No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

68 - Missing Half Of Me When We're Apart

"Oh my God!" I squealed, flinging myself at Harry and throwing my arms around his neck, so hard that he stumbled and gave a low chuckle that vibrated deliciously through his chest. I squeezed him tightly and then lifted my head and kissed him excitedly on the lips. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you too much," he said, with a casual yet shy shrug. "I thought I'd come back early and surprise you."

I put my arms around him again and buried my face in his tshirt. "I'm so glad you're here," I mumbled. "I missed you too. I've been counting down the days until I would see you again."

He squeezed me too, and kissed the top of my head gently.

"Good surprise, then?"

"Amazing surprise!" I beamed, accepting the bouquet of flowers and another kiss. "Thank you - these are beautiful. Come in. I actually thought you were our dinner arriving, but this is way better."

"Our dinner?" he repeated as we climbed the stairs to my flat.

"Um, yeah, Callie's here," I said nervously as I opened the door. "We ordered Indian."

Callie appeared in the kitchen doorway and raised her eyebrows in surprise at the sight of Harry. "Oh! I didn't know you were coming too," she said, and her gaze flicked to the flowers in my hand and then up to Harry's face.

"Sorry for interrupting," he said. "I didn't know you'd be here either. I came back early to surprise Jess."

There was an awkward pause for a moment, while Callie looked suitably impressed, and while my brain raced to find a solution to this. I desperately wanted to spend the evening with Harry now he had turned up, but I didn't want to ask Callie to leave. 

"We can do this another time," she offered. "I know you haven't seen each other for ages. And she's missed you," she added, addressing Harry directly.

"I've missed her, too," he replied, smiling down at me with such deep affection that I felt a rush of heat surge through my body.

"I'll leave you to it," she said, walking into the lounge to pick up her bag.

"You don't have to leave on my account," Harry said, frowning, before I could reply. "Jess said you'd ordered dinner."

"Well, you can have mine, if you want," she said graciously.

"Or we could ring them and add on an order for Harry too?" I suggested. "Come on, stay. It would be good for the three of us to hang out together."

Callie glanced at Harry and then at me, and broke into a smile. "If you're absolutely sure you don't mind? I really don't want to be the third wheel."

"Course you won't," I insisted, beaming at the idea of the two of them agreeing to spend an evening in each other's company. I had a feeling that if Callie would just give Harry a proper chance she might change her opinion of him, and vice versa.

"I'll put the wine in the kitchen," Harry said, slipping past me and setting it down on the countertop next to the fridge. "It's red, I hope you like that?"

He was directing this question at Callie - he already knew I liked red.

"Hey, if it's got alcohol in it, it's fine with me," she called back as he slipped his coat and hat off and unwound the scarf from around his neck.

I followed Harry into the kitchen and pulled a vase out of the cupboard for the flowers. "These are just amazing," I murmured, and he smiled at me shyly. "Grab a wine glass - we've got a bottle of white already open in the lounge," I told him, and he reached up to the cabinet to retrieve one, his jumper riding up in the process so I got a good view of the ferns inked just above his hips. The sight made my stomach flip.