A Risk Worth Taking (Book 1) Read online

  Hayden moaned as Kate found the spot on her neck that drove her crazy.

  Kate took the hint and focused on the spot that seemed to be bringing her lover closer to the edge. She slowly kissed and licked down the woman’s body, carefully hitting each spot as she descended. As soon as she reached the spot she’d been looking forward to, she pulled back and looked up at the woman seductively.

  Green eyes met brown eyes as Kate gently spread Hayden’s thighs open. Both women kept their eyes fixed on each other’s as Kate kissed the inside of Hayden’s left thigh.

  Kate forced herself to look away, but only to bring her attention to the blonde’s dripping wet core, gliding her tongue up and into Hayden.

  Hayden moaned out and threw her head back, her body exploding with pleasure.

  Chapter 2

  Hayden slowly opened her eyes, a bit disorientated at first. Sunlight was creeping in through the red curtains. She soon realized that she was not in a familiar room. That wasn’t something she wasn’t already accustomed to. Back in New York she woke up in unfamiliar places all of the time.

  Hayden looked over to the other side of the bed. Surprisingly she found the spot next to her was empty.

  Hayden smiled as she recalled the night before. She and Kate had gone at it until well into the early hours of the morning. The two women couldn’t get enough of each other. The only reason they finally stopped was because they both fell asleep from exhaustion.

  Kate had brought Hayden to an overwhelming climax several times. The brunette was definitely gifted. She made Hayden feel like a novice compared to her. Though Hayden remembered bringing Kate over the edge several times as well. Luckily both women were very versatile.

  Hayden looked at her side of the bed and found her clothes from last night neatly folded on the night table. Hayden lifted the thin sheet that was covering her naked body and climbed out of the bed. She grabbed her bra and slid it on, clasping it shut on the back. She slid her panties on along with her skinny jeans. After pulling her shirt over her head she quietly walked into the bathroom connected to the bedroom. She was hoping to make a quick exit.

  Hayden opened the medicine cabinet, looking for a tube of tooth paste. She found it on the bottom shelf. She was about to use her finger to do a quick brush of her teeth, but found an unopened toothbrush lying out on the sink counter. Hayden smiled as she opened the tooth brush and began brushing her teeth.

  Hayden was surprised at how much she liked Kate. If it weren’t for the fact that she usually tried not to have any strings attached, she’d actually consider staying friends with the woman. Not only did the two have amazing chemistry, but they also could talk endlessly. Everything felt so smooth with Kate. She hadn’t had that with someone for two years now and even then it never really felt smooth with her ex.

  Kate was so easy to talk to. You could tell that she truly listened when Hayden talked. Kate looked at Hayden like she was the only girl in the world. She had just met her, but Hayden could already tell the woman was special.

  After brushing her teeth Hayden quietly walked back into the bedroom and then out into the hallway. She wondered if Kate had already left for the day. She had yet to see or hear anything from the woman.

  As Hayden entered the living room she could finally hear some movement coming from the kitchen. That was when Hayden realized she could smell fresh bacon and what could possibly be French toast. Kate was cooking breakfast.

  Kate definitely doesn’t do this often. Breakfast is not usually part of the deal.

  Hayden had planned on sneaking out, but she couldn’t. Not when the brunette was going to so much trouble for her. She walked into the kitchen, finding Kate already fully dressed and ready for the day. She was transferring pieces of bacon from a pan onto a large plate.

  “Hey,” Hayden greeted.

  Kate turned and smiled at Hayden. “Hey, good morning,” Kate said cheerfully.

  She’s obviously a morning person. Why am I not surprised?

  “You’ve been busy,” Hayden commented, referring to the spread laid out on the table.

  “Yeah,” Kate shrugged. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day you know.”

  “I read somewhere that that’s just a myth. I’m not so sure if breakfast is all that important anymore.”

  “It is when you had as much to drink as we did last night. My French toast is the best hangover cure, trust me.”

  “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble. I could have grabbed something on the way.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I love cooking. With it being just me here, I take every opportunity I can to cook for someone else.”

  “Well, thanks,” Hayden smiled. “It’s really nice of you.”

  “It’s nothing really. I figured you could use the food with all of the calories we worked off last night.”

  Hayden smiled at the woman’s comment. She liked this woman more and more by the minute.

  “If I recall correctly, you burned more calories than me,” Hayden commented, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “You know, for a first timer, you really know what you’re doing.”

  Kate placed the plate of bacon on the table, taking a seat across from Hayden. “I’ve had years of practice. But, I’d say you’ve got some amazing skills yourself. Especially with your tongue.”

  Hayden smiled with pride. She enjoyed being pleasured by her partners, but she enjoyed it even more to bring pleasure to her partners. She ravished in knowing the impact that she could have on someone.

  “You’re not allergic to anything are you?” Kate asked. “Or a vegan or anything? It seems like everyone is allergic to gluten these days or a vegan. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a vegan. It just makes it a little harder to cook for people.”

  “No, I’m not a vegan or allergic to anything.”

  “Good, then eat up,” Kate smiled.

  Hayden used her fork to place a piece of French toast onto her plate. She grabbed some fruit and a couple pieces of bacon.

