Page 44 of When You Smile

“I feel like it’s a fair trade-off for access to my call.”

“There was no resisting the listen in,” Caz said desperately. “We are on Team Taryn over here, and that means we can’t be left out of this very important moment in your young, gay life. This might be a story we tell your grandchildren someday.”

“We should probably slow down.”

“Where’s your sense of romance?” Caz asked.

“It’s cautious in its approach. But thank you for the cheerleading. Now”—she grinned—“I gotta go.”

“Yeah, you do,” Sasha said, pulling her into a tight squeeze. “You’re giving me so much motivation to find snack girl. Now, go turn your kernel into popcorn.”

“I’m never going to regard popcorn the same again.” Taryn grabbed her keys and backed out of the room. “You know that, right?”

“Nor should you,” Caz said, handing her her bag. “Get out of here.”

Taryn, with an extra shot of energy, did just as they said and covered the short distance to Charlie’s place. The moon was full and lit her journey like a beacon encouraging her mission. She’d left her coat at home, making the walk to Charlie’s door a chilly one, the cold blast actually helping her harness her nerves and focus. More determined than ever, Taryn knocked and waited a few moments before Charlie appeared and the world slowed the hell down. Well, look at her. Taryn’s heart clenched, and she went all soft and gaga like a lovesick puppy. Charlie’s hair was in a ponytail with several strands escaping. They framed her face with a gentleness that was the epitome of Charlie. She wore a pair of gray sweats with a pink stripe down the side that made her look adorable and cuddly and ridiculously cute. If this didn’t go well, Charlie’s whole look was going to make this exceptionally more difficult.

“Hey, you.” Charlie looked behind her. “Come in. Come in.” She scrunched her shoulders. “So cold out there.”

“Hi,” Taryn said, meeting her gaze. If she’d been nervous on her way here, it tripled as she crossed the threshold into the apartment.

“Red or white?”

“Always gravitated to red.”

Charlie poured and presented her with a long-stemmed glass of cabernet. “I hope you like the cheap stuff.”

“It’s my favorite.” She followed Charlie into the living room and took a seat across from her on the couch. “How was the rest of your day? Had to be downhill after being such a badass during that lesson this morning.”

“That’s the thing about grad school life. Just as soon as you find a little bit of confidence, it’s dashed as you’re humbled in the most public way possible. Danny’s most recent short story apparently only got better with revisions while my classmates felt I hadn’t gone far enough with mine.”

“They’re all just trying to make their way, and acting like they know more about that story than you do is just part of that routine.”

“I’m not sure that’s true, but you get so many bonus points for saying so.”

“I’ll take them.” A pause. “After class, I felt like we were in the midst of something, I don’t know, key.”

“Key. That’s one word for it.” Charlie’s eyes searched the wall as if the answers she was looking for were inscribed there. She downed half her glass of wine as if it was a lifeline to sanity.

Taryn set hers aside. “The last words you said to me on that sidewalk were to be specific, and I’ve played them over and over in my head more times than I can tell you, because this is important.”

Charlie’s eyes held anguish. She was battling herself, and Taryn could feel it the short distance across the couch. As if hearing Taryn’s thoughts, Charlie stood and walked across the room and absently picked up a small statue of a lighthouse and studied it. “I was feeling so brave in that moment. Adrenaline left over from the successful session in class.”

“Well, maybe I’m on adrenaline now,” Taryn said, following Charlie and pausing behind her. “But I’m feeling brave.” She swept a section of Charlie’s hair off her shoulder to reveal her neck, smooth and perfect. She resisted the urge to run her finger across it.

“Taryn,” Charlie whispered achingly. Her hands, still holding the statue, went still. “This could change everything.” There was a vulnerability behind her voice that Taryn had not heard before. Yet that softness, Charlie’s willingness to show herself, infused every inch of Taryn’s being.

She was trembling on the edge and dying for that first touch, that first taste. She wanted to kiss Charlie into oblivion, stare into her eyes for hours without having to hide her feelings. When it was just them, the world faded to the edges, and she wanted to live in that space for as long as humanly possible. She took a step closer, her breasts now lightly touching Charlie’s back. “I don’t want to blow your life up, Charlie, but I know what I’m feeling, and it’s all-consuming. You are. I know what I want and it’s you and me.”

Silence took over. Taryn was well aware of her own heartbeat in her ears.

Finally, Charlie turned and faced Taryn, and their connection locked into place. “Blow it up,” Charlie whispered, her blue eyes dark and determined. She’d never looked more beautiful in her life. Gently, Taryn eased a strand of that blond hair behind Charlie’s ear. She slowly lowered her lips to Charlie’s, aware of the soft sound of her breathing, reveling in the warm tickle of her breath on Taryn’s mouth. When their lips pressed, Taryn’s knees almost buckled, her breasts most certainly tingled, and her body went hot with desire now unleashed—held back for longer than Taryn had even realized. She’d wanted this woman with a passion she hadn’t even fully admitted to herself, and here she was, beneath Taryn’s touch. As Charlie’s lips began to move with hers in a perfect rhythm all their own, her body hummed and ached, finally where it wanted to be for so damn long. The heat, the sizzle, the unmistakable chemistry leapt every expectation Taryn carried with her. They kissed slow and deep, and it was Charlie who first angled for better access and slipped her tongue into Taryn’s mouth, an act that exponentially challenged her legs’ ability to hold her up. She was certainly unprepared for how Charlie’s kiss would affect her. She would plan better next time. She hoped there’d be more.

“God, I love kissing you,” Taryn said quietly, refusing to move from this very spot and her close proximity to Charlie.

Charlie nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “Me, too.” A pause and she dropped her head back. “I can’t believe we just did that. Did the last few moments really just happen?”

“I think so,” Taryn said. “Are you…okay with all of this?”

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