Kiss the Girl

by Melissa Brayden

  It took a second and third call, but eventually Jessica ambled into the kitchen wearing a yellow T-shirt that came to her mid thigh. Brooklyn swallowed at the expanse of skin on display. Her legs were long, toned, and bare. And did she leave out mouthwateringly sexy? “Did you forget your pants?” she managed to say.

  Jessica ran a hand through her luxuriously thick hair, which only taunted Brooklyn further. “No. This is what I sleep in.”

  “Right. Okay.” She could be an adult about this. Not a big deal. She was here to take care of Jessica and shouldn’t be blatantly lusting after her anyway. Wasn’t in the night’s job description. She set the plate in front of Jessica, who sat in one of the tall chairs facing the island.

  “I’m not sure I can eat anything.”

  “Oh, I need you to try.” She used her most authoritative voice, which seemed to work as Jessica took a tentative bite.

  “I like this.”

  “Told you.”

  “You’re kind of a genius at grilled cheese,” she said between bites.

  Brooklyn laughed. “Sounds like somebody has their wits about them again.”

  Jessica offered a small smile back. She still looked pale, however. Brooklyn figured she’d get her settled in and wait until she fell asleep before sneaking home. It’s what any decent friend would do.

  Friend. She turned the phrase over in her head a few times. Because they were friends now, weren’t they? Friends who were attracted to each other, she countered. But that was just semantics.

  Jessica finished half the grilled cheese and obediently drank a tall glass of water. “Sleepy,” she said to Brooklyn, then rested her chin on her hand in the most adorable fashion.

  Brooklyn adjusted a strand of hair behind Jessica’s ear. “Why don’t you go tuck yourself in and I’ll close up shop in here?”

  She nodded and headed down the hallway to what Brooklyn presumed was her bedroom. She moved the plate and the pan to the kitchen sink and gave them a good scrubbing before putting them back in their respective cabinets, all the while enjoying all the little accents of character that made the kitchen uniquely Jessica. Her favorite was the magnet on the fridge that said, “Dinner will be ready when the smoke alarm goes off.” She ran her thumb across it and smiled.

  She turned off the kitchen light and a rather trendy-looking lamp on the end table, leaving just an overhead light in the entry way so she could see her way out.

  Once she located Jessica’s bedroom, she found her on top of the covers, sound asleep. For a moment, she just had to stare because she looked so angelically picturesque that it was impossible not to. Her hair fell in a swoop across her forehead, just shy of her eyes, which possessed the most attractively long lashes. As Brooklyn’s eyes drifted down her body, the direction of her thoughts shifted, however, much to her own dismay.

  The fabric of the T-shirt Jessica wore was rather thin and didn’t leave much to the imagination. The generous curvature of her breasts, the nipples pushing against the light cotton, and then there was the expanse of leg so wonderfully on display. Jessica looked like a sexy ad in a magazine, right there in front of her. God. This was so not fair. Closing her eyes for a moment against the perfection in front of her, Brooklyn swallowed, ordering herself to snap out of it as she moved closer to do what she’d come there to do.

  “Hey,” she finally whispered, running her fingers gently through the hair on Jessica’s forehead. “Let’s get you under the covers, okay?”

  Jessica’s eyes opened and fell softly on hers. She offered a small smile in recognition. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “I never thought you’d be here, in my bedroom.”

  Brooklyn glanced around, surprised by this turn of events herself. Just an hour ago, she’d been on a date. “Well, here I am.”

  Before she knew it, Jessica took her hand and pulled her down. Their mouths were inches apart, but the much more immediate issue was the curves Brooklyn felt pushing up against her. God, how she wanted to explore them. “Kiss me,” Jessica breathed.

  Brooklyn glanced briefly at the ceiling for mercy—to clear her head, to regain some kind of control of this runaway train. “You’re trouble, you know that?”

  “Mhmm. I’ve heard that before.”

