‘One pair of sunglasses,’ I say, handing them to him.
‘Thank you,’ he says, kissing me on the cheek as he opens up. ‘I’m just finishing a video call with Toby, but have you got time for a coffee afterwards?’
Initial impressions: the house isn’t enormous, but it’s generous in all the right places. Tall sash windows cast mid-afternoon light on the hall. There’s a big fireplace, with neatly cut logs stacked alongside. It’s one of those places with good bones – high ceilings and patterned cornices. Dark living-room walls give the place a masculine but nonetheless cosy vibe, helped by multiple stacks of books, records and a huge, untamed fig plant overtaking the corner.
There’s a laptop open on his coffee table. Sam picks it up and points it in my direction. ‘Toby, meet Jules. Jules, Toby.’
I hold up my hand and wave. ‘Hi!’
‘Hey! How are you?’ he grins. He looks so much like Sam at that age, it’s almost ridiculous, right down to the long eyelashes and curly hair. ‘My dad’s told me lots about you.’
‘Oh God.’ I glare at Sam. ‘I dread to think.’
Toby laughs. ‘All good, I swear. Listen, Dad, I’ll leave you to it. It’s pretty late here.’
‘No worries, son,’ Sam smiles. ‘Sleep well, okay?’
They end the call and he closes the laptop and looks at me for a moment. ‘Coffee or tea?’
‘I’ve only got half an hour, but a tea would be great.’
I follow him through to the kitchen and he opens a cupboard to take out two mugs.
‘So . . . what did you tell Toby about me?’ I ask idly, wondering exactly how open Sam is about his love life. He turns to me, amused.
‘Obviously, that I can’t get enough of you.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Obviously.’
Then he turns and slides his hands around my waist, pulling me in for one of those fleeting, delicious kisses that hits all my senses.
‘I have to ask. Is that an aftershave you’re wearing?’ I say.
‘Hmm . . . no. I just showered.’
‘Well, you smell amazing.’
‘Oh yeah?’ He looks pleased.
‘You always smelled nice,’ I shrug. ‘I remember thinking that at school. Wasn’t like the Hai Karate I used to buy Jeff and Dad for Christmas, anyway.’
‘Well, that’s strange, because I’m fairly sure Hai Karate was my scent of choice back then.’
I laugh as he breaks away to fill the kettle. But he’s midway through it when he turns around and glances at me, as the samethought seems to occur to both of us simultaneously: that nothing, literally nothing, makes sense right now except kissing.
He sets the kettle down, water still running, and then his hands are in my hair and my mouth is hard against his and we are a tangle of deep, passionate kisses.
Eventually, he pulls back, only slightly, just enough for me to recognise some dark, glittering look in his eyes. It’s such a turn-on I can barely breathe. He reaches over to finally turn off the tap, before picking up my hand.
‘Come with me,’ he says, in a voice I’ve never heard before. I hesitate to use the word ‘masterful’, which conjures up an image of some cheesy regency prince. Yet, that’s exactly what it is. And from him, right now, it makes something flare in my solar plexus.
He leads me to the living room where we collapse into his huge, squashy sofa. I luxuriate in the heat of his mouth as I hook a leg around the back of his knees and feel his hip dig against me. He tries to slow me, but I ache for him with an intensity I can barely comprehend. Yet for all his restraint, I can feel his want, growing as hard as the throbbing between my legs.
His lips begin to travel down my neck, his tongue teasing the dip where my clavicles meet. My fingers glide through the hair on the back of his head, as his mouth moves to the very top of my ribcage. I become aware that the strap of my sundress has slipped down and is now hovering at my shoulder. He runs his fingers gently underneath, before raising his gaze to me, contemplating his next move.
There’s a moment when I think he’s going to put the strap neatly back in place. But he sees something in my eyes that leaves him in no doubt what I want. He slides the strap of my dress slowly down my arm, then does the same with my bra, taking in the sight of me. He bends down, his breath misting against my nipple with a soft sigh. At first, I am frozen. But as he gently draws me into his mouth, kissing and licking andsucking, warm waves of pleasure wash over me and all I can do is tip back my head as my whole body sighs.
I feel for the hem of his T-shirt and start to pull it up, craving the feel of his skin against mine. He takes over, tearing it off his body, while I wriggle out of both straps of my dress. Then I reach around and unclasp my bra, abandoning it altogether. He sinks back onto the sofa so we’re now squashed together, side by side.
