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“Amy likes to poke and prod. She wouldn't try so hard if she truly thought Quinn would give her any details. In a lot of things, she likes the chase.”
“Hmm. I can see that.” Avery stuffed the chips into the pantry before wrapping her arms tightly around Stella.
“Are you tired?” Stella’s voice lowered at seeing the lust shining in Avery’s eyes.
“Not very, how about you?” Avery walked them down the hall, taking off Stella’s shirt as they went. A few steps later, her own was discarded on the ground. A trail of clothes littered the hallway.
Stella was torn between wanting to shred off the rest of their layers and slowing things down to savor the experience. Their first time was fun but lacked emotion. This time, she wanted to discover what made Avery go wild in bed. What worked, what didn’t. She couldn’t wait to uncover the canvas of Avery’s passion.
All thoughts were thrown out the window inside the room as they fell into a familiar dance that had them panting for more. It would never be enough.
Chapter 19
Meeting Mom and Big Questions
In the early morning, long hair fell across Avery’s face. She swiped at the locks, thinking for a moment that insects were crawling along her neck. When she realized it was just Stella’s hair, Avery sank further into Stella’s comfortable mattress, ready to slip back into sleep.
It had been about four weeks since the first episode aired. Each of those was spent getting to know Stella better. They had stayed at each other's house nearly every other night, since they were taking it slow and every night would have been too much. Or at least that’s what they tried to tell each other every time they separated for a night.
“What’s wrong?” Stella’s sleep-soaked voice cracked in Avery’s ear.
“Nothing at all,” she said, rolling onto her side.
Even though Avery was shorter, she liked to be the big spoon. She wrapped her arms around Stella’s middle and pulled her in close. In the warm cocoon of Stella’s safety, Avery fell back asleep.
When she woke again, the bed was empty and cold. Her phone was in the living room, and her watch had died, leaving her discombobulated and unaware of the time. Stretching before leaving the bed, she looked for her pants, finding them folded in a pile, much like the first time she’d slept with Stella. Instead of feeling disappointment, she only felt contentment. It was a true wonder they had found each other again.
Following her nose, she found Stella dancing in the kitchen. A massive mess piled around her. She slid a finished pancake onto an already precariously high pile. It was becoming the leaning tower of flapjacks.
“I’m not worried about you ever committing a crime. You’d be caught immediately with all this evidence stacked against you.” Avery grinned after a particularly tempting booty shake.
“Hi, you. I’m not worried about having to commit a crime. I know plenty of people to call who will help with cleanup.” Stella leaned in for a morning peck. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, leaving her lips free and clear for a kiss.
“What’s with the feast?” Avery pulled glasses down from the cupboard and then pivoted around Stella to the fridge for the juice. If there was any indication that they made a good couple, it was how well they did in each other's space in the kitchen.
“You have a test today. Once you ace this, you’ll graduate. That’s huge, hence the feast.” In a well-timed dance, Stella twisted to the plates, and together, they walked to the table. Avery handled the coffee and juice cups while Stella dealt with the dishes and silverware.
“I’m trying not to think about it. Why did I schedule the test for two? It’ll be a dark cloud over my head all damn day.” Avery slumped in her chair.
“Lately we’ve been going at it until like four and don’t get up until noon.” Stella tapped her phone to wake up the screen. “It’s nine right now, but I wanted you to sleep well, so we stopped at eleven last night.”
“You vixen. Well, it worked. You tired me out so much I could barely hold my head up.” Flashes of the night before pounded in her head, making her thighs tremble.
“The things I do for l—you.” Stella stumbled over the sentence. “Like holding off on my own pleasure so you can get your beauty sleep.” Stella dug into her pancake.
Avery hid her smile in the rim of her coffee cup. Usually, she’d tease about the gaffe, but Stella clearly wasn’t ready to say the big word yet, and although it was on the tip of Avery’s tongue every moment, she was holding back as well. Not that she wanted to wait. The moment just never seemed right for it.
“I promise to make it up to you as soon as this damn test ends.” Avery wasn’t sure she could get any food down, but once the buttery goodness melted on her tongue, her nerves were forgotten as she scarfed down the short stack. “Do you want to meet my mom this evening? I was hoping to spend some time with her after the test.” Avery wasn’t sure why she could feel her heartbeat in her ears, but she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hear the answer. After a few beats, she added, “I don’t think we have to worry about being seen together there. Since they know we’ve done the show, I think it’s okay to be seen just at the long-term care facility as friends.”
Even though it was only a few beats, it felt like a lifetime before Stella finally answered. “I’d be honored to meet her.” Her pleased tone warmed Avery’s chest.
“Good, great.” Avery’s words were jumbled. She wasn’t sure how lucid her mom would be, but having someone meet her was a huge step. “I’ll clean up since you cooked.” She stacked their plates, needing to burn off some energy. Test anxiety was cresting into her psyche.
“Thank you. I’m going to make a few phone calls. There was a call back from one of the producers about a guest spot for a talk show. I’m going to audition for it.” Stella placed her hand on Avery’s shoulder and kissed her cheek lightly before walking towards her guest bedroom/office.
Avery used the time to recenter herself. One more test, and she’d have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a fast-growing job market where she could ideally work from home. That would mean the opportunity to work from anywhere. She’d already put some feelers out, and an intriguing option in Seattle was biting. Even without a diploma, she had a job interview for next week. It would be the fourth in a grueling gauntlet of interviews as she went further up the ladder, but it was completely worth it. The starting pay was more than she made when she worked two and a half jobs—even with tips.
Warm soap bubbles tickled her hands as she scrubbed the plates and put them on the drying rack. Stella had a fancy dishwasher, but she needed to use the time to settle herself, and nothing let her mind wander more than mindless work. After all the dishes were sparkling, she started on the counters that had somehow gotten coated in flour. Then she took a broom to the floors. By the time she finished, she was ready to tackle the final test, the last step before striding into a career. Something she’d always wanted but assumed it would be a faraway dream, the unattainable.
