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Genevieve nodded, but Eden could see the disappointment in her eyes. Guilt gnawed at her as she tracked down her discarded shoes, but she pushed it aside. This was for the best. She couldn't let herself get too comfortable.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Eden leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Genevieve's cheek. "Thanks for tonight," she murmured, already backing toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
And with that, she was gone, fleeing into the night before Genevieve could see the conflict raging behind her eyes. As shehurried down the street, Eden tried to convince herself that the ache in her chest was just from exertion, and not from leaving a piece of herself behind on Genevieve's couch.
Eden swam back to consciousness slowly the next morning, her body still heavy with the lingering echoes of pleasure and slight pain from the night before. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in her curtains, painting golden stripes across her rumpled bedsheets. For a moment, she lay still, letting the memories wash over her.
Genevieve's hands, strong and sure, tracing paths of fire across her skin. The taste of expensive wine on her lips, mingling with the salt of sweat and arousal. The way Genevieve had looked at her, eyes dark with want, as she'd watched her fuck herself.
A shiver ran down Eden's spine, equal parts contentment and anxiety. What had she gotten herself into? This wasn't supposed to happen. It was meant to be a casual arrangement, a way to explore her sexuality and improve her performance. But now . . .
She groaned, forcing herself to sit up. Her muscles protested, reminding her of just how thoroughly Genevieve had worked her over. Eden felt her cheeks heat at the thought, then immediately chastised herself. She was a grown woman, for goodness' sake. She shouldn't be blushing like a teenager just because she’d been well and truly pounded.
But as she went through the motions of her morning routine - showering, dressing, applying a light touch of makeup - Eden couldn't shake the feeling that something fundamental had shifted. The way Genevieve had held her, the tenderness in hertouch even as she'd commanded Eden's body with unwavering authority . . . it stirred something deep within her, something she wasn't sure she was ready to face.
By the time Eden arrived at the café to meet Amanda, her stomach was in knots. The familiar bustle of the Sunday brunch crowd did little to calm her nerves. She spotted her friend at their usual table, already nursing a steaming mug of coffee.
"There you are!" Amanda called out, waving Eden over. "I was starting to think you'd stood me up."
Eden slid into the seat across from her friend, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I got a bit caught up in my head this morning."
Amanda's eyes narrowed, studying Eden's face with the shrewd perception that had made her such a valuable friend over the years – albeit a sometimes annoyingly observant one. " All right, spill it. What's got you so wound up?"
For a moment, Eden considered deflecting, and making up some excuse about pre-performance jitters or family drama. But the weight of her secret pressed down on her, demanding to be shared. Eden took a deep breath, steeling herself.
"I slept with Genevieve Howard," she blurted out, the words tumbling from her lips as a strangled whisper.
Amanda's reaction was everything Eden had both hoped for and dreaded. Her friend's eyes widened comically, her coffee mug freezing halfway to her lips. "I'm sorry, you did what now? WiththeGenevieve Howard!"
Eden glanced around nervously, paranoid that someone might have overheard. "Keep your voice down!" she hissed. "It's not exactly public knowledge."
Amanda set her mug down with a decisivethunkand leaned across the table. "Eden Rowley, you better start explaining right this second. When? How? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
The rapid-fire questions made Eden's head spin. She held up a hand, trying to stem the tide of Amanda's curiosity. "It just happened last night. Well . . . actually that’s a lie. I suppose we had a quickie in her office the other day . . ." she explained, Amanda’s jaw dropping closer to the floor with every word. "But last night she invited me over to hers. I'm still trying to process it all myself."
"Her apartment? Last night?" Amanda echoed, her voice rising again before she caught herself and lowered it to a stage whisper. "So, you came straight from her bed to brunch with me? Oh honey, we need details. Lots and lots of details."
Eden felt her cheeks heat up instantly. "It wasn't like that," she protested weakly. "I mean, yes, we had sex, but I didn't stay the night. It’s . . . complicated."
Amanda snorted. "Complicated? You're sleeping – or not sleeping, whatever – with your director, Eden. Your director Genevieve Howard! I’d say that's the understatement of the century."
Before Eden could respond, a waiter approached their table to take her drink order. She used the brief interruption to gather her thoughts, trying to figure out how to explain the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside her. These were giant-hot-chocolate-with-extra-whipped-cream kind of feelings.
Once they were alone again, Amanda fixed Eden with an expectant look. " All right, start from the beginning. How did this even happen?"
Eden took a sip of water, buying herself a few more seconds. "It only started this week," she began hesitantly. "She asked me to stay back after rehearsal to run a scene just the two of us. We kissed, and it was . . . God, Mands, it was like nothing I've ever felt before."
She went on to recount the events that had led up to the previous night - the stolen moment in Genevieve's office, thegrowing tension between them, the way Genevieve had pushed her to explore new depths in her performance.
"And then last night, she invited me to her place," Eden concluded. "Supposedly to discuss the upcoming scenes, but we both knew what it really meant."
Amanda listened intently, her expression a mix of concern and fascination. "And? How was it?"
Eden closed her eyes, remembering the feel of Genevieve's hands on her body, the way the formidable woman had taken control so effortlessly. "It was incredible," she admitted softly. "Intense and a little overwhelming, but in the best possible way."
"Well, damn," Amanda breathed. "I knew Genevieve Howard had a reputation for being kinda ferocious, but I didn't realize that extended to the bedroom too."
Eden couldn't help but laugh at that, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. "You have no idea," she said, a small smile playing at her lips.
