“Courtney?” Riley turned her body back to Kinsley’s.
“They turned down the offer?” Courtney asked.
“Did you just get my message?” Kinsley asked back as she slid out of bed.
“I was with patients all day yesterday and then had a family dinner. I got it late last night, but I didn’t want to call you until this morning.”
“They got a competing offer,” Kinsley said as she reached for the clothes they’d left strewn about the floor the previous night. “It’s fifteen thousand over asking.”
“What?”
“I guess they really want it.”
“I can’t afford that and the remodel I’d need to do.”
“The other place you liked is already off the market.”
Kinsley turned to see that Riley was still sitting naked on her bed. She lifted an eyebrow as she took in the woman’s body, leaned over her, and kissed her.
“What do we do now? There aren’t that many locations for sale up here. Should I just wait it out?”
“There’s another place about ten miles away from the place you wanted. We can keep an eye on the current offer while you and I go take a look at this new place,” Kinsley suggested.
Riley stood then. She wrapped her arms around Kinsley’s waist, leaned in, and kissed her cheek.
“I’m hopping in the shower,” Riley said.
“What was that?” Courtney asked.
“Sorry, I’m not in the office yet. Slow start to the morning,” Kinsley replied.
“Oh,” Courtney said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your morning. Was that Riley?”
Kinsley didn’t exactly know how to answer that. Courtney was a client, but she was somewhat of a friend. She was also a woman that had expressed interest in her in a more than friendly way.
“It was, yes.”
There was a moment of awkward silence before Courtney said, “When can we see the other location?”
“I have a busy day today, but I can do tomorrow. Can you get away? Afternoon?”
“Around two?”
“I can meet you at your office, then,” Kinsley said, making her way into the bathroom, where Riley had started the shower and was already brushing her teeth.
“Great. See you tomorrow,” Courtney replied.
Kinsley hung up, set the phone on the counter next to Riley, kissed her naked shoulder, and then, without a word, hopped into the shower.
“Did you just steal my shower?” Riley asked after she rinsed.
“No, I just joined it,” Kinsley said.
Riley climbed in and stood in front of her.
“What did Courtney want?”
“To see another property, since the one she wanted is probably going to someone for way over asking.” She paused. “Any chance I can convince you to let me put my hands all over you right now?” She lifted the corner of her mouth into a smile.
“We’re already running late.” Riley smiled back, wrapped her arms around Kinsley’s waist, and pulled her in closer. “So, we’ll need to be quick.”
Their touches were hurried, but no less intense. After they finished with their now, much longer than intended, shower, Kinsley dressed for work. Riley had brought a bag and dressed in her usual elegant suit.
“You and I dress very differently for work,” Kinsley commented.
She’d worn a pair of nice fitting khakis and a polo for her day. Riley looked like she was going into court later, which she wouldn’t be today.
“I like how you dress.” Riley pulled her in for a hug. “I have to go, though. I have a meeting with a client in twenty minutes.”
“Dinner tonight?”
“I can’t. I have dinner with a woman who runs a shelter for victims of domestic violence. I’m trying to learn more about how to help these women and children when I represent them.”
“You’re a good person, Riley Sanders. That is definitely an acceptable reason to miss dinner.” Kinsley kissed her.
“Tomorrow night?”
“Maybe. I have that showing for Courtney at two. Depending on how that goes, I might just have dinner over there, to avoid rush hour traffic.”
“Dinner with Courtney?” Riley pulled back to meet her eyes.
“I don’t know. If she wants to do dinner, I might go. But I was just thinking of looking over paperwork while I ate by myself.”
“Maybe I can wrap up my last meeting early, drive over, and meet you. We could have dinner there,” Riley suggested.
“Just so that we’d both have to drive our cars back?” Kinsley checked.
“So you don’t have to eat alone.” Riley smiled at her.
“So that I don’t have to eat with Courtney?”
“She’s been more than obvious about how she feels about you,” Riley said.
