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  “Come on in.” Her voice was rough even though she’d been up and talking to Perez for a few hours. Too many cigarettes in her twenties. She put as much flirtation into her smile as possible and directed her dimples full bore to Angie. Despite her reputation, it’d been a long time since she’d put effort into impressing a woman. She hoped she came across as sexy and charming, not desperate and trying too hard. The thought of not being cool made her falter temporarily. “Decide to get a tattoo after all?”

  Angie gave her a small smile as she entered the showroom and brushed her hand over Luna’s arms as she passed. “Hardly.”

  “Nope, she’s afraid of hot women bearing needles,” Tori quipped. “A fortune-teller at the state fair warned her against your kind last year.”

  Luna closed and locked the door behind them so no one else would wander in until they were ready to open. “What if the hot woman agrees to put away the needle in exchange for a completely different kind of penetration?” Luna usually made this kind of careless statement to Perez—off the cuff and humorous in a completely inappropriate kind of way. She regretted it immediately.

  Angie’s face flared red and she coughed. Tori patted her on the back and laughed. “Good, it hasn’t been so long that you didn’t get what she meant.”

  Angie coughed harder.

  “I’m sorry.” Luna felt like a jackass. She shouldn’t be flirting with Angie in the first place. That was part of her agreement with Ruby. Not that she wouldn’t flirt, but that she wouldn’t take it further than that. Angie made her forget all about that promise. Any way she looked at it, she was a jackass.

  “Let’s try this again. What brings you here today?” Luna tried for professional courtesy, but her last comment had destroyed the distance required for that.

  Tori tried to stop laughing, her face turning almost as red as Angie’s from the effort. Luna was worried she’d have to perform mouth-to-mouth if she didn’t get things under control soon. “Would you care for a glass of water or something?”

  “No.” Tori swallowed a giggle and hiccuped. “I just came by to have you check my tattoo.” She pointed to her shoulder.

  Perez picked that moment to reappear. “Okay, we have an appointment to meet with the realtor on Mon—” She looked up from the paper she was reading and noticed Angie and Tori. Or, more specifically, Tori. Grinning, she said, “I didn’t realize you were here. What’s going on?”

  “Need a checkup.” Tori batted her eyes and Luna was impressed. She’d never seen another woman besides Ruby pull that off. Ruby prided herself on being able to snare a woman with just a look, and Tori obviously shared that skill, as Perez was drooling all over herself.

  “Absolutely.” Perez led Tori to the workshop area.

  Luna was unsure what to do with Angie. Technically, she should be inspecting her own work. As it was, however, she was willing to leave it to Perez. She snuck several sideways glances at Angie. Each time they made eye contact, Angie looked away quickly, her ears still red.

  “Wow, this is awkward, huh?” Luna figured the sooner they got through the uncomfortable beginning, the quicker they’d get to the getting-to-know-you middle stage. And she wanted to get to know Angie far more than she was comfortable admitting.

  Angie nodded. “I’ll just wait outside.”

  “The weather is crap. Stay in here and I’ll leave you alone.” That was a bit of a stretch. Yes, it was overcast and a bit gloomy, but the temperature was holding at just under 70 degrees, it wasn’t windy, and, so far, not a single raindrop had fallen. A little cool for late July, but perfect by Northwest standards.

  “I don’t really want to be left alone.” Angie’s muttered response was so quiet Luna wondered if she was hearing things. She didn’t push Angie to repeat it, but she took advantage of the opening.

  “Why don’t we just sit? I’m sure they won’t be long.” Luna led Angie to the rich brown leather couch. She used to be so confident when it came to women, but it had apparently been too long. She had no idea what to say or how to proceed with Angie.

  Not that it mattered. She had Ruby. It wasn’t love, but it was honest. She had to keep reminding herself that.

  Angie fidgeted with her shirtsleeve and shifted from foot to foot. She glanced at the couch to Tori to the window. Her gaze settled on Luna. “I guess that would be okay.” She sat.

