“I knew when you told Hannah I should take over the operations of Carrigan’s All Year, but it wasn’t only because of that. It was you loving my elephant, and protecting Hannah, and making sure Mr. Matthews is eating enough when you think no one can see you. And because when I imagine Carrigan’s, in my wildest dreams, I imagine us together. What is all of this for, except making our wildest dreams come true?”

“It could get so messy,” Noelle warned her. It was her final defense.

Miriam made a strangled noise. “It’s already messy! Every part of this is messy. There’s never going to be a perfect time, with no risk. We can’t keep dancing around each other. I can’t stop wanting you, and I’m dying over here. Please, Noelle, for fuck’s sake, please kiss me already.”

Noelle had been trying, since the first time Miriam walked into her kitchen and asked for caffeine, to stop wanting her. Instead of stopping, the feelings had only grown into a conflagration, so that every time they brushed past each other, Noelle felt it all the way down to her core. She was thinking about Miriam naked more often than she was thinking about trees, at this point.

They couldn’t pretend they were just business partners anymore. It would never work.

Noelle pulled off her deerstalker and scrubbed her gloved hands through her hair. She could hear Hannah in her head, saying that she would fall in love again in an instant. If Levi was worth that much heartache, Miriam certainly was. It might be a disaster, but it also might not be, and she couldn’t live with not knowing. She realized that all her fears paled in comparison to the possibility of what might be between them—to the reality of this woman.

Besides, it would take a stronger woman than Noelle to say no to Miriam Blum when she was begging to be kissed.

She shoved her hat in the back pocket of her jeans and stripped off her gloves with her teeth.

“What are you doing?” Miriam asked, giggling. “You’re going to freeze!”

“If I’m going to kiss you, I’m going to do it properly,” Noelle told her, skating up into Miriam’s personal space and putting a hand on her waist to pull her in.

Miriam looked up at her, the millions of stars reflected in her eyes, and a little triumphant smile on her lips. Noelle tangled her other hand in Miriam’s curls, bringing her face down so their noses were touching. “Are you ready?”