All I Want Series Boxset, Books 1-3: All I Want for Christmas, All I Want for Valentine's, All I Want for Spring (37 page)

Holly could have kissed her.

She put a territorial arm around her shoulders, before introducing Tori to Alessa.

Then Alessa clapped her hands together. “Drinks!” she said. “Gin and tonic?”

Holly nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“Any friend of Cara is a friend of mine,” Alessa replied. 

With that, she took off, dragging Cara with her.

“And where the fuck have you been?” Holly asked Tori, the ice cubes clinking against the glass as she swirled them round. “I’ve had half the bar staring at me, and then Cara turns up, staggering all over the place and telling me how tall I am.”

“Sorry,” Tori replied. “There was only one loo. Cara was in the queue with me, but she gave up and came outside. I think she only wanted to go in so she could do some coke.”

Holly rolled her eyes. “Triffic.” Holly wasn’t a fan of drugs. She’d tried coke once, but it had made her grind her teeth so much, it was the first and last time. Holly was no prude, but she was a diligent fan of dental health.

“So who’s Alessa?”

“Cara’s mate, apparently.” Holly glanced down at Tori. “She hasn’t mentioned how tall I am, so let’s wait and see how long that takes.”

“Is she Italian or English?”

“Italian, I think.”

“Shame,” Tori replied with a smile. “Cara prefers English women. She told me they were more uncomplicated while we were in the queue for the loo. I think she was hoping I might volunteer my services.”

Holly pursed her lips. “She already told me she likes tall women because there’s so much more of them.” Holly paused. “I’m sure her charms might work on
someone
. If all else fails, she can swish her glossy hair.” Holly thought for a moment. “But I still don’t trust either of them, and my first instincts are usually right, agreed?”

Tori nodded. “Agreed.”

“So we’ll have these drinks and go?” It was a statement more than a question.

Tori reached up and gave Holly a kiss. “Whatever you want.”

Holly returned Tori’s kiss, her body relaxing with her girlfriend’s assurance. She still had her bad feeling, but she was trying to ignore it.

“Just be careful with her,” Holly said. “She’s slippery. And she might try something when you least expect it.”

Tori grinned at Holly. “You know, I looked after myself just fine for the 27 years and 6 months I wasn’t seeing you.”

Holly scoffed. “I think we all know that’s a lie,” she said with a grin.

***

Cara had added friends to the group and an hour later, they were now ensconced in a friendly, cosmopolitan crowd. Holly was more content, chatting to people, and Tori’s earlier good mood was firmly back in residence.

Perhaps Holly had been a little harsh before, and Cara and Alessa were just being friendly? The more Cara drank, the more upright she seemed to become. It was like alcohol had the opposite effect on her to everybody else. Or perhaps it was the drugs.

It was nearing midnight when Cara strolled over to Tori, who was sitting at one of the outside tables. She smiled as she sat down, then shivered. “Yikes — these chairs are cold on your bum, aren’t they?”

“They are.” Tori wasn’t planning on sitting much longer for that reason. She’d nearly finished her drink, and was about to grab Holly to go home. She’d loved the vibe here tonight, but she wanted to quit while she was ahead. It seemed the sensible thing to do.

“Where are you guys staying — is it near here?”

Cara pulled her chair around so she was sat closer to Tori, now diagonal to her. Their knees touched as she crossed her legs in front of her.

“Near to Piazza del Popolo. I started off saying ‘near the big piazza’ — until I realised there was a big piazza round every corner. I’m getting more specific now I’m almost a local.” Tori smiled and slurped the last of her drink through her straw. 

Cara moved her chair a fraction closer as she spoke, taking off her hat and putting it on the table. Then she leaned her head right back and shook out her glossy hair, as if she was in a shampoo ad. When she brought her head back up, Tori had the distinct impression that was done just for her. She had to agree with Holly — Cara did have amazingly shiny hair.

“You’re not that far from me,” Cara said. “What do you say we carry on the party in a more private location? Maybe back at yours? I can bring Alessa and some more booze, and we can really start to have some fun, just the four of us. Although I’d like it just to be me and you first, if you know what I mean.” She paused, before running a hand up and down Tori’s inner thigh.

