Page 26 of King of Jokers

Andy

Seb, Arns said to tell Marls her and Felicity are leaving now.

Sebastian

I’ll drop her and Eva there and then head over to yours.

Jay

Coop, want me to swing by and grab you on the way?

Cooper

Yeah, cheers. Jacky boy, Outback Aces misses ya. Enjoy the bed mate while you have her.

Jay

HAHAHA he wishes

Jack

Winter said you’re a bunch of arseholes and I agree with her.

“What are you smirking at?” Winter’s voice startled me from where she stood unpacking groceries at the bench. I ignored the magnetic pull urging me to walk over and give her a good morning kiss – the kitchen was awash with sunshine so the rules of our gospel were firmly in place.

Friendship only.

“Just the boys talking shit. I haven’t charged my phone in a few days and it seems I’ve missed a bit.”

The peach dress she wore clung to her body and I wondered if I lifted it over her hips what she’d be wearing underneath. The thought elicited a shiver down my spine and a stiffening in my pants.

I was in serious fucking trouble.

I listened while Winter recounted who she saw in town, the things she wanted to do today and how she couldn’t wait to fly over to Perth as soon as possible and meet her new niece.

Her joy was written all over her face as she came and showed me the updated photos, her arm grazing my own. I tried to ignore how the sweet smell of strawberries conjured images of last night. Her on top of me, writhing with a pleasure I evoked. Her nails grazing my chest when she threw her head back in ecstasy.

Fuck.

This was Winter.

I needed to snap the fuck out of my one-sided, lust induced coma and get on with the day, just as she was.

Winter

Chapter 13

Withafinalglanceat the mirror, I grabbed my clutch and headed downstairs.

It was the first time I’d worn this dress, social outings requiring effort a rare commodity in Willow Bay, especially for a homebody like me, but even I knew I was selling it tonight. The tight black tube dress covered just enough while leaving much more on display than I usually dared and my heels were high.

The long days in the sun gave my skin the perfectly kissed bronzing I longed for during the colder months and the downtime away from the stresses of work had given the bags which usually lived rent free under my eyes, a chance to take a hike.

It was the perfect evening to head into town and one of the last Jack and I would share before he headed back to the city in a few days.

Watching him go was nothing new, the sorrow at his retreating car an all too familiar feeling. But the Bay had never felt as full as it had with him here this summer. Each time he departed, he took a little more of me. But this time, I was going to be giving more than I ever had before, and I wasn’t sure if I would survive the aftermath. If there would be enough of me left to carry on without him.

Spotting him by the pool I paused, thankful for the closed doors preventing him from hearing my approaching heels on the wooden floors.

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