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Edward leaned back against the kitchen counter, his hungry eyes still on her. ‘Rocket science isn’t really that complicated. One of those illustrations that doesn’t stand up to too much scrutiny.’
For a moment Charlotte could see the lure of his books. Something that was constant in an ever-changing world. If she could have seen the same beauty in numbers and science that Edward did...
Damn the books. They couldn’t give him this.
She stepped forward and found him there, ready. His body seemed to mould to hers—a close fit that left no room for anything else to come between them.
She kissed him. She couldn’t help it. And once she’d brushed her lips against his she couldn’t help but go back for more. His response was thrilling, strong and tender all at the same time.
One hand travelled lightly down her back. Across the rise of her hips and to the top of her leg. This was too much. She’d bitten off far more than she could chew.
‘Isaac...’ She just managed to get the word out.
‘Yeah...’
His grip on her loosened, but Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to pull away.
‘He’s just in the next room.’
She wasn’t telling him, she was telling herself. Giving herself the one and only reason that could stop her from keeping going until all the pent-up frustration came screaming from her lungs.
‘We should stop.’
Edward seemed as disinclined to bring this to a close as she was, but he was the stronger. He gave her one last, head-spinning kiss before he gripped her shoulders, carefully propelling her backwards, away from him.
‘That’s...sensible.’ Her cheeks were burning, and she still couldn’t quite catch her breath.
‘Yes. I’d better go and get us something to eat. Before...’
‘Before we get too hungry...’
‘Yes.’ He pulled the takeaway menu out of his back pocket. ‘What would you like?’
‘Anything. Surprise me.’
His lips twitched into a half-grin before he straightened his face. ‘All right. I’ll be fifteen minutes.’
Enough time to splash cold water on her face and take a breath. ‘Have you got chopsticks here?’
‘No, I’ll get some.’
He opened the kitchen door and disappeared into the living room. Charlotte heard him exchange a few words with Isaac, and as the front door slammed she shook her head. It was going to take a lot longer than fifteen minutes to get Edward out of her system.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘IS IT SO very wrong to feel like celebrating?’ Charlotte wondered if she sounded cold-hearted.
‘No.’ Paula swirled her herbal tea thoughtfully in her cup. ‘It’s exactly the right thing to do. You’ve got to look forward, not back.’
Paula clearly thought that Charlotte was being brave about this. It was nothing of the sort. Ever since she’d received the Decree Absolute this morning Charlotte had wanted to do nothing but dance. And, finding herself alone with Paula in the employees’ lounge, she’d been unable to contain her news.
‘Actually, it’s quite a relief. I was afraid my husband...’ Charlotte couldn’t help smiling ‘...my ex-husband would make some kind of objection somewhere along the line.’
‘From what you’ve said in the past...’ Paula looked at Charlotte thoughtfully. ‘Okay, so you’ve asked for no maintenance. Your ex didn’t ask for any rights to visit Isaac. Am I right in thinking that this guy was bad news?’
‘Between you and me...?’
Paula nodded. ‘Of course.’ Paula might gossip, along with the rest of them, but she knew how to keep a confidence.