“I’ve been more than obvious with her about how I feel about you. Nice job making sure she heard you when we were on the phone earlier, by the way.”
Riley lowered her head for a moment before lifting it back up and looking at her seriously.
“We haven’t talked about this yet, but you know I’m not seeing anyone else, right? It’s just you for me.”
“And it’s just you for me, Riles.” She smiled at her and kissed her on the lips. “We both need to get to work. Can we talk more about this later?”
“That’s fine,” Riley said, but Kinsley wondered if there was something more to that answer.
They didn’t have time to address it now, though. They left the house, made their way to their cars, and each drove to work.
◆◆◆
When Riley got to the restaurant, she saw Kinsley leaning over the table, looking at something on Courtney’s phone. Courtney was leaning in, too. Then, Courtney’s eyes lifted from the phone and met Kinsley’s. Kinsley was still laughing, but Courtney had stopped. Her face had turned serious in an instant. Then, her lips parted. Riley watched as those lips moved in just a few inches more and pressed to Kinsley’s. Riley turned away. She turned completely away, because she thought she might vomit. Never in her life had she felt like this. Her stomach rumbled. Her heart burned with pain. She rushed back outside. She needed fresh air. She needed to erase that vision from her mind. She wished then that there was bleach for eyes, because she couldn’t stop seeing Courtney’s lips just parted enough to take Kinsley’s bottom one between them as she kissed her.
She hadn’t told Kinsley she was coming. She now viewed that both as a mistake and as possibly one of the best decisions of her life. If Kinsley was a cheater, it was better that she knew now. She just hadn’t seen this coming. Kinsley hadn’t seemed the type. She’d been so interested in Riley, that she’d waited this long for Riley to be ready. Apparently, though, while Kinsley’s friends thought Kinsley wasn’t the one-night stand type or casual relationship type, Kinsley was someone who could do that while she was lying to Riley at the same time.
“Riley?” Riley turned around at the sound of Kinsley’s voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to have dinner with you. I didn’t realize you’d have company,” Riley said as she fought back the vitriol she wanted to hurl at Kinsley.
“You saw Courtney?”
“Yes, I saw Courtney,” she yelled and was glad the parking lot was empty at that moment; the only other sounds were coming from the cars driving past on the main road beyond them. “I saw it, Kinsley.”
“Riles–”
“I can’t believe this. I trusted you,” she interrupted.
“And you should have trusted me. Did you miss the part where I pushed her away?” Kinsley asked.
Just then, Courtney Ash emerged from the restaurant, looking slightly off-kilter while holding her purse against her chest.
“Oh,” she said when she noticed Riley.
“Oh? That’s all you’re going to say to me after you kissed my girlfriend?” Riley asked.
“Girlfriend?” Courtney asked back. “She said you two were dating.”
“I sai
d we were dating exclusively,” Kinsley corrected her. “Courtney, can you just go, please? I need to talk to Riley.”
Courtney didn’t say anything else. She nodded and walked off toward her car, leaving them alone again.
“Dating?”
“Exclusively.” Kinsley moved toward her. “Riles, I swear, she kissed me. I pulled away as soon as she did. I told her before that I was with you. I didn’t expressly state the word girlfriend, but I told her I was with you. She wanted to show me a picture of her niece on her phone, and then she kissed me out of the blue. I moved away, grabbed my stuff, and left. I didn’t even pay the bill, Riley. I just left.”
“Why did she kiss you, Kinsley? You’ve told her you’re with me, but she still tried to kiss you.”
“I don’t know. But Courtney and I are done, Riles. I’m not going to be her agent anymore. She can find someone else to help her get a new office.”
“When you texted where you were going for dinner, you didn’t tell me she’d be here.” Riley began to calm down.
“I didn’t know she would be at the time. Then, she said she had no plans and asked if we could go over the options again. There’s another place that’s just popped up on the market a little further outside of town. She hadn’t been interested in moving that far away the other times we had talked about it. Then, suddenly, she was.” Kinsley let out a deep breath. “I guess she was just pretending, to get a dinner invite.”
