Charlotte was able to see that clearly now.
“So perhaps you aren’t overly fond of me. I can’t imagine Sutton is overly fond of your wife either, given how everything transpired, but I hope you can find a fraction of the strength Sutton has to be as cordial to me as she manages to be with Arianne. Because I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not someone who is going to hold my tongue or shrivel into a corner,especiallyif I see anything disrespectful or unfavorable regarding Sutton. So I’d recommend you get yourself in order.” Satisfied, Charlotte crossed her arms and leaned back, eyeing Layla as she did so.
Layla took several moments before she opened her mouth to respond. “I—excuse you?—”
Before she could say anything, though, Lucy called to them, “Mom! Charlotte! Arianne says dinner is ready!”
Charlotte watched as Layla sucked in a breath before gritting her teeth and shouting back, “We’re coming!”
And, oh yes. That was a very dark satisfaction for Charlotte, indeed.
“Honey,why don’t you say goodbye to Charlotte and then get your toys together for bath time?” Sutton suggested as they all entered through Sutton’s front door two hours later.
Lucy turned to Charlotte, her eyes wide and imploring. “Are yousureyou gotta go? I got my new game.”
Charlotte kneeled to be on Lucy’s level, feeling unbelievably remorseful in the face of that wide-eyed look. “Just like you have to go to school, I have to go to work. Unfortunately for me, that means having to leave to do so.”
Lucy let out a put-upon sigh. “But… soon?”
“Absolutely,” she promised. “As soon as I’m back.”
Lucy studied her closely, as if trying to determine whether she could believe her. Charlotte believed she passed the test when Lucy nodded firmly. “All right. As soon as you’re back.”
Charlotte offered her hand for a shake to seal it. “Deal.”
Lucy smiled, giggling as she slid her hand into Charlotte’s. “Deal!”
As soon as they disengaged, Lucy dropped the backpack she’d had hanging off her shoulders and ran down the hallway toward her room.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Charlotte turned to face Sutton.
Dinner had gone… fine. She’d met Layla’s wife officially. Arianne was a lot more reserved than she’d expected and hadn’t spoken very much throughout their meal. Mostly, the conversation had been carried for an hour by Lucy, which, Charlotte thought, might have been for the best.
But something had been off with Sutton, and Charlotte had picked up on that very clearly as soon as they’d left Layla’s house. She could see it now, the look on Sutton’s face that seemed contemplative. Hesitant. She didn’t know why it was there, but she knew she didn’t enjoy it.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, watching Sutton closely. “You were so quiet on the drive home.”
“I heard what you said to Layla before dinner,” Sutton confessed, seemingly unable to keep the words in. “I heard, well, I’m certain noteverything, but a decent amount. I came to find you as soon as I helped Lucy finish her project because I hated feeling like I’d just left you to the wolves. But then, I wasn’t sure I should interrupt, and Lucy shouted about dinner, so…” Her cheeks blushed a cute pink as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear in a self-conscious move.
Surprise rocked through Charlotte, followed quickly by remorse. It was a peculiar kind of remorse because she didn’t regret what she’d said, precisely, but…
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said everything I said to Layla or made any implications.” Even if she was certain she was correct. “But I’m never going to lie to you, Sutton, so I can’t apologize for the sentiment I expressed. Iamsorry if you’re?—”
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” Sutton cut in, and there was an emotion in her voice that Charlotte couldn’t quite read. “Pleasedon’t be sorry.”
Much like earlier, before they’d entered Layla’s house, Sutton kissed her. She slid her hands into Charlotte’s hair, angling her head up even as Charlotte was already moving toward Sutton on her own.
She wouldn’t deny that whenever Sutton directed her, she enjoyed it. She couldn’t deny it as the desire easily slid through her, even before their lips touched.
Unlike their kiss earlier, on Layla’s porch, this one was intense. Immediately wanting.
Andgod, Charlotte wanted. Badly.
As Sutton had pointed out at the end of last week, thiswasthe longest amount of time they’d ever existed in each other’s worlds and not had sex. It wasn’t the longest time Charlotte had been without sex, and she wasn’t a hormone-addled teenager, so it shouldn’t have made her feel so desperate, so wanton.
But shedid.
It was entirely the Sutton effect. This feeling, this hunger that ignited so easily inside of her every time she saw Sutton, every time they shared a simple touch, at every kiss—it was something that was so uniquely, chemically bonded with her feelings for this woman.