  Luna studied Angie. Her cheerleader-blond hair was swept up in a loose bun on the back of her head, tendrils drifting loose and framing her face. Ocean-deep blue eyes full of resolve and just a hint of fun, like maybe she remembered how to have a good time, but hadn’t cut loose in a while. Pure speculation, Luna realized, but she couldn’t stop drawing conclusions about the little things she saw in Angie, like the perfect tan that didn’t make sense in a city known for its liquid sunshine. Did tan lines go with the out-of-place bronzed skin? How many layers of clothing would she have to remove to find them?

  She edged closer to Angie and brushed the back of her fingers across her cheek. Her fingers barely skimmed the surface, but Luna felt their contact all the way to her toes. Every cell in her body was aware of Angie.

  Angie closed her eyes and a shiver rippled across her skin. Luna was mesmerized. Luna inched closer, her lips so close to Angie’s. The thought of kissing Angie became the center of her universe. She was ready to sacrifice everything to make it happen.

  Angie’s eyes flew open and Luna froze, her body on fire. She wanted so badly to chase those lips as Angie eased away from her.

  “So, what is this?” She gestured between them.

  Luna opted for denial. “What? We’re just sitting here.”

  “You know what I’m talking about.” Angie’s direct approach was seriously sexy to Luna. Add the stern mommy voice and several naughty role plays ran through her mind.

  Luna knew exactly what Angie was talking about but wasn’t willing to admit it. “No, I don’t.” She hoped Angie would drop it.

  Angie looked at her like she was the idiot child in a long line of idiots. “The flirting, the innuendo, the damn charge every time we’re within two feet of one another. I’m not imagining it.”

  “Oh, that.” What else could she say?

  “You have a girlfriend.”

  That’s right, Angie had seen her with Ruby twice now. “Sort of.”

  “Sort of?” Angie snorted. “What exactly would Ruby be if not your girlfriend?”

  “It’s complicated.” Luna tried to think of a way to explain Ruby that wouldn’t make her sound cheap and easy. “But she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “So what is she?”

  This was not a conversation she had envisioned having with Angie—ever. Yet here she was trying to think of the right way to say she and Ruby were fuck buddies. “Our relationship is based on mutual agreement and need.”

  “That’s the arrangement I have with my hairdresser, but I don’t French her in the middle of a ball field.”

  “We have sex, but that’s all.” Luna was shell-shocked. She never felt the need to justify her relationship. She was an adult, dammit. If she wanted to fuck someone, that was her business, nobody else’s.

  “Are you exclusive?”

  Luna nodded. This was not going well.

  “For how long?”

  “Three years.” The answer made Luna cringe internally, but she refused to show it on her face.

  “That’s not complicated. She’s your girlfriend.”

  Luna didn’t argue. She sat there, silent and defeated.

  “Where do I fit into that?” Angie’s voice lost some of its confidence. She sounded much younger than she had a moment ago. Luna wanted to comfort her.

  “I don’t know.”

  Whether Angie would acknowledge it or not, it was complicated. Regardless of her relationship with Ruby, Luna was drawn to Angie. She wanted more.

  “Then you have to stop.” Angie nodded firmly. “We have to stop.”

  Luna agreed. Angie’s assessment of the situation amazed her. Tec
hnically, they hadn’t done anything. Most women would cling to that fantasy and ignore the obvious signs. They wouldn’t be brave enough to vocalize their thoughts as Angie had.

  Angie left her sitting there, with torrents of Angie and Ruby spinning in her head. As Angie exited Coraggio with Tori in tow, Luna landed on one concrete truth. Despite their need to stop, or perhaps because of it, Luna wanted Angie more than ever.

  Chapter Five

  Wednesday, August 12

  The grocery store was definitely a personal hell for Luna. Every time she went in search of something simple, the trip morphed into a major outing. All she wanted was a gallon of chocolate milk and a steak for tonight’s dinner. First was a battle for the only open parking space—which Luna won, but she did have a slight pang of guilt for forcing the other driver to the overflow parking lot. Then the dairy cooler was completely empty. Yes, they explained about the cooler malfunction, and no, it wasn’t anybody’s fault. But damn she had a craving and all the excuses in the world wouldn’t make it go away.

