definitely your work. What's got you questioning it?" I came to stand beside her, folding my arms over my chest while staring at it.

"It seems lighter," she said, her voice slightly spacey.

"It feels lighter or looks lighter?" I asked.

"Hmm… Both? There's a lighter color palette."

"Not really, but I bet it feels lighter to you because you feel lighter. Things with Wyatt are good, and this is the first piece you've completed while together." I motioned to the far right corner of the work. "The only difference is the darkness isn't creeping up the bottom. That was your signature. Fighting the darkness. It's not here right now, but don't change it, Tati. You can't feign darkness."

She turned to me then, her face riddled with emotions I couldn't pinpoint. A smile curved her lips that were reddened from her wine. "Genius. You are one."

"I'm nothing of the sort, but thanks—"

"Ohhh, you had a good time, didn't you?" She set her glass down and suddenly grinned at me.

"Uh—"

"Jags! C'mon. Tell me." She took my hand and urged me over to the sofa. "How did it go?"

"Really good, I think?" I sat with her and gave her hand a squeeze. "The Lavender Festival was fun. Sequim is beautiful. I feel like we know more about each other now, too…"

"I'm glad. So, are you officially dating or…?" Tati lifted her shoulders in a shrug while smiling. I knew it was meant to be cute, and her way of asking for more information, but it only made my face feel hot.

"I'm not sure…what we are?" I scrunched my face up then. "Probably should've talked about that."

"Do you like her enough to be in a relationship with her?"

I nodded slowly, not because I wasn't sure, but because I couldn't anticipate Tati's reaction. "Yeah."

"Invite her tonight to the skatepark with us. It'll be nice for me to not be alone eating veggie dogs while watching my two dopes break their faces on concrete." Tatiana snickered. "Go on." She flicked her fingers toward my pocket.

"Ask her right now?"

"Yes. It's Sunday. Go on." Again, with the finger flick and I swatted her paint-covered arm.

I whipped out my phone and pulled up Clem's message thread. It showed that she was active, and so I carefully typed up a message. Then deleted it.