Chapter 15 #2
Jo laughed. “I get it. I work all week, too.”
“Friday? I could do Friday.”
Jo groaned. “I’m at the studio all day on Friday, but I could come by after. Unless you’re at Satin…”
“No.” She would rather do this away from Satin. Being there only seemed to get them into trouble. “No, I’ll be home. Come here. We’ll talk, uninterrupted.”
“Okay. I’ll come over on Friday.”
That silence descended again, but it didn’t feel like it usually did. It seemed loaded with a multitude of feelings and emotions.
Amelia toyed with the string on her hoodie, hoping they could smooth this all out and move on. “I meant what I said about not being angry, Jo.”
“I know, but it’s still a lot.”
“It is.” Amelia allowed herself a small smile. “But maybe it’s time we both admitted that it’s been a lot for a while now.”
Jo laughed softly, and something in Amelia’s chest relaxed at the sound of it. No matter what, they would be okay. Because if nothing else, they cared deeply about one another.
“Thanks for picking up last night,” Jo said, the hesitancy in her voice less obvious the longer she remained on the line. “Even if it was…you know?”
“Unexpectedly orgasmic?”
“For the love of God! I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
Amelia smirked as she said, “Oh, not a chance.”
They stayed on the line for a few more seconds, the comfort they often found in one another returning in waves.
And then Jo was the one who took the lead in ending the call. “I’ll see you Friday, then?”
“You will. Absolutely.” Amelia would love to see Jo sooner, even if it wasn’t to talk but to simply be what they’d always been to one another. A steady presence of support. “If anything changes, let me know.”
“I will…and Amelia?”
Amelia’s brows lifted a little. “Mm?”
“I don’t regret it.”
Oh, you have to find a way to make this work. Amelia’s pulse picked up a little. “I’m glad. I don’t regret being the one on the call with you.”
As the call ended, Amelia placed her phone down and took a breath. She had no idea what was coming, but she knew Friday couldn’t come soon enough.
Amelia set her cutlery down on her plate, her appetite fading as the quiet of her house grew louder around her.
The simple yet comforting pasta she’d made had barely been touched, and her glass of red wine was almost full.
She didn’t feel like drinking tonight. Not with her head already this clouded.
The call with Jo had gone better than she’d expected it would. Honest and clear…even a little more normal by the end. But still, the conversation echoed in her mind. It wasn’t what had been said that lingered. It was what hadn’t.
She gathered her plate and headed into the kitchen. The dishwasher was still half-full from this morning’s breakfast dishes, so she stacked her plate on top, shut the door, and flicked the kettle on just to feel like she was doing something.
And then her phone buzzed. The vibration rattled gently across the worktop, drawing her attention to it immediately.
Jo.
Her name lit up Amelia’s screen and her face like a flare.
Hey. Just wondering if you still wanted me for the photography thing?
Amelia wiped her hands on a tea towel and picked up her phone, staring at the message for a moment. It was innocent enough, but something stirred inside of her. She couldn’t resist.
The property shoot or the lingerie one?
She hit send before she could back out, her pulse racing a little faster. A smirk tugged at her mouth as she moved into the living room, her phone still firmly in her hand.
Jo would likely squirm her way out of it with a clever comeback and an eye-roll emoji.
But then her phone lit up again.
I mean, I’m up for taking photos of you in lace. I can’t promise the lens won’t crack, though!
Amelia’s breath hitched. That wasn’t squirming, and it absolutely wasn’t avoidance.
That was Jo biting back. Oh, God. Her thumb hovered over the screen as she stood in the middle of the room, stunned.
She hadn’t expected Jo to rise to the bait.
Not with that level of certainty in her tone.
There was humour, yes, but it was laced with something else entirely.
Confidence. Flirtation. Desire.
Amelia slowly lowered herself to the couch, one leg tucked under her, and typed back.
I may just hold you to that.
Jo didn’t hesitate. Her reply was instant.
Maybe I’m hoping you will.
Amelia stared at the message. Her body answered before her mind did, that subtle ache low in her stomach returning with sharp clarity. She could still hear the way Jo had moaned for her the night before. The way her voice had broken around Amelia’s name.
