Page 10 of Heal You (The Study You #3)

Jan arched her back, moaning into the silence of the room as she came down from an intense orgasm.

For the first time since she’d left Phil, Jan had found herself overcome with arousal.

Unable to concentrate, she had taken to her bed some two hours ago, only now releasing the pent-up tension her body had been holding onto.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and panted.

She hadn’t expected to come so hard, but it was what she was focused on that had her worried and confused.

As she’d slipped her fingers inside herself, Morgan had been solely on her mind.

As she’d forced her heels into the mattress and sunk deeper, she had imagined Morgan’s fingers inside her.

Bringing her to the edge as she whispered filth in her ear.

Jan shuddered and relaxed into the bed. Did she need to process whatever this was she was feeling? Most probably. Only she didn’t want to. It had been a joy to have Morgan on her mind in that moment. Jan just prayed she would be able to look Morgan in the eye the next time they saw one another.

“Oh, this is a mess.”

In her head, perhaps, but when Jan was with Morgan, she found herself unable to focus on anything other than the woman in question.

Morgan made her feel as though everything wasn’t so terrible right now.

She made her want to pick up her life and move it onto a path far more exciting than what she’d subjected herself to over the last few years.

Jan wasn’t ready to admit her marriage had been falling miserably, but it was true.

For the most part, it seemed Jan had been holding onto the beautiful weekend she’d recently spent with her husband.

But if she pushed those very few days to the back of her mind, the affair was beginning to make sense.

It didn’t absolve Phil of anything, but it did make sense to Jan.

Perhaps ‘sense’ was the wrong word for her realisation, but Jan was beginning to understand that the life she’d portrayed hadn’t quite been so truthful.

She turned on her side and spied her phone on the bedside table.

She hadn’t seen Morgan for a couple of days now, but that wasn’t anything unusual.

Until last week, they hadn’t really had much of a conversation with one another.

Jan had briefly found herself looking in Morgan’s direction, but no sooner had she done so…

she had stopped. She hadn’t allowed her mind to wander when it came to women in many years, but around Morgan, she found it too easy.

She found it normal and natural. Morgan, the beautiful bartender, certainly made Jan feel some kind of way.

A way she wanted to explore.

But a way she knew would cause a lot of confusion.

She reached for her phone and chewed her lip.

Could she drop Morgan a message to say hi?

Could she ask if she would be free in the coming days?

Morgan had given Jan her number, and they’d already exchanged a few messages, but Jan wasn’t sure sending a message out of the blue would be wise.

She never wanted Morgan to think she had to respond.

She told you she enjoys being with you.

Jan smiled as she held her phone to her chest and rolled onto her back.

She had noticed the way Morgan looked at her.

She also had the reminder of what Morgan had said at the back of her mind.

Morgan…found Jan attractive. God, you’re out of your mind if you think anything could happen between you .

Jan sighed, aware that she wasn’t in the right frame of mind for anything meaningful at the moment.

She could just about manage to find the strength to leave her hotel room since she’d left Morgan outside the hotel the other night.

But—and she had to wonder if this was true—she believed she was dragging her feet this weekend because she had no concrete plans to see Morgan.

Fuck it. Text her.

Jan brought their very short message thread up on the screen and scrolled through the conversation they’d had since Morgan had so kindly handed her number over to Jan.

She smiled as she read the messages, reminded of just how supportive Morgan had been so far.

Yes, it had only been a week— almost —since Jan had left her marriage, but she had been there for Jan, regardless of the length of time.

Hi.

Jan tutted and deleted the single word she had written.

What did she even say to Morgan? She couldn’t exactly start with, ‘Hi, I’ve just fucked myself while I was thinking about you’.

Maybe if they knew one another better and something had happened between them, then that would be the perfect conversation starter, but nothing had happened, and nothing would.

Jan sat up against the headboard and closed her eyes. This wasn’t healthy, and it wasn’t sensible. But she’d spent a significant number of years being the sensible one. So what if she wanted to let go and enjoy life for the brief moment it was possible.

