That snapped through the aroused haze Darcy had clearly still been in. Her eyebrows drew up on her forehead, her mouth dropping open. “Yourmom?”
At that exact moment, a text came through.
Mom – 10:13A.M.
Hey Jules… I’m in L.A. for a meeting with the charity board I’m on!
I thought maybe we could have a chat?
I brought muffins!
What the hell?
Juliet hadn’t really talked to her mom since Christmas beyond a very short text exchange here and there, as was their norm. Their norm being that her mother reached out to her to make some sort of inane comment, about something that did notmatter – like an outfit she saw Juliet in online somewhere – and she responded in the same manner.
“Do you want me to get rid of her? I’d be happy to go do that,” Darcy volunteered, moving to sit next to her.
For a second, Juliet briefly contemplated it.
Before she sighed, shaking her head.
“No. I appreciate it, but no.”
Frowning down at her phone, she messaged back.
Juliet – 10:14A.M.
I’ll unlock the door. I’m upstairs, though, and about to shower. I’ll see you down there in a few minutes.
She went into her security app and remotely unlocked the door, as promised, before she dropped her phone back down, staring blankly across the room.
“You want to shower, first?” Darcy asked, reaching up and gently massaging her fingertips against her neck. “I’ll go after? And I can, uh, like sneak out after? If you want to bring your mom to the backyard or something and then text me, I can–”
Everything inside of Juliet came to a screeching halt, something insistent and heated. She turned to face Darcy, unequivocally telling her, “No. You’re not sneaking out of here. This… this isyourhome. Anyone who comes in here is going to have to get okay with that, not the other way around.”
Juliet’s emotions where her mother was concerned were complicated; she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
But she wasn’t going to compromise Darcy’s comfort here for anything or anyone. That wasn’t what a relationship was. And Darcy… Darcy was the one who madeherfeel that way.
Darcy’s sweet, soft smile meant everything to her. “Okay. Deal.”
After they showered and dressed,Juliet combed her hands through her still-wet hair.
Darcy had braided her own wet hair, letting it lay over her shoulder as she wore Juliet’s t-shirt.
There was no doubt that they’d just showered together. And Juliet wasn’t going to attempt to hide it. Her mom had comehere, so… it was time she’d have to deal with the truth of Juliet’s life.
“Want me to stay?” Darcy asked quietly, as they approached the stairs. “I can reschedule my meeting with Copper Canyon.”
Juliet rolled her eyes back at her, coming to a stop right at the top step.
“No.” She punctuated the statement with a kiss. Then she paused, sighing against Darcy’s mouth. Taking another moment to linger. She pulled back, holding Darcy’s heavily-lidded gaze. “You are going to this meeting. You are going to get the best offer they can possibly make. And then you’re going to come home and tell me about it.”
Darcy nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” she joked.
Juliet hummed in satisfaction. “Come on.”
As they walked down the stairs, she felt Darcy reach for her hand, giving her a gentle, supporting squeeze. And when they hit the bottom step, seeing her mother sitting at the kitchen island, facing them, she felt Darcy discreetly tug her hand away.