  “So, do you know how long you’ll be in town?” Kate asked.

  “More than likely just two weeks. I’m still waiting to hear back from that job I was telling you about. If I get the job then I’ll be starting in the next two weeks.”

  “You’ll totally get it.”

  “You’re very optimistic,” Hayden commented.

  “Doubting yourself won’t help you succeed. If you don’t have faith in yourself, how can you expect others to?”

  “You’re so wise,” Hayden shook her head. “Way too wise for a twenty four year old. You’re only two years older than me and I feel like I’m talking to my mother.”

  “Ouch,” Kate winced.

  “I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Hayden laughed.

  “I’m pretty sure you just called me old,” Kate laughed.

  “No, not old. Definitely not old. Just wise beyond your years.”

  “Yeah, my mom says I have an old soul. What that means I’ll never know.”

  Hayden took a bite of the French toast and looked at Kate in amazement. “This is seriously amazing.”

  “You doubted that it would be?” Kate asked, a faked look of hurt on her face.

  “No, it’s just,” Hayden started but didn’t finish.

  “It’s just what?”

  “Well you just seem too good to be true, that’s all.”

  “Oh don’t worry, I have my faults.”

  “Like what?” Hayden challenged.

  “Well, for starters I hate cleaning. I only do it if I have to. Then there’s my temper. During that time of the month I could literally bite someone’s head off.”

  “Yeah all of those things seem pretty minor. You’re a total catch.”

  “Too bad there are no strings involved here,” Kate said, a sad smile on her face.

  The blonde looked the brunette in the eyes. She wanted so bad to kiss the woman. But, she knew better. Kissing Kate would mean there was more than last night between them.
She couldn’t do that. Not now when she almost had everything she had ever wanted. Getting involved with Kate could derail her plans for New York. Besides, she didn’t want to lead Kate on when she knew that nothing further was going to happen between the two.

  Hayden looked down at her plate, desperate for a distraction from the intense stare the brunette was giving her.

  “You know, we could do this again if you want,” Kate added. “There still wouldn’t be any strings involved. We could just recreate what happened last night.”

  Hayden looked at Kate with a troubled expression. In that moment there was nothing she wanted more than to recreate what happened last night, but she had her rules that she stuck by, no matter what. “I kind of have a rule that I don’t sleep with a person more than once.”

  “Wow,” Kate smiled. “You have to keep tabs on all of the people that you’ve slept with?”

  “Well, in New York it’s pretty easy. There are so many people it’s kind of hard to run into the same person more than once.”

  Kate looked at Hayden and sighed. “It must be exhausting being you.”

  Hayden looked taken back at the statement at first, but quickly shrugged. “It’s not always easy, but I like being me.”

  “Well, yeah, what’s not to like? You’re smart, charismatic, funny, and you’ve got a killer body.”

  Hayden blushed as she looked away from the woman. She was getting the urge to kiss her again. She needed to get out of the apartment, fast.

  “I should probably get going,” Hayden said. “My family is probably wondering what happened to me. I was supposed to make it home late last night.”

  “Okay, I actually have to get to work anyway.”

  Kate got up from the table and grabbed hers and Hayden’s plates. She placed them in the sink and turned back to face the blonde.

  “So, I guess I may or may not see you around,” Kate commented.

  “Yeah, I’ll probably be at Vince’s again so maybe we’ll run into each other.”

  “I go there pretty often, so probably,” Kate said. “But, I’ll make sure to keep my distance. I don’t want you to get tempted to break your rule.”

  Hayden smiled at the woman’s jab at her. Her rule did seem stupid at the moment. The two women shared a longing look of disappointment. They both didn’t want this thing to end.

  Hayden forced herself to look away as she walked over to the coat rack and grabbed her leather jacket. “Okay, so thanks again for breakfast.”

  “You’re very welcome,” Kate responded.

  “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Hayden.”

  Green eyes met brown eyes as Hayden gazed at the woman longingly. “It was nice to meet you too Kate.”

  Hayden smiled as she walked out of Kate’s apartment.

  Hayden had kept her car parked at Vince’s last night. Kate’s apartment was within walking distance of the bar so she walked back and picked her car up before heading home. Before she went home she stopped by her best friend’s house. She hadn’t seen her since her last visit, though the two made it a point to Facetime each other at least twice a week.

  “Get in here!” Lauren exclaimed as she opened the door to a smiling Hayden.

  Lauren pulled Hayden into a tight hug. The two women had been friends since they were in diapers. They both grew up in the town. Their moms were good friends with each other. The two were more like cousins than friends.

  “You and I have a lot of catching up to do,” Lauren exclaimed as she released her hold on the blonde.

  “We seriously do! For starters, what’s with the hair?”

  The last time Hayden was in town, Lauren had her natural blonde hair color. It was a shade or two lighter than Hayden’s golden blonde hair. It was now colored dark brown.

  “Yeah, I decided I needed a change,” Lauren shrugged. “Do you hate it?”

  “No, it looks incredible!”

  “I think so too,” Lauren joked.

  Hayden followed the woman into the living room where the two sat down on the couch next to each other.

