Page 77 of Spicy Sapphic Christmas

What was wrong with her? She’d never been in such a tizzy over something before. And Bunny wasn’t exactly someone that shewantedto be with long term. She was a jerk on a bad day and closed off on the rest. Bea blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs from her face.

Maybe they should just have this conversation tomorrow before rehearsal started.

Except she really didn’t want to do it when Jo and Piper were around. Jo was embarrassed enough by the whole Mandy incident earlier that day, and Bea didn’t want to add to that.

“Just get over yourself already,” Bea said to herself before forcing her hand up and knocking quickly. The faster she did this, the sooner she could get home to check on Jo.

The door opened sharply, then stopped just as suddenly. Bunny filled the entry, shoulder to shoulder, with the door pressing into her arm as she leaned against the handle and looked Bea over pointedly. A shiver ran through Bea and ended straight between her legs. She hated that Bunny had the ability to do that.

It wasn’t why she was here.

“I’m sorry to bug you at home,” Bea started, biting her tongue when she started with the apology. She shouldn’t have done that. She should have just stated right out why she was there and left already. She didn’t need any praise or conversation from Bunny.

“You missed rehearsal.”

Bea pressed her lips together hard. “I did. But this wasn’t a planned rehearsal. It was an addition, and I couldn’t reschedule—”

“Then you should have told me about that when we scheduled it.”

“I forgot. It was a simple mistake.” Bea folded her hands together in front of her. “That’s not what I’m here to talk about anyway.”

“Oh?” Bunny pulled open the door a little wider and straightened herself. “Did you come here for something specific?”

“Yes.”But not that,she added in a thought. Then again, Bunny was looking marvelous today. Bea bit the inside of her cheek and glanced up and down the hallway. Bunny lived in a fairly private condo, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t listening ears or that her neighbors didn’t have those pesky cameras to catch everything going on outside of their doors. Andshe really didn’t want any more drama when it came to Jo. “Do you mind if we talk inside?”

She knew that it sounded like she was implying something else, and that Bunny would definitely be thinking that, but how else was she supposed to ask?

“This is important.”

Bunny’s lips thinned. She raked her gaze over Bea’s body and then back up to her eyes. “Sure thing, babe.”

Babe?Bea pulled a face when she stepped inside. Who was Bunny trying to play now? Because it definitely wasn’t who she’d been any other time Bea had met her.

Bea stepped inside and closed the door. As soon as she turned, Bunny only had eyes for her. Eyes that said she wanted sex, that she thought this was some sort of booty call. Bea shuddered. That’s all anything ever was to Bunny, wasn’t it? Sex.

She’d known that going in, but Bea had been stupid enough to think that perhaps she might be different or that she could be different with Bunny. She’d been wrong. And now she just had to protect her heart.

“I wanted to thank you for coming to Jo’s rescue today.”

Bunny halted her forward movement. “Jo?”

“Yes. With Mandy.” Bea rolled her eyes and forced her lips into a curve even though it didn’t feel right at the moment. “I didn’t think Mandy would take it to any more of an extreme than she had before, but this certainly escalated.”

“Tell me, did Jo give her the address to the rehearsal studio?”

Bea shook her head, her soft curls hitting her cheeks. “No, not that I know of. I don’t know why she would.”

Bunny’s shoulders squared, anger pulling together. Bea could see it from a mile away. She’d seen it before, but why would Bunny be getting so pissed off now? All Bea was there to do was thank her for doing what she couldn’t do. For stepping into that role because Bea had been absent.

“This is why this is a bad idea.”

“What’s a bad idea?” Bea asked, trying to keep all defensiveness out of her tone. She didn’t need to tick off Bunny any more than she already was.

“Relationships being out in the open.”

“Excuse me?” Bea frowned. “No one is out in the open.”

“Youare.”

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