Hi. I don’t know if you have plans, but I wondered if you’d like to see one another at some point this week? As you are aware, I have very little to do with my time, and we seem to enjoy the spontaneity.

Okay, that wasn’t too much, right? Jan quickly hit send before she could delete the message again. She didn’t expect Morgan to reply any time soon—she was likely preparing the bar for opening—but she would look forward to a response at some point later this evening.

As Jan locked her phone and lowered it to the bed, it pinged. Her heart shot up into her throat, but most of all, she was wet all over again at the mere thought of Morgan.

Hey! I was just thinking about you. I’m working tonight, but you’re welcome to come over here and grace my bar with your beautiful presence.

Morgan had been thinking about her? Oh my. Jan felt her cheeks beginning to heat. She didn’t know why Morgan made her feel that way, but she was a very attractive woman. Perhaps she was just choosing to focus on that fact without realising it.

You wouldn’t mind? I don’t want your customers to talk…

Morgan started to reply immediately.

Talk about what? Whether I’d ever be lucky enough to call you mine, or whether you’re considering an AA meeting?

Jan squeezed her thighs together.

Why would Morgan hint at something like a relationship if she wasn’t thinking it?

The latter. I could be accused of sleeping with worse people.

Jan considered whether that was too forward, but if she was learning anything about Morgan, it was that she found the humour in most situations.

Now, now, Jan. Don’t hint at a good time!

Jan laughed out loud at that. Morgan had responded exactly the way Jan hoped she would.

Then, another message came through.

Seriously, you should come to the bar this evening. You help my shift to go much quicker when you’re here.

God, Morgan was going to make it painfully difficult to be around her. Jan felt it as she stared down at the screen.

Maybe I’ll surprise you. Who knows?

She locked her phone and threw it to the end of the bed. If she couldn’t reach it, she wouldn’t continue texting Morgan. The longer she did, the more she knew she would end up flirting with her.

Jan shifted back down the bed and smiled.

Whatever she was feeling, she was running with it.

It sure as hell beat sitting here thinking about the worst she was dealing with.

She slowly lowered her hand down her stomach and moaned when her fingertips reached her clit again.

Fuck, she was sensitive. Her body was craving something far more than this.

But for now, she would enjoy being in the most beautiful place in her head.

A place where Phil and her failed marriage didn’t exist, but Morgan did.

* * *

Rushed off her feet, Morgan served customer after customer, dying to reach out and grab the coffee she’d made herself well over thirty minutes ago.

Tyler was taking care of one end of the bar while Morgan focused on the other.

She’d always known showing football matches would bring in more people, but she hadn’t expected the bar to be this packed tonight.

It was only a league game for a championship team.

She handed change to one customer and moved along to the next.

Ben had been pulling pints of their bestselling beer, ready to hand out as soon as one was ordered, and he was now on his fifth lot of pulling.

At least . Morgan eyed him as she took one of the few left beneath the bar. “Thanks, Ben. This was a great idea.”

“Most people want beer. It just made sense to have some ready to go.”

Morgan didn’t know what she would do without her bar staff most of the time.

She would also admit to not pre-empting the sheer volume of people.

Still, they had a good system going now, and the match would be over soon.

Once the TV was turned off, Morgan would have a minute to gather herself and get back to work.

She likely wouldn’t have the chance to grab something to eat until she finished in a few hours.

Thank God she wasn’t working until close.

As Morgan set two beers down on the counter, she took a ten-pound note from her customer and rang it up. It was becoming a mindless task now. And then she caught that familiar scent. Jan’s perfume. Morgan turned her head to the right, beaming a smile when Jan stood waiting patiently. “Hey!”

“Busy tonight.” Jan leaned over the bar a little, her blue eyes captivating against her dark eye makeup. “Makes sense, though. This is the best bar in town, after all.”

