Harper smirked back at her before scanning the closet for potential. Maya’s preference for t-shirts and jeans was kind of screwing her here. Anything she picked would be oversized, meaning she’d have to stick with her own bra and pants.
But she could make it work. And she kind of liked the idea of wearing Maya’s clothes.
“How long will you be gone?” Maya sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Harper pulled on a pair of boxers.
She leafed through a stack of neatly folded t-shirts. “Not sure. Nell’s made a packed itinerary. But, knowing her, she’ll forget it the moment she finds something shiny.”
Nell was like a crow when it came to trinkets. She always got distracted, so they’d probably end up doubling the time set aside for shopping. And they were going to the Lotus afterwards. Time lost all meaning in there.
“Then I won’t see you until tomorrow.” Maya held out her hand. Harper followed the silent request, returning to the bed where she stood between Maya’s knees, facing her. “I’m working a late shift. I’ll be busy at the bar most of tonight.”
They both knew whatbusymeant. Since Court was open and only members of the Chains were allowed in the high-rise, Maya’s section would be void of people.
Maya had explained it as a punishment of sorts. She hadn’t followed protocol when she got them out of St. Louis, so she was supposed to keep her head down until the Regents could figure out how to discipline her.
Just thinking about that morning made Harper’s heart race. The chaos and carnage of it all. And the thought of what could have happened if Maya hadn’t interfered.
Though, the brutal way she’dinterfereddidn’t exactly match the woman now placing soft kisses on Harper’s stomach.
She ran her hand through Maya’s hair. “Do you want me to stop by? Keep you company?”
“More than anything. But you’re in high demand. Nell and Evie need you, too.” Maya teased her fingers over Harper’s thighs. “Your smile is always a little brighter when you’ve been around them. I won’t stand in the way of that.”
Harper stopped caressing her hair. She wasn’t sure why, but she’d expected something different. Something less fucking sweet, for one.
Was this what normal relationships were like? This… easy? This void of drama and conflict? The venomous part of her was tempted to inject it into the conversation, simply because it would make it feel more familiar.
Instead, Harper crawled onto the bed, grabbed Maya’s face in a hard kiss, and toppled her over on the mattress. Or, rather, Mayaletherself be toppled.
All these mushyfeelingshad gotten involved, and Harper didn’t know how to deal with them. It required talking, and letting herself loose in that arena never ended well.
This, however… This she could do. And going by Maya’s chuckling, it was effective.
At first. In a breath, Maya reversed their positions, putting Harper on her back.
“What happened to you needing toleave?”
Harper smirked. “I can be a few minutes late.”
“And I made it clear that I’m not okay with having you for just a few minutes.”
Maya leaned down, lips almost touching Harper’s, when a wolfish smile slipped onto her face. Rather than kiss her, she tickled her waist instead.
Harper squealed, then giggled as she tried to twist away.
“Stop! Stop, that’s not okay!”
“Why would I stop? When you’re making such a pretty noise?”
She muted Harper’s breathless laughter by giving her a kiss. A far more tender kiss than Harper had hoped for, especially since her tickling transitioned into caresses.
“You’re being mean again,” Harper muttered.
Maya kissed the side of her neck. The hollow of her throat. Then, the tip of her nose.
“I’m aware. But I don’t think you mind. And, apparently, I get to bemeanfor a few more minutes.”
Harper almost groaned. Being a tease washerthing. That Maya could more than match her was annoying as hell.
