Page 104 of Tell Me Your Desires
Anya laughed. “I think the point of oats being sown is variety.”
“I recalla lotof variety in that chamber. Things I’ve never imagined before.” Jaime reached up, ignoring the slight tugging sensation in the area around her wound, and traced her fingertip over Anya’s eyebrow. “That’s not who I am, Anya. I want…” Jaime paused, wanting to find the right words without scaring Anya off. Sharing this space together was one thing, but was Anya ready to share her life with Jaime? “I want what Max and Rosanna have. I want someone who is there at the end of the day who I can talk to…or not talk to, and will understand. I want someone I can share dinner with night after night, someone to do laundry and dishes with, and someone I can be happy with.” Jaime took a breath as she lowered her hand to Anya’s jaw and held it in her palm. “Someone to make love to whenever and wherever the mood strikes us…and have it feeling just as exciting and incredible as the first time, but also familiar and comforting.” She leaned in and kissed Anya, one hand soothing her thigh. “I just…I wantyou.”
Anya was stunned by Jaime’s unguarded honesty and equally as shocked by her own reaction to everything Jaime had just said. She envisioned herself and Jaime doing all of that…and more. “Oh,” Anya said finally. Yeah, she wanted what Jaime did, but where was the fun in making it easy? “Is that all?” She couldn’t hold the mischievous grin at bay for long, especially when Jaime’s face was the picture of confusion.
“That’s not nice,” Jaime laughed, then stopped abruptly. “Wait. Does that mean…?”
“That I want what you do?” Anya tucked her legs under her and took Jaime’s hands. “I think I could get used to having anactual human being living here with me. Everything you said sounds wonderful. Do I think we’re there, yet? I don’t know, but I’m willing to test it. I could give you a couple of drawers. Maybe even half of the closet. You can stop living out of your suitcase and see how it feels for you tolivehere and not just recover here.”
“Whoa.Halfof the whole closet? That’s serious! I didn’t even get that in my own apartment!” Jaime teased, but inside, her heart was filled with joy. Was Anya genuinely ready for something so domestic? God, Jaime hoped so.
“Well, Iamquite serious about you. Besides, I’m afraid that if I don’t come to some kind of agreement with you to have you here on a more permanent basis, Derek will leave vomit in every other shoe, and I won’t know which one it’ll be.”
Jaime snorted. Anya’s sense of humor never ceased to catch her off guard. It certainly wouldn’t be boring making a home with her. “We can’t have that. So, where do I sign? Or is there a secret handshake?”
“A kiss could seal the deal.”
Jaime frowned. “Oh, um…like on the lips?” She looked around for Derek, scrunching her face up. “I’ve never kissed a cat before. I thought there’d be like a secret paw shake or something.”
“Oh, my God.” Anya picked up a small pillow and smacked Jaime in the face with it.
“Hey! I’m still recuperating here!” Jaime grabbed the pillow and held it out of Anya’s reach. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be beating me with a pillow.”
“Says the woman who wanted me to bring out the flo?—”
Jaime pressed her hand to Anya’s mouth. “Hush! Derek is around here somewhere. You can’t be saying those things out loud.”
Anya peeled Jaime’s fingers from her lips. “I can’t say it, but I can do it? Is that the rule?” She chuckled lightly when Jaime shrugged and blushed. “You’re going to be fun, Detective.”
Anya leaned in to seal their deal, only to be rudely interrupted by the buzz of the doorbell.
“I’m going to arrest whoever that is,” Jaime muttered under her breath as she pulled back.
“You’re still on injury leave,” Anya said to her as she reached for her phone. “And isn’t it a good job I’m here to remind you of that?”
“Yeah, well, I’ll just ask Max to arrest them.” She peered over Anya’s shoulder and rolled her eyes at the screen. “What’s she doing back in Reno?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Anya clicked the speaker button. “Kate, we’re out back. Come on through the gate.”
“You could have told her we weren’t home.”
Anya shot Jaime a look and disengaged the speaker. “Be nice.”
Jaime rolled her eyes and traced a circle above her head. So what if she still held some animosity towards Anya’s ex? It was a knee-jerk reaction to someone who had seen Anya naked before. Oh, and someone who had betrayed her.
“Mmhmm. Your halo is crooked. It must have gotten stuck on one of your horns.” Anya patted Jaime’s cheek. “Oh, look. Reinforcements are here for you.”
Derek jumped onto the bed and immediately crawled into Jaime’s lap to make biscuits. Jaime winced as his claws dug into her thighs, but she didn’t dare stop him. She’d researched why cats do it, and she knew it meant he was happy and comfortable with her or perhaps bonding with her. Jaime was completely on board with that.
“Hello?”
“Come on back,” Anya called out.
“Or she could go back to where she came from,” Jaime whispered to Derek.
“Meow.”
“Exactly!”
