by Aurora Rey
“No, but she might. Would you want her around if your head was in the toilet?”
He made a face. “When you put it that way.”
They got to the club and she paid the cover for both of them. “Trust me.”
“Thanks, dude. You know, in this one instance, you might be right.”
Mat shot him a bland look. “Just this one?”
He gave her a shoulder bump as they walked down the dimly lit corridor. Bass pumped and colorful lights flashed on the floor in front of them. “Maybe a few others. But clearly I can’t tell you that. It goes right to your head.”
Mat shrugged. “I’ll take that.”
They approached the main room that held both the bar and the dance floor. The doors to the deck overlooking the harbor were open wide. It wasn’t packed, but the crowd was solid and the dance floor more than half full. “Is this the point in the evening where I wish you good luck?”
Mat offered him a devilish grin. “Who says I need luck?”
“Right.” He nodded. “Right.”
Chapter Five
At Will’s third yawn, Graham shook her head. “You should go home.”
Will tapped her fingers against her mouth and smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m having a great time.”
“You are a truly terrible liar.”
“It’s charming, right?”
“Utterly. I mean it, though. Some of our friends from work are here. I’ll hang with them. I’m sure Nora is waiting up for you.”
Graham couldn’t see it in the dim light, but she was certain Will blushed. “Yeah.”
“Don’t feel bad. I’m glad one of us is getting some.”
Will cringed, making Graham laugh. Will closed one eye, peeking at Graham through the other. “Is it weird that I still feel weird talking about it?”
“Not weird. Gallant. Maybe a little old school. Both of which are evidence you and Nora are perfect for each other.”
“Yeah.” Will got that goofy, faraway look on her face.
“Go. I’ll be fine.”
Will hesitated, but only for a second. “I’ll leave my phone on. Promise you’ll text if you need me.”
Graham rolled her eyes, but smiled. “I won’t, but thank you.”
They exchanged hugs and Will left. Graham took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings. She had a full view of the bar on the opposite wall and could just make out the couples enjoying the dimly lit deck. A handful of coworkers gathered to her left, along with a few people she didn’t recognize. The dance floor was starting to heat up—boys mostly, but also a few older lesbians. She didn’t know why she expected the woman from the lobster boat to be there. Graham had seen her at the dinner, surrounded by people. They locked gazes exactly two times. But she’d never been alone and Graham hadn’t had the nerve to go up and talk to her.
Graham sighed. The woman was definitely a local, and probably still at the dance. She’d likely not deign to set foot in a club that catered to tourists.
Refusing to let herself mope, Graham headed to the bar. After procuring a vodka cranberry, she joined her friends. They talked and laughed about crazy customers and mishaps at sea. Kevin bought her another drink and she let herself get talked into dancing with Marta. There wasn’t a reason in the world for her to be disappointed.
Graham was just telling herself that for the tenth time when she glanced at the door and froze. She was there, with the same guy from the boat. Graham said a silent prayer the resemblance meant they were related and not together. Then she allowed herself a moment to stare and simply appreciate the gorgeousness that was this woman.
She had the same high cheekbones and prominent brow Graham remembered, dark eyes Graham could—and desperately wanted to—get lost in. Her hair looked wind tossed, the slightly longer part on top with just a hint of curl. Graham’s fingers itched to touch it. The tank top and work pants had been replaced. The dark jeans and shirt more GQ than fisherman, even more so now than when Graham had seen her at the beer garden. She still couldn’t decide which was more appealing.
And then she looked Graham’s way. Their eyes met. Graham’s mouth came open. She was suddenly hot and short of breath. Never in her life had she felt such an intense and immediate reaction to another human being. Graham bit her lip, then smiled. The woman returned the smile, with the tiniest nod of acknowledgment.
The guy she was with said something and the spell was broken. The woman turned away and Graham forced her attention back to her friends. Of course, her distraction hadn’t gone unnoticed. Marta looked at her expectantly and Kevin’s perfectly plucked eyebrow arched.
