Page 63 of A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton

‘I’ll be gentle.’ Lauren smiled and then moved her hand down. ‘You feel as though you’re getting the hang of it again.’ Unbuckling his belt, she dealt with the fly on his jeans and, as her hand brushed over his groin again, she could feel how aroused he was. Her mind was filled with images of what she so desperately wanted to see and feel; what she wanted Marc to see and feel.

Having undone his jeans, she shrugged out of her open dress, and for several minutes they lay together in just their underwear, warmed by the fire, the floor underneath them softened by the thick, indulgent texture of the rug. Lauren thought she’d not have noticed if she was lying on a bed of nails, she was so caught up in the sensation of Marc’s semi-clothed body entwining with hers. She’d always enjoyed that final step, that feeling of just a scrap of material between herself and someone else, almost as much as being naked.

All the same, she jumped when she felt Marc’s hand sliding under her knickers.

‘Is this okay?’ he breathed.

‘It’s more than okay.’ Lauren wrapped a hand around his and moved his fingers downwards. ‘See…’

Marc groaned into the kiss they were sharing and Lauren let out a sigh as his fingers began to work a subtle magic. Soon, they’d lost the last of their clothing and her hands were working a spell of their own on his most intimate places. The warmth of the fire and the rug kept the winter at bay, and the heavy curtains over the picture windows shut out the world, creating their own version of paradise as they touched and caressed one another, until a look passed between them that would take them forward.

‘I haven’t slept with anyone since a one-night stand last year,’ he said softly. ‘And I’ve had a medical for work recently. The company insists on it every year.’

Lauren grinned. ‘Your pillow talk is a real turn-on!’ She rolled on top of him. ‘I’ve got nothing to declare, but my friend, Cathy, did slip me a packet of condoms, in case we ended up in a situation like this.’

Marc, beneath her, burst out laughing. ‘Joel did the same for me!’

Joking about things toned down the tension a little, and Lauren was glad. She felt at ease with Marc, and making love felt just as natural. She leaned over to where her handbag was, just by the sofa, and pulled out a condom from the box in her bag. ‘Still sure?’

Marc, serious again, nodded. ‘Absolutely.’ Then, taking the packet from her, he did what was needed, albeit with a wry smile. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve needed one of these!’

‘Well, brace yourself,’ Lauren teased, to hide the sudden rise of nerves again. ‘I’m intending to make the most of you, while you’re down there.’ She straddled him, and as they became joined, she felt a surge of blissful sensation. Moving carefully at first, but, as Marc responded to her rhythm, with more assurance, it wasn’t long before they were both lost in their own tempo. Their bodies moved with heat and passion, and as Lauren broke, she looked down to see Marc looking up at her through half-closed, lustful eyes. His evident pleasure was enough to make her think that this was an experience she wanted to repeat while they had the house to themselves. From the way he moved and thrust inside her, it was clear he felt the same.

51

Afterwards, they lay together, and, to make sure they didn’t get cold, Marc pulled a thick, velvety fleece blanket around them. That, and the warmth from the fire was enough to keep them cosy.

‘That was quite something,’ Marc said, kissing the top of Lauren’s head. ‘I’d forgotten just how lovely sex can be.’

‘You handled yourself like a pro,’ Lauren teased, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him.

Marc gave a low laugh. ‘Widowers aren’t all Jude Law in The Holiday, you know!’

Lauren leaned down and kissed him. ‘I’m glad to hear it. I don’t fancy sharing you.’ She deepened the kiss, and the warmth of Marc’s arms around her was intoxicating. Knowing that time alone with him was going to be difficult to achieve, she was determined to make the most of every second.

‘Just to be clear,’ he murmured between kisses, ‘because I know how much you appreciate clarity, it’s more sex with you that I want.’

Lauren giggled. ‘I understood that perfectly, thank you. But I appreciate the clarification.’ She rolled on top of him, straddling his waist. ‘Let me know when you’re good to go again – I’m also more than happy to have a second round.’ She gasped as Marc pulled her closer, and buried his face in her neck, kissing and nibbling until she was a sighing mess on top of him.

‘I might need more than half an hour,’ he murmured into her ear, ‘but we do have all night, if you want to stay.’

Lauren stiffened momentarily and cursed as she realised Marc felt the movement.

‘What is it?’ Suddenly, he was all concern. ‘Did I say something wrong?’

Lauren shook her head. ‘No. Not at all.’ But she pulled away, so that she could see him more clearly. Sitting up, she wrapped her half of the velvet blanket around herself. ‘This is going to sound weird, but I’ve never actually spent the night with anyone before. The whole night, asleep, I mean.’ She gazed into the fire. ‘With Mum the way she is, I always felt like I should get back home, just in case she needed me. Especially in my early twenties, when she was just a couple of years past the accident – I’d see someone, and we’d have a great evening, but I always got myself home at the end of it. I suppose it became a bit of a routine that I’ve found hard to break, over the years.’ Her face felt hot; she’d never levelled with anyone about this before. ‘A lot of guys I was with couldn’t handle it – the fact that I had a responsibility for Mum. This one fella, Connor, wanted to take me away on holiday to Crete for a week, but I turned him down. We finished soon after.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Marc replied softly. ‘Connor sounds like a knob.’

Lauren gave a choked giggle. ‘He was.’

Marc pushed up on his elbows, so he was sitting next to her. The firelight was reflected in his eyes. ‘Do you think it was really your mum holding you back, or do you think it might have been something inside you?’

Lauren shook her head. ‘I don’t know. Mum’d be mortified if she ever thought it was caring for her that stopped me from spending time with a guy. And maybe for the first few years, that’s what it was, but after that, when she got more independent, and started painting again, I think it was too tough a habit to break.’ She turned towards Marc. ‘But it’s not like I’m the only one with responsibilities. You’ve got the boys, after all.’

Marc traced a fingertip over the crook of Lauren’s elbow and down into the palm of her hand. ‘Correct. And I love them with everything I’ve got. But one thing I’ve learned over the years, especially since I lost Tessa, is that sometimes you have to do things just for you, things that make you happy. There’s always a way, somehow. Maybe you should consider that.’

‘It just never felt that simple,’ Lauren sighed. ‘And once I get into a pattern, it’s difficult to get myself out of it.’