‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I think you are.’ She smiled at him and their eyes locked. The look of longing in his eyes took her breath away. She gazed back at him, time seeming to stand still. Then slowly, very slowly, they both leaned towards each other until their lips touched. The kiss was gentle at first, sending waves of heat tingling through her body. He pulled her closer — she pressed herself into him, wanting to feel the strength and warmth of his body against hers. Wanting to be as close to him as she could possibly be, wishing that they could morph into one being. The kiss deepened and so did her longing for him. Feeling bolder than she ever had done, she tugged at his shirt, wanting to touch his skin. Between kisses they undressed each other until they were both naked on the sofa.
He broke away and looked her in the eyes. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
She nodded. ‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’
He nodded and moved away from her, and she felt suddenly cold at his absence. She was relieved that he was only leaving her to make sure they were protected.
He began to kiss her again, their passion mounting once more, and then he was inside her, making her feel complete. Her longing built into a crescendo, followed by a glorious relief.
Afterwards he pulled a throw from the back of the sofa over them.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked softly.
‘No,’ she said, and watched him frown. ‘I’m very much more than okay.’
The frown transformed into a smile and he nipped her neck gently with his teeth. ‘That’s not playing fair. Men can be vulnerable too. Especially after . . .’
‘You’ve never really struck me as vulnerable.’
‘What then? What do I strike you as?’
She hitched herself into more of a sitting position, making sure that the throw was covering her, suddenly feeling modest.
‘Well, when I first met you, I thought you were the rudest man I’ve ever met.’
He laughed. ‘No surprise there. I was pretty rude that day. But then I was in a bad mood and you were late.’
‘Because I got lost!’
‘And after the day I’d had, I was beginning to think that no one could be relied upon.’
‘Well, then, I’m glad you gave me the chance to prove you wrong.’
He kissed her gently. ‘Oh, so am I.’
She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘You know, after Mark, I swore that I’d never get involved with someone I work with again, and here I am.’
‘Well, I can understand why you’d think that. I’ve wanted to do this for so long, but I held off because of our working relationship. But we’re more equal now.’
‘Are we?’
‘Of course we are. After tonight, your own career is really going to take off. If you want it to, that is?’
‘It’s what I’ve always dreamed of. But does that mean I’m out of a job?’
He grinned. ‘I’ll still need someone to help me, if you want to, but things are changing for both of us, especially if I develop my idea of setting up a school in Manchester.’
She frowned at his words. Being in Manchester would take him away from her. ‘I guess you won’t be around that much then?’
‘I’ll be spending more time up there, yes, but I’m not moving away, and it means that potentially our work won’t need to interfere with our relationship.’
Despite her doubts about him working away, she decided to focus on the word ‘relationship’.
‘Our relationship?’
‘If you want one?’ he asked hesitantly.
She nodded. ‘Yes, I think I do.’