“Maybe,” Riley said.
“Riles, did you really think I would do that?” Her eyes squinted. “That I’d cheat on you?”
“We haven’t talked about what cheating is to you or to me. You haven’t called me your girlfriend.”
“I’m happy to call you my girlfriend, Riles.” Kinsley moved into her then, took Riley’s hips, and held onto her. “I’m sorry if you didn’t think that was the case.”
“I’ve done this before, Kinsley. I think that’s why it’s bothering me.”
“Done what before?” Kinsley asked as she ran her hand up into Riley’s hair.
“With Elena.” She shrugged both shoulders.
“I’m out, Riles. Everyone knows I’m gay. I have no problem being out.”
“Elena didn’t call me her girlfriend for over six months. It took her a year to introduce me to Margie. Even then, she called me her close friend at first.”
“I am not Elena,” Kinsley insisted. “I would never deny you to anyone.” She pressed her head to Riley’s. “Riley, you’re my girlfriend, okay? I don’t want Courtney or anyone else. I’ll pay for a billboard in South Lake, if that’s what you want. My parents don’t live close, but I’ll take you to meet them whenever. I’m not hiding this from anyone.” She paused. “I’m proud to be with you.”
“I’m not used to that,” Riley replied, falling into Kinsley’s arms.
“Riles, literally every single friend we share has known for years that I had a thing for you.” She chuckled. “I won’t treat you like she did. You’re too amazing to hide. I still can’t understand how she did that.”
Riley pulled away and stared into her now girlfriend’s eyes to say, “You didn’t eat yet, did you?”
“No, I was busy pushing Courtney away.” Kinsley smiled sweetly at her.
“I think I’d like to try cooking for you again,” Riley said. “Can you wait to eat until we get back to my place and possibly be prepared to order a pizza if I mess it up?”
“Yes,” Kinsley replied as she smiled.
“And will you stay at my place tonight? I think I really need to fall asleep next to you.”
“This is coming from the girl who hardly paid any attention to me for years,” Kinsley teased.
“I am one to learn from my mistakes.” Riley moved to meet Kinsley’s lips. She kissed her softly and pulled back. “I’ll meet you at my place. I need to stop by the store. I wasn’t prepared to cook tonight.”
“I’ll go to my place and pack a bag then,” Kinsley said. “And maybe bring a frozen pizza I have in my freezer.”
“Shut up.” Riley shoved her playfully.
CHAPTER 23
Three weeks. She’d been in a relationship with Riley Sanders for three weeks. She liked saying that to herself. She’d found every opportunity she could to use the word girlfriend. When one of her clients asked if she had a special someone, Kinsley said she had a girlfriend. When Kellan asked if she wanted to go kayaking with her, Morgan, and Reese, she asked if she could bring her girlfriend. When her mom called to talk to her, she told her she had a girlfriend. She loved using that word to define her relationship with Riley. Truthfully, she also couldn’t wait to use other words to define their relationship. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but she knew she loved Riley. She could see a future with her. She could hear herself calling Riley her fiancée. She could hear herself introducing Riley to people as her wife. That thought made her smile as she sat behind her desk at the office.
“Coffee and bagel delivery,” Riley said as the bell chimed over the door and she walked in hurriedly.
“If you keep doing this, I will gain a hundred pounds,” Kinsley said with a smile.
Riley moved behind her desk, leaned down, and kissed her as she placed the cardboard tray on the desk along with the bag of bagels.
“You’ve said that before. Also, I doubt it. At the rate we’ve been having sex, you’ll probably lose a bunch of weight,” Riley replied with a wink. “Not that you need to, because you are perfect.” She kissed Kinsley again. “Plus, doesn’t Morgan have you hiking this afternoon?”
“She does. She’s trying out a new tour with some; birdwatching. Kellan, with her vast knowledge of animals, has been helping her find the best spots where they congregate. We’re going out to plan the thing. I volunteered to attend, even though I am useless.”
