Текст книги "Six of Hearts"

Автор книги: L. H. Cosway

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

Seventeen

Jessie pans her camera over the crowd as they all applaud Jay’s big finish. Then she shuts it off.

“Okay, how the fuck?” I say, shaking my head in confusion. I seem to be doing that a lot these days.

Jessie laughs. “Out of everything he did today, that one was probably the simplest, and yet look at them all. I think some of them actually believe he really is magic.”

“Simple?! He just made himself disappear. There’s nothing simple about that.”

“Look at where he was standing, Matilda,” says Jessie, deadpan.

“He was standing on the wall.”

She gives me a glance like I’m slow. “Yeah, so he just did a bit of fancy messing around with the cape, obscuring himself enough so that he could drop to the other side. You don’t have to be a genius to figure that out.”

I slam my palm to my forehead. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

“He’s a flashy bastard. Most people are so dazed by the flash that they don’t see the trick. Come on, he’s probably waiting for us.”

She starts walking, and I follow her lead. “Hey, I thought you were under a contract not to reveal any of his secrets?”

“He won’t mind me telling you that one. It’s kid’s stuff. The more complicated ones, now, if I told you about those he’d probably have my balls in a blender.”

I don’t point out the fact that girls don’t have balls. Although, if there was a girl to change that, it would definitely be Jessie. We walk down a side street to find Jay leaning casually against the wall of a building, smoking a cigarette with a big smile on his face. As soon as I reach him, he throws his arm around my shoulders.

“Well, what did you think?”

“You were amazing,” I tell him shyly.

Jessie snorts. “Now I know why you like having her around so much. She strokes your ego no end.”

“That’s not all she strokes,” says Jay, giving her a cheeky wink.

“Oh, my God, you did not just say that!” I look to Jessie. “He’s lying. Tell her you’re lying.”

“Now, why would I lie and tell her I’m lying?” he teases, his grin deepening by the second. God, I hate him sometimes.

“Ugh, don’t listen to him. There has been no stroking between us.”

Jay’s deep chuckle makes me shiver, and I know what I’ve said isn’t technically true, but whatever. “Okay, now that that’s all cleared up. Who wants pancakes for dinner?”

“Number one,” says Jessie. “You’re in Europe now. They’re not pancakes, they’re crepes. And number two, unless we’re talking the savoury kind, who eats crepes for dinner?”

“I still call them pancakes,” I put in. “You can do either, really. Plus, I love dessert for dinner.”

Jay’s hand moves to clasp my neck, giving it a tender squeeze. It takes me by surprise because it’s such an intimate place to touch someone. Involuntarily, I shiver.

“You see. Watson agrees with me. Pancakes it is.”

I have to try hard not to react too much to his hand placement, but there are goose pimples running all the way down my spine. His thumb brushes back and forth over my skin, giving me tingles.

When we arrive at a nearby crepe café and go inside, we get a table by the window. I order peanut butter and Nutella crepes with no small amount of delight, and Jay is so taken with my childlike glee that he goes for the same. Jessie asks for a BLT, not indulging in my “dessert for dinner” idea.

“Okay,” I say after we’ve been served our food and I’ve stuffed down half of mine already. I need a breather before I can finish it all. “I really, really, really would be forever indebted to you if you just revealed how you did one trick. Just one, that’s all I’m asking for.”

Jay wipes his mouth with a napkin, his lips forming a smirk. “When you say ‘forever indebted,’ just what are we talking about here?”

Jessie makes a foreboding sound. “No way, sweetheart. You don’t want to do that. This fucker’s a slave driver when you owe him.”

“Okay, well, maybe I won’t be forever in your debt. Perhaps I was getting a little carried away with myself. If you tell me one trick, I’ll owe you one thing in return. You can decide, but it has to be reasonable, like washing your car or something.”

Jay leans forward and steeples his fingers in front of him. “Will you wash my car topless?” he asks huskily.

