‘I can’t believe it’s worked out.’ He sits up with a shuddery little laugh. ‘I was sure this was going to backfire on me big time and you’d be off to the Virgin Isles or wherever with Chase. Either that or you’d decide to find Chase Mark Two.’
‘Why would you take that risk?’
‘I had to know. The stakes had got so high. I didn’t want to win this thing and have you move in with me only to find that you left a few weeks or months later because you still weren’t sure.’
‘I’m not such a prize, Lloyd. There are lots of better people than me.’
‘Not for me there aren’t.’
I pull him back down, face him and stroke his cheek. I can’t imagine ever wanting anyone more. ‘So I fucked Chase.’
‘How was it?’
‘Do you really want to know?’
‘Yes.’
‘It was fine.’
‘Fine?’
‘Yes, fine. I’ve had worse; I’ve had better. It was certainly nothing to write home about though.’
‘Home? That’s here now. Isn’t it?’
‘I thought I’d passed the task!’
‘Soph, I just need to hear it. You are going to stay, aren’t you?’
There’s a second’s vicious tug at the pit of my stomach, a moment of panicky nausea. I gather all my strength to dismiss it. ‘Yes. I’ll go to the lettings agency tomorrow and give notice on the flat. But you have to give one of your rooms over to me for a darkroom.’
‘Sure, you can have the spare bedroom, like I’ve always said.’
‘We’ll call that settled then.’
He kisses me, sealing the deal.
‘There’s something I haven’t told you about fucking Chase,’ I mention, holding him close to me, my hand on his neck.
‘Oh? His dick’s made of gold? He has a massive tattoo of you on his back?’
‘No, you knob. He wasn’t bad, but he left me unsatisfied.’
Lloyd does a stagy gasp then he laughs and kisses my nose. ‘He didn’t?’
‘He did! I had to fake it in the end or I’d have grown old over that desk.’
‘Ah, over the desk. Knew it.’
‘I’ve got the bruises to prove it.’
‘Hard going, was it?’
‘Just a bit. So anyway …’ I trail off delicately, leaving him to draw the inference.
‘So there’s a hungry pussy that wants feeding?’ He slips the bathrobe over my thighs, baring them, and runs his hand up one flank.
‘Very hungry,’ I whisper. ‘Starving. But go easy. It’s a little raw down there.’