She’s tracing patterns into Hannah’s warm skin, her usual after-sex drowsiness kicking in just enough to make her warm and so comfortable she never wants to leave this bed. “Yeah?”

“You didn’t always.” Hannah draws her perfect, nimble fingers up and down Caroline’s back. The sensation makes her shiver and she arches into the touch.

“What?” Her mind isn’t super sharp right now, but she’s also so content, she doesn’t really care.

Hannah’s fingers tap against her back, as if scolding her for not keeping up, even though there’s a smile in her voice. “You had dates during several of the parties. Well, once it was Jess, I know that now. But I thought she… and there were a couple of others, over the years. At Wilkens and Granger.”

Caroline nuzzles against Hannah, her skin smelling so good. A little like sex and sweat, but mostly like Hannah. “Yeah. Sometimes, I guess.”

“I just remember, when I had my why yes, my life is wonderful smile glued to my face, I’d watch you with your dates. And you always seemed very…” She trails off, clearing her throat.

Caroline definitely feels more awake now, and she lifts her head up enough to see the blush on Hannah’s chest and cheeks alike.

“You seemed very attentive.” Hannah’s eyebrows pinch together in a thoughtful stare, as her fingers resume their movements on Caroline’s lower back. “You would always laugh with whomever you were with. And I just remember thinking… it looked like you and your dates were having an actually decent time. Much better than I was.” Hannah sighs, eyes searching Caroline’s. “It’s just nice to know that I was right.”

Hannah had watched her, back then. It wasn’t in the way Caroline’s eyes followed her, sure. But just the idea that she was there on Hannah’s mind is powerful enough to push away her drowsiness and replace it with a renewed heat sliding through her.

She shifts her leg, hooking her ankle over Hannah’s and using it to slide Hannah’s legs open.

Gray eyes catch and hold hers, eyebrow quirking up as Caroline slides her hand between her thighs. Tonight, they have the time, and she doesn’t plan on wasting it.

xvii

xvii

The thing is, she should have known everything was going a little too well. The holidays have been suspiciously quiet this year.

It’s officially the winter solstice is already jam-packed, even before the conversation she’d had with Hannah last night –

An aggravated sigh came over the phone and Caroline paused as she packed her suitcase. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just –” Hannah sighed again. “Michael, of course, changed our plans, last minute. He now wants me to bring Abbie to his place tomorrow morning, rather than pick her up tonight. I have work first thing, but of course he doesn’t care about that.”