Chapter 26

It was nearly sunrise,but Natalia hadn’t gotten a moment of sleep. With Samantha laying in her bed, she told herself that it didn’t mean anything as long as she didn’t fall asleep.

She didn’t have a good excuse for why she asked Samantha about her tattoo, but she blamed it on the lack of sleep and marathon night of sex.

Samantha turned her head, regarding Natalia with surprise, her chest still covered in a thin sheen of sweat. “You want to know about my tattoo?” A smile tugged at her lips, swollen and dark pink from use.

Natalia gave a careless shrug, as if she hadn’t been curiously eyeing her inked skin. “Purely out of academic interest.”

“Then what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t oblige?” Samantha shifted onto her side so they were face-to-face, heads almost sharing a pillow. She was suddenly so close, Natalia had to resist the urge to shift away. The sensation of non-sex-related proximity was foreign but not entirely unpleasant — like acclimating to breathing through a snorkel and trusting that the clear, Caribbean ocean wouldn’t swallow her whole — she tried to relax into it.

“Well, if you must know...” Samantha traced a finger lazily along her own arm. “I wanted to be an animal behaviorist when I was a kid.”

“Why?” Natalia followed Samantha’s fingers as they grazed her painted bicep.

“A very enthusiastic guide at the zoo when I was ten,” she replied with a chuckle that amplified the bronze flecks in her dark eyes. “Elephants have these complex matriarchal social structures. The herds are led by the eldest female. She makes all the decisions, guides the group, teaches the young.”

“So you’ve been obsessed with female-led societies since you were a child,” Natalia noted.

“I guess so.” Samantha’s eyes warmed. “They form these incredible social bonds and rituals. And they experience emotions — grief, compassion, love — as deeply as humans do.”

“More deeply than most humans,” Natalia guessed.

“Definitely.” She reached out for Natalia, a warm hand on her exposed hip. “I’m surprised you don’t have some hidden tat somewhere.”

Natalia raised a brow, jaw set and expression intensely pompous. “One simply does not put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari.”

Face brightening, Samantha laughed with her chest and her throat and her eyes. How the hell did she do that? “Excellent point,” she agreed before pulling Natalia closer with a decisive show of upper body strength.

Natalia knew she should roll away. Should stop her before they found themselves tangled together again. But she allowed Samantha to kiss her despite knowing better. Let her slide her hand over her hips and grab her thigh like she owned it before hooking Natalia’s leg around her.

The way Samantha touched her with unshielded awe and abject lust was intoxicating. It was a tide Natalia was too tired to fight.

Pulling Samantha on top of her, she relished the way her hips fit between her thighs. Luxuriating in the sensation of Samantha rocking slowly against her while they kissed. This time, Samantha’s lips moved slowly, savoring her like she wanted to carry the moment off to work with her.

Gripping Samantha’s ass, Natalia urged her to use more friction. To kiss her harder. Samantha, finally understanding the pecking order, gave in to her desire. At least in the bedroom.

The sound of an irritating ding from Samantha’s phone broke her rhythm just as Natalia had closed her eyes. She furrowed her brow, trying to think of nothing but how good Samantha felt on top of her, when the phone dinged again.

“Who the hell is texting you at this hour?” Natalia snapped.

Holding herself up and off Natalia’s chest, Samantha gave her a smug grin. “Are you jealous?”

Natalia engaged her most irritated expression. “I’m annoyed that it’s compromised your concentration.”

Samantha chuckled and kissed Natalia again. “It’s not me who’s distracted. I have world-famous laser focus.”

The phone dinged a third time, this time eliciting a frustrated groan from both of them. Rolling off of her, Samantha reached for the nightstand on the far side of the enormous bed.

“It’s supposed to be on silent,” Samantha muttered and then looked at Natalia with raised eyebrows. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Natalia nearly snatched the phone from her hands. She hated waiting. Even worse, she hated not knowing things.

After an irritating beat, Samantha handed her the phone.

