I brushed my fingers through her hair. “There’s no need to apologise, Payts.”
“Are you alive in there or have you died from over-orgasming?”
“For fuck’s sake!” Payton slid out of bed, pulling her robe around her. “Keep covered. She’s probably got her phone out to get evidence.” She pulled the door open and Ava practically fell through into the room, phone in hand. “Were you actually listening in?”
“Kind of. Not for the whole ‘oh my, I’m coming so hard’ thing. I didn’t need to listen closely for that. The neighbours half a mile away heard you,” she said and I wondered if I needed to apologise or at least look sheepish. Or if her brothers were going to use me as the rugby ball. “Morning, Owen. There’s coffee downstairs although I recommend a shower and clothes beforehand.”
“Who heard us?” Payton said, biting her bottom lip. The gesture made her look adorable.
Ava laughed. “Just me and Seph. Claire, Mum, Vic and Vanessa have gone to look at that house again with the baby. And see another one because Jackson had one of his bright ideas at about six-thirty this morning. Dad and the others were outside doing something with the tyres that you lot used yesterday when you were at the height of your loudness.” Ava glared at me. I grinned.
“We’ll be down in twenty minutes,” Payton said, pulling her gown tighter around her.
Ava smirked. “If you don’t get distracted again.”
“You’re just jealous because you’re not getting any,” Payton said and I put a pillow over my mouth to try and stifle the laughter. It was like watching two teenage sisters.
“Who says I’m not getting any? You’re just assuming that I haven’t got someone secret tucked away.” Ava strutted out of the room with Payton following, a dozen questions shooting from her.
Still laughing, I grabbed my jeans and T-shirt and headed out of Payton’s room to mine, where all my clothes were. I didn’t need space from her, but she needed the normality of her sister and family, and not just a new strangeness with me being there. Last night had been different. I liked sex; it was part of who I was and generally I didn’t have any issues finding a partner. Short relationships, with an unspoken mutual agreement that it would indeed be short, had been my norm. Until now, until Payton; I hadn’t met anyone where I didn’t want it to be short term and last night had been more than just sex, for me at least and I thought for her too. And I hoped so; I really hoped so.
Chapter Seventeen
Payton
In a previous lifewithin this one, Wednesday mornings were usually reserved for my college friend, Aiden. We’d meet for a run round Burgess Park in Southwark, managing to get together at least every two weeks out of four, but since the visit to see my parents after my dad’s TIA, it had become a more sporadic arrangement. A lot depended on where I was sleeping the night before and if her relationship was on or off, which very much depended on Saturn’s alignment with the moon or something equally ridiculous.
It had been just over a month since the visit where Owen had joined us and things had changed. At breakfast that morning, he’d put an arm around my waist, kissed my cheek and made me coffee the way I liked it, the significance of which was wasted on no one. He didn’t crowd me, didn’t need to be in every conversation that I was and he gave me space, honesty and the hottest sex I’d had in my life.
Life had become easier somehow and I’d tried not to analyse how or why, just knowing that his presence seemed to help things fit: he was the shoe horn for a pair of shoes that were perfect in every way, just difficult to get on.
My dad’s health had improved, work was simmering nicely although Eli was acting slightly weird and I was worried he was looking for a job elsewhere. He was a brilliant lawyer and if he was to get an offer we’d have to better it as I didn’t know how my department would manage without him. I’d spoken to Jackson about offering a pay rise or even the opportunity to buy into the business and expanding what we did, although anyone who wanted to join our particular brand of insanity needed to be certified first.
And Max still hadn’t proposed to Victoria, although we all knew it was coming.
My Wednesday morning run had been changed to Thursday as Aiden was staying at her current boyfriend’s, although they had been having emergency talks when she messaged me last night.
As a treat, I stopped in Amelie’s café near to the Callaghan Green offices for a pastry and coffee. My pastry addiction had been replaced with a sex one, or more specifically with Owen’s cock, fingers and mouth as I found I craved less sugar. That was a scientific study for the future.
Amelie had been a family friend since I was a little girl, although she’d had little to do with them since she’d been eighteen and her father tried to arrange a marriage to enhance his business connections. Her family were old money, the sort that Jane Austen might have written about, or even Dickens. Amy, as Max called her, had been semi-adopted by us and at one point, I’d thought she and Max might had got together but she had more sense than to take on my grumpiest brother.
A familiar figure was sitting at one of the tables, one that made me smile and head towards the spare seat facing him.
“Morning, Dave,” I said, sitting down. “I didn’t realise you came in here.”
“I’ve a meeting at the Shard in about half an hour. I remembered you and Owen talking about this place so thought I’d give it a try.”
I’d met Dave a few times over the last few weeks, including dinner one evening when Owen had needed to go through some business details with him. Dot hadn’t been on any more dates recently, seemingly happier to see friends and run evening reader groups at Cases on a more frequent basis. Owen had a theory that she was writing a book herself but he hadn’t asked, instead offering to help set her up more dates, which she’d declined.
“It’s good,” I said as Amelie brought my latte over. “How are you?”
“Busy with work. How’s Dot? I still haven’t heard from her.” He looked sad.
“She’s okay. She’s busy with the shops and her book clubs.”
“Any more dates?”
I shook my head. “No. Owen’s suggested a few people but she’s outright refused and she’s got rid of the dating apps she was using. Have you been on any?” He was an attractive older man, with an excellent job. He was interesting when he wasn’t looking so down.
