She chuckled and looked away, suddenly terrified by what she was doing.
Did she really want just one night with Joel?
Well, no, of course she didn’t, she reasoned. She wanted every night for the rest of her life, but that wasn’t on offer so she’d take whatever she could get. She might not have much experience, but she’d seen enough of life to know that true love didn’t come along very often, and when it did you had to grab it with both hands, even if it was only fleeting.
They were silent for the rest of the journey home, and all she could think about was the warm touch of his hand as he held hers firmly.
He paid the taxi driver, ushered her up to her apartment and waited while she opened the door.
Sam was staying the night with Michael and Maria so there was no fear of him disturbing them.
She’d been surprised and delighted by how excited Sam had been by the prospect of a night away from her, and she reflected on how much he’d improved since coming to Cornwall. He was growing into a secure, confident little boy and the invitation to ‘camp’ at Michael’s and Maria’s house had seemed like a huge adventure.
Which left her alone with Joel.
‘Would you like a coffee?’ Her fingers were shaking while she dealt with the lock, and he shook his head slowly.
‘Not coffee,’ he said, pushing her gently inside the flat and closing the door behind them. ‘After dancing with you for most of the night, what I need most is a cold shower. And don’t blush. You’ve been pressed up against me for long enough to know that I’m suffering from a serious case of frustration. What were you trying to tell me on the dance floor, Lucy?’
He hadn’t bothered to turn on the hall light and they were in semi-darkness. Suddenly the intimacy of her flat made her all the more aware of just how daring she’d been.
She stood with her back to the wall and he placed an arm on either side of her head so that she couldn’t avoid him.
‘You were saying that you thought you just wanted to be friends,’ he prompted her gently, ‘and then you paused. So what are you saying, Lucy?’
She didn’t know what to say to him, so instead she stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently.
He stiffened and stayed immobile, and then he gave a groan and took over, his mouth dominating and devouring hers in a kiss that had nothing whatsoever to do with friendship.
Whereas their first kiss had been gentle and exploratory, this one was hot and demanding, and he took everything she was willing to give.
His body pressed hers against the wall and she felt the hard ridge of his arousal through the thin silk of her dress.
A totally unfamiliar feeling curled through her body, a fiery, sexual heat which consumed every last doubt she might have had.
Hardly aware of what she was doing, she reached inside his jacket and tugged at his shirt, giving herself access to his warm, muscular body.
As her fingers touched his heated flesh she gave a shiver of anticipation. He felt so strong, so vitally masculine…
As his kiss became more intimate, so did his hands, and she only realised that he’d unzipped her dress when she felt cool air brush her skin as the dress slipped down and pooled on the floor by her feet. The touch of his fingers on her breasts made her gasp into his mouth and she reached for the buckle of this trousers, too far gone to be shocked by her own actions.
His fingers closed over her wrist in an
iron grip and finally he lifted his head, his breathing unsteady and his eyes dark with desire.
‘Lucy…’ His voice cracked and he cleared his throat and dropped his head onto his forearm while he tried to regain some semblance of self-control. ‘I need…’ He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. ‘I need to know this is what you want, sweetheart. Because if you want me to stop, it has to be now.’
Lucy looked at him, her whole body aching with a desire she hadn’t known it was possible to feel.
She was well aware of the enormity of what she was about to do, but there was no way she wanted to stop.
‘I don’t want you to stop, Joel.’
He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Are you sure?’
She nodded slowly. ‘Completely sure. I want you to make love to me, Joel—please?’
But still he didn’t move, his expression tormented, as if he was fighting some sort of internal battle.