Page 142 of The Snowball Effect

Emma’s eyes were wide and beseeching, but Regan didn’t know what she wanted from her. Wildly, she thought that she wanted to give Emma anything she could possibly ask for. She just hoped that what Emma asked for was her.

Regan held her breath, unable to breathe normally with the anxiety and anticipation coursing through her as she waited for Emma’s response.

It was going to be a no. Logically, she knew it. She knew that Emma didn’t like to take chances, didn’t like change, and –

“Okay,” Emma agreed, her voice so soft. “We can go on one date. To see how it goes.”

Regan’s mouth fell open as the shock took her over, quickly replaced by elation. She squealed with it, hopping onto her tiptoes and throwing her arms around Emma’s neck, unable to help herself. She couldn’t contain this! Just earlier tonight, she’d been so convinced this would never be a possibility, that she’d downloaded SapphicSpark! And now…

“I can’t wait. I’m going to sweep you off your freaking feet,” she swore, her heart pounding in her chest, and she could feel Emma’s pounding as well, as Emma’s arms tentatively wrapped around her waist, too.

“I’m wondering if I should be a little scared,” Emma whispered into her ear.

She shivered at the feeling of Emma’s warm breath, chuckling at the exhilaration coursing through her. “Maybe you should be.”

Maybe they both should be.

Emma squeezed her hips again, and they both froze.

Abruptly, Emma dropped her hold and leaned back from Regan, breaking their embrace. She took a small step backward. “I think you should maybe put something else on.”

Her cheeks flushed, excited pleasure rushing through her as she deliberately tapped her finger against her lips, as she hummed, “Hmm? You think?”

Emma’s eyes immediately flashed to watch her, which was precisely what Regan hoped would happen.

Delighted by it, she slid her fingertips down over her chin, gliding down the side of her neck, over her collarbone… Emma’s eyes still followed the movement, and Regan wasn’t sure she’d ever felt more alive.

Especially as she slowly dragged her own touch down the center of her chest, into the middle of her bra, hooking into the soft fabric. Her own stomach dipped, heat spiraling through her all over again, because she swore she couldfeelEmma’s stare, adding a weight to her touch.

Emma wheeled away, a low moan in her throat. “I told you how attracted I am to you and that I have feelings for you less than ten minutes ago, and you’re already doing this to me?”

“I’m incorrigible,” Regan readily agreed. The full realization of this evening dawned on her all over again, and that awed feeling swept through her as she grinned up at Emma. “And you like it.”

“Against my better judgment and all of my willpower… yes. I do,” Emma conceded, biting her lip as she tossed another glance at Regan. Only briefly, as she turned away again. “Seriously,though. Nothing is happening before that date, and Ineedyou to put some clothing on.”

“For you? Anything,” she teased, only… not.

As she did a little happy dance down the hall to her room, she could feel it well up inside of her. How very much she needed this date to go well, because she didn’t think she could come back from this. The high she was on was already so intense, Regan already knew the come down would be brutal.

She had to plan the best date of Emma’s fucking life.

twenty-two

It was irritatingly,disturbingly difficult to focus on work when Emma had a date with Regan in approximately… one hour. Maybe less? Maybe more? She’d be home in less than an hour, but she didn’t know what Regan’s timeline looked like for when they needed to leave, for wherever it was that they were going.

Emma didn’t really know, because Regan was being extremely tight-lipped about it. Which was, in turn, extremely un-Regan-like.

She paused packing up her bag for the day, turning her attention down to her phone.

Emma – 5:51PM

You really won’t tell me where we’re going tonight? You know that I don’t like surprises, right?

Regan Freaking Gallagher – 5:52PM

I have known you for years, have lived with you for months, and have come to deeply care about you (neuroses and all)… so, yes, I know this

But I can’t tell you where we’re going tonight. It might be a surprise, but I SWEAR it’s a good one, you’re going to love it (fact), and it’s super casual, so you don’t need to worry about what to wear or the vibe or anything like that

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