Page 7 of The Mad Marchams

He took a deep, shuddering breath. “I would be delighted.”

She led him into her building’s glass-walled lobby and, after they got on the elevator, he couldn’t seem to stop touching her, his expression focused and intense, his hands everywhere, connecting them in one desperate spiral of need.

She managed to open her front door and get them inside her apartment, but the moment the door closed behind them, he was flowing over and around her, his mouth hot and hungry as they tried to get each other undressed as fast as possible.

Perfect.

Like creating a piece of new code that made everything fall into place.

As they came together, the perfection continued. It seemed like they’d been lovers for ages, and he instinctively knew her…

With a groan, Colin rolled onto his back, his hand reaching for hers as she stared up at the ceiling and contemplated the cracks in the ceiling. If she could just connect all the lines into something tangible, then everything would make sense.

She finally managed to get some words out. “I don’t normally bring men I’ve just met back to my apartment and have awesome sex with them.”

“Of course, you don’t,” he said soothingly.

“Not that there is anything wrong with anyone who chooses to do that.”

“Absolutely.” He squeezed her hand. “Actually, I’m far more interested in the last thing you said than in making moral judgments about other people’s sex lives.”

“Which thing?”

He came up on one elbow and looked down at her. “About the awesome sex.”

“Ah.” She studied his face. “Did I say that out loud?”

“You did.” He leaned in and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “And for the record, it was ‘awesome’ for me, too.”

“You sound like an American.”

He kissed her nose. “Only because my countrymen don’t have any words to express just how good that was. Super or brilliant aren’t working for me right now.”

“It was that good?” Having only her experience with Joss to compare it with, she’d thought it was pretty damn amazing. The fact that Colin thought so too made her feel like a sex goddess.

“So, what comes after awesome?” He tugged at her hand and helped her to her feet. “Because I assure you, I can do much better than that.”

Mabel woke up to a steady thumping sound and wondered why someone was hammering on her door only to realize her ear was pressed against Colin’s chest. She eased away from him and studied him carefully.

His chin was now darkened with stubble, which she had enjoyed feeling on her skin. His hand lay on the pillow palm up, as if he was in graceful free fall motion. He looked completely out of place in her boring little bed. She wasn’t even sure what day it was. Was it Monday? Had that ever happened to her before? Normally, her schedule was fixed, and every minute was accounted for.

But this… Being with him felt right.

“Mabel?”

She blinked and realized he was awake and regarding her just as seriously as she was him.

“Yes?”

“I have a confession to make.”

She tried to smile but it was surprisingly difficult. She reminded herself that she’d always known he would be leaving and that she would only have him for three days. “Let me guess, you’re married with six kids from four different wives.”

No, hang on, that was her father. She shouldn’t automatically assume all men were rat bastards like him

“I’m not married. I wouldn’t be with you if I was.”

Mabel sat up and clutched the sheets to her body like the heroine on the cover of a romance novel.