Chapter 21

Riley chuckled and shook her head. "Don't you remember when we first met you? We thought the two of you were together."

Isabella sat back against her chair. "If Kelsey feels the same way then she must be thinking about the resort and the trips we've planned for the year. Just imagine how we could mess that up!"

"Why would it mess things up?"

"It could make things awkward. Our followers might not trust us since we didn't say anything in the beginning. We didn't tell Carmen. I could go on and on," Isabella said, panic rising in her voice.

"You could also show folks how romantic it is here and how things happen," Riley said suggestively.

"Do you mean a fling? Oh no," Isabella protested. "Kelsey is not a fling type of person." She paused then added, "I may be the spontaneous one, but I'm not like that either. There has to be more."

Riley raised her eyebrows. "Are you trying to tell me there's not already something there? You're lying to yourself, my friend. You dance together every time you come to the bar and you're always walking arm in arm."

Isabella narrowed her gaze. "Kelsey mentioned the same thing. She asked me if I had danced with my other friends."

Riley gave her a knowing smile. "There's only one person I slow dance with."

Isabella nodded. "Alex."

"Talk to her," Riley suggested.

"I'm so afraid it will make things weird," Isabella murmured as she watched Kelsey. Then she remembered Kelsey thinking she'd made things weird on their last trip. They'd talked things through then danced to their song and everything felt right. Their song! Did friends have a song?

"What is it?"

"I was just remembering something from our last trip. I think I know what to do and it's not talking," Isabella said to herself more so than Riley.

Kelsey and Isabella walked arm and arm back to their bungalows after dinner.

"I guess since this was such a quick trip Carmen let us have our bungalows this time," Isabella said.

"I'm glad. My favorite part of our trips is sitting and talking with you at the end of the night," Kelsey said.

"Really? I thought you liked Peaches and our friends," Isabella said.

"I do, but this is my favorite."

"Well," Isabella said and squeezed Kelsey's arm a little tighter, "my favorite is our last dance of the night with the ocean providing background music."

Kelsey opened her front door. "Let's do our favorite thing."

They went inside and Kelsey poured them each a glass of wine. On this trip they hadn't had much alone time and Kelsey had been able to control her feelings. She was very aware of every time she and Isabella touched or exchanged a look and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Kelsey handed Isabella her wine and they went out on the back deck. A breeze was blowing off the water and the sound of the waves greeted them.

"This feels like home," Kelsey said.

"I know you don't mean Denver." Isabella chuckled.

"It's too quiet at my house without the girls now. I don't know what it is about being here with you, but it feels more like home than Denver does."

"I know what you mean, Kels. When the boys are at Spencer's my house feels empty," Isabella said.

"I never feel empty when I'm here," Kelsey said.

Isabella smiled and set her glass on the table. "Let's dance."

When Kelsey met Isabella's gaze her heart immediately began to speed up. She licked her lips and found her mouth had gone dry. It only took a moment for Kelsey to pull up their song and put it on repeat. She held out her arms and waited.

Isabella gasped. "Are you letting me lead?"

Kelsey dropped her chin. "You always do."

Isabella chuckled and put her arms around Kelsey's neck. That little chuckle had become one of Kelsey's favorite tunes. She put her hands on Isabella's hips and pulled her close.

How many times had they done this? They tried to convince each other that this was just two friends enjoying a dance, but that had never been true.

The last notes of the song wafted around them. Kelsey knew they'd start again, but then she felt Isabella's fingers playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. It sent delicious shivers through her body and Kelsey choked back a moan. She could feel Isabella's breath just below her ear followed by the softest touch of her lips.

This time Kelsey couldn't stop the low moan from escaping her throat. Isabella pulled her head back and their eyes met. She cupped Kelsey's face with both her hands and they simply stared into each other's eyes.

Isabella looked down at Kelsey's lips then back into her eyes. Kelsey saw Isabella's eyes start to flutter closed just as their lips touched ever so softly.

This wasn't one of their airport kisses. This kiss was soft yet firm. Any uncertainty Kelsey may have felt before was gone. Isabella was kissing her and Kelsey was kissing her back.

Kelsey kept her lips pressed to Isabella's, assuring this wasn't a brief encounter like the ones before. She took the time to sink into Isabella's pillowy lips and marveled at how perfectly they fit together.

Then the kiss came to life. They caressed, they nibbled, they nipped each other's lips. Their breaths added to the symphony the music and waves created around them.

Isabella's arms slipped around Kelsey's shoulders, pulling her closer and keeping their lips locked together. Kelsey groaned and heard the sweetest sigh bubble from Isabella.

Before Kelsey could think about what she was doing, her tongue slid across Isabella's lower lip and an electric charge shot through her.

Isabella immediately parted her lips and when their tongues touched Kelsey melted into Isabella's arms. They may have started out dancing, but their tongues now took this intimate dance to another level.

"Mmm," Isabella moaned.

"Bella," Kelsey whispered as she trailed kisses over Isabella's jaw and down her neck. But she wanted Isabella's lips. She crushed her lips to Isabella's bringing on another round of moans and groans.

Their tongues tangled as their lips caressed and their arms once again tightened around each other. Kelsey could hear her own pulse pounding in her ears and felt Isabella's staccato beat when her lips once again kissed her neck.

Isabella tangled her fingers in Kelsey's hair then rested her hands on her cheeks once again. She stared into Kelsey's eyes. "Don't say anything," she said softly. "Just keep kissing me."

Kelsey knew doubts would flood in eventually for both of them, but Isabella was simply saying not yet.

