“I… I feel it too.” Faith had felt that connection, that pull, since the moment they’d met. It had only grown stronger since. “I’ve never done anything like this before, but it feels more intimate than anything else.”
Eve gathered Faith in her arms and drew her in closer. Faith closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. She felt so light and free. Earlier, at Lilith’s Den, she’d felt something close to that complete and utter surrender, but it had b
een just out of her grasp.
What would it take to reach that? She’d resolved the conflict within her, embraced her submissive desires. But embracing everything she felt toward Eve? That was much harder. With so much standing in the way of Faith and Eve being together, she couldn’t let herself believe this was real.
As long as everything between them had to remain a secret fantasy, she couldn’t truly be Eve’s.
Chapter Seventeen
“ G ood morning,” Eve said.
Faith entered the kitchen. “Hi.”
She lingered by the doorway. She’d just arrived at work and the twins were still asleep. Eve herself looked like she’d just gotten out of bed. She was wrapped in a plush robe, her hair unbrushed and falling in loose, wavy curls. There was something endearing about seeing Eve in this wild state, at least compared to how she usually looked. She was still more put together than Faith was.
Eve held up her mug. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No thanks. I had some at home.” Faith regretted it now. She wanted an excuse to stay here with Eve. “I’ll go wake up the twins.”
“Wait.” Eve grabbed Faith’s arm. “Don’t. Not yet.”
“I don’t want them to be late.”
“They won’t be. And if they are, it’s only one day.” Eve pulled her close. “I want a few minutes alone with you.”
“Okay.” After all, Faith couldn’t refuse Eve’s commands.
Eve planted a soft, lust-filled kiss on Faith’s lips before breaking away. “I know we shouldn’t do this,” she said. “But I won’t be able to make it through the morning otherwise. This is agonizing, having you around and not being able to touch you.”
A knot formed in Faith’s chest. She felt the same way. After that incredible night she and Eve had spent together, pretending that they were just a nanny and her boss was becoming unbearable.
“I’m getting so tired of all this sneaking around. If only I could take you out on a date.” Eve’s eyes sparked. “If I’m going to tie you up and have you do my bidding, the least I could do is buy you dinner first.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Faith’s lips. “If you were to take me on a date, where would we go?” It was pointless to even think about such things. The two of them weren’t going to be able to go on a real date any time soon. But she couldn’t help but indulge her imagination.
“Where to begin? There’s an amazing Moroccan restaurant downtown. It’s one of the city’s hidden treasures. It’s this whole incredible experience. They only seat ten people a night. I’d take you there first.”
“And then?”
“Then, we’d go to a quiet little rooftop cocktail bar nearby and drink champagne and watch the city go by.” Eve’s voice fell lower than a whisper. “Then, I’d bring you back here, and I’d open up all those drawers under my bed one by one and spend the rest of the night torturing you with pleasure.”
Warmth spread through Faith’s body. “That sounds like the perfect night.”
The light in Eve’s eyes dimmed. “But that’s all a distant dream for now. This custody situation. Our relationship would complicate things.”
“I know. It’s okay. I understand.”
Eve drew Faith to her again. “Whatever did I do to deserve you?”
She pressed her lips to Faith’s once more. This time, the kiss drew out. Faith crumbled against the other woman’s body, the scent and taste of Eve’s coffee-tinged lips flooding her.
The sound of footsteps padding down the hall reached Faith’s ears. Eve pulled away, groaning. Seconds later, Leah entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with her fists.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Eve said.
She gave Leah an affectionate pat on the head. For all her sharp edges, Eve had a sweet, kind side. It showed at all the little moments she shared with Leah and Ethan.