“Looks like someone has a little crush.” Kevin angled his head and put a hand on his hip.
Graham chuckled, not minding the teasing. “Is it possible to have a crush on someone you’ve never met?”
“Absolutely.” Marta didn’t hesitate. “Sometimes, those are the best kind.”
Kevin shook his head. “She’s right about the first part, but not the second. The best kind of crushes are the ones where you get laid.”
He was joking—mostly—but Graham let his words sink in. She didn’t see herself as the kind of person who’d go home with a different woman every night. But did that mean she couldn’t go home with someone ever?
The closest thing she’d ever had to a hookup had been in college. After too many cheap beers, she’d made out with a girl who’d lived on her hall. They’d been casual friends before and agreed to return to that after. The attraction had been mutual, but fueled by alcohol on both sides. It had been easy, and fun.
Sure, her attraction to this woman was about a billion times stronger. Did it matter? Graham realized just how desperately she wanted this woman’s attention, wanted to touch and taste and feel her naked body pressing Graham’s into a mattress.
“Earth to Graham.” Marta waved a hand in front of her face.
Graham resisted the urge to groan over the abrupt end to her fantasy. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Kevin looked at her with exasperation. “Go talk to her.”
Graham had a flash of the last time she attempted to make a move—planting a kiss on Will at Aunt Nora’s New Year’s Eve party. Not her finest moment. This was different, though. She and Will had been friends. If this woman wasn’t interested, Graham wouldn’t ever have to see her again. Graham nodded, her mind made up. She shoved her mostly full cup at Kevin. “Take my drink so I can go to the bar and get another.”
“Happily.” Kevin made a point of drinking from her cup, then his own. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”
Graham tossed her hair over her shoulder and headed to the bar, reminding herself to walk slowly. She positioned herself at an open space, but didn’t hurry to make eye contact with one of the bartenders. Instead, she glanced at the woman.
Graham didn’t know how long the woman had been looking at her, but she was now. Their gazes locked. Without breaking eye contact, she said something to her friend and started toward Graham. Graham swallowed. Holy crap. She was doing this.
“Hi.”
Graham wouldn’t have thought it possible, but the proximity intensified the attraction. “Hi.”
“I’m Mat.” The extended hand seemed casual, friendly, but the look in her eyes was anything but.
Graham reminded herself to breathe. “I’m Graham.”
Mat quirked a brow. “Cute name. Can I buy you a drink, Graham?”
Was it as easy at that? “Sure.”
“What’s your pleasure?”
“Um.” Where were her words? “Vodka cranberry, please.”
“You got it.” In a matter of seconds, Mat snagged the attention of the bartender, who knew her by name. Graham filed that detail away as Mat placed an order—vodka cranberry and a vodka soda. She slid money across the bar and a minute later handed Graham her drink. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” Graham lifted her glass and took a sip of her drink, suddenly aware of how dry her throat had be
come.
They stepped away from the bar and off to the side of the dance floor. Conversation proved difficult over the pulsing dance music, but having Mat’s mouth close to her ear as they talked had its merits. They carried on like that for maybe twenty minutes, talking about summer in P-town, seeing one another on the pier. Graham stole furtive glances at her friends, who at least tried not to be obvious in their staring. Graham sipped her drink, not wanting to be drunk, but thinking loosened inhibitions might be a good thing.
“You want to get out of here?”
At Mat’s question, Graham leaned back. She tried searching Mat’s eyes for meaning, but couldn’t be sure what she saw. Maybe suggestive? But also playful. Relaxed. Having never done this before, Graham wasn’t sure what signs she was looking for. There was only one way to find out.
She took a deep breath. A tiny voice in the back of her head screamed no. But the rest of her—her body, her ego, and the part of her brain that was tired of doing what she was supposed to do—said yes. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. She smiled, offered a shrug she hoped was casual, but not disinterested. “Sure.”