  Finally, she saw Angie, like some sort of sexy apparition, standing in the meat department. Should she say hello? Or should she just duck and be done with it?

  But Angie looked so good in her faded jeans and worn T-shirt, trying to pick out the perfect roast. Luna resisted as long as she could, then succumbed to the magnetic pull. She strolled casually to where Angie stood.

  “Hi, Angie.”

  Angie smiled briefly, then her eyes hardened. “What are you doing here?” She said it like she owned the store. The attitude simultaneously pissed Luna off and turned her on. She squirmed; moisture and leather were a horrible mix.

  “Came in for a steak.” Luna noticed a boy next to Angie and wondered how long he’d been there. Probably the entire time. She was a little single-minded when it came to Angie.

  “Hi, you must be Angie’s son.” Unsure how to greet a child, she extended her hand like she would with an adult. He took it with a smile.

  “I am. Who are you?”

  “Right, sorry. I’m Luna. A friend of your mom’s.” Were they friends? She doubted Angie thought so, but hoped she’d let her get away with saying it.

  While she was introducing herself, Tori joined them, her smile much more genuine than Angie’s. She bumped hips with Angie and placed a bottle of red wine in the top of the shopping cart. Luna was jealous of their casual intimacy, but grateful that the gestures held no sexual vibe. They were obviously friends only.

  “Luna? What a coincidence.” The way she emphasized coincidence made Luna suspicious. Perez, after all, was responsible for the outing to the grocery store as well as the one to The Cadillac. She pictured Tori and Perez laughing as they plotted to bring her and Angie together. She felt manipulated.

  “I’m Oliver,” Angie’s son interjected, unwilling to be pushed aside as the adults moved on with the conversation. “I like your tattoo.”

  “Thanks.” She’d gotten the angel on her right bicep on the first anniversary of her mother’s death. The grief that everyone told her would lessen had stayed with her, hard and unrelenting in the pit of her stomach. It swarmed up and engulfed her at the least likely moments. The angel she’d chosen in tribute to her mother shocked those who knew Angela Rinaldi. Rather than a soft, flowing design, Luna had chosen a hard-lined relief image. The tattoo lacked angelic details, but conveyed strength and certainty.

  “Did it hurt?” Oliver asked with youthful exuberance, and Luna hoped Angie didn’t blame her for his enthusiasm.

  Before she could defer the question, Tori chimed in. “Yeah, did it?”

  “A great deal.” The answer surprised Luna, since the actual tattoo had been little more than irritating. The pain behind it had been crippling.

  “Oh.” Their simultaneous response made Luna smile. Disappointment looked the same regardless of age.

  “It was nice seeing you, Luna.” The look on Angie’s face didn’t agree with her statement. “But we need to get back to our shopping.”

  She started to move away and Luna panicked. When would she see Angie again? “Wait.” She placed a hand on Angie’s arm. It was a light touch, but the power of the contact jolted her. “I want to see you again.” Luna cringed. Instead of cool and smooth, her mouth opted for bumbling and forceful. Again.

  Angie looked at her far longer than was comfortable and Luna squirmed. Still she couldn’t stop her mouth from charging forward without her brain. Later, when she had a moment to think, she would likely regret her lack of control. Angie left her defenseless, and she wasn’t sure yet if that was a good or a bad thing.

  “Let me take you out. I know Saturdays aren’t good, but surely you have a night off. I could take you to dinner or a movie or—” Luna clamped her lips shut, aborting her stream of babble, and waited.

  “Oliver, get a loaf of bread,” Angie said, her voice level.

  “But—”

  “Now, son.”

  “Okay, fine.” Oliver inched his way toward the bakery section.

  “Tori?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Go with Oliver?”

  “Not a chance. No way am I missing this. It’s better than daytime television.”

  Luna suddenly wished she could accompany Oliver on his quest for baked goods. That would certainly be more fun than whatever Angie had in store for her. The woman did not look happy. Luna squared her mental shoulders and waited.

