“It wasn’t.”

Kate tilted her head in disagreement, but Tilly’s response was interrupted by the headlights of Emma’s mother’s car pulling into the bay.

Quickly, she retracted her touch. “Later?” she whispered.

Tilly nodded.

Together, they stood.

Chapter Twenty

The summer storm was at the height of its late-night rage when Kate’s bedroom door creaked loudly. Her eyes shot open, body stiffening as she glared at the fluttering venetians. At the hiss of floorboards, she sat up and locked eyes on Tilly’s outline. She threw the covers back, heart hammering as she reached for Tilly’s hand.

The breeze raised the hairs on the nape of her neck as Tilly crawled into her bed and hesitantly straddled her lap. A noise escaped her involuntarily and Tilly sighed in response. She smoothed her hands over the heat of Tilly’s skin, felt her heartbeat beneath her ribs. “What are we doing?” she asked, voice rough.

“I don’t know,” Tilly said breathily. “I was lying awake thinking about us, about last night, and…”

This was a bad idea. They needed to slow down, to stop and think and…

Tilly ghosted her lips over the curve of Kate’s ear. “I know what we said earlier, at Mornington, but I can’t help it.”

Kate shivered at the heat of Tilly’s breath against her jaw.

“My body wants your body.”

Reaching low, she peeled Tilly’s nightgown over her head and cast it to the floor. She dropped her teeth to Tilly’s neck and earned a gasp, her heart racing with a surge of arousal. This was different to their first time. Perhaps it was that they were at St. Joan’s, safe inside the cottage, or that touching each other wasn’t so completely new, but each press of Kate’s tongue to Tilly’s naked chest consecrated the bond that quivered between them.

“Til, we should stop,” she said. Gasped. “Do you want to stop?” I don’t want to stop. “Maybe we should stop.”

Tilly’s hands swept under Kate’s shirt, across her stomach and higher, to fondle her softness. In her embrace, Tilly pressed her body closer, whispered her name. Slowly and deliberately, Kate’s hands roamed Tilly’s back, felt the fineness of her bones. Her touch swept low, encouraged Tilly to her knees so that she could slip Tilly’s underpants down her legs.

Tilly returned to her lap, eyes dark with determination. Kate’s heartbeat quickened. “What is it?” she whispered.

With a tight, unwavering grasp, Tilly took Kate’s hand and coaxed it low between their bodies.

Oh, god. Her skin burned. “Tilly…wait.”

“Shh…”

“Tilly…”

“Come on. Please.”

No anticipation, no hesitance. Just perfect, maddening heat.

Tilly gasped suddenly, astonished. Her eyelashes fluttered, lips parted. In the semi-darkness, their eyes locked. “It doesn’t hurt,” Tilly said, her voice heavy with surprise. Testing, her body gripped at Kate’s fingers.

Fuck. Kate swallowed, hard. As Tilly’s fingers relaxed their grip around her wrist, a ripple of excitement crafted over Kate’s skin. She shifted her wrist infinitesimally and the thighs at her hips twitched.