Zoe: Forgive me for overriding your DND settings Professor, but I thought you’d like to know that Black Forge Films is willing to negotiate creative rights to your property.

Zoe: I’ve emailed you a draft of the agreement, and would love to discuss it with you! Whatever your concerns or questions, I’m with you a hundred percent.

Zoe: Can you feel all the possibility buzzing in the air, Professor??? This is going to be HUGE!

“She makes it sound like I’ve already agreed,” Sam said with a chuckle before reaching for a bottle of no-longer-sparkling water.

Natalia was so practiced at keeping her face unreadable that even sleep deprivation and mild dehydration didn’t cause her to stumble. Inside, anger flickered to life. Zoe should have given her the heads up. Should have let her look at the agreement first.

It was an unreasonable thought, she recognized instantly. She was not brokering the deal with Samantha. Her own words about merely bringing Samantha to the negotiating table haunted her.

“They must really want my little musings,” Samantha said after taking a glug of water and offering Natalia the rest.

Natalia declined the glass bottle with a shake of her head. Mind racing, she debated whether she should ask Samantha if she could read the terms. To make sure they really did offer final cut privilege and all the other input Samantha wanted. It wasn’t appropriate. She was too close. Too compromised. She wouldn’t give Samantha any advice. Surely that was enough to cure any ills born from a little glance. No, she couldn’t. Samantha could read something in her face and let it influence her decision.

Taking the phone back, Natalia guessed that she was checking her email, but she turned her attention away from Samantha’s screen. Deciding it was a good time to check her own phone, Natalia took it from the nightstand and pretended she had blinders on.

“Jesus, this is so long,” Samantha muttered. “I guess I’ll have plenty to read on my trip to the Keys.”

“You’re going to the Keys?” Natalia looked away from her social media alerts. “When?”

Samantha rubbed her eyes and tossed the phone on the bed. Mercifully, she’d closed out of the document and saved Natalia from making a mistake. “Next week. It’s my parents’ fifty-third wedding anniversary. We couldn’t celebrate the big 5-0. So now all of our family and friends are descending on a very fancy resort for a few days.”

Natalia let her phone drop on her bare chest. Attention on Samantha as she smoothed her messy hair back with her fingers, but only made things worse. Natalia stopped herself from reaching out and fixing the errant strand flopping over Samantha’s forehead.

“It doesn’t sound like there will be much time for contract reading. This is why you need an agent,” she snapped.

Samantha grinned, undeterred by Natalia’s sharp tone. “Looking for work?” She wiggled her brows in a way that made Natalia roll her eyes even as her skin warmed.

“That would be wildly inappropriate, Professor.”

As if finding a second wind — or perhaps fifth — Samantha scrambled back on top of her. Her face was bright and eyes iridescent. “I thought you liked wildly inappropriate, Ms. Flores.” She leaned forward and scraped Natalia’s neck with her teeth while tossing her phone across the bed.

Closing her eyes for just one second, Natalia let the electric jolt rouse her tired, sore body. Samantha had absolutely no business having the stamina of a high school quarterback. Natalia was going to be a full-body bruise or have to signal defeat. There was no doubt that she had only one option.

“There may be a time constraint on the offer,” Natalia hinted at the importance of reading over the terms carefully several times.

“Mm hmm,” Samantha replied, more interested in working her way down Natalia’s chest than listening to her.

Natalia indulged, slipping her nails through Samantha’s hair, liking the way the shaved stubble felt beneath her fingertips. Liking it too much.

Samantha’s mouth was on her hipbone and drifting toward her inner thigh. Natalia made a fist in her hair. “You’re a terrible listener.”

“Am I?” Samantha’s expression was lust and sin and hunger.

“How am I supposed to trust you to actually consider the production terms?” Natalia yanked her head back.

Samantha’s eyebrows shot up, lips still curved in an infuriating smirk. “I can multitask with the best of them. Don’t you worry about me, Natalia.”

