Peaches and Cream, page 7
Chapter Seven
That Sunday afternoon in June was gorgeous—not too warm, not too cool, sunny, a blue sky filled with puffy cotton ball clouds—the best kind of summer day to Adley. She didn’t love high heat and humidity. Neither did she love super cold, with piles and piles of snow. But she could appreciate a day like this, especially after spending her entire day inside, scooping, selling, creating ice cream and ice cream desserts. There’d been a time when she wouldn’t leave the shop before nine or ten on a summer night when they were open late, but over the past several months, Scottie had convinced her that it wouldn’t matter if her business survived this downturn if she wasn’t alive to care because she’d worked herself into the ground.
It was a valid point.
So, here she was, weirdly buzzing with a nervous energy that had become an almost regular thing for her with regard to her business, closing the door of her car and then walking toward the fenced-in dog park section of the larger Ridgecrest Park. She could see Scottie in the back corner, talking to another woman and watching as her new puppy, Blue, ran himself ragged with four other dogs. Another person came up behind Adley with a key card and held the gate open for her.
“Hey, Scooter,” she said as she approached Scottie.
“You made it.” Scottie’s face showed genuine glee at the fact, which told Adley that a large part of her probably thought she’d blow her off.
“I did. How’s the doggo?” She watched as Blue got rolled by a larger dog but got right back up and shook himself off, then jumped back into the fray.
“He’s a maniac. I may have to bring him here a couple times a week to run off some of his puppy energy or he’s gonna eat our house.” The mix of worry and giddiness on her face really was kind of cute.
“Backyard’s not doing the trick?” Adley asked, as the dogs tore past them in one furry blur of legs, heads, and flapping ears.
“I was just telling Grace here that he doesn’t run like this when he’s alone in our yard.”
The woman standing next to her was pretty, with dark hair pulled back and a black T-shirt. She smiled at Adley and held out a hand to shake. Adley introduced herself, and Grace used her chin to point out a black and brown dog that looked like a large beagle mix of some kind. “Delilah’s a little older, but holy crap, she becomes a puppy again when I bring her here.” She watched for a minute, then asked Scottie, “So, you just started coming here?”
“We got him for our kid a few months ago, and he was just a love. Still is.” Scottie followed Blue with her eyes as she spoke. “Now that he’s six months old, I can almost see his energy levels written on his adorable furry face. Decided to give this park a try, even though I’ve heard many a dog park horror story.”
Scottie and Grace kept talking, and Adley only partially listened. Her brain was too full, and her entire body was thrumming. Excess energy, worry for her business, guilt about standing in a dog park instead of behind the counter at her shop, desire to have a pet of her own, all of these things combined inside her to turn her into a big ball of nervous energy. Not a person who enjoyed jogging—or who had ever voluntarily jogged in her life, at all—she absently wondered if she needed to go for a run. Or take a hike. Or go mountain biking. Skateboarding? Should she drop in on a half-pipe? Would that level of adrenaline surge then calm her? Because seriously, she felt like a walking stick of dynamite whose fuse was burning precariously low.
As Scottie and Grace continued their in-depth discussion about the dogs they loved and the bowel movements of said dogs, Adley scanned the rest of the park, beyond the dog park’s fencing. Two guys playing Frisbee. A couple on a blanket, a picnic basket between them. A woman on a bench under a tree, reading. Two women pushing a stroller. A man—hang on. She backed up to the woman reading under the tree. She squinted, then felt a surge of warm happiness. With a quick stroke down Scottie’s arm, she said, “Be right back,” and headed for the exit of the fencing.
Once outside the dog park, she glanced down at herself. She’d come right from the shop and hadn’t had a chance to change. And hadn’t really thought about it. It was just Scottie. It was just the dog park. But there was a chocolate ice cream spot on her jeans, and she had three rainbow sprinkles stuck to her left forearm. Brushing them away, she fixed her hair under her hat with the word Scoop on it—which she did not dare take off because she’d had it on all day and hat hair was a serious thing. She smoothed the ponytail sticking through the hat and hanging between her shoulder blades, straightened her white V-neck T-shirt that had stayed surprisingly clean under her apron, took a deep breath, and headed for the tree.
