Page 26 of Hearts Like Hers

“I’m into you,” Kate said simply. “But I’monly here for a short time. My life is back in Slumberton.”

Autumn nodded, the words ushering in a senseof relief.

“Your turn.”

“I’m trying to have a baby.”

Kate’s eyebrows leapt to her forehead. “Didnot see that coming.”

“Right? Maybe should have warmed up to thatsentence, but it doesn’t make it any less the case. This is probably not thebest time to get involved with someone.”

“No, I would imagine not.” Kate took aminute, her gaze never leaving Autumn’s. “So what I’m hearing is that we’re twohighly unavailable people, standing in a”—she glanced around—“a kitchen?”

“A kind of kitchen.” Autumn smiled. “Closeenough.”

“Standing in a kind-of-kitchen, very muchenjoying—”

“The hot-damn kissing.” Autumn didn’t evencare how that one sounded. It was the only way to classify what they’d done.

“Yes. That.” Kate exhaled slowly, her eyesroaming Autumn’s body like some kind of sexy-stealthy panther.

The look that came over Kate in that momentcurled Autumn’s toes. Her heated stare licked its way from Autumn’s eyes to thedip of cleavage in her dress and there was no denying her intentions.

“Kate.”

“Yeah?”

“I think you should come back over here.”

“And that grocery order you need to put in?”

“Right.” Autumn all but smacked herself inher stupid head. Damn the groceries for killing the moment. “Right. No. Let mesend that off real quick.”

She turned to the PC mounted on the wall.She’d had it installed at height level, so she could quickly access orders andget back up front to her customers without a lag. “Just take me a second,” shesaid, pulling up the site. “Oh,” she said, closing her eyes at the feel ofKate’s body, lightly pressing against hers from behind. Kate’s hands on herwaist. Kate’s mouth on her neck. Suddenly, her knees didn’t feel so strong andshe gripped the counter for support. What were groceries again? Surely, no oneneeded them. Not badly enough. Kate slid down the strap of Autumn’s sundress,revealing her bare shoulder. Her lips trailed down Autumn’s neck, kissing herway to that shoulder and back again. “What are you doing to me?” Autumnbreathed, her head a hazy fog, her body a tinderbox. Her grocery orderabandoned for all time.

“Is this okay?” Kate asked between kisses. “Ican stop if—”

“More,” was all Autumn managed with anemphatic nod, still gripping the countertop. Was that clear enough? She couldsend a telegram. A skywriter, anything. She felt Kate’s hands ease down herback to the hem of her dress. She slipped both hands under and skimmed upward.Autumn swallowed against the feel of those hands against her bare stomach.Every nerve ending shifted to high alert in the most wonderful way. Kate didn’tmess around. These weren’t light touches, but firm and confident. “Yes,” shewhispered, nodding against the fantastic sensations that thundered her way.“More.” Those warm hands inched upward, drawing up the fabric of her dress withthem. They met the undersides of her breasts and she exhaled.

“What do you put in your hair,” Kate said,burying her face in Autumn’s curls and inhaling. “Is that hibiscus?”

Autumn nodded as Kate’s hands inched upwardwith agonizing slowness to her breasts. “Sure, hibiscus. Let’s go with that.”It wasn’t as if her brain worked with Kate’s fingertips now circling theoutsides of her breasts, taking her time. She sucked in air as Kate cradledthem fully. When she set to kneading them, Autumn whimpered as the littlepinpricks of sensation darted across her skin and straight to her center. Sheleaned back against Kate, who easily supported her.

“You’re so soft,” Kate said in her ear,kissing the lobe. Autumn wasn’t sure what it implied about her, that she feltpowerless in this moment and liked it so damn much. She liked surrendering toKate. This was her inner bad girl making an appearance, and why the hell not?She’d been good for far too long.

Kate’s fingertips moved to Autumn’s nipplesand swirled around them before taking hold of them, turning, massaging.Autumn’s hips moved of their own accord, pressing backward into Kate, needingthat contact.

“Yeah?” Kate asked, pushing back. She wasasking permission. Autumn could feel the warmth of her exhale across hertemple. Autumn nodded, the unvoiced answer hopefully clear. If she had thewords, she’d beg Kate to take her. Plead with her.

With one hand still cupping her breast,Kate’s other snaked lower, dipping into the top of Autumn’s underwear. ThankGod she’d worn the sexy ones with the high-cut thigh line—just in case. Shesucked in a breath and waited. Kate wasn’t in any hurry, and that made thiswhole encounter, in the back of her store no less, all the more thrilling. Sherelished the languid throbbing of anticipation. “Kate,” she said slowly, likingthe way that name felt coming off her lips.

“Hold on,” Kate said, by way of instruction.And she did, looping an arm behind her, around Kate’s neck for support.Moonlight slanted in from the window above the refrigerator as Kate touched herfor the first time, causing her thighs to quiver and a moan to escape her lips.Her body liquefied and rocked against Kate’s fingers that stroked her evenly.Methodic heaven. Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears and her eyes flutteredclosed as she enjoyed the climb. Her grip tightened in the hair at the back ofKate’s neck, and the moan it pulled from Kate threw gasoline on her alreadyblazing four-alarm.

That long-forgotten excitement of feelingdesirable and wanted was back like a lost friend. Kate pushed inside her andAutumn lost her breath. Her hips bucked back and their erotic dance found aspeed much more satisfying to her end goal. The pressure built and built inintoxicating torture until she crashed magnificently into a blinding abyss ofwhite-hot wonder, of pleasure, of inarguable ecstasy. Thank you, universe! Shewas on overload. The generous payout was just that good. When the wonderfulsensations ebbed, receding bit by bit, Autumn fell slack against Kate, who heldher tight and close. Relearning where her knees were, Autumn pushed herselfinto a wobbly but upright position, straightened her dress, turned, and liftedher gaze to Kate expectantly.

Only the look on Kate’s face wasn’t smug, orarrogant, or proud—all things she had the right to be—but gentle and kind asher gaze settled on Autumn’s still-flushed face. The surprise had Autumn’sunsuspecting heart squeezing in a manner she wasn’t prepared for. Thatkindness.

“You’re good at that,” she heard herself say.It wasn’t the most thoughtful sentence she’d ever uttered, but with her brainonly recently restarted, it was all she had.

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