Mat took her hand and led her through the crowd. The simple gesture held Graham’s attention. It was confident, direct, and sexy as hell.
A moment later, they stood on the street. The cool air and relative quiet felt like a shock to her senses. The proverbial bucket of cold water. She could change her mind, beg off. But if she did, any chance she had with Mat would be out the window. And, more importantly, she didn’t want to change her mind. Graham looked up at the stars, waiting for Mat to make the next move.
“Would you like to go for a walk? Get another drink somewhere quieter?”
“I…”
“My place is a little ways from here, but not too far. A nice walk, if you’re up for it.”
Her place. Yes. On top of everything that implied, the prospect of a moonlit walk with Mat had a certain appeal. “Sounds perfect.”
Mat placed a hand in the small of her back. “It’s this way.”
Graham tried not to fixate on the sensation of Mat’s hand, the warmth of it obvious through the thin fabric of her dress. She allowed herself to be guided up a side street. They crossed Bradford and kept going. The houses started to feel less like vacation rentals and more like regular houses. Modest Cape Cods, a few ranches, with driveways and yards and the feeling they were lived in. It was strange the difference a few blocks could make.
Before long, Mat gestured to a driveway. “I’m down here.”
The house reminded Graham of her place while she was in grad school. “Cute house.”
“It’s been in my family for ages. My cousin has one of the upstairs units and the other two are rented to seasonal workers.”
“That’s cool.”
“It has its perks, for sure.” Mat led her along the side to a door at the back. Mat unlocked the door, then reached in to flip on a light. “After you.”
Inside, the apartment was cozy. The small living area and kitchen were one space. A table with two chairs sat against the wall by the door, creating an eating area of sorts. It wasn’t overly decorated, but the art on the walls and photos stuck to the fridge with magnets made it homey. From where she stood, Graham could see into the bedroom and the bathroom. “This is nice.”
“It works for me. Can I get you something to drink?”
Graham felt like she was in a movie, one of those cheesy straight romantic comedies. “Sure. Whatever you’re having.”
Mat pulled a pair of beers from the fridge, popped the lids, and handed Graham one. “Cheers.”
Graham clinked her bottle to Mat’s, then took a sip. Even though she hadn’t really wanted it, the cold, crisp liquid helped to calm her nerves. Mat gestured to the sofa. Graham sat. “You’ve lived here your whole life?”
Mat nodded. “And my parents and their parents and their parents before them.”
“I love that.”
Mat shrugged. “It drove my brothers nuts. They couldn’t wait to leave.”
“But not you?”
“I never wanted to do anything but be on the water.”
Graham could relate. Even though her family didn’t live or work on the ocean, she wanted the same for as long as she could remember. “There’s nothing like it.”
They talked like that for a little while. The conversation was easier than Graham expected. Before long, she’d finished her beer and felt completely relaxed. Maybe she’d misread Mat’s signals. Maybe they were just going to hang out.
She’d just started to process whether she was relieved or disappointed when Mat shifted slightly on the couch. She looked at Graham’s mouth, then into her eyes. Such a small thing, but it communicated so much. Graham licked her lip, suddenly full of anticipation. And wanting. She couldn’t remember wanting someone as badly as she wanted Mat right now. Mat must have read it in her eyes, because the next thing Graham knew, Mat’s lips were on hers.
Graham expected an assault on her senses, a kiss that was aggressive and clear in its purpose. But Mat’s mouth was soft, more invitation than demand. That didn’t keep Graham’s body from shifting into overdrive. Blood roared in her ears and she felt her panties grow damp. She grasped the front of Mat’s shirt, heard herself moan.
Mat broke the kiss and pulled back. Graham panicked, convinced she’d let herself get carried away, ruined the moment. But Mat’s eyes weren’t cool or dismissive. No, they were even darker than before and filled with lust. The idea that Graham had put it there gave her immense satisfaction. Mat smiled slowly. And then she took over. The next kiss was not an invitation. Graham had clearly accepted and Mat was taking it to the next level. Her tongue traced Graham’s bottom lip, teased her mouth open. Graham moaned again and Mat took advantage, slipping inside.
