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It was then, of course, that Lydia turned and caught her. “You’re staring,” she noted, her voice warm and textured with the aftereffects of their lovemaking. And it had been lovemaking in every sense of the word. Every touch, every kiss, every precisely applied lick had overflowed with so much adoration that Zann still felt a little unmoored from it all.

Zann smiled, completely unrepentant. “I am.”

Lydia huffed a laugh, and her eyes softened as a delicate blush warmed her cheeks. “Why?”

Zann shrugged. “Because you’re beautiful.” Which was, truth be told, an understatement. Lydia was always stunning, but in her bare feet and her hair twisted into a messy top-knot, floating through this most precious part of her life?—she was fucking breathtaking. “And I love you.”

“I love you.”

Zann inclined her head as she watched Lydia’s gaze dip to her lips, the mirth in her eyes lost to the way her pupils dilated the longer she stared at her mouth. A shiver rolled through her as she watched Lydia’s tongue slide slowly across her lips, reminding her of the nimble prowess it was capable of. She couldn’t quite stifle the moan that cracked in her throat as she recalled the way Lydia had looked hovering above her as she took her apart so slowly and so thoroughly that by the time she’d finally let her come, she had made good on her promise to make her forget her own name.

She’d certainly remembered Lydia’s though—her throat was still a little rough from how she’d been screaming it.

“Lydia…”

A small, pleased smile curved Lydia’s lips. “If you don’t stop staring at me,” she said, pointing at Zann for emphasis, “and pay attention to what you’re doing, we’re never making it back in time for the rehearsal.”

Personally, Zann thought she was showing an admirable amount of restraint by staying where she was and not closing the four steps that separated them. Especially when Lydia was looking at her like it was taking every ounce of her self-control not to do the same thing.

Zann inclined her head as she countered, “Well, if you stopped looking at me like you want to drag me back to bed, maybe I’ll be able to manage it.”

Lydia’s lashes fluttered in a way that suggested she was imagining doing just that. Her chest lifted with a deep breath, and she let it go with a soft laugh as she blinked her eyes open. “I don’t know if I’m capable of that,” she admitted huskily.

Zann groaned, and then joined in with Lydia’s rueful laughter. “This is insane.”

“It’s something, all right,” Lydia agreed. Her shoulders lifted and fell with another purposeful breath. “Do you think it’ll get easier?”

“Shit.” Zann smiled and shook her head. “I really hope not.”

Lydia tipped her head back and looked to the heavens for strength. “That’s not helping.”

The cracked, pleading tone in Lydia’s voice was Zann’s undoing, and she muttered, “Yeah, well, then this certainly won’t,” as she closed the distance between them to take Lydia into her arms.

Her pulse leapt at the gasp that tumbled from Lydia’s lips in the moment before she claimed them, and she moaned into the kiss as Lydia’s arms immediately looped around her neck, drawing her in tight as she melted into her. She cradled Lydia against her and lost herself in the heady sweetness of her lips as one kiss blurred into another, and another.

“I can’t get enough of you,” she whispered as she used the pressure of her kiss to turn Lydia’s head so she could kiss her way along her jaw. Emboldened by the way Lydia whimpered and sagged against her, she used the tip of her tongue to pull Lydia’s earlobe between her lips, and she grabbed two handfuls of Lydia’s ass as she sucked and nibbled at the lobe.

“We—” Lydia’s voice broke off into a whine as her hips jutted forward needfully. She tipped her head back with a groan, and swore softly under her breath when Zann took advantage of the position to dip lower to lavish her throat with lingering kisses and light, teasing licks.

Zann hummed and raked her teeth over Lydia’s pounding pulse point. “You like this?”

“You know I do,” Lydia half-laughed, half-groaned as she angled her head to give Zann more room.

“I do, too,” Zann whispered, rewarding Lydia’s honesty with a gentle nip that she quickly soothed with her tongue. She squeezed Lydia’s ass and pressed her hips forward, crushing Lydia against her. She kissed, nipped, and licked at every inch of skin she could reach as she slowly walked Lydia backward. The moan Lydia let out when she had pushed her up against the bookcase was exquisite, and she wasted no time dragging a kiss over the edge of Lydia’s jaw to recapture her lips.

Time lost all meaning as they traded one long, searing kiss after another, and she whined pitifully when Lydia broke away with a gasp and pressed a hand to her collarbone to hold her at bay. Lydia was an absolute vision with her dark, dark eyes, flushed cheeks, and kiss-swollen lips, and Zann rasped, “More, please,” as she tried to fight the pressure of Lydia’s hold to kiss her again.

Lydia groaned. “We can’t,” she protested even as she relaxed her hold to allow Zann closer once more. Her sigh was ripe with surrender when their lips met, and she whimpered piteously as she gave a very half-hearted press against Zann’s chest. “I love you,” she murmured between kisses, “but we need to get back for the rehearsal.”

Zann groaned. She knew Lydia was right, but gods be damned, she’d much rather drag her back to bed. She nuzzled her cheek as she took a moment to breathe her in, trying to commit everything about this picturesque moment to memory before, with a long sigh heavy with regret, she pecked her lips before forcing herself to pull away. “Okay.”

Lydia blinked her eyes open slowly, an unfairly adorable little pout jutting her lip. “Okay.”

“Lyds,” Zann whispered, shaking her head as she ran her thumb over Lydia’s lips. “That’s not fair.”

Lydia’s pout eased into a playful smile. “What isn’t?”

“You. That. Everything.” Zann rolled her eyes as Lydia’s smile grew, but couldn’t keep from returning it as she murmured, “I love you.”