Tori jumped at her touch, alarm bells ringing in every part of her brain. Hadn’t she been here before with her ex, Nicola Sheen? Cara was coming on to her, just like Nicola had. And if Holly saw it, she was going to go ballistic.

Tori wasn’t going to let it happen — she loved Holly and didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.

“What do you say?”

If Tori had been unclear of Cara’s intentions before this moment, they were crystal clear now. She was slow to react, her senses swimming against a tide of gin.

Encouraged, Cara squeezed with her hand, then brought her face close to Tori’s.

Was Cara going to
kiss her
?

Holy fucking shit.

This was just the kind of situation Holly told her to watch out for, and now here she was, in exactly that spot.

“You’ve got the wrong end of the stick — me and Holly, we’re a couple.” Tori’s heart was pounding in her chest, her palms clammy. She hated that Cara had her so wrong-footed, making her so unsure of her words and actions.

Cara moved further into Tori’s radar, her lips now right next to her ear. “I know that. I’d still love to lick you from top to bottom.”

‘Holy Mary, Mother Of God!’ was Tori’s first thought. Which seemed an appropriate thing to think, seeing as they were in Rome. This was actually happening — either that, or she’d stepped onto the set of an Italian lesbian art movie.

But Tori wasn’t going to let this happen. She was going to take control, and choose the right path. The Holly path. Not the path that ended in a ginny mess with Cara in her bed. Even the thought of it made her shudder.

She slammed on her emergency brake and jolted back, staring at Cara with her mouth slightly ajar. She swivelled her head, just in time to see Holly striding over the road, a face that told Tori she’d seen the whole thing. And she didn’t have to wait long till that was confirmed verbally.

And loudly.

“What the fuck is going on?” Holly was shouting. She had to, to be heard over the din of a Vespa that had just sped past. The crowd outside the bar gurgled and eyeballs swung towards raised voices.

Tori jumped up, putting her arms out to grab Holly before she weighed in and punched Cara. It could well happen, she’d been pent up with energy ever since this morning’s Vatican showdown. Plus, it’d be far easier to punch a drunk Cara than a burly security guard.

Cara stood up and swayed, smiling at both of them. “Hey, calm down!” she said. “It’s cool,
we’re cool
. I’m not trying to break you up. I’m just attracted to both of you and I thought, if you fancy it, we could act on that.
All of us
.” She circled a hand in front of them, like that made it all better.

Tori closed her eyes, hoping she’d be miraculously pulled out of this car crash at any moment. But when she reopened them, she was still there, on a street in Rome, being propositioned by Cara from Surrey. And yes, her girlfriend was still rather annoyed, to put it mildly.

But Cara wasn’t done. Oh no, not by a long shot. She wanted to take the knife and turn it. “Broaden your horizons a little, spice up your holiday.” She grinned, presumably at her ability to string so many words together. 

Now, it wasn’t just Holly who wanted to kill Cara: Tori was right there next to her.

“We’re not
fucking cool
,” Holly said, stepping into Cara’s personal space. “Tori and I are together, just us, nobody else. So back off. Especially when it comes to my girlfriend. You got that?”

Holly’s height suddenly took on new meaning. She pulled her shoulders back, then herself up to her full 6-foot-2 — Holly had a habit of slouching, trying to blend into her surroundings. But not tonight. Tonight, when it was needed most, she was going to impose herself fully on the situation.

A frisson of want ran the length of Tori’s body when she saw it. She’d always been attracted to strident, powerful women, and Holly ticked that box again and again. Her clit twitched as she held her breath, waiting for the next part of the play. Only, it wasn’t a play. It was her life.

The crowd all around fell silent as Holly squared up to Cara.

Even Tori could see it was an unfair contest.

Alessa ran over to stand beside a wobbly Cara, who was so off her face, she was still finding this amusing.

Maybe that’s how Cara got through life, Tori thought. She dropped bombs on people’s lives, but she was so out of it, she never remembered and so never changed. She’d known people like that at university.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Holly glowered at Alessa. “Are you in on it, too? Cara here wants to take my girlfriend home.”

At the mention of her name, Cara’s face lit up, as if she were a slot machine and someone had just added a coin. Now, she was ready to perform for a few seconds.

“Hey, chill,” she said again, completely misjudging the situation. “I was just offering something different. If it’s not your bag, cool.” She glanced my way. “Although I have to say, Tori here didn’t seem to be backing away all that quickly.”

