Helen reached for the honey, the gears in her head visibly whirling. “I’m going to have to put Matt on the couch,” she said,gaze unfocused while she thought. “My brother-in-law has a bad back, so there is unfortunately no place for him but the room you’re in now. It has the best mattress.” She stirred honey into the tea. “The twins can stay in Matt’s room. No one over thirty can sleep on that futon.” She looked up at Alix. “That leaves the daybed and trundle.”
Grace began, “What about the rule against?—”
Alix shot Grace a look that turned the air solid and pointed. All at once, Grace understood the termshooting daggers. The sharp gaze had quieted her like a blade to the throat. The warning came too late.
Helen smirked. “I thought you weren’t a couple.”
Grace opened her mouth, but Alix was already talking.
“We’re not,” Alix replied. “Not girlfriends or anything like that,” she added, overselling the innocent act Helen was openly not buying.
Helen turned her sights to Grace. Grace who had never been able to lie, but she’d trained hundreds of clients to answer only the limited call of the question.
“We’re not a couple,” Grace confirmed because it was true, even though her body was still buzzing from their kiss.
She waited for Helen to ask a follow-up question. To ask about her intentions or desires or plans for the future. To notice the very specific nature of her question and expand it to all variations that would capture the heart of concern. But then headlights coming up the drive cut their conversation short.
“Is that finally your stuff?” Alix’s dark eyes glistened like she’d tip the driver three hundred percent for the interruption. She grabbed Grace by the wrist and led her toward the door as if she didn’t trust Grace not to talk them out of a good thing. “You probably have to show your ID.”
Helen laughed as they walked out, and Grace was sure that she already knew about the kiss. Knew more than Grace did.
“Yeah? Then why does she need you?” Helen shouted after them.
“Moral support,” Alix replied over her shoulder.
It was Grace’s turn to laugh, her body vibrating at an entirely new frequency. She was still adjusting to the sudden change in sleep arrangements when Alix pulled open the door. Opened it not to Grace’s luggage, but to a family of four.
In a blur of greetings and raised voices, Grace met Susan and Steve and their unfortunately named kids who did not speak a single word. They just kind of stared like foreign exchange students from Saturn who were displeased with Earth’s flora and fauna.
Alix transferred Grace’s things, few as they were, to her room. The moment it was socially acceptable to do so, Alix made a big deal about Grace’s feet, which were significantly better, and raced upstairs. Grace was about to put her phone on Alix’s charger when it buzzed in her hand.
“Oh, you’re fucking kidding me,” Grace groaned before she’d finished reading the notification.
“What?” Alix’s attention shot up from where she’d grabbed her toothbrush.
“Apparently they had so many bags to deliver, they’re not getting to mine tonight.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “They have guaranteed it will be here first thing tomorrow.”
It wasn’t just that she wanted to wear her own clothes. All the presents she’d brought were in there, and she couldn’t imagine the horror of having nothing to offer. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and she’d lost hope that her bags would ever find her.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” Alix appeared at her side, hand on her lower back. “How can I help?”
Grace opened her eyes to find Alix looking at her. She’d never met anyone with richer, more expressive eyes. Never knownanyone who looked at her like theysawher every single time. Like she was the only thing worthy of their attention.
Grace shrugged. Despite the hum of conversation downstairs making it clear that everyone was still down there — even Alix’s dad, who only seemed to care about sports and building incredibly complicated ships in bottles, which Alix described as his one true love — Grace spoke quietly. “You have no right to be this sweet and smart and sexy.”
Alix turned Grace toward her to rest her hands on Grace’s hips. “Oh, yeah? Tell me more about how much you like me.”
Grace laughed, wrapping her arms around Alix’s neck. When Grace scratched the short hair at the back of her neck, Alix closed her eyes as if indulging in the sensation. “You’re okay, I guess,” she joked.
Alix chuckled but didn’t open her eyes. “Just okay?” She pulled Grace flush against her, strong arms holding her so tight that Grace didn’t know how she’d survive when Alix let go. “Maybe I can do something to up that very mid review.”
Running her fingers through Alix’s hair, Grace craned her neck upward. When Alix’s lips met hers, it wasn’t like their first kiss. It wasn’t the startling pop of an ember escaping the fireplace. An unexpected spark that singed where it landed. It was a controlled burn, targeted and hot. A fire set to cleanse. To clear old, dead brush and nourish the soil to make way for new growth.
Grace parted her lips and drew Alix in deeper. Let Alix’s confident hands on her hips and searing mouth burn away her fear of getting hurt. Let it create an inferno that trapped her in theright nowand blocked her worries for the future.
Circling her waist, Alix’s hands splayed over her lower back were intoxicating. And then she nipped at Grace’s bottom lip to test her handle on containment.
“So, when’s the first time you thought about kissing me?” She brushed her lips over Grace’s jaw, and it was all Grace could do to contain an embarrassing moan.
