18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

S am walked through the door into the busy bar and restaurant space.

Although it had been difficult to fit in Scarlett and Terrence’s wedding events around her busy work schedule, this was a night she knew she couldn’t miss.

They’d delayed their engagement party at the beginning, planning to hold it closer to the wedding when Terrence’s friends could fly in. And Scarlett had double—and triple—checked that she’d be able to make it.

But now, walking in, she was filled with nerves.

She hadn’t talked to Jess since their kiss earlier that week. She’d opened her phone half a dozen times, ready to text or call. But she couldn’t do it. She didn’t know what to say.

Or what not to say.

And as the days stretched on, and Jess didn’t reach out to her either, the feeling worsened.

She wanted to talk to her. To talk about it. She had to. She couldn’t just let it be what it was and never discuss it. With anyone else, she could’ve chalked it up to a onetime lapse in control. A moment of desire that got out of hand. But with Jess, it was different. It was more.

She scanned the area, searching for Scarlett in the crowd.

Within moments, she spotted the back of her dark wavy hair bobbing with her familiar infectious laughter.

She crossed the packed front bar to the back, where Scarlett stood at one of the many cocktail tables.

“Hey,” she said, coming up beside her. “Sorry I’m late.”

Scarlett turned to her with a beaming smile. “Don’t worry, you’re right on time. Everyone else just started getting here, too.”

She waved a hand toward the back of the restaurant. “They’re getting the tables ready for us in one of the back rooms. Should be a few more minutes.”

Sam nodded, smiling as she greeted Terrence and introduced herself to the rest of the people standing with them.

“Hey.”

Sam heard Jess’ soft voice beside her, and she turned, her stomach instantly filling with nerves.

“Hey,” she replied, a smile naturally tugging across her lips.

Jess gave her a tentative smile before sliding one arm around her waist and giving her a light squeeze of a hug.

Sam relaxed slightly. At least that felt normal.

She turned toward her, facing partially away from the rest of the group.

“How’ve you been?” Sam asked, hoping she didn’t sound as timid as she felt.

“Good,” Jess replied nonchalantly. “Busy week at work.”

Sam nodded, contemplating whether or not that was the right time or place to bring up what had happened between them earlier that week.

She could wait, but who knew if they’d get another chance to talk without being at a dinner table surrounded by people?

She shifted a little closer to her, dipping her head slightly.

And Jess gave her a look that said she knew the exact words she was about to say.

“Do you want to talk,” Sam started, her voice lowering, “about the other day?”

Jess’ smile faltered, a flash of panic moving through her eyes before she smoothed it away.

“Not now,” she replied, her voice barely audible above the clatter of glasses and the murmur of conversation around them. She pressed her lips into a thin line, a ghost of the easy grin she’d worn just seconds ago.

Then she smiled at a woman who waved at her from across the room.

Sam’s chest tightened, the pit of her stomach twisting. “Okay,” she managed, forcing a nod. It wasn’t okay, but she wasn’t going to push—not there, not with half of Terrence’s friends within earshot.

Jess turned her head, looking back as a man greeted her. They hugged, immediately launching into conversation, and Sam took the opportunity to say hi to Jasmine, who stood by herself near the edge of one of the tables.

The room thrummed with energy, filled with the sound of clinking glasses, bursts of laughter, and the low murmur of overlapping conversations. A steady stream of people moved through the space, pausing to greet Scarlett and Terrence or mingle near the buffet table. The warm glow from the overhead string lights mixed with the camera flash as people took photos.

Sam leaned casually against the edge of a long table near the back of the room as she talked with a small group of guests she’d just met a few minutes before.

Jess approached from behind her, a drink in one hand, while the other trailed lightly across Sam’s shoulder. “You disappeared on me.”

Sam turned, surprised at both the gentle, almost intimate touch, and also the change in her tone from when they’d spoken before. Her expression seemed entirely different from when she’d first arrived. It was easy—casual. But it also held something else.

Jess’ eyes lingered on her in a way that sent a ripple of warmth through her stomach.

A slow smile spread across Sam’s face, the ease in Jess immediately seeping into her. “Figured you’d find me, eventually.”

Jess smiled, stepping closer. And again, that smile stirred something. A deep anticipation. Her hand rested lightly on the back of Sam’s chair, her presence warm and steady at her side.

“Having fun?” Jess asked, her voice low as she leaned a little closer.

Sam nodded toward the group she’d been talking to. “I think I’ve learned more about Terrence’s college days in the last ten minutes than I ever needed to know.”

Jess chuckled, her fingers brushing Sam’s shoulder briefly as she shifted her weight. “He’s probably left out all the best parts.”

“Probably,” Sam said, shooting her a wry smile.

One of the guests called Jess into the conversation, but she stayed where she was, her hand idly grazing Sam’s arm as she leaned in, laughing along with the group. When Sam turned to her again, Jess’ gaze hadn’t moved.

“What?” Sam asked with a playful smile.

Jess shook her head, her hand falling briefly to Sam’s arm as she leaned back. “Nothing,” she said, her voice tinged with amusement.

Another wave of people passed by, one of them stopping to greet Jess with a quick hug and exchange of pleasantries. Jess answered them politely but briefly, her attention flicking back to Sam almost immediately once they moved on.

Jess’ hand rested on the edge of the table, her fingers barely brushing Sam’s as she adjusted her position. The contact was fleeting, subtle enough that anyone else would’ve missed it.

“Not drinking?” Jess asked, nodding to her water glass.

Sam shrugged lightly. “Not tonight.”

