Gabi took Amber’s hand in her own and squeezed it gently. ‘You’re a brilliant mum,’ she said.
Amber exhaled slowly, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘And he’s the best kid in the world.’
Gabi nodded, feeling tearful herself all of a sudden. Must be the late night. The midnight dramas.
Amber shook herself to change the mood.
‘Enough of that,’ she said and checked her watch. ‘I have to get Jayden to River Rats soon. Although probably the whole gang will be there to keep up the pressure.’
‘I could take him if you like?’ Gabi asked.
‘Would you?’ Amber put her hands together in thanks. ‘I don’t think I can face any more.’ She flicked the kettle on. ‘Anyway, why are you home so early?’
‘Call with my agent.’ Gabi updated her quickly and Amber pretended to faint at the salary.
‘What did Walker think?’ she said.
‘I left him asleep,’ Gabi said, sinking into the kitchen chair. ‘In fact, I think I woke up in some kind of parallel universe. I had this sexy, sensitive man spooning me. The sun was streaming in the window. We’d spent all night having sex and talking and watching thunderstorms. There was even a goddamned cat curled up and purring on the bed. I woke up in a full-blown relationship when I’d gone to bed a single woman.’
It was Amber’s turn to laugh.
‘Sounds terrible,’ she sympathised. ‘You poor thing.’
‘I don’t know how it happened,’ she said. ‘The sex was so good it hypnotised me into telling him all my secrets.’ Amber put up a hand to halt the conversation.
‘Just to clarify, the sex was good?’
Gabi exhaled a long, slow breath.
‘The best. That man knows how to use his hose.’ Amber snorted. The kettle blew steam into the air in a long whistle, and she rose to pour them both a cup of tea.
‘So why are you back here and not in that warm bed waiting for Walker to wake up? You could have taken the call there?’
‘I don’t know.’ Gabi shrugged helplessly, peering into her cup of tea for answers.
‘I do,’ Amber said, leaning forward to make her point. ‘You freaked out.’
Gabi’s heart sank. She knew Amber was partially right.
‘It all just felt too much.’ She cupped her hot mug in both hands as she remembered how safe she’d felt talking to him about her childhood, his breath on her back.
‘Too nice,’ Amber added.
‘Too intense.’ Gabi remembered the explosion of her orgasm and even just the memory echoed through her as pleasure.
‘Too soon?’ Amber asked.
Gabi agreed. She sighed. ‘I feel like I told him things I don’t need to share.’
‘Aha. Too intimate.’
‘Definitely.’
The two women watched each other over their tea.
‘Sounds like the start of a great relationship if you ask me.’
‘That’s the problem. I’m not here for a boyfriend.’ Gabi sighed. ‘I’m here for a broken leg.’
