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But God, Caroline really wanted to rush in this very moment. She wanted to be pinned to the bed by Hannah and reminded of the beauty of being with another woman.
“And besides,” Hannah whispered as she placed wet kisses along Caroline’s jawline, moving closer to her ear, “teasing is all part of the fun.”
Caroline practically melted into the bed at those words. Hannah was sexy, that was a given just looking at her, but how her voice dropped…the way her hand felt so delightful against her skin. And those lips, those lips could bring Caroline to the edge in no time at all. “You’re bad.”
“Oh, Caz. You’ve no idea.”
* * *
Hannah woke fully clothed,her hair stuck to the side of her face. A small smile settled on her mouth as she inhaled against the pillow; it smelled like Caroline. She rolled onto her back, side-glancing in Caroline’s direction. She slept peacefully, her face free from any of the pain Hannah often witnessed in her company. Last night…God, it should have been different. Hannah should have done exactly what they’d come back to do. Even if she knew it was wrong, she desperately craved Caroline.
But when all was said and done, Hannah just wanted Caroline to see her worth. To know that she could be happy. Because as much as Hannah had delighted in seeing Caroline in a different light once they got comfortable and lay together last night, she had no idea how she would be feeling this morning. It could go either way, and Hannah had to prepare herself for further resistance from Caroline. She really didn’t want to see this end, even if nothing had really started. She hoped—prayed—that Caroline may come around to the idea of something more one day. But not just sex. Never just sex.
She watched Caroline for a moment, that long dark hair splayed across the pillow, her perfectly sculpted eyebrows, the single freckle to the right of her nose. This woman had everything going for her, sheer beauty, so why had Naomi stripped everything from her? Naomi was an attractive woman, they likely looked amazing together, but Hannah couldn’t fathom why she would be so cruel, so demeaning, so...truly terrible to the woman she was supposed to love and care for. A woman who likely brightened Naomi’s world from the moment Caroline opened her eyes every morning.
But Hannah knew better than to let her naïveté get the better of her. Women, when threatened, could be ruthless. Naomi was clearly one of those women. But Hannah wasn’t concerned by the threat she’d handed out last night; Naomi was in a relationship and seemingly happy. Hannah’s only hope was that Naomi’s new girlfriend didn’t fall into the same trap Caroline had. Nobody deserved to go through what the woman beside her had.
Hannah’s phone buzzed on the floor at the side of the bed. She shifted as carefully as she could, reaching for it and squinting as the bright screen woke her up once and for all. Great...just what she needed. A booking with a client. It may have only been Juliet, but it was a client, nonetheless.
A mixture of dread and panic set in, but Hannah couldn’t show Caroline that she was worried. Yes, she wished Caroline could be okay with Hannah and her job, but it wasn’t the case. Even if Caroline had hinted at the potential last night. Hannah knew she wouldn’t have a chance with this woman whether she knew about Hannah’s plans for the day or not.
Caroline was undoubtedly going to run a mile in the not-too-distant future, and Hannah couldn’t blame her.
So Hannah did what was best. She locked her phone, lifted up on her elbow, and pressed a kiss to Caroline’s temple. As her lips lingered, she whispered, “you’re so beautiful,” and then Hannah slid from the bed, grabbed her heels, and crept out of Caroline’s bedroom.
With tears in her eyes, Hannah took a few shaky steps down the stairs, stopped by the clearing of a throat behind her. She exhaled a calming breath, preparing herself for the look of disappointment in Caroline’s eyes.
“Were you just going to sneak out and hope you didn’t bump into me again?”
Hannah turned; Caroline was leaning against the doorframe. “No, of course not. I mean, I was sneaking out so I didn’t wake you, but Idefinitelywant to bump into you again.”
“You’re leaving…”
Hannah lowered her eyes, rolling her lips as she tried to figure out how best to get through the next few minutes. This conversation was one she never wanted to have. It didn’t feel right. “I…have to work.”
Caroline ran a hand through her hair, a sarcastic laugh working its way from her mouth. “R-right. Of course.”
“I don’t want to. But I have no choice. It’s my only source of income.”
“I was so desperate to get closer to you that I completely disregarded the following morning. And I know it doesn’t mean anything, itcan’tmean anything, but falling asleep with you last night was surprisingly comforting for me.”
Hannah took the few stairs separating them, dropping her heels to the floor. “Hey, I’d rather be here with you. I need you to believe me when I say that. But...this is just work. It means nothing to me. They’re just clients, Caz.”
Caroline nodded, taking a step back. “Like me. Last night was just the job for you, wasn’t it?” Hannah opened her mouth to speak, but Caroline cut her off, holding up a hand. “I get it.”
“You know what we had last night was nothing like I have with my clients. You’renota client. That’s not fair.”
“Yeah, well, life isn’t fair, Eva.”
Hannah’s heart tore as Caroline glared at her, those usually beautiful green eyes cold...haunting. She understood that Caroline must be feeling conflicted, last night was unexpected—this morning could have been far worse if they’d slept together—but Hannah didn’t deserve this attitude. She needed money if she was going to survive and keep the home Edie had grown up in. Honestly, she was struggling to find the words she needed to convince Caroline that what they had was entirely different from that of her clients.
Caroline turned around, placed her hand on the door, and closed it. Hannah heard a sniffle, followed by a sob, but the fact still remained that she needed the money. She’d already turned down two clients last night so she could spend time with Adele; she couldn’t afford to miss out on today too.
“Caz?” Hannah pressed her forehead to the bedroom door, her hand hovering over the handle, but she wasn’t sure Caroline wanted to see her face ever again. “Caz, please?”
“Go home,” Caroline whimpered.
But that didn’t work for Hannah. She couldn’t leave Caroline while she was upset. No way. Not after the meaningful night they’d had. She turned the handle, devastated when Caroline sat on the edge of the bed in a baggy T-shirt, looking back at her. “I can’t leave you like this.”
