Page 76 of Mayfair Madame
“Jesus, Ellie. You scared me to death.” But she continued to move from side to side, her hands now clasped around mine.
“Has it only been three weeks since we met?” I wasn’t even sure it had been that long.
“I feel I’ve known you a lifetime, Ellie Sharpe, but my life before you was nothing compared to now.” She turned towards me and stroked a stray lock of hair from my face. “I can’t imagine never knowing you. You see me for who I am, not who I was.”
“Because we’re here in the present, and who you were made the person you are today. The person who looks past my insecurities and sees the beauty I struggle to see myself.”
“It’s not what you look like but the person you are inside. You have a good, kind heart. You’re not false or dishonest. You’re selfless and a damn fine girlfriend.”
My heart fluttered as her lips met mine. If I were poetic, I’d probably talk of choirs of angels singing hallelujah, but I sank into her embrace, knowing that all roads led here. All the shame I’d felt dissolved with her kiss.
She was my home. With Naomi, I could be the person I should have been, live the life I wanted to live. She wouldn’t try to dictate or make demands as Kate had done, because she’d suffered too and knew that the road to a happy life wasn’t filled with arguments and disagreements but with love and honesty.
I broke the kiss and gazed into her warm brown eyes, so full of what I hoped was love.
“Is it too soon to love you? Is this infatuation or lust? Why do I want to spend every waking moment with you?”
“Sometimes, people are meant to be. Rupert knew the moment he met Walter that he was the one. The moment I saw you, I knew you were someone special. So no, I don’t think it’s too soon at all.”
A buzzer broke the bubble we were in.
“Shit, that’ll be the pie ready. You can help me dish up, and we’ll talk more over dinner. There’s wine chilling in the fridge. Could you open it for me?”
I watched with amusement as she donned an apron and went into domestic mode. I was sure she’d told me she couldn’t cook, but it all looked good to me.
“Don’t just stand there.” She threw oven gloves at me and gestured to the oven. “Get moving, detective.”
Like dancers on a stage, we moved in tandem. Naomi carved the meat left to rest on the worktop. I plated up the rest of the food, my stomach gnawing at my insides, reminding me how hungry I was.
I followed her to the dining table, where an intimate setting for two was laid out. Candlelight danced on the walls from the many flickering candles dotted around the room.
It was the perfect setting, and I almost wished I’d waited with my declaration of love.
With the food served, we sat opposite each other. “I hope you like it. I rarely cook because I actually can’t. Well, I can, but only a roast dinner. It was the one thing drilled into me in my final foster home. Mainly so they didn’t have to cook. That’s probably why I don’t do it these days. Too many poor memories.”
“But you cooked for me. Thank you.”
She shrugged. “It was worth reliving them to see a smile on your face. Now, let’s eat and drink.”
The food was good, the wine even better, and don’t get me started on the perfect company. I’d not been happier in a long time.
“So, tell me more about the weekend. What’s next for your mum?”
“Lucy thinks we should put her in a home. I tend to agree, but she’s so fucking independent, she’d hate it. I can’t help feeling guilty,though. It puts so much pressure on Lucy. I had thought about moving back, but I’m not her. I have no patience and would end up arguing or putting my foot init as usual. I’m better staying out of it and supporting her when I can.”
“I don’t think you should move back, but that’s purely selfish reasons on my part. I’ve only just found you.”
I smiled as she reached across the table and took my hand.
“I can’t imagine being anywhere else but here with you. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, Naomi. My head is in a spin, and I get butterflies when I see you. I’m like a teenager with a crush.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that. It’s not too soon, is it? When something feels this right, it has to be a good thing.”
I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. “Do you think that pie will keep?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Twenty Two
