10. Sarah

10

SARAH

Even as we broke through the woods back into the clearing of Bri's house, all I could get from her was a "maybe."

She walked me over to my car, jaw still clenched. I couldn't stop myself from staring at the sharp, muscular line there. She had always been gorgeous, but her masculine era suited her well.

Stopping next to the driver's side door, I unlocked the car and looked at Bri. "You promise you'll actually think about it? Because if it's just a no, that's totally okay. I just want to know now so I can do something about it."

As I blabbered on, Bri stepped closer to me. She grabbed my hand from my side and held it tightly. Her voice rumbled out of her chest. "I'll actually think about it. But only because it's you asking."

"Thank you." I smiled, fighting down the lump in my throat.

What is that about? I'd known Bri my entire life, and I'd only ever felt at ease with her. But something was different. Maybe it was the smell of her sweat or the comfort of her voice, but I felt myself wanting to be wrapped up in her.

Bri's gaze flicked from my lips to my eyes. Leaning a little closer, she confessed, "It was really nice to see you. I missed spending time just us."

I couldn't stop my chest from rising and falling faster, from watching the way her lips moved as she spoke. My mind scrambled to think of the last time we'd been able to be together like this. Hell, it might have been when I started seeing Jason all those years ago.

I forced words out of my throat. "Yeah, maybe we should do it again sometime?"

"Please." Bri nodded, "You know I'll answer your calls day or night." With that, Bri grabbed the handle of the car door and opened it for me.

Blushing, I hopped into the minivan. "Thanks again. Text or call me when you have an answer."

Bri shook her head, a charming smile teasing her cheeks as she shut the door behind me. She backed away from the car as the ignition turned on.

A part of me didn't want to pull away. A part of me wanted to stay right there, have some more lemonade, and watch the sun sink in the sky.

But instead, I put my foot on the gas and made my way back down the mountain. I had a meeting that I couldn't miss.

Ten minutes later, my car rolled to a stop in the back parking lot of my studio. Victoria's bright red Carrera waited in the visitor spot to the left.

As soon as I opened my minivan door, Victoria climbed out of her sports car. She looked fresh and put together. Her tailored jeans swayed around her ankles while hugging her thighs as she walked toward me.

"Hey." I smiled at her, balancing my keys in my hand along with my metal water bottle.

Vic's eyes pierced mine. "Good to see you."

It took everything in me to keep my smile at a normal wattage. "You too."

As I led us to the front of the studio, I struggled to juggle the mess of items in my arms. Smirking, Vic reached into the jumble and pulled the keys. With one guess, she grabbed the correct key and unlocked the shop's doors, holding the door for me.

I brushed past her, her cologne filling my nose again. Once the door was closed, I reached my free hand back to flip the shop sign to "Open". But before I could, Victoria's soft, slender hand gently pulled mine back.

"Leave that. I don't want any interruptions." Vic looked down at me, a few inches taller in her heels.

Without thinking too hard, I nodded and dropped my hand. After all, she was paying far more for my time. If she didn't want anyone walking in on our session, who was I to argue?

I cleared my throat and headed to my desk, booting up my computer as Victoria wandered around the studio. Every few feet, she stopped to look at one of the photos of my work. Despite knowing that she was intimately aware of my portfolio, I felt my body tense under her gaze.

As she moved, her tucked in blouse flowed. She was elegant. I couldn't be sure I'd ever seen a woman so captivating.

Just as I was getting lost in the thought, Victoria whipped around and smirked at me. "So, what do you have for me?"