Page 4 of Pomegranate Kiss

Cam’s senses reached an awareness she only experienced in front of a canvas with paint staining her fingers, flecks in her hair. Each step she took, she could feel Lex’s proximity to her, caught the scent of cloves, and felt the heat radiating off the woman.

“So apart from cooking for asshole rich folks, being very not gay, and having an apparently dry sense of humor, what makes up Camilla…well, fuck, I don’t even know your last name.”

Cam snorted, smoothing her dress again, because for once she didn’t know what the hell to do with her hands. “Muhuri,” she filled in the blank. “My parents are from Bangladesh.”

“And I’m guessing wouldn’t approve of your blossoming friendship with a queer tattoo artist who has a record,” Lex shot back. “Though I couldn’t imagine why. I’m every parent’s wet dream for their daughters.” Even with her sardonic tone and flippant grin, Cam caught the bitter edge to the words and the flicker of darkness in her expression.

She bypassed the comment completely, seizing on the morsel of new information. “You’re a tattoo artist?”

Lex scratched the back of her head, glancing to the side. “Well, apprenticing right now. My stint in the clanker set me back a little bit.”

“I’d love to see your work sometime,” Cam said, her heart skipping a couple of beats. She wasn’t lying. She missed art in every form since the culinary variety had dulled so much as of late. Her paintbrushes and canvas sat in the storage closet in her apartment, untouched for years. “I was most of the way through my arts degree back home in Georgia when I dropped out.”

Lex licked her lips, the motion mesmerizing, and her grin widened. “So what you’re saying is you actually know your shit. Consider me nervous, then.”

Cam almost gasped in relief at the response. She’d tensed without realizing, waiting for the inevitable ‘why’ that followed whenever she told anyone she dropped out. All too fast the mention brought back the slow trickle of dread as she’d entered the classroom and the vigilance that followed every time she bolted out to her car again.

They’d reached the circular path leading to the pier, the bronze statue in the center taking on a purplish hue even with the lights lining the way. The pier stretched out to greet the water ahead of them, the gentle whoosh of the swaying inlet echoing along with their voices. When Lex confronted her the other night and pitched the oddest proposal she’d ever received, Cam pretty much thought they’d be getting down and dirty in her car.

This, though, felt more like a date than anything.

“What’s your main medium?” Lex asked, reeling her attention back in. She alternated between swinging her arms in wide arcs as they walked or flexing her fingers in and out of a fist, the woman in perpetual motion.

“Watercolor or acrylic,” Cam answered on reflex. “Though I was majoring in graphic design to be able to apply that work to something practical.”

Lex’s lips curled into a wide grin, her teeth gleaming. “Fine then, you show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”

“What are we, five?” Cam shot back. The inky sky stretched above them, a couple of slate clouds marring the sea of stars. They approached the pier, and the cream rails glowed under the lights lining the way. Even though her body still felt hyper-aware, somehow between the car and here, her nerves leeched away.

“I mean, my mother’s convinced I’m in a state of arrested development. Heavy on the arrested,” Lex cracked, doing that thing again where she looked anywhere but in her direction. Cam knew avoidance—she guarded herself the same way.

“You’re out now though,” Cam offered. “No need to keep punishing yourself.”

“With a temper like mine?” Lex responded, slipping on her motorcycle jacket. “It’s only a matter of time.” Even with the confidence that poured from her and the swing to her step, talking to Lex like this was skating along the surface of a frozen lake, one crack from plunging into the depths.

“Well then, we better enjoy our time now.” Cam skipped ahead a couple of steps. She hadn’t been to this park in ages, one of the first places she’d visited when she got the gig at the Horntrees’ and moved up here from Savannah.

“Come on, this way,” Lex said, slinking past her. She grabbed her hand and began to run down the pier. Cam surged forward. She stumbled after Lex, swept in the whirlwind of movement. Their footsteps thundered through the quiet of this place, and a laugh slipped from her lips as Lex’s grip on her hand tightened. Cam caught up, running neck and neck with the capricious wind of a woman.

Just as fast as they’d set off, Lex skidded to a halt in front of the swinging benches overlooking each side of the pier. “I brought you here for these,” Lex said, sliding down to take a seat. She hadn’t let go of her hand, so Cam found herself tugged in the process. “Best view of Charleston, in my opinion.”

Cam quirked an eyebrow as she settled back in the seat. Lex spread her arms out on either side, one of them looping around her shoulder. Not like she minded. The brush of Lex’s smooth olive skin against hers caused her to squeeze her thighs a little tighter. Lex kicked off, and the swing set into motion.

“Are you sure you’re not five?” Cam said, even though her heart bounced with each sweep of the swing, like the years melted away. “When you made your big sales pitch at Danny’s engagement, this isn’t what I had in mind.”

Lex’s glance in response delivered pure wickedness. “Sweetheart, I can’t help it if your mind’s in the gutter. You gave me six months, in case you didn’t remember. Which means I’ll be taking my time to show you exactly how good this can be.”

Damn if that promise didn’t make Cam’s pussy throb. Why the hell was her defective body reacting to Lex like this? She’d been on date after date with every guy from attractive business owners to hot models and, nada. She snuffed out the traitor voice in her head reminding her of other flares of attraction in the past, none of them related to men. Yet no one, man or woman, lit her body on fire like Alexis Dukas.

And truth be told, the reason impatience struck her match right now was because ever since Lex made her elaborate declarations, she’d been able to think of little else. This was a temporary thing, a fling before she resumed her search for the perfect man with renewed vigor so she’d be able to settle down.

“Don’t tell me that made you speechless,” Lex murmured, kicking off again as they glided back and forth. “I’ve got way better stuff in my arsenal.”

“Do us all the favor and hold those gems back,” Cam responded, the sarcasm floating to the surface. “I only packed so many withering glances.”

Lex edged in closer to her until their hips nudged together. “Don’t worry, babe, I won’t let you leave disappointed.” Her lips pursed in amusement, but Cam couldn’t look away. With Lex’s arm around her shoulder, Lex’s body pressed against hers, and the scent of cloves drinkable in the air, Cam found herself fixated.

She’d already thought Lex was a stunner, but the harsh shadows carved her features into something breathtaking. Her black strands offset her olive skin, and in this dim light, her nose grew sharper, her chin more angular. Yet those lips were lush and full, and her cheekbones defined enough to sink herteeth into. Her septum piercing and the metal loops around her eyebrows glinted in the light. The thick lines of a tattoo peeked out along the side of her neck, the symbol for Pluto.

---