Page 71 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
“I’ve picked up enough, the ocean owes me a few. And you, washing up on my shore a second time… I don’t want to lose you again, Candace. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
She murmured, “None of my binders planned for this.”
“No, we’ll have to get creative. Lucky for you, I’ve been feeling that in spades lately.”
“Hm?”
Daisy licked her suddenly desert-dry lips. She had not expected to bring up her recent free-time exploits, not without more practice. But Candace needed to know what she had done. She pulled out her phone and thumbed to the photo gallery.
“I’ve been making art again. Nothing special. Just some drawings and a couple sculptures with random things I find. But thanks to you, I wanted to try.”
“Oh, Daisy… These are beautiful.”
Candace grew quiet. Her expression was difficult to read, even illuminated by the phone’s glow as she continued to study the images. She looked at one, a rough pencil sketch of the newly renovated Bagel Bombs!, longer than the others before handing the phone back.
“You can have that if you want. I still owe you a prize for the eating contest.”
“You do, don’t you?”
It was just bright enough that Daisy could see Candace’s gaze flick to her lips. And was that…lust? Memory of the other prize Daisy almost gave to Candace thrust into her thoughts. How on that day, the gorgeous woman before her had closed her eyes, waiting.
Would she have let Daisy kiss her then? What about now? Pulled by their shared heartbeat’s pulse, she found herself leaning forward to find out.
Candace went the other direction. She let loose a soft curse and yanked Daisy along with her, back towards the column. One hand on Daisy’s arm, the other over her mouth, she pressed them into the darkest shadow.
In the next instant, Vinny Lamarka power-walked past. They were hidden thanks to the columns’ curve and Candace’s quick thinking. His fast footfalls pounded against the pier planking, echoing further and further away.
Seconds trickled by as Daisy and Candace stayed as they were. Moving was the last thing on Daisy’s mind with this woman against her.
In a slow drift, the hand that covered Daisy’s mouth moved to mirror the other one gripping her forearm. Candace’s head rested in the crook of her neck, and every breath she took was like a searing caress. Her thigh, nestled in the valley between both of Daisy’s, tensed.
Stars steamed over Daisy’s vision. She held in a gasp that came out as a whimper. Her hands shot to Candace’s waist, diving under her jacket to dig at her tank top.
Goddamn, Daisy wanted to rip these clothes off. Before she could, Candace pushed back.
“I think he’s gone.”
“Yeah,” Daisy agreed in a delayed, dusky huff.
Stepping back into the light, Candace’s expression was serious. “It’s not because I don’t want to be seen with you. It’s just… I hid because I didn’t want this to end yet.”
“It doesn’t have to,” Daisy told her. She closed the distance between them once more, but resisted reaching out. “What doyouwant?”
“I want…”
In flats compared to Daisy’s heels, Candace had to look up to meet Daisy’s eyes. Her regular seafoam shine was so dark, it was like looking into the deep ocean. It threatened to swallow Daisy whole, and she would gladly let it, diving in head-first.
Instead, Candace pulled out her phone.
Keeping the annoyance from her voice, Daisy asked, “What’re you doing?”
“I never did get a chance to eat. I’m seeing if that Vietnamese place is still open. And, they are! Would you, maybe…”
Daisy cocked a grin.
“Best idea anyone has had all night. Banh mi, my place, a little strategizing, and theSimpsons?”
“You read my mind. But I swear, someday, I’m making you watch something else.”