Mat shifted again and Graham followed her lead, easing back until her head rested on one of the pillows set against the arm of the sofa. She wondered vaguely if they’d been set there for just that purpose. Mat positioned herself over Graham, sliding a thigh between her legs. Before she could stop herself, Graham pressed against it. She felt Mat smile against her mouth.
Mat’s hand was at her side. It moved up Graham’s ribcage, then down. Changing positions had caused Graham’s dress to ride up, leaving her thigh exposed. When Mat touched her, sliding a hand right over her ass, Graham almost lost it. She started pulling at the buttons of Mat’s shirt, desperate to touch, to feel skin against skin. Mat obliged, wiggling her arms free and tossing the shirt to the floor.
God, she was gorgeous. Graham took a second to appreciate the definition of Mat’s arms and shoulders, accentuated by the cut of her black sports bra. Knowing it was the result of work, and not hours in the gym, turned her on even more. “You are so fucking sexy.”
Mat grinned. There was a cockiness that should have turned Graham off, but it didn’t. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.” She tugged at the bow holding the top of Graham’s dress in place. She eased the bodice down, ran a fingertip across the pink lace of Graham’s bra. “See, this is crazy sexy.”
Graham flushed, equal parts embarrassment and desire. Instead of speaking, she put a hand on the back of Mat’s neck, pulling her down for another kiss. Mat didn’t protest. She spent what felt like ages lavishing attention on Graham’s mouth, her neck, the top of her breasts. Graham’s nipples strained, aching to be touched. Before she could find the words to say as much, Mat slid a hand behind her. In a matter of seconds, Graham’s bra was gone. Mat’s mouth teased and tortured. She sucked and swirled her tongue until Graham thought she might explode.
Graham continued to move against Mat’s leg, wanting to be touched but also wanting to draw out this moment of reckless abandon. When Mat eased away, she literally whimpered. But then Mat moved down her body, pushing her dress up and sliding her panties down. Graham tried to find her voice, to articulate what she wanted, but nothing came out. When Mat’s fingers brushed over her, Graham realized she didn’t need to. Mat s
troked her, gently but with purpose. Graham’s body moved with her, as though they’d been together a hundred times.
When Mat eased a finger inside her, Graham thought she might die from pleasure. But then Mat added a second and Graham realized that, if she were to die of pleasure, that would be what did it. She rocked and writhed, using what little brain space she had to marvel that she’d gone so long without sex.
The orgasm crept up on her. And then it crashed over her, stealing her breath and any attempt she might have made to be graceful or pretty. Every muscle went rigid and Mat held her there for longer than seemed humanly possible. Graham finally collapsed, her skin sweaty and her bones feeling like jelly. “Oh, my God.”
“Yeah.”
Graham opened her eyes and found Mat smiling down at her, looking even more sure of herself than before. Graham bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She settled for, “That was incredible.”
“Oh, it was credible. I promise.” Mat’s smile was smug, but seductive as hell. She stood and extended a hand. “Come on, let me actually take you to bed.”
Graham took her hand and followed. She had no idea what the rest of the night would hold and didn’t really care. She felt wanted and brazen and up for just about anything. She watched Mat shed the rest of her clothing and followed suit, wiggling out of the dress now bunched around her waist. Mat turned and crooked a finger, summoning her to the bed. Graham went to her, smiling at Mat, but also at herself.
This was what it was like to go home with someone. Why in the world had she waited so long?
Chapter Six
Mat opened one eye and looked down. Graham lay wrapped around her, sound asleep. Mat smiled. It had been a good night.
She hadn’t gone out with the specific goal of bringing a woman home, but it was always a welcome culmination to an evening. She hadn’t expected the cute girl who’d made eyes at her on the pier would be that woman. But that was one of her favorite things about her life—just how often she got to be pleasantly surprised.