My cheeks colour, and Jessie lets out a bark of a laugh. “Oh, now, that is a good idea.”

“Okay, let me amend my offer. I will owe you, but it can’t be sexual.”

“Topless isn’t sexual,” says Jay. “Topless is natural.”

“I second that,” Jessie adds.

“How about braless?” Jay goes on.

God, these two. Why do I even bother?

“Fine. I retract my offer,” I huff, sitting back in my seat and folding my arms.

“Hey, now, I never said I wouldn’t agree to nonsexual. How about this? I’ll tell you how I did one trick, and in exchange you have to come work with me the next time I do some shows in Vegas?”

I stare at him for a long time. “Uh, how is that payment? That’s a free holiday.”

“A working holiday,” Jay amends.

“Okay, you don’t have to threaten me with a free holiday twice,” I say, smiling widely. “It’s a deal.” I reach out and we shake on it, Jay clasping my hand tight.

“It’s a deal, darlin’. Now, tell me which trick you want me to explain.”

“Oh, my God,” says Jessie. “This is new. You never told me any of your secrets until I’d signed on the dotted line.”

“Matilda made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“Of course she did.”

Ignoring their banter, I try to think of which trick I want explained. It feels like there are so many. “All right, I suppose what I really want to know is how you got the Justice card drawn on Una Harris’ window. It definitely wasn’t there beforehand, and it was up way too high for you to reach.”

Jay rubs at his chin, looking around the café. “Ah, now, that one is elementary, my dear Watson. I think I’m gonna need some props for this explanation, though.” He gets up from his seat and walks over to the service counter, having a word with the guy on duty. Then he comes back carrying a shaker of paprika and a squeezy bottle of honey. Yuck, does he plan on putting those together on his pancakes?

Jessie looks a little disgruntled when he starts pushing all our plates out of the way to clear the table.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Just watch.”

Popping open the bottle of honey, he starts to pour it onto the surface of the table in quick movements. When I look down I see that he’s actually writing my name in stylish lettering. Pretty cool, but I still don’t get it. Next, he unscrews the cap on the paprika and pours some out into his hand before scattering the red spice all over the honey. Lastly, he bends down and blows hard. The excess paprika scatters away, leaving only the bits that have stuck to the honey. And there’s my name written in red.

“Okay, fancy,” I say, looking at him again, a niggling idea of his point forming in my head.

“That’s basically how I did it, though I’ll admit I had help. You remember meeting Sharon, who does wardrobe for my show?”

I nod.

“Well, she’s also a really great artist and works in unconventional mediums. Early this morning I paid the same guy you saw clean Harris’ window today to bring us up on the crane. Once there, Sharon drew an outline of the Justice card on the glass in washable glue, invisible unless you’re looking really closely. Harris’ office window is at an angle with the building next to it, so we bribed our way into the room facing Harris’. While I was holding the attention of the crowd, Sharon was there with a tube full of powdered chalk. She blew it out the window and it stuck to the glue, thus highlighting the image. The wind blew away the excess dust in only a few seconds, so the next time the crowd looked at the window, the image was there.”

Oh. That’s so fucking cool! It’s actually all very practical when explained like that. But you know what, I think I preferred not knowing. The mystery is part of the thrill. Well, at least I didn’t agree to wash his car topless.

“Happy now?” Jay asks.

“It’s certainly very clever. I don’t know how you think of these things. They’re just so slick.”

He grins. “Why, thank you.”

“But why do it on Una Harris’ office window? Isn’t that just asking for trouble?”

“Hey, I’ve kept my distance for long enough. She needs to know I’m not going to lie down and play dead while she stomps all over my career.”

“I think she’ll get the message once you file the lawsuit,” I say, and a sad thought hits me. If Dad really is going to represent Jay, then he’s probably going to have to move out. I completely forgot about that.

“You’re thinking about something you don’t like. What is it, Watson?”

