Page 78 of Her Holiday Arrangement
Riley swallowed hard. Then she leaned in, kissing her again.
This kiss was slower, deeper. Riley’s lips parted against hers, and Elizabeth gasped softly into the warmth of it, her hands sliding into Riley’s hair. She tasted like toothpaste and cocoa and salt, and Elizabeth wanted to drown in it.
When they broke apart, Riley’s thumb traced lightly along Elizabeth’s jaw, teasing, gentle, grounding.
Riley took her hand and guided her toward the bathroom. Elizabeth’s pulse raced, not entirely from the kiss. She followed, letting Riley lead her through the small apartment.
Riley turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until steam began to curl thickly in the air. She glanced back at Elizabeth with a small, amused smile that made Elizabeth’s chest tighten.
“Come on,” Riley said, tugging lightly at the hem of her coat. “I’ll help get you warmed up.”
Elizabeth’s lips parted, caught between hesitation and a thrill she couldn’t name. The thought of letting Riley touch her, guide her, warm her, of being this vulnerable, made her pulse spike. She nodded, exhaling a shiver she didn’t try to hide, and let Riley peel away the rest of her layers.
The warmth of the shower hit her first, cascading over her skin, but it was Riley’s hands that sent a deeper shiver throughher body. She felt her back tense as Riley pressed against her from behind, warm and solid, fingertips tracing the line of her shoulders and down her arms, kneading the tension from her muscles.
“You’ve been holding everything in,” Riley murmured close to her ear. “Let me take care of you for a minute.”
Elizabeth’s knees wobbled. “I-I don’t know how.”
“You don’t have to,” Riley interrupted, her lips brushing against Elizabeth’s neck, playful, teasing. “Just feel it.”
And she did. Elizabeth leaned back against Riley, letting her hands rest on her hips as Riley’s fingers wandered, teasing along the curve of her ribs, brushing over her chest. A sharp intake of breath escaped her as Riley’s hand pressed against her center, coaxing, urging, and Elizabeth pressed back instinctively, hips tilting.
Elizabeth’s hand shot into Riley’s hair, tugging her closer as her body reacted before her mind could catch up. “Riley…” she gasped, voice breaking, heat pooling low in her stomach.
Riley laughed softly, almost breathless, and leaned closer, lips brushing along Elizabeth’s jawline. “Not so composed now, are you?” she teased, though there was an unmistakable heat behind her words.
Elizabeth could only groan, tipping her head back, letting Riley explore her, the sensation overwhelming, impossible to resist. Every nerve ending ignited, every rational thought evaporated in the warmth and the intimacy of it.
Slowly, deliberately, Riley’s lips found hers again, kisses deep and consuming. Elizabeth pressed back, wrapping her arms around Riley’s neck, clinging as the world contracted to just them, just this heat, just this touch. Her body arched involuntarily, responding to Riley’s teasing hands, to the subtle grind of her hips against her own.
“God, Riley,” Elizabeth gasped into the kiss, voice trembling, half pleasure, half desperation.
Riley smiled against her lips, answering with a slow, tantalizing slide of her hands, drawing shivers and small whimpers from Elizabeth. “Say my name,” she murmured, voice low, roughened by desire.
Riley’s name fell from Elizabeth’s lips, again and again, like a prayer and a plea. Each repetition drove Riley to press closer, harder, until Elizabeth felt herself tilting over the edge, breathless, trembling, gasping.
Finally, Riley leaned back slightly, just enough to glance at her, eyes dark, lips swollen from their kisses, and a small smirk tugged at her mouth. “Your turn,” she whispered, voice teasing but insistent.
Elizabeth’s hands didn’t hesitate. She traced the line of Riley’s jaw, down her neck, across her shoulders, learning every inch of her curves and planes with deliberate care. Riley gasped, a soft whine, and shifted closer, letting Elizabeth take her in fully, fingers exploring, lips pressing over every curve, every trembling reaction.
The water pounded around them, the heat of the steam and their bodies mingling, and Elizabeth felt something she hadn’t let herself admit until this moment: she was completely undone, completely consumed by Riley. Every thought of control, of cool distance, evaporated. She had chosen this. She had chosen Riley.
And Riley, playful and tender, demanding and gentle, was guiding her into a surrender she never wanted to end.
When their lips parted this time, it was not a retreat but a breathless pause. Elizabeth clung to Riley, forehead pressed to hers, chest rising and falling, heart racing. Her hands lingered, memorizing, holding, seeking.
“I, I want this,” Elizabeth whispered, voice raw. “Not pretend, not some arrangement. Just… you.”
Riley smiled, teasing but soft. “I know. And I’m right here.”
Elizabeth leaned in again, pressing a final lingering kiss to Riley’s lips before Riley tugged her by the hand, out of the shower, toward the bedroom. Steam followed them, clinging to their skin, wrapping them in warmth.
They stumbled toward the bed, hands clutching at each other for balance, and fell onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs.
Elizabeth laughed, a short, surprised sound. When Riley’s palm pressed against her waist, firm and warm, Elizabeth froze, then shivered. “Riley…”
“I’ve got you,” Riley whispered, thumb brushing along her hip. “Just… stay with me.”
