Page 96 of Late Bloomer
Pepper softly grips my chin with her thumb and forefinger, tilting my face up, and I close my eyes at the last second.
She coaxes her hand across my cheek, down my throat, to rest over my thrumming heart. “Please.”
Damn woman. I’m pretty sure her touch could make me do anything.
With a sigh, I look at her, bracing for the dismay I’m sure will be etched across her pretty features. But it’s not there. Her eyes are soft, crinkled at the corners, mouth stretched in the biggest smile I’ve ever seen her wear, a steady glow radiating from her skin. Then she hugs me.
“You’ve done enough,” she whispers into my hair, swaying us back and forth.
I go to pull away, to argue, but she holds me tighter.
“There’s still things I need to fix,” I mumble against her collarbone.
I feel her shake her head, then place a kiss to my temple. “No there aren’t. It’s perfect.”
Shushing any further arguments I try to make, she drags me from the room, and the fresh air makes me light-headed.
Lacing her fingers through mine, she leads us to a refreshment table, shoving a water bottle in my hand and not lettingme stop drinking until half of it is gone. I go to speak, but she’s too fast, popping three grapes in my mouth.
When I finally swallow them down, she goes to place a cookie in there next, but I dodge her, giggling.
“Okay, okay! I’m resuscitated.”
“Phew,” she says, pretending to flick sweat off her forehead. “Almost thought I lost you there.”
“Hunger takes me to a dark place.”
“Yeah, no shit. I’m scared of what will happen if I don’t get a full meal in you in the next ten minutes.”
“I’ll make my final metamorphosis into a cuntosaurus rex and pillage this lovely hotel.” I hold up my limp wrists in front of me, making a roaring sound.
Pepper blinks a few times, then throws back her head and laughs. “You’re so weird,” she says, pulling me into another hug.
“Should we go get changed?” I ask, breathing her in. “Judging starts in about an hour.”
Pepper nods, then lets me go. Glancing around for any witnesses, we grab armfuls of snacks from the table and make a mad dash to our room.
After scarfing down some chips and cookies, we take turns rinsing off. For a bougie-ass hotel, the shower is way too small for us to do anything even a tiny bit naughty, and I’ll definitely be mentioning this in my Google review.
“Can I do your hair?” I ask, waving my curling iron through the air. I’m having a last-minute realization that incorporating heat tools into the mess on top of my head is asking for trouble. And that’s what they callgrowth.
“Um…” Pepper eyes my green strands. “We’re running a bit behind schedule. I wouldn’t want you to be rushed.”
With a gasp of not-so-mock outrage, I jump at her, pinning her to the bed and plastering kisses everywhere I can reach.
“Please?” I whine, nuzzling her neck. I feel the vibrations of her laugh against my cheek.
“Fine,” she says on a sigh, and I squeal in delight. “But we have to hurry.”
I sit her down, curling the back. Her hair is thick and silky between my fingers, and I can’t stop playing with it, running my hands through it. Pepper hums in satisfaction while I do, tilting her head back, leaning into my touch. I eventually move in front of her, focusing on the layers around her face.
I try to do a good job, I really do, but Pepper keeps pawing at the tie of my robe, playing with the edges across my chest, and it isn’t long until the curling iron is turned off and tossed on the desk and I’m straddling her lap, hands messing up that beautiful hair as I kiss her like I’m starving and she’s my first taste of food. We make out like lust-deranged teenagers, giggling and fumbling as we roll across the mattress, fingers clumsy and fast as we sprint toward a shared goal.
“Now we really have to hurry,” Pepper says, hair sticking every which way as we lie side by side, panting as sunlight streams through the window.
Grinning like a fool, I jump up and throw on my dress, Pepper following my lead. She pulls on an emerald green jumpsuit that makes her golden skin glow. She’s so pretty I think I might die.
Despite her protests, I throw a quick, loose braid in her hair, tucking flowers through the strands. Pepper glances at herself in the mirror, then does a double take, with a smile like a child as she looks at the result.
