Page 53 of Windlass

“You’d like it if I did.” Stevie made a suggestive motion with her hips.

Angie reacted with an alacrity that took her by surprise. Straddling Stevie, she leaned back, hands running through her gloriously tangled hair, and ground her hips into Stevie’s. This elicited an embarrassingly high-pitched moan from Stevie’s lips.

“I thinkyou’dlike it more,” said Angie, slowing down.

“Fuck you.”

“Isn’t that what we’re talking about?” Angie didn’t grind into her again, which was a tragedy. Instead, she settled back, letting the heat of her burn against Stevie without any hope of satisfaction. If Stevie moved, seeking any relief, she’d give away how desperate she was to have her again—not that it was much of a secret. She held herself rigidly still.

“Friends with benefits,” Stevie repeated to reorient her mind. Then, foolishly, she asked, “Yes or no?”

This was the moment Angie could pull away. This was the moment—

“Say we do this. Do we need rules?” Angie interrupted Stevie’s rising panic.

“Probably.” Angie had said yes. Angie had saidyes, if in different words, and Stevie wasn’t dreaming. Did she sound as relieved as she felt? Would it undermine her case if she pulled Angie down on top of her? She’d had some rules made up and ready, but it was exceedingly difficult to think with Angie on her like this.

Focus. She needed to focus.

“Like what?” Angie tilted her hips slightly.

Damn her. Angie knew exactly how difficult she was making things. Her hand trailed along Stevie’s belt, pausing to tap the buckle thoughtfully. The vibrations were exquisite torture. Stevie gritted her teeth. “I think we should each come up with some and reconvene.” Was there an award for withstanding this kind of teasing? Was it against the Geneva conventions?

“Reconvene? Is this a business meeting?” Angie shifted her seat very intentionally again. “Are you suggesting a merger?”

“Nice one.” Yes. Merging would be good. Merging would be great.

“Thanks.” Angie preened, tossing her tangled hair over one shoulder in an exaggerated show of self-satisfaction. She needed to stop moving her hips or Stevie was going to lose her shit. “When would you like toreconvene?”

The merciless friction and a languid arch of Angie’s spine were too much. Stevie sat up, silently thanking her own core strength, and flipped Angie onto the stone, careful to cushion her head with one hand. Angie now lay beneath her, legs wrapped around her hips, and if this wasn’t going to kill Stevie she didn’t know what would.

“Tomorrow.” She thrust her hips into Angie at last.

Nothing should be allowed to feel that good. She managed to stop herself from continuing, but only barely. Angie had less restraint. She gasped, head tilting back, breasts pressing into Stevie. Stevie tightened her hand in the hair at the back of Angie’s neck and watched, entranced, as Angie’s eyelids fluttered. She lookedsodamn fuckable.

“Come to bed with me,” said Angie, breathless.

Universe, Stevie thought,you’re one serious motherfucker. She knew what she needed to do, and it was very different from what her body thought it needed to do, which was defile the sanctity of Lilian’s greenhouse immediately.

Slowly she stood, extending a hand.

Angie looked positively pornographic kneeling on the floor, one hand tangled in her own hair, chest heaving. The pleading in her eyes would have broken Stevie if the stakes had been any lower.

“Rules first,” Stevie said, waving her hand.

Angie took it and rose to her feet with a scowl. “You’re an asshole.”

Stevie took the compliment and tugged Angie toward the house. “Let’s smoke some weed and playMortal Kombat. Will that make you feel better?”

“Going to my room and getting off will make me feel better,” Angie grumbled.

“Think of me.” Stevie said it lightly, mockingly.

Angie stopped her with a slight tug and reached up to touch Stevie’s cheek gently. Looking her straight in the eye, her tone dead serious, she said, “I always do.”

Stevie had never gotten so wet so fast in her life.

“Actually,” she said, her voice strangled, “I like your idea better.”

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