I glance up at him, startled by how clearly he can read my thoughts. “Oh, nothing. Just stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

Looking down, I run my finger over the rim of my glass. “Well, if all this goes ahead, then you’re going to have to move out, and I’ve kind of gotten used to having you around,” I admit quietly.

He grabs my hand, taking it into his big warm palm. “Hey, we’re besties now, aren’t we? I’ll still be around all the time. So much you’ll probably be sick of the sight of me. Also, I won’t be moving for another few weeks until I find someplace else.”

I cough, embarrassed now. “Okay.”

“I thought I was your bestie,” Jessie teases.

“You are. I can have two besties,” Jay replies.

He holds onto my hand for another few seconds before letting it go. “Well, look at this. You didn’t want me to move in, and now you don’t want me to leave.”

“No need to be so smug about it,” I reply, narrowing my eyes at him and trying not to smile.

***

The next morning I get up early to help Dad pack. Every couple of months he and his friend Marcus go on golfing weekends down the country. Usually I don’t like being alone in the house, but since Jay is going to be here, I’m not so down about it. In fact, I’m really looking forward to being alone with him. What? I own a vagina and he’s Jay Fields; therefore, I’m allowed to be excited, even if nothing’s going to happen.

After Dad leaves, I make a trip to the fabric shop in town to stock up, planning a long weekend of dressmaking. I even have two new online orders to work on.

Arriving home, I find Jay in the garden, working out. I leave him to it for a while, then decide to go and see if he wants anything to eat. I’m being brave because it’s hard not to get all flustered when he’s sweaty and topless. Just as I’m about to walk out the door, he’s walking in, and we clash. He’s holding an energy drink, and it spills all over my top. I gasp loudly when the cold liquid hits me.

“Shit, sorry!”

Jay goes to grab some paper towels and comes back to help dry off my top. I stand there, speechless, as he dabs at the wetness. It’s one of those surreal moments where I can’t believe what’s happening is actually happening – mainly because the spillage is in the general vicinity of my boobs, and therefore, Jay is touching my boobs.

I breathe quickly when his thumb accidentally brushes my nipple through my thin bra, and his hand pauses. Every second feels like an eternity. I make the mistake of looking up into his eyes. He looks…hungry. When his hand moves again, it isn’t a dab, it’s a caress, and a strangled whimper escapes me. The paper towel falls from his hand as he full-on feels me up, still maintaining complete eye contact. If I wasn’t consumed by nerves, I’d probably slap him for being so brazen. There’s a question in his gaze.

Can we…?

His hand cups my breast, and I let out a quiet, barely audible sigh. I close my eyes.

“Matilda.” His voice is low, gravelly.

“Hmmm?”

“Look at me.”

I look at him. His other hand comes up and starts caressing my other breast, slowly, carefully, as though he’s savouring every moment. Both hands move down in unison and pinch each of my nipples. I moan loudly, and his face hovers over mine, his mouth open as though swallowing the sound.

Then he speaks. “This top is ruined. Let’s get it off you, darlin’.”

He starts to pull it up over my head, and I don’t stop him. It’s the oddest moment for me to think of yesterday, when he’d slipped his hand inside the businessman’s pocket. I hadn’t seen him take anything, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t. I’m standing in front of him in only my bra now as his eyes drink me in. My chest heaves, but the question niggles at me, pushing to be asked.

“Jay?”

“What is it, Matilda?” he purrs, stepping forward as I take a step back. When my back hits the wall, he stops, his chest a bare inch away from mine.

“What did you steal from that man yesterday?”

His brow furrows, and his head tilts to the side. “What man?”

“The one outside the newspaper building who you bumped into. I saw you slip your hand in his pocket. I remember him from the casino, you know. You couldn’t stop staring at him.”

He swears under his breath, his hand coming up to caress my face as he whispers, “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“But I did. So tell me what you took.”

“You really are my little Watson, aren’t you? Nothing escapes these baby blues,” he says, and it feels like he’s trying to distract me with the compliment.

