Page 64 of State of Grace

“You were amazing tonight, babe.”

“Yeah?” Alexis tilted her head and booped Blake’s nose. She’d started that after their morning make-out session in her kitchen, and Blake seemed to find it endearing. “You know what’s weird? I had been nervous until tonight, and, I don’t know, I feel like we got this. I feel like I got this.”

“You do.” Blake kissed her forehead. “You were perfect, and the whole cast was great. Opening night is going to be great. I can feel it in my bones.”

“That’s good because I’m sure that Sophia’s already made extravagant signs for the play that say shit like ‘we love you, Lex’ and ‘that dress would look better with more cleavage, mon amour.’” The comment made Blake laugh, and Alexis pulled away from her as they got into the car. Reaching out across the console, Blake rested her hand on Alexis’s thigh as she often did when they drove together. Alexis loved the simple gesture; she loved how the simplest touch from Blake made her insanely happy.

“She’s not wrong about the dress.” Blake winked at her again. Both Blake and Sophia had gone with Alexis to pick out the dress to wear during the show’s final numbers. While Alexis had chosen a gorgeous pink knee-length dress with a scoop neckline, Sophia and Blake had wanted her to get a deep V-neck cut dress with a slit in the side nearly up to Alexis’s hip. It had been too revealing for Alexis’s comfort, but she had to admit, she looked damn good in it. So good in fact that she’d gone back to the store and bought it to wear to the wrap party the weekend after the play was over.

“I have a feeling you might see that dress at some point in your life.” Alexis picked up Blake’s hand and kissed it before returning it to her thigh. She pulled into the driveway at the farm and parked the car in front of the garage apartment.

“I think you look gorgeous all the time, but that dress,” she gave a low whistle, “made you look hella hot, babe.”

Leaning across the center console, Blake ran her hand up through Alexis’s hair as she pulled her close. The move drove Alexis crazy, and she knew that Blake knew that, which was why she did it every time they were together. Blake’s tongue pushed past Alexis’s lips and deep into her mouth. Alexis moaned as her stomach tightened in the best way she’d ever experienced. She cupped her hand around Blake’s breast and squeezed, causing a shiver to course through Blake’s body.

Alexis unbuckled her seatbelt as Blake did the same. The damn center console prevented them from getting as close as they both wanted to be, and for a brief moment, Alexis contemplated climbing over it to be in Blake’s lap. She needed Blake to touch her. She needed that more than she had ever needed it, and that scared her as much as it exhilarated her.

“Do you want to come inside?”

“I want to, but…”

“No,” Blake shook her head as she framed Alexis’s face in her hand, “no buts.”

“I should go home.” Removing her hand from Blake’s breast, Alexis ran her thumb over Blake’s bottom lip as her breath hitched. “I work a double tomorrow to be off this weekend, remember?”

“I know, but still.” Twirling Alexis’s hair around her finger, Blake kissed her once more before pulling away from her firmly. Alexis knew if she didn’t, they’d spiral back into a make-out session once more only to repeat the conversation they’d just had over again in a few minutes. “Hey, who’s watching Harper tomorrow? Doesn’t Sophia have summer classes?”

“She does. Emily’s watching her in the morning, and then Sophia’s watching her when Emily goes to work.”

“Why don’t you let me take her for the day?”

“What?” Alexis squished her nose in confusion. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to.” This time, Blake booped Alexis’s nose, which made her smile. “Please? I can take her to the park and work on her LEGO set with her, and I can bring her by Vera and Isla’s house to see the puppies again, and despite my minimal expertise in the kitchen, I can make a damn good grilled cheese. Which I happen to know is one of Harper’s favorite meals, like her mother.”

“Well,” she pretended to hesitate when in reality, she’d thought about asking Blake to watch Harper but didn’t want to inconvenience her, “if you are sure, I guess that will be fine. Emily and Sophia will be around all day, so if she becomes too much or anything, you can drop her off there.”

“I’m sure that she’ll be fine.” Blake kissed her once more before putting her hand on the door handle. “What time do you go to work?”

“Eleven.”

“I’ll be there at ten-forty-five.”

“Ok, sounds great.”

“But right now, I am going to go because if I don't, this night may never end.” With a wink, she stepped out of the car. Alexis rolled down the passenger side window as Blake leaned onto it. “Have a good night, Lex.”

“Good night. Oh, and Blake?”

“Hmm?”

“Make sure she doesn’t come back with a puppy, ok?”

“No promises.”

As Blake took a step back from the car, Alexis put it in reverse and reluctantly headed back home. Her heart wanted to stay with Blake, but her mind told her to leave before things escalated. There would be a time for that soon, Alexis was sure of it, but she needed to focus on getting through the next two weekends of four shows a weekend. That should give her enough distraction to keep from constantly thinking about her hands all over Blake’s body.

Alexis punched in the code for the door and jogged up the stairs two at a time as she headed into Sophia and Emily’s apartment. Emily and Harper were in the corner of the room at Emily’s sewing machine. Harper was on her lap, carefully helping her with whatever project she was working on. On the couch, Sophia was intently working on a crossword puzzle. She pulled her glasses off her nose and put them in her chestnut hair.

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