Page 6 of The Seaside Supper Club

‘Agreed,’ said Nikki.

‘Oh yes, we’ll get our thinking caps on,’ added Dan. ‘I quite like a themed evening.’

The lads were great at coming up with ideas for hosting.

‘Ooh, I’d love that. But why don’t you all come over to mine first, maybe in the next couple of weeks, before my exams are full-on. I’ll see what Mum and Dad reckon.’ Lily, naturally, still lived at home. ‘I’m doomed to become a recluse for a while after that.’

‘Sounds lovely, but don’t pressure yourself, Lily. Whatever works best,’ Cath responded.

‘Yeah, just let us know, Lils. See you then, folks,’ said Andreas, addressing Cath and Will, giving a wave.

‘Bye all,’ replied Will, who was now stood with his arm gently around Cath.

‘It’s been wonderful, thanks again,’ added Dan. ‘Come on then, girls, we’ll chaperone you up the street.’

And the four of them set off, arm in arm.

‘They’re great, aren’t they?’ Cath was always left with a warm glow after their get-togethers. Will was standing beside her at the threshold, seeming reluctant to head off himself. And that was lovely, too. Hopefully he’d want to stay. Another night of getting to know each other, both body and mind.

The mental monkey on her shoulder cranked things up again. Though everything seemed great, and she was in such a happy place right now, was it almost too good? Past experience had taught her that love could fail, even when you’d thought it was there for the long term. Despite the strength of feeling she had for Will, and that he appeared to have for her, those nagging fears of whether this could last were hard to shake off. Where the hell would it leave the supper club, and her new life in the village, if the two of them broke up? Had she been a bloody fool to rip the plaster off her torn-up heart so soon?

Chapter 2

‘The washing up can wait …’

They’d reached the kitchen, after having closed the cottage door on their friends. There was a look of longing in Will’s eyes that now appeared the shade of molten toffee. ‘I’ll do it in the morning, I promise.’ His smile was soft and sexy, as he moved to face her. The house now still, just the two of them. ‘There’s something I’ve been wanting to do all night.’

He reached out, and after pushing away a strand of her dark wavy hair that had fallen across her face, gently brushed his thumb over her lips, and then moved in for a deliciously slow kiss. Cath’s whole body went on tingly high alert. Oh yes, the washing up could absolutely wait.

A deeper more passionate kiss followed, as he pressed against her, the pair of them shifting back towards the kitchen unit for support. She could feel the heat of him, warm and firm against her. And ooh, that felt so good. A soft moan escaped her mouth, as they shifted their bodies even closer.

Cath had never imagined sex could be like this in your fifties. She’d thought slow and sedate, if anything. Her love life had dwindled and then died – a sorry, petered-out death – within her failing marriage. She had learned how damned lonely and soul-destroying a double bed could get, even with your lifelong partner there next to you. But of course, she later learned that he wasn’t there at all, not really; no doubt thinking of his new fling, impatient to go, to be with her.

Will’s kiss brought Cath back to the now. His tongue teasing her lips, tasting of brownies and coffee and wine. This was no place for bad-old-day thoughts, she told herself. Live for now, Cath. Enjoy this gorgeous man, who’s right here, the one who wants you so – oh my, that’s so damn good – very much. Every nerve end in her body was tuning in and tingling.

Might he take her right here? Lift her up onto the work surface? Good heavens, would her middle-aged joints even manage that? But hey, she was willing to find out. Beneath her red paisley dress and leather long boots, she had her best new maroon lacy knickers on. Fully prepared; just last week she’d had that very satisfying trip to the lingerie department. Had her bra size checked and everything; discovering that she’d gone up a size since the last (years ago) day of cup-size reckoning. And, praise the Lord, her pilates classes were finally helping to tone her tummy area. Yes, she was still a ‘comfy’ size fourteen, but she did have ins and outs in vaguely the right places. Hourglass, at a push. And Will seemed, rather miraculously, to love her body just as it was. She couldn’t wait for him to discover these new lacy undies and bra. No more shying away under the duvet.

She undid a couple of buttons on his shirt, and slid her hand in to touch his warm, lightly muscled chest. Will’s cycling hobby kept him trim and lean. She knew beneath those clothes there was an extremely fit body for a man in his middle age.

He gave a sensual sigh, as she brushed her fingertips over his skin.

‘Now then, Goddess of Comfort Food …’ A smile played on his lips, which had momentarily left hers. His tone was laced with love and humour, and want.

She braced herself against the kitchen surface – the bottles and glasses still there, a sign of their sociable night – and watched, holding her breath, as he lifted the skirt of her dress.

‘Now, what have we here …?’ She could hear the delight in his tone. Hah, he’d discovered the ruby-red panties. Ooh, he was touching the lace, gentle fingers gliding to trace sensual lines inside the fancy fabric. She felt the delicious tension ramp up.

Now, they were being slowly peeled down over her thighs. And before she could dwell – okay, panic – on how her upper legs might look in the full beam of the kitchen spotlights, he had moved in once more to press against her. In a whirl of excitement and tension, with a heap of insecurities still to batten down, her brain on high alert, her body was saying ‘Hell, yes’. There was no way she was stopping him now. Relax. Go with the flow, Cath. Her inner cheerleader had struck up. So, she did …

And wow, she really did feel like a kitchen goddess, in more ways than one.

*

Sunday morning, and Cath woke before Will. She’d slept well, waking only once, when she’d heard Will get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. These past couple of years spent alone, she’d missed the warmth, the comfort of having someone beside her. It had happened unexpectedly, finding a new partner, but being with Will had turned everything around.

Lying here in her cottage bedroom, a world away from the hurt and betrayal of the past few years, Will’s dark hair all mussed up on the pillow next to hers, she still had to pinch herself that this was really happening. When she’d moved up here, just a year ago, it hadn’t entered her mind that she’d be in another relationship so soon. She’d pictured herself content but rather holed up, keeping herself safe and secure in her new single life.

It was admittedly scary putting herself back out there, emotionally and physically, again. It felt unsettling. Yet with Will it had happened so naturally, the feelings coming with such force, that she couldn’t help but risk it all on the chance of happiness. It seemed like the kind of relationship she might only have dreamed of, that she didn’t really believe might ever exist for her at this later stage in her life. Whilst him being handsome meant little in the big scheme of things it was rather wonderful to fancy someone again, to take pleasure in each other’s bodies. Life was short, so why the hell not?