Page 68 of The Fiancée Farce
No one had ever done that for her before.
Tansy ducked her chin, cheeks turning petal pink. “Oh, that. That was nothing. You hardly need to thank me.”
Gemma felt compelled nonetheless. “I want to.” When it came to Tansy, she wanted lots of things, thanking her being only one of many. She traced circles against the back of Tansy’s hand with her fingertips, not bothering to hide her smile when Tansy shivered. “Hey, what do you say we get out of here?”
Maybe go back to her place, where they could pick up where they’d left off in the library. She wanted to leave a mark at the vulnerable spot where Tansy’s throat met the arch of her collarbone to match the one beneath her ear. Another, along the crease of skin where the soft swell of her upper thigh met her hip. To press her mouth against Tansy’s skin and taste salt and feel the fluttering of Tansy’s pulse, hummingbird quick against her lips.
The things she wanted to do with Tansy,toTansy, could fill a book. Several books, in fact.
Encyclopedia Britannicavolumes one through ten had nothing on Gemma’s imagination.
Tansy winced. “I have to get back to the store. I’ve got work, remember?”
Bummer. “I couldn’t convince you to play hooky, could I?”
“Sorry.” Tansy shook her head. “We’re slammed and understaffed and we’ve got an event tonight and a book club in the morning I’m supposed to be leading for a book I haven’t even read half of yet.”
She’d better put in a few hours of work herself. Research Crenshaw Global’s most recent acquisitions. Maybe give one of herfriends atNYNDa call and get a read of the situation in the newsroom there, see if there were any rumblings of discontent, nip any concerns in the bud before they could bloom.
“Rain check?” Gemma suggested, already mentally clearing her schedule. “Tomorrow, maybe?”
Tansy frowned down at her tea. “I don’t know if that’s such a great idea.”
“All right.” No big. “Another day. I know we’ve got a meeting with the wedding planner—”
“No.” Tansy locked eyes with her for a split second before ducking her chin and looking away. Her hair formed a curtain around her face. “I meanthis. Thebenefitspart.”
“Oh.” The disappointment was sharp and swift and—staggering. Something in her chest shrank, deflated. “You’re not, um, still upset about the thing with Lucy, are you? Because I swear I meant what I said when I told you—”
“Gemma.” Tansy rested her hand atop Gemma’s, a brief touch before Tansy stole her hand away once more. “I believe you. I do.”
Then color her confused. “It was good, right? The other night. In the library?”
For her,gooddidn’t even begin to cover it.Epic, more like. The sounds Tansy made, the way she squirmed against the bookshelf, the way she clenched around Gemma’s fingers...fuck. Gemma had always liked giving, would be hard-pressed to name a headier feeling than getting someone off, but she was pretty sure she’d never been as turned on just from touching someone as she’d been while touching Tansy.
Tansy turned the sweetest shade of pink, covering her cheeks with her fingers and staring down into her tea. “Of course it was.” Her blush deepened and she squirmed in her seat, breath rasping from between her lips. “It was—it was great.”
Great.If it wasn’t that and it wasn’t about Lucy... “Then what’s the problem?”
“I thought I could do this, but I guess I didn’t have enough experience with casual relationships to have known I can’t.” Tansy tucked her hair behind her ears. “I guess I’m just not built that way.”
Gemma didn’t understand. But she wanted to. “I thought it was a comfort factor for you. About trust.”
“It is. I think that’s part of it, at least.” Tansy’s gaze was fleeting, as if she were having trouble meeting Gemma’s eyes. “I believe you. About Lucy. I really do. But when I was standing in that hallway, I didn’t know everything I know now. I didn’t know what to believe, and I realized that...” Tansy exhaled sharply and covered her eyes. “God, this is embarrassing.”
“Hey.” She rested her hand on Tansy’s arm, keeping her touch light.Friendly.“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
Tansy lowered her hand from her eyes. “I like you, okay?”
“Okay?” Gemma laughed, quickly frowning when Tansy flinched. “I like you, too, Tansy.”
She wasn’t exactly in the habit of bedding people she didn’t. Not to yuck anyone’s yum, but hate sex was better left to books and movies than real life.
“No.” Tansy turned, blue eyes huge like she was trying to communicate some deeper meaning with them. “Ilikeyou. And I think if we did this,keptdoing this, I’d only wind up liking you more than I already do. And that would be bad.”
Bad. Right.
Wait. Why would that be bad?
