‘What plan’s that?’
‘The plan for the evening. It ends here. We’re on our own now.’
* * *
They weren’t, of course. Charlotte knew that they had to get back at a respectable time so that Penny could get on home. But for a few sweet hours it seemed as if there was nothing else in the world. At some point Edward’s arm seemed to have snaked along the cushions behind her. She appeared to have moved a little closer to him, and now she was in the circle of his warmth, talking to him, listening to the music with him.
The spell hardly broke when they left the club. The streets were dark now, lit by the glittering lights of Chinatown, and they strolled together through the crowds until they reached Oxford Street, where Edward flagged down a taxi.
The roads were clear of the daytime traffic, and it was starting to rain. Yellow light streaked the windows of the cab as they reached the leafy suburb of Hampstead. A sudden left turn, which would have thrown her against Edward if she hadn’t already been leaning against him, and they were home.
‘He’s fast asleep.’ Penny was smiling and seemed in a hurry to be off. ‘I gave him some tea and he ran around in the garden until he dropped. Then we watched some TV together and he was out like a light when I put him to bed.’
Charlotte could hardly get a thank-you out before Edward had kissed his mother and was walking her to her car. He watched her out of the drive and then turned back to the house.
It was suddenly very quiet. And Edward was abruptly the only focus of her attention.
‘Would you...um...like a cup of tea?’
‘No.’ He moved a little closer. ‘Would you?’
‘No. Not really.’
She knew what was coming next. It was drawing her in, like the dark, unknown depths of his eyes, with a force that she couldn’t resist. Didn’t want to resist. However unsure she was, however hard it was to trust Edward, tonight she didn’t seem to recognise any of that. All she saw was him.
‘I’ll...I’ll just go and check on Isaac.’ Maybe he was awake. Maybe that would solve the debate that was going on in the back of her mind about what to do next.
‘Okay.’ He backed off, and flopped down onto the sofa.
Isaac was sleeping soundly, Stinky clutched in his arms, and Charlotte walked slowly back downstairs. That was it, then. It was just her and Edward.
‘Is he okay?’
His voice was low, like honey on her senses.
‘Yes, he’s fast asleep.’
‘Just you and me, then.’ He motioned her to come and sit down next to him.
‘Yes. Just the two of us.’ She perched herself on the edge of the sofa, her legs tucked under her. For a moment it seemed that they would simply sit like this for a few minutes and then say goodnight.
Then he reached forward, curling his arms around her waist, almost lifting her onto his lap. His movements were so slow, so deliberate, that they might be mistaken for hesitancy, but there was no uncertainty about him. It was just Edward, doing what he did best, squeezing every last drop from each moment that passed.
‘I had a great evening.’ She leaned towards him, speaking quietly into his ear.
‘Had?’
‘Am having. Are you being pedantic?’
‘No. Just working out where I stand.’
‘This is where you stand.’ She kissed his jaw.
He said nothing. For a moment she thought that she’d done the wrong thing, that this wasn’t what he wanted. Then he turned and kissed her. Long and deep, leaving her breathless and melting in his arms.
‘I’ve been wanting to do that all evening.’ One hand rested lightly on her leg, travelling upwards towards her thigh.
‘I’ve been wanting you to...’ He didn’t let her finish, before he kissed her again. That was okay. She’d said all she needed to, and now all she wanted was to be part of the strong, flowing tide of his passion.