“How…” Vivian managed. “How do you…” She took a deep breath and shook her head. Then she chuckled mirthlessly. “How do you do whatever it is you’re doing to me?”

“I dunno,” Jules muttered, trying to get her own heart rate under control. If Vivian started talking about how turned on she was, the cease-fire wasn’t going to last long. “I’ll do as much as you let me. As much as you want.”

Vivian gasped again. She smoothed down her hair with shaking hands. “Ah…you seem to have a gift for this.”

“Well, yeah.” She’d told Vivian right from the beginning that she liked kissing and sex and everything else. “Want to unwrap it?”

Vivian stared at her. It made Jules want to sink through the couch.

“That’s the worst line I’ve ever heard in my life,” Vivian said.

Jules squirmed. “It’s the worst one I’ve ever given.”

“Well, it did the trick.” Vivian’s lips curved into a tiny smile as she regained control of herself. “I feel much calmer now, thank you.”

So much for Jules’s amazing gift. “Great,” she sighed.

Vivian snorted and put a hand on the small of her back. Then she looked down at her stomach. There was a slight curve that hadn’t been there a couple of weeks ago. “Well, give me a few more months, and it won’t be an issue anymore.”

“What?” Jules said incredulously. “You think I can only approach from the front?”

Vivian’s eyes widened as she clearly imagined the same scenario as Jules. They sat in silence for a moment while Jules fought down another throb between her legs.

“Be that as it may,” Vivian began, strained.

“Right. Right.” She wiped her sweating palms on her tights. She looked at Vivian’s mouth. Then she shot up to her feet, knees trembling. “Well, I better get going!”

Vivian stared up at her. “What? You’re not staying for dinner?”

Her lips were still reddened and swollen from Jules’s kisses. Jules had to close her eyes at the realization. “If I stay, you’re going to be dinner.”

More silence.

Then Vivian said in a low voice, “You can’t control yourself? I thought you had more self-discipline.”

Jules looked her in the eyes again. Vivian didn’t seem angry. Her eyes conveyed sheer hunger.

“Besides, I’m spoiling you,” she added. “You’re getting far more than originally agreed upon.”

“Sorry. I misplaced the contract. And I think I’m the one spoiling you.”

Vivian scoffed. “How so? I’m sitting here frustrated and—” She cleared her throat. “Never mind.”

“I meant I’m spoiling you for anybody else,” Jules said. “That’s the plan, anyway.”

At the low, purposeful note in Jules’s voice, Vivian’s eyes dilated until her pupils threatened to swallow the blue. “So go,” she said hoarsely, “if you have to.”