Page 36 of To the Moon and Back

Carly did a freezing little dance up the walk. “I don’t even care.It’s Santa’s workshop weather. Are the elves in the bushes? Send them outhere.”

Lauren laughed. “While this is cold for a Minneapolis September,there’s no ice or snow to be seen.” Lauren estimated the temperatures to be inthe forties. Not a big deal.

“I think Minnesota is hazing me,” Carly shouted, as the wind whistledpast. “Minnesota is laughing with its northern friends about my frozen ears.They’re probably tossing back hot toddies and high-fiving.” The wind picked upand the branches of the trees in front of Lauren’s house swayed noticeably.“Ahhh! Get me inside. I’ll die!”

“Working on it.” Lauren landed on the front porch just behindCarly and put her key in the lock. “Do you think it’s possible that you mightbe overreacting just a little bit?”

“No,” Carly said, her expression dialed to panic, and her nose red.She shifted from one foot to the other in a ridiculous looking march, waitingfor Lauren to get the door open.

Lauren laughed. Actresses were dramatic. She’d always known thatpart. She liked it on Carly, though. It felt playful, and fun. “Well, then comeinside. I hear there’s no wind.” With the door unlocked, she held it open forCarly, who raced through as the wind howled behind her. Lauren closed the doorand joined Carly in the dimly lit entryway, bringing them to silence, havingleft the escalating weather outside. Well, silence except for the very quietsound of Rocky snoring on the couch on top of his favorite plaid blanket.

“You lived,” Lauren said quietly. Her smile receded and her heartthudded.

“You saved me.” Their voices seemed so quiet, the air thick andheavy. She could almost hear the snap, crackle, and pop of the tension coiledbetween them. “I owe you for that. Come here.” Carly held out her hand, andLauren took it, allowing herself to be pulled in. Every part of her hummed withwonderful anticipation. She wanted to be close to Carly, to take in her scent,and touch her skin, and feel Carly’s lips beneath hers. They’d kissed inrehearsal, and one drunken night out. Nothing came with the same level ofintent as right this moment.

Carly was shorter, but with her wearing heels, and Lauren inflats, they were square. Carly made the move. She turned her head to the sideand hovered just shy of Lauren’s mouth. “You do things to me,” she whispered.

Lauren closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss, desperately wanting.“You do them to me, too,” she whispered back. At those words, Carly’s lips wereon hers, softly at first, and even that made Lauren’s knees shake and hermuscles melt. When Carly deepened the kiss and ran her tongue along Lauren’sbottom lip, requesting entry, Lauren thought her brain might explode in thebest way. She parted her lips and accepted Carly’s tongue, which lightlyexplored her mouth with soft, fleeting touches. It was like everything Carlydid was designed to make her crave more, and oh, she very much did. Carly,clearly on a mission, walked Lauren backward as they kissed until her back metthe wall of the entryway with a soft thud. Her hands moved up Lauren’s body toher shoulders, her neck, until they cradled her face. With her thigh pressedbetween Lauren’s, they made out like fourteen-year-olds against that wall. Itwas so different, kissing Carly this time. Yes, she knew what she tasted like,how their mouths fit, but this kiss? Had no destination. Outside, the windsang. Inside, the heat tripled. Somehow, without fully planning on it, she waspulling Carly’s yellow blouse out of her jeans. This hadn’t been the plan, yethere they were. Carly pulled away from the kiss and watched her do it. God, shehad such a sexy look on her face. Her eyes were dark and her lips were swollenfrom all the kissing.

A crack of thunder hit, loud. Carly stepped into her space andslid her arms around Lauren’s neck. She kissed just below her ear and down,sending a shiver all through Lauren. “I want you so badly,” she murmuredbetween kisses. “I can’t stop thinking about you, touching you. God, you smellso good.”

Lauren’s eyes fluttered closed again as she attempted to deal withthe sensations that flooded her from every direction. She could feel Carly’sbreasts through her shirt. She wanted to see them, touch them, lick them.Another crack of thunder. What were they doing? Was this maybe too soon? Thiswas technically just a first date. Carly felt amazing in her arms, warm andsexy and ready.Should westop?She wanted to get her out of these clothes. She cupped Carly’sass, which was firm and tight. Not at all surprising from the way it looked inevery pair of pants she wore.Maybewe should log some more time together first.Lauren was on fire. Herbikinis were wet and her center throbbed. She slid her hands up to the small ofCarly’s back and under her shirt. Carly gasped quietly when she touched herskin.Maybe slow down.There was her brain again, ruining all her damn fun. She pulled her mouth awayand turned to the side. She heard the sound of her own ragged breaths, ofCarly’s.

“You okay?” Carly asked, touching her lips.

“I need just a minute,” Lauren said, walking down the hall intothe kitchen, and holding up one finger over her head. Carly waited a momentbefore following. Lauren could hear the soft click of her heels and turned toher, speaking across the granite island in her kitchen. Rocky raised his head,surveyed them, and dropped it again, returning to his midevening snooze. “Is itbad that I’m not a quick hookup kind of girl?”

Carly blinked, and rolled her lips in as if waiting for her witsto return after all the kissing. It was also possible she had whiplash from Lauren’sabout-face. “No.”

“No? Okay, good, because as much as I want to…keep going, I’mworried I’m not her.” Lauren ran a hand through what had to be disheveled hair,from the wind, and the making out. She attempted to fluff it back into place.

“Your hair is sexy like that. Don’t touch it?” It was a request,not an order. Carly was watching her with interest. No, that was appreciation.But she also gave Lauren space, and that helped Lauren’s mind slow down.

Finally, Lauren gestured between them. “This is…good.” She blewout a steadying breath and leaned one arm on the counter in front of her. “Theway we kiss…” Lauren shook her head in wonder.

Carly nodded.

The rain that she’d predicted was on the way was here and began topelt the side of the house. They were in the midst of a storm, and Lauren couldidentify. Why wouldn’t her brain just shut up and let her enjoy this woman whomshe very much wanted to undress?

“Lauren? We don’t have to jump into bed.”

“I want to.”

Carly grinned, but her eyes also held understanding. “But you alsowant to get your feet underneath you when it comes to me.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s how you work. You like order, and processes, and all yourpencils sharpened for the day.” Carly had been paying attention. Lauren, asstage manager, started every rehearsal with four sharpened pencils. When she’dtaken on the role of Mandy, she’d kept the practice. Carly came around theisland and faced her. “I’m not quite sharp yet.” She shrugged. “I’ll get there.Hopefully. But I’m not in a hurry.”

With Carly so close to her, Lauren’s body began to wake up all overagain. She moved closer and touched Carly’s bottom lip lightly with her thumb.“Maybe we could wait a little bit?”

Carly nodded. “We can wait. I can wait.” She nodded about eighttimes and Lauren had to laugh and kiss her again. And oh, that led to a lotmore kissing. God, they were advanced placement when it came to it. She’d neverenjoyed kissing another human so much in all of her life.

“I’m regretting that decision about now,” she confessed betweenkisses.

“It’s okay. We can do this instead. I really like doing this.”Carly breathed, and dove back in, this time backing Lauren against the counter.

“You like me up against things.”

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