Page 93 of In The Dark

Did you brush your hair? x

Jo laughed and shook her head.

Are you saying I didn’t manage to seduce you with my feral morning look? x

God, she could sit here all day long texting back and forth with Amelia.

I’m saying if I didn’t need clothes, I would have cancelled the world around me and stayed. Does that give you an idea? x

Jo’s heart warmed.

Maybe you should come back over as soon as you’re done there. I don’t even care that I’m feeling extra needy today. It’s your fault! x

Jo set her phone down, picked up her coffee again, and tried to look at the screen without instantly switching back to their thread. She managed all of five minutes.

What if you came to mine tonight? I know you’re off tomorrow, so I shuffled a meeting to Thursday. We could do dinner and wine. Spend together tomorrow and maybe enjoy more of whatever last night was…

Jo’s stomach fluttered. She wanted to. God, shereallywanted to. And not just for the sex, though that had been…well, incredible. But because she liked the quiet between them…the teasing. The way Amelia looked at her like she was someone who mattered.

You shuffled a meeting? For me? I feel special x

Amelia had always been one of those women who made sure you knew how she felt about you. Only now, they meant so much more to one another than they had just a few days ago.

You are special. Don’t make me come back there and tell you to your face x

Okay, that was it. Jo couldn’t concentrate on anything other than Amelia for the rest of the day. Maybe she should just sit with this instead. Maybe she should just enjoy feeling wanted by a woman who meant so much to her.

I accept your offer, but you’re cooking! I still haven’t recovered from the risotto you made me a few months ago x

Jo exhaled a deep breath and closed the lid of her laptop.

I’ll make something better. It’s a date x

A date. God, a date with Amelia Loughlin.

She stared down at those words, her breath catching when they sank in. She hadn’t been on a real date in a long time and certainly not one with someone like Amelia.

Can I bring anything? x

Glancing at the clock in the corner of her screen, Jo rose to her feet. This was an important evening for them, and she wanted to be ready the moment Amelia gave her the go-ahead to go over there.

Just yourself. Maybe…an overnight bag and a toothbrush x

Jo placed a hand to her chest and sighed. Amelia and an overnight bag had never gone together before today. Then she smirked, aware of just what this woman was capable of.

You planning to make me forget my own name? x

That was exactly what Jo needed. A night of sheer bliss with the woman she loved.

Only if you ask nicely x

Jo slipped off into her bedroom, smiling when she caught Amelia’s scent still lingering in the air. She wasn’t getting anything else done today, and honestly, the idea of seeing Amelia tonight already made everything else seem optional.

She flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, the faint echo of last night still tingling along her skin. That was when Jo realised something.

She was happy, truly happy, and for the first time since all of this started, it didn’t scare her.

Jo lay backon the couch, her phone balanced on her stomach while she waited for her call to connect with Ada. She’d spent the last couple of hours bored to tears, but she had yet to hear from Amelia. The call rang twice before Ada picked up, and Jo could already feel the suspicion seeping down the line.