She stood, wincing at her stiff back from the way she’d been lying. “What does one wear to a carnival?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve never been to one?” Bridgette shook her head in surprise.
“Never.”
Taking Deborah’s hands, Bridgette gave her a happy smile. “I’m a carnival pro. I’ll help you pick out what to wear.”
She gave Bridgette a kiss on her open mouth. After a few brushes of her lips on hers, Deborah fingered her curls. “It’s become a habit whenever you come up to my bedroom, we always end up naked together in my bed.”
Bridgette tugged her as she walked to her front door. “I can’t help it. It’s a new quirk of mine.”
“Another one? The, I can’t keep my hands off Deborah whenever we’re in her bedroom quirk?”
Bridgette opened her door and peeked over her shoulder at her. “How about every time I see you in your bedroom I can’t help myself but want to love you?”
Her stomach jumped. Oh wow.
“Let’s get a move on. We have a busy night ahead of us. First, we’ll have a quickie then shower then go have some fun like a couple of teenagers,” Bridgette commanded, grabbing Deborah’s hand.
She followed with a plan brewing of having Bridgette wet and willing even before they made it up to her bedroom.
* * * *
“The lady is a winner!”
Bridgette loved the way Deborah hopped as the man behind the booth handed her a plush green-and-purple butterfly.
“I can’t believe I won. I’ve never won anything before.” Deborah held her prize to her chest.
For the first time in days, Deborah’s eyes were full of life, and the strain lines around her mouth had disappeared.
Bridgette thought she’d never looked as beautiful as she did at that exact moment. She almost blurted out her feelings but instead kissed her full on the lips.
Deborah gasped, and her hands flexed on her waist as she placed them there. She ended the kiss with a quick slide of her tongue inside Deborah’s mouth—a promise of things to come, when they returned home.
When they finished their kiss, Deborah glanced around, dazed, as if she couldn’t believe she’d kissed her in public. Bridgette put her hands in her denim shorts pockets and rocked on her heels. No one around them gave disgruntled looks at their display of affection.
A flash of bright light went up in the sky, and red-and-white sparks flew overhead. The crowd around them oohed and aahed. Deborah looked enthralled, and when she took Bridgette’s hand without her making the first move, her chest tightened.
Thank God she trusts me now.
She watched Deborah’s awestruck face as she viewed the fireworks. Before she could stare up at the display in the sky, she was jostled roughly from behind. Their hands broke apart, and she turned to see who had rudely bumped her.
“Sorry.” An older, severely dressed woman passed her, again pushing her shoulder as she rushed by.
She frowned and shook her head.
“What’s wrong?” Deborah asked, completely oblivious to what had just happened.
“Nothing important.” She took her hand again. “Hey, it’s getting a bit too crowded, and I think I’ve overdosed on enough funnel cake and frozen yogurt to last the summer. What do you say about going back home and relaxing?”
Deborah’s lips twitched. “Want to relax in my bedroom with me?”
She laughed. “Didn’t we do that already?”
“Let’s do it again.” Deborah squeezed her hand.
“I’d rather relax with you in that big bathtub of yours.” She bumped her hip to Deborah’s. “We can reenact one of the bathing scenes as Pauline and Juliet from Heavenly Creatures.”
“Heavenly what?” Deborah wiggled her nose.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of Heavenly Creatures. That was one of the first movies Kate Winslet acted in.” She cocked her hip. “You do know who Kate Winslet is?”
Deborah rolled her eyes and jabbed her lightly with her elbow. “Yes. I know who she is.”
She linked her arm with Deborah’s. “I’ll give you the rundown of the movie on our drive back. I think Peter Jackson had a bathing fetish because of that movie.”
“Is he an actor in the movie?” Deborah asked.
“Oh, Debs, you crack me up.” She chuckled, and, as they reached her car, she backed Deborah into the passenger side door and ravished her mouth. Deborah joined in on the kiss, her hands going under Bridgette’s top and caressing her back and lower until she cupped her ass cheeks. Surrounded by the bright lights of the carnival and the happy cries from the crowd, they made out, not caring if anyone came upon them and witnessed their deep and real affection for one another.
* * * *
Deborah couldn’t stop kissing Bridgette. It had to be the leftover sugar on Bridgette’s lips from the funnel cake they’d shared earlier in the night. On the drive home, they kissed at red lights and stop signs, finally parking in Bridgette’s driveway, where they steamed up the windows, and not because of the humidity or the heat in the air. The temperature was actually very pleasant, since the heat wave had broken earlier in the week, and perfect for a bubble bath with the woman she couldn’t get enough of.
“I have freesia-scented bubble bath and a bottle of champagne. Why don’t you get the bath ready and I’ll grab the bottle and be back before you know it?” Bridgette walked Deborah up to her front porch and they kissed some more. Deborah was ready to push her on one of the rocking chairs in the corner and go down on her but stopped.
“I’d like that.” She sighed on Bridgette’s cheek and gave her a hug. She hid her face in Bridgette’s curls for a moment, inhaling her sweet floral scent.
“You left your butterfly clip in my car. I’ll bring it over. It’ll look right at home on your bed.” Bridgette winked and gave her another kiss.
Deborah finally released her and unlocked her door. “I’ll keep the door unlocked. Hurry back.”
“You can bet on it. See you in a few minutes.” Bridgette waved as she walked down the steps.
The screen door closed behind her, and Deborah made certain the front door was unlocked for when Bridgette returned. She hummed softly as she turned on a lamp to cast a soft glow in the living room then ran up the steps to get ready for what would be an end to a wonderful night.
* * * *
Deborah lit candles around the bathroom, excited at sharing a bath with Bridgette. She’d never done such a thing with another woman and couldn’t wait to make a new memory that would have her smiling, not frowning. Pushing the door open to allow the breeze from the fan to circulate in her bedroom, she went to her windows and opened them higher. The night was cool for mid-July, and the only sweat she and Bridgette would have on their skin would be from making passionate love together.