Page 17 of Home for the Holidays

“I absolutely will. And hey, my name’s Iris, by the way.”

“I’m, um, I’m Heidi,” she said, finding her voice buried beneath hope and confusion.

“Thank you so very much. For the coffee.” Iris lifted her chin the slightest amount. “And for the really fantastic view.” The pink that filled her cheeks was undeniable.

Charity was right. This mystery woman, this Iris, was indeed interested.

Heidi felt like she could fly after that realization. She decided now was the perfect time to take her leave. As she scooted between a few customers, she glanced back over her shoulder. Iris was still there, still blushing, still breathtaking, before she turned and left the café.

CHAPTERSEVEN

The cold air that smacked into Iris was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the café.

She took a deep breath in after she climbed into the SUV and started the engine. How was it possible that she had just met the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen at a café, at six in the morning, two days before Christmas, in fucking Indiana of all places? She let out a laugh, and her warm breath billowed into a cloud in the still-cold interior of the vehicle. All she wanted to do was turn it off and go back inside, grab Heidi by the hand, and take her into the bathroom. Why not? Why couldn’t she? Heidi was interested. That much was clear.

Iris’s rearview-mirror version of herself was not flattering, though, and she regretted leaving Zac’s family’s house looking like a ragamuffin. Sure, she had put makeup on, but damn, she looked like she’d just rolled out of bed. She leaned closer to the mirror. “Is that a blanket print?” She rubbed the area with force before she leaned back, her head hitting the headrest, and groaned. She was a hot mess. And to think she’d met Heidi like that. What the hell was she thinking?

She glanced over at the box of pastries on the passenger seat.

Grab onto the holy shit moment, Iris.

With a start, she reached forward and turned the ignition off, climbed out of the SUV, and marched back toward the café. She looked around as she entered and found Heidi immediately. She was behind the counter talking to some customers, but within a second, her eyes had landed on Iris. Iris pulled her shoulders back as she stood upright and smiled.

“Is everything okay?” Heidi asked as she approached, her eyebrows knitting together in worry.

“Yes, can I…” Iris took a deep breath as she gathered every ounce of courage and grabbed Heidi’s hand. She pulled her through the bustling café to the restroom sign; burst through the door, which was thankfully unoccupied; shut it behind them; and turned to Heidi, but before she could even get her bearings, Heidi was reaching for her.

Their mouths crashed together.

“Yes, yes, you can,” Heidi said into the kiss. “I’m so glad you came back.”

“Me too. Oh god, me too.” Her back was flat against the door. “My word, you’re a good kisser.”

“Really?” Heidi said against her lower lip.

“Yes,really.” Iris moved her hands down to the knot at the back of Heidi’s apron and quickly untied it. She broke from the kiss as Heidi stripped it off, over her head. She then pushed Iris’s coat off her shoulders and down her arms. It fell onto the ground, and Heidi stopped to pick it up and hang it on the hook on the wall. That simple gesture warmed Iris’s heart in more ways than one. When Heidi turned and grabbed Iris again, her lips were so soft, so perfect, and kissing her was like a dream. Iris reached down to the button on Heidi’s jeans, then paused momentarily, unsure whether to continue.

“Yes, please,” Heidi whispered.

And that was all it took. Iris had the button and zipper on her jeans undone, her hand down the front of Heidi’s panties in an instant. She was so wet already, which made Iris feel invincible. She slipped her middle finger easily through the slickness and dipped inside of her. The moan Heidi released into Iris’s mouth was so fucking hot that she had to brace herself against the wall.

Heidi’s hands were on her jeans, on the button, and she let out a small chuckle. “I want to feel you,” she said softly.

“By all means.” Iris pushed her finger into Heidi just as she finished unbuttoning and unzipping and slipping beneath her panties. Heidi’s fingers dipped inside briefly before she started to massage her clit, which was exactly what she had hoped for. She did the same to Heidi as she let out a low moan, then bit down on her lower lip. “You’re so fucking hot.”

Heidi leaned her head back, her fingers still moving over Iris’s clit, and exposed her neck. Iris leaned forward and licked a path along the long, elegant column, from its hollow at the dip between her collarbones, up to her strong jaw.

“You gonna come for me?” Iris whispered against Heidi’s chin. “Hmm?”

“Are you going to come forme?” Heidi echoed. She moved so she was looking at Iris again. “Hmm?” She rubbed Iris’s clit harder, and without warning, her orgasm came out of nowhere. Iris let out a laugh as she came, and her hand shot against the wall so she could hold herself up. She was trying to focus on Heidi, but she was shaking so badly that trying to stand was becoming difficult.

When her orgasm subsided, she pulled Heidi’s hand from her panties and shook her head. “I need to focus,” she said softly, and Heidi arched her right eyebrow. Iris started to move her fingers against Heidi’s clit again. There was no way she wasn’t getting her to climax. She repositioned her hand, which was locked tightly into place by Heidi’s curve-hugging jeans, and the second she did it, that’s when it happened.

Heidi’s breath caught in her throat, her mouth parted, and she said, oh so very softly, “I’m coming.” Her fingernails dug into Iris’s biceps. She backed her slowly into the wall to the side of them. Iris kept rubbing as Heidi continued to shudder. The look of ecstasy on her face was enough for Iris to know she was doing a great job, but her soft moans were a fantastic bonus.

Iris slipped her middle and ring finger into Heidi, and she moaned again. “You’re so fucking wet,” she whispered against Heidi’s ear. “I want to get my mouth on you.”

“I would kill for that,” Heidi said before she let out another low moan.

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