Page 24 of Hidden Desire

“Would you like a drink?” Sage asked. She motioned a waitress over to them.

“I’ll take a Strawberry Margarita,” Stassi replied.

“And I’ll take a Modelo and Lime.” The waitress left them, and Stassi nervously glanced around. This was one of the few times they were alone together, where they had to carry on a conversation. And never away from the hospital setting. She couldn’t believe how nervous she actually felt.

“It’s nice the hospital does this for the staff,” Stassi commented.

Sage snickered. “They should do more.”

Stassi nodded in agreement, but if she ever got through to her dad, she could have that very serious conversation with him. The waitress came back with their drinks and Stassi reached in her purse to grab some money.

Sage shook her head. “It’s all covered.” Stassi withdrew her hand. That made sense. She wasn’t sure why she assumed she had to get some money out. Maybe for a tip anyway. She sipped on her margarita and caught Sage staring at her. It was either a lovely compliment or Sage was staring at the woman that was silly enough to think they wanted her cash. Either way, her gaze caused Stassi to blush, and she already wanted the evening to linger forever.

Two margarita’s in and Stassi was already relaxing. She started dancing with everyone, tossing an intimate look in Sage’s direction a few times, wondering if it was reciprocated. When Sage would smile, she began to believe it was. When she was offered a third margarita, she passed, settling on water.

“Hit your limit?” Sage teased.

“Wasn’t sure if you’d have one more spot for another drunk.”

Sage laughed. “For you, I’d make room.” She then laughed and looked away. “That came off a tad flirtatious.”

“Just a tad?” Stassi teased. Sure, the alcohol was adding to the easiness between them, but if she had a third it would surely send way too much ecstasy in her mind. Before Stassi knew what was happening, though, the dance turned into a slow one and she was moving in time to the music with Sage leading the way. Sage and Stassi kept the eye contact going and Stassi felt the intimacy heating up between them, warming up her inner thighs as they danced.

“You do have beautiful eyes,” Sage whispered.

Stassi smiled. “Is that the alcohol talking?” she teased.

Stassi shook her head. “I stopped at one.” Stassi arched an eyebrow. “DD, remember? This is just water with lime. Not nearly the same effect, but worth it in the long room.”

Stassi moved in closer, relaxing in Sage’s arms. The song played drifting them off into a hypnotic haze, completely captivating Stassi in the way her body molded against Sage. The feelings seemed to be reciprocated and Stassi was fully mesmerized in the moment.

When the song ended, Sage grabbed Stassi’s hand and pulled her through the dance floor and up the stairs. Stassi wasn’t the least bit nervous as they made their way up the long steps and down a corridor. She could have asked where they were going, but she wasn’t the least bit curious because she’d go anywhere with Sage.

Sage pushed through a glass door, and they went out onto a balcony that was cascaded with floors and plants. They were on the rooftop, and everything was beautiful.

“One of my favorite places.” Sage dropped Stassi’s hand and went over to some plants. Stassi watched with intrigue as she lifted each leaf and told stories of what the names were. Stassi was surprised by Sage’s vast knowledge of what each plant was. Sage turned and smiled, most likely seeing the shock that was written on Stassi’s face. “My grandpa loved plants. He would take me to the botanical gardens for hours on a Sunday and we would just walk around, taking in the various scents and enjoying the scenery.”

“He sounds like he was a great guy.”

“He was the best.” Sage’s eyes lit up as she spoke about him. “One of my favorite people in the world.”

Sage continued to walk around the garden area and point out various plants for Stassi. Stassi could have been caught up in that moment and never wanted to break from it. When Sage stopped in front of her, she turned and there was this genuine longing between them; it caught Stassi’s breath.

“I have a secret,” Stassi whispered. Sage’s eyes widened and she even stepped in closer. “You say how the rumors started about me getting this job. Well, none of that was true.”

Sage laughed. “Believe me, I never believed it.”

Stassi blushed, turning away from Sage’s intriguing stare. “The truth is, I’m a trust fund kid.” Sage tilted her head. “Well, I came from wealth. My father’s rich and he would give me money when I was running low on funds. I never needed a regular job.” Sage continued to just listen. Stassi wasn’t sure what all she wanted to share, but she kept it light. There would be more time to divulge everything. “Unfortunately, my dad had a few bad investments come through and so the money stopped coming in. I had no choice but to make the best of a rocky situation. That meant getting a job and frankly I didn’t think maintenance work would intrigue me. I also wasn’t interested in waitressing, so this seemed the obvious move. I have to admit, though, I didn’t know how this job would make me a better person. But I’m already seeing the shift.”

“From the first moment I met you, I thought there was something pretty cool about you.” Sage’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Stassi nodded. “I want to open up to you, Sage. As much as I can.” She moved in and captured Sage’s lips against hers. She thought maybe Sage would pull back, but she felt the passion slowly igniting between them and Sage wrapped her arm around Stassi. Stassi opened her mouth and welcomed Sage’s tongue in between her lips. Stassi smiled, growing the intensity in their affection.

“It’s about damn time.” Stassi jumped back and turned to find Lena staring at them. Lena fell against the wall and laughed. “I thought I was going to have to lock you two in an elevator.”

“What?” Stassi asked.

Sage rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to her. She’s already drunk.”

---