“Say, Erin,” Maddie said after setting her empty water glass down. “I know it’s a pain in the ass, but could we do the wine some other time? I’d have a hard time choosing when I’m a little tipsy like this, and I think Ryann would agree.”

She managed to nod, her heartbeat still pounding.

“Maybe we could even get the guys over here a little later today to choose themselves,” Maddie said.

Erin checked her watch. “Yeah, sure, no problem. I can leave all this stuff here for a bit. If you can get the guys here today, I’m free until about four. Otherwise, we could do this Thursday. I should have no problem ordering it from the distributor that late.”

Maddie stood to gather their things from the coatrack, and Ryann scooted off her stool, wobbly on her feet. She was a little tipsy, for sure, but nothing extreme. She could walk in a straight line, but when Maddie linked an arm around her waist, she still stumbled slightly until she steadied her.

“You okay?” Maddie whispered.

She could only nod, and Maddie made their good-byes for them. She waved briefly before they went outside.

It was snowing very lightly now, just a few flakes in the air, but it was strangely warm out here compared to earlier. She closed her eyes, tilting her chin up toward the sky and letting the flakes fall on her overheated face.

Maddie let go of her waist, and she opened her eyes. Maddie had taken a couple of steps away from her and was staring at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Maddie met her eyes. “Well…you’re drunk, and I don’t know what to make of all that in there.”

“All what?”

“All that flirting. That’s what you were doing, right?”

She laughed. “Haven’t we been flirting since we met?”

Maddie shook her head. “Not like that. I don’t know how to read it.”

“Why does it have to be so complicated? I like you, Maddie, if you hadn’t already guessed. I’m attracted to you. And I think, no, I know you’re attracted to me. It’s all pretty straightforward, really.”

Maddie closed the space between them in a heartbeat, pressing her into the door behind her. Maddie’s eyes had that dark hunger in them again, and her breath caught in her throat. Maddie brought one hand up to her face, tracing the edge of her jawline with her fingertips. She shuddered, want and need flooding her so she could barely breathe.

“I want to kiss you now, Ryann. I’ve wanted to since the second I saw you. But that’s the rub. You can’t consent to more, and it wouldn’t be right. I’m not even sure we should kiss, but—”