Before Natalia could respond, Samantha captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Her confident hands skimmed Natalia’s sides, caressing every curve. Natalia responded despite herself. Her traitorous body coming alive under Samantha’s skillful touch.

With a growl of frustration, Natalia pushed her away. “I’m serious. This is important.”

Samantha’s expression softened. She brushed back Natalia’s tousled hair with surprising tenderness. “I know. And I promise I’ll look everything over carefully, okay? You’re not the only person who can read a contract. But right now...” She grinned wolfishly, hand trailing down Natalia’s chest. “I just want to make you come so hard you forget your own name.”

Natalia’s rebuttal died on her lips as Samantha’s mouth closed over a stiff nipple. She arched into the contact, fingers twisting in the sheets.

As her lips and hands worked their magic, Natalia tried to cling to reason. But it was hopeless, sensation overwhelming thought.

And when that wicked mouth finally settled between her thighs, Natalia was helpless to resist. Gripping Samantha’s hair, she let herself be swept away by ecstasy for just a minute before stopping her for real.

“Alright, champ.” Natalia tugged her up by the arm.

With a not entirely off-putting whine, Samantha landed next to her again. “How about breakfast then?” she asked, drawing Natalia’s attention to the pale rays of sun glowing through her balcony overlooking the pool.

Natalia tensed. “Absolutely not.” She extricated herself from Sam’s embrace and sat up, suddenly wide awake. This had gone too far already. She’d been too nice. Too accommodating.

Samantha looked crestfallen, but Natalia steeled herself against those warm brown eyes. She wouldn’t be swayed by sentiment. Wouldn’t entertain foolish notions just because Sam wasn’t bad at sex.

Natalia smoothed her hair, adopting her usual cool facade as she stood. When she returned from the restroom, silk robe on, Samantha took the hint.

Samantha sighed as she got to her feet. “I guess I have to get home and shower before class.” Then she was up and dressing efficiently, no attempt at small talk.

“Until our next date,” Samantha said before kissing her cheek, marking her with her scent yet again.

Only once she was alone did Natalia exhale, shoulders slumping. She hated the pang in her chest and the roiling in her empty stomach. But more than that, she worried Samantha wouldn’t seriously consider the movie deal.

What if she got caught up during her anniversary trip and let the offer lapse? Natalia had worked too hard to make this happen. She didn’t want Samantha’s passion project dying over a lack of momentum.

As the thought took root, Natalia made a snap decision. “Samantha, wait,” she called, bolting out of her room.

At the front door, Samantha turned, surprise flickering across her face.

“I know I already said this, but it’s critical you look over that agreement very carefully,” Natalia said urgently. “The studio likely won’t leave that offer on the table forever.”

Samantha’s surprise shifted into a knowing smile. “Worried I’ll drop the ball, Ms. Flores? Don’t you trust me?”

Natalia bristled, wishing Samantha would take this seriously. “It’s not about trust. I just want to ensure your hard work gets the platform it deserves.”

Samantha stepped closer, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Are you angling for an invitation to my parents’ anniversary? You know I’d love for you to come with me.”

Natalia froze, the suggestion catching her off guard. Joining Samantha for a family trip was reckless, dangerous territory. But if she went, she could make sure Samantha kept momentum on the deal. She could do it for Zoe, to ensure her client’s dream project happened.

Heart racing, Natalia lifted her chin. “Perhaps I will come. To provide you... informal guidance regarding the agreement.”

Samantha’s eyes widened in genuine shock. “Wait, seriously? You want to meet my whole family?” A smile broke across her face. “Well, alright then! This trip just got a lot more interesting.”

Doubt trickled down Natalia’s spine, cooling her impulsive glow. What was she thinking, accepting such an intimate invitation? There were a thousand reasons she should take it back. But the hope shining in Samantha’s eyes trapped her, kept her silent.

So she merely nodded, fighting to retain her composure. She couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling that she was making a mistake. But the deed was done now. She would just have to wait and see if her risky gambit paid off.