things got physical, if they changed between us, if I wasn’t just
here making the odd dinner and doing dishes and painting the
house, I might think I’d been forced into selling my body to
you. Selling my virginity to pay my debt.”
“Oh, good God,” Adalynn gasped. She was now panting
with shock. “You’re not…you’re not serious, are you?”
Cassia burst into laughter. “About which part?” Adalynn
still looked horrified. “No! No, I’m not serious. Well, yes, I
think you’re afraid of taking things to the next level because
you’re scared it’s going to seem like you’re demanding
payment in a sordid, sexual way. So let me be clear. I want
this. I want to kiss you. I don’t think it’s payment for any debt.
I know you would have paid my bill at the hospital even if I
told you to go fuck yourself when it came to your house
renovations. I don’t know why you would have done it, but
you would have. I don’t think I’m being forced to pay you
back with my body unless it’s by scraping paint off from
ancient siding and reapplying it in that shade of yellow you
bought.”
“What’s wrong with yellow?”
“Nothing. It’s just very…sunny. Very happy.”
“Is it wrong to be sunny and happy? Or maybe you don’t
think that’s my personality. You’re right, but I didn’t think the
exterior of the house had to be a perfect match to me. Oh God,
now I’m blabbering about—”
Cassia took Adalynn’s face between her palms and kissed
her again. Hard. Demanding. She wanted to make it clear she
wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She wasn’t going to let
Adalynn not kiss her. She wasn’t going to let her take the easy,
fear free route again. In truth, she’d waited six months to do