“Y-yeah.” Heat settled on Jo’s cheeks. It was no secret why she was here, and certainly no secret what she’d been doing, but to have Amelia so calmly acknowledge it…it made Jo feel exposed in a way she hadn’t expected.
Amelia leaned in, her breath hot against Jo’s ear. “May I just say that you lookmuchhappier when you’ve just had a mind-blowing orgasm.”
Jo’s pulse skyrocketed as she clenched her thighs together. “T-thanks.”
“Seems to me that the woman you’ve been with is quite something.”
Jo lowered her gaze and took her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to gather herself.
“Tell me about her.” Amelia’s thigh brushed hers, bare skin against bare skin, and Jo’s breath caught. “All I’ve wanted over the last several months is to see you happy, Jo.”
Emotion swelled in Jo’s chest. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“You know how I feel about it all,” Amelia said, her voice softening. “But you’re moving on, and I, for one, am very happy to know that.”
“She’s…I don’t know.” Jo stared down into her glass, watching the liquid sway as she weighed up the pros and cons of being truthful with Amelia. No matter what, shewasstill Callum’s mum. “Her name is Lia. She told me that tonight.” Jo’s voice shook. “I know it’s just the idea of being in that room and the fantasy of it all, but it’s like she knows exactly what I need. Tonight, she made me feel so wanted that I’m struggling to think of anything else.”
“You may say it’s just the fact you’re here, doing whatever you’re doing, but have you thought that maybe she’s interested in you?”
“It’s a sex club, Amelia.” Jo kept her voice low, conscious of the people around them. The last thing she wanted was to sound ungrateful or judgmental of the space that had offered her so much. “I’m pretty confident she was attentive because it’s what she does. I’m also going to bet she’s here every night…givinganywoman that walks into that room whatever they desire.”
“You do realise that those rooms are hired out for ordinary people to use, right?”
Jo frowned. “No, she’s definitely some kind of domme. She’s far too confident to be an ordinary person who walked in off the street. I’venevermet anyone like her before.”
Amelia cleared her throat. “That’s…not the type of club this is, Jo.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The whole pendant thing and the rooms…they’re purely to make the less confident people feel more comfortable here. This isn’t a BDSM club.” Amelia held up a hand. “I mean, if people wish to partake in that lifestyle, that’s perfectly fine here, but ultimately, it’s just a club for women to meet other women.” Amelia smiled, her tone calm and…matter-of-fact. “Yes, some women prefer to be in the dark rooms because it adds an element of mystery, but down the line, youarelikely to come face to face with…Lia, did you say?”
Jo’s stomach flipped. The possibility ofseeingLia—of learning who she was—was a dizzying thought. Hopeful and terrifying all at once. “Nah. You’re fucking with me.”
Amelia lifted a shoulder. “Okay.”
“Wait! How do you know these things? You said you’ve never been here before.”
“A little white lie, so you didn’t go running out the door the moment I sat down next to you.” There was something different in Amelia’s eyes now. As though a confession was on the horizon. “I’ve been to this clubmanytimesbefore.”
Jo felt like she’d been punched directly in the face. “R-right. I didn’t know that.”
“Why would you? I don’t exactly pour you a coffee and tell you who I fucked the night before, do I?”
That mental image hit Jo like a train. Refined and graceful Amelia…sayingthat? Jo’s mind raced while her body reacted in a way shereallydidn’t need right now. She could practically feelthat sultry voice in her ear. “Yeah, uh…this feels odd. This isn’t the Amelia I know.”
“No, I know. You only know the one who sits at home wishing she had something more in her life. The one who puts everyone else before herself. The one who is all about family, friends, and commitments. The one who works herself into the ground.” Amelia regarded Jo with a wry smile. “I’m sorry if this is too much.” She placed her glass on the table and shifted towards the edge of the seat. “I shouldn’t have come over here to you. This isn’t the relationship we have.”
Jo reached out instinctively, her hand landing on Amelia’s bare thigh. The contact wasexactlyhow Jo imagined it would be. Electric. “Hey, no. I don’t want you to leave me alone at this table.”
“I should. I don’t want to make things feel strange between us.”
“Is this Amelia as fun as the one I already know?” Jo asked as she lifted a brow, her hand remaining in place.
Amelia looked down at Jo’s hand, a bright smile settling on her beautiful lips when she eventually looked back up at Jo. “I’d say she’s more fun than the one you already know.”
Jo cocked her head towards the other side of the room. “Then you should go to the bar and get us some fresh drinks. It’s Saturday night, and we should be enjoying ourselves.”
“I wouldn’t be offended if you’d rather we didn’t sit around here drinking together…”
