Page 20 of Better Than Expected

Caroline shrugged and shuffled on her feet in that adorable way that she only ever did with Hannah. She’d never seen Caroline look unsure, except with her. In a way, it was incredibly and utterly flattering. She reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Hannah’s ear. “It was only a portfolio case.”

Hannah shook her head quickly. “I love that portfolio case!”

And she did. She was entering into her final semester to finally complete her architecture degree, and this semester meant a full internship that she’d landed at one of the best firms in Boston. She knew she was only an intern, and she knew she was the oldest intern there.

But she loved it, and she was so damn ready to jump in. And most of all, she loved that she was with someone who supported that.

“I told you that I didn’t want any presents, anyway. That I didn’t want anything big or expensive,” she reminded Caroline, holding her gaze to assure her that she had been honest.

“And I know you meant it,” Caroline tossed back in a light, joking-but-not-really voice. “And why,” she added in a murmur.

They didn’t say it aloud, but she kind of loved that with Caroline, she didn’t have to. She didn’t have to voice that it was because… that being with Michael, her birthdays were extravagant. His assistant would remind him of her birthday – she was sure that was how he never forgot – and she received luxurious gifts.

Thousands of dollars spent on all kinds of jewelry, on the latest iPhone, on designer shoes and purses and perfume. Reservations for the most expensive fine dining.

Hannah had had all of that. Meaningless gifts and dinners of small talk and silent resentment. She’s had all of the finest material items, buying her acquiescence to go along with every bad thing.

She knew Caroline’s gifts would never be meaningless, she knew that any dinner wouldn’t be spent in bad company. But… she just wanted to be herself. And Hannah, herself, didn’t want or need anything like that. Anything extravagant.

She wanted… she just wanted this, she thought, as she looked down at their intertwined hands and looked out the large windows of Caroline’s condo that allowed the moonlight to come in as it reflected off of the water in the wharf that her North End home gave a view of.

The night had been quietly perfect. It was everything she wanted.

Caroline cleared her throat and bit at her lip as she squeezed lightly at Hannah’s hand. “I know that you meant that you didn’t want anything crazy extravagant or anything. But… I did sort of get you one more thing.”

She toyed with the neck of her sweater with her free hand, and Hannah’s gaze fell to it. She licked her lips. Yes, this wanting… it was still new to her, despite feeling it for months. And the hunger she had, to take Caroline – and especially to be taken by Caroline – was certainly new for her.

“I thought you were joking about the lingerie,” Hannah managed, her voice husky as she stared at Caroline, her mood easily shifting.

“What?” Caroline’s eyebrows drew together in confusion before a look of dawning crossed her face and she quickly removed her hand from her collar. “Oh! No. I didn–” A dangerously sexy grin flashed over her face. “Well, there is some of that, too. But that’s not what I was talking about now.”

Excitement flared through her, compounded by the sheer excitement that not only did she feel desire so strongly, but she felt it for Caroline. Who really, really was an amazing lover. And that Caroline wanted her back, just as much.

If not more, it felt like. Impossibly.

“No?” Hannah asked, trailing her fingers up to Caroline’s jaw again and then lightly down her neck, leaving goosebumps in her wake.

They’d only started having sex in the last three weeks, and she certainly never wasted any alone time they had together, sparse as it was, living with a ten-year-old. Hannah had most definitely had big, big plans for their evening.

Caroline’s breath stuttered for a moment, squinting her eyes as if to find clarity. “I – no. I do have some big plans for us tonight.” She leaned in, nipping at Hannah’s earlobe before whispering hotly against her ear, “They involve making you come in my mouth, right here where you sit.”

Hannah swallowed hard, heat pooling low in her stomach. “I think we could skip to that now.”

Caroline hesitated and stared at her mouth, which Hannah knew meant she was truly contemplating it. Before she shook her head and squeezed her eyes closed. “No, no, this is – it’s important.” She reached over to the coffee table and picked up the portfolio case, handing it back to Hannah. “You didn’t actually open it.”

Hannah took it back slowly, curiously, shaking her head as she did so. “You shouldn’t have gotten me anything else.”

There was something about it, about Caroline buying things for her or providing too much for her that Hannah couldn’t quite put into words – the curse of her life, it seemed – but it made her stomach twist unpleasantly.

Caroline pressed the case even closer toward her. “It’s not… just open it. You’ll see.”

Hannah slowly undid the – undoubtedly expensive – leather straps that held the portfolio case together and flipped the top open. And then stared down at…

“An empty plot of land?” She asked, confused. But that was definitely what the picture she was staring at was.

Caroline cleared her throat and turned slightly to face Hannah on the couch as she explained, “It’s a plot of land I bought three years ago, in Belmont. Really nice area, short commute into the city, and I had just paid off my condo and – I want a house. It’s always been my plan to build my own home, and I just realized a few years ago that there was no point in waiting for a perfect time. There is no perfect time for things; I should do them when I want to do them. I’m turning thirty-six this year and by the time that happens, I want to be in my own home.”

Her heart absolutely thundered in her chest and she blinked down at the papers in her lap. “I – and you want me to–”

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