Page 134 of The Invitation

I purse my lips and wriggle it up my thighs with my spare hand.

“Lick your fingers.”

I take a deep breath and slip my fingers into my mouth, wetting them. “I prefer you doing this,” I say quietly.

“Then you should have seen me tonight,” he retorts, making me scowl. “How wet are you?”

“Drenched.” I suck in air as I slide my fingers past my knickers, slipping across my flesh.

“Fuck,” Jude breathes quietly. “Feel good?”

I hum, sinking further into my chair. “Are you touching yourself?”

“It would cause a bit of a scandal, baby,” he says, serious. “I’m in the Library Bar.”

A sharp burst of laughter leaves me, making me lose my rhythm.

“Concentrate,” he orders quietly.

“I’m concentrating.”

“Slide your fingers—”

The door behind me flings open and Abbie bursts in with arms full of flowers. “Shit,” I hiss, covering myself as she stops and takes me in, her face just visible through the mass of blooms. She’s frowning. “Abbie’s home,” I sing, and Jude groans. “I’d better go.”

“Fine.” He sounds bereft. “Fuck, I miss you.”

And I’m pooling on the kitchen floor. “You too,” I say, my chest swelling with happiness.

“Call me back when you’re alone again, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And, Amelia?”

“What?”

“I lo—” He catches himself, and a long pause ensues. I wait ... wondering. Hoping. He ... what? “Nothing,” he murmurs. “I’ll speak to you in a bit.” He hangs up, and I swallow, resting my phone down, staring at it. Does he ...? My heart starts to gallop as Abbie passes me, her eyes accusing.

I shy away guiltily. “Did you know Jude got these from your florist today?” I ask, pointing to the bouquet.

Abbie checks it out. “Looks like Corey’s work.”

“Mum served him.”

“No way. Did he know? Didsheknow?” Abbie lowers to the chair and puts a call in to Charley, propping her mobile against the place mats on the table so she can see us both. “Jude Fuckboy Harrison went into Flora Flora today and ordered flowers for Amelia with Jenn,” Abbie tells her.

“No way,” Charley gasps. “Did he know who she was? Wait. Did your mum know whohewas?”

I sag into my chair and take my wine, grimacing at the tingles still lingering between my legs. “Jude filled out the card to me and gave Abbie’s address to deliver. So Mum knew. Jude didn’t until I told him. Mum took the flowers home for me. I thought they were from Nick. Then Dad walked in just as Clark was trying to hide them.WithNick. So now Nick knows I’m sleeping with someone. He accused me of cheating. And that’s all the drama for today.” I swig my wine and smile.

“Fuck,” they say in unison.

“It sucks to be you right now,” Charley adds.

I huff, sigh, swig. “In other news, I think I’m in love.”

“That’s old news.” Abbie rolls her eyes, and I stare down into my glass, thinking about our call. How he went to say something but didn’t. How he did the same yesterday.

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