Page 90 of The Dicktionary Club

I felt Philip remove his hand from me. He stood up straight. I stepped back, giving him space.

Did I do something wrong?I wondered.

He picked up his tux from the floor, dusting it off.

‘Is everything .?.?. Have I done something?’ I asked, embarrassment flushing my cheeks.

Philip shook his head. ‘No, no, of course not.’ He smiled, touching my face gently. ‘I want to do this right with you. Not in some grubby wine cellar. I’ll text Amelia and tell her we’re leaving, but you are coming home with me tonight.’

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

‘Right now? But what about the opening? The singer?’ I asked.

‘Fuck the opening, Ella! You need this, and so do I, to be honest. I’m not waiting any longer. Come on, we’re leaving.’ Philip stuck out his hand, and I grabbed hold of it.

Together, we exited the bar.

Chapter Thirty

Ella

Butterflies swarmed my stomach as the taxi slowed in front of a townhouse in Edinburgh. It was only a few streets from the bar, and I didn’t have nearly enough time to give myself an internal pep talk or compile a list of reasons why this was an awful idea in the first place. I felt hurt and empty, and I wanted to be comforted by Philip, even if it was just for one night. As he leaned forward and paid the cab driver, he smiled, his teeth glistening in the dark.

‘Coming in?’ he asked.

I replied by scooting my body towards the door and stepping out onto the street.

‘Is this your house?’ I asked, taking in the stunning building. It wasn’t dissimilar to my flat, except it was just one large home.

‘It is,’ he replied, watching me take it in from the kerbside. ‘What do you think?’

‘It’s lovely.’ I smiled back at him, then added, ‘Well, from the outside. Maybe you’re a hoarder or something, though.’

Philip laughed. ‘I suppose we’ll see, eh?’ He held out his hand to me, and suddenly I felt my arsehole clench.Was I really doing this?

He led me up the five or six stone stairs and unlocked the vast door. As soon as we stepped inside, the lights switched on,detecting our movement. The wide hallway was painted white with black furnishings. Photographs of his family hung proudly on the walls. I took a few steps, running my gaze over them. The house was pristine, clutterless, and it smelled as fresh as linen.

‘Where will I sit my shoes?’ I asked, slipping them off.

Philip shrugged. ‘Anywhere you like.’

I blushed and placed them neatly together at the bottom of the stairs.

‘I thought you lived in Glasgow,’ I said, wondering if he had homes in all the major cities.

‘That’s probably because you never asked me,’ he said, leaning against a door and watching me. ‘Would you like a tour?’

I gulped, a little uncomfortable that I was even here. I never did this, and I certainly never did this with men like Philip Khan.Was I having a breakdown after unexpectedly seeing Josh? An early-onset mid-life crisis maybe? Or was I letting the Dicktionary Club go to my head too?

‘Yeah. Sure,’ I said as I approached him.

Philip opened what turned out to be the living-room door. It was a midnight blue with a large-screen television and media wall. A huge corner couch took up most of the space, and a beautiful bay window looked onto the cobbled streets of Edinburgh.

I padded over to the window in my bare feet. ‘Wow,’ I murmured.

I felt Philip’s body behind me; he rested his hand above the window ledge, almost locking me in place.

‘Stunning, isn’t it?’ he said softly. His fingers trailed down my arm, and I could feel my nipples harden.

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