Before the next group came on, Cassie brushed her hand over Erin’s leg. Erin started in surprise.
“I’m gonna run to the bathroom,” Cassie said, voice low.
Erin swallowed. Nodded. She didn’t watch Cassie go. Ten seconds ago, she was being Parker’s embarrassing mom, and now she was pressing her lips together and trying to keep her breath steady.
Last night, it had been easy to join Cassie at the bar, easy to be suggestive as she went to the bathroom. Cassie had wanted it, obviously, and Erin had, too. She’d needed the distraction, hadn’t wanted to think about her ex-husband and wonder who her daughter loved more. Cassie looked hot, and she didn’t hide her interest. Erin hadn’t thought very hard before leading her to the rental car.
But today was different.
Today, Erin knew Cassie was in college. She knew she was her daughter’s friend. She knew exactly what a bad idea it would be to follow her.
She followed her anyway.
Erin didn’t even know where the bathrooms were. Keckley was not a big school; this wasn’t a big building. The noises fell away behind her as she ducked out of the auditorium, finding the doors she’d come in earlier to her left. The right led to a hallway, but it’d been blocked off for performers only. Erin’s eyes darted around. She was taking too long. Cassie was going to think she wasn’t coming.
Finally, she caught sight of a sign that said RESTROOMS with an arrow pointing down a set of stairs she hadn’t noticed earlier. Erin’s feet carried her quickly down.
Cassie loitered at the end of the hallway on the lower level. She disappeared through a door before Erin finished descending the stairs.
There was no one else to be seen, so no one could prove if Erin’s pace ended up somewhere between a power walk and a run.
The door Cassie had gone through was to an accessible, single occupancy, all gender restroom. Erin took a moment to be glad her kid was going to such an inclusive school before remembering she really didn’t want to be thinking about Parker right now.
She slipped inside the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
Cassie was already against the counter, like she expected Erin to lift her onto it for a second night in a row. Erin just looked at her. She was gorgeous, that golden hair against her tanned skin, long lashes framing her dark blue eyes. There was not a single wrinkle on her face.
“We shouldn’t,” Erin said, because it was true.
Cassie nodded, but she didn’t blink. “I know. It’s wrong, and we shouldn’t, and—”
Erin kissed her.
Erin kissed her because it was wrong and they shouldn’t but she wanted to. Lately she’d been trying to do the things she wanted, to make up for lost time.
Her reasons didn’t really matter, though. Not when Cassie’s tongue was wet and warm enough to melt everything in its way. She kissed like she’d never been worried she wasn’t good at it. Erin tried to keep up, tried to do everything she’d done last night that made Cassie gasp. Kissing her way down Cassie’s jaw worked just as well today.
“We shouldn’t fuck in here,” Cassie said like that would convince Erin of the opposite.
Erin laughed against Cassie’s neck. “We’re not going to.”
She’d decided that already. She could only make so many bad decisions during a single a cappella concert. Thinking of the concert reminded her that they needed to be back sooner rather than later. She dug her teeth into the thin skin over Cassie’s collarbone. Cassie let out a whimper—it should’ve been illegal how hot that was.
Cassie’s hands tightened their grip on Erin’s hips and she pivoted them, switching positions, pushing Erin back against the counter for once. Erin lifted herself up onto it and Cassie stepped between her legs. She kissed her. And kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. It felt like everything they’d done last night turned upside down. Erin was the one on the counter, and they weren’t moving too fast; they weren’t moving fast at all. Cassie’s fingernails were scratching softly against Erin’s scalp while she explored just how Erin liked to be kissed. That must’ve been what she was doing, anyway—fast then slow, wet turned to chaste, deep to teasing.
Erin liked it all.
And no, they weren’t going to fuck in this bathroom, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t take this a little bit further.
“Ca—ah—” Erin broke off when Cassie bit at her jaw. “Cassie?”
“Mm-hmm?” She bit again.
Erin shuddered, and she felt Cassie’s responding grin against the side of her face.