  She stared down at Jessica, who seemed fixated on her mouth. Because it didn’t seem like she was going to relent, Brooklyn placed a quick kiss on Jessica’s lips in a move to sidestep what was about to be a potentially dangerous scenario. But Jessica overruled that sentiment and pulled her right back in, deepening the kiss with admirable determination and, okay, blatant skill. Brooklyn let herself enjoy it for a moment, sinking into the depths of wonderful that kissing Jessica always led her to. Jessica let out a soft little hum of contentment, which shouldn’t have done anything to Brooklyn, but God, it so did. Her heart kicked in her chest. Her hands wanted to engage, to explore the body that was pressed up so sensually against her own. She pulled her mouth away. She wasn’t sure how she found the strength, but she had to put a stop to things. Jessica wasn’t herself. She stood and took a step away from the bed.

  “You need some rest, Jess. Let’s get you under the covers.”

  Jessica nodded and pulled her feet up so Brooklyn could extricate the sheet from beneath her. The action caused the T-shirt to ride up, exposing the barely there panties beneath. Christ, Brooklyn thought to herself, swallowing hard against the very powerful reaction her body had to the sight. Jessica slipped beneath the sheets, and Brooklyn pulled the covers up to her chin. There. Totally covered.

  “Now go back to sleep,” she said quietly, and placed a kiss on her forehead, lingering there for just a moment longer than casual. “Doctor’s orders.” As she pulled back, Jessica stared at her almost searchingly.

  “Can you stay?” She pulled the covers down and indicated the spot next to her.

  “Not a good idea. You know that.”

  “Just sleeping. I promise I’ll behave. I feel so out of sorts that I don’t want to be by myself.”

  It was hard to argue when she looked so vulnerable, her eyes now luminous, scared. It wasn’t like she could say no. If Jessica needed her to stay, she couldn’t say no.

  She sent Samantha a quick text message and slipped out of her heels. She considered the impracticality of getting into bed wearing a cocktail dress and opted for the slip she wore underneath instead. As she lowered the zipper of her dress, she could feel Jessica’s eyes on her. Her skin tingled in response, and the lust factor shot up into the dangerous zone. She’s not herself. She’s actually sick, so stop it right this minute.

  Brooklyn climbed into bed, the sheets cool and soft against her admittedly heated skin. Jessica settled in and closed her eyes, accompanied by an endearing sigh. So as not to disturb her, Brooklyn took it upon herself to reach across Jessica and turn off the bedside lamp. She sank back against the pillow and tried to clear her mind from its over-analysis of her current situation, more specifically the fact that she was in Jessica’s bed and in very close proximity to someone she was wildly attracted to.

  It was one night and Jessica needed her here, she reminded herself.

  She should just try to sleep.

  But that didn’t come easily either, and she watched the minutes tick by like hours. Forty-five minutes later, Jessica moved into her, resting her head beneath Brooklyn’s chin and slipping her arm across her waist in a move Brooklyn wasn’t sure had been intentional or not. She inhaled sharply at the unexpected contact, the warmth of Jessica’s skin against hers, the wonderful scent of her hair. Some sort of berry. It was an onslaught of sensation and more than a little overwhelming.

  But it wasn’t long before she realized Jessica was breathing slow and deep. Out like a light. The kind of peaceful breathing reserved for those dead to the world. She smiled then, and something shifted in her. With Jessica sleeping soundly against her, she felt content, comfortable, at home. Instinctually, Brooklyn wrapped her arms around Jessica and pulled her more f
irmly in before giving in to the serenity of the moment and closing her eyes.

  She remembered playing absently with Jessica’s hair just before sleep claimed her. It had been a wonderful way to drift off.

  *

  Dear God, she’d slept hard. That much Jessica was clear on. Her limbs felt heavy and wonderful when she awoke the next morning. It took her several well-devoted blinks before the circumstances of her morning gradually floated back to her in fragmented waves.

  But something else was different too. There was a warmth all around her, a kind of fantastic warmth that she reveled in for a moment or two.

  That’s when it hit her.

  The wonderful warmth was Brooklyn. In her arms. Okay, so this was a little unexpected. As reality twisted into sharper focus, she understood that they were completely tangled up in each other, limbs intertwined.

