A little while later, in near darkness, Mattie used the torchlight on her phone to illuminate the stone steps leading back to the cottage.
“I need a shower. There’s sand in places that it has no right to be,” said Nell. At Mattie’s raised eyebrows, she shook her head. “By myself, before you get any ideas.”
“Feel free.” Mattie grinned. “There’s barely enough room for one of us in that shower, let alone two.”
A short while later, Nell emerged from the bathroom with damp hair and dressed in nothing but a long shirt kept together by only two lower buttons. When Nell sat on the bed next to her, Mattie pulled the lapels apart to reveal Nell’s breasts. “This shirt-on thing has a sexiness all of its own.”
Nell clambered onto the bed, taking care not to knock the tray on Mattie’s lap, which held two glasses of water and the punnet of raspberries. Mattie popped a plump raspberry into her mouth and laid back against the pillow. “There’s something about homegrown and freshly picked fruit that makes it seem more wholesome.”
“Raspberries get a poor deal next to strawberries.” Nell licked juice off of her index finger. “I went to the tennis at Wimbledon last year. You could buy strawberries and cream for an extortionate price, but there were no raspberries in sight. Yet raspberries are incredibly easy to grow. Water when necessary and chop the vines back in late winter. That’s about it.”
Mattie ran her hand along Nell’s bare thigh. “You’ve got more patience than I have. The closest I ever got to gardening was when Simon and I were kids and we’d go to the PYO fruit farm.”
“PYO?”
“Pick your own. Farmers didn’t get such a high price by selling it to PYO customers rather than shops, but at the same time, it meant they didn’t have to pay for labour to harvest the fruit.” Mattie smiled at the memory. “We used to pick raspberries and blackcurrants. Probably ate one for every dozen that made it into the basket. We ended up smeared in berry juiceand with thorns in our fingers. Mum would freeze some of the fruit and make jam out of the rest. Happy days!”
“Our childhoods were very different,” said Nell. “Violin practise was what I had to look forward to on Saturday afternoons.”
“Oh no.” Mattie groaned. “That sounds like my version of hell. Do you still play?”
Nell shuddered theatrically. “I hated violin with a vengeance, along with piano and ballet lessons.”
Mattie chuckled. “So I wouldn’t have met you at the skateboard park then?”
“I wish. Our hobbies were of the elite and clean kind. No grubby fingernails allowed.” Nell looked thoughtful. “It’s probably one of the reasons why gardening became my salvation. Growing vegetables from seed, the whole process of re-potting seedlings as they grow until they’re strong enough to go into the ground. The cycle of it appeals to me.”
“I’m enjoying the fruits of your labours. These are seriously good.” She plucked another raspberry and held Nell’s gaze as she purposely made a mess of eating it. Juice clung to her fingers. She grinned wickedly and held them out. “You’re welcome to lick the juice off them for me.”
Nell touched her flaming cheeks. “I bet my face resembles the same colour as this raspberry right now, doesn’t it?”
“Sexual intimacy is nothing to be ashamed of,” Mattie said gently.
“I’m not ashamed. Just...not used to behaving like...or saying...” Nell shrugged, clearly embarrassed. “I’ve never eaten raspberries in bed before or had sex with someone I barely know. I’ve not had much sex at all, to be honest.” She directed her last sentence at the ceiling.
Compassion flooded Mattie, and she pulsed with the need to comfort, to be the one to take away the hurt and embarrassment.What had happened in Nell’s life to make her turn her back on sex? Surely she hadn’t been short of offers. “Nell, last night was wonderful, and I’m desperate for more.” She held up the bowl. “There’s one raspberry left.”
“You have it,” Nell said.
Mattie locked her gaze on to Nell. “Only if you feed it to me.”
Nell drew a ragged breath then slowly traced her fingers over Mattie’s abdomen. Mattie shivered at her delicate touch. She could get very, very used to this.
Chapter 16
Cooking breakfast together was a level of intimacy Nell hadn’t expected. While she whipped up scrambled eggs, Mattie leaned against her back and wrapped her arms around her waist. Nell turned slightly to kiss her. “Hungry?”
“Mm.” Mattie leaned into the kiss until they were interrupted by the sound of the toaster popping up. “I’ll butter the toast. I can manage that without poisoning us.”
Nell served up the eggs, and they went outside to eat at the patio table.
“This is a treat,” said Mattie. “Breakfast is usually a bowl of cereal if the milk hasn’t gone off, or an overpriced croissant from the bakery next door to the newsroom.” She smiled. “Stay again tonight?”
Nell arched her eyebrows. “For my cooking skills?”
Mattie gave her a mock-stern look. “Unless you want to be late for work, I suggest you stop flirting.”
Nell laughed. How was this her life right now? Something deep within her psyche had given her permission to simply enjoy herself and not worry about all the what-ifs or trying to control everything in her safe, buttoned-up world. “Yes, I’ll stay again tonight.”
