Of course. The recorder.
“Shit.” She sat up. “What time is it?”
“No idea,” I said with a smile. I’d completely lost track. Not like me atall.
“It’s still Monday, right?” she said.
“It is. I’d say maybe around six. Perhaps seven.”
She nestled back into me. “Good. ’S okay, then.”
I dropped a hand to her head and stroked her hair down over her ear.
I probablyshouldcheck the time. And my inbox.
But I’d rather get Andrea some food. Maybe some takeaway. At least make her that legendary cup of tea.
“You hungry?” I asked. She had to be. There were loads of places to eat around here—Battersea Rise was buzzing. My emails could wait.
“Not really.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Greensleeves” continued. It wasn’t actually that bad. If the choice was lying here with this beautiful woman and listening to it, or peace and quiet anywhere else, I could tolerate the recorder.
“You slept a while,” I said. “Must have been all the adrenaline from earlier.”
“Maybe notjustthe adrenaline.” She looked up at me between strands of hair, eyes sparkling.
Fuck. Sex with Andrea. I’d never be able to get that out of my mind as long as I lived.
“It’s possible something else helped,” I said, kissing her on the forehead.
What was it about her that made me feel so… protective? It couldn’t just be the lift thing, couldit?
She sighed contentedly. “Oh, the other thing definitely helped.”
Jesus.The sounds she made when she came, how she grabbed hold of me and pulled me into her.I was hard again just thinking about it.
She’d have to be hungry soon, but I didn’t feel like leaving. Maybe I could take her for a quick bite later, we come back here, have sex again, then hang out on the couch in front of the TV—
Wait.Hang out on the couch? When had I last donethatwith awoman?
And why did it sound so appealingnow?
“Were you scared?” she asked after a minute. “Today, I mean. When the lift fell.”
Terrified.
But not in the way she thought.
All I could think of was making sure she was safe—it was the only thing that mattered. Her not getting hurt.
And I’d only just mether.
“No, not really,” I said. “Just worried about you, if I’m honest.”
“Mm.” Another little sigh. “I bet you’re not scared of anything, are you?” She ran a finger down the outside of my arm.
A picture snapped into my mind, but I pushed it out. Not something I wanted to think about.