“Jay, I want to know what you took. You can’t go stealing from people who work for the newspaper when you’re trying to build a lawsuit against them. Any tiny detail could go against you in court.”

“What if I told you no one will ever find out about it?”

“I’d still want to know. I don’t like lies.”

“This isn’t a lie. It’s a secret. One I need to keep for now, but I will tell you…someday.”

I purse my lips, suddenly irritated by the sticky energy drink that’s coating my skin. I frown and sidestep him, grabbing the top he just took off me and walking to the door.

“I need to go take a bath and wash this crap off me,” I mumble.

“Matilda.”

“It’s fine. You can keep your secrets, Jay. Just don’t expect me to fully trust you so long as you do.”

There’s an odd expression on his face as I walk out of the room, a strange mix of frustration and hurt.

Eighteen

Upstairs, I close the bathroom door and lock it before exhaling a long breath. Once I’ve gathered myself, I fill the tub. After what just happened, I don’t trust Jay not to waltz right in while I’m bathing. I’m still annoyed at him for being secretive, but I’m also regretting putting a stop to whatever it was we were doing. These days it feels like I need his touch like I need air to breathe, and it’s so seldom that I actually get it.

I strip off once the tub’s full and step in, the warm water soothing my nerves. It’s like every single one of my muscles is wound up tight.

I stay there for a long while, my eyes closed, trying to forget about Jay’s hands on me. It was so unexpected, and I can still feel him touching me, how it made me ache, made me instantly wet. It’s been so long since I’ve been with a man, and even then he wasn’t really a man, just a boy. My ex-boyfriend (and only boyfriend) was the same age I was. Neither of us really had a clue what we were doing half the time.

I can’t imagine it being like that with Jay. Granted, he’s only four years older, but he seems so much more…experienced than I am. I feel like he could teach me things I couldn’t even fathom. I see him in my head, out in the garden doing pushups on the grass, his muscles moving, flexing, sweat dripping off him.

It’s times like these that I wish I owned a vibrator. Christ, I feel like I didn’t even own a libido until Jay came into my life. Now my mind is just a churning bucket of frustration and sexual thoughts.

I remember the night he’d offered to go down on me. He probably puts just as much dedication into the act as he does everything else. My skin tingles just thinking about it, my nipples hardening in the water. My hand rests innocently on my belly, but as my erotic thoughts take over, I start to stroke my skin, breath whooshing out of me as I imagine Jay’s hand doing it.

My thighs fall apart as my fingers move lower, dancing whisper soft over my sensitive flesh, my clit throbbing to be touched. A second later I jump in fright when someone knocks on the door.

“Darlin’, can we talk?” comes Jay’s deep voice. I have to bite my lip not to moan at the sound of it. Feeling daring, I seek out my clit, rubbing it slowly. I mean, the door is locked. He’ll never know. A little thrill goes through me.

Finally, I answer quietly, “This isn’t a good time.”

I hear his body slide down the door, his bottom hitting the floor as he sits. “I’ll stay out here. I don’t like fighting with you, Watson. We’re supposed to be besties, remember?”

“I’m – I’m taking a bath, Jay. We can talk later,” I manage, trying to sound normal, but my breathing is far too laboured. I shouldn’t be touching myself with him right behind the door, but I can’t seem to help it. Reaching up, I mould my breast in my hand and pinch my nipple, sending tremors all throughout my body.

I realise that Jay’s been quiet for far too long. I didn’t make any noises, did I? No, I know I didn’t. I’m not that reckless.

“How’s your bath going?” he asks. His voice sounds different now, lower.

“I said we’ll talk later. Can you go?” I croak, unable to help sliding my fingers inside myself, my walls clenching tight around them.

There’s a smile in his voice when he goes on, “What are you doing in there, baby?”

“Nothing,” I answer, a little too quickly.

