She grimaced. “They’re never going to let it alone, are they?”

“Nope.”

“Okay then. Fine. How about we give them what they want?”

Maddie hesitated. “What do you mean?”

Ryann grabbed her hand and Maddie laughed, linking their fingers together. “Do you think we should stop hiding this?”

“Like you said, it’s perfectly obvious to everyone else. Why bother?”

Maddie’s expression faltered.

“What?” Ryann asked.

She met Ryann’s eyes, her face slightly pinched. “I really missed you. I know it’s stupid, but—”

She stopped Maddie with a kiss. “It’s not. We can figure it out later, okay?”

Maddie held back, seeming uncertain, but she smiled when Ryann started walking again. When the two of them rejoined their friends, still holding hands, the others pretended not to notice, or at least didn’t mention it, their eyes only occasionally straying to their linked hands. Jai caught her eye and winked, and she knew from that he must have put the kibosh on further teasing, at least for now, as even Stuart restrained himself beyond a few absurdly happy glances their way. And when she and Maddie left together a while later, no one said a word.

Chapter Twenty

It was still warm outside, the air heavy with moisture as if it were about to rain. She and Maddie walked quickly, hands clasped tight enough that Ryann’s fingers were starting to go numb. She hardly noticed in her haste to get inside. She was breathing heavily from both the exertion of the walk as well as her rising excitement and desperate desire.

Two blocks from the hotel, Maddie stopped, peered around them intently, and pulled her into an alley. Moments later, Maddie’s hands were in her hair, her lips on hers, the kisses breathless and frantic. Ryann’s already racing heart seemed to seize and start again, pounding to catch up to the little pause, her body liquid fire in Maddie’s hands.

“Couldn’t”—Maddie kissed her several times on her lips, her cheeks, her forehead, and then her neck—“wait,” she finally breathed out, reattaching her lips to Ryann’s neck a second later.

A little moan escaped her lips, and Maddie increased her attentions to her pulse point, nibbling slightly as she kissed and sucked.

“Jesus,” Ryann gasped, her breath ragged.

Maddie’s hands explored her body next, wandering over and squeezing her backside before traveling up and under the back of her shirt. They were almost hot on her skin. She shuddered all over, sinking into the strength of Maddie’s arms, and Maddie pulled her closer, moving her lips from Ryann’s neck to her lips and back again.

Maddie slotted her thigh between Ryann’s legs, and she ground down into it. Her desire, already making her feel like something feral, exploded, and the moan that followed the pleasure spiking through her was loud and unhinged.