Chapter 13

The quad's engine fell silent as they returned to the house, the headlights casting a dim glow on the stone fa?ade, and Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest as she got off. The short ride back had been filled with a mix of exhilaration and nerves, her hands gripping onto Claire's body tightly as she wondered what Claire must think of her and what she'd just done.

Evelyn still couldn't believe she'd even done it as she climbed the steps to the back patio, waiting for Claire to get off the quad, but she stayed where she was. Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, her legs slightly unsteady beneath her. The back light flickered to life as Evelyn walked by the corner of the house, and she turned back to Claire.

Even in the soft glow of the outside light, she could see the mixture of emotions on Claire's face. Evelyn couldn't let her leave without an explanation, without acknowledging what had happened.

"Claire," Evelyn said softly, her voice wavering ever so slightly, "Would you... would you like to come inside?"

Claire swung her leg over the quad and walked slowly towards Evelyn. "Sure."

As they entered the house, Evelyn turned on some lights, and her heart raced as she closed the door behind them. She led Claire into the living room, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch. She sat down beside her, acutely aware of the small distance between them. The air felt charged, and Evelyn had to figure out how she was going to approach this.

Her throat felt tight, and she swallowed, wishing she had a drink, but she didn't want to assume that Claire was staying for any length of time, so she hadn't offered, and she wanted to have this conversation now, without any delays.

"Claire, I…" Evelyn closed her eyes for a second, trying to steady herself and gather her thoughts. She opened her eyes as she ran her hands over her jeans. "I'm sorry that I just kissed you like that. Out of nowhere."

Claire sat quietly for a moment, her eyes locked on Evelyn's. "You don't need to apologize," she said softly. "Did you mean it?" she asked after a moment.

Evelyn inhaled a shaky breath as she looked away. "As in, am I attracted to you?"

"As in, did you just get caught up in the moment, and it didn't matter that it was me sitting beside you? Or did you mean it?"

Evelyn's heart clenched at Claire's words, and she turned to meet her gaze. "No." She pressed her lips together. "No, it wasn't just the moment, although that was easily the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me." She let her lips curve into a smile. "Thank you, by the way. But yes," Evelyn said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I meant it." She forced herself to look at Claire, tears pricking at her eyes.

Claire's eyes locked onto Evelyn's, a mixture of surprise and something deeper flashing in her striking blue eyes. "When you spoke of regrets…"

Evelyn nodded, swiping away a tear before it streaked down her cheek. "I'm so tired of hiding who I am." She took a deep breath. "I've known since I was maybe nineteen or twenty that I was attracted to women," Evelyn confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "But that was right when my career started taking off, and from that point on, my life has been one big orchestrated performance." A tear trickled down her cheek, followed by another. "These last few weeks, getting away from all that, being here with you… This has been the first time that I've felt this free, this happy. I haven't been looking over my shoulder, worrying about photographers, worrying about who might notice the way I'm looking at another woman."

Claire reached out and gently brushed the tears from Evelyn's cheek, but she didn't say anything.

Evelyn's eyes fluttered closed as Claire's warm hand stayed, lightly caressing her jawline with her thumb. "And for the first time I haven't tried to fight it…" She slowly opened her eyes. "I know I shouldn't be attracted to you, but ever since I collided with you in the stables…"

Claire's hand fell away as her eyes searched Evelyn's. "Why shouldn't you be attracted to me?"

Evelyn sighed. "Because I'm too old for you. Because I'm here on vacation. Because I doubt you feel the same way?—"

Claire's lips were on hers before Evelyn could finish her sentence, the sudden contact sending a jolt of electricity through her entire body. For a moment, Evelyn was too stunned to react, her mind struggling to catch up with the reality of what was happening.

But then, as the warmth of Claire's mouth moved gently against her own, Evelyn melted into the kiss, her hands coming up to tangle in Claire's soft hair. The world around them seemed to fade away, and all that existed was the feeling of Claire's body pressed against hers.

Evelyn sighed as Claire's hands cupped her face, her thumbs gently stroking her cheek, and when Evelyn parted her lips, Claire deepened the kiss. Nothing could have prepared Evelyn for the rush of desire that flooded her body when Claire's tongue glided over hers. She whimpered, every sense heightened as one of Claire's hands slid away from cheek, moving down her neck, her fingertips dancing over her collarbone.

When they finally broke apart, both breathless and flushed, Evelyn couldn't help but stare at Claire.

"You might not have been fighting this," Claire said with a smile playing on her lips. "But I have. That day when you ran into me at the stables?" She shook her head. "I thought for sure you could see how attracted I was to you. And I've been trying to hide it ever since. I'll admit that I've been attracted to you for years. But not like this." She visibly swallowed. "That wasn't real. A crush. That's all it was. But these last weeks? No matter how much I didn't want it to happen, I can't say that I haven't thought about kissing you, about what it'd be like if you felt that same way about me." Claire smiled. "But I never thought… I had no idea that there was even a chance that you might feel the same way."

Evelyn smiled back at her as she reached up and placed her hand Claire's cheek. "I guess, the question is what do we do about this?"

"I think we should take things slow," Claire said.

"We don't really have time to take things slow," Evelyn challenged, a smile coming to her lips as she spoke. "As much as I want to stay here, I can't hide from my life forever. At best, we'll have almost four months."

Claire held her gaze. "I want you, Evelyn. Whatever that means. But we can still take our time. I'm guessing that this is new for you?"

Evelyn nodded. "I was too afraid to take any chances and have something leak to the press."

Claire leaned in, slowly brushing her lips over Evelyn's, almost as if she could sense the wave of apprehension that had just come over her. Evelyn had more fantasies than she knew what to do with over the years, but that wouldn't mean that she'd be any good at this.

Claire broke the kiss, although their foreheads were still touching as she spoke softly. "We'll take this at whatever pace feels right for you. There's no rush, no expectations."

"This doesn't feel real," Evelyn murmured as she tilted her head, leaning in to find Claire's lips. The feeling of Claire's lips against her own was overwhelming, in the best possible way, and Evelyn had to wonder how she'd lived this long without experiencing what it was like to kiss another woman.