And now this? She’d been expecting space and avoidance. For Jo to be Guarded. Instead, she had a woman on the other end of the phone who wasn’t playing innocent anymore.
She ran a hand through her hair, her pulse racing in her throat. This thing between them wasn’t cooling off. It was catching fire. And maybe, just maybe, Jo wasn’t as afraid of the flames as she thought she was.
She stared at Jo’s last reply and grinned. “Oh, you’re in so much trouble.”
Amelia’s fingers tightened around her phone.
There was no way she could rein herself in.
She could see Jo in her mind’s eye, curled up on her couch or sprawled across her bed, hoodie sleeves tugged over her hands, chewing her lip as she sent that message.
That mixture of confidence and vulnerability.
That spark of mischief she never let anyone else see.
With a slightly shaky breath, Amelia typed back.
You know I’d be honoured to lie in lace while you snapped pictures of me. Maybe I’ll even let you pose me.
She swallowed, desperate for Jo to respond.
Fuck! You’re going to kill me.
Amelia smirked, biting her bottom lip as her heart started to race furiously.
I would never. Imagine the fun I’d miss out on. Still, death by lingerie sounds like quite a pleasant way to go, don’t you think?
Amelia was playing with fire, and she knew it, but right now, she didn’t care. Something had shifted between them last night, and before Jo came to her senses, she wanted to have a little fun.
I’m more concerned about trying to keep my hands off you during a shoot like that. That’s definitely the end of my career right there.
Amelia’s cheeks flushed as her breath caught.
So don’t. I won’t tell if you don’t…
Regret flared in her chest the moment she sent the message, but before she could type out a retraction or something safer, Jo replied.
You’re not playing fair tonight.
“Oh, she’s going to be the very undoing of me.” Amelia shook her head, still playing the game even though she knew she could tame it.
No, I’m not.
There was an unexpectedly long pause. So long that Amelia stood from the couch and paced the floor, and then her phone vibrated again.
But I’m not stopping you either.
A laugh escaped her lips. She returned to her seat, her legs suddenly unsteady. Amelia’s thoughts spiralled in a thousand different directions, but all of them started and ended with Jo.
Tell me, Jo. What would you shoot first? Would I be standing, sitting, or laid out across the bed?
Amelia’s heart was hammering now. This had initially been a hint of flirtation, but now? Oh, now she was practically squirming where she sat, craving friction as her clit throbbed.
Laid out, obviously. You’d be giving me that look that absolutely fucking ruins me time and time again.
Jesus Christ!
Amelia splayed a hand across her chest and steadied herself. This, whatever it was, was a dangerous game. Nobody had ever made Amelia feel this way before, and though she’d dreamt of someone like this for a long time, she hadn’t imagined it would be Jo for a single second.
You’re going to make me dream about you tonight, you know that?
Amelia lay lengthwise on the couch, casting her mind to the potential of this going further.
Did she care about Callum and what he’d think?
Not particularly. He had no right to criticise anyone after having an affair behind Jo’s back.
But she understood that Jo was a little more reserved when it came to that specific issue.
I hope you do. I dream about you most nights lately.
Amelia’s heart ached at that confession. Why couldn’t Jo be here right now, in Amelia’s arms, saying these things to her face? Because that’s not what you share with her…
You’re dangerous, but I appreciate your honesty x
As Amelia considered placing her phone down and cooling this off, her phone lit up.
I fear my honesty is all I can give you. The rest…what I really want…I’m not so sure.
And just like that, Jo reminded Amelia that she couldn’t have what she truly wanted. A life with the only woman she had paid any attention to in as long as she could remember. While they were dancing along the edge of something potentially beautiful, there was a devastating drop waiting at the end.
Just so we’re clear, the photography gig is for the house I’m finishing up.
It was all Amelia could offer. She’d just been on the highest of highs…only to be brought back down to earth with one hell of a thud.
I know. I’ll see you Friday. We’ll discuss the shoot then. Goodnight, Amelia x
Amelia pressed her phone to her chest and closed her eyes. For the briefest of moments, it didn’t matter how complicated, risky, or dangerous this felt. Because it felt equally as good and as real.
Goodnight, Jo x