Of Course, It's You

Chapter 29

HANNAH

There were so many things on Hannah's To-Do list, that she barely had a minute to spare. She had a quick exchange with Jules and Eric after the wedding joke, a short stop in Marketing, a location visit, an afternoon gig, and she still had to beat Emryn to the studio. Through it all, her messenger and email notifications kept pinging like clockwork.

Now, sitting alone in Studio 2, Hannah could finally exhale, puffing her cheeks and stretching her arms high above her head. She swiveled gently in the chair and closed her eyes.

Behind her closed lids, Carmen appeared in vivid quality.

Too vivid.

Hannah's breath caught. Not now. She couldn't think of her when she needed to focus. But her mind betrayed her. One second it was Carmen's laugh, the next it was Carmen's legs spread on a countertop, her voice reverberating through Hannah's bones.

She groaned. Nope. Definitely not helpful.

Her cheeks flushed as if someone might read her mind and see the images playing out in her head.

Being plagued with thoughts of Carmen was both exhilarating and frightening. She felt like a child when they had been told 'no,' but still reached for the cookie jar right before dinner had been served—pun only slightly intended.

She checked her watch. An email from Emryn's rep arrived, saying they were delayed an hour.

"Oh, thank god." she sighed. Alone time, which could also mean a sly nap.

She leaned her head back, allowing her eyes to close and the silence to settle around her.

Then her phone buzzed.

Carmen: Are you in the building?

Hannah couldn't help the smile that formed across her face. Just like that, every ounce of fatigue, all signs of tension, evaporated.

Hannah: Yeah. But I just got temporarily stood up.

Carmen: Where are you?

Hannah: Studio 2

Carmen: Are you down there all by yourself?

Hannah: Yeah, why?

She waited for a response, but the typing bubbles on the screen disappeared quickly.

The studio door opened while Hannah yawned.

"Tired?" Carmen's voice was sweet, but laced with something edging close to dangerous..

Hannah opened her eyes and saw her leaning in the doorway. Her smile sharp as a blade. "It's been a long day."

"And I hear you've been stood up," Carmen purred, stepping casually inside.

"Emryn's running about an hour late."

"Oh, so I have an hour with you?"

There was a soft click behind Carmen after the door closed.

Hannah arched a brow, her heartbeat accelerating. Did she just...?

Each click of Carmen's heels across the floor somehow dialed up the tension. She stopped in front of Hannah and braced both hands on the arm rests, effectively barricading her in place.

Hannah's breath hitched. Her gaze drifted to the soft pulse in Carmen's neck, and the faint, now purple, mark there. She reached up and gently brushed her finger against it.

Carmen inhaled sharply.

Hannah felt a heat pool low in her belly, power humming beneath her skin.

She curled her fingers around the back of Carmen's neck, holding her close.