Tori winced.

Oh fuck.

Nothing good could ever come from a sentence like that. She glanced at Holly, who was now moving at the speed of light, her body a blur as she advanced the few steps that covered the ground between her and Cara.

However, Alessa was quicker still, jumping in front of her friend, so that as Holly went to grab Cara, instead she found Alessa at the end of her outstretched hand.

Alessa braced herself.

She must
really
love Cara.

Tori didn’t want this to descend into a brawl: their first full day in Rome was proving eventful, to say the least.

So as Alessa covered Cara, who was still smirking behind her, Tori grabbed Holly to pull her away before she could do any damage. Only, she wasn’t that easy to pull away.

“Holly!” Tori said, as Holly shook her off. “Holly!” She really raised her voice the second time. It did the trick.

Holly turned her head.

“Let’s go,” Tori growled, leaving Holly in no doubt the instruction was to be obeyed straightaway.

Holly clenched her jaw and thought about it for a couple of seconds, before dropping Alessa’s arm.

“Babe, please? Before this turns nasty? I’d rather not get into a lesbian brawl.”

Holly ground her teeth together. “She fucking started it,” she said, proving to Tori that it didn’t matter what age you were, that was the fallback argument in
any
fight, anywhere in the world.

“I’m sure she did, but how about you be the bigger person and end it?”

With Holly’s guard down, Tori moved closer, putting an arm around her waist and steering her away from Cara and Alessa, over towards the metal railings opposite the bar. Sparks were still flaring from Holly’s body, all that energy never quite reaching its out.

“I should have decked her,” Holly said, turning her head back towards Cara as she walked away.

Tori rolled her eyes and pushed Holly down the road. “I know babe, I know,” she said, rubbing Holly’s back. She just wanted to get her away from the potentially explosive situation and get their weekend back on track. Not that it had gone off track completely, but some of the screws were a little loose. Tori wanted to take a spanner and tighten them back up. She didn’t want anything or anybody trying to muscle their way into her and Holly’s lives or their bed. They had no business there.

Holly was walking forwards now, only turning back occasionally, which was a good sign. “She’s got some fucking nerve — I knew she wasn’t to be trusted.” Holly stopped and stared at Tori, jabbing a finger into her shoulder. “And I told you to watch out, to be on guard. But you didn’t, you walked right in. Why didn’t you listen to me? I already told you stuff goes wrong when I’m abroad, but you didn’t listen.”

Holly’s face turned to granite and she set off down the road.

Tori could still feel the imprint of Cara’s hand of her leg, Cara’s words in her ear, and she shut her eyes.

Had she betrayed Holly? Had she done something to encourage Cara? Was Holly’s prophecy about everything going tits-up abroad about to come true? She really hoped not, but so far, Rome wasn’t faring very well. In fact, they were heading for their second full-blown argument in 24 hours. Quite some going.

“Hey, slow down.” Tori tugged on Holly’s arm, but was carried down the street with Holly’s momentum. She was beyond upset, and Tori had Holly’s sense of foreboding now. If she’d known Holly was so convinced that holidays were bad news, she might not have agreed to this one — they’d been getting along just fine in London.

This morning’s leisurely breakfast overlooking the rooftops seemed a world away right now. Not even the Colosseum across the road made her feel any better. Things were slipping from her grasp, and Tori was trying desperately to hold on. But it was like trying to hold on to dirty water.

Even though it was after midnight, Rome was still very much alive. Cars streamed by, pedestrians strolled past, laughing and chatting, and the sky glowed the colour of charcoal, flushed from the lights illuminating the ancient city.

Holly slowed down, then stopped abruptly. When she turned to Tori, her facial expression hadn’t shifted. The granite was set fast.

“I just can’t believe you egged her on, after everything I told you,” Holly began. “
And
you nearly kissed her. I knew you thought I was mad when I told you shit happens to me when I’m away, but this is another example. Even you have to admit that.” She paused, shaking her head. “Twice in one day. What’s going to happen tomorrow?” Holly paced one way, then the other. “Maybe we should just pack up and call it quits, before something else happens. Quit while we’re only a little bit down, instead of gambling the house and losing everything.”