She drew one breath before Carly lifted the cups of her bra up and over, exposing her breasts. Lauren tried to control her breathing, but air was scarce. Carly pulled a nipple into her mouth as she unbuttoned Lauren’s jeans with her other hand and slid them partway down. They didn’t need or want foreplay. That wasn’t what this was. They’d developed a shorthand like none Lauren had ever known. It was fun to take their time, and oh, they did often, but fast and good in a kitchen had its merits as well, Lauren had learned.

Carly slipped her hand down the inside of Lauren’s underwear and touched her intimately. Lauren hissed in a breath and pressed back. Once the sensations settled, they began. She rode Carly’s hand slowly, holding eye contact, losing herself in a sea of soft blue. It didn’t take long. She said Carly’s name, closed her eyes, and rocked her hips frantically. She came with a shuddering cry, rocketing to a wonderful oblivion of pleasure. She sucked in a steadying breath. She’d been innocently cooking just five minutes ago.

“You are so beautiful when you come,” Carly said reverently, still touching her. With her other hand, she cradled Lauren’s cheek and then kissed her softly. “Can there be more of that later?”

Lauren struggled to regain sentence structure, still in recovery mode. She nodded, however, imagining all the ways she’d even the score. The things she wanted to do to Carly entered her mind with gusto. It was shaping up to be a wonderful night off.

* * *

Tiny details mattered. The early afternoon sunshine on Lauren’s back patio caught the tiny hints of red in Lauren’s brown hair. Carly wasn’t sure she’d ever noticed them before and took joy in learning more tiny things about Lauren. She liked her coffee warm, but not hot. She liked to take walks in her neighborhood but preferred to do so at night after a show. She loved having her back tickled as she fell asleep and knew way more about football than Carly would have guessed.

“So I’m doing this?” Lauren asked, with a nervous smile.

Carly held up her palms. “I’m merely a supportive bystander.”

She watched Lauren take the pen and sign her name with a flourish, finishing with a twist of her wrist. “There. Done.” She raised her gaze in triumph.

Carly grinned back. “It’s official. You have an agent. A really, really good one, too. UTA is top-notch.” She shrugged extra-casually. “So, you’re going to give your acting career a second shot.”

Lauren hesitated. “Yes and no. I think it just means I’ll dip my toe in the water and see if it’s warm. My plan is to go on an audition or two and decide from there.” She shook her head. “It’s strange because I’m not unhappy stage managing.”