‘Oh, it was a Harry Potter one, wasn’t it?’ she says, the quirk of her pink lips matching her blush.
‘I’m certain I never read the line,I’ll show you my wand if you flash me your snitchin any of the Harry Potter series.’
‘She had it custom printed, you know. On account of you being a massive Potter head when you were a kid.’
‘Ah, the delights of a spotty adolescence,’ I return, trying, though not very hard, to restrain my smile. I’m more than a little chuffed she remembers. ‘Sadly, there was nothing cool about me. At least until I got to uni when I was able to cultivate the suave personality you see today.’
‘I don’t remember you being funny.’ Her dark eyes narrow, though she’s still smiling, making me feel a little naked under her gaze.I’d like to get a little naked under her gaze.Fuck, would I.
‘This is a nice place.’ Clearing my throat more successfully than I can clear my head of those images, I take a seat in the Danish style armchair and let my gaze wander over the sun-filled room. White. So many shades of it. A pale sectional sofa and rugs over what appear to be original floorboards. The room is long, light, and airy, and the windows at both ends of the room are only dressed in the original shutters and the greenery from outside.Cape Cod by way of Hampstead Heathis how Mel had described it to me in an email.
‘It might be better for you to reserve judgement until you’ve seen the rest of the place.’ Nell folds one leg under her. ‘There’s pretty much this room and one bathroom that’s fit for use. The rest looks like a demolition site. I really have no idea why you’d want to stay here.’
‘Melody said you were remodelling,’ I say, ignoring her enquiry. True, there are other places I could go but nowhere where I wouldn’t be faced with a million good meaning questions—questions I’m not ready for. Besides, the longer I sit across from Nell, the more I think this might be the absolute best place for me. I need distracting from myself, and I think I’m looking at the most distracting distraction ever.
‘Werebeing the operative word in that assumption.’
She shakes her head as though rousing herself from the direction our conversation might take. But Mel already told me about her recent split. I can’t believe she’d dated that lanky string of piss for all these years, but then again, who am I to give relationship advice? Besides, you can’t judge a relationship’s woes until you’ve slept—and fucked—in that bed.
‘I’ll get back to it eventually,’ she adds, faking a bright smile. ‘God knows why Mel thought you staying with me would be a good idea. I can’t offer you much more than bare floorboards and a lumpy bed.’
Along with something pretty to look at. Scratch that, pretty was ten years ago. Stunning would be a better description these days. My eyes wander over her dark wavy hair, the kind that I know will dry to a rich, shiny chestnut. From there, my gaze moves to the smattering of freckles across her elegant nose and high cheekbones. I become aware of the silence between us and her questioning gaze.
‘I’m grateful for it,’ I reply, my words unintentionally raspy. Grateful for both somewhere to lay my head and her presence here.
‘Your pickings must’ve been slim,’ she says. Her eyes wander over my chest, which is anything but slim these days, and the touch of her milk chocolate eyes elicits a reaction I’m familiar with.Hell, I might be christening September the month of the boner, too.Thankfully, these days I don’t need to linger in the hot tub or refuse to move from the shield of the couch for fear she’ll see the tell-tale evidence of my interest in her.
No, but you’d like to show her, whispers the little devil in my head.
And he’s right. I’d like to show her. Feel her lips on it. Experience it touching the back of her throat.
‘You’re sure you want to stay here?’
I nod but don’t speak. I’m not here due to a lack of choices. There are other places I could go. My parents, the barracks, friends—only I’m not sure I’m fit company. Staying with Nell was supposed to be easy—we knew each other as kids, but not now. Not really. Staying here seemed like the easy choice—a place where I don’t need to pretend. Because right now, I’m not sure who I am anymore.
‘I’m sorry I don’t have more to offer you,’ she says, filling the silence between us again.
‘I’m sure it’ll be a palace compared to some of the places I’ve been.’
‘Mel says you haven’t been home in months?’ I nod in response to her softly spoken question, not ready to speak. Not sure I’ll ever be ready. ‘Do you mind if I ask where you’ve been?’
‘Well, I could tell you, but...’ She leans forward a little in her seat, almost encouraging, as though understanding somehow this is hard for me. ‘But... it looks like I arrived at your bedtime. Some other time,’ I add with no conviction at all.
‘Okay, well, I suppose I’d better show you to your room before I collapse into mine,’ she says, unfolding her slim, toned legs. ‘I’m working nights for two more shifts, so I’m afraid you’ll pretty much on your own.’
I follow her out into the old-fashioned hall and up the long stairs, almost certain she knows I’m staring at her arse. It’s impossible not to because
It’s fucking gorgeous.
It’s practically in my face.
‘This is the bathroom,’ she says, pausing at a half-landing. As she turns her head over her shoulder, I notice her cheeks are flushed pink. Pushing to door open, she steps into the large space. I follow, taking in the claw-footed bathtub dominating a space that’s fit for an interiors magazine. The floor is tiled in a black and white geometric design, double basins set into a Victorian white washed era vanity, and a large mirror fixed to the wall.
‘The shower and toilet are that way,’ she says, lifting a languid arm to indicate a frosted glass door at the end of the room. ‘And the towels are kept in here.’ She turns quite suddenly, presumably to show me exactly where, but I’m so close behind her, all she succeeds in doing is bringing her body into close contact with mine. My arms instinctively wrap around her to prevent her from falling backwards, which results in her chest being crushed against mine. Her dark hair sways with the motion, the sudden burst of scent turning immediately to heat in my veins. I’m aware of every moment, every motion—the hot points of contact of her slender fingers against my biceps, the rise and fall of her chest against mine, her brown eyes reflecting surprise, their sudden flare then turning to something else.Dark and delicious.
‘Y-you might have noticed that most of the rooms don’t have doors.’ Is she talking? I can’t be sure even if I can’t stop staring at her mouth. Pink and full, a bottom lip that’s just begging for the press of my teeth.Fuck me, I have Nell in my arms, her lips in kissing distance, and my fingertips just a few inches from her arse.‘W-we took them all down and sent them to be stripped.’
‘Stripped?’ The word comes out husky. Strange that was the one word I picked up on.
