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Lara returned her smile. “No. Really. I just wish I could say something that would put you at ease. But I know that you’ll figure it out. In your own time. When the right person comes along.”
Lara couldn’t explain how she’d gone from years of attraction, of having Charlotte Dixon as her celebrity crush, to actually kissing her, to having Charlotte Dixon be the one to kiss her, to now being so physically and mentally attracted to this woman. Lara knew she had it bad, but as much as she wanted this and thought that deep down Charlotte did too, she knew she’d have to be patient.
12
Charlotte couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a lovely evening. Usually when she was in the company of friends or having an enjoyable meal, there was still work involved. She was having dinner with a director or another actor. If she was with friends, it was often at a press event or something that was still work-related.
There were truly very few circumstances where she felt like she could one hundred percent relax and be herself, and as she returned Lara’s smile, the faint sounds of water trickling into the pool a few feet away mixing with the soft jazz music that Lara must have put on the surround sound system at some point, Charlotte wished she wasn’t so conflicted.
“I just wish I could say something that would put you at ease,” Lara said. “But I know that you’ll figure it out. In your own time. When the right person comes along.”
Would she though? Charlotte hadn’t even realized how insulated her life had become. She honestly thought she was making progress by coming out and then going on dates, but really, if she thought about it, she was too afraid to start something with Lara because she didn’t want to feel too much too soon. Because on paper, this had such a slim chance of turning into something.
But sitting here with Lara? Spending the evening with her? That kiss in the kitchen?
This was what Charlotte had been looking for. Someone who would understand how crazy her life could get. Someone who she had unbelievable chemistry with.
And yet, Charlotte couldn’t stop herself from slamming on the brakes.
“You okay?” Lara asked.
“Yeah.” Charlotte took another drink. She had a lot of work to do. Coming out certainly hadn’t been enough. But she didn’t want to deal with it tonight. She just wanted to enjoy herself. “Hey uh… Do you think we could go for a swim? My backyard has been a construction site for weeks now. Completely new design and I needed work done on the pool.”
“Yeah, of course.”
* * *
Charlotte glided through the water, not realizing how much she missed this. She’d asked Lara for a robe and went into the bathroom in the hallway to strip down to her black bra and underwear before putting on the robe and coming outside in her bare feet.
She’d descended the steps without waiting for Lara who had gone upstairs to get changed, swimming the length of the pool before coming to the edge of the curved wall, her arms resting on the concrete as she watched Lara pad over, shrugging off her robe and leaving it on the couch.
Charlotte shouldn’t be staring like this, but she couldn’t stop herself. Lara wore a navy bikini, and with her back to Charlotte, she could take in the toned muscles in her legs, the swell of her ass, her hands sweeping her hair up into a messy bun, revealing her athletic arms and back.
Charlotte swallowed as Lara made her way over to the steps and lowered herself into the water, pushing it away from her as she effortlessly crossed the pool with a slow breaststroke, gliding to a stop in front of Charlotte, pushing a few strands of hair away from her eyes.
“This was a great idea,” Lara said with a smile. “And completely unexpected.”
Charlotte returned her smile. “I’m going to have to get my pool finished. I’d forgotten how much I loved night swims.”
“You can use mine whenever you want.”
“Do you like living here?”
Lara inhaled a deep breath as she treaded the water. “Honestly, I feel a little guilty about it. Kerri’s insisted that I’m doing her a favor. That she knows her house is secure and being taken care of, but I know I’m only paying a fraction of what she’d get if she rented it out to someone else.”
“Yeah, but there’s a lot of anxiety with that. With letting strangers into your space. Especially someone with her connections. You don’t know what kind of people might come in. Maybe, I’m being paranoid, but it’s the first thing I do when I walk into a hotel or an apartment.”
“Check for cameras?”
“Hm. Habit. I’ve never been caught before, but I know it could happen. I don’t think I could let anyone I didn’t know into my home for a few weeks or months. No matter what the vetting process looked like. I just couldn’t do it. So, you are doing her a favor.”
“I still feel bad.” Lara looked past Charlotte to the house. “I could never afford somewhere like this.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. The place I just bought only has three bedrooms. I got it because of the outdoor space, but success isn’t owning a mansion. Especially around here when only the truly wealthy can afford it. If I wasn’t so concerned about security and the area that I lived in, I’d probably buy a one-bedroom on the beach, but it’s not practical.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I know it’s easy for me to say. I’ve owned a five-bedroom before, and it was just me. It didn’t make sense. It was just a status thing. But there’s something nice about a home that’s cozy, that’s in a location that you love rather than the most desired neighborhood. That’s how I feel about my cabin. It’s so basic, and I love it. That’s as much paradise to me as living in Malibu was.”
