Calling Me Home Read Online Free Page B

appropriate. I’d bought Christmas and birthday gifts for Emma, but she’d always told me what she wanted and I just went and got it. With Ashleigh, I’d bought her flowers because I liked the thought of her smile when she got them. “I wanted to. These don’t smell as good as you, either, but they look nice enough. You, on the other hand, look stunning.”
    “How can you say ‘nice enough’? They’re beautiful. You really shouldn’t have.”
    I wondered if she couldn’t take compliments in general, or whether it was that she just ignored the ones that came from me. She’d have to get used to it.
    I followed her into her kitchen, where she unwrapped the lilies and set about cutting off the ends and arranging them in a vase. I stood in the doorway watching her as she decided which flowers to place where in her arrangement. She did a double take when she caught me.
    “What?” she asked.
    I shrugged. “Nothing. I just like looking at you.” Every movement she made was so graceful, so unconsciously sexy.
    She smiled shyly and tilted her head to one side. The air crackled around us, and she wet her lips. Jesus, just that simple act had my cock’s attention. I wanted to know what that glossy mouth would look like wrapped around my dick. I shifted, trying to get myself under control.
    I cleared my throat. “I think we should go.”
    Ashleigh’s smile turned wicked, but she nodded. I moved into the hallway to wait and to tell my cock to stand down. She appeared a minute later, and we headed into the freezing cold, bundling ourselves into a cab as soon as we found one.
    “This is a mid-week date, right? So, I’ve not planned anything fancy. Just dinner.”
    “I’m not expecting fancy. I just want to spend some time with you fully clothed and in public. I just don’t want to skip the good bit and go straight to me moaning about you leaving the toilet seat up, or cleaning the car on a Sunday. Does that make sense?”
    I nodded. Any time I got to spend with her, no matter what we were doing, was all good with me. And the sooner we could tell Haven and Jake the better. Then we could be open about being together. Perhaps by the end of the evening I would have convinced her that we were ready to tell the world.
    I laced my fingers through hers and squeezed. “It makes perfect sense. We never have to skip to that part, though. I know that’s what it was like with Emma and me, but Haven and Jake aren’t like that, and we don’t have to be either. We can always do the fun stuff. I want to always do the fun stuff with you.”
    “Okay then. And we’re not going to Chiltern Firehouse, are we?”
    “We’re not. You don’t like it there? Just so I know for future fun stuff.”
    She glanced down at the pavement. “I just . . . I don’t like that it’s where you took Fiona. I know I told you that you should date and everything, but it doesn’t mean that . . .”
    Was I an idiot for not going to Ashleigh sooner to tell her I was ready? “I’m sorry. It wasn’t serious, and we didn’t get naked. I guess I was just—”
    “You have nothing to apologize for. Seriously.”
    “If it makes you feel any better, I’d quite happily murder Richard.”
    She laughed. It was one of my favorite sounds. Only topped by the breathy noises she made when she had my dick in her or my tongue on her. I swept my thumb across her wrist and caught her shiver in response.
    We arrived at the restaurant, an Italian place in Mayfair that had come recommended by a guy at work. I’d visited during my lunch hour just to see if it was a place Ashleigh would like.
    “Murano?” Ashleigh asked.
    “Yeah, is that okay?”
    “It’s more than okay. I’ve always wanted to come here. I thought you said tonight was nothing fancy?”
    I grinned. I’d chosen the right place.
    “Mr. Daniels, nice to see you again,” the host said as we arrived.
    I watched as Ashleigh’s face dropped. I could tell she thought I’d been here with another