Page 52 of In The Dark

Because there she was…heading towards her, completely oblivious to the fact.

Amelia.

Striding down the high street like she owned it in her heels, expensive tailored overcoat, and that luscious hair catching in the wind in that way that made Jo forget her own name. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected after days of not seeing Amelia in person, but it wasn’t this.

Amelia, flushed from the cold, her cheeks pink, her eyes lit up as though she’d just come out of averygood meeting.Because she had, hadn’t she? She’d mentioned something about meeting with an architect for a new place and a development she was working on. She recalled the brief mention of being on site throughout this week. As Jo gazed at Amelia, she couldn’t love that look on her face any more than she already did.

Jo could have turned and ducked into the bookshop, pretending not to have seen her, but her feet betrayed her. She stood there, her heart situated in her throat, her face burning as Amelia caught sight of her.

The smile she wore wasn’t a casual, polite one. No, it was as real as they came.

Still, Jo felt as though the pavement was going to swallow her whole the moment Amelia made a beeline for her.

As she watched her approach, Jo suddenly became acutely aware ofeverything. The weight of her phone in her coat pocket, the memory of that phone call still vivid in her mind. Her own voice in her head and the moaning as she breathlessly said Amelia’s name when she came.

Fuck!

And then there was the text exchange. The lingerie, the lace…the photo shoot. Jo nearly groaned out loud. She cast her gaze to the ground just as Amelia reached her.

“Jo,” Amelia said, a little surprised but as light-hearted as always. “I didn’t think I’d be bumping into you.”

“Yeah.” Jo tried to meet Amelia’s eyes, but it was a struggle. “The city’s small when you need it not to be, huh?”

Amelia tilted her head. “Are you okay?”

Nope. Not in the slightest.“Yeah.” Jo gestured at the bag on her shoulder. “Just got some bits to pick up. Lenses and that. For a job next week.”

“Ah.” Amelia tucked her hands into her coat pockets, the wind catching her scarf and whipping it around her collar. “I’vejust come from a site meeting. I feel like I’ve been out in this wind for hours.”

“You look…gorgeous.”

Shit. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

A slow smile curled on Amelia’s lips. “Thanks.”

Jo’s eyes darted down the street, praying she could find an escape route if this conversation became any more awkward. “So, um…we’re still on for Friday?”

“Absolutely. If you still wanted to talk.”

Jo exhaled a shaky breath. “Yeah. I do.”

When they both fell silent, Amelia’s gaze lingered, searching Jo’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jo nearly laughed. Not because it was funny, but because all of this was absurd. “I’m not gonna lie,” she muttered, briefly finding Amelia’s eyes and then looking back down at the pavement. “It’s weird seeing you after that call.”

“Hey.” Amelia stepped closer and lowered her voice. “I get it. It was…unexpected.”

“I mean, I know we’ve been playing around with words. But that wasn’t just words, was it?”

“No.” Amelia’s silky voice sent the hairs on the back of Jo’s neck upright. “It wasn’t.”

Jo nodded, her mouth running dry, and every nerve ending buzzing from the mere fact that she was standing a foot away from Amelia. “I’ve been panicking about it since it happened. Maybe I’ve even been avoiding you.” Jo swallowed. “I’ve never done anything like that with someone I wasn’t, you know, sleeping with.”

Amelia reached out her hand and stroked her fingertips up the inside of Jo’s wrist. “I don’t want you to feel embarrassed.”

Jo laughed, even though her stomach was doing somersaults. “It’s a little late for that.”

“You also don’t have to justify anything to me or explain why it happened.”