And then, almost as though reflecting the way we seem to have come such a long way from extreme dislike to this… friendship… that we’ve developed this weekend, we move our heads closer and closer together, but gradually, tilting our heads this way and the other, mirroring each other, as we do, until, finally, Jake’s lips brush mine.
It’s nice, it’sreallynice, but it isn’t enough. I want a proper kiss.
He’s drawn back and is studying my face.
I take one of my hands and run it up his chest and slide it round his neck.
He continues to stare at me for a torturous moment longer, before he dips closer and brushes his lips annoyingly lightly against mine again, and then, suddenly, he’s kissing me hard,passionately, urgently, and my other arm has reached round his neck and I’m pulling him against me. His hands are continuing to caress my skin, and it’s the best kiss I’ve ever had.
We stay there in the middle of the room for a long time, kissing, and then Jake’s hands move a little further up and then somehow we’re undressing each other, and then we’re on the sofa, and it’s truly amazing.
I wake up at some point during the night. Most of me is lovely and warm where Jake is holding me in his sleep, but my legs, which are on top of his are cold. I wriggle so that my legs are on the side and snuggle against him, nearly falling off the sofa.
I stand up, and he stirs, and then wakes fully, smiling up at me.
And, weirdly, because I don’t usually like being naked in front of other people, the way Jake’s openly admiring me, reaching his arms out to me, just makes me feelgood.
‘Come here.’ His voice is hoarse, as though suffused with desire, which Ilove.
‘Comehere,’ I say, and lead him through to my bedroom. We make very, very good use of the bed, before falling asleep again in a tangle of limbs and sheets.
Jake wakes me up in the morning, by pulling my hair back from my face and kissing my neck, which is a gorgeous way to be woken up.
I know it’s the morning due to the sunlight streaming through the windows where we didn’t draw any of the curtains last night. It doesn’t feel like morning, though; it feels like the middle of the night. I’m far, far too tired to get out of bed immediately.
‘We’re going to have to get up,’ Jake says, kissing me again. ‘I think that having come this far we shouldn’t fall at the last hurdle and incur the wrath of Sonja.’
‘You’re right,’ I mumble, too tired and also enjoying the snuggly kissing too much to be able to speak properly.
‘Okay,’ Jake says after a while, ‘I’m going to drag myself out of this bed and go and get into the shower. And obviously I am not in charge of you and it’s entirely your choice but I feel that you should maybe do the same.’
‘Definitely.’ I’m still mumbling.
‘Freya? Are you actually fully awake?’
‘Totally.’
‘Okay.’ And off he goes, which does in the moment make me feel bereft because it wasnicebeing held in his arms. However, this bedisvery comfortable and I’mverytired, so I’m still very much liking being under this duvet. Jake’s right; I should definitely get up and have my shower. Might just close my eyes for five minutes, though.
‘Freya!’ Someone’s calling me. What’s happening? I’m… Oh, shit. It’s Jake and we have to get up and I went back to sleep.
‘How much time have I got?’ I sit bolt upright and then realise that I’m naked, and pull the covers up, fast.
Jake’s standing in the doorway looking a little wild-eyed.
‘We have to go now,’ he says. ‘For breakfast.’
‘Ihaveto have a shower,’ I tell him. ‘Haveto.’ Icannothave a night of (amazing) sex and thenseepeople before I’ve showered.
‘Fair enough. What’s the fastest time you can be ready in?’
‘Ten minutes?’ That’s a lie but I think I can do fifteen.
‘Okay. I’ll go in a minute and cover for you. Say you have a headache or something but you’ll be coming soon.’
‘Thank you.’ I smile at him and he returns my smile and my insides do yet another gigantic leap.
I have no idea what happened last night – well, I do; it was kind of along the lines of theStrictlycurse without the cheated-on spouses (obviously) – but it was alotof fun. I don’t reallyknow whether we’re going to do that again, but I do know that Jake is a lot nicer than I initially thought he was.
