“I think we have them all fooled.” She looked up at me, bringing us to a stop, her fingers threading through my hair. “Let’s make sure though.”
It was easy to kiss her as well, her taste familiar, her touch exotic but known. My hands went to her waist, covering the flair of her hips and pulling her closer.
“This is too easy, Zo,” I said before moving my head away.
“What do you mean?” Her hands tightened on my shoulders now. “It’s too easy?”
I silently cursed myself for saying it. “It doesn’t matter.” I kept my words soft. “It doesn’t feel awkward.”
“Probably because we’ve done all this before.” She relaxed again, pressing another brief kiss to my lips, her heels giving her more of an advantage than usual.
“A long time ago.” But I remembered it like it was yesterday.
“Still feels like a week ago.”
We started to move to the music again, her body closer to mine than it was before. “Did you ever regret it?” This was the first time we’d ever spoken about it, at least face to face.
“Never. I wished I’d been able to stay longer and it’d carried on.” Her hand slid down over my chest, slipping round to my back, its trail intimate, lessening the space in my lungs.
“I wonder how it would’ve gone?”
She shrugged and half laughed, not taking her eyes from mine. “I think I would’ve had the better end of the deal. You’re still the best I had.”
That hadn’t been what I was expecting her to say and my mind was short in coming up with a response. My ego, however, had no problem. “I’m not surprised.”
“Caleb!” She laughed, slapping gently at my stomach, but her hand stayed there. “We’ve both had a lot of champagne.”
“We have.”
“People can make mistakes because of champagne.”
“They can.”
“Do you believe that good mistakes can happen?” She looked far too hopeful.
“Can I just check if you’re suggesting I try to take your virginity again?” I needed to make sure I was on the same page.
I felt her body shake as she laughed. “I’m not sure that’s possible, but we can research it though – the losing of the virginity twice part.”
“I think we should call our car and see what we think when we get back to the hotel.” We weren’t staying at the gala venue as Zoey preferred a hotel that was more private, and who was I to argue?
“Is that your way of changing the subject, Cay? Do you not want another night?”
I glided my finger over her cheek, down to her lips, tracing them. “I do want another night – I’d be a fool not to – but not tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because we both need a cool off period before going through with it. A bit like the first time round, if we’re sticking with a re-do.” Too much champagne, too much pretending.
“I don’t see your point but maybe that’s because of the champagne. Let’s go though. I think I’m done pretending to pretend for tonight.”
Those last few words ran through my head in the short limo ride back to the hotel, on a loop that was only slightly less irritating than a stuck record on my dad’s player – and one of his favourite rock tracks.
I think I’m done pretending to pretend for tonight.
We headed to the hotel bar for a nightcap, one last drink before we went to our suite where I’d either sleep on the sofa or cave in and sleep with her. We’d only arrived in London this morning and we hadn’t worked out the sleeping arrangements.
“I’m just going to visit the ladies.” Zoey put her bag down next to me and left me alone with her words.