“You are definitely not useless.” Riley sat on the edge of Kinsley’s desk. She’d taken to doing that now that they were together. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was nice, being close to Riley whenever she got the chance. It was also way too tempting, because her girlfriend mostly wore skirts. “I didn’t completely ruin dinner on my last attempt, but I’m still thinking it might be safer to order in tonight.”
Kinsley wasn’t listening, though. She and Riley had spent the past two nights apart. She’d gone without really touching her for far too long. Today was one of those days when Riley had on a skirt that made it almost to her knees. While her legs were crossed at the ankles, Kinsley knew all too well what was between those thighs. She stared without thinking before her eyes flitted to the glass front of the office. It was mid-morning. Most people were at work. The streets were relatively deserted, save a few cars driving past too quickly to catch what she was about to do.
She slid her hand up Riley’s ankle, watching Riley’s expression lift as she moved it up to her knee. Riley’s eyes met her own. She lifted an inquisitive eyebrow as Kinsley slid her hand further, causing Riley to instinctively uncross her ankles. Kinsley’s eyes remained on Riley’s as she moved her thumb to Riley’s clit over her panties.
“Can you come fast?”
“I think you know I can. But are you sure? What if someone sees?” Riley asked as Kinsley began flicking her thumb over her clit. “Never mind.”
Kinsley smirked up at Riley as the woman spread her legs more. If the wall, leading to the street, wasn’t made of glass, Kinsley would have her head buried between them right now, coaxing an orgasm from her girlfriend. Instead, she’d settle, without really settling at all, for touching Riley with her fingers covertly while appearing to be working or talking to a friend. Riley’s eyes closed. Her head went back a little, though not enough to give away what they were doing. Kinsley’s fingers moved the panel of her panties to the side. She stroked the gaining wetness from her entrance up to Riley’s clit and pressed her thumb firmly against it.
“I’ve missed you,” Kinsley said.
“Don’t stop,” Riley managed to get out. “I wish your mout
h was on me right now.”
“If I make you come like this, I’ll lock up and take you to the bathroom, where I’ll take you with my tongue,” Kinsley replied, feeling the warmth and wetness begin to take over all her sensations. She clenched her thighs together to try to keep her own need at bay. “You can even tell me step by step what you want me to do to you. I know how much you like that.”
“I do like that,” Riley gasped out. “I like this, too, though. Harder.”
Kinsley pressed her thumb harder. She watched Riley attempt to move her hips without moving them too much. Kinsley glanced toward the front. Noticing no one around, she flicked Riley’s clit with her finger, squeezed it, and watched Riley writhe as much as she could.
“Like that?”
“Yes. I’m coming.” Riley’s hips jerked once and then again as she came silently.
“Wow,” Kinsley said as she watched her girlfriend come on top of her desk.
“Bathroom now?” Riley said as she opened her eyes, slid her skirt up her thighs enough to make Kinsley’s mouth water, and leaned down preparing to kiss her.
“Hey,” Morgan said as she entered. The bells chimed a moment too late for Kinsley to hear them. “What’s–”
“Hey, Morgan.” Riley stood quickly and straightened her skirt.
“I thought you were stopping by later.” Kinsley attempted to regain her composure.
“I think I need to go into that bathroom and puke, but my guess is, both of you need to wash up first. Am I right?” Morgan scrunched up her face.
“What? No.” Riley grabbed her coffee cup. “I was just dropping off coffee for my girl. Heading back to the office now.” She leaned down and kissed Kinsley. “Tongue,” she whispered into Kinsley’s ear. “Tonight.”
Kinsley gulped, nodded, and whispered back, “Really not a problem.” She glanced up at Morgan. “Bye, babe.”
“Bye. See you later, Morgan.”
Morgan nodded. Riley left. The bell chimed over her head. Kinsley met Morgan’s eyes.
“Did you two just–”
“You’re early,” Kinsley interrupted her.
“I didn’t realize the open sign on the door meant your girlfriend’s legs, James.”
Time of Day Page 16
