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‘It does the job,’ Luca said, lying down on the bed. He tapped the space next to him. ‘Try it out for size.’
I honestly couldn’t resist. I slipped off my trainers and lay down next to him, my body sinking into the mattress and my head into one of the fluffy pillows, totally exhausted. Luca turned towards me, resting his head in one hand.
‘You enjoyed it?’ he asked, knowing the answer.
‘Of course? How could I not? Thank you.’
‘Favourite day in Verbier so far?’ he pushed.
‘Sure,’ I replied. I didn’t have the strength to think of any comparisons. Luca leant over and kissed me gently on the lips, then sat up to look at me. I smiled before closing my eyes. I was sooo tired. We’d had an amazing day and now I just needed to snooze for a couple of minutes and I’d be on my way. I was starting to drift off when Luca kissed me again. This time a little more passionately. I kissed him back, slowly. He was firm and sexy and teasing, and I was breathless under the weight of him, enjoying the tickle of his stubble as he moved down to kiss my neck, unzipping my top as he went. I had goosebumps down my back and the primal urge Liv had promised me would return, kicked back in, full force. I put my hands above my head and surrendered as he pulled the lacy edge of my bra back with his mouth, shuddering involuntarily as he slid one arm underneath me and pulled me close.
I hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly and still wasn’t sure how I felt in my heart. I knew how my body felt as I clung to Luca and kissed him, but I didn’t want things to go too far, in case there was no way back.
Luca finished unzipping my hoodie and pulled it open, his free hand now under my T-shirt, stroking me softly. Oh God, I was tingling all over, maybe I could… He kissed me again, his breath hot and excited. No. It was too much. I put my hands on his and gently untangled myself.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I said, suddenly very aware that I was lying in his bed. ‘I can’t. I just don’t think I’m ready…’
‘Wait, what? Of course. Sorry if I misread the signs; I thought you wanted it too,’ he replied, hands immediately in the air, rolling back to his side.
‘You didn’t and I do, it’s just such a big step for me,’ I said. ‘I haven’t been with anyone other than George for such a long time.’
‘I understand. It is hard. The French way is very different,’ Luca said. ‘You have to get straight back on the horse,non?’
‘I might feel differently tomorrow, when we’ve had some rest?’ I said, as my eyes closed. My mind filled with horses as I drifted off to sleep. Could it be time to try another horse? A French Stallion, perhaps?
*
I woke with a start. Shit. I’d only meant to rest my eyes for a few minutes and now it was the middle of the night. I looked over at Luca, open-mouthed and snoring happily, and quietly peeled the duvet back and grabbed my bag. I crept downstairs and then downstairs again to my bedroom and thanked my lucky stars that Liv wasn’t home, so I could noisily strip my clothes off and snuggle into my own bed for the remaining few hours until morning.
Twenty-Two
10th January
‘Oh. My. God,’ Liv was shaking me awake, waving her red ski trousers in my face, ‘look what I’ve just found in Luca’s room! These are mine! Luca has been wearing my trousers?’
I opened my eyes blearily and tried to focus.
‘Oh, sorry. I borrowed them,’ I said, rolling over onto the cold side of the pillow.
‘What?’ she said, bouncing on my bed, shaking me awake. ‘You borrowed them?’
‘Yes, sorry, I didn’t think you’d mind.’
‘But I just found them on Luca’s floor? In a pile by his bed?On the floor,Holly?’
‘I must have left them there, sorry,’ I said, jumping up and grabbing them off her.
‘You must have left them there? HOLLY?’ Liv shouted, wide-eyed with her hands on her hips. ‘What do you mean?’
‘When I took them off, I must have left them on the floor,’ I said, flustered.
‘You’re sleeping inhis bednow?’ Liv asked.
‘Nothing happened, just a couple of…’
‘Pairs of trousers on the floor?’ eyebrowed Liv. ‘Hmmm?’
‘Alright, alright, yes – trousers were removed. I must have taken them off in my sleep.’