“Okay, you keep on doing nothing. I’ll just sit here while you’re at it. This spot is surprisingly comfortable.”

Bastard. I want to tell him to leave again, but I know he’s not going to. I’m on the cusp of coming, that crazy place where you’re too full of pleasure to stop. You want the release so badly that for those few insane moments you don’t care if somebody’s listening. If they know exactly what you’re doing. Embarrassment is a land far, far away.

I pinch my nipple again as I rub at my clit fast now, my foot braced against the end of the tub. I’m so close to coming, but it’s Jay’s voice that sends me over the edge.

“You making yourself feel good?” he asks, his voice a quiet, rumbling caress.

A tiny moan escapes me before I can stifle it, and I come on my hand, my entire body pulsating with the pleasure.

“Yes,” I answer softly, coming down from the high.

My heart jolts when the doorknob turns. I remember that I locked it, though, and I breathe evenly.

“What are you doing?” I demand.

“I want to come in,” he murmurs, still behind the closed door.

“I’m in the bath. Naked!”

“Exactly,” he answers. I can tell the exact smug expression he’s got on his face right now, even though I can’t see him. There’s a curious scratching sound at the lock, and I wonder what he’s up to. When the knob turns again and the door starts to open, I dive out of the tub, slamming my body against the door to keep it shut.

Keeping my body against the door, I reach over and grab a towel to cover myself.

“Did you just pick the fucking lock?” I gasp, wrapping the towel around my body.

“Another of my many talents,” Jay replies.

“You’re overstepping the line.”

His tone is dark – reprimanding, almost. “Oh, so now there’s a line. You just let me listen to you masturbate, darlin’.”

Okay, so when he puts it like that, it’s kind of hard to argue with him. Still, my immediate response is to deny everything. “I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about, but you need to get away from the door and leave me alone.”

I open it just a sliver and peek my head out to show him I mean business. Unfortunately, when his eyes lock on mine, I melt. He sucks in a breath when he sees me, his hand reaching through the crack to touch my chin. Then his thumb moves up and brushes my bottom lip.

“Fuck, look at you,” he growls.

I’m so caught up in the way he’s staring at me, like he could devour me whole, that I forget to keep my hold on the door. He pushes it open easily and pounces on me, lifting me up into his arms, my legs straddling his waist, and carrying me into my bedroom. He settles me down on the mattress, moving to brace himself above me.

“Such a temptation,” he whispers, like he’s reprimanding himself. “How the fuck do I resist this?”

I’m not anticipating it when his mouth descends on mine, taking my lips in a hard, frenzied kiss that I feel all the way to my toes. My skin grows hot and feverish. I moan into his mouth as his tongue plunders inside, tangling with mine, sliding in and out. My legs fall apart, and he pushes into me, his erection grinding hard into my sex. I feel empty, aching to have him inside me.

He hums as he kisses me, possesses me with his mouth. The sound vibrates low in my belly. When he breaks the kiss a moment later and pulls back, he looks down and swears profusely. I follow his gaze to see my towel’s fallen open and I’m 100-percent, no-holds-barred naked.

His mouth goes to my neck, licking and sucking, sending shivers down my back that culminate at the base of my spine. I could come again just from that.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs into my skin, and my heart stops. No one’s ever called me beautiful before. I’ve had pretty (from Dad), but not beautiful. Hell, I’ve never really felt beautiful until this moment, with his mouth on me, making my every pore come alive. One hand teases my nipple, the other moulding my hip.

“Hold onto the bed frame,” he says past a groan.

“W-what?” I ask, hardly able to form the word, I’m so lost to him.

He clears his throat, his eyes blazing into mine. Instead of elaborating, he takes both my wrists into his hands, raising my arms and wrapping my fingers around the wooden bars at the top of my bed.

Oh. Now I get it.

“Hold on tight,” he tells me, his gaze dark as he starts to plant kisses all the way down my body. “If you touch me, I can’t promise I won’t fuck you.”

