“Wow,” Jack said, when they broke apart. “That wasn’t a pity kiss, was it?”
“I don’t do pity kisses.”
“Good.” Jack leaned down and kissed Lily this time. It was a long kiss. Their lips were parted and locked, and Lily pressed her body against Jack’s.
Lily’s mind was protesting, but her body was telling her mind to shut the hell up. It had been so long since she had felt such closeness, and she needed it — needed the comfort of two bodies twined together, needed to be in the one situation where there was no denying what she was. When the kiss ended, Lily was gasping for breath.
“The way I see it,” Jack said, wiping some of Lily’s Mary Kay lipstick from her mouth, “we’ve got two options. I can make us a pot of coffee and we can sit in the kitchen and pretend like nothing happened. Or we can go upstairs.” She looked Lily square in the eye. “It’s your call.”
Lily was tired of pretending. “Upstairs,” she said, barely above a whisper.
Jack grinned. “Good choice. Put your arms around my neck.”
Lily did as she was told and whooped with surprise as Jack lifted her up in her arms. “What is this, a little Rhett-and-Scarlett action?” Lily laughed. “You’d better put me down. You’re gonna break your back.”
“Nah,” Jack said. “You weigh less than that damn dog of yours.”
Jack carried Lily up the stairs and dropped her on the bed. Patsy the cat, who had been snoozing on the quilt by the footboard, leaped from the bed and stalked off, offended.
Jack laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a reason to kick ole Patsy outta bed.” She looked down at Lily as she lay on the bed, and Lily felt her eyes on her almost as if they were hands. “So beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“And I even kinda like that dress. You know, I used to have a bad crush on my Sunday school teacher.” Jack sat on the side of the bed and pulled off her cowboy boots, then leaned over Lily and kissed her.
It had been so long since Lily had felt the weight of another woman on her, another body pressing into her own. Without even thinking, she wrapped her right leg around Jack’s waist.
“Mmm,” Jack purred. “Let me help you with that dress.” Slowly, methodically, Jack undid each button from calf to waist, then from neckline to waist. When Lily’s underwear had been cast aside, Jack said “beautiful” and leaned over her.
“Wait.” Lily had become suddenly aware that Jack was still wearing her coveralls, looking more like she was about to deliver a calf than make love. “Aren’t you gonna undress?”
“Oh, I forgot.” Jack stood up and unceremoniously shucked off her coveralls. She looked self- conscious for a moment, standing there in a white tank undershirt and a pair of plain white briefs. “The shirt, too?” she asked.
“Uh-huh.”