  “What are you doing here, Luna?” The question held a lot more judgment than it did the first time Angie asked it.

  “Getting steak, I told you.” Luna smiled, then remembered that her charm didn’t seem to work on Angie. “I came over to say hi when I saw you because I didn’t want to be rude.”

  Angie didn’t look convinced. “And what was that? Just then? With the dinner invitation in front of my son. You do not get to bring him into this.”

  “I’m sorry. You were leaving and I couldn’t just let you go.”

  “Luna, you’re not being fair. I told you, I’m not comfortable with this…this…whatever this is. You have a girlfriend.”

  “She’s right, you do.” Tori’s contribution was not helpful. Luna ignored her.

  “What do you want, Angie? You want me to break up with Ruby?” When the words left her mouth, Luna felt overwhelmed. The truth in the question left her breathless and lightheaded. The thought of losing what she shared with Ruby was surprisingly easy to accept. But the fact that she was willing to do so for a woman she barely knew, a woman who acted like she didn’t want to know her, was emotionally murky. She wasn’t ready for the very real feelings that fueled her attraction to Angie. Until that very moment, she’d been able to lay it off as lust. Now she had to confront her intentions. She clutched the side of Angie’s cart like it was a life preserver.

  Tori squeaked and clapped. Angie’s expression, however, did not change. “Would you?”

  “Yes.” The simplicity of the answer furthered Luna’s shock. It also strengthened her resolve. She didn’t know what was happening inside her, but her mother would be disappointed if she didn’t have the courage to find out.

  “You don’t even know me.” Angie’s statement, blunt and to the point, made Luna cringe.

  “I want to.” God, what was it about Angie that made Luna abandon all reason? She was going along great, then she met Angie and wham! Sharp left on illogical street. All her emotional self-preservation instincts abandoned her at the same time.

  “Why?”

  “Let me show you.” Luna struggled to control the situation. She’d already laid herself out for Angie, Tori, and every other person shopping in the meat department. She refused to give Angie an itemized list of why she was attracted to her, not with an audience. Besides, she wasn’t sure she could vocalize her feelings in a concise, easily quantified manner. Emotions were sloppy.

  Maybe it was the way Angie fidgeted and chewed her lip when she was nervous. Maybe it was the steeled confidence to say what she thought, to ask questions others would l
eave alone. Maybe the combination of sexy girl-next-door mixed with nurturing lady Madonna. Maybe the shy smile that made Luna want to protect Angie, even as she pushed her away. Maybe it was just Luna’s relentless hormones driving her to chase the girl who said no. Maybe it was all that, along with a million other little things that Luna had yet to discover about Angie.

  Angie’s smile was small and a bit uncertain, but Luna felt victorious. She’d finally said the right thing.

  “Now what?”

  “A date.” Feeling more confident than she had since she saw Angie across the aisle, Luna expanded on her intentions. “Have a little food, drink a little wine. Get to know one another.” She took a half-step closer to Angie.

  “Stop there.” Angie took a matching half-step back.

  “I’ll stay three paces away from you at all times if that’s what you want.” It would kill her, but she’d do it. “But sometimes it’s good to not think, isn’t it?”

  Oliver returned with the loaf of bread. “This the right one, Mom?” At Angie’s nod, he tossed it into the cart. “Are you two done, or are you going to send me to get something else?”

  “We’re done.”

  Luna didn’t agree, but didn’t want to push her luck. Still, she had to ask one more question. She hesitated. Angie hadn’t reacted well when she asked in front of Oliver before. She had to be careful. “When would you like…” She was proud of herself. The desperate clutching she felt in her chest at not cementing the date didn’t make its way into the question. She sounded confident, even if she couldn’t finish.

  “I’m off on Monday.”

  “Should I call you to confirm?” It required a great deal of tact to ask for a phone number with Angie’s son two steps away. In her club days, she’d simply say, “Hey, babe, can I have your number?” That wouldn’t work with Angie.

  “Sure.” Angie scribbled it on the bottom of her grocery list. Before turning it over, she looked at it, shook her head once, then handed it to Luna. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”