Chapter 31
After letting myself in the front door, I set my flowers on the table and give them the admiration they deserve before getting a bottle of wine from the fridge. I smile when Jude calls. “Hey,” I say, holding my mobile to my ear with my shoulder as I pull the cork out of the bottle.
“Hey,” he replies, simple as that, stretching my smile.
“Thank you for the flowers.”
“Welcome.”
“Did you know the florist you got them from was Abbie’s?” I ask.
“I did. But she wasn’t there, so I was served by an older lady with silver hair.”
“My mother.” I collect a glass from the cabinet.
“What?”
“That was my mother.”
“I ordered flowers with your mother, and she didn’t think to mention that the woman I asked them to be delivered to was her daughter?”
“Apparently not.” I can only imagine Mum’s face when she was confronted with Jude Harrison. “She also didn’t have them delivered. She took them home and gave them to me when I popped in earlier. I thought ...” I just catch myself before I tell Jude who I thought they were from.
“You thought they were from your ex,” he says, and I nibble my lip as I pour. “Wait. Has he been sending you flowers?” My lack of an answer gives him my answer. “Do I need to step in?”
“Let’s not argue anymore,” I plead quietly, lowering to a chair at the table. I’ve had a bellyful today.
He sighs. “Tell me about the rest of your day.”
“The end of the financial year is approaching, so I’ve been lost in my end-of-year recommendation and reinvestment proposals. Am I boring you yet?”
“Never.”
I smile, taking a sip of wine. “How was your meeting in the wine cellar?”
“I couldn’t take my eyes off the table where I fucked you. It was quite distracting, made me miss you more, but on the plus side I’ve found the next bottle I plan on pouring all over you and licking off.”
I subtly inhale, pressing my lips together. “What are you doing now?”
“I’m about to get you to climax with my voice,” he murmurs. My body instantly responds. “Put the wine down.” I swallow and look at the glass. How did he know? “Put it down, Amelia.”
Placing it on the table, I wait with bated breath for his next instruction. “Lift the skirt of your dress.”
“How do you know I’m wearing a dress?”
“Lift the skirt of your dress.”
I purse my lips and wriggle it up my thighs with my spare hand.
“Lick your fingers.”
I take a deep breath and slip my fingers into my mouth, wetting them. “I prefer you doing this,” I say quietly.
“Then you should have seen me tonight,” he retorts, making me scowl. “How wet are you?”
“Drenched.” I suck in air as I slide my fingers past my knickers, slipping across my flesh.
“Fuck,” Jude breathes quietly. “Feel good?”
I hum, sinking further into my chair. “Are you touching yourself?”
“It would cause a bit of a scandal, baby,” he says, serious. “I’m in the Library Bar.”
A sharp burst of laughter leaves me, making me lose my rhythm.
“Concentrate,” he orders quietly.
“I’m concentrating.”
“Slide your fingers—”
The door behind me flings open and Abbie bursts in with arms full of flowers. “Shit,” I hiss, covering myself as she stops and takes me in, her face just visible through the mass of blooms. She’s frowning. “Abbie’s home,” I sing, and Jude groans. “I’d better go.”
“Fine.” He sounds bereft. “Fuck, I miss you.”
And I’m pooling on the kitchen floor. “You too,” I say, my chest swelling with happiness.
“Call me back when you’re alone again, okay?”
“Okay.”
“And, Amelia?”
“What?”
“I lo—” He catches himself, and a long pause ensues. I wait ... wondering. Hoping. He ... what? “Nothing,” he murmurs. “I’ll speak to you in a bit.” He hangs up, and I swallow, resting my phone down, staring at it. Does he ...? My heart starts to gallop as Abbie passes me, her eyes accusing.
I shy away guiltily. “Did you know Jude got these from your florist today?” I ask, pointing to the bouquet.
Abbie checks it out. “Looks like Corey’s work.”
“Mum served him.”
“No way. Did he know? Did she know?” Abbie lowers to the chair and puts a call in to Charley, propping her mobile against the place mats on the table so she can see us both. “Jude Fuckboy Harrison went into Flora Flora today and ordered flowers for Amelia with Jenn,” Abbie tells her.
“No way,” Charley gasps. “Did he know who she was? Wait. Did your mum know who he was?”
