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.’” She pointed at the bottle still in Addison’s hand.“I suggest you have a glass.Lord knows you deserve it.”They both stood in place, several feet apart.Addison looked into Julia’s eyes, searching for a sign.Something, anything to tell her what to do next.Appropriate phrases floated through her head.Take off your coat.Sit down.Have a drink.Make love to me.Stay.No matter where her mind wandered, all thoughts led to the same conclusion.She wanted Julia to stay.Here.Tonight.Forever.Did Julia want those same things? Did she have the courage to ask, or would it be braver not to? She was on the verge of a lifetime appointment, her future set in stone.Until she retired, she’d never live anywhere else, never wonder what opportunities lay in store.Julia, on the other hand, lived her life on the fly with both her work and her residence determined by whatever exciting new campaign captured her attention.Could they make a relationship work?She only knew one thing.She had to try.Without breaking eye contact, she set the bottle on the counter and stepped closer.Inches from Julia, she drank in the scent of her—citrus and wood, fresh and warm.Julia’s breath hitched, and she leaned in closer, running her fingers along the soft skin of her strong neck.Tall and proud, mesmerizing and sensual.She longed for the feel of her lips, the press of her body.The ache between her legs spread through her soul, and she could hold back no longer.When she finally closed the distance and captured the kiss she’d been burning for, warmth flooded through every cell of her being.Without a doubt, she was in love.Julia arched in anticipation.The ache of the intensely slow lead in to the kiss left her melting into Addison’s embrace.When Addison’s lips finally touched hers, she nearly exploded with want, with need.When they finally broke for breath, her lips were bruised and swollen and her mind was consumed with taking Addison to bed.Funny, since she’d refused to consider the possibility when she’d left her house, bottle of champagne in hand.She’d told herself this trip was about congratulations and the prelude to good-bye.The past day had been full of news.Although Burrows’s resignation wouldn’t be officially announced until Monday, the rumor mill was rampant, and people were already jockeying for a spot in the inevitable special election to fill his seat.She’d gotten a call just this afternoon from the congresswoman from Montana who wanted to talk about the possibility of running for Burrows’s soon to be vacant seat.They’d set a meeting for Monday evening and, if all went well, once the confirmation hearings were over, she would head out West to begin another battle.Addison’s incredibly arousing kiss threatened to steer her off course.If arousal was all she read from it, then it would be easy, but there was more.Much more and they both knew it.What she needed was a few seconds without Addison’s body pressed against hers.Distance was the only way she could navigate this terrain.She walked over to the table where the icy bottle of champagne dripped condensation onto finely polished wood.“Shall we toast?”“Depends on what we’re toasting.” Addison’s voice was silky smooth, her tone filled with portent.A cold drink wasn’t going to be enough to give her perspective.What she should do was forget the toast, lead Addison back to her bedroom, and spend the night pretending their lives weren’t headed in completely separate directions.The impending divergence was a good thing.She couldn’t deny she cared about Addison, but to let her heart wander beyond that would be dangerous.If candidates thought she was dating Addison, they’d believe she had influence.They’d never accept that the girlfriend of the chief justice didn’t have the inside track to all kinds of information about pending cases.Girlfriend.Not a word she used in reference to anyone.Relationships, especially ones born of professional contact, were bad news.No strings, only flings had been her philosophy since Kate, and her life was less complicated because of it.If she’d never kissed Addison, she’d be better off because she wouldn’t be standing here having an internal debate about what to do with the attraction between them.She watched while Addison poured two glasses of champagne, unable to tell her no, but knowing she should.She compromised.One drink and then good-bye.It’s only right to toast success.She deserves this.Don’t ruin it.She took the glass and raised it high.“To you.You deserve every good thing that comes your way.”Addison tilted her glass to hers and the soft clink was the only sound in the room.After a few beats of silence, she spoke.“I was just thinking about all the good things that have come into my life.Like you.”Her gaze was a magnet, and Julia couldn’t look away even though she was certain she wouldn’t survive the pull.She watched Addison’s lips moving, knew she was still talking and whatever she was saying was important, but the words floated in the air between them, none of them landing save the last three.“I love you.”The words were like rocks crashing against her resolve
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