This Man Confessed
Page 56
I practically push her into a chair. ‘Okay, Matthews. Spill.’ We’ve got way past the fun excuses, so she’d better not even try. Not now my brother is involved, even if I don’t particularly like him at the moment.
‘So,’ she begins, all chirpy and unfazed by my sharp order, ‘It’s official then?’
‘What?’ I sit down opposite her.
‘The baby,’ she nods at my stomach. ‘You’re not getting rid of it.’
‘Kate!’ I blurt on a shocked whisper, making a quick check of the nearby tables. We’re safe, but her hard-hearted words have hit a nerve and for the first time since all of this sank in, my hand rests on my tummy protectively. And I feel untold guilt.
She smiles. ‘Ava, I knew you’d never see that through.’
I’m a little speechless. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’
‘You needed to figure it out.’ She looks across to the men, who are all chatting at the bar. ‘I don’t get him, but look at that face.’ she says, smiling fondly at Jesse. ‘I was a breath away from telling him, Ava.’
I knew she would be. I follow her eyes and see a very happy man, but he’s always happy when we’re together, or he’s always happy when I’m conceding to him and his impossible ways. Whichever, I can’t deny how happy it makes me to see him like this and to know it’s me who does it—me and now his little peanut, too. Jesse catches my eye and flips me a wink, sending a comforting, warm shot of contentment deep into my heart, but then I remember that I have a friend with some explaining to do.
‘Hey!’ I blurt across the table. ‘It’s time to explain yourself.’
Kate returns her body forward and gives me a tired look. I don’t appreciate it. ‘I’ve told your brother to go back to Australia.’
‘Oh?’ I lean forward, utterly rapt by this news. ‘And is he?’
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know, but I haven’t heard from him since Saturday.’
‘I knew he was there.’ I’m scowling. ‘What happened?’
‘Sam happened.’ she answers quietly. ‘It’s not ideal, but we’re going to work on it.’
‘You mean The Manor?’
‘Well, yeah.’
‘Then why are you here now?’ I ask. If they are working on eradicating The Manor and all things kink from their relationship, then wouldn’t it make sense to avoid this place?
‘We’re having a drink.’
‘But won’t you be tempted to…’ I can feel myself burning red, and I could kick myself for it. ‘you know…’ I look up at the ceiling. ‘get your fix?’
Kate bursts into a hysterical fit of laughter, her palms hitting the table, making me jump back. ‘Oh, Ava. Considering you’re married to the man who owns this place, your primness is laughable.’
‘Clearly,’ I scoff, a little offended. I am not prim.
She gets her laughter under control and smiles fondly at me. I might not be delighted by her humour, but I’m more than happy to see her back to her old self. ‘We’re only going to have sex with each other from now on.’ Her face is somewhere between amusement and complete seriousness—amusement because I know my mouth has just fallen open, and seriousness because I know that despite her open-mindedness and blasé approach to her relationship with Sam, she really likes him, and that has never happened.
I close my gaping mouth. ‘I’m happy for you.’ I’m ecstatic, in fact. ‘So why are you here again?’
‘There are private suites.’ She grins.
‘Your bedroom is private!’
‘It is, but it’s not…’ her grin widens. ‘furnished suitably.’
My lips clamp shut, my eyes widen… and I laugh. Holy shit, the filthy little minx! ‘You have no shame.’ I’m really laughing, tears and all. It feels so good to be sharing this with my fiery friend, even if the topic up for discussion is a million miles away from what either of us would have guessed we’d be chuckling about just a few months ago. Plush sex clubs, The Lord of the Sex Manor—to whom I’m now married and with whom I’m having a child—and sexy, cute members of said Manor, one of which Kate is experimenting with. My life has turned upside down and inside out.
‘I can’t believe you.’ I snort. ‘And who have you and Sam invited to play? Before you made this new rule, I mean.’
Her blue eyes dance in delight. ‘A certain dashing, black haired moody type.’
‘No!’
She nods with wide eyes. ‘Just as moody in the bedroom. It’s hot!’
‘Fuck off!’
‘I will not!’ She measures out at least eight inches between her palms. ‘And he’s fucking brilliant with it.’
‘Oh God! Stop!’ I blurt on a hushed snort.