Pleasurable shivers run down my spine. He shouldn’t have said that, because now I want to touch him. See what will happen.

I know I’m being reckless. I know he’s keeping secrets from me, but the fact is, in this moment I can’t bring myself to care. His touch makes my brain go on holiday, a long, long holiday in a faraway country. And I want him more than I want to know what he’s hiding.

He’s at my lower belly now, and I have a feeling I know where he’s headed, my anxiety ratcheting up and making me tense. I’ve never had this before, don’t know what to expect. Will I even like it?

When he reaches my mound he stops, nuzzling me with his nose and breathing in deeply. He holds himself up on his elbows, his eyes shining as he looks his fill.

“Relax,” he says tenderly, rubbing at my belly.

“I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Don’t be. You’re going to like this. In fact, you’re probably going to love it.” He gives me a devilish grin and then dips his head, his lips meeting my quivering sex with fervour. I cry out at the contact. Then he starts to lap at me with his tongue. It’s all wet and soft and absolutely heavenly; my entire body feels like it’s melting.

“J-Jason,” I say, my voice more air than sound.

He groans as he sucks my clit into his mouth. He looks so into it, like he’s enjoying this even more than I am, and that’s a massive turn-on. I want to let go of the bed and latch onto his shoulders, but he sees me move and gives me a heated look that says no. Starting at my clit, he licks a line to my entrance, his tongue slipping inside, flirting with the possibility. At this point I’ll take any part of him that he wants to put inside me. The absence of him makes me crazy, and I haven’t even had him yet to know what I’m missing.

He tongues me like that, penetrating me, like he’s actually fucking me, and I let the floodgates open, moaning with abandon. I’ve always been self-conscious about making noises during sex, but with Jay there’s no hope of holding back. He makes me lose my mind to the point that I barely recognise the needy, sex-crazed person I’ve become.

I can’t tell how much time has passed when he moves back to my clit, flicking his tongue in rapid movements that I didn’t even know were possible. God, I never want this to end. He’s looking up at me like I’m the sexiest thing he’s ever seen, and I need it to be real. I need this be about more than just sex to him. More than just an itch he wants to scratch.

“You look so fucking sexy right now. Come on my mouth,” he rasps, his hands going quickly to my hips and lifting. It takes me by surprise when he kneels up on the bed, my body at an angle with the mattress as he holds me up, his mouth still going to work on my clit. The angle makes it better, more intense. I never would have thought to do this.

His big hands splay out over my hips and lower belly, hot like fire on my skin.

“Look at me,” he demands, coming up for air.

Our eyes meet, lock. A coil tightens deep inside me, becoming more and more intense. He takes my clit between his teeth lightly then, and it shocks me how good it feels. I yelp and moan at once. Then I’m coming, long and hard, while he keeps on sucking, dragging out each tremor for all it’s worth.

I whimper as the pleasure subsides, and he wraps me up in his arms. His face rests in the crook of my neck, nuzzling behind my ear.

“Wow,” I breathe, finally finding enough strength to form words.

Jay’s quiet, affectionate laughter makes my belly flutter. “Now do you get what all the fuss is about?” he asks, his voice a soft caress.

“Mm-hmm.”

He moves his nose against my earlobe. “Good.”

We stay like that for a long time, a bizarre place where I’m naked in Jay’s arms with the freedom to enjoy the feel of his warm, bare chest pressed against me. I adore the heat of his skin, love the look in his eyes as he ate me out.

Time passes slowly, like caramel dripping luxuriously off a silver spoon. Unfortunately, the moment is broken too soon by three loud knocks on the front door. I’d almost fallen off to sleep when the noise jolts me awake. I look at the clock, remembering Michelle had said she’d drop over today.

Jay’s arms reflexively tighten around me when I try to move.

“Ignore it,” he says, eyes closed, voice sleepy.

“I have to answer it. It’s Michelle. She knows I’m here. I told her I would be.”

