“No.”
“So that pussy’s mine?”
“I lend it you sometimes. Let’s stick with that.”
They caught the attention of the bartender and he reluctantly let go of her, not really caring if he was the one who outed them to their friends and had to pay the forfeit, because he’d gladly do pretty much anything for her right now.
Somehow they managedto sit next to each other on the sofa. Everyone was squashed in as the bar was so packed, so Jonny found himself sitting with Rayah close to him. It was also dark enough that they could exchange brief touches and loud enough that him whispering in her ear wasn’t anything other people weren’t doing in order to have conversations.
Marley took the first set, her rich voice crooning through acoustic versions of a range of songs. The atmosphere was relaxed and fairly chilled; no one was out for trouble although some of that was possibly down to the fact that Alex was sitting at their table with a couple other officers.
“Have you heard about McKay?” Alex said when there was a break in the music while Scott got set up to perform with Marley.
“Nothing. Is he okay?” He liked McKay. He was a decent inspector and had always worked well with the fire service.
“Emergency gall bladder operation yesterday. We’ve got some bloke in from the city to cover his cases. Interesting guy – keeps himself to himself. How did the interview go?” Alex took two beers off the tray that Zack had come over with and passed one over to Jonny.
“Poor guy. Hope he’s okay. The interview went well. I’ve got a second next week.” He’d been told he was the outstanding candidate which was a boost. He just needed to make sure he didn’t fuck anything up.
Pressure from delicate fingers pressed down on his quad under the table. Rayah had been tormenting him all evening with little touches, especially when he was talking to her cousins or Jake. He had no idea what they would make of him and Rayah if they ever found out. They’d probably be angry that they hadn’t been told, but they knew him better to think that he would hurt her intentionally.
“You’ll get it. There’s no one better.” Rayah’s words were said when the music was completely off so most people at their table overheard.
Jonny turned at looked at her and saw the way she was looking at him. He was pretty sure it was the same way he was looking at her.
“I wish my sister was as supportive of me.” Jake held up his pint in a toast. “Clearly she’s saving all her love for you, Jonny.”
Jonny wondered if he knew.
The lights dimmed again and there was a cheer from the crowd as Scott and Marley returned to the microphones. The applause died down, the following silence sliced open with Scott’s rich baritone.
“This is the song he sings to Eden to get her to sleep.” Jonny heard Keren say quietly to Rayah. “It’s the only thing that works.”
It was a folk rock song, but Scott had played with it, making it sound his own. Marley backed him up, their voices intertwining. He felt Rayah grasp his thigh a little tighter and for the second time that night he wished he had the right to do what Zack was with Sorrell and wrap his arms around her.
“Did you sing your babies to sleep?” she murmured into his ear.
He leaned close enough to her to smell her hair. “Yes. Especially Sadie. I still do sometimes when she won’t sleep.”
“Would you have more children? You know, if you met someone and it was serious…”
He felt his stomach twist. “You know what, probably. If that was what she wanted and we could provide for them all. It sounds soft, but I miss having a baby in the house now Sadie’s grown up so much.”
He took her hand under the table and interlaced their fingers, wondering where the path led now the trees had suddenly been cleared.
The keyto Rayah’s back door was under the plant pot exactly where she’d said. She’d left twenty minutes before him, walking home with Sorrell and Zack as they went passed her house. Jonny had given Abby and Scott a lift with clearing up, knowing that there had been a few glances their way over the course of the night questioning the amount of quiet conversations they were having. They were going to be outed at some point.
He let himself in, a single lamp on in the kitchen. This seemed like the first time they were doing something illicit, something they were desperately trying to keep secret and he wasn’t sure why, apart from it gave a sheen of excitement to rest of the evening.
Jonny wasn’t sure whether he needed that sheen of excitement. The girl he’d grown up with, with her fire and smoulder, lit flames in his chest whenever he was with her or even thought about her. She burned him with her heat.
He kicked off his shoes and headed straight upstairs, hearing music playing quietly. There was no work to get up for tomorrow, no need to rush the night and he was high with the anticipation of being able to touch her, be inside her for as long as they wanted.
As long as he was home before the sun rose.
He reached her bedroom, the dim lights casting faint shadows as he approached. Jonny saw her bed, white sheets, soft grey cushions and her, lying naked on top, blonde curly hair spread out around her, breasts full and round with dark, hardened nipples waiting for his fingers and mouth.
Her hand was between her legs, fingers languidly stroking, the other hand caressing her nipple. She looked at him as he stood there, her eyes big, lids heavy with lust, pupils dilated.
