Page 83 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?
“Can’t help it,” Max said, undeterred. She skated her teeth across the nipple, sending pinpricks of pleasure and pain. Dear God, it was good. How Ella was still aroused by not just the sensation, but the image of her breast in Max’s mouth was beyond her. It seemed impossible. Yet, here she was, turned on again, just moments later. She felt the subtle stirring between her legs and squirmed.
“Max,” she said.
Max moved to Ella’s other breast, sucking a nipple, while still kneading the first. “I’m obsessed with your body,” she said, going back in. She kissed Ella’s stomach, her thighs. “Oh, I think we’re going again.” She nodded up at Ella.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to—” But the second Max’s tongue touched her center, the sentiment died on her lips. She was already so sensitive that it was only another couple of seconds until she was tumbling again, lost in an oblivion so powerful she saw white lights on Max’s ceiling. Her hips rocked of their own accord as she rode the remaining shockwaves of her second fucking orgasm. It wasn’t even 9 a.m.
Max climbed up the bed and stared down at her, topless and beautiful. “Did I say good morning yet?” she asked with a smile.
TWENTY-TWO
To Working and Wine
Ella got to book club extra early that week. Could it have been because she hadn’t seen Max in thirty-six hours and wanted to lay eyes on her gorgeous face, hear her thoughts on the book, and drink wine with their friends on a day that felt so ridiculously good that she couldn’t quite stand it? Yeah, that was entirely it.
She climbed the steps quickly and smiled at the new pillows Stevie had placed on the swing. Brighter colors, signaling a turning of the page, maybe? She knocked once and opened the door, letting herself in.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” Stevie said, meeting her in the hallway and happily accepting the spinach artichoke dip Ella had learned to make on Pinterest. “But I’m gonna eat the hell out of this.”
“As well you should. I was in the mood. Even the crostini are homemade,” Ella reported with a proud smile. She was incredibly domestic now that she was in a relationship. And given that she was working pretty steadily, she felt a little safer spending more money at the grocery store. “Am I first?”
“Nope. Ari’s in the kitchen, scoping out the wine choices. She can’t decide if it’s a white night or a red, and dammit, I feel like it’s both.”
“I’ve always liked your approach.” She followed Stevie down the short hallway that would deposit them between the kitchen and the living room. “And how are you? Any hot dates lately?”
“Very funny,” Stevie said, with a sideways grin, and then looked away. “Just me living my boring life. Did you know they moved trash day to Friday? That’s about the extent of my excitement.” But there was just something about her demeanor that told Ella there was more to that story. Maybe she was still talking to that woman from the club and wasn’t ready to share the details just yet. Ella could certainly understand and would honor her privacy until Stevie was ready to talk about it.
They found Ariana in the kitchen pouring a glass of pinot grigio, which meant white had won the day. “Max isn’t here yet. Tell me everything.”
“Well, hello to you, too.”
“There’s no time for hello,” Ariana said with excited intensity. “How hot and heavy are the two of you exactly on a scale of one to ten?” She held up a hand. “Stop. I already know it’s a ten simply from observing you from feet away. It was a flawed question. What I should have asked is: Are you official?”
Ella smiled and nodded. “We’re giving things a try and so far, it’s been going really well.”
Stevie swatted Ella on the ass with a magazine from the counter. “You should have said that the second you walked in.”
“It’s been about seventy-five seconds, so I think we got to it pretty quickly. And damn, you have an impressive swing.” She rubbed her ass cheek and sent Stevie an impressed stare.
“I used to pitch for the girls’ softball team in college.”
Ella stared at her. “And you didn’t know you were a lesbian?”
That earned her another swat. Gentler this time.
“Best part?” Ariana asked.
Ella collapsed against the counter in surrender. “The way she looks at me. I’m not someone who’s always felt … special, you know? And with Max, I don’t know how to express it other than to say I really do.”
“Then you should see the way she looks at you from our POV,” Ariana fanned herself with her hand.
Stevie nodded. “She sometimes chews on the inside of her cheek when she’s studying your profile.”
“It’s so off-brand for Max that I just love it. She’s gone on you.” Ariana lifted her shoulders to her ears as if she couldn’t stand the cute. Ella soaked up every second. She didn’t need validation that what they had was real, but somehow hearing it out loud from others made it all the more vivid and exciting. Ella blinked, trying to remember that this was real life, as happiness moved through her like sunlight warming a long, shadowed room.
“Are we dishing on Max before she gets here?” Morgan joined them at the kitchen party. “I put a fresh batch of walnut brownies on the coffee table,” she said to Stevie.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Ariana said matter-of-factly.
