“No?” Jacqueline slid her hand around to Casey’s back, resting itjust above the waistband of her slacks.
“No. Just a handful in the past eight years, and beforethat—well, I was with the most amazing woman. I didn’t have much need fordating.”
“Amazing, huh?”
“Mmm.” Casey’s response was muffled as she opened her mouth lowon Jacqueline’s throat and bit lightly.
“That’s a lot for me to live up to.”
Casey shook her head. “I’m certain you can handle it. Besides, I’mnot comparing past to present. I plan to enjoy what’s in front of me rightnow.”
Casey kissed up her jaw, and Jacqueline lowered her chin untiltheir mouths met in a soft, exquisitely tender kiss. Jacqueline threaded herfingers into Casey’s hair and ran her tongue over Casey’s lower lip. When Caseyopened to her, Jacqueline moaned into her mouth. For eight years, she’d been ajigsaw puzzle in a box—five hundred pieces of something whole. But when Caseytouched her, the pieces fit together and she became a beautiful landscape.
“Casey.” Jacqueline moaned again when they broke apart. “Wait.”She grasped Casey’s shoulders. “It’s not that I don’t want that, becausebelieve me, I do. But I meant what I said about a fresh start. And if us doingthis,” she waved a finger between them, “is going to jeopardize that in anyway, I’m willing to wait.”
“You could do that? Just stop right now.” Casey smiled.
“I could try.” She didn’t sound as confident as she wanted to.“Admittedly, keeping my hands off you these past years was easier when youdidn’t want me.”
“I’m not sure I ever didn’t want you. But I know what you mean.”Casey touched Jacqueline’s cheek. “This is not jeopardizing anything. As longas you don’t plan to call it a mistake in an hour on your way out the door.”Casey winked.
“I’m not leaving.” Jacqueline grinned. “This is my place.”
“I’m not leaving either. So stop distracting me from where I washeaded a moment ago.” Casey guided Jacqueline to straddle her lap. She slippedher hand back under Jacqueline’s skirt and up her bare thigh until she palmedher panties. “Have I mentioned how much I like this dress?”
“I think you did.” Jacqueline was wet already, and Casey’sfingers pressing into her threatened her self-control. She closed her eyes,barely managing not to grind against Casey’s hand.
“It bears repeating.” Casey pushed her underwear aside anddragged a finger through her folds. “I love anything that makes you thisaccessible.”
Jacqueline laughed. “That’s so romantic.”
“I brought wine. How much more romance do you need?”
When Casey entered her, Jacqueline planted her hands on the backof the couch behind her. “Keep doing that, and I don’t need any romance atall.”
Casey stroked her maddeningly slow, until Jacqueline begancontrolling the pace. She rose and drove her hips back down, searching for justthe right leverage to ease the tension coiling inside her. Seeing Casey’ssatisfied grin, Jacqueline forced herself to stop, ground against Casey’s hand,and paused.
“What’s wrong?” Casey tipped her head back to look at her.
“Absolutely nothing.” Jacqueline reached between them andunbuttoned Casey’s shirt. With one of Casey’s hands trapped between them, shehad her at a disadvantage. She slipped her hand inside Casey’s shirt andcradled her breast. Her nipple pebbled under Jacqueline’s thumb as she rubbedthe cup of her bra. Jacqueline squeezed, and Casey’s groan made Jacquelineclench around her fingers.
She held her, bracing her other hand on the back of the couch,and moved again. This time, as Casey matched her thrusts, she couldn’t havestopped if she’d tried. She released Casey’s breast and wrapped her arms aroundher shoulders, pulling her close. Casey kissed Jacqueline’s neck, andJacqueline’s movements quickened.
“Let go, sweetheart. I’ve got you,” Casey whispered into herhair.
Losing control, Jacqueline bounced in Casey’s lap. Her head swamwith the feel of Casey filling her, and when Casey’s teeth raked her neck, shecame apart. She stiffened and cried out, grasping Casey desperately as shedrove onto her fingers a couple more times, milking the pleasure out of eachthrust. Breathing hard, she collapsed against Casey and closed her eyes.
“Jacq?” Casey’s low voice vibrated the nickname, and Jacqueline’smuscles tightened around Casey’s hand.
“I don’t think you’re allowed to call me that anymore.”Jacqueline lifted her head lazily.
“Is something burning?”
Jacqueline took a second to process those words before they sankin. “Shit! Dinner.” She rose as carefully as she could, letting Casey withdrawbefore she jumped off her lap and ran to the kitchen.
She pulled the chicken out of the oven amid a billow of smoke andslid it onto the top of the range. The smoke detector started beeping. Shegrabbed a towel off the oven handle and waved it toward the alarm on theceiling.
“Do you think it’s salvageable?” Casey cocked her hip against thecountertop. Her eyes sparkled with suppressed laughter. Her shirt gaped open,revealing a tempting glimpse of white cotton and skin.
“Absolutely.” Jacqueline wanted Casey as much today as she hadtwenty years ago.
Casey pushed off the counter, crossed the kitchen, and poked atthe burnt skin of the chicken with a fork. “I’m not sure. It looks pretty dry.”
“No, the food’s trashed.” Jacqueline peered over Casey’sshoulder. She wasn’t even going to try to eat that chicken.
“Then what were you talking about?” Casey turned her head andJacqueline captured her mouth. Casey spun in her arms and embraced her.
“Us,” Jacqueline said against her mouth. “Totally salvageable.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Casey murmured back, her lips buzzingagainst Jacqueline’s.
“I guess we’re ordering in.” Jacqueline took her hand, not readyto let her go yet, and led her back to the couch. Once they were settled, sheflipped open her laptop. “Any requests?”
“Pizza. You know what I like.”
Jacqueline clicked through the online menu and ordered theirfood, then set her computer on the coffee table. “We have thirty minutes orless.”
“What should we do while we wait?”
Jacqueline nudged Casey’s still-unbuttoned shirt open with onefinger. “I can think of a few things.”
“Do you think you can beat the pizza guy?”
Jacqueline grabbed Casey’s waist, flipped her onto her back onthe couch, and moved between her legs. “It’s your turn. I should be asking youthat.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Jacqueline opened the fly of Casey’s pants. Casey
