Page 31 of Beyond the Red Carpet

“Yes.”

An uncomfortable weight settled in Vanessa’s stomach. She tried to push away the sharp edge of jealousy that cut through her thoughts.

“Is it anyone I know?” Vanessa’s heart clenched as she waited for Kate’s response, trying to keep her voice level.

Kate’s chest rose with a deep breath, and Vanessa found herself tracking the movement, mesmerized by the way the water beaded on Kate’s skin.

“Just the most talented, beautiful woman in Hollywood,” Kate said with a sad smile.

Vanessa had to look away. Her jaw clenched as she pictured this mystery woman.

“She’s entirely out of my league,” Kate continued, her voice dropping lower, “but when she kisses me... I can’t think of anything else.”

Vanessa’s mind stumbled, then raced backward.

Kate wasn’t talking about someone else.

Kate was talking about her.

The realization crashed through her defenses, scattering all her carefully constructed reasons for keeping her distance.

She tried to form words, but her throat closed around them. Her pulse thundered in her ears as two weeks of denial crumbled. She’d pushed Kate away, convinced herself it was better, safer, when all along, Kate had been feeling the same impossible pull.

The jealousy that had been twisting in her gut morphed into something else entirely, a mix of disbelief, hope, and a yearning so intense it made her dizzy.

She searched Kate’s face, looking for any sign that she’d misunderstood. But there was only raw honesty in those blue eyes, a vulnerability that made Vanessa want to pull her close and never let go.

“Kate...” Vanessa’s voice came out as a whisper, barely audible over the hum of the jets.

Then Kate’s expression shifted, panic rising in her eyes. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything?—”

Without a second thought, Vanessa leaned forward and captured Kate’s lips in a hard, desperate kiss. The shock of itmade Kate gasp, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her hands found their way to Vanessa’s shoulders, holding on as if she were drowning.

The kiss consumed her. Vanessa’s hands moved to Kate’s waist, pulling her closer. She angled her head, her lips moving against Kate’s with a fierce desperation that felt entirely new. Never had a kiss affected her so completely, clouded her mind, and obliterated every rational thought.

As amazing as their previous kisses had been, this one was different. It was real.

The kiss deepened as she leaned back, pulling Kate with her until she straddled Vanessa’s lap. The movement brought their bodies into full contact, and Vanessa groaned at the sensation. Her hands moved to Kate’s hips, guiding her closer. All the pent-up longing she had tried to ignore for weeks poured out in this kiss, and she couldn’t get enough.

Her heart pounded in her chest as their mouths moved together. Vanessa’s hands slid up Kate’s back, her thumbs finding the dips of Kate’s spine, the slick fabric of her bikini the only barrier between them.

Breaking the kiss, she trailed her lips along Kate’s jaw, tasting the salt of her skin. Kate’s head fell back, baring her neck, and Vanessa took advantage, placing open-mouthed kisses along the smooth skin, her hands sliding down to grasp Kate’s hips once more, before sliding lower, her fingers splayed over Kate’s bikini-clad ass.

Her skin was on fire, every nerve ending alive and pulsating. It had been years since she’d felt anything like this, needed to touch and be touched with such urgency. It scared her, this loss of control, but at the same time, it was exhilarating.

When their lips met again, their kisses grew slower, more exploratory, as if they had all the time in the world. Vanessa lether hands roam, gliding over Kate’s sides, memorizing the feel of her, wanting to etch this moment into her memory.

Vanessa’s hands slid up the firm curve of Kate’s sides, her thumbs brushing the soft underside of Kate’s breasts. Kate moaned, a soft, breathy sound that went straight to Vanessa’s core, making her ache. She wanted to hear that sound again. Her hands wandered down to the ties of Kate’s bikini top, her fingers grazing the bare skin of her lower back. Her thumbs hovered over the knots, wanting, but not daring to untie them. Not yet.

Kate’s breath hitched as Vanessa’s thumbs brushed the knots, and she pulled back, her eyes searching Vanessa’s face. Vanessa couldn’t read the expression in those blue eyes.

“What is it?” Vanessa asked. And then a thought occurred to Vanessa. If Kate wasn’t out, maybe she’s never slept with someone? “Is this…” Vanessa took a breath. “Have you…?”

A tiny smile curved Kate’s lips. “Yes, I have.” Kate tucked a strand of hair behind Vanessa’s ear. “I had a friends with benefits situation with my best friend back home for years. She’d come visit me here.” Kate pressed her lips together. “I trusted her with my secret. But it was never a real thing. And she met someone about two years ago so…”

“I didn’t want to assume.” Vanessa’s thumbs brushed along Kate’s hips beneath the water.

Kate’s fingers traced along Vanessa’s jawline, the touch sending shivers through her.

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