She falls back in her chair and fights to keep her laughter under control. ‘He might be good, but he can’t match Sam for stamina and skill.’ She sighs on a smile. ‘And he doesn’t make me laugh like that adorable twat.’
I can’t help the huge smile invading my face. She’s not said in as many words, but she’s just admitted to liking Sam. We have a breakthrough, and I’m so happy. ‘You don’t know how pleased I am to finally hear you say that.’
‘Yes, I do.’ Kate retorts dryly, leaning across the table. ‘Let me just tell you one more thing, and then we speak no more of Mr Moody, okay?’
‘Ooh, this sounds interesting.’ I mirror her pose, leaning in myself so our faces are only a few inches away from each other. ‘Dish.’
‘He has a piercing.’
‘Nipple?’ I ask, far too enthralled, but she shakes her head. I sit up straight and measure roughly eight inches between my palms. She nods. ‘No!’ I look over to the reserved, stand-offish Drew, my eyes automatically dropping to his crotch.
‘You won’t see it through his jeans, Ava.’ Kate chuckles, and I’m off again, too. Uncontrollable, belly clenching, might pee my knickers laughter. Through my tears, I see Kate stick her tongue in her cheek. ‘I nearly cracked a tooth.’
‘Please!’ I’m falling all over my chair. I’m helpless.
‘Something funny?’
I battle to pull myself together and wipe my eyes, looking up at my Lord of the Sex Manor, who’s staring down at his giggling wife with a bemused look plastered all over his face. ‘No, nothing.’ I bet he knew about this, which was why he persistently told me to mind my own business.
I refuse to look at her because I know she’s waiting for it, but I’m not giving her the chance to increase my fit of laughter with a private quip or a funny look.
Jesse sits down next to me. ‘Here’s your dinner.’ He signals Pete, who’s wandering over with a tray.
‘Ooh, I’m starving.’ I get myself comfy in my chair and smile a thanks when my steak is placed in front of me. ‘Medium?’ I ask, shoving a potato straight in my mouth.
Pete smiles fondly. ‘Just to your liking, Ava.’ He hands me a knife and fork, and then sets Jesse’s plate down. ‘Can I get you anything else, sir?’
‘So,’ she begins, all chirpy and unfazed by my sharp order, ‘It’s official then?’
‘What?’ I sit down opposite her.
‘The baby,’ she nods at my stomach. ‘You’re not getting rid of it.’
‘Kate!’ I blurt on a shocked whisper, making a quick check of the nearby tables. We’re safe, but her hard-hearted words have hit a nerve and for the first time since all of this sank in, my hand rests on my tummy protectively. And I feel untold guilt.
She smiles. ‘Ava, I knew you’d never see that through.’
I’m a little speechless. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’
‘You needed to figure it out.’ She looks across to the men, who are all chatting at the bar. ‘I don’t get him, but look at that face.’ she says, smiling fondly at Jesse. ‘I was a breath away from telling him, Ava.’
I knew she would be. I follow her eyes and see a very happy man, but he’s always happy when we’re together, or he’s always happy when I’m conceding to him and his impossible ways. Whichever, I can’t deny how happy it makes me to see him like this and to know it’s me who does it—me and now his little peanut, too. Jesse catches my eye and flips me a wink, sending a comforting, warm shot of contentment deep into my heart, but then I remember that I have a friend with some explaining to do.
‘Hey!’ I blurt across the table. ‘It’s time to explain yourself.’
Kate returns her body forward and gives me a tired look. I don’t appreciate it. ‘I’ve told your brother to go back to Australia.’
‘Oh?’ I lean forward, utterly rapt by this news. ‘And is he?’
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know, but I haven’t heard from him since Saturday.’
‘I knew he was there.’ I’m scowling. ‘What happened?’
‘Sam happened.’ she answers quietly. ‘It’s not ideal, but we’re going to work on it.’
‘You mean The Manor?’
‘Well, yeah.’
‘Then why are you here now?’ I ask. If they are working on eradicating The Manor and all things kink from their relationship, then wouldn’t it make sense to avoid this place?
‘We’re having a drink.’