With a soft smile, it was Kelsey's turn to cup Isabella's beautiful face with her hands. She tenderly touched her lips to Isabella's then deepened the kiss to a chorus of moans from them both.

Kelsey tried to keep all thoughts out of her head and simply feel, but she couldn't escape the idea that these were the lips she'd been waiting to kiss all her life. That was a little grand, but she couldn't chase the thought away.

Isabella's arms tightened around Kelsey's middle and once again Kelsey had the most overwhelming feeling of being home. She kissed Isabella with all the feelings she'd been trying to hide.

When their lips finally parted, Isabella put her finger over Kelsey's lips. "Don't say anything," she whispered. "I can't talk about this yet."

Kelsey nodded. She still had her hands on Isabella's upper arms and kept them there.

"I know I've complicated everything," Isabella began.

"Bella, you may have kissed me first, but I kissed you back," Kelsey said.

Isabella exhaled. "Yeah, you did," she said dreamily, with a hint of a smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

Kelsey felt a sudden emptiness as Isabella stepped away from her.

"Promise me something, Kels," Isabella said, turning around.

"What's that?"

"Don't quit."

"Quit?" Kelsey asked, confused.

"I know you were unsure about this marketing project from the beginning, but promise me you won't give up on it," Isabella said.

Kelsey nodded. "I promise. I won't quit the project and I won't give up." She watched Isabella leave her deck and walk through the back door of her own bungalow.

Kelsey had never considered quitting the project, but what Isabella didn't know is that she wasn't giving up on them. Yes, they both had a lot to think about and Kelsey wasn't sure what this meant for them, but one thing she was sure of was that she wanted Isabella Burns in her life.

The next morning they rolled their suitcases into the lobby of the resort and were discussing breakfast when Carmen cornered them.

"I've made some arrangements for next month. I want the girls to stay together in one room like most of the young people who come here for spring break do. Very few of them can afford their own room for the week and it's one big party anyway."

"Okay," Kelsey said. "The girls will like that."

"I have a couple of other things to show you," Carmen said, leading them to her office.

Kelsey looked over at Isabella and she smiled then shrugged.

By the time Carmen finished with them they had to leave for the airport. She walked them out the front door just as Sylvie drove up.

"I'm your ride," she said with a smile. "I have to pick up some folks at the airport."

"Thanks," Kelsey said, getting in the back of the Jeep. She'd hoped to talk to Isabella on the way to the airport, but not now.

Isabella met Kelsey's eyes and smiled at her as she climbed into the front of the Jeep. Kelsey was trying to keep her anxiety at bay and wondered if Isabella felt the same way. She hadn't noticed Isabella having any trouble meeting her gaze that morning so she took that as a good sign. Honestly, Kelsey wasn't sure what to think, but knew she would give Isabella whatever time and space she needed.

Once they made it to the airport they said their goodbyes to Sylvie and Kelsey turned to Isabella. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," Isabella said with a hint of desperation.

Kelsey gave the barista their orders and they found seats at their gate along with the other travelers.

"This isn't the ideal place to talk, and honestly, Kels," Isabella began, "I'm not ready."

"Okay," Kelsey said quietly, taking a sip of her coffee.

"I want to say one thing though."

Kelsey raised her eyebrows and listened.

"I've never danced with any of my friends and I've never been attracted to another woman."

Kelsey winced. "But you are now?" she asked tentatively.

Isabella playfully smacked Kelsey on the arm. "Yes! To you! I wouldn't have been kissing you like that last night if I wasn't."

Kelsey sighed in relief.

"My mom pointed out something to me when I got home from our Christmas trip," Isabella said. "I've always done what was expected of me. I did all the activities in school, went to college, and made good grades. I married a man and had kids." Isabella took a deep breath. "She said it was time for me to do what makes me happy."

"That's good advice," Kelsey said.

"I know I have complicated everything, Kels."

"You said that last night and no, you haven't," Kelsey said. "You do remember that I kissed you."

"Yeah you did," she said, a little breathless. Isabella smiled. "I don't know if this is our vacation life and our everyday life coming together. I want to go home and think all this through."

"Okay," Kelsey said. "But it's my turn to say one thing. Since I got home from our trip at Christmas I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I look forward to our trips each month and can't wait for the family trip this summer."

"You do?"

Kelsey nodded. "Will you do something for me?"

"Of course," Isabella replied.

"Don't make your mind up about anything until we get to talk again."

"I won't," Isabella said.

The gate attendant announced it was their turn to board and as they got in line Isabella put her arm through Kelsey's.

On the flight home they discussed the trip and took notes as they'd done before.

The melancholic cloud descended the closer they got to Charlotte, but Kelsey reached for Isabella's hand, holding onto the last minutes of their island time until the plane landed.

"I'm walking you to your gate," Isabella said as they deplaned.

"I'll send you a picture when I'm seated and call you when I get home," Kelsey replied.

As they stopped at Kelsey's gate, she noticed her group was already boarding. She led Isabella away from the line of travelers and next to a wall. No one bothered to give them a look.

"Some things stay the same," Kelsey said. She opened her arms and Isabella walked into them.

"I'll miss you," Isabella said softly. She pulled away and kissed Kelsey on the cheek.

This time Kelsey kissed Isabella. It wasn't their usual brief airport kiss. She pressed her lips to Isabella's and gave their hearts time to whisper goodbye. When she pulled away she watched Isabella open her eyes then smile.

"See you next month," Isabella said.

"See you next month," Kelsey replied.

She walked to the attendant and showed her boarding pass, then turned to smile at Isabella one more time. What are we going to do now?