Page 72 of Endgame

‘We’re not, but we have supplies again and time tonight is precious. Any requests, seeing as I’ll be gone all week?’

‘Yes. Please can you make your love bites last? You?’

‘Dig your nails in. Your cute little short-nailed scratches on my back remind me of you.’

‘I didn’t know you had a kink!’

Caleb stops and then suddenly erupts with laughter, making me laugh too.

‘Ariella Mason, what do you know about kinks?’

‘Enough for me to recognise one and wonder what mine could be. It’d be exciting to find out.’

‘What the hell do you think your absolute obsession with my love bites is? You, my little Mason, are very kinky.’

Caleb’s hand travels above my vest, finds my nipple and brushes his palm lightly over it, making me gasp as my back arches instinctively.

My boyfriend then chuckles to himself, before he covers my mouth with his.

At the end of the next day, MsPat, for the very first time, turns up at the Ivory Bow office with a shopping bag, an invitation to Tekka Market in Little India and a message from Caleb.

Mason, I’ll probably be about eight hours into my flight right now, but if MsPat is showing you this she’s an angel. Block off this time in your diary every week and use it to explore. She’ll bewith you for as many weeks as you want the training wheels to stay on. I love you. Go. Have fun.

And that’s where I am when the text comes through from Lydia. Following the recovery of her mobile phone and wallet, Melissa Chang has been officially declared missing.

SIXTEEN

CALEB

Melissa Chang is not missing. I don’t know what she’s playing at, but I’m sure that little psycho is fine. Thankfully, she’s Kevin’s problem now and none of my business. I send Lydia a reply to her message.

I’m sure she’ll pop up eventually. She always does. Wedding recap over whisky when I get back?

Our flat is chilly when I get in. Referring to it as ours again makes me smile. Thanks to the time difference, it’s only noon on Monday, and I’m not due at Ivory Bow until tomorrow morning. I send a quick text to Ariella to let her know I’m home, to put her mind at ease. My tummy flips when I think about how sincerely she asked me to promise to let her know when I got home safely.

Home safely Mason. How is my bite?

Which one?

You know the one.

Tender. Stop it, I’m in public. Thank you for what you did. MsPat is teaching me the art of aggressive negotiation. I love you so much.

I can’t wait to come back home to you.

I’ll be waiting. Impatiently.

I call an emergency locksmith and organise the same-day cleaning service I used last time. I then shower, sort through my post and catch up on some work before the locksmith turns up to break into Ariella’s room.

I spend the rest of the afternoon replacing our items around the flat. I put back her clothes that I moved from my drawers, and place some of my clothes back in hers. Her shampoo, conditioner and spare toothbrush are returned to the space I cleared on my shower shelf for her. Then I carefully check the spices I packed away, chuck the ones that have expired and diligently place the good ones in the spaces she reserved for them. I re-hang the print she loves and put our framed cheesy image back on the shelf. I make sure it feels like home again before I text Tim and Jack.

Boys! Pub quiz tonight?

Tim replies first:

Why do they keep letting you back into the country? I’m up for it.

Jack joins in:

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