I sag into my chair and take my wine, grimacing at the tingles still lingering between my legs. “Jude filled out the card to me and gave Abbie’s address to deliver. So Mum knew. Jude didn’t until I told him. Mum took the flowers home for me. I thought they were from Nick. Then Dad walked in just as Clark was trying to hide them. With Nick. So now Nick knows I’m sleeping with someone. He accused me of cheating. And that’s all the drama for today.” I swig my wine and smile.
“Fuck,” they say in unison.
“It sucks to be you right now,” Charley adds.
I huff, sigh, swig. “In other news, I think I’m in love.”
“That’s old news.” Abbie rolls her eyes, and I stare down into my glass, thinking about our call. How he went to say something but didn’t. How he did the same yesterday.
What was that?
“I’ve got to go,” Charley says. “We have date night.”
“Tennis club?” Abbie asks on a cheeky smirk, making Charley curse her before hanging up. “So,” she goes on, arranging the flowers. “You’ve finally admitted it to yourself.”
“He drives me nuts.” I sigh. “But ... I don’t know. Something’s holding me back from embracing it fully.”
“Like?”
“I found some antidepressants in his bathroom cupboard.” I cringe to myself. “I was looking for eye drops.”
Abbie fetches herself a glass and joins me back at the table, filling it with wine. “So he’s taking antidepressants. Is it any wonder after what you told me about his parents?”
“That’s just it. I don’t think he’s taking them. They were tucked at the back, and the date on them was only last month, so he’s been to see a doctor recently about it.”
“You should ask.”
I nod mildly to myself, falling into thought for a few moments. “I’ve never experienced grief, but I guess it’s common to need help after, right?” Even years later?
“Different people handle it in different ways.”
“He’s volatile,” I say, almost reluctantly. “It’s like there’s a beast inside him that he’s constantly trying to keep contained.” His temper makes me wary. As does his possessive streak.
“But you’re still in love with him,” Abbie muses, resting back in her chair. I don’t answer. I don’t need to. “We all have our faults. If Jude’s is a short fuse, then—”
“He fucked a married woman,” I point out. “Who’s hanging around like a bad smell.” What the hell does Katherine’s husband make of it? How can any man be cool with that? She’s a lovely-looking woman, of course, but being an A-rated bitch makes her ugly. Is there something more I don’t know? I groan at the pace of my thoughts, holding my head as I drink.
My phone dings on the table, and both our eyes fall to the screen.
I’ve booked a table for tomorrow night somewhere special. Let’s get deeper.
My heart flutters in my chest. My damn heart flutters. And then he does things like that, and all doubt is momentarily lost. But ... let’s get deeper? Why does that make me nervous?
“It sounds like he feels the same as you,” Abbie says softly.
“Unsure?”
“He’s sure. What more can you ask for?”
I nod and hit reply.
Look forward to it
And I’m taking you away. Just us, your body, my body, and champagne
I smile down at the screen, my body responding to the reminder, and Abbie chuckles, getting up and tending to her flowers. “Shall I cook?” she asks as she fills a vase with water. “There’s a new series started on Netflix that’s getting a lot of hype.”
I bite at my lip. “Do you mind if I pass?”
She looks over her shoulder. “Are you dumping me?”
I smile, getting up. “I miss him,” I admit, the flutters inside real, just at the thought of him. I don’t know why I didn’t just see him tonight. Going to my parents’ turned out to be a shitshow, and I feel wholly dispirited. Jude can fix that.
Abbie turns and leans back against the counter, her smile knowing. “Are you going to tell him how you feel?”
“That I’m in love with him?”
“Yes, that.”
“Maybe.” I shoot over to her and drop a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for being you.”
“Tell him,” she calls to my back as I hurry to my room and collect a few things, including clean work clothes for tomorrow. I smile as I pack my gym bag, stuffing in my hoodie. I definitely need a hug. A Jude hug. And I know it’ll lead to sex.
To heaven.
I don’t bother changing, calling an Uber and walking to the main road, tracking it on my phone to the corner. I jump in.
“Oxfordshire?” the driver asks in question.
“I’ll tip if you get me there within an hour.”
A smile creeps across my face, the anticipation unstoppable.
I love him.
I didn’t plan for it to happen, but here I am.
In love.
And I need to tell him.