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Samantha might have backed off. Might have been offended or uncomfortable by her directness. But Natalia could only describe her expression as delighted.
“Is there anything that gets past you?” Samantha leaned forward like she was in love with being called out. Like it was a kink Natalia wasn’t aware of. Samantha was impossible to predict, and it only made Natalia want to figure her out despite every alarm screaming for its life.
“I’ll tell you what.” Samantha perched her arm on the back of the booth. “How about we agree that we’re dating and drop the bullshit?”
“Dating now?” Natalia laughed. Samantha really didn’t know when to quit. “I don’t know that I’ve ever agreed that we’ve been on a single date.”
“You want to get to know me. I want to get to know you. What else should we call this?”
Natalia didn’t have an immediate response. She didn’t have the words to explain that it was something she couldn’t want. Getting close to someone could only result in handing over the keys to her heartbreak. She’d sworn to herself that she’d never do that again. And she’d kept that promise for nearly thirty years. But maybe she could find a safe zone. A way to get what she wanted without risking herself.
Too soon, the last call was announced. Natalia blinked, surprised to find the club emptying out. When had it gotten so late?
Outside, the sultry night sparked with possibility. Without discussing it, Samantha followed Natalia to her car. Walking close to her, almost protectively, the ghost of Samantha’s touch lingered on Natalia’s lower back. Did Samantha really think her so fragile? Sirens sounded in her mind. The moment felt dangerously close to intimacy.
At her sleek Jaguar, she turned to face Samantha. “Well, good?—“
Her words were cut off as Samantha’s mouth captured hers. Natalia froze, shocked by the kiss. Hand cupping her neck, Samantha drew her closer as her lips coaxed Natalia to move.
Yielding, helpless to resist Samantha’s intoxicating taste and warmth, Natalia indulged. She moaned into the kiss, the sound lost amid the distant throb of city sounds.
The sea-salt breeze drifted over them and Samantha deepened the kiss, her body pressing Natalia back against the car. The cool metal grounded Natalia even as her senses swam. She clutched at Samantha’s hips, aching with longing.
In the shadows of the palms rustling above them, Natalia could almost pretend they existed in a secret world of their own making. No past or future, just this electric now.
As Samantha’s tongue caressed hers, deepening the kiss further, Natalia felt the precarious cliff’s edge disappearing beneath her feet. She was plunging into dangerous waters, no steady shore in sight.
But she couldn’t bring herself to tear away from Samantha’s embrace. The tastes and textures of her were too intoxicating, like the most luxurious champagne. Natalia clung tighter as she sank deeper, powerless to resist the riptide’s pull.
She let herself get swept away in Samantha’s kiss. Closing her eyes, Natalia let go of the ledge, allowing herself to free-fall into the fathomless unknown stretching out beneath her.
“Come over,” Natalia groaned against her lips, eager for an encore of the night they spent together weeks ago.
Samantha’s kiss slipped over her jaw and found her neck. She held Natalia so close it was almost crushing. It wasn’t close enough.
“No,” Samantha whispered, hands gripping Natalia’s hips like the word hurt to speak. “Not unless you promise not to bolt after,” she added, tone naked and lacking Samantha’s usual joking quality.
Natalia leaned back to look Samantha in the eye. She searched her face. It couldn’t have hurt her feelings that Natalia had left after they’d finished. What had Samantha expected? Sweet nothings while they lay tangled in each other’s sweaty bodies? The image sent Natalia’s heart racing. It was a ridiculous notion.
Samantha leaned in and kissed her again. Softer this time. “Maybe after our next date,” she muttered against her waiting mouth. “Good night, Natalia.”
And then she was gone, leaving Natalia a tangled mess like she’d probably intended. She clenched her jaw, frustrated at Samantha’s success. Shocked that in a moment of weakness, she almost considered accepting Samantha’s terms just to wrap herself around her again.
CHAPTER 18
The ring of Natalia’s cellphone pierced the silence in her pristine home office. She hadn’t realized that while she’d been staring at a script, her mind had wandered away. Had gotten lost in Samantha’s kiss from last night. Had replayed the moment near her car over and over, wishing the evening hadn’t ended there. Annoyed that she hadn’t gotten her way.
She shouldn’t be thinking of her. Shouldn’t be allowing Samantha to distract her. Even if she wanted to consider her offer of going on dates, which she didn’t, the fact that she derailed her focus was reason enough to discard the idea as ludicrous.
Sex and exhilarating banter and the contact high of Samantha’s contagious passions were not enough to make Natalia ignore all the downsides. All the perils of emotional entanglement. She needed to keep Samantha at arm’s length, only getting close enough to get what she needed and go.
Getting to her feet, Natalia decided on a shower before leaving for the office. She needed to do something with her body and tangled racing thoughts. It hadn’t worked.
Even on her drive, Natalia couldn’t make herself relax. Her muscles were coiled and her senses were on high alert. She was stuck in fight mode without a sparring partner. It was like she wanted to wrestle herself, but couldn’t get a good grip.
The moment Natalia pulled into the parking garage, she took in a lungful of air and exhaled the part of her that wanted to throw a pity party. She had nothing to feel bad about. She was successful, by all measures. She was important, and so was her work. Any nagging feelings to the contrary were a product of antiquated societal expectations that people needed to be in couples to be fulfilled. Well, fuck that.
Striding through Dominion was like slipping into a favorite sweatshirt. It was comfortable and right and offered her the jolt she needed to shake off the nausea gripping her belly.
