‘I’m what?’ he asked thickly, his voice almost unrecognisable. Rachel was beyond words; she only wanted to absorb him, feel him move within her.
He couldn’t resist her pleas and any restraint he had vanished under the onslaught of her inarticulate entreaties and encouragements. He could no longer control the aggression of his thrusts as he gave her what she asked for—all of him.
‘Oh, God, I didn’t use a condom!’
As post-coital sweet nothings went this really ruined the mood.
‘Don’t worry, it’s not a fertile time of my cycle.’ If the sofa had come supplied with sheets she’d have used them to cover her vulnerability. And a whole lot more than her vulnerability was showing just now! She edged as far away from his sweat-covered body as possible.
‘That’s not the point.’
‘It isn’t?’ She wanted so badly to touch him. Would it be so bad? she wondered wistfully.
‘I wouldn’t want you to think I’m normally reckless.’
‘Relax, I don’t.’
‘Next time—’
‘There won’t be a next time.’
She felt the sofa groan as he raised himself on one elbow. Under the circumstances it was impossible to avoid his eyes. ‘Oh?’
His eyes ran slowly over her slim body, still flushed from their strenuous lovemaking.
‘I’m not blaming you.’
‘That’s good of you.’ The droll smile that lifted one corner of his mouth wasn’t reflected in his eyes.
‘But it can’t happen again.’
‘If you’re willing to give me ten minutes and some encouragement I think you’ll find it can.’
The heat tore through her body as her imagination responded to the vivid images conjured up by his words. ‘I need to go home.’
‘Let me guess, I’m not the sort of man you want to take home to Charlie.’ He didn’t look or sound amused.
‘I don’t want to raise her expectations, Ben. She’s fond of you…’
‘And her mother?’
‘You’re a very attractive man.’
‘I can hear a “but” in your voice.’
‘Don’t be like this,’ she begged unevenly. ‘It’s not as if you’re planning to share your life with me, is it? We’ve nothing whatever in common and I’ve not the mental attitude that makes a happy harem member.’ She dredged the light laughter up from somewhere when he didn’t respond with a firm proclamation that she was the one and only girl for him—she hadn’t really expected him to.
‘It’s better for everyone concerned if we return things to a professional basis. I’d like to get dressed now.’ It was probably too late even now to save herself from all the classic symptoms of addiction, but she had to make a token effort to escape.
‘At this point am I supposed to avert my eyes while you make yourself decent? Sorry, Rachel, I like looking at you nude. Surely you don’t begrudge a man something to remember when we’re back to a professional basis?’
‘Do you always make situations like this so awkward?’
‘It may surprise you, Rachel, but even with my varied, much documented love life I’ve never found myself in this situation before. I wasn’t expecting slavish adoration…’
‘No?’ The sooner that little time bomb was skirted the better! ‘Just applause possibly? I think you’re just peeved because the women you date wait for you to call it a day.’ Anticipating the fact that he was about to get a lot more physical, she slid sinuously off the sofa and landed on her bottom.
He leaned over the edge and she reached for her discarded shirt, pulling it protectively over her breasts.
‘Date! What date? You did promise me dinner when I took you to the hospital… I think you’d like me better if your first impressions had been right and I was some penniless bum on the prowl. You were falling over yourself to dole out the tea and sympathy then. The fact I’ve got anything to offer you is obviously a big turn-off! Does a relationship on equal terms scare you that much?’
Equal? Was he serious? She dreamt about equal. She sat on her heels and jerkily shoved her arms into the shirt. ‘Offer me! When did you ever offer me anything?’
‘There doesn’t seem much point when you throw every gesture back in my face.’
‘Fine! If you want dinner, I’ll buy you dinner, and you can bring me flowers to say thank you. I promise I won’t throw them back in your face. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy…’ she began awkwardly.
‘I know that.’ He watched as she unsuccessfully tried to tug the shirt over her hips and his anger seemed to subside. He tugged up his trousers but didn’t bother fastening the belt. ‘When?’ She looked at him blankly, worried by the rather calculating expression on his face. ‘Dinner,’ he reminded her.