Page 47 of Hairpin Curves

Behind her, Scarlett chuckled. “You should get some sleep. We’ve only got the room for one night.”

“But I got us late checkout.” Megan was grateful she’d had the foresight to ask at the front desk. “We can sleep in.”

“You don’t sleep in.”

“I might.” Megan turned her back to the window, looking in at the room and the way the lights of the city reflected off the metal fixtures gleaming on different surfaces. “I don’t know if I can sleep at all.”

Scarlett sat down on her bed. She was not as relaxed as Megan, holding herself tense throughout her shoulders and back. The dim light from outside cast her into shadows. “Too much excitement for one day.”

“Is it, though? What’s wrong with too much excitement?” Megan walked forward, her legs carrying her a few steps toward Scarlett without her making the conscious decision to move them. She knew what she was doing. She’d known since the car, even if she hadn’t wanted to read too much into her own desires. This was something chemical, something physical, and she had to deal with it or she would burn up from the inside out. “What if I want more excitement instead?”

Scarlett’s expression changed. Her eyes brightened, first, and she licked her lips, a quick flicker of tongue that made Megan’s knees wobble. Then, though, Scarlett frowned, and she bit her lip, a tiny crease appearing between her brows.

And because it was two in the morning, and they’d driven across several states and nothing felt real, all Megan’s inhibitions had retreated to the back of her brain and were, blissfully, silent. “I’m a little restless.” Megan’s legs weren’t even trembling anymore, and she began to unfasten her jeans with Scarlett’s eyes fixed upon her. “What about you?”

Scarlett audibly sucked in a breath as Megan undressed in front of her. “Yeah. Definitely—definitely restless. Getting, um. More restless.”

Taking the lead in this moment made Megan smile. How seldom Scarlett was flustered. She wanted to slide her fingers into Scarlett’s hair and cup the side of her face, wanted to kiss her. But she couldn’t be sure she’d stay detached with Scarlett the way she was with her other partners. She couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t lose herself and end up hurt again. In this, at least, she could have some control. Scarlett’s attention as she undressed made her body feel like it was on fire.

How strange for her mind to be quiet in all this, to not be analyzing or assessing everything alongside the slow reveal of her skin, especially with Scarlett’s gaze roaming across her body. Was it just days ago she’d hesitated at the thought of this kind of vulnerability? It felt like a different person, a different world, like she had been dreaming. Or maybe she was dreaming now.

In the half-light, Megan climbed onto her bed in front of the window and lay back on top of the covers. Scarlett still sat on her own bed, watching Megan, her lips parted and chest rising and falling rapidly. Megan slid her hand down her body, over its planes and angles, through the tight curls at the juncture of her thighs, down to the wet folds around her clit. Scarlett sighed, nearly a moan, never looking away. Scarlett kept watching the entire time she stripped off her own clothes until she was sitting naked on the other bed, still watching, her breath loud in the quiet of the room.

Megan had been watched in moments like this before, but it never felt like she was going to catch fire. She’d never felt so seen. Looking away seemed impossible, especially as Scarlett dipped her hand between her own legs.

“Fuck.” Megan breathed, the word slipping out of her lips at the sight. They watched each other, fingers moving over their own bodies, the moment frozen and unreal and captivating.

Megan didn’t even realize she was coming until her body seized up, stealing her breath, pleasure rocketing through her like a force of nature. Her eyes slammed shut in reflex, and distantly, Scarlett moaned. It went on far longer than she’d expected, the feelings too sharp and consuming, the kind of orgasm that wipes away everything. When she finished, she collapsed back and opened her eyes. Scarlett was frozen, head back, thighs clamped tightly around her own fingers, mouth open in a silent scream. She was beautiful.

Scarlett sagged, her hand falling away from her body. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and looked at Megan. They stared silently at each other as if trying to figure out what to say. Megan’s throat was too tight for words, the tangle of emotions too much to parse.

Scarlett finally gave a delicate half-smile. “I’m less restless now.”

Megan laughed, all her breath escaping at once. “Yeah. Me, too.”

She could lie here and look at Scarlett all night, and that was dangerous and too much like something else she didn’t want to name. So instead, she got up and started rummaging around in her bag for clothes. “I should sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“Right... Right.” Scarlett also rolled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Away from Scarlett, Megan could catch her breath. She pulled a nightgown down over her head and sat back down on the bed. The room smelled like sex, like their bodies, an intoxicating combination. In a few minutes, she’d go brush her teeth, and then crawl between those sheets and sleep. In the morning, maybe she’d be ashamed, or worried. For right now, though, all she felt was content.

Maybe that should worry her most of all.

“Where are you taking me?”

Scarlett waved off Megan’s request and checked her phone again. “It’s just another half a block. I promise you. Best bagels in the city.”

“All the bagels are probably great.” Megan trailed after her, not quite able to keep up when Scarlett was moving at full city-walking speed. So far this morning, Megan hadn’t said anything about last night, but she also hadn’t been awkward or weird about it. In the grand balance of things, Scarlett would consider that a win. She’d fully expected awkward, weird Megan, full of regrets and excuses. Instead, she had this chill, friendly person, who didn’t seem to think what they’d done last night was at all significant or life changing.

Not that it was either of those things. It was just sex—not even sex, not really—and it didn’t have to be any kind of significant. Scarlett smiled bitterly to herself. She could only lie to herself for so long. She never had emotionless sex, never fooled around with anyone she didn’t then fall for to some degree. That’s just who she was; she got attached and stayed attached, and she got hurt. That was life. And if she kept fooling around with Megan, or near Megan, or whatever it was they were doing, eventually she would get hurt.

The bagels were as phenomenal as Scarlett had remembered, and Megan grudgingly admitted it was worth the long walk in the cold. “So where now?” Megan asked, leaning back in her chair and sipping her tea.

“I was going to take you on Scarlett’s patented landmarks tour, where you can see the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and the New York Public Library.” Scarlett ticked off the items on the list. “Then, Battery Park to ride on the Staten Island Ferry and see the Statue of Liberty. Chelsea Market for lunch. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

Megan sipped her tea. “Sex shop?”

Scarlett nearly spilled her coffee. “What?”