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“Already unforgettable,” Lexi said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. I just wanted to check on you and say goodnight.”
Lexi arched an eyebrow. “I’m even happier for you than I already was. Maybe I’ll see you at breakfast?”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow,” Kate said, giving her best friend’s arm a squeeze as she made her way back to the hotel lobby, her heart already beating a little faster.
None of this felt real. When Hollis had stood up, Kate thought that was going to be it. That Hollis was either regretting the fact that she’d kissed her or that she was drawing a line that she wasn’t willing to cross on her first night here. Both would be understandable. Hollis had seemed calm, but she must be at least a little overwhelmed.
But Hollis had said that she was going to go back to her room with a bottle of wine and to join her, that she just needed a minute to freshen up.
‘Room five seventeen.’
Whatever was going through Hollis’s mind, she still appeared confident.
Kate stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. When she met Hollis at the bar earlier, she never could have guessed that all of this was new to her. And that Kate would be her first kiss?
And what a kiss it had been. She’d been uncharacteristically nervous, considering what Hollis had told her, but when their lips met, she lost herself in it. Kate leaned her head back against the cool, metal wall, closing her eyes as she relived that kiss. It had been slow at first. And the soft sigh that had left Hollis’s lips? It made Kate ache for more.
And when they both gave in, when their tongues met, when the warmth of Hollis’s hand on her thigh sent a shiver of desire through her, Kate was on fire.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Kate stepped out into the hallway, the nerves that had been fluttering in her stomach earlier were back, making her legs feel like jelly as she walked down the corridor until she reached Room 517.
She took a deep breath, trying to gather herself before she lifted her hand to knock softly on the door, her heart thumping in her chest. As she waited, she reminded herself that she shouldn’t be nervous. Not really. Hollis must be. Kate needed to be the one to make sure that Hollis was comfortable with whatever happened between them.
Part of her thought she was getting worked up over nothing. They could just end up talking for the rest of the night and hopefully spend some more time kissing. That might be it, and that would be perfectly fine with her.
But another part of her tried to imagine what this must be like for Hollis. Years. Decades of unfulfilled desires.
If that was Kate, she would be jumping on this situation and the woman sitting across from her. Without a doubt.
“Fuck,” Kate muttered as she heard movement on the other side of the door.
4
In the fifteen minutes since Hollis had left Kate, she’d ordered a bottle of wine at the bar, second guessing even that simple choice. Should she order a drink for Kate? Another mojito? Did she even like them? There was always the minibar in the room.
She’d carried the bottle of Merlot and two glasses into the elevator, more doubts flooding her mind as she got off on her floor and made the short walk to her room. She wondered if she should get changed as she looked down at her chinos before surveying her suite. Thankfully, both her bedroom and living area were tidy, her bed still made. If she did get changed into something nicer, would that make Kate feel uncomfortable in her shorts and a tank top?
Hollis thought about how her eyes had drifted over Kate and those shorts when she’d entered the bar right behind her. They fit her perfectly. And her navy tank top? Hollis hadn’t known where to look. From her tanned arms to her neck to the dip of the fabric that revealed a hint of cleavage.
Hollis didn’t need to get changed. She was overthinking this. She left the bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table in front of the gray couch in the living area and pulled out her bluetooth speaker from her suitcase. She found a spot for it in the corner of the living area and put on a smooth jazz playlist, turning down the volume until it was at a subtle background level.
Hollis leaned against the back of the couch, her mind drifting to that kiss. She still didn’t know how it had happened. She’d surprised herself.
What if I wanted to seduce you?
And then she was leaning in, kissing Kate softly. Even thinking about it now sent a wave of desire through her. The feeling of Kate’s hand on her cheek, keeping them close, had only urged her on, and Hollis had let her hand move up further, running into the cuff of Kate’s shorts.
She still couldn’t really believe that it had happened.
A knock at the door took her away from her thoughts, sending a surge of adrenaline through her body. She paused in front of the full-length mirror and took a deep breath as she ran a hand through her hair. As she reached for the door handle, there was an underlying excitement mixing with her nerves. She had no idea how tonight would unfold, but it was a good kind of uncertainty.
When she opened the door, Kate was standing there. “Hi,” she said with a smile.
“Hi,” Hollis said, swallowing down her nerves as she smiled back at her. There was no way Kate was in her thirties, looking at her now. There was no point deluding herself, but at the same time, Hollis reminded herself that it didn’t really matter. This wasn’t the start of a relationship. “Come in.” Hollis held the door open for her, and she caught the familiar scent of Kate’s perfume as she entered the room. “I wasn’t sure if you were okay with wine. I should have asked, but there’s a fridge full of drinks too.”
“Wine is perfect,” Kate said as Hollis let the door fall closed behind her. “Wow. This is nothing like my room.”
