A Roll in the Hay, стр. 48

“There’s not much to tell.” Tess knelt beside Waffles and pulled him into a hug. “Yes, okay, fine. A little bit of kissing. Some talking. Way too many bloody interruptions, and that’s about it.”

“I didn’t think you two got on.” Adam sounded determined to be right about something. “Oh, wait, is it some kind of hate-sex thing?”

“Sorry to disturb your ‘melting the ice queen’ fantasies there, mate, but I’ve been getting to know the woman behind the fancy title, and she’s not like all the rumours suggest. She isn’t obsessed with power and screwing over the little guy. Susannah is…”

“Oh, Susannah, is it?”

“Shut up, Adam,” Margo said. “Tess, you look really loved-up, girl.”

“Let’s not be throwing around l-words just yet, eh?” Tess wondered if she was ever going to stop blushing. “Please don’t say anything to her, and if you could resist gossiping about it in the pub, I’d really appreciate it. You two didn’t grow up in a small town, but you must know from living here how much pressure gossip puts on people. I just don’t want to wreck this before it has a chance.”

“You want to give it a proper go,” Margo replied, coming around the table to pull Tess back to standing, then crushed her with a hug. “Of course. We’ll do whatever you need. And, hey, don’t forget you can just come and talk to me about any of this. It’s not gossip when you’re telling your best mate about the girl you like.”

“Thank you.” Tess exhaled. She never had this breathing space or support when she first met Caroline. It had all been so intense, Caroline insisting that relationship matters were totally private and not to be discussed with friends or family. Sometimes Tess wondered how she ever coped with that at all. “I promise, when there’s anything to tell, you’ll be my first port of call.”

“Don’t suppose you fancy dealing with my parrot appointment now that you’re back?” Margo asked when their hug finally ended. “I’m not above bribing you with one of the brownies I made last night.”

“Okay, but only for the brownie.”

It was hardly a big deal when Tess hadn’t heard from Susannah by bedtime. She certainly considered sending a text of her own, although they had only used their phones to talk work so far. Would that be pushing it? With the trouble that had landed earlier, it was hardly unreasonable that Susannah would be too busy or exhausted to initiate a chat. Tess turned in without giving into temptation, but she definitely had an unsettled night.

She was just out of the shower the next morning when she heard a knock at the door downstairs. Wrapped in her towel, she jogged down with some pointed mutterings about how the postman couldn’t just leave things on the doorstep for her to pick up when they didn’t fit through the door. Instead of Jerry the seventy-year-old postie, though, Tess opened the door a crack to reveal Susannah.

“Oh.”

“Morning. Sorry for turning up unannounced. I’m…well, I’m sick of the sight of my phone but I needed to talk to you. And I wanted to get out of the house for a minute, and I just got in the car and…”

“Here you are,” Tess finished for her. She opened the door the rest of the way.

“Come in. You caught me before getting dressed, though.”

Susannah’s gaze was scorching as she dragged it up and down Tess’s towel-clad form. Most days Tess felt a little clumsy, awkward in her own skin. She was well aware that her fuller figure wasn’t the type that graced magazine covers or television screens, but under Susannah’s attention Tess felt her muscles flex and she stood just a little straighter. Even if, yes, she was blushing again.

“I brought coffee.” Susannah held up a tray with two cups even though her eyes never left Tess. “Because I didn’t want to throw off your morning too much. And yet…”

“I’d love to finish that thought,” Tess replied, and it couldn’t have been more accurate. “But I have a tough first appointment today, and I can’t let the family down.”

“Something sad, then.” Susannah worked it out easily enough. “In that case, let me take a minute to boost your spirits. Wouldn’t do to have our best vet feeling down all day.”

She set the coffee on the kitchen table and reached for the bump in Tess’s towel where it was tucked in to keep it in place. For a moment, her fingers just clutched at the white cotton, and Tess thought the whole thing was about to drop. Then Susannah used that grip to pull her closer, and her kiss was far hotter than Tess’s knees knew what to do with. She almost lost her balance, but as soon as her head went back to a manageable level of spinning, Tess found herself naturally taking charge. She backed Susannah up against the fridge, her hand on the towel trapped between them as they made out.

“Sorry,” Tess muttered against Susannah’s lips when the kissing halted for a moment. “It’s unbelievably tempting, but I’ve only got ten minutes. When I head up to my bedroom it’s going to have to be alone.”

“We could—”

“It is going to take way, way more than ten minutes for what I want to do with you. You’re going to have to be patient, Suze.”

Tess whispered the nickname against Susannah’s ear before nipping at her earlobe, the perfect introduction to placing a trail of kisses down the elegant line of her throat. Their height difference didn’t get in the way, but it was approaching dangerous territory for someone with only a towel to preserve her modesty.

Susannah whined softly when Tess stopped at the collar of her silky blouse, pulling away with a full step backwards to make the point. “I actually came to ask you something. Are you free tonight?”

“Short notice.” Tess picked up her coffee. It was strong and hot and milky, her favourite combo.

Susannah