“Fuck.”

I smile at how annoyed he is by the prospect of breaking the little moment we’re sharing. “You need to go shower anyway. You’re still all sweaty from your workout.”

His eyes heat up as he moves to lean over me. “You love it.”

All I can manage in response is a shy smile.

Placing a soft, sweet kiss to my lips, he rolls off me and stands up. “A shower it is, then,” he says before leaving the room. I quickly grab some yoga pants and a T-shirt, throwing them on and hurrying downstairs to answer the door for Michelle. She’s ringing the bell now, getting impatient. My hair is still wet when I open the door.

“Sorry, I was in the bath,” I say as she comes inside.

She gives me a look and laughs. “Bit of a weird hour for a bath, but each to their own. Let’s go sit out on your patio. It’s a lovely day.”

I make us a selection of sandwiches and fill a jug with orange juice, bringing them all out to the deck furniture in the garden where Michelle is currently lounging. She’s wearing a yellow halter top that showcases her small but pert boobs, probably hoping to get a bit of a tan. The warm sun hits my feet, and I realise I’ve been going around barefoot, frazzled as I am by the day’s strange turn of events.

“So, any news?” Michelle asks, picking up a sandwich and taking a dainty bite.

Oh, I have news, all right. I’m not sure I want to broach the subject right now, though, not with Jay just upstairs anyway.

“Not really. You?”

She shrugs. “It was a slow week at work. Ooh, but I did see Michael Fassbender go by when I was leaving the office yesterday, so that brightened things up a little.”

“Really? Who was he with?” I ask curiously. Michelle has the uncanny luck of randomly seeing famous people in her everyday life. It’s weird. One time she was in the same queue as Gabriel Byrne in the supermarket.

“Just some old guy. At least, I think it was Michael Fassbender. It could have easily been a lookalike.”

At this Jay steps out into the garden, his hair damp and his clothes changed. Michelle eyes him as he pulls up a chair and sits. “You read my mind, Watson. I’m starving,” he says, grabbing a sandwich and eating it in one huge, hungry bite. I stare at his mouth, all too aware of where it’s just been. The heated look he gives me in return tells me he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

“Oh, yeah, help yourself,” I say sarcastically. I don’t really know what way to be around him now.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he replies, giving me a loaded stare.

When I glance at Michelle, I see her looking between the two of us, a smile tugging at her lips.

“So, you both just had baths at, hmmm” – she glances down at her watch – “two o’clock in the afternoon.”

I pretend not to get what she’s getting at, frowning. “What? I had a bath. Jay had a shower. He has his own en-suite. And why are you so concerned about our personal hygiene habits?”

Jay’s smirking, but he’s not looking at me, focusing mainly on seriously depleting our sandwich situation. I know why he’s smirking, too. I just got a little overly defensive at Michelle’s statement.

“O-kay,” says Michelle, taking a sip of her juice. “I was only making an observation.” She pauses and dusts some crumbs from her lap, then asks randomly, “So, is Jessie coming over today?”

Now it’s my turn to get curious. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something in her tone that’s different. Like she’s trying too hard to sound casual. I look to Jay.

“Is she?”

He shakes his head, his hand moving sneakily to rest on my thigh under the table. I gasp in a tiny breath but try not to make a big deal of it, not wanting Michelle to notice. “Not that I know of, darlin’.”

His voice is slicker than usual, lazier. Is this what he sounds like after making women come? He seems so…satisfied.

“Oh, well, that’s a shame. She was so much fun last week after your show,” says Michelle.

Jay raises an eyebrow, looking at Michelle in an intense way for a second. “That’s interesting.”

“What?” she asks, sitting up straighter.

Oh, no, is he reading her?

“Your pupils dilated when you were talking about Jessie,” Jay explains casually. “Do you know what that means?”

“My pupils weren’t dilated,” says Michelle in a rare moment of self-consciousness. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this before. She scratches at her neck.