Page 4 of The Next Chapters
Her heart leaped right into her throat as she darted her eyes at Riley, her nerves tangling together tightly.
But Riley just bumped their shoulders together as they turned onto the street Riley’s apartment was on.
“Thank you; I like to think that I wouldn’t try to use any pretense to have made the launch successful. And I would never want to cheapen anything between you and me.”
“I know,” she assured, whole-heartedly.
Somehow, it seemed to have gone right over Riley’s head. She was sure Riley heard her term of endearment, because Riley didn’t ever miss a word Gianna – or anyone, really – said. But that she did not comprehend exactly what Gianna had meant by it because – and Gianna could fully cop to this – she’d called Riley so many terms of endearment over the years.
Babe, carina, baby, honey, bella, gorgeous… the list went on and on.
That was the crazy thing about embarking on this journey with Riley in the last few months. Gianna was so used to living her adult life, completely at ease with Riley, and never nervous when engaging with someone she was sleeping with. Because while her love for Riley ran far deeper than platonic, it didn’t change how she treated Riley or how they interacted in their friendship. And she never had anything to hide from her hookups because she was bluntly honest with them.
However, Sleeping with Riley had changed both of those uncomplicated facets of her life.
After starting to have sex with Riley, she suddenly did worry at times about what Riley could see or interpret in Gianna’s adoring looks, her turns of affectionate phrase, her constantly tactile touches. She’d been sure, at times, that Riley would start to see the truth. That she’d start to see right through her.
But she hadn’t.
She hadn’t, to the point that Gianna had realized… maybe the way she’d interacted with Riley was very much un-platonic before. Maybe Riley was the one who’d never noticed, as Gianna had treated her as a life partner sans sex.
“I also know,” she said, moving the conversation along before they really got into territory that was decidedly not first-date, “That you would never make that plan because your worst nightmare was being in front of that camera.”
She still wanted to wring Owen’s fucking neck, but they could discuss that later.
Riley barked out a laugh. “Yeah, and if I never have to do that again, it will be too soon. Oh! We actually have more than a few applicants for the anchor position. People who watched and liked what I’m trying to do and, obviously, heard that Owen no longer had the job. A couple of them even seem decently qualified.”
God, Gianna loved that excited lilt in Riley’s voice when she talked about her job. Riley was always passionate about her work, always had been. Ever since she practiced those news stories in their dorm room mirror.
But since she’d started developing this project, nearly two years ago at this point, she shined. Gianna could watch and listen to her talk about it for hours and never get bored.
“And,” Riley’s excitement only seemed to grow, “If the audience and engagement for BostonNow Digital continue on this trajectory – since its launch was literally over double the numbers of what we’d projected – I’ll be able to get a second anchor for even more content within three months.”
“Holy shit!”
Riley nodded quickly, the waves in her hair bouncing with it. “Yes – and…” She rolled her lips to keep herself from blurting out the next statement. Gianna always found that incredibly endearing. “Marika Hendrick herself informed me that she sees me following her path at the network.”
Even though they were only a few feet from the entrance to Riley’s apartment building, Gianna immediately halted, her own joy seeming to burst from the seams. “You’re fucking kidding!”
“I’m absolutely fucking not,” Riley disagreed, giggling as she did so.
The moon in the clear evening sky washed over Riley’s face as Riley smiled so brightly up at her. Gianna knew she’d never seen anything or anyone more radiant than Riley Beckett, smiling up at her like this, even though it was nearly midnight.
“You’re amazing,” she dropped Riley’s hand for the first time since they’d left Duck’s because she needed to use both hands to cup Riley’s jaw.
She needed to shower Riley’s face in kisses. She’d done it since college when something overwhelmingly thrilling happened. Like when her Mummo had written to her. Something so big and so sensational, Gianna quite literally could not keep her happiness inside.
Coincidentally, stuff like this only happened with Riley around her. Or maybe it was because Riley was around her.
Either way. She planted her lips on each of Riley’s beaming cheeks, on her forehead, her chin, the bridge of her nose, her eyelids, and then she paused, ready to pull back. Like she always did.
Before – they were on a date – rang through her mind, and she pressed her grinning mouth to Riley’s.
Their teeth crashed, making them laugh against each other’s mouths, which was so not sexy. So unlike any other kiss, Gianna shared with anyone else; if she had shared something like this with anyone else, she’d have been mortified.
But she wasn’t because it was Riley, and Riley was still humming excitedly into Gianna’s mouth as they slid their lips together again properly.
She felt Riley’s arms wind around her neck, then, as she slid her own down, tracing her fingertips along Riley’s torso through her jacket. They landed on Riley’s hips, reveling in the feel of her curves even through her layers.