Page 47 of A Little Light

“I made a huge mistake the other week, Andi. The biggest.”

Mistake? What mistake?

Rachel slowly inched closer, backing Andi up against the wall. Huh…not what she’d expected.

“I’ve been thinking…wondering if the reasons I gave were even real reasons. If I’ve learnt anything in the last week or so, it’s that you’re not the vulnerable woman I assumed you were. God, you’re stronger than I am, if I’m being honest.”

Andi lowered her eyes. “Rachel, you really don’t have to say any of this to me. You’ve told me why we can’t date, and I respect that. I’d never do anything to push it with you.”

“I…don’t think there’s anything to push.” Rachel lifted a hand, stroking her knuckles against Andi’s cheek.

Andi’s frown lines grew deeper. What was Rachel saying exactly? Oh, God. Why was she touching her the way she was?

“Spending time with you has been…unexpectedly amazing. Better than I’ve had in as long as I can remember. Seeing you smile and laugh, how you light up the room, I just…I realised in the bar earlier that I’m in a little deeper than I thought.”

“Rachel, I don’t want you to think I’m leading you on in any way. Was it something I did? Or said?”

“No. You’ve been perfect. You are perfect. But when I walked in and saw you sitting there, God…I wasn’t expecting to feel how I did. I wasn’t expecting to be so floored by you.”

“By…me?” Andi almost laughed but managed to hold back. Rachel was floored by her? In what world? “H-how…why?”

Rachel pressed a palm to Andi’s chest, her stare not wavering. Those blue eyes had left Andi breathless on countless occasions tonight, but right now? Oh, right now, they were strikingly beautiful.

“You told me to kiss the people I want to kiss…”

“I-I did.” Andi swallowed, craving the lips so close to her own.

Rachel leaned in and smiled. “And if you’re the one I want to be kissing?”

Oh, God. This was actually happening. Andi didn’t know how to feel about that. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, a shudder working its way through her as Rachel ghosted her hand higher and wrapped it around the back of Andi’s neck. She didn’t know what to say, so Andi lost the last of the distance between them and drew Rachel into a soft, only slightly hesitant kiss.

And that was all it took. Rachel stroked her fingernails down the back of Andi’s neck, kissing her a little harder. Then harder again when Andi moaned into her mouth. She hadn’t known how she would feel when this moment arrived, with Rachel or with anyone else, but her body was coming alive for the first time in so many years. It recognised the touch of another woman immediately, only encouraging Andi to swipe her tongue against Rachel’s.

“Oh, God.” Andi needed a moment to breathe. She pressed her forehead to Rachel’s, trying to suppress the grin she felt working its way to her lips. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Mm. Neither was I in some ways.”

“I…don’t quite know what to say.” Andi suddenly felt flustered, her cheeks heating.

“I think maybe your kiss said it all, Andi.” Rachel leaned in again, slowly bringing their lips together. Andi felt her smile into the kiss, and her own smile quickly followed. “And now I think I need a drink before I get far too carried away.”

Chapter 15

“You left sharpish last night.” Sally sat on the couch in the window of the local coffee shop, eyeing Andi over the rim of her cup. “Everything okay?”

Andi beamed. Oh, everything was more than okay. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had such a perfect evening. It would have been before Jane’s diagnosis, guaranteed, but Rachel had really made her feel…special last night. “Fine. Yes.”

“Fine doesn’t really cut it. You should know me better than that.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Sal. I had a great night. Did you and Claire enjoy yourselves?” Andi was deflecting, she knew that, but she wanted to enjoy her coffee before they got deep into a conversation about Rachel. Because it would happen before this afternoon was over.

“I think Claire enjoyed herself a little more than she expected to. She looked a tiny bit pale this morning.”

“You’d think at our age we’d all know our limits by now.”

Sally’s brows rose as she sat forward and placed her cup down. “You would. It doesn’t happen often with Claire. I think she just likes to let her hair down now and then. We may be old, but we’re not out yet.”

“No, we’re not.” Andi had felt so much younger last night as Rachel backed her up against the wall and made her intentions known. To say it was a surprise would be an understatement. The last thing Andi expected was to find herself kissing Rachel. But she didn’t regret it. She couldn’t regret something that felt so right…and thrilling. “So, I started unpacking my boxes this morning.”

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