“I would never in a million years have pegged you for a true crime fan,” she said when she got close enough for Sabrina to hear her. She was in lightly washed jeans and a black Henley with the sleeves pushed up to reveal her forearms and what looked like a fresh manicure, her nails a deep burgundy. And when she looked up from her book, the happiness to see Adley was so clearly written on her face that it nearly made Adley swoon right there in the grass where she stood. Aaaaand I’m wet. Bam. Just like that. Did Sabrina have any idea of the power she held?
“Oh, I am not just a fan. I’m a full-blown junkie. True crime books. Podcasts. Dateline. 20/20. Netflix documentaries. Give them all to me.” Sabrina put her bookmark in her book and closed it. “What in the world are you doing here?” she asked as she scooted to make room on the bench.
Adley sat, feeling suddenly warm and relaxed and utterly turned-on, all at the same time. She gestured vaguely toward the dog park. “My friend is there with her dog and asked me to come by and say hi. I just happened to see you sitting here—with your I’m sure super relaxing, not-at-all stressful book—and thought I’d come say hello.”
Sabrina laughed, a low, throaty sound that did nothing to alleviate that dampness between Adley’s legs. “The anxiety is worth it when the bad guy gets caught and justice is done.”
“What if justice is not done?”
“Then I usually throw the book across the room.”
“Interesting,” Adley said, and it was her turn to laugh.
Sabrina squinted across the park toward the dogs. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s the same friend who was at the bar with you the night we met.”
Adley nodded. “It is. Scottie. She’s my BFF. We’ve been friends since we were kids.”
“And the other woman who walked in that night and kissed her?”
“Marisa. Her girlfriend. Between you and me? I think Scottie’s gonna propose soon.”
“Really? That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, she’s hinted here and there about how Marisa is The One, with a capital T and a capital O. So I’m just waiting.” She gave a sigh that came out a little dreamy. “I’m so happy for her. She deserves to have somebody like that.” She could feel Sabrina’s eyes on her and worried she might’ve taken things over the line of casual right into the forest of serious. But what the hell? She was here—she might as well own it. She turned to Sabrina, who was still gazing off into the distance. “Do you ever think about that?”
“About what?” Those blue eyes turned to her, glanced up a bit as if looking at her hat, then back down to meet her gaze.
“Settling down. Being in one place with one person.”
A half shrug. “Sure. Sometimes. I do get tired of traveling all the time.”
Not exactly what she meant, but Adley didn’t push. She just nodded, and then they sat in silence for a moment before Sabrina spoke again.
“Hey, do you have dinner plans?”
Adley made a show of thinking hard, tipping her head from one side to the other, tapping her lips with a fingertip, until Sabrina laughed softly. “I, in fact, do not have dinner plans.”
“Wanna come to my place?” Her gaze held Adley’s. Solid. Clear. Adley knew exactly what would happen if she said yes. Exactly.
So she didn’t say it.
She nodded.
* * *
Sabrina zipped around her house, cleaning like she was a human Roomba. It wasn’t terribly messy, but she had crap lying around all over the place—papers, books, her laptop, a jacket here, a pair of socks there, three pairs of shoes in various rooms. She wasn’t used to having company when she traveled for work, and Adley was going to be here in less than an hour.
Adley. What the hell was it about her?
She’d racked her brain since leaving the dog park, trying to figure out what it was about this woman that drew her so strongly. It was physical, yes. Definitely. Without a doubt. But it was more than that, and that was the scary part. Whenever she saw Adley, whatever setting or situation they were in, she just wanted more. More time. More conversation. She wanted to know more. She wanted to feel more. Like, literally feel. She wanted her hands on Adley, and she knew it, and she owned it, and she was no longer afraid of it. It just was.
Did Adley feel the same?