  In her bed.

  And she wasn’t wearing a whole lot. The sensation of skin on skin told her that much.

  Okay, it was coming back to her more clearly now. The party, the car ride. She ran her fingers through her hair. The medication. The damn medication that she would throw away the second she got her hands on that bottle.

  Now what to do?

  She glanced down at a sleeping Brooklyn and hated to wake her. Maybe she could escape without having to. Just required a little finesse is all. But when she delicately tried to disentangle herself, Brooklyn stirred against her. And the effects of that movement stirred a whole lot more within Jessica. She took a sharp breath and closed her eyes against her body’s very decided reaction. Oh, God. Okay. What to do here? She knew what she wanted to do here, but it was so not the right time. Brooklyn had shifted to where she was almost entirely on top of Jessica, her face pressed against Jessica’s neck, a well-placed thigh wreaking havoc on Jessica’s sense of control.

  “Brook?” Jessica whispered, slowly picking up her hair and letting it drop softly against the back of her neck. “Hey, sleepyhead. You awake?”

  Brooklyn took a deep breath and lifted her head, looking down at Jessica with those big blue eyes. She seemed completely content with the sight in front of her and blinked lazily. That is until those eyes finally widened in realization. “I’m totally sleeping on top of you right now, aren’t I?”

  “Not exactly sleeping anymore,” Jessica pointed out.

  “Right.” She smiled and ran her fingers through her hair but made no attempt to move. And really, Jessica was one hundred percent okay with that. Brooklyn in her arms, up against her like this, felt amazing. Torturous, but in a good way.

  Almost on cue, Brooklyn shifted against her again, and it was enough to unleash a whole new onslaught of sensation…everywhere. She closed her eyes momentarily to steady herself. “So good morning,” Brooklyn said. It was the sexiest of sentences.

  “Good morning,” she whispered back. They stared at each other for what felt like forever. The heat rippling between them was off the charts, and her body was on fire. She’d never experienced anything like it and made every attempt to steady her breathing. In fact, she didn’t know it was a possibility for her, to feel this overtly attracted to another human. Parts of her were beginning to throb in a way that she didn’t think she’d be able to ignore for very much longer.

  “I guess I should…” Brooklyn slid off her then, and she felt the loss almost immediately. In fact, it took a lot of restraint not to pull her right back to where she’d been and explore the morning and all it had to offer. And she had definite ideas on what she’d explore first.

  Instead, she turned onto her side and propped her head up on her palm. With new perspective, her first observation was how great Morning Brooklyn looked. With her blond hair all tousled, she was downright alluring.

  She looked up at Jessica from where her cheek met the pillow. Her brow furrowed in concern. “How are you feeling today? Better?”

  It was a valid question and she took stock. The haze she’d experienced the night before seemed to have lifted. Her mind was clear. It was good news. Quite frankly, she felt alert and alive in the most wonderful way and knew from recent experience why that was and just who, specifically, was responsible. “Much better, actually.”

  Brooklyn’s features softened. “Oh, good. I was worried about you.”

  “Really?”

  “Mhmm. Really.”

  “You didn’t have to leave the party because of me. I feel guilty for having dragged you away.”

  Brooklyn brushed the hair from Jessica’s forehead, entranced. It had been surreal to wake up with Jessica this way, and she couldn’t help but enjoy every minute of it, self-indulgent as that was. She pushed herself up onto her forearm and stared at Jessica, whose eyes were so very bright in the morning light. Fresh-faced and rested like this, she was breathtaking, more so than she’d ever seen her. Brooklyn’s voice was soft when she answered. “I didn’t mind leaving. You needed someone.”

  Jessica blinked and answered back quietly. “And you were there.”

  Suddenly, the honest exchange held a bit too much weight, and Brooklyn gave in to instinct. Pulling out her most basic tactic, she shook herself out of it with an upshift in energy. She sat up in bed, looked away, and resorted to playfulness. “C’mon. You’d have done the same thing, Lennox.”

  But Jessica’s words were still laced in sincerity. “I would have, yeah. For you.”

