Their afternoon had been lost to a feast of sensual pleasures and delectable flavors, but with their appetites temporarily sated, when the sun went down, they dozed without a care in the world. A short time later, Addison was awoken when Joanna had scrambled out of bed yelling something about a roast. After watching her wife hastily dress and dash from the room like a banshee on fire, Addison climbed out of bed and chuckled her way to the wardrobe. Grimacing at her lack of casual attire, she remembered the house was void of staff, so she did something she’d never done before. Passing over her trousers, pressed shirts, and suit jackets, she donned a loose-fitting track top and a pair of spandex leggings that hugged her like a thin coating of paint. A very thin coating of paint.

Reminded of her attire, Addison looked down and noticed the zip on her top revealed much more than she had intended. Tugging it up a few inches, when she raised her eyes, they were glinting with amusement. “Nor bra, for that matter.

“I noticed,” Joanna said. “Trust me.”

Addison smiled. She had never felt so content. It was as if everything had finally fallen into place and it was all because of the woman at the other end of the table. A woman who she had once thought stupid, a woman who she had once found repulsive, and a woman who she had once tried to avoid at all costs, was now the woman who owned her heart. Addison ran her hands over her arms, quieting the goosebumps she knew now prickled at her skin. “I really did miss you, by the way,” she said quietly. “Just in case you think I didn’t.”

“I missed you, too.”

“But I also have to thank you for insisting I take those two extra days. It gave me time to work out all the details.”

“Oh yeah?” Joanna said, leaning her head to the side. “Let me guess. Another feather in Kane Holdings’ cap?”

“Oh, no, this wasn’t a business trip for the company.”

Every muscle in Joanna’s body tightened. “Oh, I see,” she said, grabbing her wine glass. Slamming back the contents in one gulp, she put the goblet on the table and got to her feet. “You know what?” she said as she stormed to the door. “I think I need something stronger!”

Addison stared at the space Joanna had once occupied, scratching her cheek as she mulled over what had just happened, and then she began to snicker. Tossing her napkin on the table, she got up and went in search of her wife whose skin tone, apparently, had just turned green.

The crystal of the decanter clanked against the rim of the tumbler as Joanna tried to rein in her temper. “What the hell was I thinking?” she mumbled to herself, putting the bottle on the credenza.