Pure Connections

Chapter 11

Lisa's brows drew together, her lips tugging into a frown as she looked at Jennie—panic in everything from her widened eyes to her unsteady breaths. Jennie had never mentioned any other siblings but Sehun, but Lisa still couldn't think of a reason for a run in with a sibling to leave Jennie this unnerved. "You saw your sister," Lis repeated, thumb in a steady stroke against Jennie's cheek. "What am I missing, Jen?"

"She's...um—" Jennie blinked, a gulp sliding down her throat as she raked a hand through hair Lisa had watched her spend twenty minutes on this morning. Then she dragged in a deep breath, eyes flickering skyward, before meeting Lisa's again. She hesitated, her lips suspended in a wordless declaration.

"Hey," Lisa whispered. "It's okay. Whatever it is."

"It's not—" Jennie bit down on her bottom lip. "She doesn't even know me. I mean, we don't know each other. I guess running into her like that kind of caught me off guard."

"So, by sister you mean..."

"I mean, the thing that broke my parents' marriage wasn't just that my dad had an affair. Well, he told me it only happened once, but I guess my mom never really believed him. The thing is, he also had a kid. And SL doesn't know anything about it, but I did—I do—and a few years ago, I had a PI look her up, because..." Jennie broke her rambling, wincing. "Well, I don't know why. But I've seen pictures, and I know that was her. She has my eyes, Lis. His eyes."

"Whoa. Um..." Lisa paused, attempting to collect her thoughts. "Okay. I can see why that would knock you off your stilettos a bit."

Jennie shot Lisa a look, and a slow smile took shape on her lips. "Considering you quite literally watched me get dressed this morning, I know you're fully aware today's a flats day."

Lisa's mind went back a few hours, her still in bed while Jennie made multiple treks from the bathroom to the bedroom and closet in varying degrees of undress—wrapped in a fluffy white towel, hair wet and dripping, to being clothed in a black underwear set made of lace and temptation, to the moment she'd done her hair and gotten dressed in the form fitting top and flare legs pants she sat in now. Lisa's words came out with an involuntary husk. "You make me sound like a voyeur."

"I think you are, even a little, but luckily for you, I didn't mind being watched."

Lisa's gaze fell to Jennie's mouth, her fingers aching with the urge to trace Jennie's lips. But this wasn't where she'd intended for their conversation to go—not with the glimmer in Jennie's eyes reminiscent of the unexpected run in she'd just had. "I'm hoping later we can go back to that, but for right now...Your sister."

Jennie sighed. "I don't think she knew who I was, and if she did, then..." She shook her head, shrugging. "Then I guess I'll finally have to decide what I want her to mean to me. But not today. Today, I kind of just want to be with you."

Heat radiated from Lisa's chest, and she tried to temper the grin threatening to burst free. She'd gotten too used to keeping her cool since Linda—too used to picking up women, communicating with the right amount of disinterest and never, ever, letting things get too serious—but she was on thin ice with Jennie. Completely abandoned by all her cavalier. She just didn't know what to do about it. And maybe leaning in wasn't the answer, but her hand drifted lower on Jennie's face, fingers curling into Jennie's hair as their lips brushed.

"I know what we said this morning, what you said, but everything in me wants to take this slow. You deserve to take your time with this, Jen, and a part of me is—" Jennie smoothed one hand against Lisa's jacket, over her clavicle, and Lisa's pulse quickened at the touch. "I really want to kiss you right now."