A soft moan escaped from deep in her throat, and Leila ended the kiss.
Ree opened her eyes and met Leila’s mahogany ones, which shone brightly with heat and beauty. If only they could live forever in this one moment, she would be content…more than content—her life would be complete. To forever live wrapped within the embrace of her soul’s partner.
Inwardly, she laughed at herself and her sudden turn into a poet. From scientist to poet with one kiss. Oh, but what a kiss!
“Uh, we’d better return to our table.” Leila dropped her hands into her lap and bowed her head.
Dread washed coldly through Ree, extinguishing her lust. Slowly, she released her hold from around Leila’s waist.
Once she was free, Leila stood and walked to the mirror, smoothing her upswept hair with her palms. She touched her lips with a fingertip as she studied her reflection. “I look like I’ve been thoroughly kissed.” She turned and faced Ree with near panic in her eyes. “Please don’t say anything in front of Patrick.”
Ree’s stomach knotted, and her prime rib threatened to reappear. “I wouldn’t do anything to upset you,” she choked out.
“This was…this was…”
“A mistake?” Ree helped her finish her sentence.
Leila shook her head. “An…experiment.”
An experiment? Ree wanted to shout, roar, cry out her denial. Leila had kissed her as an experiment? Well, it was obvious from her current behavior the results didn’t favor Ree.
Leila walked to the lounge door and opened it. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, “Are you coming?”
Ree absorbed the image of Leila standing there with the curve of her breasts rising above the purple gown, her shiny hair swept up from her graceful neck, and her lips rosy from Ree’s kisses. She wanted to etch the memory of their “experiment” permanently in her mind before she had to go back into the real world.
“I’ll be out in a second,” she finally answered in a dull tone.
Chapter Two
Leila scooted out of the ladies’ room and stood for a moment with her back pressed against the closed door. Tears threatened, but she blinked them back ferociously.
How could she have treated her best friend so horrifically? The devastated look on Ree’s face when Leila mentioned Patrick had nearly sent her diving back into Ree’s arms.
But that would have been disastrous because this experimentation would ruin their friendship. She had to put a stop to it now. Neither one of them was gay. These feelings had to be some kind of BFF crush. It wasn’t real; real was waiting for her back at their table—Patrick looking handsome and manly in his tuxedo.
That’s what she needed to do. Transfer these feelings she had for Ree to Patrick. He should be the one she was dying to kiss and rub up against and get naked with.
Oh, God, not Ree.
She couldn’t be thinking of her friend this way. Only disappointment and heartache would follow if she pursued these feelings. No matter how responsive Ree had been in the ladies’ room, these feelings of attraction weren’t true. They couldn’t be. Leila was a straight woman, and so was Ree.
She took a deep breath, straightened her spine and returned to their table. As the president of their organization was thanking their major benefactors, she slipped into her seat next to Patrick.
He raised a brow as he met her eyes. She reassured him with a smile before turning towards the stage. Sitting at his side made her all too aware of the lack of physical attraction between them, especially when she could still feel the electricity coursing through her nerve endings from her encounter with Ree.
When Ree returned to her chair at Leila’s right, Leila glanced over briefly, but her friend didn’t meet her gaze.
Leila sat rigidly for the remainder of the speeches, certain she’d already started the downfall of her relationship with Ree. She swallowed the lump rising in her throat and counted the minutes until she could leave this incredibly painful situation.
Finally, the last speaker made his closing remarks, and Leila let out a deep sigh. She turned to Patrick just as he grabbed the cell phone out of his pocket.
“Sorry, I was hoping we’d make it all the way through the evening without a call,” he apologized.
She grabbed her purse and readied herself to leave as it became apparent from his responses that he was going to have to go to the hospital to see a patient.
He snapped the phone closed. “I’m so sorry, Leila.”
“No problem. You can drop me at home on the way.”
“Actually, I was hoping Ree could give you a lift. If that’s okay?” He looked expectantly at Ree.
Out of the corner of her eye, Leila saw Ree nod.
“I’ve got a patient going into emergency surgery. I gotta run.” He kissed her quickly on the cheek and rushed between the crowded tables towards the exit.
As she watched him get lost in the throng, she realized she wasn’t sorry to see him go. It was definitely time to end things with him, and she didn’t think he’d be too surprised either. He didn’t seem to mind that they hadn’t been intimate in the past few weeks. It was as if he were ready to pull out of the relationship too.
Thinking about intimacy reminded her of her encounter with Ree in the bathroom and the awkwardness that was sure to follow now that she needed a ride home.
She took a deep breath before facing her friend. “I’m sorry you have to go out of your way.”
“No biggie, we can stop at my place first, and I can grab that book I was going to lend you. And while we’re there, I’ll grab my flip flops, too. These heels may look drop-dead gorgeous, but right now my pinkie toes are threatening to drop off dead.”
Leila let out a small laugh, pleased that her regular, no-nonsense Ree seemed to be back. Maybe their friendship wasn’t going to end in tattered ruins after all. “Let’s go, Cinderella. I believe the clock has struck twelve. Time to get you back in your everyday rags.”
“Hey! My everyday clothes are nice,” Ree defended herself as they left the ballroom and headed for the parking garage.
“You always look good. It’s just tonight you look exceptional.” Leila snapped her mouth shut. Normally, a comment like that about her friend wouldn’t faze her, but after that amazing kiss, she was afraid of how her words could be interpreted.
“You look exceptional too,” Ree volleyed back without any apparent undercurrent in her words, and Leila breathed another sigh of relief.
Evidently, they were both willing to move past their lip-lock in the ladies’ room and get back to their normal, conventional friendship. And that’s when Leila knew she was really in trouble, because a hollow ache took up residence in her chest when she realized she’d never kiss Ree again. She’d never feel the exhilarating rush from Ree’s curves pressed against her or the heady sensation of exploring Ree’s enticing mouth.
