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But then his attention was back on her. ‘I did something not on your list,’ Galen said.
‘Such as?’
‘I spoke to Leo. I am your fairy godmother, Roula—you shall go to the ball.’
‘No.’ She shook her head.
‘I thought a night out in a few weeks’ time might be something to...’ He rolled over and looked at her. ‘Get dressed up...have fun?’
‘I can’t see it.’
‘Of course you can’t,’ Galen said. ‘But we’ll dance, though we both hate it, and I’ll mingle.’ He rolled his eyes.
‘I won’t be working for you by then.’
‘Exactly.’ Galen smiled again. His hand was on her hip, and then he moved to her bottom. ‘No more watching you pinch all the praline balls.’
She liked his hand there, just the ease of it. ‘Galen, you said no sex.’
‘We’re not having sex,’ Galen said. ‘Just being a bit inappropriate.’
His palm was warm on her bottom and his fingers pressed a little into her flesh.
‘That’s all,’ he told her.
His hand moved to her waist, beneath her pyjamas, and she liked his slow perusal. But there was vigilance still.
‘Is that okay?’ Galen checked.
‘Yes,’ Roula said, because she liked his hand sliding over her waist, and then back to her candy-striped bottom, and she liked it that she wanted to move in closer, and that she could—if she so chose.
And she felt his circle widen a touch, so that her hip was just a little bare now, and it was so nice to cave in and hold his bare arm. No longer damp, but still cool from the shower, and so firm and yet silky.
‘You’re going to the ball,’ he told her. ‘When you no longer work for me. If you so choose.’
‘Outside of work?’ Roula said, unsure what this meant.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘No crossing lines then.’
‘Oh, so we’re talking about your “catch-up” list?’ Roula asked, and it was actually so freeing to lie in bed and just talk about...well, sex, and a time when this would have all blown over, and they might know mutual desire.
‘Nothing wrong with a catch-up list,’ he told her.
‘There’ssomuch wrong with it.’
‘No,’ he refuted. ‘Much like in my professional life, I focus on the things I can do.’
‘And outsource the rest?’
‘Pretty much.’ He nodded. ‘Insource, maybe,’ Galen said and his hand slid up between her thighs.
It was so bizarre not to tense...just to feel his hand move there and feel him cupping her through the fabric.
‘Do you want to come a little to help you sleep?’
Galen spoke as if he were offering her a glass of wine or a couple of headache pills, and she stared back at him, a little stunned, for she’d never climaxed in her life.
‘No,’ Roula said. She did not want another first in her life.
‘Okay.’ He removed his hand. ‘Get some sleep.’
Roula did.
A real sleep.
In fact she awoke with her head on her new and very favourite firm pillow, and she was not sure for a second which legs belonged to her, for they were knotted with Galen’s, one of hers hooked high over his thighs. A little too high... He was holding her hand as if they were dancing, and then they both sleepily realised what had stirred them out of slumber.
His hand dropped and he moved her leg just a little, back down, and rearranged himself beneath those lounge pants. In fact, he must still really be more asleep than awake, for he picked up her hand again and drifted back off with soft snores.
And it was so nice that she did as her body wanted and just went straight back to sleep.
