“You okay?” Carly asked, touching her lips.

“I need just a minute,” Lauren said, walking down the hall into the kitchen, and holding up one finger over her head. Carly waited a moment before following. Lauren could hear the soft click of her heels and turned to her, speaking across the granite island in her kitchen. Rocky raised his head, surveyed them, and dropped it again, returning to his midevening snooze. “Is it bad that I’m not a quick hookup kind of girl?”

Carly blinked, and rolled her lips in as if waiting for her wits to return after all the kissing. It was also possible she had whiplash from Lauren’s about-face. “No.”

“No? Okay, good, because as much as I want to…keep going, I’m worried I’m not her.” Lauren ran a hand through what had to be disheveled hair, from the wind, and the making out. She attempted to fluff it back into place.

“Your hair is sexy like that. Don’t touch it?” It was a request, not an order. Carly was watching her with interest. No, that was appreciation. But she also gave Lauren space, and that helped Lauren’s mind slow down.

Finally, Lauren gestured between them. “This is…good.” She blew out a steadying breath and leaned one arm on the counter in front of her. “The way we kiss…” Lauren shook her head in wonder.

Carly nodded.

The rain that she’d predicted was on the way was here and began to pelt the side of the house. They were in the midst of a storm, and Lauren could identify. Why wouldn’t her brain just shut up and let her enjoy this woman whom she very much wanted to undress?

“Lauren? We don’t have to jump into bed.”

“I want to.”

Carly grinned, but her eyes also held understanding. “But you also want to get your feet underneath you when it comes to me.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s how you work. You like order, and processes, and all your pencils sharpened for the day.” Carly had been paying attention. Lauren, as stage manager, started every rehearsal with four sharpened pencils. When she’d taken on the role of Mandy, she’d kept the practice. Carly came around the island and faced her. “I’m not quite sharp yet.” She shrugged. “I’ll get there. Hopefully. But I’m not in a hurry.”

With Carly so close to her, Lauren’s body began to wake up all over again. She moved closer and touched Carly’s bottom lip lightly with her thumb. “Maybe we could wait a little bit?”

Carly nodded. “We can wait. I can wait.” She nodded about eight times and Lauren had to laugh and kiss her again. And oh, that led to a lot more kissing. God, they were advanced placement when it came to it. She’d never enjoyed kissing another human so much in all of her life.