“She probably won’t go to the club anymore. I don’t even know if it was with a friend or whether she stumbled upon it. But it’s not the type of place I ever imagined seeing her at.”
“There you go. She probably turned up not realising what the place was.”
Even though Amelia nodded in agreement, shedidn’tagree. It was impossible to just stumble upon Satin. Even if Jo hadn’t known, she still had to sign up, sign waivers, and do everything anyone else with a membership there had to do. Mistakes like that didnothappen at Satin. “Maybe, yeah.”
“It’ll all blow over. This kind of thing always does.”
Amelia curled her hands around her cup, wondering ifanythingcould ever be that simple again. But maybe Evie was right. Maybe Amelia had to wait and see what the atmosphere was like when Jo arrived here later today. Until then, she would continue to worry…and go out of her mind.
Chapter Four
With a springin her step for the first time since Callum had fucked her over, Jo practically glided up Amelia’s garden path, a sense of freedom pulsing through her veins. The sights and sounds of the world around her were sharper than usual. Even the sky seemed brighter, regardless of the grey clouds rolling in. Had the world noticed that she was finally crawling back out of her shell? God, she hoped so.
Jo knocked loudly as soon as she reached the front door, her body thrumming with a nervous anticipation. She didn’t know how much she would give away while she was here, but Amelia had always been more of a friend to her than anything else. There had never been an ounce of judgement from her in the days since Callum had left, just a patience and understanding that made Jo feel as though she could be open and honest about anything she was feeling. It was an odd feeling since the very woman Jo often sat around spending time with was the very same woman who had given birth to the devil in Jo’s life. She still struggled to shake off the conflict, that unusual collision of the past and present whenever she stepped through the door.
She may be his mother, but she’s fucking hot!
That thought had Jo’s insides churning with a mixture of embarrassment…and thrill. She’d lost count of the number of times she’d caught herself staring at Amelia, often lingering on the delicate lines between her brow or the way her mysterious brown eyes lit up when she laughed. Jo didn’t think she’d ever been caught, but if she had, Amelia had always been gracious enough to keep it to herself.
For the first year with Callum, Jo had struggled to keep her wits about her in this house, more often than not tiptoeing around her own desire. But as her relationship with Callum solidified, she’d chosen to draw a line under her attraction to Amelia. It resurfaced now and then, more so in the last six months as her life fell apart, but Jo knew how to let things go. And fooling around with Amelia? That was something she’d absolutely let go of. It was a dangerous game that could ruin the only safe haven she had left.
Bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet, Jo breathed a sigh of relief when the front door finally swung open. Amelia stared back at her, something flickering in her eyes, and cleared her throat. “Come in.”
Jo stepped through the door, the familiar scent of Amelia’s home enveloping her and ultimately comforting her. She slipped off her coat and made her way into the living room, trying not to overthink. But given the events last night with her mystery woman, Jo was finding it hard to do anything other than overthink. Her mind had been going a mile a minute since she’d retreated from the darkened room. Had each touch meant something to her, too? Not likely, but Jo could pretend for a while longer since it had made her happy in that moment.
She didn’t know what plans Amelia had for the weekend, but Jo had already sorted out hers. Tonight, she was heading back to Satin. Ada may join her, or not, but Jo didn’t care. She’d be there regardless. The dark room and its secrets had lit somethinginside of her that she hadn’t felt in years, and tonight she wanted more. This time…hot, raunchy, and reckless.
“Usual coffee?” Amelia poked her head around the door, her lips pulled into a tight smile that Jo hadn’t expected.
“Yes. Thanks.” Jo’s response was automatic, but Amelia was gone before she could say anything else. Something about her seemed off. Distant, perhaps. Was there something Amelia needed to talk about? Jo hoped she knew that she could do so with her. Jo owed her far more—Amelia had been there for her from the moment Callum had left—but she didn’t want to push. She chewed her lip, debating whether to ask if Amelia was okay, and then she wandered towards the kitchen. She found Amelia hunched over the sink, the kettle whistling on the opposite counter. “Hey, you okay?”
Startled, Amelia spun around. “Yes, why?”
“I don’t know. You don’t seem yourself today.” Jo’s brows drew together with concern as she watched Amelia, noting the tension in her shoulders and the careful way she held herself. “If today isn’t a good day for you, we can hold off on the coffee and have it another day instead.”
“No, no. I’m fine.” Amelia’s usual bright white smile appeared. It was so effortlessly beautiful, and just as distracting as ever. Jo forced herself to look away, her mind flashing back to a thousand moments she’d imagined crossing that forbidden line.Not today. Not ever,she scolded herself. She may have thrown caution to the wind last night with a woman she’d never met before, but Amelia was off-limits. She couldn’t break the rules here.
“How’s your weekend been so far?”
“Mine?” Jo frowned, thrown for a second by the question, and then she smiled. Oh, she smiled wider than she had in a long time. “I don’t know where to begin.”
Amelia leaned back against the counter, watching Jo with curiosity. “Oh?”
“Ada came over yesterday afternoon. She invited me to a club last night, and instead of sitting around at home, I decided to bite the bullet and have some fun.”
Jo could feel the excitement building as she spoke, barely able to contain herself. For the first time in months, the words were going to pour out of her without a second thought. She wanted Amelia to know that she wasfinallyclawing her way out of the dark…even if she was also crawling towards it, so to speak. But the two could never compare. The darkness shrouding her mystery woman was exhilarating and enticing. The complete opposite of what she’d been living with.
She paused for a moment, contemplating whether she should ask Amelia out to dinner. Not for anything untoward, Jo wasn’t that brave, but because she wanted to go out and enjoy herself with a friend who had dropped everything to console her in recent months. Then her heart started to race with nerves at the mere suggestion of dinner.
She’d avoided it before. Jo was afraid of putting Amelia on the spot, and of letting her feelings show too clearly. But something deep inside of her today made Jo feel brave. The faceless, nameless woman at Satin had helped her to let go of something heavy, and now Jo was in a place where she was willing to risk whatever she had to in order to have a much more fulfilling life. That fulfilment came in the form of dinner with Amelia. Something light and easy with someone she cared about.
“I’m glad you decided to take a chance and have some fun. I couldn’t tell you the last time I went clubbing.” Amelia moved around the kitchen with the same sexy sway of her hips that always made Jo’s breath catch, and then she landed in front of Jo and handed her a steaming cup of coffee.
“It…wasn’t a normal club,” Jo said, taking the cup. She made her way back to the living room, settled herself on the couch, and caught Amelia’s eye. “It’s a certain type of club. More…intimate, you know?”
“Intimate?”
Jo closed her eyes, unable to fight back a grin. “Amelia, she took me to a sex club!” There it was. The truth laid bare. “Sorry, but it’s easier to just come out and say it instead of talking in riddles. I just…I feel as though I’m going to burst if I don’t speak to someone about it.”