“Yeah. It’ll quieten down soon. It’s because of the footy,” Morgan said, thrilled that Jan had decided to turn up. She also appreciated the compliment about the bar. “Do you have a seat?”

“You must be joking. I just about made it through the door.”

Morgan eyed the guy who had been sitting on the high table in the corner for the last couple of hours.

He had a spare stool, even if several people had already asked if it was in use.

Morgan knew it wasn’t. He often came in here, and he was always alone.

She approached him and smiled. “It’s okay if I take this?

” She nodded towards the stool as she lifted it.

“It’s been free since you walked in here now. ”

He shrugged and murmured something, but Morgan didn’t have time to ask him to repeat what he’d said. She took the stool and positioned it right next to the small walkway entrance behind the bar. She held out a hand and helped Jan up onto it.

“There you go. Now, you have no reason at all to leave.” Morgan winked as she turned away from Jan, poured a glass of red, and then set it down in front of her.

“Thank you.” Jan smiled. “For the drink and the seat.”

“I look after my customers. Especially the pretty ones.” Morgan knew she was flirting, but she didn’t care. After spending several moments with Jan over the last week, it had only heightened everything she’d been pushing down. “How are you?”

“Good. I’ve had a relaxing day.”

Morgan groaned inwardly. She would give anything for a relaxing day at the minute. There always seemed to be one thing or another that she needed to tackle. “Maybe I’ll have one of those in the near future.”

“No days off on the horizon?” Jan wrinkled her nose as she brought her glass of wine closer. “Don’t forget that you are the owner, Morgan.”

“I have tomorrow off. I just know I’ll end up taking care of something that crops up. I usually do.” Morgan was aware that she needed to make time for herself. But once she ended up down here, it seemed easier to help out if she had no plans.

“Well, you’ll have to make yourself available tomorrow evening. No ifs, no buts.”

Morgan eyed the date on her watch and frowned. She didn’t have anything planned, and if she did, she was certain she hadn’t mentioned it to Jan. “Do I? Why?”

“Because I’m coming over.” Jan shrugged and scanned the bar. “If it’ll keep you out of here for the night, I can suffer through it.”

Morgan smirked as she approached Jan. She turned her face away from the customers and dipped her head towards Jan’s ear. “If you keep showing up here, I’m going to find it very hard to bury the attraction I’ve always had towards you. I hope you realise that.”

Jan turned her own head until their cheeks were pressed together and said, “You’ll just have to learn to keep your hands to yourself.”

Morgan took her bottom lip between her teeth while Jan couldn’t see her doing so, hoping to God the arousal wouldn’t be evident on her face when their eyes met again.

She gathered her thoughts and took a step back.

“So long as I don’t wake up again to find you half-naked in my living room, I think we’ll do just fine. ”

“That wasn’t intentional.”

Morgan cocked her head. “Well, that’s a shame. That was the best morning I’ve had in a long time.” Morgan looked at Jan’s lips, then back up at her eyes. “I was waiting for you to drop the towel.”

A redness spread on Jan’s cheeks, but it didn’t seem as though she had any intention of admonishing Morgan. She just smirked and dipped her eyes. “Should I repeat what I said to you that morning?”

Morgan couldn’t recall what that was, so she simply shrugged.

“I called you a womaniser.” Jan narrowed her eyes slightly. “But now that I know you a little better, I was wrong.”

“Oh?” Morgan quirked a brow, aware that customers were waiting to be served. “What makes you think that you’re wrong?”

“I’ve been in here now when many women are around, and you haven’t once done anything to give me that impression of you.”

Huh. Good observation. “No, I reserve the womanising for certain women in particular.”

Jan pursed her lips and looked away, but Morgan could see the slight smile she wore. God, she loved that smile. “Interesting.”

“It…could be.” Morgan winked and turned to one of her customers.

“What can I get you?” She chanced a look in Jan’s direction as he reeled off his order, surprised that Jan was staring back at Morgan with an unusual look in her eyes.

Was that…arousal? Surely not. She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at her customer. “Coming right up.”