She’d been wearing a form-fitting suit jacket earlier for work, as usual, that had been shed within an hour of arriving because it was so warm. But her camisole is thin as hell and she can feel the warmth of Hannah’s fingertips almost as if they’re right on her skin.

Caroline’s throat immediately runs dry as her gaze falls to look at where Hannah is tracing her fingers. Sure enough, there’s flour and several streaks of chocolate from the batter she’d been making all night.

She can’t bring herself to feel embarrassed about it, though, because mostly all she can think is thank god for bras. The last thing she needs is for Hannah to see how responsive she is to her touch.

Aside from the flush that is very clearly working its way over her chest, that is.

Her heart pounds so hard she can hear it as her blood rushes and she lets out a laugh that sounds just as nervous as she feels. “Yeah. Well. I…”

Her brain is short circuiting with the way Hannah slowly runs her fingertip higher, narrowly missing touching one of Caroline’s very hard nipples, tracing the longest streak of chocolate that she’d just sort of whipped out of the mixing bowl by accident.

Hannah’s shaking her head, a smile that might be Caroline’s ultimate weakness toying at her lips. “How did you even do this?” She murmurs with mirth written all over her face and voice.

Then she tilts her head up at Caroline, obviously waiting for her to finish whatever she was going to say.

Joke’s on Hannah because Caroline really had no idea what she’d been aiming to say.

She finally manages to find any words. “I guess my baking ability is one thing you’ll never have to hear Abbie love about me. It’s just everything else that you’ll have to be annoyed at.”

Hannah’s head falls into a slow tilt. “It would be annoying,” she starts, the smile on her lips melting into that endeared one she gets for Caroline. “If I didn’t agree with everything she says about you.”

Caroline scoffs, because it’s better to attempt to brush the words off than let them take her even farther into this deep, deep well of warmth she has for Hannah.

Hannah flattens her hand to Caroline’s chest. And just like that, her scoff dies on her lips and all she can think is that there is no way Hannah doesn’t feel how fast her heart is racing.

She can feel it pounding through her entire body.

Hannah’s hand – strong, deft, capable – is resting flat against her chest and she’s so close and it’s all Caroline can do to just control her breathing.