Make the Yuletide Gay by Ivy L. James

Author:Ivy L. James [James, Ivy L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: NineStar Press, LGBTQIA+, Contemporary, romance, lesbian, editors, publishing, seasonal/holiday/Christmas, age-gap, Coworkers, office affair, Road Trip, hot chocolate
Publisher: NineStar Press
Published: 2020-12-13T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Unsettled

Grace awoke, tangled in bedsheets, to the scent of coffee in the air. Across the hotel room, Nicola stood by the little Keurig, her robe tied with a loose bow, her dark hair piled atop her head in a messy bun. She glanced Grace’s way with a smile.

“Morning. Want some coffee?”

“Mm-hmm.” Smiling sleepily, Grace pushed herself up to a sitting position. “How long—” She cut off with a yawn. “How long have you been up?”

“Not long.” Nicola brought her a cup of coffee and waited for her to taste it.

Grace took a tentative sip. Plenty of creamer. Perfect. “How did you know?”

Nicola tilted her head, her lips curving. “I pay more attention than you think.”

Hopefully not too much attention. She doesn’t need to know how much last night meant. Grace swigged from her cup and hoped her cheeks didn’t go pink at the memory. Touching Nicola, bringing her pleasure… It had been a dream come true. A literal dream come true. And then falling asleep in her arms— Grace couldn’t have imagined a better night.

Maybe this really could work.

She finished her coffee and tossed the trash into the little bin beside the bed. “I need to go get dressed, and then we can meet downstairs for breakfast before leaving for the conference?”

Nicola looked startled by the reminder that this wasn’t Grace’s room. “Oh. Right. Sure, I’ll meet you down there in half an hour.”

Grace pulled on her clothes from last night and hightailed it down the hall. In the safety of the Nicola-free zone, she could focus. After a quick shower, she pulled on a green sheath dress, fixed her hair into loose waves, and slipped her feet into heels that would emphasize her elegant frame.

Turning this way and that, she admired herself in the mirror. “Looking good, Taylor.” She wanted to nail her look today. For Nicola. For herself, sure, but mostly for Nicola. She’d kill a man for the joy of catching her boss admiring her in public.

Grace took the elevator down to the ground floor and followed the neatly printed signs to the hot breakfast. Crisp white cloths draped three long tables. Neat placards labeled the scrambled eggs, biscuits, waffle mix flavors, cereals, fruit, juices, and yogurts. A staff member dressed in black and white stood to the side, ready to help the guests as needed.

Despite the more professional appearance here, she missed the homey quality of Li Hua and Earl’s morning spread.

Nicola stood in line at the waffle maker, and Grace joined her, picking up a plate on her way. She flashed a warm smile. “Morning. Fancy meeting you here.” As if they hadn’t seen each other in various states of dishabille thirty minutes ago.

However, Nicola only nodded. “Morning.”

Grace’s smile faltered. Where was the smiling woman she’d met at the B&B? Were they still only coworkers in the light of day? Had Nic gotten what she wanted and decided to retreat again?

No. Of course not. Nicola wasn’t that kind of person. Grace forced her smile back to full brightness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.