Page 43 of Extraction Play
Pixie threaded her fingers through Eva’s.
No matter how dangerous this attraction was, she couldn’t help herself.
She’d follow this woman anywhere.
Chapter Seventeen
While Eva had been enjoying herself out, the moment she saw Pixie panic, she’d slipped into action.
When Pixie’s mother had stopped by, Pixie went into total shutdown. She’d grown quiet, and her eyes had glazed over, and after Pixie returned from chatting with her mother, a buzzy sort of energy had surrounded her. Eva wouldn’t let her swing on that rope. So much of Pixie was still an enigma, but Eva found she could read her better than most, even without the details.
She’d ordered an Uber, and by the time they reached the entrance, a white Kia sat waiting for them.
“Fuck, are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Pixie asked.
“Nope, I want to spend time with you.” All Eva had been able to think of from the second she got home this morning was finding a chance to get Pixie alone. Pixie was hot as fuck, but it wasn’t even theidea of stripping her down and tasting her that had Eva pursuing her. No, it was the comfort she clung to with all her might right now. Being around this woman gave her the same sensation as plunging a spade into the soil, a deep, soul-reaching satisfaction she couldn’t explain.
Pixie chewed on her lip but didn’t say anything. That was fine. She didn’t need to.
“Come on.” She held the door open, and they slipped inside. The driver offered a nod and pulled into traffic. The drive back to the condo would be short, and Eva had already programmed the address for the place a block away.
Their fingers were still entwined as they sat in silence, but sheer electricity rippled between them. Maybe it was the aftereffects of packing up her whole life, but she grew more aware than ever of the chemistry between them tonight. How it was as soft as a springtime bloom but as violent as a summer squall.
If she stayed in San Francisco, she shouldn’t pursue this. Not Micah’s best friend. Her brother was the only family she had left.
Yet a single look from those pretty blue eyes and Eva swooped in to the rescue. She wanted to lean in and claim those tantalizing lips.
Too fast, the Kia stopped in front of their destination, yet a small part of Eva wanted to stay here in this quiet space, their fingers intertwined and the tension crackling between them. Here, they were all potential with none of the inevitable ruin.
Eva stepped out of the Uber first, pulling Pixie with her. The neon pastel sign for Cocoa Dreams glared against the dark sky.
“Oh,” Pixie said, her voice as soft as the glow of the street lamps.
“It’s close to the apartment, so I figured…” Had she’d guessed where they were heading correctly? The condo was littered with paper cups from the place, so she’d figured Cocoa Dreams was worth a shot.
“It’s one of my favorite places,” Pixie said, her voice hushed.
“We can chill here if you want or grab a drink and walk. Whatever you need.”
Pixie nodded, not giving an answer, and she took the first steps inside the café. The aroma of rich chocolate wafted their way, and Eva savored it. While sweets wouldn’t take the edge off like the porter Eva had been drinking, she could always toss back more coffee. This place specialized in chocolate in all its forms, with plenty of espresso drinks to choose from.
The dark brown accents and furnishings paired well with the cozy yellowed lighting on the soft cream walls. Cocoa Dreams wasn’t crowded tonight.
“Let me order for us,” Pixie said. “I’m feeling too guilty over you leaving your drink behind.”
“Sounds good to me,” Eva said, and Pixie walked to the lone barista there. She placed the order too fast for Eva to catch, and then they stood by the pane, waiting for their drinks. Within minutes, the barista came back with two to-go cups: a rather milky iced one and a dark one. Pixie thankfully passed her the dark drink.
“What did you pick?” Eva asked.
“For me, an iced chocolate jasmine latte. For you, a cocoa nib mocha,” she said with a soft grin. “It’s not too sweet, I promise.”
Eva’s heart thumped a little harder. She’d thought she was the only person who cataloged the details about everyone else, but Pixie seemed to be a quick study—at least when it came to her.
“We can walk back to the condo if you like?” Pixie asked. A buzziness lingered around her as if she still needed to burn the adrenaline off.
“Let’s go.” She took a sip of the hot drink, and the robust and smooth taste woke up her senses. They stepped out of the cozy warmthof the café and straight into the brisk winds of San Francisco, the contrast something Eva was learning to love.
Silence settled between them like a blanket, heavy but not stifling. Eva didn’t mind soaking in the sounds of the city and strolling alongside Pixie. She also refused to push, not when she understood how sometimes a single word would shatter.