Lost in her thoughts, she stumbled on the pavement, and Ree caught her forearm.
“Are you okay?” her friend asked, pulling Leila to a stop.
“Sure. I’m just ready to be out of these heels too,” she lied. Well, sort of lied. She was ready to get out of more than just her heels with Ree.
She groaned inwardly. Apparently, ending her lusty thoughts about her best friend wasn’t going to be easy.
* * * *
God, the last thing Ree wanted was to have Leila in her car tonight. The little sport coupe put them much too close together when she really needed some distance for cooling off.
To keep her mind otherwise occupied, she delivered a running commentary on their coworkers’ dates and significant others during the short ride over to her apartment. When she pulled into her spot in the underground parking garage, she drew in her first deep breath since getting into the car. Leila’s floral scent surrounded her, and she bolted from the vehicle.
“Come on up while I search for that book. I’m pretty sure I remember where I put it, but I don’t want you waiting for me alone down here in case it takes me a few minutes to find it,” she blathered, locking the car with her remote.
Leila sent her a curious look, but didn’t say anything.
In the elevator, Ree kept her eyes glued to the red digital numbers marking their progress up to the ninth floor. Leila stood quietly at her side, just close enough that their arms brushed. The electricity coursing through Ree’s body could have powered her building during a blackout, but Leila had made it clear she wasn’t interested.
At the door to her apartment, Ree fumbled with her key in the lock as she felt Leila’s warm presence behind her. Finally, she got the door open and stepped back to let Leila in.
Ree followed, closing the door behind her. She nearly ran into Leila when she stopped abruptly and turned around to face Ree.
Without a word, Leila cupped Ree’s cheek in her palm, just as she had earlier that evening in the ladies’ room. Knowing she was going to get hurt, Ree should have stepped back out of Leila’s reach, but she didn’t—she couldn’t. She needed this kiss. She needed whatever Leila was willing to give her. She’d deal with the heartache of letting Leila go later. For now, she was living in this moment.
Leila backed Ree up to the door and took charge of the kiss. Her satiny lips pressed against Ree’s mouth, and her tongue teased Ree’s lips apart. She delved deeply, driving Ree to tug Leila’s body closer.
More…more…more
were the only thoughts rushing through Ree’s head.
She wanted more. More kisses, more touches, more penetration. Oh God, she wanted to get inside Leila’s skin—to feel surrounded by her heat and silky softness.
Leila withdrew her tongue, but Ree refused to let the kiss end. She continued sucking and gently nipping Leila’s lower lip as she backed her friend across the room to the sofa. With her arms firmly around Leila’s waist, she lay down and pulled Leila over her on the couch. Leila’s weight felt delicious over the length of Ree’s body, as did her full breasts cushioned against Ree’s chest.
Leila caught herself with her hands on either side of Ree’s head. Her eyes widened as she looked down at Ree. “What are we doing?” Her voice rose on each syllable.
Ree’s chest tightened as did her hold around Leila’s waist. She wouldn’t let go this time without a confrontation. “We’re doing exactly what we both want.” She silently dared Leila to deny this feeling they shared.
“But we’re not
gay
,” she whispered the last word.
Ree studied Leila’s face. Was her friend prejudiced or just inexperienced? “You mean because we’ve only dated men?”
Leila nodded, and a stray hair fell across her cheek.
Ree tucked it behind her ear. “If you’ve only dated men, how do you know you don’t like women?”
“I’ve never felt like this about a woman before,” Leila continued, still whispering.
“Neither have I,” Ree admitted, pleased that Leila seemed open to this experience. Then she took her confession further. “I love you, Leila, and I want to make love to you.”
Leila’s body shivered over Ree. “I want to too, but…”
Ree’s brain buzzed with Leila’s admission, and she was glad she was lying down. “But what, sweetie?” She stroked Leila’s cheek.
Leila’s gaze darted away. “I’m afraid I don’t know how.”
Her girl looked so tender and unsure, Ree’s heart smarted. “No fears. If it feels good, we’ll know we’re doing it right.”
Leila giggled. “I bet it’d feel good to get out of these uncomfortable gowns.”
“Now that sounds like a good place to start.” Ree grinned as she and Leila stood from the couch. “I bet it’d also feel good to slide naked between my sheets.”
Leila’s lips twitched into her signature wicked smile. “I bet I can beat you there.” She dashed for the bedroom before she finished her sentence.
“Cheater!” Ree shouted, laughing as she raced after her purple-gowned best friend.
* * * *
Leila unzipped her dress on the way to Ree’s room. She was afraid if she paused, she’d back out. There was no way she could do that to Ree. She’d never seen her friend so happy as when Ree had spoken of her feelings for Leila.
Leila didn’t know if her own feelings were love, but for tonight, she was willing to explore them with Ree.
She dropped her gown in a puddle of aubergine on the floor and jumped between Ree’s sheets, still clad in her strapless bra and matching black lace panties.
Ree entered the room and stood next to the bed. She held Leila’s attention as she slowly undid the deep v-necked halter-top of the blue dress, revealing her naked breasts. They were full and round with hard, rosy nipples.
Leila got to her knees on the bed and reached out to touch. Holding the warm, soft weight in her palms wasn’t enough. She leaned forward and sucked one breast into her mouth while caressing the other with her hand.
Ree moaned and arched towards Leila as she dropped her dress to the floor, revealing a hot pink thong. Then she pressed her hands against Leila’s shoulders. “Lie down. I want to love you.”
Reluctantly, Leila let go and settled back on the pillows that smelled like Ree’s fruity shampoo. She turned her head and inhaled deeply.