  The comment landed. And the room felt smaller.

  For you. Brooklyn heard the words again in her head, and they rocked her. Knowing Jessica’s eyes were on her, she glanced back over her shoulder, their gaze locked. That link, that unshakable connection between them had never felt so apparent. It was there, all of it. The sexual energy coupled with the fact that she genuinely liked Jessica. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ached for a woman for more than just what she could offer her sexually. And she did ache for Jessica. It was a dangerous combination, enough to make her shift into panic mode. She threw the covers off and hopped out of the bed.

  “You know what? I’m glad you’re feeling better, but I really have to get going.”

  Jessica faltered. “Big Saturday plans?”

  “Not exactly. I just can’t stay…here.”

  “Oh. Okay.” The light in Jessica’s eyes dimmed. She’d gotten the message. Seeing that look on Jessica’s face ripped right through her. Brooklyn knew, at least on some level, that she was purposefully running from the situation. From Jess, herself. And that was okay. Because she was terrified of the power Jessica carried. The power to make her feel. And that wasn’t a state of being that she could entertain for long. Nope. Never let yourself need anyone.

  She found her dress and heels and with a quick good-bye was out of the apartment in two minutes flat. It was cowardly, she damn well knew it, but that didn’t matter.

  Self-preservation was everything.

  It was not to be undervalued.

  If there was one thing she was familiar with, it was people letting her down. And if she allowed herself to go there with Jessica Lennox, that’s what would inevitably happen, and that would hurt more than she was willing to think about.

  Best to keep moving.

  So she’d just ignore that she’d slept the soundest she could remember in her adult history. She would gloss over the fact that with Jessica’s arms around her, she hadn’t experienced a single nightmare, an incredibly rare feat. And she would definitely forget the wonderful way she felt when Jessica was the first thing she’d laid eyes on that morning. Yep. She’d just push those thoughts from her head.

  Chapter Ten

  A Yard Crashers marathon was on TV that afternoon, and though Jessica had a mammoth amount of work to tackle in order to stay ahead, she just didn’t have the heart for it. Which was odd, because since when did she not want to work?

  But the fact of the matter was, the past twenty-four hours had delivered a potent one-two punch, and she was dealing with the effects. It’s what semi-depressed people did. Now, was it possible she was fe
eling sorry for herself and thereby indulging her penchant for Russell Stover’s chocolate? Yes, that’s exactly what was happening, and she didn’t care what the repercussions were.

  She’d face her trainer at the gym on Monday.

  For most of the morning and into the afternoon, she let herself veg out on the couch with a blanket and her yoga pants. She tried not to think too much about all that had gone down and, instead, lose herself in the wonder of her TV set. But the truth was, she was mortally embarrassed about her behavior at the Foster event, some of which she wasn’t even clear on. Whether it was her fault or not, who knew what the Foster people had witnessed? If it hadn’t been for Brooklyn and her friends, the damage could have been so much worse.

  As her mind drifted to Brooklyn, her spirits fell further. What a web of confusion she found herself in.

  Waking up with Brooklyn in her arms had been so unexpected and gratifying that it was impossible to downplay the attraction any longer. She’d underestimated things. When Brooklyn was around, she was happy. Plain and simple.

  It wasn’t practical, it wouldn’t be easy, but she could no longer just discard those feelings.

  But apparently Brooklyn could, and that’s the part that stung so blatantly. She’d torn out of there that morning like she was in some sort of race. The message was loud and clear. She wasn’t interested, and if she was, she wasn’t willing to go there. She popped another piece of chocolate into her mouth.

  “Do you want some milk with that?” Bentley called from the kitchen.

  “I’m good,” she answered.

  Four very concerned voice mails from him had been waiting for her once she’d showered and changed. She’d called him back and indulged his self-invite to her apartment. It wasn’t all that unusual, actually. They’d bonded early when he first came to work at the agency, and because their working chemistry had been so intense, she’d quickly snatched him up and made him her assistant. He had a good mind for business but also knew how to complement her style with suggestions and feedback that only made the company better.