Jess gave her a knowing look as she nodded slowly. “Keeping your head clear, huh?”

Sam’s smile softened. “Maybe.”

Jess’ lips twitched upward, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The noise of the party seemed to fade as Jess’ gaze settled on her.

“What?” Sam asked, the corner of her mouth quirking upward.

Jess stared at her for a long moment. “Just thinking about what would’ve happened if Scarlett hadn’t shown up that day.”

Sam stared back at her, the smirk on her lips dropping as nerves suddenly flooded her stomach. But it wasn’t because of what she’d said. It was because of the look in her eyes. The hot, but carefully guarded longing in them.

She swallowed, unable to stop her eyes from flicking down to Jess’ lips before yanking back up.

And this time, it was Jess who smirked. A smirk she instantly wanted to devour.

She reached a slow hand out, resting it against Sam’s thigh beneath the table.

Sam tensed, her eyes flicking down as an anxious but pleasant feeling bloomed in her chest.But when Sam looked back up at her, she had a more serious but cautious look in her eyes.

And yet, she didn’t pull her hand away.

Instead, she cocked her head slightly, eyes flicking down to her hand, then back up.

And even though Sam knew they shouldn’t—that they should leave what happened the day before in the past—her body screamed for the opposite.

It begged to keep Jess’ hand exactly where it was. It begged to feel her in any way it could—in every way it could.

And sitting there beside her, taking in the intensity in her eyes, it felt impossible to deny.

The corner of her mouth quirked upward, and instantly, the silent question in Jess’ eyes turned into a heated gaze.

“Meet me in the bathroom,” Jess murmured, her voice low and edged with urgency. Before Sam could respond, Jess pushed back her chair and slipped away, her movements deliberate but unhurried.

Sam’s eyes followed her as she disappeared down a dimly lit hallway at the back of the restaurant.

Her heart thudded in her chest. She hesitated, taking a steadying sip of her water before setting the glass down and rising from her seat. She weaved through the crowd, her pulse quickening with every step toward the hallway Jess had vanished into.

At the bathroom door, Sam paused, her hand on the cool metal handle. She drew in a quiet breath, then turned it, stepping inside.

Jess was there, leaning against the porcelain sink, her fingers gripping the edge as if to steady herself. Her head lifted, and their eyes locked.

Jess didn’t wait. She closed the space between them in an instant, her lips crashing into her with a heat and hunger that made Sam forget everything in the world but her.

Sam tangled her fingers up into her hair, deepening the kiss as Jess pressed against her.

She pulled her in, instantly forgetting her previous apprehension. It didn’t matter. Even if they regretted it right after. This is what she needed—what they both needed.

Jess pulled back, gazing into her eyes with that same coy look she’d held all night. And she didn’t break eye contact as she slowly slid her hands down and undid the button of her pants.

Sam tried to reach for the bottom of Jess’ dress, but Jess grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her.

Sam looked at her again, brows furrowed.And Jess just gave her a teasing smile as she slid one hand down the front of her pants.

Sam inhaled sharply as her fingers slid over her.Her eyes fell shut, head bowing forward as Jess’ fingers slid back and forth in lazy motions over her already wet center.

And she couldn’t help the deep moan that escaped as Jess’ fingers swiped her most sensitive area.

“Shh,” Jess whispered. Then she snaked her free hand around Sam’s neck, pulling her down against her shoulder. “Bite down if you need to.”

Her hand worked back and forth over and over again as Sam felt herself drip into her fingers.

She turned her head into Jess’ neck, hands seizing her hips.“Someones’s gonna come in,” she rasped, her breathing already ragged.

“Don’t worry,” Jess purred in her ear. “You’re not gonna take long.”

And maybe it was those exact words that made it happen, or maybe Jess just knew her body better than she did. Because the moment her voice drifted across her ear, a familiar tingling passed through her.

Sam tensed, both hands immediately sliding up the back of Jess’ dress as her fingers dug into her bare skin. And this time, Jess didn’t stop it. Instead, she pressed her body against her, letting out a soft whimper. Her hips twitched back, legs parting just enough to allow the tips of Sam’s fingers to graze the center of her warm, wet thong.

But Jess didn’t take it further. She didn’t grind her hips farther back, like Sam had expected.

“I just want to feel you,” Jess whispered. And this time, the words held no ounce of flirtation. They were vulnerable—yearning.

And they worked. Fast .

It reminded her of the first time they’d slept together. The shock she’d felt when her body raced towards its climax before she’d even realized it had begun.

Jess’ hand slowed against her, and Sam almost groaned in protest.

But then Jess’ other hand threaded through her hair, pulling her head back slightly. Sam looked at her, brows clenching with a pained strain as her body begged for more.

Jess gave her a tender, apologetic look. Then her hand began working again. It was expertly slow and careful. Everything she needed.

“Look at me,” Jess whispered, her voice pleading like she was the one teetering on the edge.

And Sam saw it then. Whatever they’d both meant for it to be—a casual hookup, or something else—it would always be more.

She forced her eyes to stay open as each wave of feeling flooded her body.

“Fuck,” she growled. But the word was swallowed away as Jess immediately surged forward, kissing her deeply through the orgasm.

Her entire body tensed, and she curled her hands deeper into Jess’ body, letting her fingers flow farther over Jess’ now soaking wet underwear.

Jess continued stroking, only slowing their pace once Sam’s body finally settled against her.

They stayed like that for a moment, heavy breaths swirling between them.

Then she felt Jess’ lips graze her ear. “Told you it wouldn’t take long.”