She was pretty sure she did. There was always something in her eyes. Those deep, dark eyes that were shockingly expressive. Sabrina was reasonably sure she could read Adley’s mood in just about any case. Today, they said how happy Adley was to see her. And when Sabrina had invited her over for dinner, Adley’s eyes said she knew exactly what Sabrina was suggesting, and she was in.
She’d never really had that. Well, maybe with Teagan. But they’d both known pretty early on that they were destined to be friends and not partners. But since then? No. She’d never felt so connected to another woman. Not like this. Not like Adley.
And yet, they’d mutually limited things to the physical. Because clearly they each had reasons to do so.
Maybe it was time to rethink that. To actually get to know each other on other levels. On every level. Maybe…
The doorbell rang, startling her enough to make her flinch, then chuckle at herself. She was nervous, she realized. A glance down to check her jeans, her royal-blue shirt that buttoned down the front. As she headed toward the door, she checked her hair in the mirror. Soft, wavy, down around her shoulders. She closed her hands into fists, then relaxed them, annoyed at herself for being so nervous, but also laughing about it.
“I am officially ridiculous,” she whispered aloud before reaching for the doorknob and pulling the door open. The sight that greeted her stole her breath, just reached right into her lungs and took all the air. Adley wore dark jeans that could not possibly have fit her tall frame any more perfectly. Her short-sleeve top was a deep emerald green, which only served to accentuate the rich tan of her skin and the shiny waves of her dark hair, which was down completely for the first time since Sabrina had met her. Waves and waves of midnight that she wanted to dive into and swim through. She smelled like sugar and vanilla, and Sabrina inhaled quietly through her nose, taking it in.
“Hi,” Adley said, then held out a bottle of wine to her. She leaned forward and kissed Sabrina softly on the lips before pulling back, saying softly, “You look gorgeous,” and sidling past her and into the house. Sabrina stood there, bottle of wine in hand, and just watched her move.
“This is so cute,” Adley said, standing in the middle of the living room and turning in a slow circle. “It’s an Airbnb, you said?”
Sabrina shut the door and nodded. “Yeah. When I’m going to be in a city for a stretch of weeks, I usually get one instead of staying in a hotel. Feels a little more like a home, you know?”
“Totally.” Adley wandered some more, peering in this room and that. The place wasn’t that big, but she strolled along, and it wasn’t until this had gone on for several moments that Sabrina realized maybe Adley was nervous, too. Sabrina let her wander, waited patiently.
“I think I’ll open this,” she said, holding up the bottle.
“Perfect.” Adley followed her. “Are you cooking?” she asked as they entered the kitchen.
Sabrina snort-laughed, then waved an arm out to encompass the area that was clearly not being used to make a meal. “I thought we’d order in.” And then she suddenly grew serious because what if Adley had expected her to cook? “Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Adley said, crossing to her and wrapping her arms around her. “I’m a big fan of ordering in, too.”
“Perfect,” Sabrina said, using Adley’s earlier word as she toyed with the hem of Adley’s shirt. It was snug, hugged her torso softly, subtly putting her breasts on display. “I like this,” she said, her voice husky.
“Yeah?” Adley pressed herself closer. “I like yours, too. Buttons. Buttons are sexy.” Her fingers began toying with them.
“Are they? How come?”
“Because they tease. They hide what’s underneath, but you can get a little peek if you want.” With that, she unfastened one, then another, then pushed the sides of Sabrina’s shirt apart just enough to bare more skin.
“I see. I didn’t realize this.” She swallowed hard as Adley’s fingertips skittered across her flesh. Her body was suddenly on fire, her underwear instantly wet. God, how did Adley have such power over her?
“Now you know.”
Sabrina nodded. Their lips were mere millimeters apart, but they didn’t kiss. No, this was something else. This teasing. This playing. It was hot, God, so hot, and she was so turned-on, she worried she might burst into flames. Reaching around, she cupped Adley’s ass with both hands and pulled so their bodies were pressed together, hers trapped between Adley and the counter. “I happen to love these jeans.”