‘But won’t you be tempted to…’ I can feel myself burning red, and I could kick myself for it. ‘you know…’ I look up at the ceiling. ‘get your fix?’
Kate bursts into a hysterical fit of laughter, her palms hitting the table, making me jump back. ‘Oh, Ava. Considering you’re married to the man who owns this place, your primness is laughable.’
‘Clearly,’ I scoff, a little offended. I am not prim.
She gets her laughter under control and smiles fondly at me. I might not be delighted by her humour, but I’m more than happy to see her back to her old self. ‘We’re only going to have sex with each other from now on.’ Her face is somewhere between amusement and complete seriousness—amusement because I know my mouth has just fallen open, and seriousness because I know that despite her open-mindedness and blasé approach to her relationship with Sam, she really likes him, and that has never happened.
I close my gaping mouth. ‘I’m happy for you.’ I’m ecstatic, in fact. ‘So why are you here again?’
‘There are private suites.’ She grins.
‘Your bedroom is private!’
‘It is, but it’s not…’ her grin widens. ‘furnished suitably.’
My lips clamp shut, my eyes widen… and I laugh. Holy shit, the filthy little minx! ‘You have no shame.’ I’m really laughing, tears and all. It feels so good to be sharing this with my fiery friend, even if the topic up for discussion is a million miles away from what either of us would have guessed we’d be chuckling about just a few months ago. Plush sex clubs, The Lord of the Sex Manor—to whom I’m now married and with whom I’m having a child—and sexy, cute members of said Manor, one of which Kate is experimenting with. My life has turned upside down and inside out.
‘I can’t believe you.’ I snort. ‘And who have you and Sam invited to play? Before you made this new rule, I mean.’
Her blue eyes dance in delight. ‘A certain dashing, black haired moody type.’
‘No!’
She nods with wide eyes. ‘Just as moody in the bedroom. It’s hot!’
‘Fuck off!’
‘I will not!’ She measures out at least eight inches between her palms. ‘And he’s fucking brilliant with it.’
‘Oh God! Stop!’ I blurt on a hushed snort.
She falls back in her chair and fights to keep her laughter under control. ‘He might be good, but he can’t match Sam for stamina and skill.’ She sighs on a smile. ‘And he doesn’t make me laugh like that adorable twat.’
I can’t help the huge smile invading my face. She’s not said in as many words, but she’s just admitted to liking Sam. We have a breakthrough, and I’m so happy. ‘You don’t know how pleased I am to finally hear you say that.’
‘Yes, I do.’ Kate retorts dryly, leaning across the table. ‘Let me just tell you one more thing, and then we speak no more of Mr Moody, okay?’
‘Ooh, this sounds interesting.’ I mirror her pose, leaning in myself so our faces are only a few inches away from each other. ‘Dish.’
‘He has a piercing.’
‘Nipple?’ I ask, far too enthralled, but she shakes her head. I sit up straight and measure roughly eight inches between my palms. She nods. ‘No!’ I look over to the reserved, stand-offish Drew, my eyes automatically dropping to his crotch.
‘You won’t see it through his jeans, Ava.’ Kate chuckles, and I’m off again, too. Uncontrollable, belly clenching, might pee my knickers laughter. Through my tears, I see Kate stick her tongue in her cheek. ‘I nearly cracked a tooth.’
‘Please!’ I’m falling all over my chair. I’m helpless.
‘Something funny?’
I battle to pull myself together and wipe my eyes, looking up at my Lord of the Sex Manor, who’s staring down at his giggling wife with a bemused look plastered all over his face. ‘No, nothing.’ I bet he knew about this, which was why he persistently told me to mind my own business.
I refuse to look at her because I know she’s waiting for it, but I’m not giving her the chance to increase my fit of laughter with a private quip or a funny look.
Jesse sits down next to me. ‘Here’s your dinner.’ He signals Pete, who’s wandering over with a tray.
‘Ooh, I’m starving.’ I get myself comfy in my chair and smile a thanks when my steak is placed in front of me. ‘Medium?’ I ask, shoving a potato straight in my mouth.
Pete smiles fondly. ‘Just to your liking, Ava.’ He hands me a knife and fork, and then sets Jesse’s plate down. ‘Can I get you anything else, sir?’
