Excerpt from "Sapphistocated" by Beth Wylde

coming in Feb. from Phaze
www.phaze.com

"I sell insurance. Life, health, car, dental. You name it and I can write you a policy for it. It pays well and I was able to do a lot of the work from home while Felicity was little, plus I got free insurance on everything as one of the perks, and single moms with kids need all types of insurance." I had a sudden thought. "Do you have kids?"

She waited until I dug my cars keys out of my pocket before taking them and opening the driver's side door for me. I leaned in and put the cake down on the passenger seat, hating the thought of separating now that we'd found each other again. Aleesha seemed just as reluctant, which made me feel marginally better. "No, I never married or had kids. I never found the right person to settle down with." She paused and looked directly into my eyes. "Nobody came close to you and what I felt for you. Nobody could."

I was going to cry, I just knew it. "Oh, God. I was so stupid to leave."

She patted me on the shoulder and pointed towards the cake resting on the seat. "You'd better get that home to your girl before the frosting starts to melt." She patted her pocket where my number rested securely. "You can be sure you'll hear from me soon."

I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat as I got into the van. She shut the door for me and I rolled down the window after I cranked the car. She leaned in, our faces so close our noses almost touched. "Can I ask you one favor before you go?"

I whispered in reply. "Yes."

She looked down at my mouth and ran her tongue across her lips. I got hot all over. "I want to kiss you. It's been so long and I've dreamt of this day for ages. Can I kiss you? Please?"