  “I thought you were getting in last night?”

  “I did, but I stopped at Vince’s.”

  “You stayed there all night?” Lauren questioned.

  “Not exactly,” Hayden said hesitantly. “I may have met someone there.”

  “Oh boy,” Lauren rolled her eyes. “You’re here a couple of hours and you’re already starting.”

  “She was really hot and she was so easy to talk to. And you know she makes an amazing French toast.”

  “It sounds like you really like this woman,” Lauren said in surprise.

  “Yeah, she was pretty great,” Hayden sighed. “But, the rule.”

  “Ugh, you and your rule.”

  “Hey, the rule has worked for two years now. I live by the rule.”

  “The rule holds you back,” Lauren commented.

  “Not true.”

  “Whatever, so how long do I have you for this time?”

  “Not long. If I get that job in New York I’m taking it, so I’ll probably be out of here in two weeks.”

  “Do your parents know yet?”

  “Not yet,” Hayden sighed. “I still have to figure out a way to tell them.”

  “They want you to do whatever makes you happy. They’ll understand.”

  “They will. But, I know my dad will be disappointed. He was looking forward to me helping him with the bar, especially now that I have a business degree.”

  “He’ll be fine. Gabe is working with him, so it’s not like he doesn’t have at least one child in the family business.”

  “Still, I think he really had his mind set on all three of his children carrying on the bar.”

  “Hey, you never know. You could end up retiring here and working for your dad after all.”

  “I really hope this isn’t where I retire to.”

  “Knowing you there’s no way you’d let that happen.”

  Hayden wasn’t as confident as Lauren that she wasn’t destined to end up back in the town they grew up in. Sometimes she was finding herself missing the small town atmosphere. But, only sometimes. She wished there was a way she could visit more often, but she still wanted to explore what was out there. The job in New York would require extensive travel. It was the perfect opportunity for Hayden to see the world. This was everything she ever wanted. But, that didn’t stop her heart from missing home.

  Was there a way for Hayden to have it all?

  Chapter 3

  After Hayden left Lauren’s place she headed straight home. She had sent a text last night that she met up with a friend and ended up spending the night so she knew they at least knew she was okay. Her family was definitely the worrying type. It was sweet, but sometimes a little overbearing.

  As overbearing as they could be, Hayden couldn’t imagine her life without them. Her parents were always so understanding and loving. That wasn’t to say that they weren’t strict with Hayden and her siblings. But, if any of them ever made any kind of mistakes they knew they could always turn to their parents for help. Sure they would be disappointed, but they would never make them feel bad or unloved for it.

  As soon as Hayden walked through the front door she was met with pointed hazel eyes. Gabriel, her older brother, was sitting on the living room couch with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Where have you been young lady?” Gabe asked mockingly. “You know I was worried sick.”

  “I texted not to wait up,” Hayden laughed.

  “Do I get to meet the gentleman that stole you away from us last night?”

  “First of all, do you ever meet any of my significant others? And second of all, the gentleman was a lady.”

  “Oh, even more interesting,” Gabe smiled, getting up from the couch and closing the distance between him and his younger sister.

  Hayden and Gabe hugged each other tightly, happy to be together again. Hayden and Gabe had a very close
relationship. Gabe was three years older than Hayden, but the two were inseparable growing up. He was the first person that Hayden came out to when she discovered she was bisexual.

  “I missed you, sis.”

  “I missed you too, bro.”

  The siblings finally pulled back from their embrace and smiled at each other.

  “So seriously, couldn’t you wait one night before taking Staunton by storm?”

  “You know me. Forever the adventurer. I get bored easily.”

  “Ugh, my scandalous little sister,” Gabe rolled his eyes.

  “Hey, I’m always discreet.”

  “Whatever. Mom, Dad and Rachel are waiting in the kitchen. Mom made breakfast.”

  “Ooh, let me guess? Pancakes, hash browns, and sausage?”

  “Yeah, she had to make her favorite child her favorite foods,” Gabe mocked.

  Hayden smiled as she followed Gabe into the kitchen. She didn’t feel the need to mention that she had already had breakfast with Kate. That would only raise more questions from the man.

  “Hayden!” Rachel exclaimed as she got up from the table and quickly engulfed her older sister into a hug.

  “Hey, Rach,” Hayden said, hugging the younger girl close to her.

  “I missed you so much!” Rachel exclaimed as she pulled away from her sister. Rachel was five years younger than Hayden. She had always looked up to the woman. She took after her in more ways than one. They both shared the same dark blonde hair and green eyes. They also both had a yearning for adventure.

  “I missed you too kid,” Hayden smiled.

  “Hey sweetheart,” Julia, Hayden’s mother said lovingly. The two hugged each other tightly. “You look skinny honey, have you been eating?”

  Hayden sighed as she pulled away from her mother. “Yes, Mom, I’ve been eating.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Leave the poor girl alone, Julia,” David, Hayden’s father said, smiling at his daughter. “It’s probably all of that walking around she does in New York.”

  “Thanks for the backup Dad,” Hayden said.

  “And all of that dancing she does in the clubs,” David joked.