“Do you?” Adley’s voice was barely a whisper. “How come?”
Sabrina tightened her grip, flexed her fingers into Adley’s flesh. “Because they leave zero to the imagination.”
And with that, Adley threw her head back and laughed. Of course, that exposed the long column of her throat, and Sabrina took advantage of that, running her tongue up the side, immensely satisfied when Adley’s laughter morphed into a moan.
Oh God, they were going to set the bed on fire.
Adley brought her head back up, and her gaze met Sabrina’s as she took her face in both hands. She held them there for a long moment, just looking into Sabrina’s eyes, and Sabrina couldn’t look away, not even if she wanted to. Which she did not.
“I want you, Adley. I need you to know that.”
Adley nodded, still holding Sabrina’s gaze.
“Also? I want food.”
Adley blinked at her for a beat before another laugh shot out of her. And then they were both cracking up, laughter filling the kitchen, the two of them doubled over until tears leaked from their eyes.
“At least I know where I stand,” Adley said, still smiling that smile.
Sabrina grasped her chin in her hand. “No.” That one word was adamant. Serious. Adley stopped laughing. “I want food because I plan to keep you up all night, and I need sustenance to do that. See?”
Adley nodded again, her eyes wide. “I do see,” she whispered.
“So? What should we order?”
* * *
Chinese food always arrived so quickly. She closed the front door with a hip, then scanned the small house.
“Let’s eat in here,” she said, indicating the living room with her chin. “We can sit on the floor. Have a little floor party.”
Sabrina grinned at her. “That sounds perfect. I’ll get forks and drinks.”
“Forks?” Adley held up two pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks.
“Yeah, um…” And Sabrina’s face turned a lovely shade of pink. “I can’t use those.”
“Challenge accepted,” Adley said, pointing a set at her. She set down the food and snapped the chopsticks apart.
Sabrina returned with plates, napkins, and two glasses of wine, set them all down on the table, then took a seat on the area rug next to Adley. They opened containers of lo mein and egg rolls and rice and cashew chicken and dished them out onto plates. Then Adley took a set of chopsticks and scooted closer so she was sitting right next to Sabrina.
“Okay, give me your hand.” Sabrina obliged, and Adley took it in her own. She tucked one chopstick into the web between Sabrina’s thumb and forefinger, then tucked it between her middle finger and the base of her thumb. “This one is stable. It stays still.” She demonstrated with her own chopstick before setting it down and placing the second one in Sabrina’s hand. “God, your hands are soft,” she said quietly, then cleared her throat. “Okay. This one does the work.” Again, she demonstrated with her own to show Sabrina how to move them.
“Like this?” Sabrina asked, and she just about had it. She tried picking up a piece of broccoli, but the ends of the chopsticks crossed and she dropped it.
“Hold them a little higher. A little closer to the ends of the sticks.” She adjusted Sabrina’s in her hand. “There. Try again.”
This time, she picked up the broccoli with no problem. “That’s way better.” And the smile that blossomed on her face was worth every penny in Adley’s bank account. She literally had that thought: I would hand over every cent I have to see that smile every day. She met Sabrina’s gaze with her own. Held it. The room got warm. Didn’t it?
Yeah, they weren’t going to be eating Chinese food anytime soon.
Adley spent the first moments of kissing Sabrina being amazed—again—by how affected she was by this one simple woman. How shocking it was—again—that she could be so turned-on so quickly. But it didn’t take her long to tell that astonished voice in her head to shut the fuck up so she could concentrate. Because she wanted to concentrate. Sabrina was so achingly beautiful, and Adley wanted to memorize every single thing about her.
She set her chopsticks on the table and pushed the food away from the edge, then sat with her back against the couch as Sabrina climbed into her lap, straddled her. Their size difference made the position perfect, with Sabrina, slightly smaller, tucked up against her body. Adley ran her hands up and down Sabrina’s thighs, feeling her tight muscles through her jeans as they kissed.
