Sadie claps her hands. “Perfect. Each of you grab a slice.”
My head whips toward her. “I… what?”
“Yes. Together.”
Olivia moves first, selecting a slice of cherry pie—because apparently the universe has a theme today—and two small forks. “Fitting,” she laughs, eyeing my still-damp andverytransparent dress.
Another compulsive giggle escapes my lips. I grimace, ashamed of the little tic that happens when I'm happy or nervous. Or in this case, both.
We stand with our toes almost touching, sharing a single piece of pie with shy smiles. Sadie’s camera shutter snaps away. Before I can overthinkmyself, I cut a bite of the pie and offer it to Olivia. Her pretty eyes flick up to mine briefly before she accepts, full red lips closing around the fork.
“Oh,” I breathe, my brain momentarily short-circuiting.
She swallows with a grin. “Tastes really good.”
“Right? I love pie.”Arya, you idiot.Jesus. I'm so confident when it comes to men, yet I lose all my cool around women.
Olivia chuckles, a throaty sound that has heat pooling between my legs as she scoops up a chunk of pie. “Your turn.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” she insists, offering the fork.
Well. Okay then.
I lean in, heart hammering against my ribs. Our fingers brush when the camera flashes, and an electric current courses through me.
Sadie hums happily. “Yes. That. Don’t stop.”
Olivia’s gaze lingers on my mouth. “Seems every time we meet,” she murmurs, “I am also dripping wet.”
A flush of molten lava spreads from my face all the way down to my toes. Speechless, I can only stare, my breath coming in quick bursts.
“I wonder…” She sets down the plate, then cups my cheeks gently. “If I kissed you, would you taste like cherry pie?”
Holy shit.
My lips part, a rush of air leaving my lungs as I lean in, even though my brain is telling me to stop.
No. Cease. Resist.I signed up for this thing to makefriends,dammit—and not the kissing kind! There was enough of that in Salt Lake City. The form I'd filled out had explicitly stated that nothing intimate would happen unless both parties consented.
Do I consent?
“Can I kiss you, Arya?” Olivia whispers, her thumbs brushing my cheekbones. The open, earnest look in her eyes, combined with that delicious smell of her perfume overtakes my senses.
Do I consent?
Hell, yes.
I nod before my brain can ruin the moment. “Kiss me.”
A slow, beautiful smile lights up her face, and she presses her lips to mine.
The kiss is soft at first, almost hesitant. Tilting forward, I let my hands fall to her waist as I open my mouth in silent permission. The momentour tongues touch lightly, we both gasp. It's slow, and sweet, and so unlike anything I've ever had.
Behind us, the camera clicks once. Twice.
And when we pull back, we’re both breathing a little faster.
